2003 GSMNP + More, Spring

Some sections of the Bartram Trail sound interesting. I would like to bp from Franklin to Nantahala Lake, which could be a good TT hike. The North Carolina Bartram Trail Society

April . . . . Action

15. Drove from Florida to GSMNP's Cataloochee CG(10½ hrs.). It was Spring Break Time in that area and the CG filled shortly after my arrival. It was full every night that week, but it was quiet every night! I slept great.
    
16. The maintenance people recognized me immediately and started joking about my viagra. After some good visits and coffee, I hiked towards CS40(1.5 mi.). But after one mile, I stopped to rest at the Woody Place, an old farmhouse, etc. I was tired and my knees were sore. So I returned. My knees felt a little better before I reached the car, like perhaps they had been lubricated. Bushed, I retired at 5 p.m.
    
17. Hiked 3.2 mi. on the Pretty Hollow Gap Trail ok. At the CG rain started at 3:30 p.m.
    
18. It had rained all night and continued all morning. So I drove to Waynesville and did some shopping. After the rain stopped around 2 p.m. I hiked 0.8 mi. on the Caldwell Fork Trail and returned. Later I walked a little more. I must be aging as this has been the most difficult start-up ever. I would leave for Noland Creek tomorrow, but Sat. is not the safest night for parking by that trailhead.
    
19. I allowed two men with a 4-yr. old son to double on my campsite the previous night. I went on an early hike to CS40 and back(3-mi. total). The people were gone when I returned, but they left a nice note thanking me. At 6 p.m. I drove up to a lookout point for better radio reception and listened to A Prairie Home Companion® With Garrison Keillor. I like to keep up on all The News from Lake Wobegon. Afterwards I finished packing for the trail.
    
20. Easter Sunday - Broke camp, bought gas, got cash at a bank, misc. items at Sylva's Walmart and two new plastic ponchos at Cherokee. At Deep Creek I completed a trip plan which included an alternative plan! I frequently change my plans because of the weather or my condition. BP'ed 1.4 mi. to CS65 on Noland Creek Trail in one hour without a problem. After supper I ate some ice cream. It was Mountain House freeze dried that I found at Walmart for $1.68. I enjoyed it. Followed it with a cup of decaf. tea. It was a little too risky for me to rock hop the subsideriary creek to the spring, so I used water from the subsideriary. Several trees were down in the CS area. I did not get my BP weight down, but my 7 pound Jansport Alaska 115 rides real easy. My hands started to itch. I washed them with sand and gravel in the creek, dried them over a campfire and that was the end of the itching.
    
21. Rain started during the night and continue until 2 p.m. I was dreaming so good I did not get up until 3 p.m. The rain was unexpected. I felt tired and listlesss, so I went to my alternative plan and stayed a second night.
    
22. Did real good on moving uptrail to CS64. Three kids (from Detroit) arrived from CS74. They invited me to smoke one with them, but I declined. Looking at those pipe contraptions turns my stomach. A nice looking, young girl arrived with three small children. They were dayhiking, had no idea where the trail went and were looking for the best way back to "The Road to Nowhere." I hiked upcreek to the trail to a cemetery and discovered a spring and another trail.
    
23. Did some exploring. Tried to follow the newly discovered trail, but it was blocked by growth. However, I found another spring and the foundation of an old school house. Back at the CS I found that I had lost my hat. It was necessary to retrace my steps completely to locate the hat. While there I saw a clear continuation of the other trail. Next trip I'll be following that trail. I think I know where it leads. See Exploring Around CS64 near the end of this report.
    
24. Moved back downtrail to CS65. Did a little exploring along the way. I graduated from using the tent and just used a tarpaulin. Except for a couple of nights in developed campgrounds, I did not use the tent again during this trip.
    
25. A light rain caused a slight delay for my hike out in the morning. Saw a friend in Bryson City. I've been trying to flirt with her, but her main concern with me is that she would like to buy my 240SX. Almost went to the Fontana Hilton, but stayed at Deep Creek CG. Rain and severe thunderstorms predicted.
    
26. Some rain started at midnight, but nothing severe. I packed lighter___no tent, no stove, only ½ quart of water and used a daypack. BP'ed to CS60. Had my tarp setup before some light showers started. Slept good.
    
27. Sunday - Met a volunteer CS caretaker. Don't like what they are doing. Maybe I'll talk about it another day. Moved uptrail to CS59. That has always been a rough stretch for me. Discovered that only one iodine pill remained, so tomorrow I'll hike out.
    
28. Made it back to CS60 in the morning. Four old people Four older people(1 M, 3 F) on a day hike were finishing lunch. I went off to the side and enjoyed a slow lunch. Finally I hiked out, dry. I quickly drank a V-8, a lot of water and a quart of gatorade. Drove to Horse Cove Campground next to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. They had some beautiful campsites, but the surfaces all appeared to be hard clay. There did not appear to be any place for a tent or sleeping pad that would not receive running water in a rain. So I drove to the Fontana Hilton for the night. There was plenty of room in the shelter. Several hikers were using their tents outside. Highlight of the conversation was a couple who had completed the AT in 1999.
    
29. It was a shaky morning as the earthquake hit. My sleeping disturbed, I left early and headed west to a restaurant at the intersection of 129 and 72 for coffee and toast. Then on the way to Maryville I drove through a state wildlife refuge and, finally, to Abrams CG. Ate some lunch and loaded my pack. Then I bp'ed to CS 1 in 35 min. After setting up my tarp an interesting couple from Miami came and talked with me for about two hours until it was quite dark. She was originally from Peru.
    
30. Made it to CS 2 ok. Feeling tired after lunch I laid down. A thunderhead cloud passed over, but spared me its' water. Then a larger cloud started my way. I hung the tarp and was soon hit with a hard downpour for 30-40 minutes. Water was flowing over the entire CS area except for the slightly elevated spot where I had my sleeping pad. I have discovered that the nylon tarp stretches in humidity and when wet. Although I had one corner down to 9 inches above the ground, the water formed a swimming pool in the tarp above that corner. It formed fast, sagging all the way to the ground. I found myself continuously pushing the center of the tarp upward so that the water would drain. Finally, the downpour changed to a normal-like rain and the water drained from the tarp without my assistance. And the running water and puddles disappeared from the ground around me even though it rained for almost two more hours.
    

1. Irked by the rain, I hiked out and returned to the Fontana Hilton for a hot shower and the night.
   
2. After coffee ant toast at Tooties I returned to the Joyce Kilmer area. The Cheoah Point Recreation Family Area had some nice campsites. However, I set up at a free, roadside campsite 3.4 mi. from the Horse Cove Campground. After putting up a larger, plastic tarp I saw a good storm approaching. I headed for town as it hit hard. After the storm I returned and hiked the Joyce Kilmer, 2 mi., figure-8 trail through a virgin forest with some ancient poplars boasting 7 to 8 feet diameters. I encountered some hunters and learned that it was turkey season.
   
3. While having toast and coffee at Tooties, I learned about the "Needmore Road." It is a great alternative to using 28 or 441 to drive to Franklin. It starts near 28 from 19, but for about 12 miles it borders the Little TN River and does not climb over any mountain ranges. Then it joins 28. The last 3 or 4 mi. are unpaved, but hard packed. And that area has several of the free, roadside campsites. The road section has remained unpaved by the state as the whole area is expected to become a forest recreation area(some day). So I drove down the "Needmore Rd.," not to be confused with the almost bustling town of Needmore, WV. It was an enjoyable drive and I soon found myself at the Standing Indian area. I drove the Long Branch Rd. up to Albert Mtn. and discovered a number of free, roadside campsites and one primative campsite area. After a return to Bryson City, I looked for a campsite along Needmore Rd., but all the good ones were taken, including one on an island. So I stayed at Deep Creek Campground. There was threatening weather.
   
4. Sunday - Threatening weather continue all morning and I decided to take the day off. But at 2:30 I headed to check out an unknown trail above the Loop Trail turnoff. It turned out to be just a turn-around loop for day hikers. So I hiked up the Loop Trail to the Sunkota Ridge Trail and down to the Indian Creek Trail, which looped back to the Deep Creek Trail.
   
5. Tornados were hitting many states. I woke early to the sound of thunder. In 15 minutes I had everything in the car just as the rain started and I headed for Pigeon Forge. There I spent the next three nights in a motel.
   
6. Rain stopped around 2:30 p.m., so I drove around and inspected some of the damage.
   
7. A very light rain all night continued in the morning. So I drove to Cosby and visited friends at the Creekside Market and then to Mtn. Mama's at Waterville to visit more friends.
   
8. Drove 441 to the Standing Indian area. Set up at the primative camping area.
   

   
   Hiked to:
   

   
   
   • Mooney Falls
     
   • Big Laurel Falls
   After all the rain all the falls were beautiful. Talked with the man at the campground store. He received a new heart at Duke in Jan. He had 5 bypasses earlier, which did not work. He is now very active with physical things trying to keep the heart pumping good. (This is of interest to me, since I have 5 bypasses.) It clouded up around 5 p.m. so I drove to Franklin, but I could not locate a pool hall.
   

   
   

9. Did some additional dayhiking.
   

   
   Hiked to:
   

   
   
   • Wasilik Poplar
     
   • Pickens Nose
   
   Saw Wasilik Poplar in the morning. It is big, the second largest poplar, probably, in the world. Found another turkey hunter there. He said the season ends tomorrow. When I asked, he proclaimed that wild turkey meat is the best eating meat by far. I thought that it would be kinda tough. After lunch I hiked to Pickens Nose. The views from there were beautiful and I soaked them in for a couple of hours.
   
10. Moved on to the Highland's Area and put up a tarp at the "Van Hook Glade CG." Campers here are allowed to use the Cliffside Lake Day-use Area.
    

    
    Visited:
    

    
    
    • Dry Falls
      
    • Bridal Veil Falls
      
    • Glen Falls
      
    • Whitewater Falls
      
    • Cliffside Lake Day-use Area
    The upper Whitewater Falls cascades for 411 feet and is the highest falls east of the Mississippi River. Highlands is a rich area. There are many, large beautiful homes and lodges.
    
11. Sunday - Returned to the Fontana Hilton in a rain. Packed my Alaska 115, but a buckle broke. It probably got caught in the car's door. Two Christian hikers, Ken and Nate, were there in the parking lot for the week, passing out free breakfast and supper to any hikers who would accept it.
    
12. Repacked my things in a daypack and bp'ed 6 mi. to CS90. Most of it was flooded, including the area where I camped last fall, due to Fontana Lake being at a high level. The trail seems to be mostly uphill, in either direction. Whoever laid it out did a fantastic job. The log bridge over Lost Cove Creek, which had a broken hand rail last fall, was completely replaced.
    
13. Hiked across the new bridge. Shortly the trail crossed Eagle Creek on a metal frame bridge. Then I found the sign and the start of the new section of the Lake Shore Trail. I returned to camp, packed, and headed uptrail again. Just past the new Lake Shore Trail turn-off, the Eagle Creek Trail crossed the creek again. But a log bridge had been washed away. The water was too deep and fast for me to risk a crossing, so I headed back. I went up the Lost Cove Trail and again was blocked at a creek crossing. While sitting there, Ken and Nate arrived on a dayhike, trying to do a loop. They looked at the creek crossing and decided to forget doing the loop. After eating some lunch, I hiked out.
    
14. I left the Fontana Hilton early and got my toast and coffee at Tooties. Stopped in Bryson City to see the pretty girl again and then drove to Cataloochee. Saw Jim Riggs, Sr., who was camping for a week. He is sometimes the Host there. His son is a 6th degree black belt in judo. Because of storm damage the valley road was blocked at the bridge over the Palmer Creek next to the Pretty Hollow Gap trailhead. Old Jack Bradley was at the CG as well as a few others that I had met previously. Riggs informed me that it was not the environmentists that stopped the paved connecting road to the Interstate. He said that at a courthouse hearing in Waynesville, they listened to the people. If the road had been completed ($12.5 million), they would have needed a maned booth to limit the number of people entering the area. The valley can only accommodate 300 to 400 cars per day. The existing dirt road over the mountain serves to limit the number of visitors. Rain started shortly after midnight.
    
15. Enjoyed a lazy morning and then drove to Waynesville to mail some cards and gifts. Had a light lunch at Whitman's. Two friends were not there working. It was a day off and they had gone fishing. Years ago they had supplied me with freshly cooked trout along the Deep Creek Trail. Can't beat fresh fish prepared by two professional cooks. Returned to Cataloochee just as a rain arrived. I had to throw things into the car instead of repacking as planned. I needed room for my daughter. The rain continued for several days, until I was about one hour from home.
    
16. Broke camp and said goodbyes. Stopped at the Asheville Farmer's Market for strawberries. Found some good, dried mango slices from Mountain Sunshine Farms that Kroger's quit selling a couple of years ago. Drove to Linville Falls and Linville Gorge Wilderness. The falls is under park control, while the gorge is under Forestry. Got a permit for tomorrow night in the Gorge and established a base in a free site along the rim road. Enjoyed a great view of the Gorge from Wisemans View. The Babel Tower Trail appears to be the most popular with Conley Cove Trail the next. However, I elected to go the other side and hike up Hawksbill Mtn. for the view and then to bp down Spence Ridge Trail for the night. That trail is a little longer and, most likely, not quite as steep. But the rains just kept coming. There is a wealth of information available in the Forestry Cabin from a 76 year old man, Mr. Hansel Singleton, about the area and about travel directions. And he keeps a good supply of tasty candy sticks and large suckers for everyone.
    
17. A very rainy day, it was. Hiking on a steep trail in the rain was unreasonable for me, so I decided to go play some pool in Boone. Mr. Singleton told me of a Family Billiards place about 10 miles south of Boone on 105. It turned out to be a great place with excellent equipment and clean as can be.
    
18. Sunday - Headed out to get my daughter. Stopped north of Davidson, NC, at Duke Power State Park. Sometime in recent years Duke donated the land to NC and the park is now Lake Norman State Park. Since it was still raining and since I had found another place on the map, I continued to Chapel Hill. My daughter and her roommate were still enroute so I set up a tarp at the Crosswinds CG in the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. From their Rules and Regulations:

    "Gathering firewood is prohibited. Firewood is for sale at the entrance station or from the ranger on duty in the off season."

    
    
19. In the morning I could not get the girls on a cell telephone and I had a lot of difficulty locating the house. Finally I was able to look at a very detailed map and that got me there. But I could not rouse the girls, so I drove over and toured the U of NC. Sometime in the afternoon the girls woke up. After some food my daughter and I headed home.
    
20. The trip ended when we arrived home at 2:30 a.m.
    

Tired of mice chewing into food packages that do not all fit in a small cooler and of their building nests in my shoes, under the hood and at other various places, I loaded the car with mouse traps. I caught some in the trunk and some on the front seat.

• Uptrail 1.4 mi. from CS65 is the second bridge crossing. Just across on the left is the resemblance of a road. It leads uphill to an area that resembles a parking area. From there a trail leads steeply upward between the folds of a mountain. Eventually, the trail seems to fizzle. To the right up on a ridge is a small cemetery of 16 to 18 graves in one row side by side. While hiking up, I noticed another trail leading to the right around the mtn. fold. It may lead to the same cemetery or, possible, to another. My friend in Bryson City has an uncle buried up here.
  
• Uptrail 2.7 mi. from CS65, about one block below the third bridge crossing, is a long deep ditch running straight uphill with water flowing down. Near the trail there are two places where the ground appears solid and covers the water's flow. The water could be from a spring diverted to flow to where there used to be a corn mill.
  
• Uptrail 2.8 mi. from CS65 is the third bridge crossing. Just below the bridge on the left are the remains of a corn mill. The remains are partially hidden in vegetation, but it is a great place to sit and rest while Noland Creek scurrries past. A better preserved corn mill is located about four miles uptrail.
  
• Uptrail 2.9 mi. from CS65 is the fourth bridge crossing with CS64 just across the bridge. About 30 feet before the bridge on the right is a trail leading smartly uphill. It is a great area for collecting firewood. The trail continues to the remains of a bald at the top of a mountain. Beyond the bald is an unmaintained trail which leads all the way back to a main road. This could be a great bushwhacking route some trip.
  
• Just above CS64 across the creek are the remains of a ranger station. To the left of it is a trail leading uphill to a cemetery. To the right(downstream) can be found two springs, the foundation of a schoolhouse and another trail winding around the hill on which the cemetery is located. I suspect that this trail leads to the bald and the unmaintained trail back to a road.
  

Tired of mice chewing into food packages that do not all fit in a small cooler and of their building nests in my shoes, under the hood and at other various places, I loaded the car with mouse traps. I caught some in the trunk and some on the front seat.

40 Photographs”