Old Settlers Trail - West

What do you do when the forecast calls for an 80% of rain?  You go hiking of course.  That is what seven of us did today.  We met at the Old Settlers Trial parking area in the Greenbrier section of the Smokies and took one car to the Noisy Creek access on Hwy 321.  This access point allows hikers to reach the 15.8 mile Old Settlers Trail at the halfway point.  I had hiked the eastern half last December, and today hiking the western half would complete the trail for me.

A few high clouds were all we had at the start of the hike.  I figured the rain would move in later in the morning.  A 3/4 mile hike along Noisy Creek took us up to the Old Settlers Trail. It was the same place we reached the trail last December.  We began hiking west toward Greenbrier, about 9 miles away.  

It was't long before we saw evidence of the trail's namesake, people who settled the area long before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established.  We saw old rock walls that once marked fields and pastures and chimneys that once provided warmth and means of cooking for cabins and houses.  

Rock wall at least 4 feet high.

Still standing!

Fireplace with two pots.

End of a wall.

The Old Settlers Trail is home to more than homesites and old farmsteads.  This time of year it is home to wildflowers.  This was the day of the pink lady slipper.  By our count we saw over 260 lady slippers along the trail.  No telling how many stretched farther into the forest.  We also saw the first mountain laurel and flame azalea of the season.

Multiple Lady Slippers 

First mountain laurel of the season.

Flame azalea

As the day progressed we climbed up and over a few ridges and wound through the greening forest.  The sun seemed to brighten the canopy from time to time, and the forecast rain never materialized. We had good hiking weather all day, cool and no rain.

As we got close to the end of the trail we began to hear the Little Pigeon River below the trail. We only had a few small streams to cross, and given the volume of water in the Little Pigeon, I was glad it was not one we had to cross.  When we reached the cars my GPS showed 9.93 miles and an elevation gain of 2394 feet.  My total trail miles in the Smokies is 390 - almost halfway to 803!

Ridges and Creek Crossings

View from the Appalachian Trail near Clingmans Dome

Our day started at the Clingmans Dome parking lot at 7:45 AM.  Upon exiting the car we were greeted with a temperature of 35 degrees and wind gusting over 20 mph.  I quickly put on all the layers I brought, shouldered my pack and began ascending the half-mile paved tourist trail to Clingmans Dome.  Right after starting, we noticed snow blowing in the wind.  Soon we reached the Appalachian Trail and headed south toward Welch Ridge.  The AT gradually brought us out of the wind, and we soon began seeing glimpses to the southeast.  Some sections of the trail followed a ridge named the Narrows, providing long views on both sides of the trail.  We could see parts of Lake Fontana in the distance. 

An arm of Lake Fontana many miles below.

We met many thru-hikers and section hikers heading north on the AT.  Most notable was a family of 7 from Texas who were heading for Maine.  Two parents and their five children, the youngest age 10, had come almost 200 miles. They said they had no hiking experience, but they were positive and in good spirits.

As the day warmed, the layers came off one by one.  We reached Welch Ridge Trail and followed it for 1.8 miles to Jonas Creek.  Once we reached Jonas Creek we began our descent over the next 4.2 miles.  The “Brown Book” indicated four creek crossings that likely would be wet.  We began to hear Jonas Creek below us as we descended, and there were multiple small drainages crossing the trail.  With all the rain over the past week, there was a lot of mud on the trail and in some places the trail had become a small stream.  We reached the first major crossing of Jonas Creek, and the rain from the previous week was evident.  We decided to eat lunch and change boots for water shoes.  A tree was down across the creek; too small to walk, but it provided a hand rail as we waded through the swift moving stream.  As we continued, we had three more crossings, each one seemed to be wider with a greater volume of water, and the crossings were trickier.  Everyone made it without falling in, although several places were knee deep. 

The first crossing on Jonas Creek

After the fourth crossing, we decided to leave on our water shoes until we were off Jonas Creek.  It was a good decision since we had two more crossings of Jonas Creek. 

At the trail junction with Forney Creek Trail, Jonas Creek joins Forney Creek.  The combined flow was rolling!  The map showed a footlog across Forney Creek, and indeed there was one, or at least half a bridge.  Fortunately the half bridge crossed the main part of the creek.  We changed back into hiking boots thinking our wet crossings were over.  We worked around one potential wet crossing, only to be met with one more unexpected crossing.  Off came the boots, but this time we waded in bare feet to save some time.

Forney Creek at the confluence with Jonas Creek

In some places the trail was a dry creek bed.

And in some places the trail was a stream.

There were several wildflowers blooming along the trails from the high elevations on the AT to the lower elevations.  We also noticed how we descended into Spring.  The trees at the beginning of the hike were bare, but as the day went on and our elevation lessened, the trees were greener.  A few pictures of flowers, most notably some white dwarf iris mixed in with the purple dwarf iris.

Dwarf Iris 

Note the white iris among the purple.

The rest of the hike was uneventful, following Forney Creek to Whiteoak Branch Trail to Lakeshore Trail.  The hiked ended at the tunnel on the “Road to Nowhere” at the end of Lakeview Drive west of Bryson City.  Here is where prior planning came into play.  We were at least 45 minutes from where we met before the hike.  One of our hikers arranged for her husband to pick us up and shuttle us up to Newfound Gap.  Not having to do this shuttle twice – morning and afternoon - allowed us to complete a long hike with a minimum of driving between trailheads.

The end of the trail is the light at the end of the tunnel.

Recap of the hike:
17.1 miles
2,100 feet of elevation gain
>4,000 feet of elevation loss (from Clingman's Dome to Lakeshore Trail)

Wildflowers in White Oak Sink

A week of rain cancelled two hikes in the Smokies this week, so when Friday's forecast was for drier weather, I jumped at the chance to hike a few trails.  It turned out to be an overcast day, but there was no rain until I drove home in the late afternoon.

This Friday the Margaret Stevenson Wednesday Hikers hiked to the White Oak Sink area of the Smokies on the Tennessee side of the park.  This meant an early wake up and drive for me, but the chance to see the Sinks and get some trail miles in was worth it.  I met the group at the Townsend Wye and the car placement for the afternoon shuttle was organized.  We were on the Turkeypen Ridge Trail at 9:00 AM.  At the trail junction with the Schoolhouse Gap Trail we entered the White Oak Sink.  The Sink is a basin with several sinkholes and caves.  The area was settled by several families and the remnants of many homesteads can be seen.  Today, White Oak Sink is a mecca for viewing wildflowers in the Spring.

Trails wind through the Sink taking hikers up and down sinkholes, by homesteads evident by open clearings, and leading to stands of wild flowers.  The National Park Service has had to close off the caves and some parts of the Sinks due to the White Nose Syndrome, a fungus that is killing bats in the caves.  Signs are posted near the sensitive areas and orange net fences have been put up to keep people out of the protected areas.  Even with these restrictions we were able to wander over 3 miles on trails and manways.  We were not alone either.  We met many wildflower enthusiasts and photographers taking advantage of the day to see the display.

I am not a wildflower expert by any means, but several on the hike identifed the many species we saw.  Pictures with the names follow.  I hope I get the names correct! These are but a few of the many we saw.

Yellow Trillium

White Trillium

Dwarf Iris - these covered areas along the trails.

Yellow Ladyslipper

This pink lady slipper was our centerpiece at lunch.

Little Brown Jug - note the jug-like flowers at the base.

Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars

Showy Orchis

Flowers were even growing in the trees.

Phlox

Evidence that people lived and worked in White Oak Sink.

In addition to exploring White Oak Sinks we hiked several trails over 12.5 miles.  All the trails were new miles for me, so I added 8.7 miles to my Smokies trail map.  I am nearing 375 of the 800+ miles of trails in the Smokies.

 

The West Prong of the Little River from the footlog.

Thanks to everyone who made it a good day to be hiking in the Smokies and walking among the beautiful wildflowers.

Four Trails and a Short Section of the AT

The picture above is a little dark, but it was 7:00 AM and just getting light at the Jakes Creek Trailhead near the Elkmont campground where I began a 19 mile hike using four different trails plus 2.4 miles on the AT.  The climbing began on a well graded road, but soon gave way to a steeper climb over 3.6 miles of the trail.  We had views of Jakes Creek and only one crossing without a bridge.  Since I am "once bitten twice shy" on rock hopping, I used water shoes and waded across. "Better safe than sorry" for me!

I chose to wade this crossing rather than rock hop.

A short break at the Miry Ridge trail junction and the climb continued up toward the AT.  The 5 miles up to the AT was a combination of short steep ups and more gradual ridge hiking.  As I hiked, I was frequently dodging wet boggy areas of the trail.  I began to wonder if Miry Ridge was so named because you can easily mire up in mud in those wet places.  Sure enough, reading the "Brown Book" - Hiking Trails of the Smokies - confirmed that was the origin of the trail name.

Miry Ridge Trail to the AT

On the Miry Ridge Trail

Along the trail there were views of surrounding mountain ridges including Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the GSMNP.  A little more up and we reached the Appalachian Trail a little before 11:30.  We had climbed 2700 feet over 8.7 miles; a good morning workout! A short trail lunch and conversation with a half dozen students on Spring Break, and we were moving south on the AT to the junction with Greenbrier Ridge Trail.  Along the way we met several hikers heading for Maine. At this point they were under 200 miles from Springer Mountain, GA - the southern terminus of the AT, and over 1,000 miles to go to Mt. Kathadan, the northern terminus.  Many miles to go, but today was a beautiful day under blue skies for a hike of any length.  Good luck to all we met.

8.3 miles to go. At least most of it is downhill.

The 4.2 miles of the Greenbrier Trail began a gentle descent from the AT elevation of around 5,000 feet.  The day was warming, and as we lost elevation the forest floor began to show green poking through last Fall's leaf litter.  A variety of lily and other wildflowers became more and more noticeable, an soon a small white flower carpeted the sides of the trail.  Another sign of descending was the sound of rushing water.  Two water crossings awaited us before we reached Middle Prong.  The first was easy to cross on well-spaced, flat rocks just above water level.  The second was a different story.  Once again, I changed into water shoes and waded across a wide and in some places deep crossing.  

The rocks on the right are saying, "Hop on over!" My better judgment said, "Wade across on the left."

After the crossing.

Only 4.1 miles to go.

The fourth trail of our quartet was the Middle Prong Trail.  All the miles are on a fairly wide roadbed that gently followed the Middle Prong of the Little River.  Rocky in places, it was fairly easy hiking to end the day.  The best part of the trail is the sight and sound of the Middle Prong as it rolls and tumbles down the mountain.  There were numerous cascades and waterfalls along the way.  When I have more time, a hike from Tremont up this trail will afford more time to stay longer at the waterfalls and cascades.  But today, the last few miles were starting to wear on my feet.  I was ready to get out of my boots and give them a rest.  

A few of the many scenes along the Middle Prong.

One of the biggest drops along the Middle Prong.

Fishing is now open on the Middle Prong and we saw several people in the water or walking up the trail looking for the "sweet spot" where the Brook trout were biting.  Several mentioned an abandoned chimney off the trail that seemed to be a marker of a good spot.

When I reached my car my GPS showed a little over 19 miles and over 3500 feet of elevation gain.

All the trail mile were new for me, so my total miles of trails hiked in the Smokies is now over 350.  Only a little over 450 new trail miles to go!  Thanks to everyone who made it an outstanding day to hike in the Smokies.