Smokies 900 Round 2: Noland Creek Trail & A Change of Plans

Smokies 900 Round 2: Noland Creek Trail Campsite 64 to Lake View Drive &
A Change of Plans - 6/5/21 – 14.2 Miles

Carol’s morning stretch routine

Today’s plan on paper:

(1) hike the remaining 4.1 miles on Noland Creek Trail back to the car
(2) dump trash and anything we haven’t needed
(3) move the car to Tunnel to Nowhere parking at Lakeshore Trail
(4) add food for our second overnight hike out-and-back on Lakeshore/Bear Creek Trails
(5) get going!

We got up at first light, packed, ate monster donuts that Carol had carefully carried all day yesterday. The rest of Noland Creek Trail was a very gentle descent on a wide roadbed, enjoying the sounds of rushing water as we walked. 

I continued to mull over any possible variation on the plan for the overnight trip ahead of us but couldn’t come up with an easier version in our time frame that included Bear Creek Trail. It’s a very remote trail, 6 miles long (12 RT), and a dayhike from the Tunnel that includes it is a minimum 18.5-mile round trip. Add the 4.1 miles we’re hiking on Noland Creek Trail back to the car and that’s…too many miles.

Lake View Drive above us – the trail goes underneath it and circles around to the trailhead

The parking lot was filled with horse trailers unloading and preparing for trail riding. Maybe hitch a ride? (Just kidding.)

I spontaneously said to Carol, “You know, we don’t have to do this!” I truly had not been thinking along those lines, but we were at a decision point. We were both dreading the fully loaded haul halfway up Bear Creek Trail to Campsite 75 (Poplar Flats) and more miles after that. If our biggest goal of the trip was to test gear, well, we had already done that.

Just go home? Nope. Our secondary goal, covering some new miles of the Smokies 900 map, was still in play. Options: dayhike most of our plan, leaving out Bear Creek Trail?  Camp somewhere and do another dayhike tomorrow? Finding a campsite on a Saturday night would be hard, and there was nowhere else in the Deep Creek area that we wanted to hike – we’ve actually done it all.

Ultimately we crafted a respectable 10-mile dayhike route combining trail sections that Carol needed to cover and ones that I needed, with a side trip to Woody Cemetery for good measure.

New plan: Loop hike of Tunnel Bypass/Lakeshore Trail/Forney Creek Trail/Whiteoak Branch Trail/Lakeshore Trail through Tunnel back to Carol’s car.

Even with very light packs, the uphills took some effort after our big day yesterday. I was glad we had chosen this option. 

We started on Tunnel Bypass Trail. While I was admiring the mountain laurel,
Carol spotted another black bear rear end in retreat. 

Ghost pipe

Tunnel Bypass intersects Lakeshore Trail, where we turned left and dropped into the groove of the wide, deeply worn path. Mountain laurel arched overhead and sprinkled petals at our feet.

We passed Whiteoak Branch Trail, then crossed Gray Wolf Creek on a footbridge and looked for an unnamed trail on the right that leads to the Woody Cemetery. An extended picnic table sits in a clearing, welcoming family members and visitors to the cemetery on Decoration Day.

Cemeteries are usually located on high ground near a homesite or community. Woody Cemetery is a steep third of a mile beyond the clearing. As we approached, a doe watched us from the edge of the woods.

Most of the site seems stark, red dirt that at first appears barren until you understand that the woods have not overtaken it because of human caretaking. Artificial flowers have been placed on some graves.

There are rows of stone markers of differing sizes, some rough fieldstones and some newer granite ones placed long after the families left their homes when the park was formed. In all, about 65 loved ones rest on this hillside. 

Eight markers say simply “Infant Freeman,” which brought tears at the realization of what that family endured. I try to be mindful that these places are not tourist attractions; they are sacred and special to the families who lived and worked here and to their descendants. 

A beautiful redring milkweed

Carol and I returned to the Lakeshore Trail and continued to Campsite 74 (Lower Forney) at the intersection with Bear Creek Trail. The site is very large, with several campfire rings and sets of bear cables, a great basecamp for the area. Forney Creek flows swiftly along one side. Tents were set up and several backpacks were hung on cables but no people were around. We took a lunch break here.

Carol brought an entire container of Pringles, which I hadn’t tasted in years.
We ate half the can right there on the spot. 

After lunch, we hiked on Bear Creek Trail for .4 miles to the intersection with Forney Creek Trail. This is also the point where Bear Creek joins Forney Creek and the flow widens and continues past Campsite 74 on its way to Fontana Lake. We cheerfully said goodbye to Bear Creek Trail (we’ll be back!) and turned right onto Forney Creek Trail.

One mile up Forney Creek Trail, a right turn onto Whiteoak Branch, which is a short little trail that connects back to Lakeshore Trail. At that point we turned left and followed the Lakeshore two miles to its trailhead at the Tunnel.

An interesting find on Whiteoak Branch: hairy skullcap

Ready for our Tunnel finale!

If you haven’t walked through the Tunnel, it is a worthwhile unique experience. I’ve done it a dozen times – it never fails to give me chills. Alone? With a friend? Go for the darkness or use a flashlight? [Hint: a flashlight helps to see and appreciate the artwork.]

Safe on the other side

Another Smokies backpacking trip in the books. I’m sure Carol would have gone all in for the second overnight, and I shortchanged our endurance training, but overall the trip accomplished our gear testing goals. I’m still nervous about this Tahoe Rim Trail thru-hike business…

A glimpse of Fontana Lake from Lake View Drive

“You need special shoes for hiking -
and a bit of a special soul as well.” 
 ~Terri Guillemets

Smokies 900 Round 2: Noland Divide & Noland Creek Trails to Campsite 64

Smokies 900 Round 2: Noland Divide Trail/Noland Creek Trail to Campsite 64

6/4/21 – 14.4 Miles

Ten short weeks until Carol and I start our thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail – time for a gear test shakedown backpacking trip in our favorite place – Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Pre-hike carb loading at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City

Car camping at Deep Creek the evening before our trip (using a different tent and sleeping bag
so my backpack is ready to go)

More carb loading the next morning

Today’s hike plan

We met our shuttle pickup at 7:30 a.m. at the Noland Creek trailhead on Lakeshore Drive. As the van turned out of the parking area, I saw a bear’s hind end cross the road and melt into the trees on the mountainside. A good omen?

Next, the driver picked up four guys in Bryson City wearing shorts and small water bladder daypacks. They were planning a trail run from Clingman’s Dome down through Deep Creek and to their hotel (20+ miles). We wished them well as they stepped out into the chill air at the Dome.

The driver took a starting photo op of Carol and me when he dropped us at the Noland Divide trailhead. A typical June morning in the Smokies: wearing long pants and rain jackets, knowing we’ll soon take them off when we get below the ridge.

Noland Divide Trail descends steadily to Sassafrass Gap. Hiking Trails of the Smokies, also called “the brown book,” describes the trail as it “follows the crest of Noland Divide among never-logged and second-growth trees, including Eastern hemlock, various oaks and maples, and Juneberry. American chestnut stumps, fallen trunks, and saplings abound.” A shady summertime delight, wildflowers showing off all the way:

Yellow bead lily aka blue bead lily

Wood-betony aka Lousewort

Clinton's lily aka Speckled wood lily

Wild azalea floating in the trees

Wild azalea 

Galax or black cohosh?

Elk hoofprints

At different points along the way we met two pairs of hikers going up Noland Divide. I think we were having more fun than they were. At Sassafras Gap we turned right onto Noland Creek Trail, a very different character than its sister trail that was a dry ridge. Creek means wet, which means creek crossings.

[Backcountry campsites are designated by numbers on the trail map, but they also have names. Some local horse folks told me once upon a time that they only know the sites by name, not by number. So I'm including both for reference.]

We careened down a crazy steep mile to Campsite 61 (Bald Creek), where Bald Branch and Sassafras Branch join Noland Creek. We had a little trouble finding our way through the campsite area spread out in high vegetation with water on all sides. GAIA was confused, too.

Where is Carol going?

Four knee deep creek “Croc” crossings

I am fascinated by cemeteries in the Smokies, reminders of human history. Finding information about those deep in the backcountry is not easy. Many are not acknowledged by the Park, but sometimes there is a “No Horses” signpost that indicates a cemetery within a reasonable walking distance (usually uphill) on a narrow path. Various sources give differing accounts of who is buried where and often the cemeteries have multiple names, combining location and local resident surnames.

The Jerry Flats/Wiggins Cemetery is near Campsite 63 (Jerry Flats) on Noland Creek.  I read one account that “Jerry” is a mispronunciation of the word “cherry” referring to large stands of cherry trees in the Flats area in pre-logging days. The land here was owned by Jim “Ute” Wiggins. Two children of Jim and Lillie Wiggins are buried here beneath old headstones and granite markers placed later.

Past the campsite, Noland Creek Trail widens and bridges appear – no more wading!

Campsite 64 (Mills River) is a large camping area for both backpackers and horses at the intersection of Noland Creek and Springhouse Branch Trails. There are stone picnic style tables for Decoration Day events when family members visit cemeteries along Noland Creek. Carol and I were spending the night here.

We had our choice of sites bu couldn’t set up tents yet because we needed our hiking poles for the next segment of our plan: hiking up Springhouse Branch Trail to Forney Ridge Trail and back. We dropped our backpacks on a spot by the creek, leaving the sites with fire rings for others to use. 

Me being optimistic at the beginning of our long, hot slog up Springhouse Branch

I carried a string bag with water, a snack and a rain jacket for the out-and-back. Even with so little weight, the hike was a serious 2.8 steep miles up to the junction with Forney Ridge (1,500 feet in the first 2.2 miles). Having already hiked 9 miles with a loaded pack, my legs were weak and the heat took its toll. Carol and I were marching and not talking much. But, hey, more pretty wildflowers and mosses!

Club moss

Canada violet

Goats-beard, one of my favorites that I don’t see often

We met a woman who was headed to Campsite 64. She was solo backpacking, working on the Smokies 900 and vlogging about it. If we make it back to camp alive, it will be fun to chat with her.

At the Forney Creek junction we stopped to rest, eat, and commemorate
the last time we were there less than a year ago (in a downpour) and how badly I bonked. 

Carol and I are both transitioning from traditional hiking boots to lightweight hiking shoes, so we’re testing Altra Timp shoes on this trip. This will be a game changer for me on the TRT.

Our descent back to camp went (too) quickly, probably will hurt us tomorrow, but we were glad to finish this hard-to-reach trail. Yes, Smokies 900 map hikers are a little bit nuts.

Across the creek from Campsite 64 are remains of the Rust homesite/former ranger station. While Carol settled herself in camp, I walked up the hill from the homesite to Upper Noland Cemetery, the resting place of 35 souls who once called the Noland Creek community home.

Building remnants and steps leading up to the cemetery

Back at camp, I set up my space and prepared for the next day. More folks were arriving and settling in. A group of 3 guys showed up and took the site with the fire ring, which they immediately set ablaze. Another man came in with a hammock, said he was supposed to go on to another campsite but he’d had enough for one day. Last in was another single man who was hiking the Benton MacKaye Trail in big mileage days. He was a minimalist with a bivy-type tent and a small backpack.

I’m trying out a Bare Boxer bear canister for the TRT trip. It is quite small, ideal for weekend trips, but anything larger won’t fit in my backpack and I’m not willing to buy a new pack. We are planning to hit resupply every third or fourth day (three nights max) so I think for each segment I can carry the first day’s food outside the canister and the rest inside. 

The literal “water under the bridge” where we collected and filtered water

We cooked and ate supper at a picnic table with solo backpacker Cindy. She drives down every couple of months from Indiana, concentrating on the Smokies 900 miler, and she vlogs on YouTube “to keep herself accountable”. I told her it’s a great thing to make a record, she will enjoy looking back at it and so will her kids someday. We suggested our concept of backpacking in to a basecamp and hiking in loops, which was new to her. 

 I am usually leery of a lot of people in camp, but we were a nice mix, serious about our hikes, good conversation and early bedtime (even the campfire crew). It was still dusky-dark at 9:00 pm when I crawled into my tent. I left the flap open most of the night (screen closed). At one point I noticed blinking lights, opened the screen and stuck my head out – synchronous fireflies! You don’t have to book a time slot at Elkmont to see them – just go out into the backcountry.

As I drifted to sleep, I pondered how to alter our hike plan for tomorrow, because after the day we’ve had, hauling loaded packs halfway up Bear Creek Trail seems overwhelming.

Deep in the night, I was awakened by howling coyotes, not very far away.

“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.”
~John Muir