Wild Women of Deep Creek

Wild Women of Deep Creek – 6/2/12 - Deep Creek Trail/Indian Creek Trail/Martins Gap Trail/Sunkota Ridge Trail/Loop Trail/Indian Creek Trail/Deep Creek Trail Loop – 13 Miles

Another adventurous weekend for the Wild Women, this time based in another of my favorite camp- grounds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Deep Creek.  The crew:  Leida, Karen, me, Ellen, Joan and Carol.  

Leida, Ellen and Joan are WW veterans.  Karen is Ellen's neighbor, likes hiking and camping.  Carol is a long-time Girl Scout buddy of mine and an experienced backpacker.  So no real newbies this time, but still an opportunity to make new friends in the outdoors. 

We set up camp on two sites right beside the creek on Friday afternoon – then rain began to pour.  We went into Bryson City, got a rain poncho for Ellen, and then to pass the time we drove out to the Lakeshore area of the Park via the Road to Nowhere.  My idea was to just show the Wild Women the tunnel where the road ends and tell them the background story, the initial plan to build a road along the north shore of Fontana Lake and the subsequent decision to abandon it.  We walked up to the entrance to the tunnel, as spooky to me as ever, and peered through to the small glow of light at the other end.  Then… they began to walk right through.  I was astounded that they were not afraid, as I certainly had been the first two or three times I encountered it.  Remember, these gals worry constantly about bears behind every tree.  Apparently they did not think bears lurked in pitch black tunnels.  Moreover, they were wearing sandals which must be protection against icky snakes and creepy-crawlies.

But we fearlessly walked through the tunnel, and at the far end Karen climbed up on top of it to see what she could see.  We walked a few dozen yards beyond until the wide road bed narrowed, then turned and walked back through the tunnel.  And it had stopped raining and the sun was beaming.

(A more in-depth article on the history of the Road to Nowhere is here.)

Back in town, Carol arrived, we had Anthony’s pizza for dinner, then headed back to camp for a small campfire before snoozing.  Big plans tomorrow!

Morning, an elaborate breakfast of eggs, bagels, fruit, etc.  Someone asked me if this was a lot different than what we eat on a back- packing trip and I laughed.  On backpacking trips most people don’t even bother to light a stove for hot water.  Peanut butter spread on a granola bar is elaborate.  

Several hiking options:  I chose a 13-mile loop route that efficiently covered a portion of the Deep Creek trail map, a route that Carol had hiked with me before.  She planned a loop route that matched mine for the first few miles; then when I turned left, she turned right so she could cover some new miles.  So we hiked side-by-side loops with a shared central trail, like a butterfly with wings. 

The remaining four women planned a loop that passed by the waterfalls on Deep Creek Trail, Indian Creek Trail and Juney Whank Falls Trail.

Carol and I headed out first on Deep Creek Trail right out of the campground.  Tom Branch Falls is just .2 miles from the trailhead. 

A right turn onto Indian Creek Trail brought us almost immediately to Indian Creek Falls, looking robust today.  As we paused here we met a group of a dozen hikers from Haywood County (I think?).

We passed Stone Pile Gap Trail on the right where Carol would close her loop hike, and then the Loop Trail on the left where I would close mine.  Ten minutes later we saw a “no horses” sign that indicates a cemetery.  

I had done some research online and had my eyes open for two cemeteries along Indian Creek Trail, and this was the first one, the Laney Cemetery.  Most graves were marked with bare rough stones.

Grave marker for Liza Conner Parris, born 1841, died 1918, possibly a victim of the flu epidemic of 1918?

At the intersection of Indian Creek Trail and Deeplow Gap, Carol and I parted ways.  I was at this intersection in April 2012 during my birthday solo backpacking trip.  Carol turned right onto Deeplow Gap and I continued on up Indian Creek Trail looking for the second cemetery I had read about.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find it, but gave up the search and settled in to enjoy the climb up Martins Gap Trail to Sunkota Ridge. 

A tree burl

New spring green on the rhododendrons

My mom called this running cedar.  She would wind it around a wreath form to make a Christmas wreath for the front door.

Flame azalea

At the intersection of Martins Gap Trail and Sunkota Ridge I stopped for a short lunch.  Just a couple of minutes later a fellow came running up behind me, waved and said hello, and turned to run back down.  The Deep Creek area is very close to the town of Bryson City, close enough that residents consider it like a town park, and it is heavily but lovingly used by runners and walkers for daily exercise.  I have to remember that I am not quite in the “back of beyond” here. 

After my brief rest I resumed the last bit of climbing on Sunkota Ridge before the big downhill back to Deep Creek.  Now, do I hear voices?  Hey, it’s the Haywood Hikers, they’re hiking the same loop in the reverse direction. 

It’s a long way down Sunkota Ridge, 3.8 miles, and then it tees into the center of the one-mile Loop Trail.  Since I’m surreptiously marking a second map of the Smokies 900, here I decided to hike the right half of the Loop Trail down to Deep Creek, then returned and hiked down the other half to Indian Creek Trail and continued on backtracking to the campground. 

An impressive blowdown on the Loop Trail.  Always wonder what it would be like to see this happen.

In midafternoon I turned back onto Deep Creek Trail for my last mile.  The parade of tubing folks was steady, toting or dragging their tubes, some dads carrying kids on their shoulders.  For the first float down the creek, people hike more than a half a mile to the farthest put-in.  Each subsequent float is shorter as the thrill of the ride is eclipsed by the work of the hike. 

I was the last hiker to make it back to camp.  Everyone was set up down at the creek, trying to unwind.  (It was working.)  We compared adventures of the day – Carol saw snakes, the other gals explored a cemetery. 

Karen, Joan and me

Watching the tubers go by – most of the adults asked for a beer

Another in my series of “feet first” photos

After a couple of hours of doing absolutely nothing, Leida gave us our assignments for cooking dinner:  a delicious stew in one Dutch oven and my fabulous “bear scat” cake in another one.  Ellen threw some veggies wrapped in foil on the coals just in case the main course did not turn out as advertised.  I must say that the stew was the most delicious dish I have ever tasted and everyone had seconds. 

My wild women friends are just wonderful.  They are learning more with each trip and I think they are ready to take off on their own.  Gee, I hope they invite me!

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen

Whirlpool Rapids, Niagara River, NY

Whirlpool State Park, New York – 5/27/12 – 3 Miles

Every year Jim and I take a little anniversary trip.  Most often we go to the North Carolina mountains.  On the “big ones” we go farther, like Alaska or Ireland.  For number 31 this year, we went all the way to Niagara Falls. 

We spent the first few days exploring the falls from every angle, the Canadian side, the American side, the nighttime illumination, the fireworks, the Maid of the Mist boat ride, the Cave of the Winds tour, and so on.  Niagara Falls State Park (American side) was expensive but excellent.  One day we drove on the scenic Canadian Niagara Parkway up to the lovely town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where we rented a tandem bike and navigated the Niagara Parks Recreation Trail, stopping at a winery or two.  

On our last day we drove north on the American side of the Niagara River and visited Whirlpool State Park, part of the Niagara Gorge Rim Trail system.  From the Rim Trail we could see:

A trolley crossing with a bird’s eye view of the Niagara Gorge whirlpool - between this and the power boat tours and the helicopters flying over, it's a busy place

Water coming down Niagara River – Class VI rapids

Flowing into the “V”

Entering into the whirlpool basin

The whirlpool:  There is an elbow in the Niagara River where it takes a right-angled turn and a basin has been carved out to the left.  When the water flows above a certain level, the water coming down the narrow Gorge enters the pool and then travels counterclockwise around the basin.  When the water tries to cut across itself after swirling all the way around, pressure is built up and forces that water to flow underneath the incoming stream.  The swirling movement creates a vortex or reversal phenomenon.  If the water flow is low (diverted for hydroelectric purposes) the water merely flows straight through the basin and on to Lake Ontario.  

We walked downstream on the Rim Trail, then descended 300 feet down the crazy tilted steps to the bottom of the Gorge and followed a trail back up the river to reach the whirlpool rapids up close. 

Eye level at the "V"

Big waves at the entrance to the whirlpool basin:  the wave is curling upstream

A hole formed by pounding backsplash

A meditation moment at the whirlpool rapids (except for when the powerboat tours come roaring up about every five minutes)

Standing at the river’s edge, looking back up at the Rim Trail

So it’s more of a walk than a hike, but well worth the time.  If we had planned a little better we would have tried the whole Rim Trail as it continues on downriver to Devil’s Hole State Park.  Maybe next time?

“So much water moving underneath the bridge, let the water come and carry us away.”  Crosby, Stills & Nash

Shining Rock

Shining Rock SB6K Summit – 5/19/12 – Old Butt Knob Trail/Art Loeb Trail/Greasy Cove Trail – 13+ Miles – 3600’ elev gain

Steadily chipping away at this SB6K hiking challenge.  I am becoming more and more enamored of the Middle Prong and Shining Rock Wildernesses on the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, where a bunch of these SB6K peaks hang out.  For all the time I’ve been hiking, I’ve never been to see the namesake of Shining Rock.  Well, the time is now.  Get ready - this may be my longest, most photo-filled post ever.

I met my hiking good-luck charm, Jeff, and his friend Sharon on a beautiful Saturday morning at our usual meeting spot.  Sharon is also a young’un like Jeff, but I told him that he would have to find another way to distinguish us than “old” Sharon and “young” Sharon.  All day long he struggled as we both answered whenever he spoke.  I don’t think he found an equitable way to address us.  

Jeff promised a strenuous summit (always go for the most elevation gain, right?) so we started from the Big East Fork parking area off Highway 276.  Immediately after we got out of my car we were approached by three large unleashed dogs, begging for food.  They did not seem to hear their owners who were lamely calling them.  Welcome to the wilderness, kind of the wild west of the outdoors, where everybody does whatever they want.  Some even follow the rules.

By 10:30 a.m. we started on Shining Creek Trail.  I forgot my map, but Jeff let me carry his because it’s my security blanket and he has his GPS.  One of my goals for the day was to get better oriented via the map, since these wilderness areas are not signed or blazed. 

This is exactly where Jim and I got lost about eight years ago trying to do a “quick” hike to Shining Rock before one of our kids’ band competitions at Western Carolina University.  Using a guidebook and no other map, we quickly got confused with all the social trails running to campsites along Shining Creek and had to abandon the plan.  We experienced that, “Oh, crap, which way did we come” feeling for a few minutes when we decided to turn back.  Now I am a little better at reading the trail but not enough to feel comfortable yet out here by myself.

For instance, at an early junction the left trail (very wide and obviously heavily used) was blocked by a large log.  Back then I’m sure we stepped over the log without noticing it and hiked merrily on to campsites near the creek.  Now I know that a big log or pile of branches across a trail means “you probably don’t mean to go this way if you’re passing through.”  And when the Old Butt Knob Trail appeared on the right (no sign) today, I still would have likely missed it if Jeff hadn’t steered us to the turn. 

Old Butt Knob Trail is well named.  It is extremely steep with sustained stepping up on boulders and climbing up Chestnut Ridge.  My poor old butt got a workout.  And yet…we were in Shining Rock Wilderness on a spectacular spring day and life was very good.  

Mountain laurel bloomed profusely from the get-go

A few steps on a side trail to the left gave long range views of what was coming up, plus a moment to catch our breath and grab a snack.  I’m looking at the long stretch of Raven Cliff Ridge.

Brave mountain laurel growing in the rock

Jeff doing the limbo

Purple and pink rhododendron began to appear overhead and only got better as we continued the climb.  Get ready for the rhodo show!

Thank you, sir, may I have another?

 Up close and eye level for Sharon Appell

 Surprise - a white flame azalea

Nearly everyone we saw today had a dog, often more than one, some tiny ones on leashes or being carried, and German shepherds were favorites.  We passed one backpacker who actually had bear bells tinkling and two German Shepherds – protection against bears, I guess.

Painted trillium

Wood betony

And how did this rock get split so evenly?

I love how every high and low point has a name out in the wild.  After all, that’s how the folks from yesteryear kept track of their world.  After going over Old Butt Knob, we passed through Spanish Oak Gap, climbed some more up over Dog Loser Knob, hiked down again through Beech Spring Gap, then finally found one of the summit trails to Shining Rock (once again Jeff had to lead us, I wouldn’t have seen it on my own).   This is Jeff and Sharon on the summit trail cutting through shoulder high blueberry bushes.

Another SB6K summit!

The white quartz is cold and slippery

My favorite:  Sam Knob from the summit of Shining Rock

After the summit, Jeff and Sharon and I continued on Old Butt Knob Trail, passing multiple side trails presumably all going to Shining Rock.  Really, how many people get lost here every weekend?    We passed through a big camping area on the trail, filled with a Boy Scout troop with lots of equipment. 

Onward to Shining Rock Gap, where I have been before on our hike to Cold Mountain.  Five or six trails come together here with no signs.  I spent a few minutes with our map and Jeff’s GPS, trying to get oriented to the intersection.  To continue our loop route we turned left onto Art Loeb Trail, mostly out in the open.  We passed the Shining Creek Trail coming in from the left, which is a few hundred feet from the big intersection, although on the map it looks like it’s part of the intersection.  Jeez Louise, I think I need to be led here a couple more times before I can feel confident alone.

Flower Gap, looking up at Flower Knob on the left and another big ol’ big Boy Scout troop camp setup.  Nice for them, kinda spoils the view for the rest of us. 

After a mile or so of open rolling terrain we arrived at the side trail to Grassy Cove Top, an SB6K peak that Jeff and I have already done.  We hinted that Sharon might want to do this little side jaunt in case she ever felt enticed to do the challenge, so up we went. 

Next Jeff showed us a shortcut to reach Grassy Cove Trail (aka Greasy Cove Trail – some people can’t spell), cutting out about a mile of our loop.  The time was getting away from us because of our (my?) slow ascent.  Jeff says Grassy Cove is one of his favorite trails, lots of…grassy areas.  It really is very nice,  some great tucked away campsites…but no water.  Gotta plan ahead.

Clinton's Lily?

The downhill was steep in places, knees and feet taking a pounding.  Sharon thought she had a stress fracture in her foot that was giving her trouble.  A few weeks ago I pulled the top part of my hamstring and it was making me cringe.  The walking wounded.

On Greasy Cove Trail we ran into three backpacker guys collecting water at a small spring.  They asked us where they were.  They were aiming for Shining Rock and had taken verbal directions from someone to “turn right” at a certain spot, but apparently turned right way too soon.  I asked if they had a map and one guy sheepishly shook his head and said no.  (Cue judgmental thoughts about people who go into a wilderness area without a map - look how nervous I am even with one.)  Jeff gave them simple basic advice to turn around and go back to the top of the trail and a left turn would take them back out.  I suggested that they ask every person they meet from now on to help verify where they are.  They seemed properly equipped for an overnight trip except for not knowing how to navigate. 

Our biggest water crossing of the day was at Greasy Cove Prong, a careful rock hop.   Jeff and Sharon used my hiking poles.  They don’t use poles because they are young and invincible, but they didn’t say no when I offered them to get across the creek.  

Greasy/  Grassy Cove Creek

Your moment of Zen

Vasey’s Trillium – bloom nodding beneath the leaves

Not to be confused with wakerobin – bloom standing above the leaves

Soon we reached the crossing for East Fork of the Pigeon River at its confluence with Greasy Cove Prong,  and on the other side was a campsite and a right turn onto Big East Fork Trail (this water was wider than the last crossing but with easy rocks to walk across).  Now we were following the East Fork, big water, lots of cascades, teasing glimpses of whitewater  through the trees, and a couple of times the trail dipped down to the water’s edge.  The time was getting late and we did not feel like we had the luxury to take side trails down to the water.  I really must explore this trail again.

A parting look at the East Fork

Like most hikes, this one seemed to go on a little too long, but we were back at the car at 6:45 p.m., a little more than 8 hours for this strenuous hike, including two food breaks and lots of photos.  We hiked a total of 13 miles with 3,600 feet of elevation gain.  All in all, a terrific day in the North Carolina mountains.

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh