Content from A Classic Hike in the Smokies

Since I answer the question differently every time it’s asked, the notion of a classic hike, obviously, is difficult to pin down. In essence, I define it as a hike that you could do 100 times, and every time will yield a unique experience. Some of that has to do with the trail itself. A lot has to do with the season. A lot, too, with the weather.

When I first hiked the Mt. Sterling/Cataloochee Valley area in 2005 — Trips 17 and 18 if you’re following along in “Backpacking North Carolina” (2011, UNC Press) — it was on a late November day. There were light, indifferent clouds overhead, the landscape had turned from predominantly green to predominantly brown and gray. The landscape was stark, the air cold. The sky, while not threatening, suggested I not overstay my visit atop 5,843-foot Mt. Sterling. A decade later, I still have vivid memories of that trip, though not of the reality TV variety.

This weekend, I made my first return visit, with GetHiking! North Carolina’s Classic Hikes. This time it was early spring in the high country. Wildflowers were prolific. The hardwoods had budded in the valley but not at elevation. It was cloudy with a light rain falling most of the day, with late day reports of sleet and fat snowflakes from the summit. The world was a shiny, wet green, with flashes of color — blinding white dogwood blooms in the understory, the forest floor peppered with white, yellow and purple blooms — popping in contrast.

Memorable in a different way than my first visit. Not necessarily better, different. And, I’m sure, it will be different the next time I visit.

Despite the fact I use the word “classic” liberally despite an imprecise definition, it’s not a word I use lightly. Maybe I can’t define a classic hike, but I know one when I hike it.

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It would be three hours before a first responder could reach the scene, a dispatcher for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park told the hikers. Though it wasn’t cold, the torrential rain meant keeping Pete warm would be a top priority. That’s where Mr. Silly from Saturday turned into Sunday’s savior. He happened by shortly after Pete fell; his beach chair was just what was needed to keep Pete off the wet ground and keep him from slipping into shock. The umbrella came in handy, too, as did the space blanket Jon had purchased just three weeks earlier.
As predicted, Park Service Medic Les Kwiatkowski arrived about 1:30 p.m., three hours after Pete went down.
“He did an assessment of Pete and the injury, relayed the info to the dispatcher, and placed a splint on Pete’s right leg,” Jon said. “He also trenched the trail to route the water running down the trail around Pete.  From that point, Les continued to monitor Pete and stay in communication with the dispatcher while we waited for the rescue team.”
A second medic arrived around 3:30 and administered the pain medication that would make Pete’s bouncy ride down the mountain bearable. A half hour later, more than a dozen rescue team members arrived with a basket litter and a wheeled Teton litter. They also brought gear for an overnight stay if conditions warranted.
“They moved Pete into a zero degree sleeping bag inside a waterproof bivy sack, placed a helmet on him, and strapped him into the basket litter. They then strapped the basket to the wheeled Teton litter and the rescue team and I started down the mountain together.”

The evacuation begins
It was 4:30. They had three miles of trail ahead of them. The sun would set in about an hour, and the wind and rain were picking up.
Slowly, they began down the mountain.
Jon describes the contraption and process that would help get Pete off the mountain:
“The wheeled Teton litter had a single motorcycle tire in the center of an aluminum frame, with two handles and a hand brake on the back. On the front, a person would get inside a step-through bar on the litter — like you see when people are pulling rickshaws. These two people would guide the Teton litter and control the speed. Two people on each side of the litter would help guide it, lift it over obstacles, and keep it upright as needed. After a while, the team would stop and people would swap off with others when they were too tired to keep going. When the trail got too narrow for people to be on both sides, they would line the trail standing on the mountain sides and pass the litter from one person to the next. At times, they would hook onto the sled when there was a danger of falling themselves.  Throughout the rescue, team members were calling out commands to ensure obstacles were seen before the litter got to them, to halt the litter if needed, and to control the speed of the transport as required.
“The last guy, the trailer, was carrying the beach chair and walking with the polka dot golf umbrella open over his head. He said if he had to carry it he may as well use it. People were giving him a hard time, of course.”

Water, water everywhere
Soon, it was dark and the wind had become more ominous. And there was the water.
“Water was pouring down the trail, running down the mountainsides over the rock walls creating new waterfalls, and previously shallow creeks were now rushing streams, one time coming over my boots filling them with water,” says Jon. “You could hear the water rushing around you through the forest and see the whitewater like a trail through the forest from the reflections of our headlamps.”
They made a brief pitstop in an overhang at Alum Cave Bluffs, swapping out headlamp batteries, grabbing a snack, catching their breath. Then they pressed on.
“We came to an area where the trail is routed up and over the root section of an old downed tree,” Jon said. “The litter had to be lifted and turned sharply to get over that obstacle. Rescue personnel were standing awkwardly all over the sides of the trail and on the roots of the downed tree to get through.”
At a series of steps at Arch Rock, Pete and his sled had to be belayed using a series of ropes set up by the rescue team. Once they’d passed that obstacle, another arose: a one-log bridge crossing common in the Great Smokies.
“It was very tricky to lift the litter onto the bridge and keep the tire centered on a 18 inch wide log with a rail on just one side, with rescue personnel on the back and front and in the stream guiding the litter along when possible,” said Jon. It was the first of many such bridges they would have to negotiate in the last mile and a third.
“One seemed like it was only 12 inches wide,” Jon said.

At the trailhead, 10 hours later
“We finally made it to the parking lot and a waiting ambulance at 8:30 p.m, 10 hours after the accident occurred,” Jon said.
Pete was transported to LeConte Medical Center and put in a full leg cast. Three days later he had surgery in Asheville. He’s expected to be off the trail for at least eight weeks.
What might seem like a harrowing experience to some was, to Jon, just another adventure on the trail that was handled by following some common sense rules of hiking.
Know where you are at all times. Knowing the trail as well as Jon did helped: they were able to let rescuers know their precise location. A map is essential, as is a compass. A passing hiker had an altimeter and was able to provide a precise elevation, which helped rescuers as well.
Hike prepared. Jon and his buddies weren’t expecting to hike at night, but they all had headlamps — and extra batteries. “I always pack a first-aid kit, rain gear and extra food,” said Jon, “even on short hikes at Umstead. You never know what might happen.”
Try to hike in groups of three or more. The power of numbers was key to Pete’s rescue, said Jon. “If it’s just two of you and one of you gets hurt, then you have to decide between going for help and staying with the injured person.”
Make sure you don’t become part of the problem. Hiking down, Jon was in the company of qualified rescue personnel. “I was carrying some gear, but my main goal was to be careful and not add to the problem.”

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Cool, cloudy, chance of rain. Some people see that as a forecast for a Netflix weekend. We see it as a trail fix weekend.
Three weeks ago, we spent a cool, wet Sunday hiking 12 miles on the Tanawha Trail at the base of Grandfather Mountain. Perhaps a little wetter than we would have preferred, but one thing is for sure: for the 25 or so folks on the hike, it was one memorable day.
The forecast for this weekend isn’t quite as wet. It is, however, supposed to be cool, with mountain temperatures expected to stay in the 60s. A good weekend to kick off your fall hiking season.
Where might I kick it off? you inquire.
Here are five hikes we especially like on cool, wet days. Included are links where you can find more information on how to plan and execute your hike.

1. Price Lake Loop, 2.7 miles. Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 297. This easy hike hugs the lake on a rhododendron-lined trail. Even if you can’t see Grandfather Mountain (which you can on a clear day), the fog-shrouded lake is a nice treat. More info here.
2. Cataloochee Valley, various lengths. Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When clouds settle into the valley, the sense of isolation felt this long-abandoned community must have felt is underscored. Hike among the buildings remaining from the valley’s pre-park days — the church, the school, various homes — or do any number of circuit hikes, including a 9.5-mile hike including the Rough Fork, Caldwell Fork and Big Fork Ridge trails. More info here.
3. Linville Gorge (east rim),14.1 miles (shorter options available). Pisgah National Forest near Linville. Descending into the gorge on a rainy day can be scary — and dangerous. But stick to the east rim between Table Rock and Shortoff Mountain and you’ll get a sense of the foreboding below, but on a relatively flat stretch of trail. More info here.
4. Schoolhouse Ridge, Wilson Creek, 5.6-mile loop, Pisgah National Forest near Mortimer. Unless you’re into multiple creek crossings with moving water above your knees, Wilson Creek is an area to avoid when it rains — with the exception of Schoolhouse Ridge. There’s water and a waterfall at the trailhead, but from there the trail takes the high road, climbing through a drainage, returning along Schoolhouse Ridge. More info here.
5. Basin Cove, 10-18 miles, Doughton Park, Blue Ridge Parkway. The hard-core turn this climb from the base of Doughton Park to the top and back into an 18-mile ordeal. The soft-core opt for the 10-mile out-and-back to the Caudil Cabin along a trail that follows Basin Creek the entire way. Unless the rain is torrential, the creek handles water well, and the climb through rocks and pines is especially memorable in the rain. More info here.

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Taking a hike.

In the Triangle, for instance, we’re looking at daytime highs in the mid- to upper 40s and sunny to partly sunny skies through New Year’s Day. Good timing since most of you likely have some time off over this same time period. Since the weather today is universally ugly and thus ideal for planning, we offer 10 hikes especially well-suited for this time of year. Look ‘em over, consult the listed sources for additional information. If nothing tickles your hiking fancy, head over to our sister site, NCHikes.com, for more options.

Enjoy!

Coast

1. Boiling Springs Nature Preserve, 1.5 miles, Wilmington. (For details, go here.) Just a mile and a half? you may protest. After a few minutes on the trail at this The Nature Conservancy 6,925-acre property 25 minutes from downtown Wilmington you’ll be glad it isn’t longer considering how much there is to stop and see. Says The Nature Conservancy, “In an average natural area, there are 8 to 10 species of plants growing in one square meter, but in the wetlands of Boiling Spring Lakes there are several times that number.” Various carnivorous plants unique to the region, the red-cockaded woodpecker and the rough-leaf loosestrife are among the more unique sights you’ll see here.

2. Neusiok Trail, Croatan National Forest, Havelock. 20.1 miles, with shorter options (Trip No. 42, “Backpacking North Carolina,” Hike No. 5, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). The Neusiok, much of which runs through a swamp, has a limited hiking window, and if you don’t hit this classic by mid-March, you’ll be sorry (and also plagued by flying, stinging bugs). Wintertime temperatures in the 50s and overnight lows near freezing make this the perfect coastal escape, regardless of whether you like going long (the whole 20.1 miles) or simply chewing off a section or two. An especially rewarding hike on a cool, sunny winter’s day.

View Ten Hikes for the End Days (of 2012) in a larger map

Piedmont

3. Uwharrie National Forest, Birkhead Wilderness, Asheboro, 7.4 miles (Hike No. 36, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” Trip No. 35, “Backpacking North Carolina,” or go here.) There’s a starkness to the Birkhead Wilderness, a 5,160-acre notch on the northern tip of the Uwharrie National Forest southeast of Asheboro, that makes it ideal for winter hiking. Although not a particularly mature forest, there’s a dearth of understory that makes for good, long sightlines in this portion of the ancient Uwharrie mountain range that’s a bit mellower elevationwise than to the south. A good, long hike for people who may not think they’re up for a good, long hike.

4. Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, 2.9 miles (Hike No. 20, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina or go here). Normally, you’d expect to spend a good hour in the car to find a spot as remote as the Johnston Mill Nature Preserve. But thanks to the 1999 efforts of the Triangle Land Conservancy, this 295-acre preserve remains intact amid the encroaching sprawl of Durham and Chapel Hill. Your escape from the city happens quickly: From the main trailhead off Mount Sinai Road, you descend through dogwood, red cedar, sweetgums and loblollies into a floodplain forest rich with the rare: four-toed salamanders, Thorey’s grayback dragonfly, green violet, bloodroot, stemmed yellow violet and columbine. Walk along New Hope Creek to the Beech Loop, a bluff trail that gets its name from the sizable Fagus grandifolia that dominate the hillside. Later, check out remains of the Johnston Mill and homestead dating to the early 18th century. An especially foot-friendly tread (trail surface) makes this a particularly good venue for less able hikers.

5. Ledge Spring and Jomeokee trails, Pilot Mountain State Park, Pilot Mountain, 2.8 miles, with longer options (Hike No. 47, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). One of the joys of winter hiking in North Carolina is the opportunity for great views. Colder, generally drier air eliminates the haze the plagues summer skies; on a clear day you may not be able to see forever, but you can see a long, long way. From the top of Pilot Mountain, which towers 800 feet above the surrounding landscape, you can see west to the Blue Ridge mountains, north into Virginia and south to Winston-Salem and beyond. The mountaintop Ledge Spring and Jomeokee trails offer the best views. Throw in the Grindstone and/or Mountain trails to add some distance.

6. Latta Plantation, Charlotte, 4.2 miles (Hike No. 28, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). So much hiking, so close to town. Sixteen miles of trail explore this 1,343-acre preserve on the north side of town; we recommend a loop that includes the Hill, Cove and Split Rock trails, a loop that features a rare Piedmont prairie, a type of grassland common in the region prior to the European invasion but rarely found today. This being winter, you’ll miss out on the wildflowers common to a Piedmont prairie (such as the smooth coneflower), but you will get a sense of the vast open spaces that today we typically associate with the West. Some good shoreline and cove hiking on this loop as well.

Mountains

7. Mount Sterling, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 18.1 miles (Trip No. 17, “Backpacking North Carolina”). Of course, part of the thrill of winter hiking is the chance to experience some winter. You’ll have a good shot of that on this loop in the Great Smokies, which starts below 3,000 feet and tops out in a balsam forest atop 5,823-foot Mount Sterling. Super Storm Sandy dumped more than a foot of snow in the Smokies’ higher reaches and her wind created drifts of four to five feet. If you’re looking for a good winter adventure in November, this would be the hike. The summit happens early on, after a little more than six miles of hiking (the last 2.2 miles of which gains 1,700 vertical feet). After that it’s a lovely, mostly downhill ramble down Mountain Sterling Ridge Trail and Pretty Hollow Creek, with a return through Little Cataloochee. Lots of natural beauty interspersed with signs of the park’s cultural past. A most worthy 18-mile day.

8. Doughton Park: Basin Cove Loop, Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, up to 20+ miles (Trip No. 11, “Backpacking North Carolina,” Hike No. 54, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). Another backpack/day hike option, where you should, at least through mid-month, find some color on a trip that starts at the base of the Blue Ridge escarpment. Hike in the easy 1.5 miles to the campground (establish base camp, if you’re backpacking), then behold numerous options, including: 3.4 miles up Basin Creek to the old Caudill Cabin (16 people living in one room) or head up the 2.8-mile Bluff Ridge Primitive Trail to Bluff Mountain, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and additional exploring along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Especially nice, again, with the seasonal BRP crowds diminished.

9. Schoolhouse Ridge Loop, Wilson Creek, Mortimer. 5.6 miles (Trip No. 10, “Backpacking North Carolina,” Hike No. 68, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). January can be a dicey time of year for backcountry exploring in the mountains. The higher you get, the greater the chance for snow and ice — more a problem for driving than hiking. Good reason to say low (between 1,500 and 2,400 feet), yet still reap the benefits of a mountainlike trip. Good reason to visit the Wilson Creek area. One thing about Wilson Creek is the number of creeks that penetrate this rugged section of the Blue Ridge escarpment below Grandfather Mountain, creeks that often present challenging crossings. Not so much the case on the Schoolhouse Ridge Loop. Though it does have multiple crossings of Thorps Creek early on, none are challenging. After that, it’s carefree mountain hiking.

10. Linville Gorge: East Rim, 14.1 miles, with shorter options (Trip No. 7, “Backpacking North Carolina”). Out-of-town visitors are always looking to do “name” adventures — something the folks back home probably have heard of and would likely be impressed by. Linville Gorge is one of those places in North Carolina, an area known for its rugged beauty, falls and 2,000-foot deep (in spots) canyon. A great way to explore this wilderness is from along its East Rim. More adventurous types can start at the south end of the gorge and within two steep miles be atop Shortoff Mountain (from there, the hiking levels considerably as you head north). Or, take Forest Service roads up to the Table Mountain access where you can quickly climb 3,680-foot Tablerock Mountains (great 360 views), check out The Chimneys (popular with climbers) or take the Spence Ridge Trail, down into the gorge (it’s the easiest trail down). Great photos that come with bragging rights.

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Come summer, with its 90/90 days (heat/humidity) the last thing on most of our minds is a long hike in the woods. Oceans of sweat, acres of trail-clogging cobwebs, no hydration pack big enough to sate your insatiable thirst. Very understandable, this hike aversion — if you don’t know where to go. For if you do, there are plenty of trails — from North Carolina’s steamy coast, to the stuffy Piedmont to the sun-drenched high country — ideal for summer exploring.

At the coast, you’re wise to incorporate a really large body of saline water in your hike plan. Water is likewise a key ingredient in the Piedmont, though the occasional alpine anomaly also offers relief. In the Appalachians, refreshing waterfalls and elevation combine to offer escape.

We’ve compiled a list of 25 hikes that are especially well-suited to a North Carolina summer, five at the coast, 10 each in the Piedmont and the high country. You can find additional information on each at the links provided and in the references mentioned, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina” and “Backpacking North Carolina.”

Let your summer hiking adventure begin here.

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