Hickory Nut Gorge: Trombatore Trail – 11/21/20 – 5.5 miles
Hiking with your kids from an early age reaps rewards for decades. Beyond the foot-dragging and how-far-is-it-NOW grumbling, they learn skills and eventually gain an appreciation for the outdoors. It is particularly wonderful when they come back as adults and join you voluntarily for a walk in the woods.
During an extended home visit, our daughter Megan joined Jim and me for an exploratory ramble in Hickory Nut Gorge, a treasure trove of conserved lands in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Lake Lure, NC, southeast of Asheville. Conserving Carolina has been at work partnering with private landowners, building trails faster than I can explore them. Today we walked out-and-back on the Trombatore Trail near Gerton, NC.
On this sunny Saturday, cars were parked all up and down the sides of the gravel road at Bearwallow Gap. A church van was unloading a crowd of chatty young people. The masses were heading to Bearwallow Mountain, a two-mile roundtrip hike to a grassy meadow. There is an historic fire tower at the summit that Jim and I visited years ago (read about that hike here).
Where all those folks went one way onto Bearwallow Mountain Trail, we turned the opposite way onto Trombatore Trail for a longer, more relaxed hike to another grassy (more remote) meadow called Blue Ridge Pastures.
Megan
Trombatore Trail meanders along a couple of long switchbacks down to Brush Creek, then climbs up the next mountain, alternating between trail and gravel road track. Obvious trail markers kept us on the right path as we crossed a couple of these roads. We passed below impressive mountain cabins sitting on top of the ridge, which would be hidden from view in other seasons.
Winter palette
After passing through a turnstile, the world opened up at Blue Ridge Pastures. The bald is a front row view to Bearwallow Mountain, where those with sharp eyes can see the fire lookout tower (see top photo). Currently the trail ends there, but plans are in the works to extend the trail for three miles to Hickory Nut Gap on Highway 74A. [Pause to say thanks to the property owners who graciously give access to this amazing place.]
We walked to the far end of the meadow, ate our lunch, and struck a few victory poses.
As often happens, on the return hike we passed mossy boulders and stone steps that we didn’t remember. The flow of outbounders increased, including a number of families with small children – I wonder how many made it to the bald? Or maybe just down to Brush Creek to throw rocks in the water?
Happy hikers
“Lovely days don’t come to you;
you should walk to them.”
~Rumi
