Swallow Fork Trail and a Few Other Thoughts

After a day of rest, we’re feeling our normal “old” selves again.  We did get up off the sofa yesterday long enough to deal with all the wet and dirty gear we brought home for our backpacking trip.  That wasn’t as easy a chore as we’d expected.  Normally, we would have spread the tent, pads, and sleeping bags out in the sun to dry thoroughly.  It was raining here yesterday so that wasn’t a possibility.  The other option was to spread everything out inside and we cranked the AC to very cold to help eliminate the moisture inside the motorhome.  That left very little room for walking, but we weren’t much up for walking around anyway so it worked out fine. By mid-afternoon everything was dry and ready to put away.

I don't know fungi, but we saw some pretty big ones this trip.

Our real purpose for this backpack was to hike Swallow Fork Trail.  This short 4-mile trail is a major connector for several trails.  It makes a nice loop from Big Creek campground connecting Big Creek Trail and Mt Sterling Ridge trail.  A hike across the mountain from Cataloochee to Cosby is possible using Swallow Fork to connect between Low Gap and Pretty Hollow Gap trails.

Swallow Fork trail follows Swallow Fork upstream for about 3 miles.  This is a pretty little creek with several cascades.  We had to cross Swallow Fork three times.  The first time we had a footbridge and the other two times were easy rock hops.  The guidebook mentions the site of an old homestead along Swallow Fork.  We didn’t see any evidence of such a place, but did notice a flat area that would have been large enough for a home and garden.

The trail is open for horse use, but apparently isn’t very popular with the horse people.  It was a moderately easy walk along a dirt path about two feet wide.  The trail climbs gently for the first couple miles before the grade increases.  The last two miles are fairly steep, but a few switchbacks make the climb a little easier.  The first half of the trail had the water and the last half had blooming rhododendron to cheer us along.

Traveling from Big Creek we ended Swallow Fork Trail at Pretty Hollow Gap on Mount Sterling Ridge Trail.  This is a large grassy gap and a great place for a break. This is a beautiful trail.  It’s too bad is it so difficult to reach from a road.

Found a few of these flowers in bloom, but we don't know what they are.

When planning this hike, we originally thought of it as a very long dayhike making this loop from Big Creek about 16.5 miles.  That was the shortest option without driving down Cove Creek Road (a very bad gravel road with a reputation for cars being vandalized at trailheads).  When we changed our minds from a dayhike to a backpack, we never stopped to reconsider our options for hiking Swallow Fork.  In retrospect, it probably would have been better for us to have hiked up Swallow Fork and then turned around at Pretty Hollow Gap and retraced our steps back to Big Creek.

The hike into campsite 37 was a very easy 5 miles.  The next morning we could have left our camp set up, hiked the 4 miles up and back on Swallow Fork with a small pack of water and snacks.  Back at campsite 37 we could take down our camp and walked out the easy 5 miles in the afternoon.  That 13 miles would have been much easier than carrying heavy packs up Swallow Fork and then 2 more uphill miles of Mt Sterling Ridge.  We were pretty spent after those 6 miles of uphill which made the 6 miles down Baxter Creek Trail pretty tough going.

Doing the same loop only in the opposite direction might also have been a better option.  I’ve hiked those 6 miles up Baxter Creek before and that’s tough, but probably would have been easier on the first day while we were well rested even though our packs were a little heavier, than the 6 uphill miles we did on the second day.  Campsite 38 on top of Mt Sterling is very nice, but it’s water source is almost a half mile away.  That’s a major drawback.  Still, it’s a beautiful spot and our hike the second day would have been a less steep downhill trek.

Gene's little pile of treasures he found around camp.
2 tent pegs, 3 rubber bands, a metal clip, and 3 cents.

Every time I talk with my mother she asked if we’ve seen a bear.  The answer to that question is still “no”.  I can’t believe it.  We’ve been here so long and still no bear.  On this backpack we saw two small garter snakes and heard lots of birds.

The highlight for wildlife this trip were the synchronous fireflies.  Each year during early June, folks flock to Elkmont Campground on the Tennessee side of the Park to see this phenomenal natural light show.  We had our own private showing at campsite 37 on Wednesday night.  We didn’t have the large numbers of fireflies like there are at Elkmont, but it was a pretty spectacular event nevertheless.  What a treat and totally unexpected.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

One Night Backpack

We haven’t been backpacking in a very long time.  I actually can’t remember the last time.  It may have been in 2009 when D-Tour and I did a section on the Appalachian Trail.  Gene didn’t go with me that year so who knows when he last backpacked.

We’ve been hauling these packs and gear around all this time and occasionally have that discussion of whether or not to get rid of all this extra weight.  I was always the one who was reluctant knowing I wanted to do these trails in the Smokies.  So here we are.  Just back from the first backpack in years and have the aches and pains to prove it, but it was a great trip.

The trail I needed was Swallow Fork.  Our plan was to do a loop hike beginning at Big Creek Campground on the northeastern side of the park.  We would hike up Big Creek Trail for about 5 miles to backcountry campsite 37 just past Swallow Fork trailhead.  The next morning we would hike up Swallow Fork Trail to Mount Sterling Ridge Trail which connects to Baxter Creek Trail.  We’d take Baxter Creek Trail down to Big Creek Campground for a total of 16.7 miles.

It took most of Tuesday to get our packs ready.  We had to find everything, since it has been stuck in any nook and cranny available in the motorhome.  We were pretty pleased with our pack weight after we were finished.  Gene ended up with 28 lbs and mine was 24 lbs.  There is a whole discussion about pack weight that I won’t go into now, but I will say that we are pretty old fashioned and still carry external frame packs.

Lunch the first day by Mouse Creek Falls

We only had 5 miles to hike the first day so we didn’t rush out at the crack of dawn.  We had our breakfast and rechecked and double checked our lists again.  It would have been easy to forget something since we’re so out of practice, but fortunately we got there with everything we needed.

Big Creek Trail is a dream.  As the name implies, it follows Big Creek upstream all the way to our campsite gaining about 1250 feet over the five miles.  The trail crossed the creek several times, but fortunately always on footbridges.  It’s a horse trail which gets a lot of use, so you have to watch your step.

The kitchen

Campsite 37 is right on the creek. This is apparently a popular place and there is room for many tents.  I think the limit is twelve people, but there were eleven there Wednesday night and plenty of room for several more.  We got there before anyone else and had the pick of site to pitch our tent.  We chose one next to the creek.

Hanging the packs for the night

Ready for day 2

This morning we broke camp and headed up Swallow Fork Trail.  This was our big climb for this trip, gaining over 2000 feet in four miles, most of which was in the last half.  The trail follows Swallow Fork upstream almost the entire length of the trail.  This was a beautiful little creek and it made the trail so enjoyable.  We did have to ford it a couple times, but both were easy rock hops.  Swallow Fork Trail ends high in the spruce-fir forest at that beautiful gap where it junctions with Pretty Hollow trail.  We were here just a few weeks ago and like then we took a nice long break.

Lunch at Mt Sterling Fire Tower

Mount Sterling Ridge Trail was next from Pretty Hollow Gap.  This was another tough climb.  It was only about 700 feet, but after climbing most of that the trail went over a bump in the mountain and dropped down several hundred feet.  I hate it when I have to gain elevation twice.  This little two mile stretch of Mount Sterling Ridge Trail really got to us.  I think we were getting pretty tired by then.

Mount Sterling fire tower (elevation 5800 ft) is still open for anyone wanting a good workout.  Gene went up about a third of the way, but I sat that one out.  The last time I was at the fire tower the trees and shrubs were short.  Now they’ve all grown up and blocked the view.  We did get a glimpse off the mountain at the trail junction with Baxter Creek Trail.

Everything on Baxter Creek Trail was covered in moss

Baxter Creek Trail was all downhill.  Finally, we needed a break. This trail drops down from Mt Sterling to Big Creek Campground--5000 feet over 6 miles.  It’s steep and it’s rocky. The first mile down Baxter Creek Trail from Mt Sterling is through that high elevation forest I love so much.   As we continued downhill, that constant pounding of our feet began to take its toll.  We were sure glad to see the car after this long day.

I’m gonna stop there.  I may think of more to add tomorrow, but I too tired now.

So, that’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Backpacking in the Adirondacks

We had originally planned to hike up Mount Marcy, New York’s high point, as a backpacking trip. After studying the map and guidebook, we have decided to do it as a long, almost 15 mile, day hike. Since we don’t have plans for another overnight trip, and therefore wouldn’t have a personal experience to relate, I wanted to share what we learned about backpacking in the Adirondacks.

A typical lean-to

This is almost a perfect time of year for backpacking in the Adirondacks. The nights are cool and the days are pleasantly warm, but not hot. And it is past black fly season. There are regulations, of course, for backcountry camping. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation manages Adirondack Park and, like their name implies, their job is to conserve and preserve this great wilderness area.

Campsite on Copperas Pond

Generally, the guidelines are typical of those found at most National Park and National Forest areas. Camping is permitted anywhere so long as it is 150 feet from roads, trails, lakes, ponds, streams, etc. There are some designated camping areas adjacent to lakes and ponds. A permit is required for stays of longer than 3 days in any one area or for large groups. Pets are allowed, but they must be kept under control and their waste must be buried. Different rules apply for the High Peaks Region. There is no camping permitted above 4000 feet (above tree line) and camping between 3500 and 4000 feet is at designated camping areas only. Food must be stored in bear canisters during spring, summer, and fall in the High Peaks Region. There are lean-tos, or shelters, scattered about the park. These are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and they cannot be used exclusively by a single group.

Campsite on Owen Pond

In our hiking we have seen several lean-tos and several backcountry camp sites. The lean-tos are very similar to those 3-sides shelters along the Appalachian Trail. These have a peaked roof with very little overhang in the front. They are a log structure with a sleeping platform which will accommodate about 6. The ones we’ve seen have been very clean. There is a rule here that forbids the use of a tent inside the lean-to. I guess they saw me coming.

The designated camping areas we have seen vary widely. Some are very nice with large flat areas to pitch a tent on root-free, soft ground, covered with pine needles. Others have been rock and root littered on slops a goat couldn’t stand on.

This is too rocky and not level enough for me.

While hiking, we always look around for a good camping spot. It’s an affliction we have that goes back many years. As we are hiking here we are again on the lookout for a great place to pitch a backpacking tent. Of course we haven’t done a lot of hiking here, but were we’ve been, we haven’t seen hardly any campsite we would consider suitable other than the designated camping sites. This may be due to the fact that we are hiking in or near the high peaks region and the trails are on steep mountainsides. Also, this has been an unusually wet season with rain just about everyday. The few areas that are flat enough for a campsite are too wet to use.

Still, this is a beautiful area for the backpacker with many lean-tos and designated camping areas provided just for your enjoyment.

The End of This Journey

We will be leaving Virginia in about 8 days. In the meantime, we have friends visiting from Tennessee for a couple days and there are a few other things we want to do and see in the area besides hiking. So, I guess I’m going to have to leave the rest of the Appalachian Trail for another time.

I always like to look at the numbers at the end of a long distance hike. For this trip I spent 7 continuous days backpacking with D-tour, 3 additional backpacking days, and 11 days of day hikes to cover 144 miles of new trail (some of the day hikes were out and back so I did not count those miles twice). I ate 1 small jar of peanut butter, 2 tubes of saltine crackers, 7 noodle dinners, 3 lbs of GORP, almost a pint of ice cream, two chocolate shakes and a whole bag of snack size snickers bars, and lost 7 pounds. I don’t want to know how many miles I drove back and forth to the trail. I saw 2 black snakes and a copperhead. That’s not much in the way of wildlife (unless you count thru-hikers as wildlife). The best day for flowers was the day of 29 pink lady slippers. I really can’t complain about the weather. For the 21 hiking days, there were only 3 times it rained. Of course, the last storm gets more points than the others.

I was not completely satisfied with my gear. When Gene and I go together, we split some of the gear—he carries a bigger tent and I carry a larger cook set. Since I knew that first week would be tough, I tried to lighten up as much as possible. Although adequate, I would have been more comfortable in a larger tent. Also to save weight, I left out my afternoon cup of coffee. It is purely a luxury item, but it adds so much enjoyment for me. I took our smallest cook pot rather than the larger, nonstick pot. That little difference in clean up was remarkable.

There were only two things that I can think of that I actually forgot. On the week backpack, I forgot the windscreen for the cook set. I had plenty of fuel so it didn’t cause a problem in that way, but it took longer to cook and I had to be really careful of flames blowing in every direction. The last backpacking trip I forgot to take my reading glasses. I usually don’t take my $200 progressive lens glasses on the trail. I can see fine for distance, I just need a little assistance up close. My $20 reading glasses from Wal-Mart are perfect. My arm is long enough for me to read the guidebook or tell what time it is without glasses at all during the day. But the closer the sun gets to the horizon, the less I can see. Not having my reading glasses was a real problem the night at Lewis Mountain. Not being able to see my Sudoku puzzle was a minor inconvenience. Not being able to see what time it was during the storm was a real annoyance. During the height of the storm, I decided I would call Gene at first light. I hardly ever call him, so I don’t know his number. Isn’t speed dial great? All I knew was his area code was 865. This really wouldn’t have been a problem except there was no cell signal at Lewis Mountain. There was only a pay phone which doesn’t have my directory programmed into its memory bank. Not being able to see his phone number was truly and earnestly a problem. I tried for quite some time to see the numbers in that tiny screen on my phone. When I finally thought I had them figured out, I wrote them down in giant size to be easily read at the pay phone. Since it was after 6 AM and I thought Gene might be up, I just gave the old cell phone a try. To my surprise (and relief) it rang. All those hours worrying over that one little thing.

This trip was a “first” for me to backpack with someone other than Gene. Diane was a great hiking partner and we enjoyed the week together. The two times I went out solo were also “firsts” and, although I was not afraid, I was unhappy. However, going alone proved to me that I am capable of living in the wilderness with only what I can carry on my back.

All things considered, I am very satisfied with this journey. Much more of the trail awaits and I shall be back out there some day.

For now, we’re headed to New York.

Bad Weather Makes a Short Trip

It was a good hike from Swift Run Gap to Lewis Mountain Campground (about 9 miles). The sun was shining, the trail was relatively easy, and there were several folks making their way to various points north. Gene hiked with me for the first three miles, which was really nice.

I got to Lewis Mountain about 12:30. I knew the drill from having been at Loft Mountain Campground last week—pick out a site, leave something there to claim it as your own, and then register. I found a site I liked with a good tree branch from which to hang my food bag, close to water and to the bathroom. I couldn’t leave without hanging the food so I set out to throw my rope up. The branch was a little high for me, but I was not to be outdone. I threw my rope once, twice, maybe a zillion times. Several times I hit the limb, about 5 times I got the rope over but the rock fell out without bringing the rope down far enough for me to reach. I threw from many different angles and even from on top of the picnic table. This was all to the amusement of the lawn mowing staff having their lunch at a table about 3 sites away. Finally, a kind hiker whom I had met earlier in the morning asked if he could help. One throw and the rope was up. Of course, he was about 2 feet taller than me and surely that must help. I wanted the rope a little farther from the tree trunk so he and I did a sort of “jump rope” swing from either end of the rope. I was walking backwards doing this maneuver, ran into the side of the picnic table and fell all the way to the ground (I’m sure much to the amusement of the lawn mowing staff still having their lunch.) No harm done and my rope was where I wanted it; I was happy.

After I registered and put up my tent it was time for my own lunch. I’m sitting there as content as could be minding my own business when a lady approaches me and asked, “have you been backpacking in this area much?” I could have boasted of my years of experience, but I chose to say simply “no”. She then proceeds to inform me “so I wouldn’t get into trouble” that my food bag is too close to the tree trunk and that the bears that sleep up there at night would get my food. She also pointed out a pole where I could hang my food for the very purpose of keeping it from the bears. None of this is good news to my ears. To my eye, the food bag was in about as good a position as it ever was and it is common knowledge that if a bear wants your food, he can probably get it no matter what. Plus, after all the effort of getting the rope up I really didn’t want to move it. And to think that those lawn mowing guys didn’t even mention to me about the food pole. Anyway, I thanked her and promised to do something about it. During the course of the afternoon, 4 park rangers came by and not one of them gave me a ticket, a citation, or otherwise indicated that my food bag was out of compliance with standard food bag hanging regulations. However, I had promised the lady that I would do something so I decided to make her really happy and put the bag on the pole. When I got the bag up I stopped by her site to ask if I had done it correctly. “Well,” she says, “to be perfectly honest, I’ve never used one before since I always have my car to store my food.” So much for the expert on food bag hanging.

This was to be a 3-day backpacking trip, the last one before leaving the area.  However, severe thunderstorms during the wee hours of the morning unnerved everyone camping at Lewis Mountain Campground. High winds and almost continuous lightning and thunder for the better part of 2 hours took its toll on my fun-filled adventure. By 6 o’clock this morning campers and hikers were out of their tents and comparing stories of their overnight experiences. One hiker had spent the night in the men’s room. Weather reports of tornado watches and flood warnings for this morning got me on the phone to Gene requesting rescue from nature’s fury.

With severe weather forecasted for the remainder of the day, I was glad to be returning to the safety of my home on wheels. Two other section hikers also wanted a ride to their car at Rockfish Gap. We were happy to accommodate. We left as some hikers decided to race on up the trail to get as far as possible before the storm let loose again. Others were discussing renting a cabin for the night. As I write this on Wednesday evening just after a very nasty storm, I am happy to be off the trail and in my own living room. The trail will be there another day.

Backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

One of our favorite places to go backpacking is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I suppose the primary reason for this is that it is our home state park, the one close at hand. But it does have some big drawing points of its own. Perhaps its biggest drawing point is the fact that the world famous Appalachian Trail runs longitudinally right through the middle of the Smokies. Beginning at Fontana Dam at the southern end of the Park, the AT extends 70 miles northward along the Tennessee-North Carolina border to exit the Park at Davenport Gap. In addition to the Appalachian Trail there are some 800 miles of maintained hiking trails in the Park. Another big draw, especially for me, is the Eastern temperate forest. At low elevations hardwoods thrive in the damp climate of east Tennessee. Spring is a wonderful time to experience nature’s magnificent beauty. Redbud and dogwood give the soft new green spots of radiant color. Wildflowers abound on the forest floor. As summer approaches, the mountains seem to explode with rhododendron, mountain laurel, and flame azalea. Fall brings the vibrant reds and yellows that signal the onset of winter. As the leaves fall, hikers are rewarded with spectacular views of range after range for as far as the eye can see. As awe-inspiring as the hardwood forest is, my personal favorite is the fur forest at high elevation. It is a lush place covered with moss and pine needles and there is a constant drip of water from tree limbs and rocks. I love the smell of evergreens and the cool feel of dampness in the air.

Within this magnificent setting, the Park Service offers two types of backpacking opportunities for hikers, equestrians, and fishermen. There are 88 backcountry camp sites and 15 backcountry shelters. Backcountry camping is free of charge but requires a backcountry permit.

A typical backcountry camp site

The pulley system for hanging food bags.

Backcountry campsites are typical of campsites in many other parks around the country. They consist of a water source, a fire ring, and a relatively flat place to pitch a tent. If you are lucky, there may be a log and a flat rock near the fire ring to facilitate cooking. At every backcountry campsite and shelter, there has been the installation of the backpackers most appreciated apparatus—the pulley system from which to hang your food bag. Few places offer this convenience. Our hats go off and our hearts go out to the ones responsible. No more hunting for the perfect tree limb and no more shoulder injuries trying to throw a rope.

Derrick Knob Shelter

The backcountry shelters are primarily located along the Appalachian Trail, with a few others scattered about the Park at popular destination sites. In the past, these structures were damp, dark, dreary places. Many of the shelters were built by CCC workers in the 30s and 40s. They consisted of either a stone or log three-sided structure with a sleeping platform and stone fireplace. Due to an increasing bear problem, the park service attached chain link fencing across the open side of the shelter. In recent years the park service with the help of the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club and other volunteers, has begun renovating the shelters. Leaking roofs have been replaced with skylights, general repairs made to the exterior structures and fireplaces, sleeping platforms have been redone, porches have been extended giving more “living” space inside the shelter, and cooking shelves and benches have been installed. These once dark, dreary places are now light, comfortable, and cozy places to enjoy a night in the backcountry.