Smokies 900 Round 2: Cataloochee Ramble - Caldwell Fork Trail & Big Fork Ridge Trail – 6/26/16 – 6.4
Miles
Frontcountry campgrounds (aka car camping) can be noisy
places, dogs, kids, and adults who party late into the night as though no one
else exists. Okay, dogs and kids don’t
bother me, but I have little patience (none) for adults who crank up the tunes,
keep the fire stoked at chin height and holler every not-funny observation that
occurs to them. Not a fan of car
camping. But…this visit to Smokemont was
very nice. I met some calm neighbors who
expressed surprise at a woman camping alone (some PR work still to be done there). My tent site was as close as possible to
Bradley Creek. Nighttime was as peaceful as could be. On Sunday morning I woke
up at dawn-thirty, stretched, packed up and drove into Cherokee to meet my
hiking buddy for the day.
I’d met René (trail name “Legs”) as a hiker shuttle
driver the previous fall and was fascinated by her freestyle spirit and life
choices. When I planned this trip to the
Smokies, I threw the idea of a short dayhike out to her and she grabbed it. After a
little bit of missing each other at our meeting spot (Peter’s Pancakes – I was
inside eating a huge breakfast while she waited for me outside) we connected
and created a hike plan. René had a shuttle pickup near Big Creek
later in the day, so the decision to introduce her to Cataloochee Valley was
easy. We could have a ramble and she
could pick up her hiker easily on time.
It’s no secret that Cataloochee is my favorite part of Great
Smoky Mountains National Park.
1)
It is closest to where I live – 3 hours from my driveway to the campground
2)
Although smaller in acreage, its history and
preserved buildings rival Cades Cove which is 5 hours from where I live – thus
I repeat #1
3)
The valley was the stage for the successful reintroduction of elk to the area
4)
Hiking, hiking, hiking with lots of creeks
5)
Cataloochee Campground, snuggled up beside its robust
namesake creek, is intimate (27 sites) and delightful (car camping, yes, but it never seems to get crazy)
6)
Great page-turner historical fiction about inhabitants of
the valley by Wayne Caldwell Cataloochee and Requiem By Fire
We only had time for about 6 miles, but with two cars we
were not limited to a loop or an out-and-back hike. We dropped one car at the end of the valley
road and backtracked to start at the trailhead of Caldwell Fork Trail. Our route was Caldwell Fork Trail to Big Fork
Ridge Trail to the valley road.
The temperature was hot but the elevation gain was
barely noticeable as we chatted nonstop following Caldwell Fork upstream. It’s a popular horse trail with numerous
creek crossings and there are log footbridges for hikers – except when there
aren’t. [Always check the GSMNP website
before you hike to determine trail conditions, i.e. if bridges along your route
are washed out.] Wading the creek was welcome in the heat of the day.
Downed trees are interesting challenges, not obstacles
Rhododendron blooms along Caldwell Fork
Our hike was over in a blink, but the clock was ticking
and we had time to visit just one of the historic buildings in the valley:
Beech Grove Schoolhouse.
Who knows how long René will be in western North
Carolina relishing her nomad life? I am
envious of her freedoms, but I realize that my life is pretty good, too. I’m happy that this love of hiking enables my
life to intersect with folks of different ages and interests. Hope to see you on the trails again, Legs!
"When you try to control everything, you
enjoy nothing. Sometimes you just need to relax, breathe, let go and live in
the moment." ~Unknown
