LAST HIKE OF THE YEAR
By the time Christmas rolled
around, I was in danger of going an entire month without hiking. I spent 4 weekends in a row watching
Appalachian State’s football team roll through the playoffs to their first
national championship. After that I got
sick, and I couldn’t take advantage of a week off from work to hike. By the end of the week, I couldn’t stand the
idea of lying around the house another day.
I still wasn’t feeling well, but I had to get out.
Myron was also sick, but he must’ve
felt the way I did. Dorcas talked him
into hiking, and we decided to hike a (relatively) new section of the Mountains
to Sea Trail Saturday morning. Our hike
would take us from highway 221 near Woodlawn to the North Fork of the Catawba
River. This hike offered the
opportunity for a fairly easy walk and the chance to relax on the riverside.
We got a late start, but we
didn’t need a lot of time for our 8-mile hike.
We parked near Woodlawn Park, and immediately encountered the most
dangerous part of the hike. We dashed
across highway 221 and followed the trail up a forest road. We passed a small parking area just before a
gate, which would be a better parking choice, since it would eliminate the need
to cross the highway.
Beyond the gate (which was
open), we followed the forest road through areas of recent logging
activity. The logged areas were a bit
depressing, but the clearings did provide occasional views of the North Fork of
the Catawba River and surrounding peaks.
In the opposite direction, we caught a glimpse of the snowy Black
Mountain Range looming above Woods Mountain.
Most of the hike was on
logging roads, but there were a few sections of footpath. After an hour or so, we began a long and
occasionally steep descent towards the river.
After a few switchbacks, we found ourselves hiking along the river. We passed an old section of trail, which
leads down to a ford of the river, but continued ahead. After a couple of minutes, we reached an
impressive new footbridge spanning the North Fork. We crossed the bridge and then left the trail to follow the bank
upstream. After 100 yards, we rock
hopped one of the river channels to reach a small island near some rapids. The island provided a pleasant place to eat
lunch and relax. The only sounds were
the wind and rushing water, along with the occasional train roaring down the
mountain, hauling coal out of the West Virginia mountains.
We headed back after
lunch. The return hike was a little
tougher, since we had to climb out of the gorge. The extra exertion inspired a fair bit of hacking and sneezing
and coughing from Myron and I. Dorcas
must’ve loved the symphony. Aside from
those noises, it was a peaceful afternoon.
We saw only one family during the course of our hike. We returned to the cars by 3:30, which got
us home in plenty of time for New Year’s Eve festivities. Our hike wasn’t the most exciting one we’ve
ever experienced, but we will be back.
The MST continues beyond the river to climb to Dobson Knob and on into
Linville Gorge. I’m looking forward to
hiking that area.
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