Daniel Boone Scout Trail

 

"Bees/yellow jackets on the Cragway Trail." Well thank you to the nice person(s) for the warning and saving me a possible shot with an epi-pen and a mouthful of benadryl. The original plan was to hike the Cragway Loop on Grandfather Mountain today, but getting attacked by stinging insects didn't sound like fun. Instead the four of us, Cori, BA, Hershey, and myself, decided to only hike half the loop, taking the Daniel Boone Scout Trail to the Cragway junction then back. IT was a beautiful day with a nice view of Calloway Peak and Boone Fork Bowl at the junction.

And my Favorite LMAO picture of the day:

More photo's here.

Easing into Nature

Some of us thrive on the outdoors. We depend on the life that it breathes into us. Others, run for the nearest building at the very mention of spending time in the "wilderness". So when one of my not so outdoorsy friends asked me to take her on hike I was excited at the chance to show her why hiking in so great. The challenge; not to scare her away. Like me, she's a gym rat and (unlike me) an athletic rugby player so there was doubt that shes tough but experience also tells me that weight lifting and team sports involvement doesn't necessarily equate to being in good trail shape.

 I settled on taking her on a short, three mile hike at Elk Knob State Park, Todd, NC. The park is fairly new and still under development but there is a 1.5 mile trail that leads to the 5, 520 ft. summit of Elk Knob. I've heard about the trail from  friends and its been on my hiking to do list for some time now. The trail is nice, hardened, with a fairly gradual ascent until the last quarter of mile. At this point the trail detours from the planned route which is yet to be completed and follows a steep, old forest road to the summit. It was at this point that my friend loudly expressed how hard it was. I yelled back to her that the last quarter mile is always the hardest, and I'd see her at the top. Then, I turned around a snap a photo of her struggle at which point she promptly waved a very selected finger. I began thinking I may have ruined her.

At the summit we were rewarded with spectacular views of The Peak, Three Top and Bluff Mountains, Mount Jefferson, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Mt Rodgers (Va.), and the Iron Mountains in Virginia and Tennessee. Oh, and we were also greeted with a swarm of noseums which unfortunately shortened our time at the summit.

We enjoyed our decent back to the parking lot. Despite the lactic acid build-up in her quads, I'm pretty sure she had a good time. If my assumption wasn't enough to go on, I got a text message yesterday afternoon telling me she was taking a friend of hers to Elk Knob to hike the Summit Trail. Mission accomplished.

Finding Balance and New Challenges

If I had endless sums of money and no desire for a career life where I can contribute to the greater cause of environmental conservation then my life's ambition would be to become a trail bum. Hands down. No questions. I have daydreams (and night dreams) about setting off on my next adventure. There's something about not knowing what lies ahead, the unexplored, that pumps adrenaline through my veins and pushes me forward. There is something about the simplicity of trail living that awakens my soul and makes me feel at home. And, there is something about this rugged simplicity that makes me want to challenge myself, to prove to my ever doubting self, that I am truly capable of anything. Then a huge hail storm or thunder storm, or snow storm (or all three simultaneously) comes rushing through the high country, forcing me to awake from my pleasant dreams, and I find myself ever so thankful to NOT be hiking, NOT to be outside, and NOT to be staring mother nature in the face daring her to push me harder.

Yes, I want to be a trail bum, but I also want what so many of use grow up daydreaming about, a career that matters to me, some creature comforts (I REALLY love my iPod, my Garmin Forerunner, and my dog - in no particular order), and a somewhat permanent place to call home. I want to know that I am doing something important with my life. That I am contributing to the greater good. So how do I reconcile the overwhelming desire for adventure on foot with the same overwhelming desire for a career? School breaks and vacation days. Ideal? Not exactly, but it's a start for now. Realistically, long distance hikes will be few and far between and I have spent over a year searching out ways to fill the void that trail life use to take up. Day hikes just haven't been the same and overnights are such a tease. I was in need of a new challenge, something that would force me to push my limits. Answer, running.

I can hear my mother bickering in my ear "You're going to ruin you're already wrecked knees." Yeah, she's probably right. There were days during my thru-hike that I didn't think I'd reach Katadhin. I waited for that morning to come when I would wake up and my knees would be the size of watermelons and I would take the inevitable greyhound home. But that day never happened. It's taken over a year to get my knees feeling decent again, and once they did I knew it was time to hit the trail, well, treadmill. I started in January and there was lots of snow on the ground.

It's now April and I'm gearing up for my first 5k race. I'm not in it to win it, at least not yet. I'm in it to know I can do it. After that, the next challenge is on; to pick up speed at to get competitive.  So far, my knees are doing great.

I'm not giving up hiking. With spring rolling in I have a list of extended day hikes (12-20 miles) that I hope to accomplish on my Sunday's off. In regards to those long distance hikes, the Benton Mackaye Trail (288 miles), the Long Trail (273 miles), and the John Muir Trail (211 miles) are at the top of my list. If I learned anything during my hiking career, it was this: it's nice to have a plan, a vision of what you would like to accomplish, but leave the detailed planning to faith. One day the opportunities to complete these longer journey's will present themselves and I will find a way to go with the flow.

No Coincidences

The Appalachian Trail has an energy, a magic about it. Perhaps that’s why so many people are drawn to it, or perhaps it is the Trail itself that draws a certain type of person. Regardless, it is this energy that provides the foundation for the Trail community.

Although it is true that thru-hikers share a special bond, we all also share the knowledge that the hiker community spreads way beyond the thru-hikers themselves. In fact, initiation to this community doesn’t take much, just a hike (short or long), or an act of kindness (trail magic, a free ride) along the Appalachian Trail. It is the hostel owners, restaurant workers, and town’s people through which the trail traverses. To become a part of this community means to get a glimpse of the magic of the universe, and to the knowledge that everything in life, on and off the trail, is unfolding for reason. You just have to be aware enough to see it and open enough to accept it. To sum up the words of Dick Ludwick, the former mayor of Unionville, NY and current AT hostel caretaker, members within this community just have a way of making the oddest coincidences in life unfold. Yet we within the hiking community know there are no coincidences, rather, the unexpected current moment is a collection of every past moment, and is completely intentional.

I was reminded of this today, when Grommet and I found ourselves at Newfound Gap located in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We were at the park for the weekend to partake in the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage. After an early morning breakfast in Gatlinburg, TN we made our way into the park. Our original intention was to stop at the visitors center on our way in and take the dogs on a 4 mile hike near the visitor center and then head up the mountain to Newfound Gap where the AT passes through. However, the weather was gorgeous and the forecast called for potential showers later in the afternoon. Grommet really wanted to get some good views up at Newfound Gap, so we altered our plans and made the 15-mile drive up to the gap first. When we arrived we did the usual tourist activities; taking each others pictures at the North Carolina/Tennessee border, at the AT trail head sign that gives mileage to Katadhin, ME, and of the surrounding vistas.

As we wrapped up our photo montage we noticed a few current AT thru-hikers mingling around another car that was providing trail magic. Remembering how awful my experience was at Newfound gap as a thru-hiker we decided to see if any of the hikers needed a free ride into town. As we introduced ourselves to the hikers Grommet began exchanging words with an older gentleman. It only took a minute for each to realize that in fact they not only knew each other but they had hiked together several years before. The hikers name was Bill, and he was currently section hiking the Great Smokey Mountains. He was soaking wet from the previous nights down-pour and ready to get into some warm dry clothes. He graciously took us up on our offer to drive him into town. While Grommet and Bill played catch-up over the next 20 minutes I sat there listening, completely grateful to be witness to another trail “coincidence.”

Thru-Hiking the Foothills Trail

Sunday, March 7, 2010

I woke up this morning at 7am, wide-eyed and ready to go. Before I was even siting up in bed my mind was reviewing my mental checklist of last minute tasks. Pack my food bag, check to make sure the bear rope is long enough, double check my first-aide kit, etc. After a moment of thinking about it, I hopped up and took care of the normal morning chores then turned all my attention to what I really wanted to be focused on; my backpack. First, I packed up all my essentials, minus food and water then ran upstairs to the scale. I weighed myself with my pack on then weighed myself without my pack on. Repeat then repeated again. Final base weight 13.5 pounds, a pound and a half more then I was aiming for but still a respectable start. Next, I ran down stairs, packed up my food bag, grabbed a liter of water then repacked and organized my backpack for the last time. When I was done, I pulled the now noticeably heavier bag over my shoulders and ran upstairs. Again, I weighed myself with the pack on, then weighed myself with the pack off. Repeat then repeated again. Final total pack weight, 24 pounds. Success.

When I was done, I helped Grommet with any last minute details, one of which was checking the weather forecast. The verdict: rain showers during the middle of the week. I have rain gear that's treated me well in the past. I'm trying to stay optimistic. I repeat to myself, "it's not going to rain the whole time, it's not going to rain the whole time....." Experience tells me that the forecast rarely seems to match reality. Right now the sun is shinning. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Tonight we're camping in the campground at Oconee State Park. Dinner and evening entertainment; veggie fajita's and star gazing. The temperature is dropping rapidly as the moon rises. It's going to be a cold night. We've also discussed potential ground rules for this week, well really only one ground rule: no night hiking. I hate night hiking. If I was meant to hike at night then I would have built in night vision. Other then that, anything is fair game. Grom is in full agreement. Done.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Weather:
Sunny. Cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon. No rain.

Today's Hike:
Oconee State Park Campground to Riversite Campsite - 15.0 miles

It was cold last night. I was having flashbacks to my first week on the Appalachian Trail, although this time I had the proper sleeping bag; a major plus.

We were up with sun, and got dressed and packed only to head into the campground bathroom. We discovered this modern cave of heaven last night when searching for an outlet to charge Grom's phone. Why is a campground bathroom so heavenly? Because it has a heater and it's currently 40 degrees outside. Go ahead and judge. I didn't see you out there. We quickly made our cups of coffee outside on the picnic table then headed into the bathroom and took up residence on the bench. We finished our coffee and brushed our teeth then headed out into the chilly morning air. The sun was shinning. It was a beautiful day.

It was about a half a mile walk from the campground to the trailhead. I swore the distance seemed longer the night before when Grom's sister drove us to the trailhead so we knew where it was. I was cursing the distance, however, this morning the distance seemed rather negligible.

After a photo session we stepped onto the trail. For the first time since I've stepped off Katadhin 6.5 months ago I was back into the woods, following white blazes once more. It felt like I was stepping into the house of an old friend. I was home. I was at ease. The morning flew by. The terrain was easy, relatively flat with no strenuous climbs. The bare trees of winter allowed for some good views of the piedmont region, but no views that were unobstructed.

After lunch, the trail dropped down to the Chattooga River, and we continued to parallel the rolling rapids on and off for the rest of the afternoon. We stopped for lunch by a small stream. I was starving. I took out two tortilla's and slapped peanut putter and apple maple jelly on both. I rolled them up and devoured the first. I was already full. I still had one more to go. I tried to stuff it down but I couldn't. My hiker appetite has definitely changed. What had I been thinking? I knew I wouldn't be as hungry as I use to be but I had thought I could have eaten more then this. I mean, I eat more then this at home. What's going on?!!? I placed the uneaten PB&J wrap in a ziplock and shoved it back into my food bag, then promptly rolled over and enjoyed the sounds of rushing water, and a few cracking branches.

The rest of the afternoon was beautiful. After passing up some amazing riverside campsites, we finally called it a day when the sun started casting it's 90 degree shadows of slender hardwoods across the footpath. Not wanting to feel like we missed out on anything great, we walked until we came across another great riverside campsite. By dusk the tent was pitched and the dinner stoves where set to boil water. Tonight's dinner; pasta, my favorite food both on and off the trail. Grom and I split half a box pasta. Again, I found myself choking the rest of it down. So upsetting. Why can't I have this limited appetite at home?

It's just after dark and I'm exhausted. Tomorrow will be a longer day. I hope I can keep up the endurance.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Weather:
Sunny. Cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon. Evening rain.

Today's Hike:
Riverside Campsite to Duke Energy Sign/Riverside Campsite - 16.0 miles

This morning was colder then yesterday morning by about ten degrees. I started out in long johns and my Mont Bell UL jacket, but quickly shed my layers after the first two miles.

We passed our first hiker this morning. It was nice to see a friendly face. Unfortunately, the meeting was quick and I didn't get a name. It seemed like he had a great stretch of good weather for his hike though. I hope we're just as lucky.

We passed our first waterfall just before lunch this afternoon. This one doesn't seem to have a name but was about 20 feet high. Beautiful. Just up the trail was another falls, much shorter but wider. Its view was obstructed by the trees but visible enough from the trail.

We took lunch at a picnic area along SC State Rd 107, a road we would cross over several times before reaching Table Rock State Park. We stayed here for an hour and discussed the immense amount of extra food we were carrying. I could have easily shed a few pounds had we decided to share more dinners. As we began to pack up and head back out to the trail clouds began to roll in and the temperature dropped. I put on my long-sleeve shirt and headed back out.

Not long after lunch we crossed into North Carolina. In a need to celebrate a milestone we took a sarcastic photo session at the state line. We laughed at ourselves and reminisced about what it use to feel like when we were able to add another state to our list of accomplishments during our thru-hike of the AT; 2 states down 12 to go...... but somehow the accomplishment of one state was electrifying. This state accomplishment, not so much. At least not yet.

We had some excellent views of Lake Jocassee tonight. The lake is the result of the construction of a hydro-electric dam funded by the state of South Carolina in partnership with Duke Energy in 1973. Several rivers flow into the dam, most of which the Foothills Trail follows or crosses.

After getting a birds-eye view of the lake and the surrounding piedmont region we headed down the mountain to Upper Whitewater River and Falls. The trail itself does not take you directly by the falls, a big bummer. You have to take a spur trail to the upper parking lot to get a good view. The guidebook and mini maps produced by the Foothills Trail Conference does a poor job at explaining this to hikers. Rather, we stayed on the main trail. We did however, catch a distant view of the falls, and I now have this on my list of places to revisit. This section of the trail also appeared to have been recently rerouted. The mileage was off (by about a mile) from the the spur trail to whitewater river.

We're camping alone again this evening by the river. No stars. I hope the clouds pass and tomorrow presents us with more great hiking weather.






Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Weather:
Overcast and cool.

Today's Hike:
Duke Energy Sign/Riverside Campsite to Bad Creek Access - 17.5 miles

The moment I made a weather wish last night the pitter-patter of rain began on the tent fly. Well, better at night then during the day. I woke up sometime during the night to go to the bathroom and noticed the stars were out again. I went back to bed once again hopeful of reawakening to a beautiful brand new day. My wish was somewhat granted, I awoke to an overcast, cool morning.

If I had to sum up today's hike in a single word I would have to say obstacles. I originally thought dreary because of the weather, then blow-down. It was Grom who came up with obstacles. I like it. This morning when we passed the Duke Energy sign we also entered into a stretch of trail that is "maintained" by Duke Energy. There must have been a blow-down about every mile. Not just one logger blow-downs, but huge masses of trees. Good-times.

About an hour into our hike we came across a bird wing on the side of the trail. I'm not to sure what kind of bird it belonged to, but it was obviously a bird of prey. The wing's vertical wing-span was about 1.5 - 2.0 feet. Incredible.

Most of today's hike followed old logging roads and road beds. This made for gradual climbs with a few exceptions. There were steep climbs up from Thompson and Horse Pasture River(s), which mostly involved climbing stairs.


We also were near streams and rivers most of the day, and the rare Oconee Bell was abundant along trail sides.


Holding true to our pact of no night-hiking we made it into camp tonight at dusk with 20 minutes to spare. Excellent. We are once again camping alone at the edge of Lake Jocassee, adjacent to the outflow of the Toxaway River.

Today was our longest day yet, and everyday I physically feel better. However, today we really didn't take any breaks except for lunch. I'm pretty sure my feet will be screaming at me in the morning.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Weather:
Rain all day.

Today's Hike:
Bad Creek Access to Chimney Top Campsite - 15.0 miles

Today sucked. I'm not even going to try and sugar coat it. It was horrible. I was wet and cold all day. I can't remember ever being this wet or cold on the trail. Ever.

The highlight of my day, an awesome Northern Red Salamander (at least I'm fairly certain that's what it was). This little guy (gal?) was about three inches long, and loving the rain. I tried to be more like him the rest of the day. It worked for awhile until the rain came down harder and I started to shiver. Then, it was game over.

Shortly after the salamander discovery we passed Laurel Fork Falls. Similar to past experiences, the trail does not cross directly by it, but you can get a pretty good winter view of the falls from the trail.

We decided that eating a warm lunch would be better for our bodies then the planned PB&J, but we would have to eat fast. The longer we stayed still the colder we would get. We found a large tree blown down and huddled under. Grom pulled the tent fly over the tree to help form a barrier and provided a temporary dry place to sit. There are no shelters along the Foothills Trail. A definite downfall (no pun intended). By the time we were done I was getting way too cold. I started shivering so I got up and started moving. I needed to warm up fast or we would be setting up camp early so I could get warm. Hypothermia was the last thing I needed. It took about 15 minutes but I stopped shivering.

We reached camp before night fall and got changed immediately. My contractor bag (pack liner) did a good job at keeping my stuff inside my pack dry. I had also doubled bagged my sleeping bag as a backup plan. Aside from being damp from the humidity, the bag allowed me to warm up quickly.

I passed out while Grom made us a wonderful dinner of Spanish Rice and cheese. I woke up long enough to scarf it down and drink some hot chocolate. My appetite was growing a little, but nothing drastic. Once my belly was full of warm good stuff I was out like a light. Rain was still falling.

Friday, March 12, 2009

Weather:
Rain/Thunderstorms

Today's Hike:
Chimney Top Campsite to Table Rock State Park - 14.0 miles

After yesterday's rechid downpour it was a unanimous decision to get up early and get to Table Rock State Park. We were awake with sunrise, somewhere around 6am (yes, I was still not wearing a watch). When I opened the tent fly, the stars were sparkling in the sky and a half crescent moon was visible through the naked forest. What a beautiful and unexpected site to wake up to. According to Grom's Blackberry, it was suppose to be cloudy and rain should start again somewhere around noon. Maybe, just maybe, the weather channel was wrong. Still, I made sure that all my rain gear was accessible.

We were packed up and on the trail within the hour. As soon as we went over the ridge we were surrounded by clouds. Maybe the weather channel was right after all. Total bummer. As we made our way up Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina (3,554 ft.), the rain began to fall. It was 10am (Grom made the announcement). Ugh!!!! This was no longer fun. I wanted off the mountain. Luckily, the rain stayed light, and unlike yesterday the rain was not constant. Rather, periodic breaks in the rain would occur, just long enough to make the hike tolerable. We reached the summit of Sassafras about 15 minutes after the rain started, and of course, the only view was fog. Another bummer.

We made our way down Sassafras only to head up Pinnacle Mountain, South Carolina's second tallest peak (3,425 ft.) along the trail and our last climb. The Foothills Trail does not actually traverse the summit of Pinnacle Mountain, rather, the trail terminates/begins (depending on your direction of travel) .2 miles short of the summit. However, there is a spur trail that extends to the top. Given the weather, we didn't take it. Instead we began our 4 mile descent down Pinnacle Mountain. About a half a mile into our descent we crossed an enormous rocky outcrop that would have provided some spectacular views of the Piedmont. For us, we got nothing but more clouds. In fact, the sky seemed to be darkening.

Thunder began rolling in about two miles before we had reached the end of our journey. The last hour became a race against the weather. We reached the end of the trail, took a few photos and hopped into Cori's "truck of awesomeness" as lightening began crashing around us. We made our way over to the campground within Table Rock State Park to take showers. As soon as we walked into the bathroom the sky let loose. We had just missed the thunderstorm. Major score.