A WALK IN THE WOODS
Dave and I got up Sunday morning after 11 hours of sleep. It was a cool, cloudy morning with a few flurries. We broke camp after a stellar breakfast of eggs, ham, and cheese on a toasted bagel. We left camp, and drove upstream along Big Creek. The road reached a ford of the creek, which looked passable. However, time was running short, and we were supposed to meet Myron and Dorcas at the trailhead for the day's hike. We backtracked and headed for highway 208.
We reached the main road, and began looking for the Pounding Mill Branch trailhead. We were following directions in DeHart's trail guide, but weren't having much luck. We found the creek the trail was supposed to follow, but there was no sign of a path. We also found the old forest road the book mentioned, but it was posted as private property. We discussed the situation, and decided to go with a backup plan. We continued up the road to a gap, and found the trailhead for the Appalachian Trail. There was only room for 2 or 3 cars here, but nobody else was around. It was almost 11 AM when we finally started our 13-mile hike.
Myron, Dorcas, Dave, and I followed Saucony and Izzak into the woods. We climbed away from the road and then followed an easy stretch of trail. At one point we descended to cross a dirt road before climbing again. The next few miles were easy walking, and we reached a cozy shelter, complete with a nice spring and an outhouse, in time for a late lunch.
It was a warm, sunny day, and Dorcas decided to relax and enjoy it while the rest of us climbed Camp Creek Bald. She chose wisely. It was a tough climb, as we gained over 1000' feet in the final mile and a half. Finally we reached an intersection just below the summit. The junction was with the Pounding Mill Trail, which was the path we had searched for that morning. The sign said "no access to highway 208." Apparently, the trail had been rerouted since the trail guide was written. I think the Pounding Mill Trail can be reached from the end of Hickey Fork Road, though it no longer goes anywhere near Pounding Mill Branch.
We climbed steeply for another quarter mile past a number of communications towers. Finally we reached the fire tower and an access road at the summit. The stairs to the tower were partially blocked with coils of barbed wire. There was no other indication that the tower was closed. Myron thought that the barbed wire implied that the tower was closed. I thought it implied that no cows were allowed. I need a little more than a handful of barbed wire to be deterred, so I avoided it and climbed the stairs. After the first landing I found a gate with a big padlock. Ok, now I was convinced. At least I had a decent view from the landing. The Black Mountains were easy to spot, as were the mountains southwest of Asheville. The Smokies probably would have been visible, but it was a hazy day. It was almost a preview of the summer haze that we can all look forward to.
We only had a short break before heading back down. It was getting late, with 6 1/2 miles between us and the car. After that, it would be a long drive home. We descended rapidly to the shelter, only to find that Dorcas had gotten a head start on us. On the way back, we passed our first thru hiker. He must have gotten an early start, but couldn't remember when he had left Springer. He was out of water and had lost his guidebook, so we filled his bottle and I let him have my trail description. This really seemed to brighten his spirits. He then proceeded to tell us all about the oatmeal he was planning to eat for dinner that night. Apparently it was the same as the oatmeal he always ate for dinner. I'm not sure if he'll make it to Maine or not. More than anything, he seemed to be struggling with loneliness. We wished him luck and continued on our separate ways.
We passed a couple of section hikers and another thru hiker before we reached the parking area. It had been a long, difficult hike without much of a payoff. Sometimes new adventures turn out that way. On the upside, it had been a nice walk in the woods on a beautiful day. Sometimes that's all you really need.
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