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A Story of Perseverence

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 - posted by Jil

Hiker Overcomes Medical Condition to Complete Final Leg of AT

By Molly Moore

Ken Bordwell (right) and his occasional hiking companion, Joe Shelton, on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. Bordwell’s advice to fellow hikers is simple. “Enjoy it!” he says. “I think everybody wants to do it a little too fast and would have more fun if they slow down a little and not expect so much of themselves. It’s hard work.” Photo by Mindy Wallace

Exploring the mountains wasn’t a part of Kenneth Bordwell’s childhood in Dayton, Ohio. His father read news clippings about Grandma Gatewood, a remarkable woman from southeast Ohio who hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine three times, but Bordwell didn’t step foot on the fabled path himself until his honeymoon.

During that Smoky Mountains vacation in 1965, he covered a mere 2.5 miles of the 2,200-mile trail. That was all it took to draw him back. While on a return trip several years later, he picked up a book documenting a thru-hiker’s adventure. After that, Bordwell started traversing the renowned trail in earnest, section by section.

“There’s something about the Appalachian Trail — when you get the bug you’ve got the bug,” says Bordwell, who now lives in Cincinnati. “Appalachia’s the same way. It’s lovely country, from one end to the other.”

He tackled the trail intermittently throughout the years, beginning with the southern portions. Bordwell’s favorite section is somewhere in those central and southern latitudes — he says it’s either Tennessee’s Laurel Falls, or the Mt. Rogers area of southwest Virginia. Or it could be the commonwealth’s Grayson Highlands State Park, or the Nantahala range in western North Carolina. Or maybe it’s the Smokies.

His ambitions hit a speed bump when he went to the hospital for back pain in 2008 and an X-ray of his spine incidentally uncovered a life-threatening weakness in the wall of his aorta, the body’s main artery. An estimated 1.2 million Americans have this condition, known as abdominal aortic aneurysm. If the aorta wall fails, the consequences are often fatal, particularly for men like Bordwell who are over 60.
At the time, doctors said operating would be premature and risky. Instead, they monitored his aorta every six months while Bordwell pushed onward, following the trail along the East Coast’s spine.

Three years later, his condition had developed into a bulge that was close to rupturing. He was presented with a choice: go through surgery to replace the aorta, or try a new treatment where a stent is inserted into the artery near the thigh, threaded up to the troubled area, and expanded to seal the aorta.

He went with the latter, scheduling the procedure for December so as to not interfere with peak hiking season. At that point, he was 100 miles shy of completing his goal.

Bordwell acknowledges that the ensuing days and weeks were “a little rough.” Six weeks after the stent was inserted, however, he was fit enough to resume stacking firewood.

That spring, he strapped on his backpack and returned to the landmark trail’s northern reaches. On Aug. 24, 2012, at 70 years old, Bordwell completed the Appalachian Trail.

With that goal accomplished, Bordwell is ready for a change of pace. His next adventures will also be on long-distance trails, but this time he’s taking a bicycle.

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Posted in 2013 — Issue 2 (April/May), Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

Trek Across Georgia’s Rooftop

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 - posted by Jil

Story and photo by Peter Barr

The view of Rabun Bald.

Two short hikes in northern Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains climb to the state’s highest peaks and reward visitors with its most stunning views. While the elevations of Brasstown Bald and Rabun Bald reign supreme in the Peach State, their picturesque scenery and fascinating cultural history are also difficult to surpass.

Brasstown Bald

At 4,784 feet above sea level, Brasstown Bald — beaming with natural beauty — is the highest peak in Georgia, and offers both moderate and strenuous excursions.
A paved road east of Blairsville enables visitors to drive most of the way up the mountain. From a parking area south of the peak, a half-mile trail climbs the remaining distance to the summit. The paved path ascends steeply, gaining about 400 feet in elevation while tunneling through a forest of rhododendron and mountain laurel. Hike to the summit in late spring for the added bonus of its colorful blooms.

The summit of Brasstown Bald — surrounded by Chattahoochee National Forest — is crowned with a tall structure that looks much like an air traffic control tower. The lookout is occasionally manned by the U.S. Forest Service to provide rapid detection of forest fires in the surrounding national forest.

While the tower itself is closed to the public, an observation deck at its base affords hikers a 360-degree view of four states. On clear days, the skyscrapers of Atlanta are visible some 90 miles to the south.

Accompanying the observation deck is a small visitor center, open seasonally, that offers exhibits on the natural and cultural heritage of the mountain. The center’s motion-activated animatronic mannequins — which verbalize local lore — may be one of the most bizarre sights you ever encounter on a mountain hike.

What Brasstown Bald boasts in natural scenery, it matches in rich cultural history. For millennia, the mountain was frequented by Native Americans; hunting camps and petroglyph carvings have been discovered near the peak.

Hikers seeking a more challenging route may trek the 4.5-mile Jacks Knob Trail, which connects Brasstown Bald to the Appalachian Trail near Chattahoochee Gap, or the 5.5-mile Arkaquah Trail, which begins south of the town of Young Harris and links the summit to Trackrock Gap, the location of an archaeological petroglyph site. Both paths are designated National Recreation Trails.

Rabun Bald

When famed naturalist William Bartram passed near northern Georgia’s lofty Rabun bald in 1775, he wrote, “My progress was rendered delightful by the sylvan elegance of the groves, cheerful meadows, and high distant forests, which in grand order presented themselves to view.”

Georgia’s second-highest peak, at 4,696 feet, Rabun Bald is located 10 miles northeast of Clayton. To reach its summit, hike the Bartram Trail, the venerable footpath named in honor of the naturalist who was so enthused by the region’s scenery nearly 250 years ago.

To access the Bartram Trail from the trailhead at Beegum Gap, ascend steeply to the south on an unmarked but well-worn path. Climb through the hardwood forest until reaching a junction with the Bartram Trail, blazed with yellow rectangles, at 0.3 miles. Turn right and follow the Bartram Trail, climbing moderately to reach a roadbed crossing on the right at 0.8 miles.

Here, veer left to remain on the Bartram Trail and ascend up the steep and increasingly narrow ridgeline via a quick succession of switchbacks. The trail tunnels through a dense thicket of rhododendron, emerging at the summit of Rabun Bald at 1.5 miles.
Like Brasstown Bald, a fire lookout tower atop Rabun fosters a breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge range. The squat stone structure constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s now hosts a wooden observation deck with a panoramic vista of the surrounding Chattahoochee National Forest. A keen eye can detect Brasstown Bald, 30 miles to the west.

“I beheld with rapture and astonishment a sublimely awful scene of power and magnificence, a world of mountains piled upon mountains,” wrote Bartram when he climbed the nearby Nantahala Mountains, visible just to the north. There is no doubt that his feeling of awe and wonder can still be experienced with a hike up Rabun Bald today.

Brasstown and Rabun Balds

Info: Chattahoochee National Forest (770) 297-3000

BRASSTOWN BLAD

Getting There: From Blairsville, drive US 19/129 south 8 miles to GA 180. Turn left and drive 9 miles to GA Spur 180. Turn left and drive 3 miles to the park.
Length and Difficulty: Summit Trail, 0.5 mi, moderate; Jake Knob Trail, 4.5 mi., strenuous; Arkaquah Trail, 5.5 mi., strenuous.

RABUN BALD

Getting There: From Dillard, drive US 441 north for one mile. Turn right and drive 4.3 miles on GA 246 toward Highlands, N.C., to Old Mud Creek Road. Turn right and drive 2.9 miles to Kelsey Mountain Road. Turn right and drive 0.9 miles to the end of the road and trailhead at Beegum Gap.
Length and Difficulty: Reach the summit of Rabun Bald via the Bartam Trail in 1.5 mi., strenuous.


About the Author:Peter Barr is the trails & outreach coordinator at Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, as well as the author of “Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers.”

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Posted in 2013 — Issue 2 (April/May), Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

Push to the Pinnacle

Thursday, December 13th, 2012 - posted by meghan

Pinnacle Park’s namesake viewpoint, hikers can enjoy both a mountain panorama and a lofty view of nearby Sylva, N.C. Photo by Molly Moore

By Molly Moore
Pinnacle Park lies less than three miles from North Carolina’s oft-traveled Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. Unannounced by roadside signs, its network of trails explores the lookouts, ridges and valleys surrounding bubbly Fisher Creek. The creek’s headwaters, formerly the town of Sylva’s drinking water supply, are also the reason why these 1,100 acres are protected for public enjoyment.

Today, Pinnacle Park features about 15 miles of trails, ranging from strenuous to easily accessible. Five campsites provide solitary settings for backcountry users, but most visitors come for the varied day hikes, particularly the treks to the park’s two prominent overlooks.

The strenuous 3.5-mile path to the park’s namesake viewpoint, the Pinnacle, begins as an old logging road along Fisher Creek. As the main trail plows uphill on the west side of the creek, off to the right a separate half-mile trail gently meanders back and forth across Fisher Creek in an area that’s rich with seasonal wildflowers. “There are places where you’ll see trilliums blooming as far as the eye can see,” says park aficionado Jay Coward.

About a half mile from the parking lot, the trail diverges into the East Fork Trail and West Fork Trail, and Pinnacle-bound hikers typically head west. From here, it’s another half mile to Split Rock — a towering, unmistakable, cracked boulder.

Along the trail’s lower reaches, there are ample opportunities to relax on a rocky perch near the stream. Once the trail crosses Fisher Creek above Split Rock, it moves out of sight of the creek and begins to march upward; a backward glance through the leafless winter forest reveals a panorama of the Plott Balsams, a range within the Blue Ridge Mountains south of the Great Smokies.

By this point, hikers accustomed to more sedate trails might be wondering whether the old logging road’s relentless climb will soon subside. It doesn’t — not until the last mile.

At times, the wide trail is stubbornly rocky and rugged. Good hiking shoes are a must, and some adventurers might also want hiking poles, particularly in winter when the path can grow increasingly icy and snow-covered during the ascent. The steep trek makes this a lively winter warm-up, so hikers might want to bring a backpack to hold the layers they’re likely to shed during this portion of the hike.

Kirk Childress, store manager at Blackrock Outdoor Company in Sylva, advises hikers to plan for a temperature change of about 10 degrees from bottom to top. He also suggests that hikers give themselves ample time in case they are slowed down by the trail’s rough footing and sometimes-severe incline.

Those who make this trek should be grateful for the laborers behind the original logging road, the area residents who made the case for conserving this land, and the volunteers who built the present trail system — people like local lawyer Jay Coward.

Coward first hiked to Pinnacle Park’s Blackrock overlook at age 10. When new water regulations led the town of Sylva to stop using the Fisher Creek watershed as a drinking water source in 1990, several area residents, including Coward, formed Pinnacle Park Foundation, Inc., and advocated for the park’s formation.

At one point, the foundation received a request from the town board to harvest timber from the property, which the foundation denied — later, forestry students determined that removing timber wouldn’t be cost-effective. After that close call, the town and park foundation set up a conservation easement with the regional nonprofit organization Land Trust for the Little Tennessee to permanently protect the land.

Occasionally the bare winter woods reveal scattered stacks of downed, moss-covered trunks, hinting at the challenges that faced volunteer trail builders. “Back in the ‘70s, the balsam wooly adelgid arrived and started gobbling up mature Fraser firs,” Coward says. “[The pest] didn’t kill young Fraser firs, so when they had canopy openings they just sprang up through all this downfall. It was impossible to get through. We just had to chainsaw our way where the old trail was.”

About two miles from the trailhead, a sign marks the West Fork Trail’s split — from here it’s 1.4 miles to the Pinnacle, and 1.9 to Blackrock, another above-timberline rock outcropping. The popular overlook, and its 360-degree view of the southern Appalachians, is also accessible by a moderate hike from the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, or by taking the East Fork trail from the parking lot.

From the fork, the path to the Pinnacle levels off, hugging the mountain’s contours before exiting the tall forest and entering an expanse of rhododendron and mountain laurel. The trail appears to end amidst a stand of shrubbery, but a narrow, descending footpath breaks off to the left. It weaves through the rhododendron thicket and then opens to a wide view, with the Pinnacle protruding from the mountain like the bow of a ship.

The Pinnacle offers a 280-degree view of the Plott Balsam range, with the town of Sylva nestled among the forested mountainsides. “It’s not as high [as Blackrock], but it’s more intimate,” Coward says of the viewshed. “You feel like you’re more in a community from the Pinnacle.”

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Pinnacle Park

DIRECTIONS — From US 74 W/Great Smoky Mountains Expy., turn right onto Steeple Rd. Make a quick right onto State Rd. 1527, then a left on Old 19-23/Skyland Dr. After half a mile, turn left on Fisher Creek Rd. Park is at the end of Fisher Creek Rd.
LENGTH —Reaching the Pinnacle via West Fork Trail is 3.5 miles; the park has 15 miles of trails
Info: (828) 586-2719

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Posted in 2012 - Issue 6 (Dec/Jan 2013), Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

Getting Wild in Dolly Sods Wilderness

Friday, October 19th, 2012 - posted by molly

By Joe Tennis

Autumn colors transform a roadside meadow in Dolly Sods Wilderness, near the Wildlife Trail. Photo by Joe Tennis

Julie Fosbender stepped carefully down the trail called Fisher Spring Run, heading downhill on a Monday morning. We hiked together for almost two miles along this unmarked-yet-mapped path in the Dolly Sods Wilderness, an expansive and scenic section of the Monongahela National Forest.

The Dolly Sods Wilderness is a hiker’s dream, spanning 17,371 acres of bog and heath eco-types, more commonly found in southern Canada. Elevations range from 2,500 feet to over 4,700 feet. The protected area takes its name from a German pioneer family — Dahle — whose livestock grazed the grassy area locally called “sods.”

Forty-seven miles of trails in the Dolly Sods Wilderness follow old railroad grades and logging roads, many of which contain creeks that must be forded.
Creek-hopping is generally easier in autumn, when it may not be raining so much, but could grow tricky in the spring.

Trails here range from the Red Creek (6.4 miles) to the Northland Interpretive (0.3 miles). To expand even further on the variety, multiple-trail hikes can be created by using two cars to form a shuttle, or combining parts of trails to form loops.

Choose Your Adventure

Starting at Fisher Spring Run Trailhead, just off Forest Road 75, Fosbender and I immediately descended into the wilderness, rambling over rocks as we passed a wealth of ferns and firs, including hemlocks and several fallen logs.

“This forest provides a range of experiences,” says Fosbender, the north zone recreation manager for the Monongahela National Forest. “And we rely on our visitors to self-select the experience that they want.”

Every once in a while along this trek, you’ll see a campsite with a fire ring left in place, beckoning hikers to extend their stay in Dolly Sods. Beware setting a fire outside of the ring, however; beginning in 1943, this area was used for maneuvers by the U.S. military, and many artillery and mortar shells shot into the area for practice still exist.

Although this sounds scary, a highly trained crew surveyed trails in 1997 for explosives and returned with 15 leftovers. Many more explosives could exist, however, which is why tried-and-true fire rings are best.

“The worry isn’t so much that there’s a bomb under our feet,” Fosbender says. “But if you light a fire, that could make that bad boy go off, and that could ruin your day.”

We did not see any bombs on this particular Monday, but our path on the Fisher Spring Run Trail grew increasingly pointy on the backs of rocks as it continued down the mountain.

At a crossroads of trails, Fosbender continued on Fisher Spring Run as I turned on the Rohrbaugh Trail (TR 510) — an even rockier road. At times on the Rohrbaugh Trail there were little, if any, signs of earth beneath my feet. The trail crosses a stream with a miniature cascade and then passes a cliff outcrop the size of a large car. It’s a shady path that requires careful footsteps.

After about a half-mile the Rohrbaugh Trail comes to another junction, well-marked by signs and stones. Here, I turned left on the pleasant and more moderate Wildlife Trail (TR 560), which carries you back up the mountain on a 1.5-mile hike that appears fairly well worn by the hikers who love Dolly Sods.

The Wildlife Trail does not cross creeks. It also spreads out enough to make the uphill climb almost seem easy. Its vegetation — more of an upland meadow setting — differs from the rocky forest of the nearby Fisher Spring Run.

You can use a shuttle and return to your vehicle at the head of the Wildlife Trail, as I did. Or you can turn left at Forest Road 75 and take a gentle 1.5-mile walk to the head of Fisher Spring Run to complete the loop.

Picture Perfect

In the upper half of West Virginia, where Grant County merges into Tucker and Randolph counties, you’ll find many casual visitors roaming the forest roads of the Dolly Sods Wilderness, shooting pictures of big boulders and documenting the blazing colors of fall.

But Bear Rocks is not the only great overlook. Nor is it the only one with at least mildly easy access. Near the Wildlife Trailhead, along Forest Road 75, you travel only about 400 yards to find a grand view of the Virginias with natural perches on bleach-white boulders.

This is a great place to take a picture, as well as a wonderful cap to a morning of hiking the highlands through the canopied forests and open heaths of Dolly Sods Wilderness.

For more information on Dolly Sods Wilderness, click here.

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Posted in 2012 - Issue 5 (Oct/Nov), All Posts, Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

Abrams Falls Trail: A Jaunt to a Jewel of the Smokies

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012 - posted by meghan

By Stephen Otis

Waterfall at Abrams Fall

Don’t be fooled by Abrams Falls’ serene surroundings-this pretty cascade features powerful water, and the pool at its base has a reputation for an undertow. Photo by Jenny Pansing

The Abrams Falls Trail has historical nuances you won’t find just anywhere.

Located in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, the trail, creek and falls are named after a historic leader of the Cherokee Nation, Chief Abram; a short side trail leads to Elijah Oliver’s house, the first settler of Cades Cove circa 1818.

It has a reputation in the world of adventure as well, earning a spot on Backpacker Magazine’s list of the 10 most dangerous hikes in the country. Of course, if you are a local like me, and you like to hike the trail for its moderate footpath along the serene Abrams Creek — replete with wild river otter and fly-fishing aplenty — you may find yourself scratching your head wondering what wild encounter led the good people at Backpacker Magazine to put the trail on their list of perilous paths.

Maybe it is the strong storm waters that often surge over the nearly 20-foot falls, the same waters that took the life of 19-year-old William Diefenbach in 1993. He was swept downstream and drowned trying to ford Newt Prong. Maybe it is the countless injuries that occur from the young and the bold attempting to jump off the falls’ slippery perch, not noticing the shelf of rock just below the surface at the base. Or the copperheads and moccasins that like to perch in the clefts of the basins.

Maybe, but all in all, Abrams Falls is one of the most pristine and beautiful hikes in the Smokies with one of the most impressive watering holes you will ever see. Of course, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park encourages those who visit to avoid swimming for aforementioned reasons. Dangerous? Maybe, if you’re the kind of person who attracts danger. Beautiful? Most certainly. Worth a visit? Most definitely.

Abrams Fall Trail

The trail to Abrams Falls is listed as moderately difficult but includes three narrow log bridges, so the park service recommends sturdy hiking shoes. Photo by Kid Cowboy

To the falls and back, the trail traverses five miles, much of it creekside, providing the sounds of mountain water like a constant symphony. Along the way, there are a bevy of places to stop for a picnic or to just step off the trail and search for salamanders. The watering hole at the end of the 2.5-mile trek enjoys the constant spray of Abrams Falls. Named after Chief Oskuah (later changed to Abram) of the Cherokee Nation, here the strength of these great people who roamed these free and sacred lands is preserved.

The drive to the trailhead brings you through the historic Cades Cove Loop with wildlife grazing in open valley fields, where deer roam like cattle and bear and other wildlife are commonly sighted. It is a place stuck in a slow and steady time in our nation’s history, heck, before that even, to a time before we started recording time.

If one is so inclined, the other side of Abrams Falls, although little-publicized, is the area’s true beauty. Scattered with small loop trails and split-offs, a backpacker can get lost in here for days. Void of crowds and with many opportunities for bear sightings (and late night visits), quiet adventure abounds. The park has done a great job in clearing good campsites and rigging state-of-the-art bear hangers for food. This is the part of Abrams where you will most likely find river otters and very, very nice fish dangling on the end of your spray line. If you wade in these waters, you can see eight-inch rainbow trout hanging out in the current like they’re having an afternoon meeting.

Three days here, and you will emerge a better, leaner, more brightly lit man or woman.

Stephen Otis is the co-author of “A Road More or Less Traveled,” a narrative about hiking the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, recently awarded runner-up in the New York Book Festival. Read reviews and order the book at Amazon.com.

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Posted in 2012 - Issue 4 (August/September), All Posts, Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | 1 Comment »

The White Squirrel Hiking Challenge

Monday, June 11th, 2012 - posted by Anna

Editor’s Note: We have long featured our region’s fantastic places and phenomenal hikes in the “Hiking the Highlands” column. What we have less frequently focused on, however, is how some of our favorite places were protected in the first place.
Non-profit land trusts are committed to the preservation of our region’s natural heritage and scenic beauty. And, most importantly for this column, they protect ample acreage for hiking and outdoor recreation.

Land trusts understand that to make conservation tangible, they need to get people outside and onto the lands that they protect. With an innovative new program that mixes conservation with a little competition, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, a Western North Carolina land trust, is doing just that. We went to Peter Barr, an avid hiker and the Trails and Outreach Coordinator for CMLC, to learn more about what they are doing to encourage the synergy between enjoying the land and protecting it.

Hiking the Southern Appalachians to Support Land Protection

By Peter Barr

Since 1994, the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy has protected more than 23,000 acres of western North Carolina’s mountains, including the headwaters of the French Broad River, the Blue Ridge Escarpment and Hickory Nut Gorge.

CMLC’s White Squirrel Hiking Challenge — named for the beloved wildlife oddity that can be spotted on some of the conservancy’s protected tracts — invites members of the community to get out on protected lands and discover the value of conserving the amazing places in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Protecting land from sprawling development, subdivision and other threats that damage and divide our mountains has myriad positive impacts — safeguarding clean drinking water, improving air quality and increasing biodiversity.

Whether you’re an experienced outdoors enthusiast or new to the wonders of nature, the idea is that once you experience these special places for yourself, understanding that they’re protected forever, you will become a conservationist for life.

By completing eight hikes on CMLC’s most spectacular conserved lands, finishers will earn a white squirrel hiking patch and bragging rights for land conservation. The real reward is experiencing these amazing places, partaking in a little friendly competition, and supporting their permanent protection.

Please note that while most of the hikes included in the hiking challenge are open to the public, a few are on private land. Landowners generously open their property to hikers but request in return that visitors support land conservation by becoming members of CMLC.
For directions to hike trailheads and to enroll in the White Squirrel Hiking Challenge, visit carolinamountain.org/hikingchallenge.

DuPont State Recreation Forest

Two Hiking Challenge outings entail journeys in the popular DuPont State Forest — which straddles Henderson and Transylvania counties — and celebrate CMLC’s origins following the movement to protect the forest in the 1990s.

The “Tour de Falls” hike requires hikers to reach three of DuPont’s popular waterfalls: Hooker, Triple and High Falls. The three falls—among the most beautiful in the region—can be reached with a round-trip hike of less than three miles.

Another hike, a two and a half mile jaunt to the summit of Stone Mountain, makes up for the ease of the waterfalls tour. But the climb up a steep trail rewards hardy hikers with panoramic views from the top of one of DuPont’s scenic granitic domes.

Once imminently threatened by development, the forest’s abundant natural beauty is now adored by hikers, cyclists and equestrians alike. A grassroots coalition of conservation supporters in the 1990s ultimately saved DuPont and facilitated its purchase by the state of North Carolina to become public land. CMLC’s support of the forest’s conservation was one of its first land protection initiatives.

CMLC protects DuPont to this day, by buffering its borders with private conservation easements and facilitating the acquisition of additional land — including 65 acres added to the forest in April.

Uncles Falls at Green River Preserve*

Photos courtesy of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy

Tucked away in a hollow within Henderson County’s Green River Preserve, Uncles Falls requires a hike of only two miles round-trip. Totaling more than 3,000 acres, and one of the largest private conservation easements in western North Carolina, the preserve is home to a co-ed summer camp that thrives on experiential learning by connecting kids to nature.

More than 2,600 acres of unspoiled forests and rugged mountain slopes at Green River Preserve are conserved by CMLC — including the headwaters of the Green River. Summer campers use Uncles Falls for a ritual of initiation during their stay — jumping underneath the cascade with their clothes on and shouting the words “polar bear” three times. While the ritual is not a requirement of the Hiking Challenge, it is highly recommended for an invigorating extra dose of nature.

Photos courtesy of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy


Florence Nature Preserve

A three-mile hike within CMLC’s Florence Nature Preserve in the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge parallels pristine mountain streams, traverses old growth forests and features historic mountain home sites. The Preserve was donated by the Florence family in 1996 and CMLC has retained ownership ever since, maintaining a five-mile network of public hiking trails on its 600 acres.

East Fork Headwaters – Foothills Trail

One of the largest remaining privately-owned tracts of land in the southern Appalachians, the East Fork Headwaters property hosts miles of trout streams, rare mountain bogs and federally endangered plants and animals. Its permanent protection is still a work in progress — to date, nearly 800 acres have been put into conservation ownership. For the Challenge, hike four miles along the venerable Foothills Trail — a long-distance hiking path which traverses the Blue Ridge Escarpment on the border of North and South Carolina.

Connestee Falls

Photos courtesy of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy

A hike to Transylvania County’s Connestee Falls — quite literally a walk in the park — is the easiest in the Challenge and illustrates that not all beautiful natural features require a grueling trek to find enjoyment. A new wheelchair accessible boardwalk, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, stretches fifty yards from the parking area on U.S. 276 south of Brevard, N.C., to an overlook platform that offers views of three picturesque waterfalls.

Connestee Falls, one of the region’s most popular cascades, and Batson Creek Falls converge to form a third falls known as Silver Slip. All three waterfalls are part a conservation easement obtained by CMLC, which also facilitated the property’s purchase by Transylvania County and its establishment as a county park.

Bearwallow Mountain

Bearwallow Mountain may be the crown jewel of the White Squirrel Hiking Challenge. The hike ascends a one-mile trail — constructed by CMLC with the help of volunteers — to the summit of a 4,000-foot mountain on the Eastern Continental Divide. The peak hosts an expansive grassy meadow that offers a near-360 degree view to reward hikers who make the short climb. A CMLC conservation easement protects 81 acres atop the peak to date and CMLC is working to conserve nearly 400 more.

The trail up Bearwallow Mountain is part of a developing network of trails in the Hickory Nut Gorge that will link a growing network of conserved lands — including lands protected by Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Chimney Rock State Park. Ultimately, the network will encompass more than 50 miles of trails and span the length of the breathtaking Hickory Nut Gorge.

Kens Rock/Weed Patch Mountain*

Photos courtesy of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy

Ken’s Rock, an impressive cliff on the west face of Youngs Mountain near Lake Lure, can be reached by just a half-mile hike. Located on private property, the landowner permits access one to two weekends a month for hikers that support land conservation. The dramatic view from the rock includes Weed Patch Mountain, a 1,500+ acre tract purchased by CMLC from bankruptcy court following failure of a gated housing development. The Weed Patch tract is contiguous to part of Chimney Rock State Park; CMLC and the Town of Lake Lure are developing an extensive hiking and mountain biking trail network on the property.

*denotes hike on private land

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Posted in 2012 - Issue 3 (June/July), Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | 1 Comment »

Perusing Kentucky’s Pine Mountain Park

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 - posted by Madison

By Joe Tennis

High above Pineville, Ky., near the start of the challenging Laurel Cove Trail, an old joke straddles a rock at Pine Mountain State Resort Park.

Local lore suggests that the people of Pineville were worried about the menacing-looking boulder coming loose and rolling off Pine Mountain. In the 1930s, shortly after Pine Mountain opened as Kentucky’s first state park, members of the Kiwanis Club of Pineville devised an unusual safety strategy and fastened a comically large chain to the boulder so residents could see the reassuring chain from town.

Reassuringly secured by a hefty-chain, Chained Rock looms over the town of Pineville, Ky. Photo Credit: Helen Gulgun Bukulmez


The so-called “Chained Rock” makes an intriguing first stop on the Laurel Cove Trail at Pine Mountain State Resort Park – a site named “resort,” according to park naturalist Dean Henson, simply for boasting both a restaurant and lodge. Despite the name and amenities, this is a wild place, as anyone exploring the rock houses, mossy boulders and trickling streams of Pine Mountain will see.

“This park is primarily a natural and cultural history park,” Henson says. “In many ways, it’s a time capsule. It’s a chance to go back and see the landscape as it was in the time of Daniel Boone.”

A famed frontiersman, Boone marched through these woods in the late 1700s, marking a road through the nearby Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky. From 1769 to 1810, Henson says, more than 300,000 settlers passed through this region as they slipped past what is now the state park.

Today, the 1,700-acre park is home to white-tailed deer, bobcats, skunks, raccoons, red and gray foxes, black bears, a variety of snakes, around 130 year-round bird species, 6,000 plant species and perhaps as many as 40 types of trees, Henson says.

“I refer to it as one of Kentucky’s last, great natural places,” Henson says. “I call it scenic geology — vistas, views and overlooks where you can see the Cumberland Mountains.”

Starting near a natural rock shelter, Laurel Cove Trail slides away from the well-worn path leading to the Chained Rock. The trail marches down a narrow set of rock steps, beside rock walls and, at times, challenges hikers to navigate an obstacle course of fallen trees. “Trail work is never done,” Henson says. “It’s always ongoing.”

The Laurel Cove Trail winds its way through a range of plant communities. Photo Credit: Helen Gulgun Bukulmez


With an elevation drop of 1,100 feet, the Laurel Cove Trail ranks as the most challenging and diverse path in the park, especially for those who skip the shuttle and choose to walk down and back up. “Most people walk that trail in one direction,” Henson says, noting that the uphill walk is steep.

The top of the mountain boasts oak and hickory trees. At the midway point, the trail passes beneath a natural rock bridge called the Powderhorn Arch, which stands about eight feet high and stretches 40 feet across the trail. “If you look at it, it resembles a powderhorn from the flintlock rifle days,” Henson says.

Below that arch, the trail descends through a wider mix of trees, including beech, tulip poplar, hemlock and maple.

“From there on down is what I consider the transition zone,” Henson says. “Going from the top to the base of the mountain is the equivalent of walking from Southern Canada to Northern Georgia, in terms of the zones that you find for plants and animal species.”

Thickets of rhododendron, mountain laurel and azalea bloom near the lower end of the trail at the Laurel Cove Amphitheater, outlined by stones and used in the 1970s for an outdoor drama called “The Book of Job.” Today, that World War II-era amphitheater is a popular site for weddings. It is also used each year, during the last full weekend of May, for the queen’s coronation during the park’s annual Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival Pageant.

Park-goers who come for special events can also find hikes less challenging than the Laurel Cove Trail among the park’s dozen miles of trails. The Honeymoon Falls Trail might be the
park’s most popular walk in the woods. This 1.5 loop passes a 25-foot-tall — but sometimes nearly dry — waterfall. Other paths include the Rock Hotel Trail, named for a natural rock shelter, and the Living Stairway Trail, which once traversed steps carved into the side of a tree.

For more information on Pine Mountain, visit: parks.ky.gov.

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Posted in 2012 - Issue 2 (Apr/May), Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

Plant your Feet on the Battleground

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 - posted by Jamie G. -- AV Communications Coordinator

By Robert Sutherland

shelter

Listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, the famous Blood Mountains stone shelter welcomes hikers at the summit. Photo by Robert Sutherland

Google “Blood Mountain” and you’ll find enough fodder for any armchair traveler. But like any other escape to the outdoors, Blood Mountain cannot be appreciated online.

Named for a battle waged nearby between the Cherokee and Creek Indians, Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, and the sixth highest spot in the state. The mountain majestically graces northeastern Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, peaks included as part of the American colonies by King George III when he defined the boundaries of England’s occupation in 1763.

The southern sections of the Blue Ridge Mountains enjoy one of the world’s most botanically rich mixtures of temperate climate plants, with northern species mixing with their southern kin. Once alpine tundra, the ridge line of Blood Mountain is now blanketed in Catawba rhododendron, mountain ash and dwarf willow.

Along the trail to the summit, a variety of rock await the amateur and expert geologist alike. Hikers will pass over low-to-high-grade metamorphic rocks, including igneous deposits of Corbin metagranite, Fort Mountain gneiss, mafic and ultramafic rocks, and Proterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks.

Trivia about the trail, however, isn’t much better than showing a dry garden a picture of rain. You must hike Blood Mountain to see for yourself.

Hiking Blood Mountain is more like a team sport than lonely immersion into the wild. If you’re not in the best physical shape, you can still make it to the top – although you’ll be surprised by how many “old” people pass you along the way. Before you hit the strenuous sections of the summit trail, spend some time taking in one of the most celebrated portions of the Appalachian Trail’s southern reaches.

Unfortunately in 2008, the trail gained some notoriety when a woman named Meredith Emerson was murdered while hiking alone. In Meredith’s memory, a group called Right To Hike, Inc., was created. The group works tirelessly to keep trails safe by purchasing emergency solar and wireless phones for greenways, parks and trailheads and encouraging hikers to defend themselves and protect others.

Hike a Piece of History

Blood Mountain Trailhead

At the Blood Mountain trailhead, "thru-hikers" leave their boots behind to celebrate completing the 2181 mile Appalachian Trail. Photo by Robert Sutherland

There are no gurus atop Blood Mountain purporting to have answers for your soulful questions. It’s easy, however, to find families, Boy Scout troops, friends – and the occasional man asking his girlfriend to retrieve a treasure hidden in her backpack so that he can propose to her in a most gloriously memorable moment on a most gloriously memorable mountain.

If you spend the night at the summit, you might dream of the struggles of the famously mighty mice who dwell within the ruggedly handsome stone shelter constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and restored by the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club in the 1980s.

Perhaps you’ll find inspiration from the shoes in the trees, tossed there by “thru-hikers” after trekking the more than 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail.

Tie your boots tight and take off up the steep and rocky trail. It may be a challenge for beginners but the path is well-worn and easy to follow. The views waiting at the summit are worth every step.

In truth, the wilderness area surrounding Blood Mountain is 7,800 acres of peaceful pulchritude. Hike beautiful Blood Mountain. Plant your feet on the summit, and take a stand for your health and for the right to hike safely in Appalachia.

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Posted in 2012 - Issue 1 (Feb/March), Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

Another Nordic Revolution

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 - posted by brian

By Kristian Jackson

It’s 5 a.m. and outside the truck, headlights reveal driving snow squalls and drifts as high as the pickup’s hood. Our crawl up Roaring Creek Road near the Toe River of North Carolina comes to a sudden halt in a wall of whiteness. We abandon our attempt to dig out the beast and don skis.

Chris Curtin and John Fennell shush along the Appalachian Trail en route to the Hump Mountain. Photos By Kristian Jackson

Minutes later we are skiing up the Overmountain Victory Trail in search of an adventure higher up in Roan Highlands, a 20-mile group of mountain peaks straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Winter is palpable and immediate here. The wind scours its way through bare tree limbs and whips up the powdery snow, creating an atmosphere that is felt as much as seen.

We seal our zippers and pockets to keep winter out and stay moving to stave off the bone-chilling cold. Further into the Highlands we pass through a sheltered cove near 5,000 feet in elevation where the trees hang heavy with snow. We reach the open expanse beyond the trees. In calm weather, the nearby open balds of The Hump and Little Hump Mountains would provide outstanding views, but now everything is white, threatening and loud. We turn our backs to the wind, eager to make some teleturns in the deep powder.

Telemark skiing (also known as nordic or cross-country) has been practiced in the South for decades. The style refers to both a technique and a type of ski and boots. Fixed in the front and free at the heel, the free heel allows the skier to kick and glide uphill (sometimes with the use of skins that help grip the snow) then drop a knee and perform elegant “telemark turns” to descend.

The New Revolution

Devotees of telemark skiing have waxed and waned over the years. The style almost died out in the 1970s but experienced a resurgence in the 1980s. During that decade, the peaks of the North Carolina High Country region were so popular that cross country ski rentals were available in several places and a company called High South Nordic Guides offered tours to Roan Mountain and telemark lessons at a nearby ski resort.

Here there are no lifts, no lines, no crowds, and only a fraction of the environmental impact of the ski resorts. Nordic skiers in the High Country are rewarded with solitude, unspoiled beauty, and the exhilaration of human powered fun.

Drought and warmer winters in the 1990s and early 2000s brought another slump to the sport, until the high snowfall totals of the past few winters sparked a new telemark revolution. Downhill devotees, snowboarders and cross country traditionalists quickly rediscovered the beauty and excitement of ski touring. Now, formerly obscure pockets of powder are often covered with ski tracks as soon as a winter storm is over, and the word has spread about “secret stashes,” where skiers and boarders.

New technology has also added to the latest telemark revolution. In the 1980s, nordic enthusiasts sported skinny skis, leather boots, and floppy three-pin bindings. Today’s backcountry skiers use technology that resembles downhill gear and allows for more efficient touring in varied conditions.

But ask any skier about the most critical component to back country touring in the South and the answer will invariably be “snow.”

Prior to the past three winters, the common refrain of regional nordic skiers was, “It was snowier back in the day.” In fact, the first telemark boom in the 1980s ended when “the winters changed,” according to High South Nordic Guide co-founder Jeep Barrett.

A look at weather charts from Ray’sWeather.com, a popular amateur weather website that covers the western part of North Carolina, reveals a dramatic decline in snowfall amounts since the mid-80s. Although the past three winters have brought impressive snow, the numbers show that trends over the past two decades simply do not measure up to the dumps of 30 years ago.

Snow in the South, even at the highest elevations, will likely remain hit or miss. Perhaps this is what draws the attention and enthusiasm of the Southern skier: When the snow is good, it’s really good, and then it’s gone. However, even in low snow fall years, nordic skiers will still find enjoyable tours in the Southern highlands.

Fun Events & More Info

The High Country Nordic Association was formed in 2010, when a group of nordic skiers met to plan a “Tele-Fest.” The association is planning many activities this season, including a Film Festival, the 2nd Annual Telefest Jan. 21 at Beech Mountain, N.C., and updates on regional skiing conditions. Visit their group and page on Facebook to find ski partners and ask for tips. To find the best backcountry spots in your area, check with local ski shops or area outdoor outfitters. If you can find it, get your hands on a copy of Randy Johnson’s book Southern Snow to discover the vastness of our winter world.

Now go make some tracks.

TOURING THE ROAN HIGHLANDS

No southern skier should go without a tour of the Roan Highlands. Regarded as Nordic Nirvana, when the snow is right the Roan Highlands are the crown jewel for ski touring in the Southeast. The Highlands rise like a weathervane above the hills of Tennessee and catch the full force of arctic weather systems moving in from the northwest. Gale force winds howl through the evergreens, breaking branches and driving snow into massive drifts. On the balds, wind scours the open country nearly clean of snow and deposits enormous snow fields on the lee side.

The High Country Nordic Association's Justin Studt finds the flow of the telemark turn in the trees.

Tours in the Highlands are as varied as the weather, passing through a unique combination of evergreen forests, hardwood glades and open balds. Some can be moderate winter excursions, others can cause the most die-hard snow freaks to question their love of extreme conditions. Several classic tours begin from Carver’s Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina line:

– For a short out-and-back tour, ski along the road to Rhododendron Gardens, tour the gardens, then return. To lengthen this tour, head out the old Balsam Road, the first road on the left when heading up from Carver’s Gap. This is a pleasant, quick tour with little elevation change.

– For a more ambitious route that requires a few tele-turns, head up the road to the old Cloudland Hotel site and continue on the Cloudland Trail. After passing the first gate, check the Appalachian Trail on your right for snow depth. If the creeks are frozen and the snow is at least 12 inches, this should work as a return route. This trail undulates along the top of the massif and climbs to its terminus at Roan High Bluff. Often the winds at the bluff can be heard well before reaching the top. After a snack at the bluff (stay in the woods and out of the wind) head back down the Cloudland Trail. This requires deep snow and a solid tele-turn.

– For a fast and exciting downhill from the Cloudland Hotel site, head into the spruce trees and down the Appalachian Trail. This run requires quick reflexes to handle the switchbacks and other surprises.

– For more experienced adventures in the Highlands, try the Roaring Creek Area. Flanked by the Yellow Mountains and the crest of the Highlands, this impressive watershed on the North Carolina side rises from the low elevations of the Toe River to the massif crest. For tours beginning on Roaring Creek Road, you will need to be prepared for skiing up and down steeper terrain, turning in trees, route finding, and self-rescue. (Note: the road to Roaring Creek is not plowed, so you may also need to ski to the trailhead). From the Overmountain Victory Trailhead, skiers can access the Appalachian Trail, Little Hump and the Hump. Look for open downhill runs on the lee sides of the fields and be prepared for brutal conditions.

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Posted in 2011 - Issue 6 (Dec/Jan), All Posts, Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | 1 Comment »

Elk Knob Summit Now Accessible

Friday, October 14th, 2011 - posted by brian

Story and photos by Molly Moore

The Elk Knob Summit Trail begins with a casual amble through canopied woods. The 1.8 mile trail is all uphill, and after rising gently for the first quarter mile, carves a series of switchbacks up the mountainside, eventually meeting an old dirt road at the summit. At the top, hikers are greeted by stunning panoramic views of the Blue Ridge and Black Mountains to the south, the Amphibolite Mountains and Virginia to the north, and west into Tennessee.

The summit trail, completed in September 2011, is the first at Elk Knob State Park, one of North Carolina’s newest parks. More than that, the trail is distinguished by the hands that built it — most belonged to volunteers.

“People climb mountains to get to the top,” says volunteer trail builder Tom Layton. “The reason we built the trail the way we did is to make the top of the mountain accessible.”

On Sept. 4, about 30 volunteers from the past five years finished the trail to the summit. The first volunteers came from a South Carolina youth group. Over the following years, groups ranging from high school clubs and college classes to Boy Scouts and Mountain Alliance members ripped out roots, leveled ground, and moved rocks — some the size of a small car. Weekly workdays attracted a core group of about 10 area residents and regular High Country vacationers. Park Superintendent Larry Trivette enjoys former volunteers showing the trail to their families. “They feel like they have an investment in the trail and in the park,” he says.

Winding upward

What could be a strenuous climb is made into a pleasantly physical hike by the trail’s steady grade, gravel tread and steps cobbled with stones from the mountain. Several benches, composed of trailside rocks, provide opportunities for snack breaks or meditations with nearby lichens.

Along the trail, patches of sunlight filter through buckeye and beech branches. Some areas are carpeted with drooping grass, in other spots the moist earth is cloaked in moss and mounds of fall leaves. Elk Knob is one of 10 peaks in the Amphibolite Mountains of northwestern North Carolina. The Amphibolites, part of the Appalachian Mountain chain, are composed of a dark metamorphic rock and break down into a sweet soil that supports rare plants.

The structural strength of the trail is apparent even to an unobservant hiker. A level gravel tread is banked on the down-slope side by a stone crib wall to thwart erosion. In steep places, the trail crew dug a trough, installed rocks plucked from the surroundings, created a rock wall, and then built the trail tread on the uphill side. Trivette discovered that the trail became slick rather quickly, and decided to invest in a gravel trail surface. Volunteers spread a barrier of geo-textile fabric on the trail bed to keep the gravel from sinking into the mud and then raked the gravel over the fabric.

“During my career I designed and built products with a short life cycle,” volunteer Kim Mitchell says. “In retirement, I was yearning for a chance to be involved in a project that would produce something more permanent.”

Still, nothing in nature is static. A rainy September washed out sections of trail that weathered four years of storms, and in one spot an audible rivulet spilled out from the base of the trail. Trivette notes that Elk Knob is a particularly wet mountain. Water doesn’t just hit the trail during downpours, it seeps out of the banks and builds up before washing down the path.

“You can’t just build a trail and leave it alone,” says Trivette. “If we want the trail to last for generations to come, we have to spend time in this generation working on it, continually correcting it.”

Trail Cents

Estimated contract construction labor per foot: $45
Length of Elk Knob Summit Trail: 10,032 ft.
Estimated contract trail design: $49,660
Total estimated contract construction cost: $501,100
Tools and gravel: $43,055
Estimated employee salaries: $33,045
Estimated amount volunteers saved the state: $425,000
Volunteers are still needed for trail maintenance.

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Posted in 2011 — Issue 5 (Oct/Nov), All Posts, Hiking the Highlands, The Appalachian Voice | No Comments »

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