CLOSE TO THE EDGE
Last
weekend Brenda and I hiked the upper NC Wall in Linville Gorge. Originally we were planning to hike at Table
Rock State Park in South Carolina.
However, at the last minute I suggested a change in venue. I was reminded that the road to the Table
Rock Picnic Area in Linville Gorge would be closing in a couple of weeks. Also, the east rim of Linville Gorge has a
protected Peregrine Falcon nesting area that may be off limits between January
15th and August 15th.
So, this was the perfect time to hike there. That’s how we ended up starting our hike
Sunday morning in the shadow of Table Rock NC, instead of Table Rock SC.
We
started our hike around 9:30 and followed the Mountains to Sea Trail towards
the Chimneys. Before long we were
overtaken by another group of hikers. It
turns out that it was Marshall Weatherman and Matthew Perry leading a group of
eager explorers. They were headed
towards the Amphitheatre, so we thought we might run into them again later that
day.
Our
plan was to hike the upper NC Wall and to wander at will. I wanted to explore, without feeling
compelled to stick to a plan.
We
hiked towards the Chimneys, but left the MST to explore down a steep gully
leading towards the Linville River. It
led down below an impressive wall. There
were a lot of charred bushes here, so it didn’t take long to get filthy. We didn’t go very far before the bushes
thickened up and I lost my motivation. I
wonder if anyone has ever continued down through here all the way to the river?
We
returned to the MST briefly, hiking past the Chimneys. Near the far end, we followed a faint path
down the ridge leading towards the north end of the NC Wall and the Camel. The path faded away, but we continued,
bushwhacking out towards a point labeled “Aręte View” on my map. It was a short excursion, but tedious due to
the vegetation. We reached an impressive
stone “mushroom” that is clearly visible from the MST near the Chimneys. The official “Aręte View” was still well
below us, but getting to it would’ve required a lot of time, effort, and
blood. I can’t imagine that the view
from there is any better than where we were.
We took a short break and enjoyed the vista up the gorge. Most interesting was the view of the Chimneys
from an unusual vantage point. It was
worth going down there for that alone.
From
there, I decided to bushwhack around the corner to the beginning of the NC
Wall. Brenda decided to return to the
trail, as she was pacing herself. Most
of the bushwhacking was pretty mild, but there were a couple of gnarly
stretches through scraggly bushes and briers.
They were the worst kind of thorns, too – the long, grabby ones that
attach themselves to you and refuse to let go.
I
reached the crest of the ridge above the Camel and enjoyed more excellent
views. One interesting vantage was down
the length of a rugged canyon, with the Spinx just
visible in the distance. I reached
another beaten path coming down from the MST, and went up it to find
Brenda. I found her waiting, and we returned
by the same route. We then followed the
brink of the cliffs south, passing around the top of the Mossy Monster descent
gully. We stopped for lunch near here,
enjoying the views and the sunshine on an unusually warm December day. The sun was certainly pleasant, although it
made for mediocre photography.
From
there, we followed the brink of the cliffs south. Initially the cliffs were broken by numerous
steep gullies and mini-canyons, but before long we found ourselves on the edge
of a sheer drop. The river was visible
far below, running through a garden of boulders. We also were treated to great views of some
fascinating rock formations, including the Camel, the Sphinx, and a few others
that are unnamed (as far as I know).
Razors Edge canyon was directly across from us, seemingly near enough to
touch.
The
hiking along here was quite easy and exceptionally scenic. The views up the gorge were fantastic. To the south, Shortoff,
Lake James, and waves of mountains to the southwest were clearly visible. My only regret was hiking this stretch from
north to south. The sun was in our faces
the entire time. Next time, I’ll do it
in the opposite direction.
All
too soon, the gulf of the Amphitheatre opened up before us. We skirted along the cliff, crossing a tiny
stream before reaching a rock face directly above the chasm. After another break, we decided to extend the
hike. We hiked around the head of the
canyon, and followed a beaten path down the south rim of the Amp. This required a bit of scrambling and one
awkward spot on the edge of a cliff, but was mostly easy. At one point, just beyond the awkward spot, I
followed a bench down below a line of cliffs.
They were adorned with icicles, despite the 60+ degree weather. The bench was coated with ice too, which was
exciting since I was above another steep drop into the Amp. It looked like the route kept going, but the
ice limited my exploration. I wonder if
you can reach the Amp floor by this route?
We
continued down to a rock outcrop on the south rim the Amp. It provided a great view of the Amp, the
river, and cliffs along the west rim.
While we were there, we spotted a group of hikers heading up and out of
the Amp. It may have been Marshall and
Matthew again, but they were too far away to identify. We actually only ran into a few people during
our hike, and didn’t see anyone along the NC Wall.
It
was after 4pm at that point, so we hurried back to the MST and the parking
area. We reached the car just after 5 as
the light was beginning to fade. It was
a great day to be in the gorge. Clearly
we picked the right Table Rock for our hike!
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