A Clear Winter's Day at Gorgeous Linville Gorge

Linville Gorge Hike:  Shortoff Mountain & Table Rock – 2/9/13 – 16.3 Miles – 4,524 Elevation Gain

“Have you ever hiked at Linville Gorge?

“Yes, went up Shortoff Mountain and all along the eastern edge of the Gorge to Table Rock.”

“They say the views are incredible.  What did you think?”

“Don’t know.  We couldn’t see a thing.”

During our Mountains-To-Sea Trail project, Danny and I hiked on a schedule, seldom changing because of weather, so I did not see Linville Gorge the first time I hiked there because of thick fog and drizzling rain.  So when the Berg Wanderers planned an ambitious day hike there, I was happy to have another go at it and crossed my fingers that it would not be raining again or, more likely, snowing or icy enough to make it unsafe.  Turns out we had a perfect made-to-order winter day. 

Linville Gorge has been called the Grand Canyon of the East.  Created by the flow of the Linville River, the Gorge is 12 miles long and 2,000 feet deep.  It is designated as a wilderness area and is mostly unsigned, although the MST white blazes can be followed along the eastern rim.  An Outward Bound facility is located near the Table Rock access.  Although remote, the Gorge is a popular place on weekends and during good weather. 

Starting from the parking area on Wolf Pit Road at the southern end of the Gorge, we were suited up for the cold.  Shortoff Mountain (behind us) was our first challenge.  

A one-mile blue blazed trail connected us with the Mountains-To-Sea Trail that runs con- currently with the Shortoff Trail.  Lake James is in the background.  Otherwise it’s an unattractive trail in the winter, the result of a devastating fire in 2007.  When we hiked through here in the fall of 2010, in spite of the rain we could see the fall colors of small trees making a comeback.  

Near the top of the climb the trail runs close along the edge of the Gorge.  Everyone wanted a photo with this tree.  (Notice the white dusting on the mountains in the background.)

From here the walking was easy for a few miles along the eastern edge of the Gorge.  As it curves around to the left we could see Table Rock and Hawks Bill, which have always looked like cat's ears to me.   I have many photos of these distinctive peaks from southern and northern points along the MST.

As we made our way through the scorched landscape, Table Rock became more distinct. 

On a clear winter’s day:  the gorgeous Gorge

Closer to the edge, looking to the left side of the Gorge.  Linville River down below but we couldn’t see it.

We planned to stop for lunch at a big rock outcropping that proved to be farther away than I thought, at the top of a very steep climb.  This was my first strenuous hike in several months and I was feeling it.  So how far are we going anyway?  Well, with this group, the hike “evolves” and after checking the time and feeling pretty confident, we decided to go all the way to the summit of Table Rock…oh, and then all the way back down.  One member of the group decided to turn around at the lunch spot (smart man) and I gave him my car keys in case he got cold waiting for us.  The temp was in the high 40’s, which can be chilly when you’re sitting still, but we were plenty warm, working hard going up that mountain.  It felt fanastic, a clear and cool day, big views of the wide-open world.

Next up, an area called the Chimneys, rock formations stacked to look like…yes, chimneys.  This is a very popular climbing spot and also a bird nesting spot for species including peregrine falcons, so sometimes access is limited or closed.

Looking back the way we came

Still on the MST, we passed through the Chimneys and the Table Rock parking area and headed up the short but steep side trail to the summit of Table Rock – encountered a bit of ice, so watch your step!

Grandfather Mountain from the summit of Table Rock

Looking back the other way from the summit, Lake James in the background. 

 So, that was a fun eight miles, huh?  Now let’s go all the way back. 

Balancing rocks

A last look at Table Rock

We discovered more mountains on our return leg – who put them there?  We finished the last mile in the dark, not uncommon for this crowd, and I was prepared with my headlamp.  I later learned the stats for the day:  16.3 miles, 4,524 feet elevation gain (which means a corresponding 4,524 feet of descent).  No wonder my legs were shaking until Wednesday.  

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” ~Steven Wright

 

Catawba Falls - First Attempt

Catawba Falls – 1/5/13 – 3.5 Miles

Three years in a row, now a New Year’s tradition, hiking with my fellow-book-club-member-and-high-school-band-mom-buddy Leida in some chilly location.  This time her husband and all-around good guy Carlos joined us.  We’re out for a medium drive, a short hike and a long lunch.  Where to?  Catawba Falls near Old Fort, NC. 

Getting to the trailhead was the first challenge, feeling like we’re going up the exit ramp for I-40 to find the little country road we’re looking for.  But the parking area is huge and looks pretty new (restrooms!).  Must be something to this Catawba Falls, huh?

(For background on this area and the hike to Catawba Falls, check out Danny Bernstein’s book, Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage).

Leida and Carlos are ready for the cold

It’s a flat walk for the first mile, including a crossing of the Catawba River, really a wide creek here as the headwaters of the mighty Catawba River that flows on down past Charlotte and into South Carolina, captured along the way in the reservoirs of Lake Norman, Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie to give us drinking water.  For info on how not to mess this up, check out the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.

This unfinished building is all that remains of an old power plant built on the other side of the river.  Funny how we are always looking to get out into nature but are fascinated by man’s impact upon it.

Falling water here, but from a concrete wall left over from a second power plant, not part of the  natural Catawba Falls (But exciting nonetheless.)

The trail began a gentle climb to another crossing, a little more work to negotiate because of a very large downed tree and some unexpected ice that got our adrenaline going.

Lower Catawba Falls, flowing briskly on a cold January day.  Most people have lunch, photos, turn around and go home.  But we’re ready for more challenges!  Right?  Right?

There seem to be a lot of obstacles for such a short hike, but we want to see the Upper Falls.

Will it help to climb up on that rock?  

Sure!

Gettin’ serious now.  Carlos goes first, me next.  The rope was secure but covered with ice, as were the rocks.  I had to take serious deep-knee-bend steps.  While going up, all I could think about was how un-fun coming back down was going to be.

Leida tried but ultimately said no way, crazy people, go on without me. 

Carlos opted to stay at the top of the rock scramble and I ventured on, but the trail from here was extremely steep with muddy sections and no rocks, no handholds, no nothin’.  Again, climbing up was tough enough but coming down looked like a good bet for a broken leg, not worth the risk.   I decided to turn around and live to see another day.

Walking back down is more fun.

Now where shall we go for our apres-hike libation?

“You can’t get too much winter in the winter.”  ~Robert Frost

Crossing State Lines Again

Kings Mountain NMP to Crowders Mountain SP – 12/30/12 – 14 miles

Walking across state lines sounds really cool, doesn’t it?  Hiking the AT between Virginia and Tennessee was a treat.  And a similar adventure is practically in my back yard.

I have hiked at Crowder's Mountain State Park many times.  It is the closest state park to my home and it is the first big bump in the landscape as I drive west from Charlotte.  It’s a great place to break in new boots, practice backpacking and enjoy a sunny weekend day (along with the multitudes).  Kings Mountain National Military Park is a few more miles down the road in South Carolina, and although the hiking isn’t as exciting, it’s easy to put in some miles and to enjoy the history lessons of the Battle of Kings Mountain as a turning point in the Revolutionary War. 

Somebody had the idea to connect the two parks – brilliant!  A great collaboration of resources to raise awareness of public lands AND another opportunity to hike across state lines.  This route has been on my to-do list since 2009 when the trail connecting the two parks was completed.  It’s 14 miles from one visitor center to the other.

It takes a shuttle, though, and a willing partner.  Jim expressed interest in spending the day on the trail with me, so we set up to begin at Kings Mountain and end at Crowder's Mountain.  Why this direction?  Because I knew what the ending looked like.  What I forgot to consider was that we would be walking from low to high. 

At Kings Mountain NMP they really want to know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.  Day hikers are required to sign in and tell the rangers a general hike plan, including estimated return time. 

A cold start on a sunny day, Ridgeline Trail, blue blazes

The South Carolina section is very low key and on a winter day there isn’t much to look at, open woods, but on close inspection we found lichen, always interesting.  This looks like sea shells.

When should we yell “timber”?

Near the state line, a wide path is cut through the forest for utility lines

Very good signage

The Ridgeline Trail includes three crossings on small country roads.  Soon after the last crossing we took a side trail to Buzzard’s Roost access area, thinking it was a view, but it was a parking lot for climbers (where were they climbing?  Dunno.)  Hey, at least there were restroom facilities, and lots of picnic tables, and what looked like an indoor meeting room, pretty fancy.  This fact-finding detour cost us a half a mile, but at least we know what’s there now.

Boulder overlook – there really is a view

In North Carolina the trail began to rise and I began to bonk a little bit.  14 miles is a long way even if it’s not much elevation, but add the elevation at the end and it’s tiring.  And for some reason I act more cranky when I’m hiking with Jim than with other people.  Is that because I can get away with it?  Meanwhile, he hikes on and on without appearing to be affected.  It’s all those miles on his bike that have made his legs of steel.

Entering Crowder's Mountain State Park after all that flat walking, we felt like we were in big mountains.  The Ridgeline Trail intersects with the Pinnacle Trail near its western terminus and its main attraction a quarter-mile to the left.  The Pinnacle or King’s Pinnacle, a monadnock rising to 1,705 feet, is near the center of the park but most people hiking from its eastern end beginning at the Visitor Center consider it the end of the line and don’t hike further.  And for years it was the end of the trail, until 2009 when the Ridgeline Trail connecting the two parks was completed.

King’s Pinnacle offers long distance views to the west, sweeping flat lands of the Piedmont.  It was extremely busy as expected on a nice Sunday, dozens of people, lots of kids climbing the rocks and freaked out parents keeping them from the edge.  Always good to see kids outside getting dirty and taking risks, I say.

Not done yet - two miles down to the visitor center parking lot, then the long dull shuttle back to Kings Mountain NMP to pick up the second car.  The rangers were waiting for us.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

Crossing the VA/TN State Line on the AT

Appalachian Trail Hike – Damascus to VA-TN State Line to Backbone Rock Trail - 12/9/12 - 7.5 miles

Jim and I snuck away for a weekend in southwest Virginia.  Our cabin was situated halfway between the towns of Damascus and Abingdon.  The New River Rail Trail passed through the front yard and the Abingdon Winery was just down the road.  So much to do!  We managed to squeeze in exploring the vibrant Farmer’s Market in Abingdon, a meal at a locavore restaurant, and a bike ride to/from Abingdon on the Trail.  On Sunday morning we worked out a plan that made both of us happy:  while Jim biked a route on the mountain back roads, I took a little hike southbound on the Appalachian Trail.

Jim dropped me off at Mercedes Street on the western edge of Damascus where the AT leaves town and climbs steeply up to the ridge.  The day was very warm and my steps were light on the long slow gentle switchbacks, no effort at all for climbing.  A month since my last hike – too long!

A glimpse of Damascus

After the initial up, the trail surprised me by leveling out to easy walking.  The trail was broad and maintenance was pristine, nothing to climb over or around, large blowdowns had nice cuts in them that I could just step right through.  I passed a couple of inviting campsites.  The day was warm enough that a few hardy spiders were still at work.

Walking softly through the Virginia pines

Then the climbing began, no switchbacks now, and I crossed the state line into Tennessee.

The trail changed immediately from a very wide, immaculate trail to – where is it?  Now I was looking at a narrow, faint trace with blowdowns here and there.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need perfection and I actually like blowdowns as a challenge.  Why the drastic change in character?  My guess is the Virginia maintainers live in Damascus, about 3.5 miles away, while the Tennessee folks have a long haul to get to this section, either coming northbound up the AT or from the side trail I was shooting for, Backbone Rock Trail, which I was getting ready to learn a lot about. 

After five miles on the AT I reached my departure point and stopped to eat a little something and contemplate what lay ahead.  So far I hadn’t met anyone on this hike, and I enjoy hiking solo (as many of you know, it took me a while to develop this view), but occasionally it’s good to have a second opinion.  At the nice sign for the Back Bone Rock Trail I was not discerning much of a trail.  I knew I had to steeply descend from the ridge line.  A few dozen yards down, though, blue blazes began to appear and were abundant for the rest of the 3.5 miles.

I saw several sections of trees like this, broken off at about 10 feet.

Did I say “steeply descend”?  Make that “insanely steeply descend.”  Long sections with no switchbacks at all, not many rocks to step down, but lots of dry leaves to slide on, and my thighs took a beating after already being traumatized from yesterday’s bike trip.  There was a lot of side-stepping going on as I negotiated the steepness, and I said a prayer of gratitude to not be climbing this sucker.  But will I climb back up it someday to access the AT again?

Gee, I hope I recognize Backbone Rock – uh, yes, no problem there.  It is an incredible rock formation, 75 feet tall, almost level on top, about three yards wide, and extends for a couple hundred yards with a pass cut through for SR 133 (originally a railroad).  You can walk across the top and from that viewpoint it looks like a spine.  I explored around the area, checked out the picnic areas on both sides of the road, and settled in for Jim to pick me up.

Turns out Backbone Rock Recreation Area is larger than we realized.   Jim was waiting for me at the campground area and I was waiting for him at the day use area for nearly an hour.  I finally got a clue from a posted information map and walked half a mile up the road and found him patiently waiting.  Home, James.

Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky,
How beautiful it is?
All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness
There is a poem, there is a song.
Every leaf is gone and it is waiting for the spring.
When the spring comes, it again fills the tree with
The music of many leaves,
Which in due season fall and are blown away.
And this is the way of life.

~ Jiddu Krishnamurti