Summer Hiking in the Smokies

It is June, and that means the beginning of summer hiking in the Smokies.  Each season has advantages and a few disadvantages when it comes to spending time on the trails.  Summer usually means higher humidity and temperatures, a full green canopy overhead, and in some places a profusion of grasses and briars encroaching on the trail.  It is a time to seek out the higher elevations for cooler temperatures or find a cool stream for cooling off.

Filtered sunlight on the Sunkota Ridge Trail

  Summer hiking also brings with it the threat of thunderstorms. The forecast of 50 -70% chance of thunderstorms all week means you might get rained on, but then maybe not.  While it was cloudy all day at home, we had sunny blue skies overhead until afternoon.  On my drive to the Smokies I had this view to the west from the Blue Ridge parkway south of Soco Gap.

Early morning valley clouds 

We hiked a respectable 16 miles Wednesday with over 3,300 feet in elevation gain; 2,200 in the first four miles. Now that I am over halfway on hiking all the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I am finding myself hiking over trails already done to reach new trails.  Such was the case Wednesday.  The 8.7 mile Sunkota Ridge Trail was the only new trail for me.  The approach trails to Sunkota I had hiked before, as well as the trails leading to the parking lot at Deep Creek.  These "frequent hiker miles" add to the total miles it takes to complete the 900 Miler challenge.

Sunkota Ridge Trail Sign - my "new" trail of the day.

As the name implies, the Sunkota Ridge Trail follow the Sunkota Ridge from Thomas Divide to within a couple miles of Deep Creek.  It undulates along a ridge that is between Thomas Divide and Noland Divide.  Think of these divides as ridges extending laterally from the main spine of high mountains that largely follows the NC/TN state line through the park.  The divides separate drainages that carry streams down on each side of the state line.  Sunkota is derived from the Cherokee word for apple trees, which according to one source once grew in the area.  The ridge varied in width, but in several areas the ridge was fairly narrow.  The views from the ridge were scarce due to the leaf canopy, but a winter hike would yield great views along the ridge.

The Spring wildflowers are giving way to the summer bloomers.  We saw a several flowering plants, especially mountain laurel.  A few of the early summer blooms along the trail.

Mountain Laurel

Columbine - all of these seemed to be looking down.

Flame azalea

Spiderwort (I think).

The hike ended at Deep Creek, a popular park entrance and area near Bryson City. Tubing on the lower mile of Deep Creek is very popular, however due to the thunderstorms in the area and being early in the season, we saw only a few tubers.  The area has a few waterfalls within a short loop that is popular and easy to hike.  We passed two of these falls, Indian Creek Falls and Toms Branch Falls.

Indian Creek Falls

This hike was facilitated by logistics arranged by the Margaret Stevenson Wednesday Hikers.  It is one of several "one way" hikes from US 441 and Clingmans Dome Road down to the Deep Creek and Lakeview Drive areas.  The hike leader arranged for some additional hikers to meet us at Deep Creek and shuttle those of us who hiked one way from Highway 441 back to our cars.  Without this we would have had to set up a time-consuming car shuttle or key swap.  Thanks to Amy for setting it up and for Dennis and Jenny for driving.

We had a good day on the trails and stayed dry the entire hike.  Thunder rumbled all around us, but any light rain was kept off us by the summer tree canopy.

Next week: A "bus hike" - Forney Ridge and Forney Creek from Clingmans Dome to Lakeview Drive.