TROUBLED WATER OVER BRIDGE
Last weekend, I talked Dave into joining me for a spontaneous car camping trip. I hadn't been out for much more than dayhikes, and the weather forecast looked good. We made our plans Friday night and were on the road early Saturday. Our destination was a lightly visited area north of Asheville. I had been there 3 years earlier, and had fully expected to return sooner. For various reasons two other trips to the area had been cancelled, so I was excited to finally get back to the area.
We drove north of Asheville and left the beaten path at the turnoff for Hot Springs. Beyond, we followed Big Laurel Creek, which is a beautiful mountain stream. A couple of twists and turns later and we were heading into the national forest along Big Creek. We forded a small stream in Dave's truck and followed a narrow dirt track to a parking area by the creek.
When we arrived, I knew something seemed different, but I couldn't quite place what it was. Then it hit me. The trail to Whiteoak Flats starts here, crossing Big Creek on a sturdy bridge. Only thing was, there was no bridge. I remembered being impressed by the bridge, which was well built and stood a full 10' above the creek. I hate to imagine the flood that took that bridge out.
The water was up, so rock hopping was out of the question. We didn't want to change plans, so our only choice was to wade. The creek was knee deep and fairly wide, with a strong current. And yes, the water was cold. I went numb halfway across, but the sensation returned all too soon upon reaching the far side. I danced around for awhile, before tossing my tevas over to Dave so he could use them to cross.
We regrouped and found our way back to the trail. It was at this point that I realized I'd left the maps in the truck. Oops. I certainly wasn't going to wade the creek two more times to get them. We'd have to do without.
We followed the trail up several switchbacks and crossed a minor ridge. Here we reached the original trail. The current trail was relocated to avoid private property near the trailhead. We followed it up a narrow gorge, high above Whiteoak Creek. Shade was sparse along here, and it was the first really sunny, warm day of the year. We passed a nice cascade and reached a long flat area of trail. We had reached Whiteoak Flats, an unusually level area with numerous clearings. Here we also intersected an old road coming from the Hickey Fork Road trailhead. The obvious trail had been well-marked until now, but here the blazes disappeared. This is a pattern that would repeat itself along this trail. Luckily, I guessed correctly as we continued straight ahead towards the woods.
We continued along a small stream, which actually disappeared underground for a ways. Then, we reached an unmarked junction of two old roads. We each scouted ahead for five minutes, but found no blazes. On a whim, I guessed the right fork, and we continued ahead.
Our trail continued climbing for quite some distance before disappearing into a rhododendron thicket. I remembered the guidebook saying that the rhododendron gets dense along the trail near the top. However, this just kept getting worse the farther we went. Finally, we conceded defeat and retreated to the original junction. We followed the other fork. About 100 yards past the point where I'd stopped scouting we found three blazed trees. Typical.
We had a late lunch before resuming our climb. Finally we reached the top of the ridge, only to discover that the real ridge crest was still ahead of us. We pressed on, and finally reached the state line and the Appalachian Trail at Bearwallow Gap. We were way behind schedule, thanks to the creek crossing and the accidental side trip. Despite this, we decided to take some time to visit Blackstack Cliffs. We hiked south on the AT, and took a well-traveled side trail up to a rock outcrop. Here we had a great view into Tennessee. To the southwest we could see numerous peaks extending all the way to the Smokies.
We had a long break on the cliffs, enjoying the view and soaking up sun. Then, we went a little farther south to Whiterock Cliffs. This overlook gave us a great view east into North Carolina. It seemed that mountains were in every direction, but the Black Mountain Crest was the most prominent. To the northeast we were able to spot Big Bald.
It was 3:30 when we left, and we still had over 6 miles to go. We returned to Bearwallow Gap, and continued north on the AT. The trail bypassed Big Firescald Knob, which was disappointing. The summit was crowned with cliffs and heath balds, which would have been fun to explore. The trail didn't go that way though, and we didn't have time to explore on our own.
The next 3 miles were easy and uneventful. Finally we reached the junction with the Fork Ridge Trail, which was our route down. It plunged back down to Big Creek. We hurried down the trail, and hit the road at 5:30. From there, it was a pleasant walk back along the forest road to the parking area.
We set up camp in the parking area. I had camped there once before and had enjoyed it. There was no letdown this time. I pitched my tent beside the creek, where the roar of the water could lull me to sleep. Dave and I enjoyed a blazing fire along with a pasta dinner. It was a cool and breezy night, with a sky full of stars. It must have been comfortable, since Dave and I took turns falling asleep in our chairs. Then again, I guess that's what a 13 mile hike with a lot of climbing will do to you.
Continue reading about this trip as we hike to Camp Creek Bald on the Appalachian Trail.
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!