Driving to Find Snow.

When you live in a town that rarely sees snow, or even cold winter weather, you sometimes have to take the initiative to find a place to play in the snow.

So it was one day when Carole and I jumped in the truck and headed to the North Carolina high country to find some real winter weather. We were not disappointed.

At Carvers Gap on the NC/TN border.

Sometimes you have to drive a couple of hours and 4,000 feet higher.

An Old Section Hike of the Appalachian Trail

Over the years the Appalachian Trail has become more and more crowded. Often it's so crowded that I have found that I am completely unable to find anything like the solitude that is the main reason I go to hike and backpack. The last time I backpacked a section of the Appalachian Trail was in late May of 2009. The Trail remains a unique and physically beautiful place, but the crowds I encountered there convinced me that it's not really the place for me to spend a lot of time in anymore.

Obligatory shot on the precipice of McAfee Knob.

The warmup hike we took to McAfee Knob before beginning the backpacking trip.

The scenery was indeed stunning. But the opportunity for peace and solitude was hard to find.

The three-day backpack that took us to Mountain Lake.

Favorite Campsite

I've posted some of the best campgrounds and campsites that we've ever used. The most beautiful single campsite I've ever been is in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, but I've never taken my Casita there. One problem is that the locals all know it to be as beautiful as any site in the National Forest system, so it's always reserved. It's almost impossible to book. And, as I said, we only tent-camped there.

But one place we stayed for several days in our Casita is unique because almost every site in the campground is exceptionally nice. The facility is called Hurricane Campground and it's in the Mount Rogers National  Recreation Area. It's  easy to get to, just a short drive down a  gravel road and far enough from paved roads and habitation to give you solitude, peace, and quiet. There are two creeks in the campground, so almost every site is waterfront of one kind or another. The place is heavily forested and many trails are in close proximity for those who like to hike. And there are lots of waterfalls to visit with trailheads within easy driving distance. Even the Appalachian Trail passes close to the campground, so you can hike it if you feel the urge to do so.

Each site has a paved apron, a picnic table, fire ring, and a lantern post. For those who don't have an a bath aboard their RV, there are flush toilets and warm showers available in the bathhouse at the top of the hill.

We have stayed at many State Park,  National Park, and National Forest campgrounds,but in most ways this one has been my all-time favorite.

(There is another Hurricane Campground located in North Carolina in the Nantahala National Fores,  but this is not the one cited here.)

All of these photos are from our trip there in 2006. This is my old white Nissan Frontier. It's the only vehicle I ever owned to which I became emotionally attached. I still miss that old truck. This was a fantastic campsite. The creek was right behind us and the sound of it lulled us to sleep. There are no hookups there, so we took our Honda generator.

Carole and I always enjoy a campfire when we're camping in our Casita.

All set up and plenty of firewood.

Just a nearby waterfall. There are tons of waterfalls in the area.

The Fall colors were brilliant during our stay there.

Me at Rowland Creek Falls. This was the best waterfall I saw while we were staying at the campground. It's a steep hike down, and a long climb to get back to the trailhead.

Crowded Mountain

I sometimes go to hike at a local state park called Crowders Mountain. People who go there for solitude will mainly look in vain because its nickname is "Crowded Mountain" for good reason. Not only are there almost always a lot of people there hiking, you can never really get away from the sound of automobile engines due to the park's proximity to major roadways, including Interstate 85.

So I don't go there very much. (Only when I'm desperate.)

Similarly, I no longer go on extended hikes on the famed Appalachian Trail. It was never really a place to find true solitude. There have always (in my experience) been too many people hiking on it to find any real silence and peace. However, when I was younger you could travel it at certain times of the year and find yourself alone for a day or so. But as the years have passed I've found that this is no longer the case, with literally hundreds of people using stretches of it on any given day.

The last time I hiked a multi-day trip on the AT I swore would be my last. This is because I found it to be just way too crowded. Groups of people hiking together. People hiking with their freaking dogs. Camping areas and shelters packed to bursting with humans. The stench of human feces blasting for many yards in every direction at overused pit toilets. Bothersome creepy through-hikers with their annoying nicknames bugging the crap out of you.

This was not the Appalachian Trail of my youth.

But occasionally I would still venture there to day-hike. Sometimes I'd even find myself alone on the Trail with complete silence all around me and no pesky humans to bug me. This year I even entertained the idea of an overnight backpack on a section of the AT where I figured I might find some solitude if I went when the weather was cold.

But something is about to happen that I've feared for some time. The long-rumored movie to be produced and starred by Robert Redford is going to hit the screens. Yes, Bryson's excellent A WALK IN THE WOODS is going to be seen in movie theaters and home systems in the near future. After that, everyone who ever had even the slightest inclination to backpack the Appalachian Trail is going to go out and buy equipment and hit the Trail. It's going to be one long wait at the mountain range's checkout line. Yes, your local REI and Dick's Sporting Goods are going to rack up massive sales, but any chance one might have to enjoy the Trail are going to be gone. At least until the coming fad withers away.

Oy.

May of 2011 on the AT on Unaka Mountain. Actual solitude. I saw not one other hiker.

On the AT, same day. Soft grasses and cool mists. No voices.

May 2010. My last multi-day backpack on the AT. Everything I hate about what the trail has become. Dogs. Crowds (there were, eventually, about three dozen people at the shelter). Annoying folk. Fecal stench. No thank you.

And here come Redford and Nolte to compound the problem. Alas.

Georgia Mountains!

Well...Carole and I are headed off to the north Georgia mountains for a few days. We haven't been there since 2008. We're going to try to visit a spot in the county where I went to high school--the Cohutta Wilderness Area where I first went backpacking as a kid.

Will return in less than a week with new experiences and batches of photographs. I hope to see some black bears while we're there.

High peaks near the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (near Springer Mountain).

Part of the upper section of Amicalola Falls during low water flow. Taken the last time we went to the mountains in Georgia.

Newfound Gap!

One of my favorite car-accessible spots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Newfound Gap. This is at the highest point on 441, which is the road that bisects the Park and allows visitors to drive from Gatlinburg TN on the north side of the Park over to Cherokee NC on the southern side.

Generally I can't stand being around traffic, lots of cars, and crowds. And you stand a really good chance of encountering all three at Newfound Gap. However, it's also a great way to achieve access to trails that take you to some of the most stunning scenery in the Great Smokies. The Appalachian Trail crosses at Newfound Gap, and you can head off either east or west and eventually find your way to just about any other trail in the Park from here. I have done so many, many times.

And so, although the road in many ways wrecks the wilderness aspect of the Park, it is a glorious place to stop your car and enjoy the scenery, or to begin a backpacking trip or a day-hike. Here's to Newfound Gap! Where Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park!

You want views? We got views.

From the viewing platform looking down on the parking lot.

More views.

From the parking area looking toward the overlook platform and the Appalachian Trail.

And the Appalachian Trail. March off in this direction and you'll reach one of my very favorite peaks in the Park: Charlies Bunion. Hang a left along the way and you'll travel along the trail called The Boulevard leading to the summit of Mount LeConte.

Many Moons Ago

A very, very, very long time ago I went on a three-day backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The end of the backpack had us leaving the trails on the first day of May. Warm weather, you say? LOL! Nay-nay, say I.

Just before we arrived, the upper elevations of the Park got hit with a super-heavy snow event. Up to three feet on the highest peaks. We began the trip in Smokemont (where there was almost no snow at all), climbed up the spine of the ridge where we spent the evening in a trail shelter. Then we were supposed to have camped on the summit of LeConte (eleation 6,594 feet). But the snow was so deep that we just got physically worn down from post-holing in the deep drifts. That really tires you out.

Thus, about a mile short of the summit, we had to make camp in the forest or else get caught in the dark. Sleeping on packed snow was the most uncomfortable camping experience that I can recall. I didn't get cold because I had lots of insulation beneath me and was using a down bag. But the ice formed steel-hard ridges under me and made sleeping an adventure in pain management.

At any rate, enjoy very old photos of a very young me backpacking in deep snow when the weather should have been much warmer.

Yours truly at Charlies Bunion. One of my favorite Smoky Mountain summits. The snow was deep here, but we had no idea how deep it was going to be. The slog was already tough, and I was feeling really bad at this point (roughly 5400 feet above sea level).

Trying to head up LeConte. The snow at this point was knee-deep. We were breaking trail much of the way. Hiking through snow that deep is very difficult and it only got deeper farther up. We were on the Boulevard Trail not too far from the Appalachian Trail junction.

The days of the old instamatic film cameras. Digital cameras weren't even a gleam in some computer geek's eyes at that point.

This is where we gave up the ghost and realized we were not going to make the summit before dark. So we figured the best thing to do was pitch the tent and camp on this ridge. The night was cold, but the skies remained clear and no more snow fell, so we didn't have to deal with that. In the morning, we just packed up and headed down to Newfound Gap.

Checking my trail guide as we made our way out. I think this was at the junction of The Boulevard and the Appalachian Trail. It was all downhill from here to Newfound Gap.

Fresh Air Coming...

Normally, I love the holidays. Right now...not so much. I haven't been out of the city in a while. Under usual circumstances I can get out of the city and into the forests and mountains and relax. But it has been a while since I've been able to do that. As it stands, I will have several days in early January when I can go somewhere to enjoy the wilder places in the Appalachian Mountains. Until then, I stay here and grind my teeth and feel the old pressure building.

Just a few more weeks...

Well engineered trail in Virginia.

Appalachian Trail junction.

Large slide on a nearby mountain.

Summit of the romantically named Harkening Hill.

Aptly named Sharp Top Mountain, frosted in ice and sleet.

Evening mountain skyline.

Last December

I'm continuing to work on my latest fiction projects. I may have to ultimately cut back on the Internet just to get the work done. Or switch completely over to photo-blogging. All options on the table.

Almost a year ago since our trip to Carver's Gap and my brief hike to Grassy Bald in frigid temperatures and bone-chilling wind. Sometimes you have to drive a bit to see Old Man Winter here in the South.

Looking at Roan Mountain. The Appalachian Trail is buried under all of the snow and ice somewhere. Some have mentioned the possibility of bringing the bison back to this area. They would have to be cordoned off in some way, at least initially. Returning such a large animal to this part of the East could be problematic.

Some of the deep snow had been scoured away by howling wind. This was on the Appalachian Trail.

Most of the mountaintop is made up of grassy fields. But here and there are small groves of spruce trees.

A little winter magic.

How'd I Miss That?

Damn. June 1st was National Trails Day! And I let it pass unnoticed. My fault, I guess for being too busy writing.

Well, in honor of a day I ignored but should not have, some photos of trails I have hiked.

Appalachian Trail (Don't go. Overcrowded, camping areas filthy.)

Yes, that's a trail. I swear it. Black Mountain Crest Trail.

Appalachian Trail at Carver's Gap, Tennessee.

Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV.

Panthertown, North Carolina.

A coyote was just in front of me along the Boogerman Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Stone Mountain, NC.

Engineering help on Stone Mountain Trail.

Volcano, WV.

One of the rim trails in the Linville Gorge Wilderness.

Blue Lakes Trail, Colorado.

Trail in the Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

Glacial moraine on the Chasm Lake Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Southwest Virginia

Another of my favorite spots is the area in southwest Virginia. Carole and I used to go there periodically because it's close to where her land is located at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. The mountains there are relatively high so there's a great diversity in forest type. Plus, there are many streams and lots of waterfalls.

The place is also where a lot of cool towns have been built. One of the nicest is Damascus, Virginia, often referred to as "the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail". It deserves the title, in my experience.

There is so much to do and see in this compact vicinity that even though Carole and I have been visiting it extensively for years, we feel that we've barely scratched the surface.

Backbone Rock, just across the Tennessee line near Damascus. Often called the world's shortest tunnel.

Just below the summit of Whitetop Mountain, the second highest peak in Virginia.

Typical scenery in southwest Virginia.

Wetlands at Beartree Recreation Area.

Waterfall along one of the highways near Damascus.

As I was crouched on a rock to take the waterfall photo, I looked down to see this fellow slithering under me.