Candid Camera

MST – Day 19 – 5/4/10 – Old Bald to Bear Pen Gap – 13.9 Miles 

After a couple of weeks playing around in other places, Danny and I are back on the MST. An hour-and-a-half commute from her home in Asheville got us onto the trail by about 8:30 a.m.. Who needs sleep anyway? Here we are at Old Bald again.

A quick descent brought us unexpected- ly into lovely meadows with long views southeast. In all of my photos the mountains have the same tilt, so I’m blaming it on the terrain rather than on my holding the camera crooked.

Can't think of a better place to be

I continue to be fascinated by the beauty of bare gray branches and blue sky.

Route finding was challenging early on with unevenly distributed white blazes. We both carry copies of the relevant pages from Scot Ward and Walt Weber’s books and we consulted them often today. We frequently switched from trails to road beds. This section of the MST is rather remote and therefore sees less maintenance and blaze freshening than other sections. The hiking itself was easy with scattered uphills and lots of level strolling. (We would remember this wistfully in a couple of days.)

I made a bet that we wouldn’t see people today – and I lost. Imagine my surprise when we came upon a group with a camp set up. Imagine my increased surprise when Danny speculated that they were a derivation of “Hoods in the Woods,” a backpacking program for youth at risk. No way to know for sure (I wasn’t asking) but the boys had on matching orange hooded sweatshirts. The adults cheerfully said hello, told us there was some “technical” trail ahead, and we kept on moving.

And they were correct as we negotiated rock scrambles and a scant trail clinging to the mountainside.

We crossed nearly two dozen creeks, nothing to get us wet but certainly enough to keep us watchful. Sometimes we would step over two or three small streams and look downhill to where they wove together to form a large gusher just below our crossing point. Props to the trail builders for taking the trail above the confluences and keeping our tootsies dry!

Flower of the day: Wakerobin (not to be confused with Vasey’s trillium, whose flowers hang below the leaves.) We tried many times to get them to smile but this is a difficult flower to photograph. BTW, we also saw Vasey’s trillium in the days following. Their leaves are enormous.

Another head- scratcher mystery camp today and we speculated several scenarios for this setup. Since we crossed so many old road beds, does the Forest Service have vehicle access here and is this one of their campsites? Could it be a hunter’s camp? The MST follows the Parkway and the Parkway’s land is very narrow in places, surrounded by forest land and wilderness where hunting is allowed.

Twisted but still standing

Can you spot Danny through the crazy tree?

Our last mile was a steep, challenging uphill and white blazes were scarce again. Sometimes one person had to wait while the other investigated down a path looking for clues. Without any mishaps, we intersected with a blue blaze trail to the Parkway at Bear Pen Gap Overlook, our ending point for the day.

Danny had been asked to participate in a documentary about the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary and she arranged to meet Clay Johnson and his cameraman, Jay, from WRAL in Raleigh at Bear Pen Gap. They filmed us more than a half dozen times hiking back and forth along the blue blaze trail, a very interesting process (microphones and everything – watch what you say!) From there we went to the Haywood Jackson Overlook with its great stone picnic table and the long view westward, where we were interviewed on camera. News flash: I am in no danger of becoming a TV personality. I’ve done interviews for newspapers before, but I was surprised at how nervous I was at having my voice and face recorded. I am placing all my hope in the editing fairy that I will not look like an idiot.

The hike and the interview were over but the day was not. Section hiking a linear trail means lots of shuttling to retrieve cars, place a car for tomorrow and then drive down windy old Highway 276. Our reward was dinner at Twin Dragons Chinese buffet , which really hit the spot. And can you believe it: Somebody with a TV camera came in and followed a heavyset woman and a teenage boy around the buffet. Fortunately they didn't get between me and the sweet and sour pork.

Read Danny’s tale of the day here.  

God never made an ugly landscape. All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild. ~John Muir

Hello Dolly!

Dolly Sods Wilderness Hike – 4/24/10 – Red Creek Trail/Little Stonecoal Trail/Dunkenbarger Trail/Big Stonecoal Trail/Red Creek Trail – 7.5 miles

A dreary morning made it hard to get excited at the prospect of a wet hike. Somehow it’s okay if rain begins once you are into a hike, but why is it so hard to start out in the rain? We procrastinated a little in hopes of the weather clearing. Fortunately, although gray was the color of the day our hike stayed dry.

The spectacular drive to the Dolly Sods area built up anticipation for our adventure. Laneville Road’s multiple hairpin turns are similar to the Tail of the Dragon in western North Carolina with the addition of farmsteads and some vacation-type houses.

We followed three cars that looked like they knew where they were headed; consequently we blew past the Red Creek Trail parking area (signs were not visible from the road) and the pavement gave way to rutted gravel. The road became rocky and quite steep, driving reduced to 20 MPH and less. We knew we had gone too far when we reached a parking area for South Prong Trail, so we turned around and headed all the way back down. Red Creek was actually where the pavement ended.

A little history: In 1943 and '44 , the Army used the area as a practice range and maneuver area for training troops for World War II in Europe. Live artillery and mortar shells shot into the area for practice still exist in Dolly Sods.



Our lollipop hike began on Red Creek Trail as a level half-mile walk to the first camping area, where wild confusion broke out. Being a wilderness area, camping is allowed anywhere and there is no signage. There were many worn pathways to campsites. We happened upon a group of two men and one middle school age boy who had just broken camp and were going the same direction. Together we found our way, marked only by a small rock cairn to indicate a faint path left which was Little Stonecoal (no sign, but about right mileage per GPS). This path led to our first crossing of Red Creek. Jim spent quite a bit of time trying to scout a rock-hop across while I waded on through, and he eventually followed.

  The water was… refreshing! As usual I had my Crocs because I hate wet hiking boots. The father of the boy crossed barefoot, dropped his backpack, then went back and piggy-backed the boy across. I asked him why he didn’t use his hiking poles and he wondered the same thing. Methinks the boy needs to learn to cross on his own.

 A steep straight climb up Little Stonecoal Trail followed cascading Stonecoal Creek. Two waterfalls and a half dozen cascades were marked on my trail map, but all were barely visible even through winter trees, so in the summer it’s a scramble off-trail to check them out. We leapfrogged our new friends a couple of times and the trail was sketchy again as we approached the next junction, but we learned that the rock cairns begin appearing near intersections, sort of like painted double blazes that say “pay attention, a change is coming.” A bonus here: there was an actual wooden trail sign at the right turn.
  
The Dunken- barger Trail was very different, weaving through an alpine forest of Eastern hemlock and spruce, young trees, very thick, with no signs of disease like those in North Carolina. Mingled together were large stands of rhododendron and mountain laurel. The footing was very muddy, could have fooled me for a horse trail. There was a Hansel & Gretel feeling all along this trail, closed in and limited sight distance. Campsites along the way were awesome, would be great fun to stay here.

At the next intersection we turned right onto Big Stonecoal Trail and stopped for lunch. We noticed several trees cut off about 1 to 2 feet above the ground with a rough axe chop. Looking around a little bit, we found a big campsite with a huge rock fire pit near a wide creek. I guess that’s where the woodchoppers burned their trees.

Our descent down Big Stonecoal was an exercise in not rolling ankles, lots of rocks and steep elevation. There is no grading in Dolly Sods Wilderness. We passed through huge boulder fields. Can anyone identify the animal poop on this rock cairn?

Jim pointed out that I walked right by this carcass of a young deer – skull, rib cage, fur and lower legs and hooves intact.

At the bottom, another chill thrill crossing of Red Creek

Again head- scratching ensued at the myriad of paths to campsites. Another backpacking group came along (it is not lonely in Dolly Sods) and we checked bearings with them, but we still got off-trail and hit a couple of dead ends before finding the right trail and retracing our steps back to the parking area. Overall, we finished the 7.5 miles in 4.75 hours – not bad for navigating, stopping for breaks and lunch, etc. Although this was not the part of Dolly Sods that I’ve read the most about with balds and bare rock fields, this was a very interesting hike. I’d be happy to return for an overnight trip.

There was not enough time left to check out Seneca Rocks so we took a scenic drive on Highway 72, an even smaller road with even more twists and turns, incredibly picturesque with small farms and little white churches. We ended up in Parsons, which is nothing to write home about, and from there we drove towards Thomas/Davis, passing the wind turbines we had seen on our first day in the area. There also was not enough time to go back to our room in Canaan Valley to change clothes (I told you that nothing is close to anything), so we turned onto a side road and into a cemetery and changed in the car. Don’t laugh, it was very convenient!

Dinner at Muttley’s in Davis, WV – remember, eat local, tip big!  

May you live all the days of your life. ~Jonathan Swift

Almost Heaven

West Virginia - Blackwater Canyon Rim Bike Ride – 4/23/10 - 22 Miles 

Nearly every year since we’ve been parents Jim and I have taken a weekend to celebrate our anniversary sans kids. The trick was flexibility and not being tied to the actual date. Another requirement was that the destination be within a four-hour drive of either our house or my parents’ house (depending on where the childcare was going on.) But now that the kids are out of the nest, we can go a little farther afield and I have a long list of new destinations. I have always wanted to visit the Dolly Sods Wilderness area of West Virginia and this year we headed for the hills.

Our home-away-from-home was Canaan Valley State Park (pronounced kuh-NANE). West Virginia’s concept of state parks is very different from North Carolina. In WV they are true resorts, lodging, restaurants, swimming pools, movie stars…uh, sorry. We very highly recommend Canaan Valley as a home base for exploring the Potomac Highlands part of WV. It’s cheap, quiet, and peaceful – not close to much, but then again, nothing is close to anything in West-by-God-Virginia.

Jim is an avid road cyclist who often hikes with me, so I am attempting to reciprocate by becoming a cyclist – with baby steps, starting with rail trails. We stopped Friday morning at Highland Prospects, an outfitter in the tiny town of Davis, WV (next door to Hypno Coffee – looked like fun early in the morning). The fellow there gave us good information about the section of the Alleghany Highlands rail trail we were interested in as well as how to find our trailhead for our hike in Dolly Sods the next day. Our bike route was 10 miles downhill from Thomas to Hendricks and then we would see how much farther we felt like going before retracing our path...back UP.
 
At the trailhead, preparing for a bike ride is much more involved than preparing for a hike - front wheels put on, brakes connected, tires pumped up, bike helmets on, water bottles on, spandex adjusted. Where are my sunglasses? And we still had to wear light backpacks with food and rain gear.

The first item of interest on the trail: old coke ovens between Coketon and Douglas. Raw coal was burned in the ovens to produce coke in “beehive” coke ovens. Check out this website for a great explanation of the coal era and the area.

The outfitter guy described a waterfall that we should “get off the bikes and go check out.” I don’t know the name of it, but it was beautiful. The water is a Caribbean aqua and the surrounding rocks are a yellowish color that rubs off on your hands. I was fascinated with one cascade that flowed smoothly into a small crevice, but the photos made no sense without a person for perspective.

The rail trail was extremely rocky and I worried about chipping a tooth . My arms were sore at the end of the day from gripping the handlebars too tightly on the bumpy ride. Pedaling was not necessary, which meant going back up was going to be tough. The trees had not yet leafed out and we caught many glimpses of the Blackwater River far below. The land between the river and the rail trail is privately owned and we also caught glimpses of heavy equipment harvesting the trees.

We stopped at the little pavilion in Hendricks where the trail turned to asphalt – hey, not tired at all! We continued a mile more on the smooth pavement to Hambleton but then decided to turn around because of the time and the climb.

The return trip was really tough for me. I put it in the lowest gear and spun my little heart out. The trail looked flat but moving forward took a Herculean effort. I had to stop about every mile to get off the bike and whimper – it was not pretty. That’s all I have to say about that.

  

The difference between a cyclist












and a scaredy-cat

We investigated the dozens of coke ovens on the way back – they really are fascinating. Apparently nothing is being done to preserve them and it would be a real shame to lose the evidence of this piece of history. Go see ‘em while you can.

 Back at the car, the reverse of bike preparation – take the bikes apart, retrieve water bottles, etc, and put it all back in the car. Then we checked out Mountainmade, a large shop featuring area artists and craftspeople – very high quality stuff. The building is the original home of the "company store" for Davis Coal & Coke Company (sing it, Ernie!)

 Next we strolled through Davis, looking at the menus of the local restaurants so we could come back into town for dinner. We also chatted with the owner of Blackwater Bikes, the local mountain bike store, telling him about our bike trip. He explained that this section was a “proposed” rail trail, that the only thing that had been done was pulling up the tracks and then everybody started riding on it. That’s why it was so rough. I felt a little better about that. I don’t really want to be a mountain biker, just a rail-trail biker.

Cleaned up, ate dinner at Blackwater Brewing Company, and with some daylight left we investigated Blackwater Falls State Park, another resort area that looked even more inviting than Canaan Valley SP. We walked the extensive boardwalk and steps to view the falls – quite spectacular! Reminded me of High Falls in Dupont State Forest. I forgot my camera, but the website is better anyway.

Tomorrow – Dolly Sods Wilderness!  

The difference between try and triumph is a little umph. ~Author Unknown

AT in VA: Solo Reflection

4/17/10 – AT from Sugar Run Gap to Pearisburg, VA – 10 miles

On Friday, April 16 I joined my younger daughter and 6,000 others in the Run For Remembrance 5K at Virginia Tech, one of my favorite places on the planet. The weather was flawless, the race course wound around campus and through the football stadium, and it was an exhilarating event…if you could forget the reason we were there in the first place. A picnic on the drill field, visiting exhibits around campus commemorating the April 16 tragedy, and a candlelight ceremony at the memorial filled the rest of the day.

 Virginia Tech is only about 35 miles away from Pearisburg, VA and access to the Appalachian Trail, so on Saturday I squeezed in a day on the trail. My daughter was busy so I arranged a shuttle to take me to the trailhead. This was another step out of my comfort zone, combining hiking alone in an unfamiliar place (i.e. outside of those Great Smokies) and relying on a shuttle to get me where I wanted to go. Of course, Neville, shuttle driver and owner of Woods Hole Hostel, met me at the right time and place and showed me where to place my car for the end of my hike. She gave me the history of the hostel as we drove through the valley along Sugar Run Creek. She and her husband, Michael, are living the life the rest of us just play “what if” with over a bottle of wine. Their home/hostel is a dream, an original cabin with an addition and a hiker’s cabin that is an open-air shelter but with electricity and HOT running water for showers. Neville even offers massages and yoga for true trail relaxation. After an extended tour of the place she drove me the last half-mile (which I thought I was going to have to walk) up the mountain to the AT as it crossed gravel road 199. I had to ask her which was trail north – sometimes it’s not obvious!

This flat section of the trail runs through Jefferson National Forest and had just a few blowdowns from the harsh winter (the trail maintainer had already been through). There were clear blue skies above but a cool breeze blowing, so clothing adjustments were constant. Trail builders made good use of the large rocks, creating steps.

My first solo hike since last year felt better than great. My fear of the woods is gone – crackling sounds in the bushes are now interesting rather than scary. No disrespect to my hiking buddies, but the experience of going at my own pace without looking at a watch to time breaks or being aware of someone else’s comfort was freeing. The ease of the terrain probably fooled me into thinking I was Supertrekker, but I didn’t stop as often and didn’t eat as much as when I hike with other people, and I never felt tired.
  
Doc’s Knob Shelter was the first item of interest today. Although it is thru-hiker season, I didn’t expect to find anyone there in the middle of the day, but in the shelter log I read that the fellow who had spent the last couple of days at Woods Hole Hostel had stopped here earlier in the morning.

After Doc’s Knob I entered the longest rhodo- dendron tunnel I’ve ever been in – it felt like a mile. The trail goes on and off of old logging roads, widening and narrowing, and a couple of times those white rectangle blazes were key. Okay, I admit that there was a little bit of climbing after the rhodo tunnel to get to the ridgetop… but after that, I walked along the open forest ridge of Pearis Mountain as the trail skirted the rocky edge. It’s very easy to go off-trail to the right and look over the edge down into Wilburn Valley and Sugar Run Valley. Pearis Mountain is a long, steady ridgeline and since I started near the top the hiking was ridiculously easy.

A shadow passed over me and I looked up and saw giant vultures circling. It felt like a plane had passed silently over – eerie but beautiful.

Eventually the trail goes right up to the rocky cliff-like edge of Pearis Mountain at an unnamed lookout point. Here I stopped for a snack, high above the farms and tiny ribbon of road that strings them together. Spring green was creeping up the mountain and the vultures were gracefully riding the air currents.

About a quarter mile farther, the trail gently threads it way through huge boulders to a lookout point called Angel’s Rest overlooking the New River and the town of Pearisburg. In my humble opinion, the unnamed overlook was more impressive, but I guess Angel’s Rest is a more popular destination for casual dayhikers and the New River gives it more cache.

View from Angel's Rest

From here the AT begins a very, very steep descent. If you want to just hike to Angel’s Rest you’ve got quite a climb. Then the trail changes character drastically with wide, slow switchbacks – different trail building theories? I had to resist cutting straight down, but instead got distracted with the emergence of wildflowers. Obviously I still have a lot to learn about using my latest camera.

My car was parked on Route 634 so I didn’t walk all the way into Bluff City. At the end of my 10 miles I felt as though I could go for 10 more (easy to say when you don’t really have to do it). My long drive home gave me to to reflect - I felt the faint stirrings of a thru-hike somewhere deep down inside, something I've said I have no interest in because of the long time away from home. But...the beautiful weather, the peace of walking alone was very seductive...

Have you ever wandered lonely through the woods?

And everything there feels just as it should

You’re part of the life there, part of something good

If you’ve ever wandered lonely through the woods

~ Brandi Carlile

Up And Over Woods Mountain On The MST

MST – Day 18 - 4/11/10 - Woods Mountain - 13 miles

Today was my birthday and what better way to spend it than hiking? My last two birthdays were commemorated by beginning and ending my Smokies 900 Challenge and today I had the opportunity to join with some of the same friends for a third time – sounds like a tradition. Don Gardner was leading a CMC hike on a challenging section of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail. Danny Bernstein and I decided to tag along and my husband Jim was in on the plan too.

Hike leader Don - wouldn't you follow the flag of your country up a mountain?

This hike was on a Sunday, and the day before I had hiked with the Girl Scouts at South Mountains State Park. Jim also had a big bike ride on Saturday, joining in the Tour de Lure originating in Marion,NC. We met in Marion late Saturday afternoon following our separate adventures, discovering the Jack Frost Dairy Bar on Sugar Hill Road, possibly the best soft ice cream I have ever had in my life (note: closed on Sundays!)

 We stayed overnight at the Skyline Village Inn up on the Blue Ridge Parkway – an adventure in itself. The Inn is a 1950’s style motel (“welcome bikers”) with some refurbishing completed, a work still in progress. After dinner and a sample of the live entertainment, we retreated to our room and the balcony overlooking the valley – after all, that’s what we were paying for. (I realized the next day that we were also looking at the big ol' mountain we would be climbing.) I was a little worried that the bikers might be partying late, but bikers are older now and they need their sleep too. We didn’t hear a peep out of them.

We met the CMC hikers early on Sunday morning and Danny presented me with a delicious birthday cake. After our pre-hike snack we made the lengthy shuttle. This section stretches between Highway 80 where it meets the BRP and Highway 221 – no bailout points, boys and girls.

And the magic works every single time – it felt really exhilarating to be out on the trail again.

Today’s group was comprised of experienced strong hikers and I knew I couldn’t whine on this hike (are you reading this, Jeff and Mike?) Right out of the gate the blowdowns and tree damage were horrendous, even though at least one group had been through to scout the hike and did some preliminary cutting along the way. There was nothing we couldn’t get around, but it was tough going at times with lots of scratches and scrapes.

Make no mistake – even with a clear trail this is a tough section of the MST. In fact, the brutal uphill to the top of Woods Mountain was reminiscent of the Green Mountain Trail in Pisgah. What is a switchback? But the ridge was really too narrow for anything but a straight climb and it was never-ending. Molasses flowing uphill would have passed me and I stopped multiple times to gasp and study the flowers (not many). At the top (also about the halfway mark) we took the side trail east to the site of the former Woods Mountain Lookout Tower. The only remnants are the four concrete base corners and an old metal commode (no takers today). Here we enjoyed lounging and lunching in a spot that few have seen.

 Of course, what goes up…must crunch knees going down, right? From the tower location we plunged down Betsy Ridge. This portion of the trail alternated between narrow paths and old wide forest roads and conditions ranged from very clear to a hot mess. For a while I hiked with CMC member Carroll Koepplinger, 80 years young, who regaled me with stories of his annual month-long hikes in Spain, France and Switzerland. I had not met Carroll before and have no reason to believe he is not truthful…but some of his stories were eyepoppers! An absolute delight. BTW, soon Carroll and his cohorts are off on another adventure to hike the Jakobsweg in Switzerland.

At lower elevation some flowers were struggling to come out, including these beautiful patches of crested dwarf iris. The last couple of miles were flat and uneventful except for two creek crossings that called for dancing across the water. The MST popped out at Woodlawn Park on US Highway 221 and not a moment too soon, considering I had a 2-hour drive ahead of me. I was one tired birthday girl, ready to say hello to my pillow.  

It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how. ~Dr. Seuss

Girl Scouts at South Mountains State Park

Girl Scout Dayhiking Group – 4/10/10 – South Mountains State Park – 7 Miles

South Mountains State Park is one of my favorite places to introduce to novice hikers. Only 1.5 hours from my home in Charlotte, it’s the closest “real” mountains for us flatlanders. It’s off the beaten path and a few miles of rural roads, but well worth the trip. And there are several places to gorge on ice cream at the end of a fun hike.

On this day our group consisted of six teenage girls and four adults, including me. The sky was a marvelous blue, no clouds, and the trees were just beginning to leaf out in pale spring green. After checking on everyone’s water supply and 10 essentials (not everybody is 100% with these yet but we are improving) we started out on the High Shoals Falls Loop. The water was robust after a wet winter and the cascades were gushing as we crossed the creek on bridges. The girls continually stopped to play on the boulders and we had to coax them to get back on the trail. Ultimately, though, they had the right idea to just stop and enjoy where they were at the moment rather than chasing a path through the woods…but this is a hiking group, after all.

High Shoals Falls

We continued climbing to the top of the falls and crossed the creek on another bridge. Here we took a snack break, adults on benches and girls down by the water’s edge. Then we completed the loop back, not the most scenic trail on earth, but we did scope out a few yellow and purple violets peeking out. Back on the main trail, we ate lunch at picnic tables.

Next we checked water levels and, as I suspected, some did not have enough, so the group had to backtrack to the bathrooms for water and a potty break. The girls are resistant to the idea of peeing outside, and in a state park on a Saturday I can see their concern for privacy. Note to Sharon: next time out I need to talk about this some more.

The girls were not enthusiastic about my planned second hike up to Chestnut Knob Overlook and during lunch had studied the map and made an alternate plan on an easy trail. They said they were “tired”, which I translated to be “bored”. I proposed that we go part way up Chestnut Knob and then reassess. The first section is .7 miles and extremely steep, so if they were tired then it would show.

Well, four girls sprinted ahead, leaving the four adults and two of the girls in the dust. The two left behind were understandably put out by this. When we all paused at the next intersection I explained that we should have a plan for splitting up so that everyone knows what to expect, that it’s not a good feeling to be left behind if you haven’t discussed a slower paced group and a faster paced group, that a hiker can go slower but can seldom go faster. Another note to Sharon: keep reiterating trail and group etiquette.

At the waterfall overlook we took another break and decided to split into two groups. Some of the jackrabbit girls and one adult opted for going back to the parking area and playing in the creek. One jackrabbit and the two slower girls (actually, slower is not the right word – they were more reasonably paced) and three adults opted to continue on to Chestnut Knob.

From this point the hike was not as strenuous and a well-paced walk. The overlook gave a stunning 270-degree view and we could see Crowders Mountain, where we had hiked the month before. Only one person was ahead of us and he left when we arrived, so we had the place to ourselves, a rarity. We stayed for over 30 minutes and explored the rocks, discovering little trails that I had never seen and climbing higher than I knew we could. The girls were very happy with their decision to continue on and felt a sense of accomplishment, and the adults were pretty happy, too.

 After a quick walk back down to the parking area, we found the picnic area buzzing with families picnicking and enjoying the park. It’s great to see people outside enjoying their public lands.

The “creek” girls were happy, having played in the water and napped on the rocks. One girl told me that she had never played in a creek like that before – now that’s what I’m talking about, giving girls and adults opportunities to explore the outdoors. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!  

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. ~ Henry Van Dyke

Early Finish

MST – Day 17 - 4/8/10 – Scotts Creek Overlook to Balsam Gap – 5.5 Miles

(Photos today are by Danny Bernstein.)

Rain in today’s forecast. Our best case scenario was to complete this section and then skip ahead to do a couple of miles tagging up with 191 in Asheville where we had already hiked in December. All bets were off if we got drenched on this first leg.

We parked at the Balsam Gap maintenance center again (our end point today) and drove to Scotts Creek Overlook on the Parkway. Across from the pull-off we stepped onto the newest completed trail work, wide, easy strolling. The CMC trail builders have paid much attention to the details of step work and stone work. Blue flagging tape was still hanging around so we did our small bit of cleanup as we walked along. The trail is a gentle downgrade, not much climbing.

Fantastic bridge over Woodfin Creek

Another view

Yet another interesting blowdown on the middle of the trail

After about two miles we emerged from the woods onto Greenspire Drive (according to Scot Ward’s book). I wasn’t quite expecting that. We followed this gravel road down the mountain, passing nice vacation homes tucked into the trees, catching glimpses of palatial homes on the mountainside. Everyone who owns such a home loves it, but everyone else who sees one doesn’t like it spoiling their view.

The predicted rain finally came, first as a sprinkle but then with a vengeance. We tossed on rain jackets and pack covers, yet were cold and wet very quickly. I had left my waterproof gloves in the car (I am a slow learner sometimes) and I put my hiking poles under my arm and thrust my hands deep into my pockets. After a few minutes of this we stopped to add rain pants to the ensemble, put our heads down and kept moving.

The gravel road came out at the BRP and followed it for a short while before the trail slipped back into the woods. Now we were sandwiched between the BRP and a secondary road and felt quite hidden from all traffic in there. The trail meandered and added some distance, but we finally came back to the BRP and crossed the bridge over 74/23 and into the maintenance parking area.

The deluge had slowed, but I was soaked and mentally checked out – no question about skipping the other section we had contemplated. On the way back up to Scotts Creek Overlook to retrieve the second car, we stopped at the Lyn Lowry Overlook to see the Woodfin Cascade, something I had never taken the time to check out before. (The thin white ribbon in the middle left of the photo does not convey how powerful this cascade looks in real life.) Wispy strands of moisture floated between the peaks.

From there I made my way home. I had two nights and one day to unpack, do laundry, buy a camera, and turn things around before heading back out for the weekend. More MST on the agenda!

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain. ~Author Unknown