Back in the Smokies - Hiking with Friends

Tuesday found me on the trail back in the Smokies - the first time since December.  While it was not a bright sunny day, the forecast of 70% rain showers never amounted to much.  We had a little rain before and after lunch and the rest of the time was overcast, cool and damp.  Not all days can be sunny, and you expect some rain if you spend any time hiking in the Smokies.

My friends on this hike were the Friends of the Smokies; specifically 18 hikers who turned out for the first hike in the 2015 Classic Hikes in the Smokies series.  These hikes are held on the second Tuesday each month from March through December.  They are open to anyone who wants to hike.  There is a nominal fee for Friends of the Smokies members.  If you are not a member, the fee for your first hike enrolls you as a member.  Danny Bernstein - hiker, author, and blogger - leads the hikes each month.

This month's hike was a loop hike starting and ending at the Smokemont Campground near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on the NC side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This is a good hike to start the season and to get me back into the Smokies.  We started on the Bradley Fork Trail at the north end of the campground.  Despite the rainy forecast for the week there were a few campers there.  The trail follows a roadbed along Bradley Fork which was running fairly swift from rain and the snowmelt from higher elevations.  At 1.7 miles we turned off the trail to cross Bradley Fork on a log bridge to link up with the Smokemont Loop Trail.  The bridge is a typical of the Smokies; a narrow timber running from bank to bank with a handrail on one side.  This one seemed a little longer and higher, mainly due to the volume of water rushing beneath it and the wet surface of the bridge.  Everyone seemed to take their time crossing.

Trail sign at the trailhead.

Crossing Bradley Fork

Once across we began the climb of the day.  A little rain fell while we hiked up to our lunch spot at the top.  Everyone climbed at his or her own pace, so the group spread out along the trail.  The overcast skies hid most of the views, but the clouds did part enough to reveal a few surrounding peaks.

Smokemont Loop Trial on a cool, wet day.

After lunch we were all ready to get moving again.  The temperature in the 50s with the dampness cooled everyone down.  It was downhill toward the campground and the miles went by quickly.  Toward the bottom we took a short side trail to the Bradley Cemetery.  Only a few headstones were engraved, the patriarch's and matriarch's graves and a few others.  Most were simple upright stone slabs marking the head and foot.  

The patriarch and matriarch of the Bradleys.

A short walk from the cemetery and we were back at the campground.  We covered 6.5 miles and had a good aerobic climb before lunch.  On the way out of the campground we stopped by the Lufty Baptist Church, as named by one sign, or the Smokemont Baptist Church, as named by another sign.  The church is open for inspection.  There is no steeple on the church, only a flat roof over the belfry.

The official Friends of the Smokies hike ended here, but there is another trail in the area, so I got a ride with Danny to the horse stables and hiked back to Smokemont on the Towstring Horse Trail.  This trail exists to get horses and riders from the stables to nearby trails without them having to ride through the campground.  While most people would not hike it, since it is on the official trial map it is one that must be hiked to the Smokies 900 challenge.  The trail was wet and had several steep ups and downs.  Being a weekday so early in the season I did not see any horses on the trail.  

Leaf covered Bowstring Trail

Once back at the campground I loaded up and headed home.  It was a good day to experience the forest with low clouds, dampness, and occasional rain.

On the Trail Again - Finally!

It has been a long while since I was on the trail for a longer hike.  Wednesday I hiked with the Carolina Mountain Club on an 11 mile hike at Table Rock State Park, South Carolina.  The park is located along the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is dominated by Table Rock (elevation 3,124 ft.) - not to be confused with North Carolina's Table Rock located on the east side of the Linville Gorge in Burke County, NC.  The location of the state park might lead one to think the trails will be fairly level or moderate due to the location in South Carolina.  This hike will quickly change that wrong impression.  Over the 11 miles we had a cumulative elevation gain of 3,726 feet; a good reintroduction to day hiking for me.

Our hike began along a rushing stream with several waterfalls and cascades.  Once on the Pinnacle Trail, we began a serious 4 mile climb up Pinnacle Mountain.  It is the highest mountain located entirely within South Carolina.   Sassafras Mountain, located about five miles from Pinnacle, is the South Carolina state highpoint.  It is located on the SC/NC border.  Along the way we met a denizen of the park seeking a little warmth a few feet beside the trail near a small stream.

We think a copperhead.

Two hikers passed without noticing it, the hiker in front to me pointed it out, and it obliged us in photographing it before slipping off away from the trail.  Not feeling threatened by us it chose to escape, but we wondered where the rest of the family was.

Sunny skies gave way to fog as we reached Bald Rock, obscuring the view of Table Rock Mountain.  The fog remained as we crested Pinnacle Mountain, the highpoint of the days hike.  The temperature cooled in the misty fog, so we stopped for a group picture before going on.

We followed a ridge trail to Panther Gap and the junction with the Table Rock trail.  As we lost elevation it warmed and the sun began to burn through the fog.  By the time we began ascending Table Rock it had cleared, and we looked forward to some good views from the top.  There were several steep climbs on the way up, including a couple places where steps had been chiseled into the rock.  

Steps made climbing the wet rock face a little easier.

Looking east from Table Rock.

The descent to the parking lot was three miles of down, down, down including the steps on the rock face we came up.  Along the way there were several more cascades along creeks beside the trail.  Some of then were a series of steps formed by rock ledges.  We passed through areas with huge boulders scattered about and some rock faces that make up Table Rock.  

Tree meets rock.

It was good to get back out on the trail.  I felt myself being a bit more cautious than usual, especially on stream crossings and crossing the rock faces.  The hike was good for me in two ways; it tested my ability to complete a long, strenuous hike and it helped me gain confidence on negotiating steep ups and downs and crossing streams.  Thanks to Randy who led the hike for the CMC and the three other hikers who made for good company on a good day on the trail.  Up next, a hike in the Smokies next week!

Patience

If anything, my thumb injury and surgery has taught me patience.  Up until this, I really didn't let too many things slow me down.  Not having an opposable thumb on my dominant right hand has slowed me some.  Lots of routine tasks like buttoning a shirt, shaving, opening anything with a lid are done more deliberately and slowly with my left hand.  I must admit I have become a little more adept with my left hand.

Hiking with the Carolina Mountain Club or the Margaret Stevenson Wednesday Hikers each week has been a weekly event for several years for me.  I have not been on a trail since December 3, but I have walked on the the greenway and at the Y some.  While I have tried to patiently wait for healing, I am restless to get on the trail.  I have missed several hikes in the Smokies and ones closer to home.  I have decided to get away this Wednesday for a short hike in the Pisgah District, the 4 mile Daniel Ridge Loop.  It is a benign trail that offers good scenery, a stream with several cascades (and no crossings), and a good waterfall at the end of the hike.  I'll take it slow and easy, and I plan not to fall!

While I have been sidelined two projects have also been on hold; at least my active participation in them has been.

First, my Smokies 900 challenge has been stuck on 326.5 miles for 2 months.  Along with that, I have not been able to add trail miles for Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign.  Soon I will be rejoining my friends in the Smokies and getting back on the trail to add new miles for my Smokies Trail Map and to raise money for End Polio Now.

Second, I have not been able to hike trails for the 100 Favorite Hikes project with the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC).  In the late 70s, the CMC in association with the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club produced a map of "100 Favorite Trails" in Western North Carolina.  The map and descriptions are being revised and updated for publication at the end of the year.  Several CMC members are hiking these favorite trails and writing descriptions and getting new GPS tracks for each one.  I have several trails I will be doing as soon as I can.  Meanwhile, other CMC members are stepping up to hike the trails and provide descriptions.

One can use down time to dream of new adventures, and I have been doing some dreaming.  In fact, I have already turned a few of the dreams into concrete plans.

In March, I will be spending some time in Arizona visiting my sister in Tucson, hiking a couple days at the Grand Canyon, and visiting Prescott to scout a project for our college students in May.

I hope to do a little backpacking in the Smokies in June along a section of the Appalachian Trail through the national park.  Following that, I hope to be in Peru hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu with a group from National Geographic Adventures.

September will have two national park trips.  One close to home - an overnight at Mt. LeConte Lodge  with the hike in and the hike out on two different trails.  The other is a week visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and Pinnacles National Park in California.

Hopefully I will make good progress with regaining the full use of my thumb.  It has been more of a nuisance than anything.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  I hope to see some of you on a trail some time.

2015 Resolutions

I only made one resolution in 2014, and that was to try to live by Micah 6:8.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy),

    and to walk humbly with your God?

The three actions in this verse - doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God – seemed to me to be what I needed to attend to in my life.  They are three qualities that would go a long way to making the world a better place.  Here is what I wrote about this resolution one year ago:

As a resolution, this speaks to two areas in life that always need attention - how I act toward others and my relationship with God.  Letting Justice and Mercy guide my relationships with others will mean putting others ahead of me and seeking ways to help others.  It entails patience, kindness, generosity, and gentleness.  Walking humbly with God is a self-discipline that requires faithfulness and self-control.

Looking back over 2014, I cannot say I lived up to this resolution every day, but keeping it before me through the year did make me more aware of justice, mercy, and humility.  The headlines of 2014 show that our world cries out for justice, for mercy and kindness, and for humility. 

For 2015, I plan on keeping this same verse as my resolution.  These aren’t things that can be achieved and checked off like so many other resolutions, but rather a way of living that is to be continued. 

I do want to add another element to my 2015 resolutions, and that is Hope.  Two verses come to mind:

Psalm 71:14

But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.

Romans 12:11-12

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Biblical hope is not like our personal hopes that are dependent on external forces.  Biblical hope is rooted in God’s promises.   We can live as hopeful people knowing that God’s love for us is steadfast and He will not abandon us.  These verses say two things about hope: that we are to hope continually – never give up on hope – and that we can rejoice in hope through praise and prayer.

Happy New Year to you all!  May 2015 be filled with justice, mercy, humility and hope.

A Pin, A Wire, and A Button

Before I explain the title of this post, I have some pictures and a description of my last Smokies hike with the Margaret Stevenson Wednesday Hikers.  On December 3, over 30 hikers met at the Sugarlands Visitor Center to organize a key swap hike that had at least three variations.  The logistics alone will make your head spin, but organizing everyone in the right cars to the right destination was in Frank's capable hands.  We were soon on our way to Noisy Creek where our group of 15 would take an access trail to the Old Settlers Trail and hike east to the Maddron Bald/Gabes Mountain Trail junction, then on to Cosby Campground on the Gabes Mountain Trail.  At least that was the plan.

The Old Settlers Trail stretches 15.9 miles west-to-east from Greenbrier to the Maddron Bald Trail.  On the map there are no other trail junctions, so a long day hike seemed to be the only way to hike the trail.  One advantage of hiking with this Wednesday group is the trail knowledge of the leaders; like where to access the Old Settlers Trail at Noisy Creek on Hwy. 321 at almost the halfway point on the trail.

After 3/4 mile through the woods along Noisy Creek we came to the Old Settlers Trail.

As the name implies, this trail winds through an area of the Smokies that was heavily settled in the 1800s by families who farmed the land.  There are dozens of stone walls, chimneys, and remnants of homes all along the trail.  To me, the stone walls were an amazing sight.  The walls in this area are higher and longer than walls in other parts of the park.

 This wall was so level along the top and about 3 feet wide.

This wall was about 5 feet high.

How big was this tree when the wall was built? 

The trail went through this wall.

We took a break at the McCarter Barn, restored and recently re-roofed by the Park Service.

A half mile or so from the next trail junction there was a creek crossing that didn't look too difficult. Large rocks separated by rushing sluices of water seemed to afford a way across.  Each hiker began crossing, choosing which rock to hop to next.  It all happened so fast; one moment I was on a rock about to step to another, and the next moment I was in the creek with my right hand hitting hard on a rock.  Several hands had me out of the creek and safely across where I adjusted my glasses that were knocked askew and noticed my thumb was scraped and quite crooked.  

I cannot say enough about the care and concern for me by the group.  My thumb was taped and splinted with a plastic fork, and an icepack was taped and tied on.  A bandana was rigged as a sling to keep my hand elevated, and I was given Aleve for swelling and pain.  I can't name everyone who pitched in to help for fear I will leave someone out.  I thank each and everyone who helped me with my injury and hiking out to a car and driving me to my car so I could go to the ER, and for all the well-wishes along the way.

So, the title of this post.  After X-rays at the ER showing a bone chip, or flake avulsion, and a referral to a hand specialist, I was told I needed surgery to reattach a torn tendon on the top of the first joint of my thumb.  With that surgery I have a pin inserted to keep the joint straight and a wire securing the bone flake and tendon in place with a button on the outside of the thumb holding the wire in place.  The surgery went well, and the pain has been manageable.  My main task is to keep my hand elevated.

With several weeks for everything to heal, I will have plenty of time to plan future hikes in the Smokies.  One of those hikes will be Gabes Mountain Trail that I missed after my fall, and another will be the other half of the Old Settlers Trail.  No matter the trail I find myself on, I will take time to wade the big stream crossings, not rock hop!  

When I do get back on the trail I will be adding miles toward hiking all the trails in the Smokies and raising money for Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign.

Thanks again for everyone's prayers and encouragement.

Cataloochee Divide Tail

Ttailhead at Cove Creek Gap

Many things draw hikers to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Trails to prominent peaks with expansive views, trails along streams punctuated by waterfalls, groves of old growth trees, and historic cabins and houses that remind us of the people who settled the area before the park was established.  I enjoy seeing all these, but probably my favorite draw to the trails in the Smokies are the ridge or divide trails.  Several trails follow long ridges that divide the park into distinct areas or mark the boundary between the park and the "outside world."  These divide trails offer up and down ridge hiking and views on one or both sides of the trail.

On a cool and at first overcast morning, two of us began hiking the Cataloochee Divide Trail from Cove Creek Gap to Double Gap - 6.4 miles according to the trailhead sign.  This divide runs along the park's eastern/southeastern border, separating Jonathan Valley (outside the park) on the south and Cataloochee Valley (inside the park) to the north.  We began a steady climb from the gap and were soon rewarded with views on both sides of the trail.  As we looked out over Jonathan Valley we could see farms, roads, and the infrastructure of rural Haywood County.  In the distance we could see Mt. Pisgah, Cold Mountain, Craggy Dome, Mt. Mitchell and the Black Mountains.  By contrast, on the right we looked across Cataloochee Valley to Mt. Sterling Ridge and further on, Balsam Mountain Ridge.  Several peaks over 6,000 feet lie along this ridge, including Big Cataloochee Mountain.  These high ridges are crowned by dark spruce trees, an indication of their high elevation.

View southeast: Mt. Pisgah is the rounded peak at center on the horizon, Cold Mountain is visible in the distance on the right (just behind the branch).

View Northwest: Mt. Sterling Ridge across Cataloochee Valley.  

Not visible in the pictures are the WLOS TV transmission tower on Mt. Pisgah and the Mt. Sterling lookout tower.  We were able to make out these towers from the ridge.

Because the divide follows the park boundary, houses on private land were seen from the trail.  A fence, built by the CCC in the 1930s, marks the park boundary.  The carport of one house was only a few yards from the trail.

Cataloochee Divide Trail along the fence marking the GSMNP boundary.

An old trail sign just outside the park boundary.

Near Double Gap, the trail skirts a private resort, The Swag.  First, there is Gooseberry Knob, a groomed area with chairs and a gazebo with an impressive view, then the resort buildings and parking lot.  As the name implies the resort lies in a swag between Hemphill Bald and Purchase Knob. 

Gooseberry Knob - part of The Swag resort - waiting for folks to sit and soak up the sun . . . 

. . . and soak up the view.

A mile further is Double Gap and the end of the Cataloochee Divide Trail, but not the end of the Cataloochee Divide.  The Hemphill Bald Trail follows the divide for another four miles or so.  A short steep climb brought us to Hemphill Bald (5,540') and a scenic lunch spot complete with a stone picnic table with a locator map for all the mountains across the vista.  The area is part of Cataloochee Ranch.

Fred Flintstone's picnic table, complete with a peak locator map.

Lunch view #1: A little snow and some skiers at Cataloochee Ski Area.

Lunch view #2: The Plott Balsams - Left is Plott Balsam, center is Mt. Lyn Lowry, right is Waterock Knob; three peaks over 6,000 feet.

After lunch we returned on the same trail to the trail junction with McKee Branch Trail. Going left would take us down to Cataloochee Valley, but we went right to the property of the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob.  A large home and over 500 acres of land was donated to the GSMNP by the Gilmore and McNeil families.  The house was renovated to serve as the science center.  It is an impressive facility that hosts visiting scientists and provides education programs for teachers and students.

The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center.

Also on the grounds is the historic Ferguson Cabin. Built in the 1870s, the cabin is the highest-elevation historic cabin in the Smokies.  Inside the cabin is a placard giving the history of the Ferguson family and the cabin. An interesting side note: funding for the renovation of the cabin was provided by Aurora Foods, Inc. - makers of Log Cabin syrup. How appropriate!

Ferguson Cabin

The gate at the entrance to the Science Center was locked, so our car was about a mile's walk down the a gravel road. It was downhill, so not too bad a way to end the hike.  We ended up hiking 12.3 miles and an elevation gain of 2,740 feet.  A good hike with fabulous views.  This hike is on my "Do Again List" and would make a good CMC hike next fall.

One last picture.  The forest often has unusual and interesting trees.  What do you see in this photo?

It may not show up well in this photo, but to me, it is a reindeer with the Grinch's face.  If you don't see it in the photo, go see it in person on the Cataloochee Divide Trail.

Sugarland Mountain Trail

There are trails of all lengths and descriptions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Each has its own characteristics depending on elevation, water features, and the area of the park it is located.  For me, there is something special about hiking the longer trails in the park from end-to-end.  Such was the case with Monday's hike, the Sugarland Mountain Trail.  One end of the trail branches off the Appalachian Trail near Mt. Collins, accessed from the Clingmans Dome Road. The other end of the trail is on Little River Road a few miles west of the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlanburg.

As the signs at each end of the trail show, there is not complete agreement on the length of the trail.

Sugarland Mountain Trail sign at the top where it joins the AT. Note the distance to Fighting Creek Gap on Little River Road is 12.1 miles.

Sugarland Mountain Trail sign at the bottom on Little River Road.  It shows 12.0 miles to the AT.

So, I don't know where the extra 0.1 of a mile is. Either way you hike it, you get from Little River Road to the AT!

Like many of the longer trails in the park, the Sugarland Mountian Trail has several distinct characteristics due to the elevation change.  Where the trail begins at the AT, the elevation is 5,900 feet; on Little River Road, the elevation is 2,300 feet.  The trail passes from a spruce-fir forest, then rhododendron and mountain laurel, deciduous hardwoods of poplar, maple and oak, and a mixed forest of pine and hardwoods.  The other great feature of this trail is for several miles it follows a fairly narrow ridge that affords great views of the surrounding mountains.

The heavy snow that fell over a week ago on the high mountains in the Smokies was still evident when we began hiking on the AT and upper Sugarlands.  It was not too slick, and we were able to get decent footing on the trail.

The Appalachian Trail near Mt. Collins.

Sugarland Mountain Trail near the AT.

Sunshine and snow.

Not far down the trail we were able to see the observation tower with its spiral ramp on 6,643 foot Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies.  It looked small due to the distance away.  Other views included Mt. LeConte and the long spine of mountains that forms the NC/TN border and carries the Appalachian Trail.

Mt. LeConte from Sugarlands Mountain Trail

At lower elevations we entered an oak-poplar-maple forest.  This Fall has seen a heavy mast crop, and there were lots of acorns on the trail.  At our lunch spot we noticed a cache of acorns in a niche of a tree.  Not sure if a squirrel collected them, or a clever hiker who wanted to provide a conversation starter for passers-by.

A squirrel's cache for winter?

There were several large boulder fields and rocks along the trail.  Plants in the Smokies are able to root in the most unlikely places.  A rhododendron grabbed a tenuous foothold in a rock crevice.

Will it bloom next summer?

As we reached lower elevations the last of this season's color was evident.  Some maples still show yellow and reds, but the oaks seemed to be predominant with their muted red, yellow and brown leaves hanging on.

At the end of some hikes you are more than ready to reach your car.  Today, however, the hike ended before I was ready.  It was such a beautiful day, and the trail had everything that makes for a great hike in the Smokies, that an additional mile or two would have been welcome.  Not to worry though, there are several trails in this area, so I will be visiting this part of the park again, and several miles of the Sugarland Mountain Trail will be hiked.  Many thanks to the Margaret Stevenson Hikers who coordinated this hike and for arranging the key swap to avoid having to shuttle cars.