INTO THE BRIAR PATCH
I’ve hiked at Doughton Park,
on the Parkway just south of the Virginia state line, many times over the
years. Most of those hikes started and
ended from the lower trailhead on Longbottom Road. That trailhead is easy to get to, and provides access to several
attractive loop hikes. However, from
that starting point, some of the better hikes require crossing Basin
Creek. The crossing is an easy rock-hop
when the water is low, but when it’s up (and cold) it can be tricky.
I wasn’t in the mood for
that sort of a challenge last weekend, so I planned a route starting off the
Parkway. I usually avoid starting from
the Parkway, because of the heavy traffic, both on the road and on the trails. In the winter though, the Parkway is closed
north of milepost 243 (Bluff Mountain overlook). As a result, winter is the best season for a hike in the upper
elevations of Doughton Park.
Saucony and I met Bob in
Statesville and rode with him through Wilkesboro to the Parkway. We parked just before the gate, where we
found several other cars. When
conditions are suitable, this area is popular with ice climbers, as there is a
good ice gully on the side of Bluff Mountain a short distance from the parking
area. We saw several climbers getting
their gear organized as we headed into the woods.
It didn’t take me long to
figure out that I’d miscalculated our starting point. We had actually driven more than a mile farther than I had
originally intended. As a result, our
planned 9-mile round trip hike to Fodderstack would only be 6 ½ miles. We decided to wing it, and maybe extend the
hike from Fodderstack if we could.
We climbed up through the
woods along the slope of Bluff Mountain.
This trail can be notoriously icy in the winter, but some new staircases
enabled us to avoid some of the more hazardous spots. The others were avoidable with some delicate footwork. We didn’t need our ice cleats today, but I
do recommend having ice cleats or crampons handy if you plan to hike this trail
in the winter.
Shortly before the summit we
reached a cliff with a grand view to the west, south, and east. The best view was west, as Grandfather
Mountain, Snake Mountain, The Peak, Three Top, and Mount Rogers were all
visible. We could also see the ski
slopes on Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain.
It was an unusually clear day, as I can’t remember ever seeing all of
those peaks on previous visits.
From there we hiked the rest
of the way to the summit. At the top we
found rolling grassy meadows. We
strolled through them, enjoying the expansive views in every direction. We didn’t make very good time through here,
as the sunshine was glorious and the photo opportunities were constant. We finally passed through the picnic area,
and rambled through more meadows towards the park lodge. Shortly before the lodge, we skirted the
head of a minor draw, and I took Saucony down in search of water. Luckily, we found a pretty good spring.
We returned to the trail,
which led us out to the road to the lodge and the Fodderstack Trailhead. In the summer this area can be a zoo, but
there wasn’t anyone here today. We
strolled down the road past the lodge, and reached the parking area. From there we continued on the short trail
to Wildcat Rock. From the cliff, we had
a fine view down the valley. Far below,
we could clearly see Caudill Cabin perched in a small meadow. A sign at the overlook claims the cabin is
1500’ below, which is a bit of an exaggeration. My map suggests it’s only about 1000’.
From there we took the
one-mile trail out to Fodderstack. We
passed a few additional views before descending to a gap on the ridge. From here, an extremely steep bushwhacking
route descends to Caudill Cabin. That
route is not for the faint of heart!
Myron, Dorcas, and I once climbed up that way – with full overnight
backpacks. Unfortunately we got a bit
off course, and reached the crest of the ridge closer to Fodderstack. That climb was one little adventure I’ll
never forget (and one I’ll never repeat!).
Dorcas refuses to talk about it to this day.
Bob and I wisely continued
along the ridge, but we would prove that we aren’t immune to foolishness. We stopped at the end of the ridge (where
there are minimal views, at best) and enjoyed hot soup. While eating, we discussed options for
extending the hike. It was early, and
we could be back at the car in a little over an hour if we chose to
return. Bob suggested continuing to
Brinegar Cabin, which is along the Parkway at the north end of the Park. I agreed, but it didn’t take me long to plan
a shortcut using the topo map. If we
followed the trail, we’d have to return to the Lodge, and follow the
Mountains-to-Sea Trail around a sweeping curve along the Parkway. We could see the Parkway from where we were
sitting, about ½ mile to the north.
There was no trail directly there, and there was an intervening valley,
but it was only about 400’ deep. We
decided to try going cross-country. If
we were successful, we’d shave 2 or 3 miles off our route.
The bushwhack started
well. We headed down a reasonable grade
through relatively open forest. We soon
found ourselves in a draw, and followed it down until abundant ice forced us to
find another route. We were only about
100’ from the bottom of the valley when our progress was halted by dense
rhododendron and tangles of briars. The
opposite side of the valley looked more open, and we probably could’ve forced
our way through, but it hardly seemed worth it. Instead we retreated to the ridge, and took the long way around.
We passed the lodge and the
restaurant and crossed the road several times before finally reaching the
campground. The campground is in an
attractive wooded setting. More hiking
in the woods followed, and we spooked several deer on multiple occasions. I’d say we probably saw 20 deer over the
course of the hike, although I may be counting the same deer more than once!
We passed through a clearing
near the Parkway before returning to the woods. At this point we took a shortcut on an old service road, as it
was getting late, and we still had a long hike back. The service road brought us back to the Mountains-To-Sea Trail,
which led to Brinegar Cabin. The cabin
was closed for the winter, but its back porch provided a nice place for a break
in the afternoon sun. Also, after some
difficulty I was able to get some water for Saucony from the spring below the
cabin.
We left at 3pm, so we made
it a fast hike back. We passed another
hiker with a dog (the only one we’d see all day) and motored back to the
restaurant. From there, we took a
shortcut by staying on the Parkway.
This meant missing a second crossing of Bluff Mountain, but it saved a
lot of time. It also gave us a chance
to walk by the dozens of icicles and ice sculptures along the face of Bluff
Mountain. We passed the ice gully that
is popular with climbers, and tip-toed across a solid sheet of ice covering the
road. That ice was thick, so I’m
guessing that section of the Parkway won’t be open anytime soon.
We returned to the cars by
4:30 and headed home. In a few weeks,
the Parkway will be reopening. Before
then, I hope to get in another hike or two where I can take advantage of the
lack of traffic.
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