Pisgah 400: Sam Knob Summit & Flat Laurel Creek Trail/Little Sam Knob Trail/Mountains-To-Sea Trail Loop

Pisgah 400: Sam Knob Summit & Flat Laurel Creek Trail/Little Sam Knob Trail/MST
Loop Hike – 7/11/23 – 9 Miles

Shining Rock Wilderness – View from Sam’s Knob

One of the advantages of living in central North Carolina is if the temperatures aren't cooperating at home, there is always perfect camping weather within half a day’s drive to the east or west. Too cold in the winter? The Carolina coast beckons with warm (not hot) temperatures and no crowds. Too hot in the summer? The NC mountains offer cool respite in the high elevations.

Where do I go when it’s 98 degrees in the “Charlotte sauna” in July? Mount Pisgah Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

My hiking buddy Carol and I booked a campsite for a mid-week hiking jaunt in the Shining Rock Wilderness area of Pisgah National Forest. This was a new area for Carol to experience and I’m working on the Carolina Mountain Club Pisgah 400 Challenge (hiking all the trails in the Pisgah Ranger District).

[Pause for a public service announcement for the National Park Service Senior Lifetime Pass. If you are age 62 or older and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, this is the best $80 you will ever spend. Yes, it covers entry fees for our National Parks and 2,000 other recreation sites, but it also provides discounts for hundreds of campgrounds and facility amenities on federally managed lands. With my pass, the fees for Mt. Pisgah Campground were $10 per night. Read here for all the details.]

Perfect weather window for our adventures, clear skies, daytime temps in the 70s and nighttime temps in the 50s. It’s a long drive (3.5 hours from my house to the trailhead) and we were ready to stretch our legs. Today’s hike was a classic loop route in Shining Rock Wilderness highlighting Sam Knob and Little Sam Knob.

Here we go! *Most of the photos in this blog post (all of the good ones) are Carol's*

Starting at the Flat Laurel Creek trailhead on NC 215, a short gravel trail passed a primitive campsite (folks set up, looked like they’d been there a while). The trail grade was level, walking in rhododendron tunnels – ahh, breathe that mountain air! We passed Split Falls and Wildcat Falls, neither very photogenic in the dappled sunshine (that’s okay).

Split Falls

Wildcat Falls

Fresh cuttings hiding the roots and rocks on the trail -
looks like someone has been trimming the rhododendrons 

We caught up with the trail maintainers – thank you!

Heart Rock, a sweet landmark on Flat Laurel Creek Trail

We easily rock hopped several small creeks draining down the slopes to join Flat Laurel Creek, passing campsites as the trail winds around the lower contours on the west side of Little Sam Knob. In one stretch along Flat Laurel Creek there was a string of spaces with campfire rings tucked in the rhododendrons, enough to accommodate a Boy Scout troop.

At the intersection of Flat Laurel Creek Trail and Sam Knob Trail, we turned left and paused before crossing Flat Laurel Creek.

A frame-worthy Carol selfie

We were so captivated by the bubbling creek that we decided to sit down for “first lunch”

Rugged stairs beckoned us across the creek, time to resume our hike

The western end of Sam Knob Trail connecting to Flat Laurel Creek Trail

Peekaboo Sam Knob

The eastern end of Sam Knob Trail begins at the Black Balsam trailhead parking area. It crosses Sam Knob Meadow, where a left turn goes on to Flat Laurel Creek and a right turn follows Sam Knob Summit Trail. Coming from the west, we kept straight onto the summit trail. (Yes, a map and a GPS app are very useful tools to keep all this straight. But you knew that already, right?) 

Even though I’ve climbed Sam Knob several times, today I was lulled by our gentle three-mile ramble to this point and rudely yanked back to reality. Hiking is hard work! The summit trail is short but challenging even with a couple of switchbacks. 

Rugged climb

Halfway up

Million dollar view: Mount Hardy on the far left, Devil’s Courthouse peeking over the horizon,
Little Sam Knob in the center of the photo, its right side covered in coniferous trees,
left side covered in hardwoods

Looking north towards Grassy Cove Top and Tennent Mountain

Sam Knob has two distinct peaks with trails going to both. We took the right-hand trail to the northern peak, the true summit at 6,045 feet elevation.

Looking southeast towards…dark clouds gathering

Hmmm… looks like we wouldn’t have time to explore Sam Knob’s south peak. We’d enjoyed a slow pace ambling along the trail and now we had to hustle to compete our loop and get to campsite check-in and our reward for the day (read on!)

We descended Sam Knob and retraced our steps to Flat Laurel Creek, where we turned left to rejoin our route. A half mile from there, we turned right onto Little Sam Knob Trail that follows the base around its eastern side.

There is no official trail to the summit of Little Sam (5,850 feet elevation) but no doubt many folks tackle it. Today we saw a man off trail that looked a little sneaky…maybe taking a pee break, maybe he was trying to scramble to the top?

This section of trail is relatively flat and easy, and before we could say “Little Sam Knob” three times, we reached the junction with my dear old friend, the Mountains-To-Sea Trail. Turning right (westbound), we followed the MST for the remaining 2 miles of our loop. Here’s what we saw along the way:

Artifacts from logging days

St John’s wort lining the trail

Rock tripe, ugly but edible (research before you try it!)

A campfire ring that appeared to have trash and plastic bags strewn around,
but on closer inspection it was made of white quartz rocks

Rough bridge on the MST

To be honest, the last mile of the MST was not pleasant, an eroded, washed out, steep descent. After 9 miles and 5.5 hours on the trail, Carol and I were glad to see our car. We made our way to Mount Pisgah Campground to check in and hastily set up our tents…

…because we had a dinner reservation at the Pisgah Inn. Clean clothes on sweaty bodies, but we relished in our window seats overlooking Pisgah National Forest and our cider toast to another great day outside. Sláinte!

“Hiking side effects include sweating, euphoria
 and general awesomeness.”
 ~Anonymous

South Dakota: Crazy Horse Memorial & Jewel Cave National Monument

South Dakota: Crazy Horse Memorial & Jewel Cave National Monument 
 6/15/23 – 2 Miles

Crazy Horse Memorial

According to Google, synonyms for serendipitous are “lucky, fortunate, fortuitous, chance, accidental, random, casual, unexpected, unintentional, and inadvertent.” All these words describe my carefully-planned-and-then-upended trip to South Dakota. (If you're new to this blog, start here to see where the twists and turns of this adventure took me.)

My last full day before returning home to NC went like this:

Thunderstorms dominated the weather forecast, so no hiking for me. I had booked a guided tour of Jewel Cave National Monument for late in the afternoon, but what else could I discover in the meantime? I perused the map while enjoying breakfast at Black Hills Bagels in Rapid City, great coffee and a delicious light fluffy “everything” bagel with cream cheese. I definitely could get used to being a local…

My original plans did not include the Crazy Horse Memorial. To be honest, I didn’t know much about it, thought it was a non-native exploitation (*Mount Rushmore*). But several people I encountered during my travels told me to be sure to visit, so today was the day.

Along the way I passed the CCC Museum of South Dakota (part of the Visitor Center at Hill City, SD). I’m familiar with the Civilian Conservation Corps work during the Great Depression, particularly in creating Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I turned around to check out this museum.

A handsome CCC man

What a find! This gem is packed with artifacts from the era (1933-1942) including photographs, clothing, documents, and rosters of enrollees in the program (more than 30,000 men). I chatted with the volunteers on duty, folks who moved to South Dakota after retirement. (Note: many senior citizens volunteer in visitor centers and museums here.)

Below is a brief description of my experience at the Crazy Horse Memorial, not intended to be comprehensive or objective. Please check out the referenced links for more information.

Crazy Horse Memorial is a sculpture carved on Thunderhead Mountain, about 5 miles from Custer, South Dakota, to honor the Lakota leader and warrior. It is privately owned by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation which manages the Visitor Complex (located .75 miles away from the mountain). There is much to see and experience at the complex, starting with an introductory film about the project’s origin, its purpose to honor the living heritage of North American Indians, the role of Henry Standing Bear, and Korczak Ziolkowski, the sculptor who supervised the project. The history is complicated and at times contentious.

A scale model and the real Memorial in the background

The Visitor Complex includes several buildings - The Indian Museum of North America, The Native American Educational Cultural Center, and the Indian University of North America – filled with art, crafts, sculptures, writings and artifacts. Daily cultural programs led by Native American performers and storytellers are an integral part of education. If you’re going, be sure to check the schedule and enjoy a performance!

I was enthralled by a Sicangu (Rosebud) Lakota Sioux woman named Starr Chief Eagle performing a ring dance with a total of 22 rings! Check out a video of her here.

In total, I spent 3+ hours exploring the Crazy Horse Memorial, taking my time to walk through all the buildings. My visit was well worth it, educating me on the history, the suffering, the resilience and the beauty of Native American people. 

I didn’t pay extra money to get closer to the monument, but the semi-annual Volksmarch sounds intriguing…next time?

In the United States, a national park encompasses large areas of land that protect resources, including natural and historic features, and is established by an act of Congress. A national monument is an area reserved because it contains objects of historic, prehistoric or scientific interest, and is established by presidential proclamation. Jewel Cave National Monument, 13 miles west of Custer, is the fifth longest cave in the world (!) full of unique and amazing geologic formations, but it was of special interest to me because of the story of two people who helped mapped the cave.

Herb and Jan Conn were avid rock climbers in the Needles area of the Black Hills in the 1940’s and 1950’s, naming many of the peaks they scaled. Climbing was a love they shared, using simple equipment (a rope tied around the waist) and a respect for the natural wonders all around them.

One of Jan’s significant accomplishments was being the first woman to free-climb the Devil’s Tower in nearby Wyoming. Herb climbed with her on that occasion, but after criticism of whether he helped her, Jan decided to set the record straight and climbed again with a female partner, calling it the first “manless” ascent of Devil's Tower. Read the story here in Jan’s own words – it will make you laugh!

The Conns learned about Jewel Cave in 1959 and their rock climbing skills descended below ground. Over the next 22 years, from 1959 until the early 1980’s, Herb and Jan explored the cave, mapping 65 miles of connecting tunnels and “rooms.” (Currently more than 200 miles are mapped.)

Herb passed away at age 91 in 2012. Jan passed away at age 99 just one month before I visited Jewel Cave.

Go ahead, spend a few hours being inspired about Herb and Jan. You won’t regret it! Check out these links to learn more about this fascinating duo, their skills, and their humility towards their accomplishments.

The Story of Jan and Herb Conn – South Dakota Hall Of Fame article

“Ups and Downs of Herb and Jan Conn” – YouTube video

Jan Conn’s Obituary – Hill City Prevailer News

All tours of Jewel Cave are ranger-guided, very popular, and I booked in advance. There were 30 people on the 90-minute tour (a long time to be confined with people sticking close together in the dark.) Wait a minute…we have to descend 300 feet in an elevator to start the tour?

As expected, the cave was cold, upper 40’s, a maze of small rooms and spaces, many stairs up and down, metal walkways around curved walls, purposefully dim lighting, hopelessly unphotogenic. The rock formations are calcite crystals in clusters on the walls and ceilings, a feeling of being in an underwater coral reef. As I walked I tried to picture the Conns exploring, but I couldn’t imagine going down into that utter darkness again and again. They often spent several days at a time deep in Jewel Cave. What type of tools did they have to measure? How did they stay spatially oriented? Did they pack “everything” out?

I was glad to return to the surface and explore the Visitor Center exhibits. At the gift shop, I bought the last copy of Herb and Jan’s book The Jewel Cave Adventure that was autographed by Jan. (The gift shop employee said, “There won’t be any more.")

Brimming with stories of my day, I returned to Bridget’s house around 6:00 p.m. Like me, Dani was staying one more night. Lynn had departed and a woman named Sherry had arrived to start hiking the Centennial Trail the next morning. Bridget made dinner for us (again!) and we enjoyed a fast-paced free-flowing conversation about gear, travels, and the CT: a memorable evening of 4 adventurers coming together in this hiking life that I will never forget.

L/R: Me, Bridget, Dani & Sherry

Another surprise: I told Bridget about my interest in Jan Conn, and she shared that she and Jan were close personal friends since Bridget was a little girl! She told heartwarming stories about their friendship and travels together.

The next morning I flew back home to Charlotte, heart filled to overflowing with the serendipity of my time in South Dakota – and my backpack arrived safe and sound!

“Then one day, when you least expect it,
 the adventure finds you.”
 ~Ewan McGregor

South Dakota: Black Elk Peak

South Dakota: Black Elk Peak – 6/14/23 - 7 Miles

Still footloose in South Dakota on a sunny morning, thinking I’m recovered and ready for a challenge, I tackled the state high point of Black Elk Peak.

What’s in a name?

For 160 years, this formidable summit bore the name Harney Peak, in honor of the Army general who commanded a military expedition in 1855 resulting in the Battle of Ash Hollow in Nebraska – the massacre of Sioux warriors, women and children.

After decades of petitioning (why does it take us so long to right these wrongs?) on August 11, 2016 the name was changed to honor Oglala Lakota holy man Black Elk and to recognize the sacredness of the peak and the Black Hills to Native Americans. Prayer cloths are tied to trees and other vegetation on the summit approach in recognition and remembrance.

As I mentioned, Black Elk Peak is the high point of South Dakota – 7,242 feet – and is surrounded by Black Elk Wilderness within Black Hills National Forest. The roadless summit features a native stone fire tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939. I’ve seen a few CCC fire towers, but this one is next level amazing. 

Another great trail blog with photos is here.

There are many miles of trails in Black Elk Wilderness, more than one route to the summit, and I chose the most direct one: Elk Peak Trail #9 starting from Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. [I hiked through Custer State Park on the Centennial Trail, but I missed most of the highlights that car-enabled visitors see in its 71,00 acres, including the lakes and lodges and the Needles Highway.] 

I’d learned that Black Elk Peak is the most popular hiking destination in the park and before 8:00 a.m. I skidded into the last open parking space in the dusty gravel lot at the trailhead. Folks were starting out in all stages of (un)preparedness with kids, dogs, and high hopes. 

I guess mom and dad will retrieve this on the way back down

The wide gravel roadbed started out easily, offering this teaser view around
 one of the first curves

The gentleness is soon gone as the grade gets steeper and the tread gets rougher – and why am I wheezing? Oh, yeah, the elevation surpasses NC’s high point of Mount Mitchell (6,684 feet) within the first mile.

So let’s stop and look at these pretty flowers

Keep going!

Stairs going up into the rock are a good sign, right?

We have arrived!

Looking down at where I just climbed up

Time for a new plaque?

The structure is quite large and all spaces are open to explore, including the top lookout tower. This website describes it: “The lookout tower, dam, pump house and stairway were constructed upon the highpoint. The reservoir created by the dam supplied water to the living quarters which were located in the lower level of the fire tower. The comforts of electricity, flush toilets, and a central heating system were incorporated into the remote fire lookout tower.” 

The pump house and water retention pond

If you haven’t had enough of looking at the Black Hills, there is a wide expanse of rock
 on the back side of the tower 

Just pick your spot with a view (try to ignore the shirtless youth)

Soaking up this flawless day, reflecting on my good fortune to have
the health, wealth and time to be here

As more and more intrepid hikers reached the summit, the time came for me to hike out. Descending is easier on the lungs but harder on the knees, and hurrying is a good way to have an injury. I took my time going against the flow.

What’s that? Did someone just call my name?  There it is again! I looked down the trail, very suspicious…who in the world knows that I am here today?

This guy right here: Richard is a trail angel who supports hikers on the Centennial Trail. During our hike Nancy and I had tried working out an overnight stay at his cottage with transport back to the trail, but if you’ve read past entries you know that plans changed, so I never got the opportunity to meet Richard. Yet here he was, hiking to Black Elk Peak, and he recognized me from Facebook!

My morning adventures were followed by afternoon fun in the town of Custer, South Dakota, which you’ll have on your radar if/when you visit this part of the world. I roamed around the don’t-miss Custer County Courthouse Museum. The volunteer ladies there were a hoot and we had a nice long chat about the importance of preserving local history.

Who’s hungry? I found the best of the best at Black Hills Burger & Bun Co. The restaurant was packed when I walked in alone, and the host quickly and quietly walked me over to a table for one. I gobbled down an incredible bison burger (don’t think about it) and thanked the good Lord for this incredible day.

BUT…it’s not over yet!

I went back to my Airbnb, feeling a little lonely, when the next surprise happened. Bridget, the shuttle trail angel who put Nancy and me on the Centennial Trail and then later retrieved me, texted: “What are you doing right now?”

Dani (the woman with Bridget the day she picked me up from Whispering Pines, now completed her CT thru-hike) and Lynn (Nancy's hiking buddy completing the CT) – all were gathered at Bridget’s for dinner! Would I like to join? Would I like to sleep over?

Yes, please.

I packed up, turned out the lights, closed the door of the Airbnb, and walked into warm hospitality at Bridget’s house. And all because my backpack got on a plane to Dallas.

“I believe in coincidences, I’ve just never
 seen one.”
 ~ A Wise Friend