medium hike – Page 6 – Virginia Trail Guide

This 4.5 mile ascent of Mt. Washington follows challenging, steep, slick terrain along a ravine that showcases waterfall after waterfall. Once you clear the treeline, you are treated to a hut visit and some of the most dramatic alpine walking in the east.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Adam On Crawford Path — From Lakes of the Clouds Hut, you follow the Crawford Path (America’s oldest continually used hiking trail) to the summit of Mt. Washington. In this photo, you can see the summit and its weather towers looming in the distance. Below: The trailhead begins near the cog railway on Basecamp Rd; The beginning of the trail is deceptively easy; There are many water crossings en route to the top – some easy, some not so easy.

Adam Says…

Hiking to the summit of Mount Washington (also known as ‘the most dangerous small mountain in the world‘) was definitely a bucket-list item for me. Making it to the top of the highest peak in New England feels like an accomplishment and we definitely have memories from the hike that we will never forget.

Before you attempt to hike up Mount Washington, some planning needs to take place. Mount Washington has been called the Home of the World’s Worst Weather due to the high winds, ice, and low visibility that can rear quickly. In fact, in 1934, they recorded a wind gust of 231 mph. Check out the funny video of someone trying to eat breakfast from the summit area during one of these high wind days. Needless to say, I would strongly recommend checking out the weather from the Mount Washington Observatory to determine if a summit is possible and how different the weather and temperature will be at the top.

We arranged for Christine’s parents to meet us at the top and shuttle us back to our car. Many people descend by trail, but there is a hiker shuttle and a limited number of seats available on the Cog. It’s important to note that you should always be prepared and have a plan for walking off the mountain. Trains and shuttles book up quickly and the auto road closes from time to time. Ultimately, you are responsible for your safety and the manner of your descent. Visit New Hampshire’s Hike Safe site so you can learn more about mountain safety and the state’s expectation that every hiker be prepared.

Stream — The entire Ammonoosuc Ravine trail followed a stream which tumbled down the mountainside in waterfall after waterfall. Below: Lakes of the Clouds advertisement; The early parts of the trail are rocky, but only slightly uphill.

As we were driving along the road to the parking lot, the sky was completely cloudy. The online forecast said it was going to be a perfect day, but the clouds were saying something different. We hoped that the weather would push off and made it to the parking lot. We packed some extra gear knowing that the temperature was going to be much cooler at the top. We started off from the parking lot and filled out our parking permit, enclosing $3 in an envelope to allow us to park in the lot. The parking lot was already getting full and we could tell that all the people getting ready to hike were in great shape. We hoped we were ready for the challenge and started on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail from the end of the parking lot. The trail started off relatively flat through a thickly forested area. At .25 miles, we reached a stream crossing. Because a heavy rain fell just the day before, the crossing, which is normally easy, presented a real challenge. We saw a few others cross in different areas, but ultimately decided the best route was tightrope-walk across a thin log that spanned the creek. This is always more unnerving when you are carrying expensive camera gear, but we made it across without a hitch. We were worried how many other crossings we would have to make seeing the Ammonoosuc River on our trail map coming ahead.

At 1.0 miles, the trail reached the Ammonoosuc River, but the trail turned quickly to the right. We saw the rushing water of the river and glimpsed up at the sky, which looked less foreboding than earlier. The trail hugs the riverside and begins a steep ascent up a rocky slope. At 2.1 miles, we reached the Gem Pool, a serene swimming hole created by a small waterfall. We rock-hopped across to continue the path from the pool and stopped for a short rest in this peaceful area. After leaving the Gem Pool, the trail becomes very steep as you climb up the rocky slope. At 2.35 miles, a small trail to the right leads about .1 miles to The Gorge waterfall. I highly recommend checking out this waterfall, which you can see plunging over 100 feet. We returned from The Gorge and rejoined the trail. The trail continues its steep ascent and you can only imagine that you are climbing up a slope that seems to be as steep as the slope of the waterfall you just saw.

Christine at Gem Poo — Christine crossing the water at Gem Pool. This is the point of the hike where the climbing starts getting serious. Below: Adam works his way uphill on the steepest part of the hike; It was seriously steep; One section had a little ladder to help you over the boulder.

We continued to climb up the very steep slope until we reached a great viewpoint at 2.7 miles. Along with the view, there were also multiple waterfalls falling in dramatic cascades. It was here that we were finally able to see that the clouds had moved off and we should have a gorgeous hike to the summit. The unnerving thing was that in order to continue the trail we had to walk across the top of a waterfall with a very precipitous drop to one side Due to the rain, there was no way to rock-hop across. We knew we had to put our feet in the water to make it across, but we couldn’t tell how deep the water was or how fast it moved. As we realized that a false step could have meant a long plummet down, it definitely gave us a gut-check to see if we could make it. We tried to look around for the best way to cross and decided to wait and let a few other hikers attempt it first. After learning what others had done, we followed suit and crossed without any difficulty.

The hike from this point continued to be steep as you climb along some areas of bare, slick rock. Eventually, we began to rise above treeline and were able to see Lakes of the Clouds hut seated on the edge of the ravine. The wind was already picking up and the cold wind had us switching into cold-weather clothes. To the left of the hut was the summit hike to Mount Washington and we could clearly see the Observatory Tower in the distance. We reached Lakes of the Clouds hut at 3.2 miles and decided to go inside to eat a snack.

One little spur trail on the steepest section of climbing led to this large and impressive waterfall called Gorge Falls. Below: Christine picks her way through boulders and across the water; Our first views into the Washington Valley; At the halfway point

Lakes of the Clouds Hut was built here over 100 years ago and has some interesting history. Two AMC members, William Curtis and Allen Ormsbee, were hiking up the Crawford Path to go to an annual AMC meeting at the Summit House on the top of Mount Washington in 1900. They reached what is now Mount Eisenhower and met 60 mph winds and cold temperatures. By the time they reach Mount Monroe, the temperature had plummeted to freezing and the rain became ice. Curtis died at Lakes of the Clouds and Ormsbee pushed on for help before perishing himself only a few hundred yards from the summit station. The storm lasted for 60 hours and their bodies were discovered. The AMC created a wooden shelter first near where Curtis had died. In 1915, the wooden shelter was replaced with a stone shelter and it has since had several additions and improvements made. It can accommodate up to 90 guests per night.

From the shelter, you can see a trail that leads up to Mount Monroe. If you are interested in peak-bagging a few of “the Presidentials”, it is a short but steep hike. We decided to save our energy and just tackle Mount Washington. We continued along the trail and soon reached views of the Lakes of the Clouds, which are actually more like mountaintop ponds than full lakes.

Since we were now above treeline, the hike to the summit of Mount Washington was now just a series of steps across boulders for the remaining 1.3 miles. The wind was incredibly strong and I believe gusts were at least 50 mph, which is considered more of a calm day on the mountain. The wind was blowing up the ravine to the left of our bodies, so there were times that we had to angle ourselves to fight the winds as we pushed onward. The views of the ravine and behind us were more breathtaking with each step. Whenever we stopped to turn around, the wind had our noses running from the cold and it was hard to even talk to each other through the force of the gusts.

Waterfalls Near the Headwall — Near the top of the headwall, there is a series of several impressive waterfalls and the scariest water crossing we’ve ever done. Below: This trail had so many waterfalls; Our first view of the Mt. Washington summit; Hikers coming out of the ravine.

At 4.5 miles, we reached the summit area. We followed the signs to the summit marker, that was crawling with people. Most people reach Mount Washington by car or by the cog railroad. When you pay to take the Mount Washington auto road, you receive a sticker that states “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington”. We waited our turn to get a picture with the summit sign. Some people were amazed that we had hiked up. We made our way over to the visitor center and snack bar. We had agreed to jokingly meet her parents by the “death plaque”, a plaque that shows a list of the names of people who have died on the mountain. When we arrived at the snack bar area, a group of hikers we had seen earlier on the trail whispered to us “there’s a hiker’s lounge downstairs”. While the upstairs area was crawling with people, the hiker’s lounge was quiet and nearly empty. We had a peaceful time to eat our lunch and then were able to meet her parents in about 30 minutes. From here, we jumped in their vehicle and enjoyed the car ride down the narrow road that snakes down the mountain. We stopped a few times along the way to catch some last views of the Presidential Range before we were back on the road.

The hike up Mount Washington was definitely something that Christine and I felt that we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish several years ago. I can’t think of any other time that I have felt such a sense of accomplishment after reaching this summit. We were so blessed with the great weather and we have already begun talking about how we could do an entire hut-to-hut Presidential traverse.

Christine Says…

With our days in New Hampshire running out and great weather in the forecast, we decided we had to tackle Mt. Washington. With a reputation for fickle weather, ice storms that happen at the height of summer, and gusts of wind that can blow a grown-man sideways, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The night before our hike, we were looking at maps and guidebooks and discussing our different route options. Across the living room, my mother was Googling ‘deaths on Mt. Washington‘, ‘failed hikes of Mt. Washington‘ and ‘accidents on Mt. Washington’. Comforting, right? She also told me to make sure I had the phone number for New Hampshire’s Fish and Game department on hand – they do most of the mountain rescues in the state. Her worries and cautiousness got into my head, and I went to bed feeling really nervous about my ability to make it to the top.

Adam Approaches Lakes of the Clouds — Adam approaches Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Below: Inside Lakes of the Clouds; We ate cake!; Wooden racks for carrying supplies.

On the drive to the trailhead, dark blackish clouds completely obscured the mountain. I said to Adam, ‘This is probably a bad idea.’ He reassured me, telling me he was certain the clouds would blow off, the day would be beautiful, and that we would have a great time. I let my worries non-verbally stew in the back of my mind. We parked, geared up and made our way down the trail with several other groups of people.

Within the first mile, we came to a rain-swollen stream with no clear way to cross. The rocks normally used to rock hop were all under rushing water. I tested a few spots, and ended up falling shin deep into water and wrenching my knee. I was feeling discouraged, because the only other potential crossing left was a thin, bouncy, moss-covered log that had fallen across the stream. I have problems with vertigo and balance, so situations like this really push me outside my comfort zone. Adam carried all the expensive camera gear, and I slowly and carefully stepped across that log. Phew! I told Adam if there were lots of crossings like this one, I didn’t think I could do the hike. He offered to turn back, but I told him that I wanted to challenge myself and keep going.

Fortunately, most of the hike followed alongside the stream with only a few much easier crossings along the way. Eventually we reached the Gem Pool. What a gorgeous spot! It’s a crystal clear, green, pool; fed by a cascading waterfall. It would be a great place to take a picnic and go for a swim. We did one more rock hop at the end of the pool and prepared ourselves to do some serious climbing!

Mount Monroe & Hut — Mt. Monroe looks like a small hill above the hut. Below: Mt. Monroe; The Lakes of the Clouds’ namesakes.

About 1600 feet of elevation gain comes in just about a mile of hiking after you pass the Gem Pool. It’s grueling and steep, but both Adam and I were well-prepared with all the hiking and other cardio we’d done to prepare for this trip. We were able to make the ascent without having to take a breather! The only stop we made along the way was the side trail to check out the Gorge Waterfall.

On the climb up, we started seeing glimpses of the valley through the trees. The majestic Mount Washington Hotel looked like a tiny red speck below. We’d come a long way up already! The remainder of the steep climb followed the Ammonoosuc River through the plunging ravine. Even when we couldn’t see the water, we could hear it.

Eventually, the trail exited from the woods onto a wide rock plateau. Above, we could see a waterfall falling in several distinct drops and below, we could see the water crashing over a steep, long drop. We decided to take a break and enjoy the view from the rocks. We sat for a minute taking it all in. At that point, I noticed I didn’t see the trail continuing anywhere. Horror dawned on me when I realized that the trail continued on the other side of the river. We saw two people cross it successfully, but I still wasn’t so sure. The water was fast and a little deep from the rainfall the day before. I had no idea how slick the rock under the water would be. The crossing had just a couple feet of flat width on the downhill side before the water dropped over a 100 feet down into the ravine. A slip at this crossing would almost surely be fatal. I took a moment to hyperventilate and freak out, and then I plunged across. This was followed by another ‘Phew – I’m still ALIVE’ moment.

Fighting the Wind — Adam fights the 50-60 mph winds. Below: The hut grows increasingly tiny; Christine hikes along; There were several rock fields to cross.

After that crossing, the hike was less steep but a lot rockier. The trees were getting smaller and more stunted as we approached the treeline. We could see the summits of both Mt. Washington and Mt. Monroe looming above. Lakes of the Clouds Hut was in view, but distances are so deceptive above treeline. Everything looks so close, but it’s always further than you expect. I guess it’s a bit of an optical illusion when you don’t have trees to compare for scale.

As soon as we broke the treeline, just slightly below the hut, the wind was shockingly strong. I was hiking in long pants and long sleeves, but I had to add my hooded jacket right away. Even so, my face and hands were freezing! I was sure I had packed gloves. I usually keep a spare pair in all my backpacks, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. I ended up paying the premium price to buy a cheap pair of gloves at the hut (only to find the spare pair of gloves in a side pocket that night when we got home).

We took a twenty minute break at the hut and enjoyed some of the baked goods made by the Croo. Adam had pumpkin cake and I had chocolate cake. I had my phone with me, so I decided to take a look at MapMyHike to see how we were progressing. I found that Lakes of the Clouds actually has 3G service, so I posted an Instagram and a Facebook status from the hut. Ah… technology! 🙂

Tough Climbing — Adam pushes uphill against wind, over rocky terrain. Below: Spectacular Presidential Views; Christine has made a lot of uphill progress; Many cairns mark the way above treeline.

After our snack and rest, we were ready to tackle the last mile and a half of trail to reach the Mt. Washington summit. I can’t even describe how much I enjoyed this portion of the hike! The climb up the Ammonoosuc ravine had been moderately scary, physically challenging and really slippery, but the hike along the Crawford Path was pure, unadulterated hiking joy!

The Crawford Path was built in the 1800’s and originally used as a horse trail to the summit of Mt. Washington. The trail celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1994 and is the oldest, continuously maintained, hiking path in America. I felt so privileged to be walking someplace so beautiful and historic.

We spent some time exploring and photographing the glacial ponds that give Lakes of the Clouds its name. On this particular day, the pools were sapphire blue and covered with scalloped ripples from the brisk wind. It was spectacular and gorgeous.

We toiled along, pushing our bodies against the 50 mph winds. The alpine terrain was breathtaking and otherworldly. I’ve never seen mountain views like the ones I saw in New Hampshire on this trip. Between the walk along Franconia Ridge, and then the hike along the Crawford Path, I had my mind blown twice in one week. These places should be on every American hiker’s bucket list!

The stretch of trail between the hut and the summit is a rock field. Sometimes the rocks are wide and flat, sometimes they are uneven, loose and pumpkin-sized. The trail isn’t so much a path as it is a series of cairns that keep hikers on course.

At first, the trail between the hut and Mt. Washington was pretty flat, but the final push to the summit required a little more steep climbing. The weather station towers looked so close you could almost touch them, but it turned out they were still about a half mile away.

We could tell we were getting really close when we started seeing more and more people in jeans, sneakers and sweatshirts milling about the trail. These were the car and train people! Eventually the trail emptied us out onto the summit. We passed the historic hotel-turned-museum – Tip Top House – and made our way over to the summit marker. We actually had to wait in line with all the car and train people to have our picture taken at the summit sign. It’s always funny to finish a hike that has a summit that can also be reached by car – Clingmans Dome comes to mind (the high point on the Appalachian Trail).

Cog Railway — The cog makes a few daily ascents/descents of Mt. Washington. Below: The crowded summit building; The Mt. Washington Hotel sits below the mountain – what a beautiful day!

After taking our obligatory summit photo, we grabbed some drinks and hot dogs from the summit building’s snack bar and waited in the hiker’s lounge. My parents still hadn’t arrived, so we had about a half hour to kill. It made me wish we actually had taken the time to do the short side-trip climb to the summit of Mt. Monroe when we had been at Lakes of the Clouds. I just didn’t want to leave my parents waiting in case we took longer than expected. I didn’t want them to worry more than they had to.

Every 10 minutes or so, I ran up the stairs to look for my parents. On the third trip up, I spotted my father and my (nervous-looking) mother waiting by the death sign. I know it sounds kind of mean to have them meet us there, but honestly, it’s the easiest ‘landmark’ to find in the summit building. The place is so crowded that you can’t really say ‘meet me by the snack bar, museum or gift shop’. My parents were both relieved and impressed by how quickly we’d made it to the top.

Honestly, other than the two nerve-wracking water crossings, the hike up Mt. Washington was not nearly as difficult as I expected. The elevation gain was challenging, but I think it would be doable for most reasonably fit people. And the walk from Lakes of the Clouds to the summit was a pure pleasure, and definitely one of my most memorable hikes ever!

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.5 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 3800 ft.
Difficulty – 5. The steepness of the hike is no joke. The winds and weather possibilities just add to the difficulty.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. The trail is well-maintained, but there were some stream crossings, loose and wet rock that made this tough in some parts.
Views – 5. Once you rise above treeline you have great views of the ravine. The view from the top of The Gorge is also nice.
Waterfalls/streams – 5. You get the rushing waters of the Ammonoosuc River, the Gem Pool, The Gorge waterfall, and Lakes of the Clouds.
Wildlife – 1. We didn’t see much other than squirrels. Some moose have been spotted near the lower parts of the trail.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Junctions were clearly marked. The hike from Lakes of the Clouds to the summit could be difficult on foggy/rainy days, but follow the cairns.
Solitude – 2. On a gorgeous day, there were lots of people. But, due to the danger of hiking this trail, that is probably a good thing to have others nearby. We were always able though to find our own space to enjoy views.

Download a trail map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From Interstate 93, take exit 35 to merge on to US-3. Take US-3 for 10.4 miles and then take a right onto US-302 East. In 4.4 miles, take a left on to Base Station Road. Follow this about 5.7 miles until you reach a large gravel parking lot on the right. The trailhead can be found as you entered on the lefthand side of the lot.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Lonesome Lake (NH)

September 16, 2013September 4, 20182 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

This 3.3 mile hike is one of the easiest and most accessible ‘hut hikes’ in the White Mountains. Lonesome Lake is beautiful and the hut provides a nice place to stop for a picnic lunch.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Adam Says…

After our hike on Franconia Ridge, I had to take a day off to let my leg muscles recover. When we were ready to tackle another hike, we decided to do something on the easier side this time that didn’t have nearly as much elevation as our previous hikes. While we were hiking up the Franconia Ridge Trail, we noticed this serene lake in the far distance.

We started off our hike from the opposite side of I-93, so we walked underneath the interstate bridge and followed the signs for the Lonesome Lake hike. This led us into Lafayette Place campground, which has 98 campsites. With such nice weather we were having, it was no surprise that the campground was full. It always feels awkward to me to be walking by campsites while people are still sleeping, eating breakfast, or hanging out. We made our way along quietly and then reached the true trailhead next to campsite #93.

The Lonesome Lake trail consisted of a steady climb through sections that are covered with roots and steep rock steps. At 1.35 miles, we reached the ridge and came upon our first glimpse of Lonesome Lake at a junction point with several other trails. We stopped for a quick breather and to enjoy the view of the lake, a remnant of a glacier that had carved out the mountains. The uphill hiking was over, and we headed left on the Cascade Brook Trail, which winds around the side of the lake. The trail was boggy in many spots, but there were often footbridges, rock steps, or logs to walk on in the muck to make our way across easily. On our way, we passed a croo member from Lonesome Lake who was heading down the mountain with a wooden frame loaded with outgoing refuse from the hut.

Mountain Reflection — The mountains reflect in Lonesome Lake. Below: There are lots of trail junctions when you reach the end of the lake; The trail around the lake is muddy and traversed by planks and stepping stones; Climbing the stairs to Lonesome Lake Hut.

At 1.6 miles, we reached the junction with the Fishin’ Jimmy Trail. We took a right on to this trail and in a short distance we came to a large dock on the lakeside. There were a ton of teenagers on the dock, so we decided to check this out later. Right above the dock was a series of steps that led to the Lonesome Lake Hut. When we arrived in the hut, there was nobody there except for a few croo members. One was cleaning up the kitchen and the other was packing her frame to take down the mountain. We talked to her for a while and found out that they make several trips a week down to the base of the mountain where they meet up with someone to help them resupply for their trip back to the hut.

We rested a while on the back porch of the hut and talked to a family that was visiting from the Netherlands. They were on their way to visit Shenandoah National Park soon, so we gave them some tips on where to stay in the park and some of the things we would recommend they do while in Virginia. The large group of teenagers had cleared out, so we went to the dock to enjoy views of the southern end of the lake (now occupied by several families with toddlers). We made our way back the way we came to finish the out-and-back hike.

Inside Lonesome Lake Hut — The inside of Lonesome Lake Hut is cozy, bright and cheerful. Below: Adam enjoys a nice seat on the large porch overlooking the lake; Whoopie pies and mountain views; The Lonesome Lake dock gets crowded!

We could tell from the people that we saw climbing up that this is a highly-trafficked hike. We hope in the next few years to do a larger hut-to-hut traverse across this area. It was nice to see a possible overnight location in advance. This is an easier hike that most families should be able to do if they take their time.

Christine Says…

After hiking Franconia Ridge, we decided to take a day off and be restful tourists rather than ambitious hikers. We spent the day visiting Dartmouth College, sampling Long Trail Ale, gorging ourselves on Cabot Cheese and watching glassblowers at Simon Pearce. The next morning, we were ready to get back on the trail. Adam’s knees and calf muscles were still bothering him, so we went with the easy hike to Lonesome Lake.

Lonesome Lake is lovely glacial pool sitting between North Kinsman and Cannon Mountains. The initial ascent to the lake is a little steep – about 1000 feet over 1.3 miles, but compared to many other hikes in the area, it’s considered a very easy trail.

When we began our hike, the morning was cold and sort of grey. The forecast called for brilliantly sunny weather, but you just never know what you’re really going to get in the White Mountains. We meandered through the Lafayette Place campground to reach the trailhead. The smell of campfires and cooking bacon was heavy in the air. That smell always makes me so nostalgic for the camping trips of my youth. My mom was a great camp cook – there were always sausages, bacon, pancakes and eggs. Nice memories…

Each hut is run by a ‘Croo’ – mostly college students on summer break. They carry supplies for the hut on their backs using these wooden racks.

The hike up to the small plateau where the lake sits is uphill and pretty, but generally unremarkable. Like most New Hampshire trails, you can expect to see lots of rocks and roots along the way. As you climb, the woods change from predominantly hardwood to a heavier evergreen mix.

At the tail-end of the lake, there was a junction sign with different trail options headed in many different directions. We followed an almost completely flat trail around the perimeter of the lake. We caught lots of glimpses of the water through the trees, but the most memorable feature of this trail was the mud! Thankfully, the trail is well maintained and rocks and planks were strategically situated the entire way, and we never had to get our boots muddy.

At the head of the lake, we crossed a wooden footbridge that came out between a wooden staircase and a lakefront dock. Since the dock was packed with kids from a summer camp group, we decided to check out Lonesome Lake Hut before enjoying the water. We climbed the stairs and found a charming cluster of wooden buildings that make up the ‘hut’. Unlike Greenleaf Hut, which is in a single building, Lonesome Lake Hut is a collection of cabins and a main dining room.

A couple members of the Croo were still cleaning up from breakfast. And of course, Adam managed to snag more free leftover pancakes! If you have a spare minute, check out this fun video about the 2013 hut Croo. If I had known there was such a job opportunity as ‘AMC Croo Member’ when I was in college, I would have leapt at the opportunity. It sure would have been more fun than filing procurement paperwork for the Army Corps of Engineers! (no offense to ACoE).

Christine Enjoys the Lake — Christine sports her new knee brace. Below: The beautiful lake; Beginning the climb down; The ranger station at the base of the mountain.

At Lonesome Lake, we met another croo member who was loading up her packboard with empty boxes and other outgoing items to carry down the mountain. She said the trip down is typically a lighter load than the trip up, which includes food and other supplies. The AMC has a fun article about Packboarding Legends. Can you believe some people have carried packboards weighing over 100 pounds? The average is more in the 40-80 pound range, which is still extremely impressive!

After looking around the hut for a few minutes, we found a couple pleasant Adirondack chairs to relax upon. The back porch of Lonesome Lake hut is a great place to idle away a pretty summer afternoon. While we relaxed, the sun came out, making it even nicer for sitting. I shared a whoopie pie with Adam. We also had a very nice conversation with a family visiting from the Netherlands. They were greatly enjoying the expansive, forested terrain of New Hampshire – something they said they have little of at home.

After a while, we made our way back down to the lakeside dock. We found it still crowded, so I took some photos and didn’t linger for long. The hike back went very quickly. We saw lots of families hiking up to spend a night at the hut. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to do a hut stay on our next New Hampshire trip.

Trail Notes

Distance –3.3 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 1000 ft.
Difficulty – 2.5. The climb up was fairly steep, but because of the short distance, you can take your time.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. The trail is well-traveled and in good condition. There are some steeper sections and some worn-out areas that do require careful footing.
Views – 2. You do get views from the lake of the mountains around you, but the height of the mountains around the lake keeps you from getting distant views.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. While you don’t have waterfalls and very limited stream views, you are rewarded with a massive lake on this trail.
Wildlife – 1. We didn’t see anything on this hike other than squirrels.
Ease to Navigate – 3. There are some confusing spots where you wonder where the trail is leaving the campground. Also, the junction at the ridge has a lot of different trails to follow. Read the signs and you should be fine.
Solitude – 1. On a clear day, this hike is likely crawling with people.

Download a trail map (PDF) – Coming soon!

Directions to trailhead: Head north on I-93 until it becomes Franconia Notch Parkway. Pass exit 1 and the exit for the Basin. Take the next exit (for trailhead parking). Park in this parking lot. Leave your car and head underneath the bridge that is I-93. Follow the signs for the Lonesome Lake trailhead, going into the Lafayette Place Campground. The trailhead leaves near campsite #93.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Mt. Cardigan (NH)

August 25, 2013July 19, 20192 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

This moderate 3.3 mile hike takes you to the summit of a beautiful, bare mountaintop complete with a fire tower. Views from the summit look across three states.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Views from the Summit of Cardigan — Even though Cardigan is a small mountain by New Hampshire standards, it still offers dramatic views. Below: Adam begins the ascent of the West Ridge Trail; Trees give way to open rock; Cairns mark the way across the rocky mountain top.

Christine Says…

Standing at just 3,155 feet, Cardigan is a diminutive mountain compared to many of its neighbors. Though it lacks in elevation, it still offers a bald, rocky summit and panoramic views that allow you to look across New Hampshire and into both Maine and Vermont.

We thought it would be a great first hike on our trip – kind of a White Mountain warm-up. We were still pretty tired from the 12-hour drive up, but we set out early Sunday morning. We arrived at the parking lot in Cardigan State Park and found only a few other cars, despite the day being sunny and pleasant.

There are several routes up Cardigan. We chose the ascent recommended by the Darmouth Outing Club, the West Ridge Trail, which climbs 1200 feet over 1.5 miles to the summit. The trail started out behind a small picnic shelter. It climbed quickly uphill through classic New England forest – lots of pines and white birches. As we climbed higher, we traversed several small streams and muddy areas on small footbridges and planks. There was even one tiny waterfall cascading over a slide of smooth rock.

Rough Terrain on Cardigan — Most New Hampshire mountain trail require negotiating rocks, roots and mud. Below: Classic New England woods – pines and birches; Adam crosses a plank over a muddy area; Our first open views on the trail.

After the junction with the Skyland Trail, we continued up the West Ridge on increasingly steep and rocky terrain. Soon the trees gave way to a smooth rock dome, and instead of orange blazes the route was marked by cairns (pyramid-shaped piles of rocks). Every time we paused, we took a moment to gaze backwards – the view was growing more and more spectacular with every step.

The last push to the fire tower was fairly steep, but once we reached the lookout the vista was open in every direction. It was also a lot colder and windier. Without the shelter of trees, the wind was whipping 25-30 mph. We explored the summit for a while – looking over toward the Presidentials, spotting the wind turbines on the ridge next to my parents’ house and guessing the names of lakes we could see from the top. Cardigan is made of Kinsman Quartz Monzonite, a rock similar to granite. It’s beautiful and almost shimmers and sparkles in the sun.

To make the hike a little more diverse, we decided to descend by the South Ridge Trail. This took us by the Fire Lookout Cabin and the South Peak and Rimrock summits. We enjoyed a couple more beautiful views. It was fun to look back up at the fire tower from the South Peak and marvel at the terrain we covered. This part of the trail also offered a bounty of wild blueberries. The berries were perfectly ripe – the ideal combo of sweet and tart. I know we have wild blueberries in Virginia, but I would swear the ones in New England taste better!

Mt. Cardigan Fire Tower — The Mount Cardigan Fire Tower. Below: Cairns mark the way as the fire tower comes into view, the steep descent; the rock was steep and slick.

We didn’t expect the trail down to be so steep and rocky (especially the section after we crossed the Skyland Trail again), or to get caught in a pop-up rainsquall. Weather really does change in an instant in New Hampshire! I had my rain jacket in my backpack, but we were so close to the end of the trail that we just picked up the pace and jogged the rest of the way back. There’s a lack of photos for the portion of the trail that required us to run through the rain, but overall you get the gist of what this trail is all about.

When we got back to the car, the parking lot was jam-packed. Several cars were circling like vultures to claim the spot we were about to vacate. Soon, we were on our way, headed in the direction of Canaan, NH. We decided to grab lunch at a little diner-like place called ‘Dishin’ It Out’. As it turned out, Canaan was holding it’s Old Home Days weekend when we visited. Old Home Days are a New England tradition, kind of a mix of a homecoming and a fair. There were food stands, craft vendors, fresh produce, local maple syrup, softball games and even cow chip bingo. It was a fun ending to our first hike of the trip!

Fire Tower — The summit is dominated by the fire tower. There are great views and lots of small pools on the summit.

Adam Says…

As Christine mentioned, this was a great introduction to hiking in the White Mountains. As we were driving along to Mt. Cardigan State Park, moose crossing signs made us excited about the possibility of spotting one of these elusive creatures. We weren’t lucky enough to spot any moose, but as we got closer and were driving into the wooded park area, we knew we were about to take on a classic New England hike. You can download a trail map here.

The trail started off with a few stairs and then started a rather gradual uphill climb. At .4 miles, the trail intersects with the South Ridge Trail, our return route. We stayed on the West Ridge Trail and continued the climb. At .9 miles, the trail intersects with the Skyland Trail. Continuing on the trail begins to open up to more views and as you continue to climb, the trail rises above the treeline. At this point, you follow carefully-placed cairns until you reach the summit. We passed a sign that showed the intersection with the Clark Trail, reaching the summit and fire tower at 1.4 miles where the wind was blowing strong and cold. Even though the cold air had my nose running, I didn’t feel like getting out my jacket. The fire tower was locked but one of the sides served as a good protector against the wind.

We shared the summit with a couple of guys that were using a mirror to signal someone down at the lodge where they were staying. I never could tell if they were returning signals back to them. We stayed at the summit before making our descent down. We decided to make a little loop of our hike and descended back to the sign that showed the intersection with the Clark Trail. We followed the yellow-blazed Clark Trail as we sharply descended the mountain to connect us to the South Ridge Trail, leading us past a locked building. Passing the building, we started to spot blueberries all around. At 1.75 miles, the trail intersected with the orange-blazed South Ridge trail. We took the South Ridge Trail and it was fairly level and winded through a low-brush area until we reached the South Peak. We continued along and met the summit of Rimrock at 2.1 miles.

From Rimrock, we could see a rainsquall approaching. Below: The fire lookout cabin; Adam picking blueberries; From South Peak you can look back toward the fire tower atop Cardigan.

At this point, the South Ridge trail crosses the Skyland Trail and then changes its blaze color from orange to white. This part of the trail was very steep and rocky, reminding us of some of the tough climbing down we did from Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. We pressed on down this tough section of trail, wishing we had taken the Skyland Trail back to the West Ridge Trail (which is what we would both recommend to save the strain on your knees). At 2.9 miles, the South Ridge Trail finally ended and intersected back with the West Ridge Trail. We took a left here and made our way back to our car at 3.3 miles.

The downhill from Mt. Cardigan had Christine worrying about her knee, especially when the rain started. We had to move quickly for the last .4 miles. When we got to the parking lot, the lot was now overflowing with cars. We were so glad that we started the hike early and that we had good views at the top.

Mount Cardigan has been a popular place for hiking since the 1800s. In 1855, a forest fire destroyed most of the trees at the top of the mountain, which has left it as the bald that you see today. Because of the ability to see from the summit, a wooden fire tower was built here in 1904, to be soon replaced with a steel tower in 1924. On a clear day, you can see Mount Washington and other peaks in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Pleasant Mountain in Maine to the east, and Camel’s Hump in Vermont to the west. Some people choose to stay at the nearby Cardigan Lodge, operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and hike an alternate route to the summit for 5.2 miles roundtrip.

Descent into the Woods — The descent into the woods was steep and rocky. Below: More steep descending.

The panoramic scenery from the top was truly breathtaking. Based on what we had hiked before in New Hampshire to this point, it was one of the best views we had seen up here. Of course, we were just getting started for this trip and we ended up having some other hikes take the prize for best views here. However, you won’t be disappointed in hiking up to Mt. Cardigan on a clear, summer day.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.3 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 1250 ft.
Difficulty – 3. By Virginia standards this is a moderate hike, but by New Hampshire standards it’s an easier hike that still offers great views.
Trail Conditions – 3. Like most New Hampshire trails, this trail is a mix of smooth rock, roots and mud. Trail builders have done a great job building bridge and planks to traverse muddy areas.
Views – 5. Spectacular… if you can see mountains in three different states, you know it’s good!
Waterfalls/streams – 2. There are small streams, but really nothing scenic or noteworthy.
Wildlife – 2. We saw a red squirrel and a variety of birds.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Trails are well marked and free trail maps are available at the trailhead.
Solitude – 1. If you start early, you can avoid crowds, but this is a popular trail.

Download a trail map (PDF)

A friend of mine (and native New Englander), Ben Kimball, sent me some additional resources! Check out his brochure about the ecology of Mt. Cardigan. The publication also includes an alternate hike route starting from the AMC Lodge. He’s also provided a link to a page with photos and more information about the mountain hosted by the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands. Thanks, Ben!

Directions to trailhead: From Route 4, head north on NH-118/Dorchester Road. In .5 miles, turn right on to Cardigan Mountain Road. Stay on this road for close to 4 miles until you reach the parking lot area. The West Ridge Trail marker is on the northern end of the lot.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Grandfather Mountain – Calloway Peak (NC)

July 9, 2013September 4, 20182 Comments

North Carolina Hikes

This five-mile hike is demanding, thrilling and beautiful! It has everything from ladders and cables to amazing views of the Watauga Valley and the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you’re a fit hiker looking for something a little different – Grandfather Mountain definitely fits the bill!

View the Full Photo Album From This Hike

Attic Window Peak View — Sand Myrtle crowns Attic Window Peak on Grandfather Mountain, making the view all the more lovely. You can see the ‘Sugar Cube’ sitting on the mountain top off in the distance. Below: Hiker parking on Grandfather Mountain; A view looking back on the Mile High Swinging Bridge; Native pink azaleas.

Adam Says…

We have a love-hate relationship with Grandfather Mountain. I definitely enjoy the hike more than Christine, but both times we have hiked it, things haven’t gone as great as planned. The views on Grandfather Mountain are amazing, but some of the physical and mental challenges definitely take their toll.

The last time we hiked up Grandfather Mountain, we only made it a little past Attic Window peak. Christine wasn’t feeling well that day, so we decided we make a second attempt on this trip and make it to the highest peak, Calloway Peak.

We were some of the first people on the trail that day. The lady at the entrance gate (it costs $18 per adult) gave us a parking sign to put in our car window. This is used in case someone goes missing on the mountain and they need to perform a rescue. We were told they wanted us back at our car by an hour before closing. We parked in the lower Trails Parking area and were the first car in the parking lot. We quickly set off on to the Bridge Trail, which winds through a series of switchbacks, crossing underneath the Mile High Swinging Bridge, before reaching the upper parking lot at .4 miles. We made a quick trip into the gift shop and then took a quick trip across the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The wind was quite calm this time on the trail; last time, the bridge was singing and the wind was so strong, Christine could barely walk across the parking lot. I have a big fear of heights when it comes to man-made things (roller coasters, ziplines, ladders, etc.), so the swinging bridge is always a gut-check for me. The fact that the wind was calm made it easier for me. We walked on to the rocks on the other side and enjoyed some spectacular morning views to the west.

Crossing back across the bridge, we made our way down the stairs and across the parking lot to the large wooden sign to begin our real hike on the Grandfather Trail. We climbed up a few stairs and started our hike on the blue-blazed trail. The first part of the trail isn’t too tough. You reach an open area called The Patio at .6 miles and at .7 miles you reach the junction with the Grandfather Extension Trail. Continue past this trail and at .8 miles, you will pass the scenic Grandfather Gap area. Just ahead is a junction where the Underwood Trail branches off at .9 miles. We continued on the Grandfather Trail and here is where it can be challenging. Your first introduction to the difficulty of the hike is when you come across some cables that are helpful to grab onto to help yourself climb up or down the trail. When it is wet, the rocks can be steep and slippery, so it is helpful and often necessary to grab onto these.

Cables — Adam uses cables to assist him across a steep, slick rock. Below: Adam enjoys the views; Christine hiking along the easy part of the Grandfather Trail; Climbing one of the first ladders en route to MacRae Peak.

In a short distance as you are making way toward MacRae Peak, you have to navigate a series of ladders. The first one starts off as you squeeze along a rock that will have you hunched over and you climb up a tall ladder that is at an angle along a large rock face. This climb wasn’t as scary, but it is just a taste of what is to come. If you’re feeling uncomfortable climbing this ladder, I would recommend turning around. After climbing this first ladder, you will come upon more series of ladders. Some of these go directly up the cliff side and you are looking at huge drop-offs on the side. The first time I was definitely scared going up, but I felt more comfortable on this climb. The ladders are bolted into the rock and the ladders are placed at just enough angle that I didn’t feel I was going to plummet to my death. Once you navigate up through the ladders and climb up where it begins to level off, you are rewarded with more amazing views around you. We continued further and reached the sign to MacRae Peak at 1.3 miles. The sign rests at the bottom of another ladder. Climbing up to the top of the ladder, you then need to grab a cable to help pull yourself up to the summit boulder of MacRae Peak. The 360-degree views at this point are stunning on a clear day.

We took a short break at the top and then made our way back down the ladder to continue our hike. The trail begins to climb down and at 1.4 miles, you see another junction with the Underwood Trail. Continue the Grandfather Trail downhill with some big steps and cables. The trail then begins to climb again up to the Attic Window. You navigate through an area called The Chute, which has you climbing up a short but very steep area of small boulders to make your way to the top. As you crest the top at 1.6 miles, you can wind around to a rock outcropping known as Attic Window Peak, which serves as a great viewpoint. We had spotted someone sitting at the top of Attic Window Peak from MacRae peak. He was still there when we arrived and I noticed he was taking in the views while reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was asking if any of the other views were worth the trip, since he came up via the Profile Trail. He was interested in seeing the Mile High Swinging Bridge, but when we saw him later on the trail, we learned that he decided to just go back the way he came.

Negotiating the Rocks — Christine climbs the rocks. Below: Adam on a set of multiple ladders, Coming off the top of the ladder onto exposed cliffside; A well-earned view!

From Attic Window Peak, the trail goes downhill again, but then passes through a level area as you walk along a ridgeline with some great northwestern views (and a view of the steep Profile Trail). At 1.9 miles, you reach another overnight camping area known as Alpine Meadow. The trail descends again down another gap, before making the way up to Calloway Peak. At this point, the clouds were rolling in and sticking to the mountain, so our visibility was going away fast. We climbed up the Calloway Gap area and reached the junction with the Profile Trail at 2.3 miles. We pressed on, passing by the Cliffside Campsite at 2.4 miles. The trail continued to climb up some switchbacks. A sign came up at 2.7 miles which pointed the way to the Watauga View. Knowing there wasn’t much a view as we hiked in the fog, we made our way to the Calloway Peak. The trail at this point climbed up a couple of more technical ladders. We reached a rock that was the Calloway Peak at 2.8 miles. There was no sign designating this as the peak, but from ground markings, we could tell this is where the white-blazed trail of the Daniel Boone Scout Trail met the blue-blazed Grandfather Trail. I’m sure there is a view from the rocks here, but we could barely see 10 feet in front of our face. Disappointed, we made our way back down the ladders and took the side trail to the Watauga View. The view was barely there, but we stayed long enough to eat our packed lunch before making our way back. The views on the way back were getting swallowed by the clouds settling on the mountain, so we lost a lot of the views on the way back.

At 3.7 miles, we reached the junction with the yellow-blazed Underwood Trail. We decided to take that trail back to avoid some of the ladders. This trail is incredibly rocky and my knees were in so much pain after a short distance on this trail. I think if we do this trail again, I would rather take the ladders than this hellish, downhill knee-destroyer. Every step, I felt shooting pain in one of my knees and I wondered if I would need to be rescued (at least there was a sign in our car). We navigated down one large ladder and finally reached the junction with the Grandfather Trail again at 4.2 miles. I turned around to flip the bird to the trail for my personal enjoyment and reached the Grandfather Extension Trail junction at 4.4 miles. We took this red-blazed trail, which goes gradually downhill through a series of switchbacks until we reached the parking lot for our car at 5.0 miles. It was a tiring day, but if you are up for an adventurous hike, this is one you should definitely try.

Christine Says…

Oh… Grandfather Mountain – what can I say about this place.

On one hand, it’s a beautiful, rugged and exciting place to hike. On the other hand, things always seem to go wrong when I hike there – I’m sick, my technology fails, I injure myself. Maybe this mountain is trying to tell me something?

Adam on MacRae Peak — Adam enjoys the view from MacRae Peak. Below; Christine on MacRae Peak; Climbing the rocky trail.

The first time we hiked Grandfather, I developed a 101 degree fever, and ended up having to turn around near Attic Window Peak (the original goal had been to make it to Calloway Peak). I was just too dizzy and fatigued to hike anymore.

I was really excited to revisit the mountain and finish the hike we tried to do last fall. The morning started off with a great breakfast at the River Dog Café. We paid our entry fee to the park and headed up the mountain. The hiker parking lot was completely empty, skies were sunny and the wind was fairly gentle. It was pretty much the opposite of our last trip up the mountain.

We hiked up to the Mile-High Swinging Bridge. This time, we took the time to climb around the rocky outcropping on the far side of the bridge. Back in the fall, the wind had been so strong that we didn’t dare go out on the rocks!

We started up the Grandfather Trail, which departs from the upper parking area. We had the trail mostly to ourselves this time. We really didn’t see anyone else at all until the latter part of the hike. I enjoyed seeing the wild pink azaleas in bloom. Grandfather Gap was especially colorful with blossoms.

We negotiated the cables and ladders before coming to MacRae Peak. We scaled the ladder to the top and enjoyed the view from the big rock. One side of the mountain was clear, but the other was covered with low clouds and fog. The breeze pushed the clouds against the side of the mountain. They would hang along the ridge for a few minutes and then roll over and dissipate on the clearer side of the mountain. It was fun to watch the low clouds moving so quickly.

From MacRae, we descended steeply through a slick and rocky gap. The descent was short and ended at an immense rock jumble called ‘The Subway’. Ladders and blazes lead you through openings between giant boulders. On the other side, you soon face ‘The Chute’. The chute is a narrow, steep rock scramble that you must negotiate to reach Attic Window Peak.

From Attic Window Peak, the hike offers some more moderate ridge walking with spectacular views all along the way. The rocky spine was covered with blooming sand myrtle, so it was especially pretty on this visit. In fact, when famed naturalist John Muir visited this mountain, he described this ridge as “the face of all Heaven come to earth.” Luckily, John Muir got to visit this area before some idiot approved the Sugar Mountain construction project. I swear, ‘The Sugar Cube‘ (the main building’s nickname) has to be one of the worst eyesores in Appalachian nature. I guess its construction did inspire a change in legislation, so mistakes like that are less likely to happen again.

From the crest of the mountain, the trail descends again before beginning the final ascent toward Calloway Peak. The uphill hike passes through rich, mossy evergreen forest. On the way to Calloway, don’t miss taking a few minutes to walk out to the Watauga View. It’s a lovely rocky outcropping that looks into the Watuaga Valley. It was also the last place we had a view on our hike! On the way to Calloway, a massive cloud bank moved in and parked atop the mountain. It was like it was stuck and couldn’t quite make it over the peak. Watauga View was also the place I noticed that my smart phone had crashed at some point and wouldn’t restart (sorry – no MapMyHike stats). Normally, this would be a small annoyance, but just the night before my MacBook Pro self-destructed. Such technology angst!

The Watauga View was partially obscured by clouds. Below: Hiking toward Calloway Peak; Foggy Calloway Peak

We finished the climb to Calloway (which required a couple more ladders), spotted the elevation benchmark and wondered what the view would have been like on a clear day. Had we continued hiking, we would have continued on the Daniel Boone Trail and soon reached the Hi-Balsam backcountry shelter. But the peak was our turnaround point.

We made our way back along the ridge before eventually reaching the junction of the Underwood Trail. I remembered the Underwood Trail as very rocky and difficult. And it certainly was! I think at this point of the hike, the exhaustion of six straight days of hiking kind of kicked in. We really struggled, physically and mentally, with the tough terrain on this stretch of the hike. I guess I was fatigued and not being careful, because my foot slipped and I felt a twinge in my knee. I shook it off and kept going, but after that I felt a nagging, sharp pain under my knee cap. It came and went, so I did my best to ignore it. (I continued to ignore it on our last two hikes of the trip the next day, and ended up at the orthopedist and off the trail for a month after our trip.)

When the Underwood Trail ended near Grandfather Gap, I was thrilled to be back on easier footing. The rest of the hike went by quickly and easily. After we got back to our car, we spent some time walking around the Nature Center. We saw bears, eagles and mountain lions and enjoyed eating giant cookies and icy soda.

Like I said at the beginning, I both love and hate this trail. It offers so much in terms of scenery and physical challenge, but it’s a tough hike and I always seem to pay some kind of price for hiking there. Maybe I’ll hike it again someday… maybe.

The Dreaded Underwood Trail. Below: Grandfather Gap; Almost back to the hiker parking area.

Trail Notes

Distance – 5.0 miles.
Elevation Change – 2084 ft
Difficulty – 5. Having to use cables and climb ladders should tell you something. While this route was only five miles, you will go very slowly during most of the hike due to the steepness of the terrain.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is well-maintained, but that doesn’t make it easy. There are lots of rocky parts to navigate, especially on The Chute up Attic Window and the footing on the Underwood Trail is grueling.
Views – 5. The best views are from the Mile High Swinging Bridge, MacRae Peak, and Attic Window Peak. The clouds were covering the area at Calloway Peak for us, but I could tell the views from the Watauga View would have been spectacular also.
Streams/Waterfalls – 0. None.
Wildlife – 1. We didn’t really see anything beyond birds.
Ease to Navigate – 4. All junctions are labeled and the trail is fairly easy to follow. We have seen people get turned around at certain points (including us previously).
Solitude – 1.5. I would expect to see people along the trail and lingering especially at the viewpoints. Starting out early in the day should help with the solitude.

Directions to trailhead: The entrance to Grandfather Mountain is located on US 221, two miles north of Linville, North Carolina, and one mile south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 305. Signs for the entrance are well-marked and an entrance station is right off the road with large gates. Travel up the road by car until you reach the parking lot designated for hiking trails. The trailhead for the Bridge Trail is on the left side of the parking lot as you are driving up. Coordinates for the hiker parking area are 36.096145, -81.831802.

Roan Mountain (TN)

July 2, 2013September 4, 20182 Comments

Tennessee Hikes

This might be one of the most beautiful view hikes we’ve done in the Appalachians! The moderate 5.1-mile climb along a smooth, easy trail takes you over three lofty balds that will make you feel on top of the world!

View the full album of photos from this hike

Roan Views — The views on the Roan Mountain hike are amazing! There are open views of the mountains in every direction. Not many mountains in the area are as tall as Roan, so you’ll feel on top of the world this entire hike. If you look closely at this photo, you can see the Appalachian Trail meandering across ridgeline off in the distance. Below: Carvers Gap is on the Tennesse-North Carolina state line; Adam passes through one of the only tree-covered parts of the hike.

Christine Says…

After five exciting, action-packed days in the Smokies, it was time to move on to the third stop on our Southern Appalachians tour. We took our time leaving Gatlinburg. We bought more donuts from The Donut Friar (yay!) and did some laundry at the hotel (boo!). It’s no fun doing laundry on vacation – but five days of hiking creates quite a large heap of dirty clothes. After checking out, we meandered through Pigeon Forge. That town is loaded with crazy tourist attractions. I saw the Titanic, King Kong, an upside down building and even fed grapes and Milkbones to a trio of black bears (yes… it was safe and legal). [See a few amusing photos of Pigeon Forge] We even stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up extra memory cards for the camera. This turned out to be one of the wisest decisions on the trip – more about that later!

By 11:00 we were cruising along, headed in the direction of Roan Mountain. I’d long heard tales about the mountain’s famous balds and stellar views, and was so excited to finally have a chance to see for myself.

We finally got to Roan Mountain around 1:30 in the afternoon. Our hike started off at Carvers Gap, straddling the North Carolina/Tennessee line at 5,512 feet. Even from the parking lot, I could tell that this was going to be a special hike. First of all, we had amazing weather! Lower elevations were hot and sunny (mid-90’s back home in Virginia!), but Roan Mountain was sitting in the low 70’s with a pleasant breeze, brilliant blue skies, and puffy clouds. It was truly perfect hiking weather. Second of all, the view from Carvers Gap was lovely – hinting at the amazing vistas yet to come.

I put on a hat and lots of sunscreen, packed snacks and filled my CamelBak. As it turns out, I missed a large spot on my shoulder with the sunscreen, and ended up with an incredibly stupid-looking sunburn for the remainder of the trip.

Awesome Roan Views — Christine takes in spectacular mountain views. Below: A photo similar to this, but including colorful Catawba rhododendrons was recently featured in Backpacker Magazine; Funny portrayal of an AT Thru-Hiker on the sign.

The hike climbs uphill from the parking lot, following the Appalachian Trail, before quickly entering a thick stand of evergreens. This small patch of forest is one of the only spots on the hike that does not have a 360 degree panoramic view. Once you clear these trees, the remainder of the hike is a spectacular, mile-high stroll along one of the most beautiful view trails I’ve ever seen. Photos don’t come close to capturing how breathtaking views are along this stretch of trail. If I’ve ever been any place that inspired me to have a Julie Andrew’s moment (you know… the opening scenes of the Sound of Music where she’s twirling around singing ‘The Hills are Alive’) – this was the place. Of course, I didn’t actually do that, because truth be told, I don’t like musicals. But, I kind of understand the urge to burst into song when I see someplace this beautiful!

The first bald you come to is Round Bald at 5,826 feet. The views were wonderful, and I loved seeing the Appalachian Trail winding like a ribbon across the balds in the distance. From Round Bald, we descended into a small gap before climbing right back up to the summit of Jane Bald at 5,807 feet.

On Jane Bald I recognized a spot that had recently been featured in a photograph in Backpacker magazine. I took my own, less exciting version of the shot. Why less exciting, you ask? Well, in addition to being famous for balds and view, Roan Mountain is also famous for its dramatic Catawba Rhododendron bloom. The mountain is home to the world’s largest natural rhododendron garden. Roan Mountain State Park even holds a festival every June to celebrate the peak color. Many of the most memorable photos of Roan Mountain include the famous rhododendrons, including the one I had spotted in the magazine. Our hike took place a couple weeks before the bloom began, so while we missed the color, we benefited from lower traffic on the trail. I’ve heard Roan Mountain is crawling with crowds at bloom time!

After enjoying the views from Jane Bald, we descended again to a split in the trail. To the left, the Appalachian Trail continues, to the right a park trail continues to the third, and highest/largest of the three balds – Grassy Ridge Bald. There was a funny, hand-drawn illustration of a thru-hiker on the trail junction sign. I wonder if it was drawn by a thru-hiker or someone who was simply familiar with standard thru-hiker smells.

The climb to Grassy Ridge Bald (6,189 feet) is the only significant ascent on the hike. An elevation gain of about 500 feet leads you a large grassy bald dotted with rocks. Adam did some hunting for geocaches, while I found the perfect rock perch for eating cookies. I still had a pack of Oreos that had been part of my LeConte bagged lunch. They were a nice treat to enjoy in such a beautiful place!

We spent a lot of time on Grassy Ridge enjoying the views and chatting with a local teacher we met at the summit. He shared tales of running whitewater in the Smokies and hiking Half Dome in Yosemite. He also told us a bit about how the balds are maintained. Apparently, Roan Mountain uses a combination of mower and goat grazing to keep the balds cleared. I was hoping we’d spot the goats, but we never did.

As late afternoon approached, we slowly made our way back down the trail. The light was so beautiful on the mountains! I still can’t believe how many ridges and layers of mountains we could see from the trail. We recognized Mt. Mitchell by its height and Grandfather Mountain by its shape.

The walk back to the car went by way too fast for my liking! As soon as we were back I told Adam, ‘I want to hike it again!’ And, I’m certain we will – Roan Mountain was far too perfect to visit just once.

Enjoying Grassy Ridge — Grassy ridge offered plenty of rocks to sit on while enjoying the views. Below: Adam checks out the Peake Memorial; Walking along wide, open trail!

After leaving Roan Mountain, we had a fairly short drive to our lodgings in Pineola, NC. We decided to stay in the same log cabin at the Pineola Inn that we rented when we visited the Linville area last fall. It’s such a nice, cozy place to stay in that area.

We grabbed some dinner at Nick’s in Banner Elk and then settled in for the evening. Right after I downloaded my photos from the day, the screen of my laptop went black. As it turned out, the hard drive on my MacBook Pro chose the middle of vacation to call it quits. Thank goodness I had picked up that extra memory card before starting the Roan Mountain hike! If I hadn’t, I would have erased memory cards from earlier hikes and ended up losing files for good. I am so glad that didn’t happen!

Adam Says…

This has been one of my favorite hikes of recent memory. And that is saying a lot just coming from the Smokies. As I was waiting for Christine to get started, I was looking up the hillside and knew we were in for an amazing trip.

We crossed the road and went through the fence opening to start our hike. The hike climbs along the Appalachian Trail through an open area and then ducks quickly into a small grove of woods. Once you emerge out of the dense trees, the hiking is on open ground. It was just a few minutes along this trail that I proclaimed to Christine that this may be the best views I’ve ever had on a hike. It took her a little longer to admit the same thing, but soon she agreed. The views were all around us and in every direction you could see miles of layered mountain ridges. Since this hike straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, I could see both states wanting to claim this hike for their own. About .5 miles along the hike, you arrive at the summit of the first bald, Round Bald. The views were great from here, but we knew we were just getting started.

Hiking Back — The hike back was so pretty… nothing like late afternoon light on mountains! Below: Taking in some final views; Dense rhododendron.

We continued along the trail, which descended through a clear path and ascended again when we reached Jane Bald at 1.3 miles. The views continued to be amazing from near the summit of Jane Bald. The trail then continues to climb as you are making your way to Grassy Ridge. At 1.9 miles, you reach a junction – the left continues the Appalachian Trail, but take the right branch to reach the summit of the Grassy Ridge Bald. The trail cuts through a thick area of rhododendron before emerging to the larger bald area at 2.5 miles. At the summit of this bald, you’ll see a large rock that has a bronze plaque dedicated to Cornelius Rex Peake, who was a high-country farmer of this area. What a nice tribute at such a scenic spot.

This is a place that you will want to spend some time. The breathtaking views are in every direction and you will want to explore around the balds to take in views from a slightly different angle. Christine’s dad likes to sit and take in views for longer than we do. We know we would literally need to drag him away from here if he visited or he would stay up here for days. Head back the way that you came to reach your car in 5.1 miles.

If you enjoy geocaching, there are two that you can find on the trail – Zelda’s Double Blaze Treasure and Roan’s Revenge. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to claim either one after hunting a while, but hopefully they are being maintained.

We headed back down because of the time of day and wanted to make it to check into the Pineola Inn. If you have a chance to visit this area, this is a great place to stay. I know we are already getting excited about the next time we will come back here. This is a place that you’ll want to visit more than once.

Trail Notes

Distance –5.1 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 1150 ft.
Difficulty – 2. The climbing on this hike was relatively gradual and gentle.
Trail Conditions – 4. Very nice – well traveled and smooth.
Views – 5+. Maybe the best views Virginia Trail Guide has ever seen
Streams/Waterfalls – 0. None.
Wildlife – 1. We didn’t really see anything beyond birds.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Good signage at the one trail junction. Each bald is marked.
Solitude – 2. We saw a fair number of people, but I gather this was a lighter than usual crowd for Roan Mountain.

Directions to trailhead: From Roan Mountain, TN (located on US-19E), head south on TN-143. Go for 12.6 miles until you reach the top of the mountain and the parking lot for Carver’s Gap. You should see a “Welcome to North Carolina” sign nearby. Park in the lot on the right side of the road. Cross the road and go through the fence opening to start your hike heading north on the Appalachian Trail.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Cucumber Gap Loop (TN)

June 23, 2013September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Cucumber Gap is a lovely 5.6 mile loop known for wildflowers, stream scenery and the historic Elkmont cabins.

View the full album of photos from this hike

A Peek Into Elkmont — A peek inside one of the dilapidated Elkmont cabins. Below: Adam walks the Little River Trail; the Spence Cabin; We saw lots of big snails on the trail.

Adam Says…

For our last day of hiking in the Smokies, we opted for something easy compared to our previous two days, which had us hiking over difficult terrain for 10+ miles each day. We decided a hike along a pretty stream with a taste of history would be a nice choice.

The hike started on the Little River Trail. We crossed the gate that led to the gravel road. Almost immediately to the left, you come across some of the Elkmont cabins. There are signs posted asking that you not enter the houses. These do look dangerous, with caved-in roofs and rotting wood, so don’t risk it. The Little River Logging Company established this small town in 1908 to serve as a central location for its logging efforts. In 1910, they started selling parcels of land to interested outdoorsmen, who established the Appalachian Club. In 1912, the Wonderland Park Hotel was built and in 1919 a group of businessmen bought the hotel and established the Wonderland Club. As the wealthy began traveling to this area, the Appalachian Club and Wonderland Club served as social outlets for the elite. Most of these houses are in complete ruin, as the park has taken over the property after not renewing the leases of those previous owners. There is a plan to maintain and renovate 19 of these houses (mostly in the “Daisy Town” area).

We continued along the trail that is flanked by the Little River to the left. There are many places that you can duck off the main trail and enjoy watching the flowing river. At 2.4 miles, you reach the junction with the Cucumber Gap Trail right after passing a bench. Take a right and head on the Cucumber Gap Trail, which begins an ascent. We came across a woman, who was glad to see us since she said we could “scare the bear away”. She had been walking on this trail many times and has seen bears frequently here. We were excited to possibly see a bear on the trail, but we weren’t lucky enough this time.

Adam Enjoys the Little River — Adam takes in the lovely Little River. Below: Huskey Branch Falls; Tall, lush trees on the hike.

At 2.7 miles, you will rock-hop across Huskey Branch. The trail continues to ascend, but slightly more steeply until you reach the top of Cucumber Gap at mile 3.8. Off to the right, you may have an obstructed view of Burnt Mountain and the Bear Wallow Creek valley below. Near the top of the gap, you may see Fraser magnolias, often referred as “cucumber trees”, giving this trail its name. The trail descends at this point and crosses Tulip Branch at 4.4 miles. At 4.8 miles, the Cucumber Gap Trail ends and you willl take a right when you reach this junction with the Jakes Creek Trail. At 5.1 miles, the trail reaches another junction. Head right again at this fork. Soon, you will pass by more abandoned Elkmont houses until the trail opens up into the larger area of homes known as “Daisy Town”. Walking down the main street, you will reach the Appalachian Club, which has a large wooden porch and some historical signs that you can read to learn more about this area. From the club, make your way to the right and you should shortly reach your car again.

This was a nice leg-stretcher of a hike, and one that you’ll likely want to take slowly to enjoy the scenery along the way. The houses are interesting to check out and you may want to take a few minutes to enjoy the heavy-flowing Little River. If you are someone that is interested in the history of this area right before the park was established, this is a great hike to check out.

Christine Says…

After two days of long, tough hikes, we began our final day in the Smokies looking for something a little more relaxing and low-key. While enjoying amazing (honestly… this is not an overstatement) donuts from The Donut Friar, we skimmed our guidebook. In the end, we settled on the Cucumber Gap Loop. It’s known as one of the Smokies’ nicest, more moderate hikes. It boasts abundant wildflowers, beautiful river scenery and a chance to visit the historic Elkmont cottages.

The trailhead is just a short drive from Gatlinburg, near the Elkmont campground. We set off on the Little River Trail, which is really more of a wide, gravel road than a trail. Almost immediately, the Spence Cabin came into view. This historic cabin has been restored by the park service, and is available for day-use special event rental. The other cabins dotting the river alongside the Spence Cabin haven’t been so lucky. Most of them are dilapidated, sagging and fading back into the forest. ‘Keep Out’ signs are posted along the trail. Although you cannot enter (or even touch) the buildings, you can still peek through the windows and imagine what life may have been like in the area’s heyday.

Rock Hopping — Christine does some rock hopping. Below: Violets were abundant on the hike; Adam crosses Huskey Branch; Heading into ‘Daisy Town’.

After spending a little time peering into the cottages, we continued along the path. I looked for wildflowers, but we really didn’t spot much beyond bluets, wild violets, sporadic mountain laurel and a few fading trilliums. It was several weeks past peak bloom in the park’s lower elevations.

We stopped several times to enjoy and photograph the beautiful Little River. The water here tumbles over boulders and rock shelves, making many small cascades and rapids. The day was sunny and cloudless, so it was hard to take decent pictures. I did manage to find a few shady spots that were nice for photos. At one particular spot, I set up my tripod and sent Adam out to sit on a rock. He noticed a brown snake, sitting half in and half out of the water. I tried to get a photo, but as soon as I pointed my lens in his direction, the snake ducked into the water. It popped its head up one last time before diving deeper and disappearing for good. I did a little research on what kind of snake he might have been and came up with a common brown water snake.

We tried not to stop or stand still for too long, because the mosquitoes on this hike were outrageous. Even when we were moving, we were swatting. Standing still was almost unbearable. It was definitely the warmest, stillest, most humid day of our trip, so I suppose we shouldn’t have been surprised to find a riverside hike so buggy! I ended up putting a little DEET on my face. I’ve had a few mosquito bites on my eyelids that have swollen to softball size and stayed that puffy for days. It’s a very bad look for me. 🙂

We soon passed a small waterfall entering from the right side of the trail. I didn’t see it mentioned in our guidebook, but apparently it’s called Huskey Branch Falls. It’s a pretty spot!

Shortly after the waterfall, we came to the junction with the Cucumber Gap Trail. Adam mentioned meeting the woman who passed along the bear warning. What I didn’t know at the time was that the only fatal bear attack in the Smokies happened close to this spot. I have a healthy respect for bears, but I’m not frightened of encountering them on the trail. Fatal encounters are rare and tragic. In the end, all we saw were lots of big snails, squirrels, and a couple pileated woodpeckers.

The Cucumber Gap trail contains the steepest climbing of the hike. About half the elevation gain on this hike takes place over a single mile on this section of trail. There wasn’t anything remarkable or unique about this part of the hike – pretty violets, tall trees, and a couple shallow stream crossings. We also managed to pick up a bit of a breeze, which helped keep the bugs away.

We soon found ourselves at a junction with a wide gravel road, we turned right and made our way to another junction with the Jakes Creek Trail. The remainder of the Elkmont cottages sit along this section of the hike. There are cabins in just about every rustic style imaginable. Apparently, Elkmont has been a controversial issue in the Smokies for years. Some people would like to see all of the buildings torn down, so that nature can take over. Others would like to see the homes restored so that the park’s origins and history can be visited and remembered. Currently, the plan lets each side of the argument win in a way.

The Appalachian Club Porch has several nice rocking chairs. Below: Another Elkmont cottage; Historical information at the site; A bear on the drive back into town!

Many of the cottages will be demolished and removed, but those that are in better condition or are historically significant will be repaired and eventually opened to the public. The area has already been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Near the end of the hike, we reached a paved road that passes through the densest section of Elkmont cottages. This area is definitely worth a little exploration! We enjoyed sitting on the chairs on the porch of the Appalachian Clubhouse. This building, like Spence Cabin, has already been restored and is available for event rental. The front of the building has a few signs with historical information and old photos. It sounds like it was quite the place to be back in the day!

From the clubhouse, the return to our car was just a short walk along the road. While the Cucumber Gap Loop wasn’t the most thrilling hike of our trip, it was still fun and interesting.

On our way back into Gatlinburg, Adam spotted a mother bear and two tiny cubs along the road. So, even though we didn’t see bears on the hike, we didn’t leave the Smokies without a great look at wildlife. It was a fitting final experience!

Trail Notes

Distance –5.6 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 900 ft.
Difficulty – 1.5. The trail along Little River is fairly flat. There is a little elevation on the Cucumber Gap trail, but it wasn’t too tough.
Trail Conditions – 4. The Little River Trail and Jakes Creek Trail are both gravel fire roads that are very easy to walk on. The Cucumber Gap trail was well-maintained, but somewhat overgrown in some areas.
Views – 1. You may get an obstructed view of Burnt Mountain from the top of Cucumber Gap, but not much else.
Streams/Waterfalls – 4. The Little River Trail has some of the best stream viewing you can see. There were some rapids, but no significant waterfalls.
Wildlife – 3. A great spot for birding. Deer and bear have been spotted here often.
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. There aren’t great signs around so that you know exactly how to get back to your car, but we were able to find it fairly easily (and now you should be able to as well).
Solitude – 3. We saw a few people along the trail, but this is a little quieter than a lot of the popular trails in the park. Many people on the trail may be camping nearby.

Directions to trailhead: From the edge of Gatlinburg, enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park and head south on US-441 South for 1.7 miles. Turn right on to Little River Road and go 4.9 miles. Take a left onto Elkmont Road and continue on it past the campground for a total of 2.0 miles. Park in the small parking lot and the Little River Trail is past the locked gate.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Kephart Prong (NC)

June 9, 2013September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The 4-mile Kephart Prong hike ascends gently along a beautiful stream and end at the backcountry campsite – Kephart Shelter. This hike offers lovely cascades, wildflowers and history.

View the full album of photos from this hike

Adam Crossing Foot Log — Adam crosses one of several log bridges over Kephart Prong. Below: The trailhead is located on the side of Rt.441. The first bridge takes you across the Oconaluftee River; The Oconaluftee is beautiful and cascading; So much of the Smokies seems to be wet, green and covered with moss.

Christine Says…

Our second day in the Smokies was earmarked for a hike to the summit of Mount LeConte, but we woke to gloomy weather. We decided that we didn’t want to hike ten tough miles and not even get payoffs in terms of views, so we devised a new plan! After redoing our Deep Creek Waterfall Loop Hike to get better photos, we were still ready for more hiking.

I perused our hiking guide and found a trail called Kephart Prong. It sounded interesting – remnants of an old railroad and a CCC camp, a backcountry camping shelter and the trail followed a (possibly pretty) stream. After redoing the earlier hike, the 4-mile length of the Kephart Prong was appealing, too – short and sweet! Also, it had the benefit of being closer to the Bryson City side of the park where we were staying for the early part of our trip.

It was still morning, so we grabbed a snack and made our way to the trail. What we found exceeded my expectations. The stream was incredibly beautiful – rapids and small waterfalls tumbling over mossy rocks and fallen hemlocks. In at least four places, rough, hewn log bridges traversed the stream. The sounds of running water carried through the entire hike. We saw lots of wildflowers – pink lady slippers, wild geranium, ragwort and many others I couldn’t name.

Wildflower — There were many kinds of wildflowers along the trail. This might be a wild geranium? Below: Adam explores the ruins of the old CCC camp in the area. This chimney was supposedly located in the barracks; There was once a railroad and a trout hatchery in this part of the Smokies, so look for abandoned rails, train parts and pipes from the hatchery. The item below appears to be an old pipe joint possibly; Another beautiful, mossy, log bridge over the stream.

The hike climbed gently the entire two miles until eventually arriving at the Kephart shelter – a sturdy stone and timber hut intended for backcountry camping. We chatted with other dayhikers using the hut for a lunch stop and one man who was there for an overnight stay.

Signs near the shelter showed that the Kephart Trail connects to the Sweat Heifer and Appalachian Trails. If we had continued to climb past the shelter, we would have arrived at Charlie’s Bunion in several miles.

Despite the draw of the Bunion, lunch was a higher calling, so we made our way back down the trail. It’s amazing how much faster the climb down always goes! We got back to the car around 1:00 and were back in Cherokee by 1:30. We couldn’t find anything that sounded good and was actually open on Sunday, so we pressed on back to Bryson City and ended up at a place we found on Yelp – The Bar-B-Que Wagon. They served great, traditional Carolina style pit barbecue with all the expected sides. We sat at a picnic table by the river and enjoyed an enormous, late lunch.

After lunch, we thought about going back to the hotel to shower, but instead we pushed on to visit the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center). The complex has a fantastic outdoor outfitter and a super cool riverside patio bar (Big Wesser BBQ + Brew). We got a few drinks and watched rafters and kayakers working the rapids. So relaxing! What a great day!

Adam Says…

The Kephart Prong Trail is one of the most definitive picturesque, riverside trails you’ll find. The lush forests surround you in a sea of green in every direction you turn.

The trail starts off by crossing a large bridge, giving you great views of the Oconaluftee River. Once you cross the bridge, the trail starts off as wide and gravel-covered. At .2 miles, you will come across the remnants of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp that was here from 1933-1942. You’ll see signs of a stone plaque and a tall chimney, among other partial walls.

At the .5 mile mark, you’ll reach your first footbridge over the stream. As you continue further, the trail continues a slow, gradual ascent to the end. You’ll cross three other footbridges, but these consist of narrow, split logs with wood handrails. The last of these was the only one I was a little concerned with crossing, since the handrail required you to stoop to be able to touch it and the log bounced some in the middle. The trail leads to the Kephart shelter, which was well-constructed. From the shelter, you can proceed on the Sweet Heifer Creek Trail which joins the Appalachian Trail in 3.7 miles or take the Grassy Branch Trail to the Sluice Gap Trail for a total of 3.8 miles to reach Charlies Bunion. Since this is a nice junction for an overnight trip, expect other people staying at the shelter in the nice summer-fall weekends. Backcountry reservations for overnight campers is $4/night and is required to be made in advance. See here for further regulations regarding backpacking permits.

Kephart Shelter sits under the shady evergreens. You must have a permit to stay the night in this shelter. The stream runs behind/left of the shelter. There used to be a logging camp where the shelter now stands. Below: Most of the trail follows the stream closely; Adam makes his way across the bridge; A trail sign near the shelter shows the directions to other trails higher up the mountain.

The Kephart Prong is named after Horace Kephart, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was an extremely intelligent man, enrolling in graduate school at Cornell University at the age of 17. He became the head of the St. Louis Mercantile Libray, but he lost his job. He had turned to drinking and his wife and family left him for New York. He decided he wanted to re-establish himself in the wilderness of western North Carolina and Tennessee. There he wrote the book Camping and Wildlife, which was considered the “bible” of camping. When he became concerned that the Smoky Mountains were going to be heavily logged, he started writing letters to advocate for the establishment of this area as a national park. He soon became friends with a photographer, George Masa and together they started photographing and mapping this area. It was the partnering of Kephart’s words with Masa’s pictures that caught John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s attention, who donated $5 million to help purchase the lands to help secure the area to become a park. Kephart died in a car crash before the park was to be established, but Mount Collins was renamed Mount Kephart in his honor.

The Nantahala Outdoor Center — Big Wesser BBQ + Brew at the Nantahala Outdoor Center is a great place to enjoy drinks after a day on the trails. You can see the canoe/kayak course gates in the river. It’s fun to watch people coming down the rapids. Below: Carolina-style BBQ in Bryson City.

Another interesting spot almost immediately on the trail are the remnants of the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp 411 here. You can see the large chimney and camp signboard on the side of the trail. This group of nearly 200 built rock walls, roads, trails, and footbridges that are still in use today. There is an interesting history of this from one of the leaders, James William Biggs.

We enjoyed this beautiful trail and I can see incorporating this trail as part of a backpacking trip in the future.

Trail Notes

Distance –4 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – About 770 ft.
Difficulty – 1.5. The ascent on this hike is very gradual and easy.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is well-graded and in great condition.
Views – 0. No scenic views.
Streams/Waterfalls – 5. Very beautiful!
Wildlife – 2. We didn’t see anything other than chipmunks and squirrels.
Ease to Navigate – 4. The trail is very easy to follow to the shelter. Once you reach the Kephart Shelter, you may decide to continue on.
Solitude – 2. Because of the relatively short length and easiness of this hike, you will probably see a fair number of people.

Directions to trailhead: Head north on US-441 N from Cherokee, NC. Head 4 miles north of the Smokemont Campground. Parking is available on the shoulder of the road and the trail starts after crossing the bridge over the Oconaluftee River.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Deep Creek Area Waterfall Loop (NC)

June 4, 2013September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Deep Creek is an area of the Smokies popular with tubers, bikers, horseback riders and hikers. This (roughly) 5.4 mile hiking route provides spectacular views of three waterfalls and the beautiful streams that feed them. We ended up hiking this trail twice on our trip – the second time was mostly to get better photos. 🙂

View the full album of photos from this hike

Toms Branch Falls is the first waterfall you’ll come to on the loop. It’s only about a quarter mile from the parking area. Below: Another angle of Toms Branch Falls; Horseback riders love the Deep Creek area; Tubers on Deep Creek; Christine enjoys stream scenery.

Adam Says…

We rolled into Bryson City, NC around 2:15 and almost immediately headed out for a hike. We were tired but our hotel wouldn’t let us check in even 45 minutes early. Evidently, the Microtel in Bryson City is very strict with their policies! We decided to do something close by, so we headed to Deep Creek campground for this hike with three waterfalls.

We knew we were getting close to the campground when we saw tons of “TUBES” signs. People were waving as we drove by, hoping that we would stop and rent tubes from them for floating down the river.

We arrived and got changed in the parking lot and made our way to the trailhead. The parking lot was crowded, mainly for tubing people. We followed the masses heading out carrying their inner tubes to their drop-in spots.

We started on the Deep Creek trail and soon passed the junction with the Juney Whank trail on the left. In just about .25 miles, we came across the first waterfall on the right, Toms Branch falls. This is a gorgeous waterfall that drops about 60 feet over several different rock shelves before plummeting into Deep Creek. We saw several people floating down the creek as we stopped for some photographs.

At .75 miles, we reached the junction with the Indian Creek Trail. This is actually the last spot where people can drop their tubes into the creek, but we continued on the Deep Creek trail. At 1.75 miles, this trail intersects with the Loop Trail. We took a right on to the Loop Trail which starts a steep ascent. At 2.4 miles, the trail reaches its peak and intersects with the Sunkota Ridge Trail. Continue on the Loop Trail which now descends at about the same rate as it ascended. At 3.0 miles, you reach the junction with the Indian Creek Trail. Take a right here.

At 3.8 miles, you’ll see a side trail that descends to Indian Creek Falls. Indian Creek Falls is a wide waterfall that has a gradual, sliding cascade into the water. After taking in the sight, head back to the trail and continue to the right. Shortly after passing the waterfall, you will reach the junction again with the Deep Creek Trail. Take a left here to retrace your steps. You could make this a shorter trip by initially taking a right at the junction, but we enjoyed putting a little extra effort to earn all three waterfalls.

Right before you reach the parking lot, you’ll see the junction trail again with the Juney Whank trail at 4.5 miles. Take the steep trail to the right up for .3 miles. Once you reach the top, you’ll see Asian which points you to the next waterfall. Descend down a short path and you’ll reach a footbridge and the waterfall. Juney Whank Falls is another great waterfall that plunges down after about a 80 foot cascade.

Continue to the other side of the footbridge and continue on the trail, heading left at the first junction. The trail descends rather steeply. You’ll see signs that lead you to the parking lot and back to your car.

We had a great time on this trail that maximizes your waterfall experience. The Deep Creek Trail and Indian Creek Trail both gave you great creek views almost the entire walk and it was fun to watch everyone float by us. I can see why this is such a popular place to hike and tube for families. We saw one person with a foot cast and met one woman with a pacemaker along the way, so most people should be able to handle this. If you want to see some great Smokies waterfalls, this is a hike for you!

Christine Says…

We wanted to do this hike last year when we visited Bryson City, but with so much to do in the Smokies, we just ran out of time. This year, we knew the lay of the land a bit better, and we ready to hit the ground running (or hiking, so to speak!)

We arrived to the area mid-afternoon on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. We tried to get into our hotel one before official check-in, but the desk clerk turned us away. We decided to drive over to the Deep Creek Campground, and check out an easy loop hike that took us by a couple waterfalls – Toms Branch Falls and Indian Creek Falls.

I changed clothes in the crowded parking lot. Let me tell you… switching from jeans and a shirt into shorts, wicking shirt and sports bra without flashing anyone is quite a feat!

We started off along a wide, road-like trail that followed parallel to Indian Creek. It was packed with people out enjoying the warm, sunny weather. Apparently, the Smokies have had an exceedingly cold and wet spring, so the bright, 80-degree Memorial Day weekend was a great chance for everyone in eastern Tennessee to go outside. Deep Creek is very popular with tubers. All up and down the road leading to the campground, various vendors have set up shop renting tubes for roughly $5 a day. Once you have a tube, you walk about a mile up the trail, and then bob and bump along the shallow, but rapid-y river. It looks like a lot of fun! As hikers, we were in the definite minority.

Juney Whank Falls — Juney Whank may be the prettiest waterfall on the loop. Below: Adam enjoys the falls from the bridge; Juney Whank is beautiful from every angle; Below the falls.

Walking along the Deep Creek Trail for about .25 miles, we came to the lovely Toms Branch Falls. It’s a tall waterfall that enters Deep Creek from the bank opposite the trail. Very impressive!

We walked along the creek until reaching a junction that makes a lollipop loop on the route. We decided to follow the longer arm of the loop so that we could visit Indian Creek Falls closer to the end of our hike. The trail mostly followed the stream before turning and climbing steadily uphill for about half a mile. At the highest point, the trail met the Sunkota Ridge Trail, which leads to higher elevations and a larger trail system. We remained on the loop and descended another half mile to meet another trail junction.

At this junction, we met a group of horseback riders. One rider was really struggling with her mule. She had dismounted because he had become so skittish. When we passed, he was bellowing and dancing around. She eventually got him under control and was able to ride on. He looked like quite a handful though!

In a few more tenths of a mile, we came upon Indian Creek Falls. These falls are not as steep, and are made up of a couple of small ‘shelf-drops’ before falling into one larger fall. Very beautiful!

About a tenth of a mile past the falls, you join back up with the beginning of the lollipop loop. From there, just follow the trail and the tubers back to the parking area.

The Nantahala Brewing Company – a good post-hike stop in Bryson City.

To be honest, I was really unhappy with my photos from this hike. Waterfalls, sunny conditions and photography simply don’t go together. So, I left this hike feeling a little disappointed with the photos I had to share. That regret quickly faded after a few beers at the Nantahala Brewing Company. What an awesome place! If you like craft beer, don’t miss a visit. After beers, we went for pizza at Anthony’s. It hit the spot and we loved our outdoor table facing the train depot.

I thought our experience with the waterfall hike was over, but the next morning we woke to gloomy, drizzly weather. Since it was such an easy hike, we went back and did it again so I could get better photos. And the second time, we added the .6 mile loop to visit Juney Whank Falls to the trip. These falls required a short, but steep climb, but may have been the prettiest of the three! And the better photos gained from a second trip around made this hike twice as nice!

Trail Notes

Distance –5.4 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
These stats are from the first time we hiked the loop, so Juney Whank Falls are not included in the MapMyHike mileage or elevation.
Elevation Change – About 630 ft.
Difficulty – 2. The only tough parts of this hike are the steep trail on the Loop Trail and the side trail to the Juney Whank falls
Trail Conditions – 4. Most of the trail is gravel except for the Loop Trail. This is a multi-use trail and you will see hikers, bikers, and horses on this trail. The trails were in great shape with no blowdowns or rough footing.
Views – 0. No scenic views from the trail, but this is more for the waterfalls.
Streams/Waterfalls – 5. You’ll have the best stream views along Deep Creek and three gorgeous waterfalls.
Wildlife – 2. Don’t expect larger wildlife due to the crowds of people on this trail. We did hear lots of pretty warblers in the tree.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Good signage at the trail junctions for the most part except for coming off the Juney Whank falls trail.
Solitude – 1. Expect to see lots of people for most of the trail. A lot of people choose not to do the Loop Trail.

Directions to trailhead: Take exit 67 off of NC-74 towards Veterans Blvd. Go .6 miles and take a right on Main Street/NC-19. Take the second left on to Everett Street. You’ll see signs directing you to Deep Creek Campground. Go .3 miles and take a right on Depot Street. This road makes a quick left on Collins Street and then a quick right to continue on to Depot Street. This becomes Deep Creek Road. Go .3 miles and take a left on to West Deep Creek Road. Continue 2.4 miles until you enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Deep Creek campground. A parking lot is on the left. The trailhead starts near the drop-off roundabout next to this parking lot.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Hazel Falls

May 1, 2013August 26, 20155 Comments

This easy 5.2-mile hike leads to a beautiful waterfall on the Hazel River. The falls are surrounded by towering rock walls and a couple small caves.

View the full album of photos from this hike
View a short video clip of Hazel Falls

Wide View of Falls — Hazel Falls are not terribly high, but they sit in a beautiful gorge. Below: Adam at the Meadow Spring trailhead; Little wildflowers grew abundantly along the trail; A great place to enjoy the sun.

Christine Says…

Every time I think we’re running out of nearby hikes to complete, we seem to stumble across something that has escaped our notice for one reason or another. That was just the case with this beautiful, easy walk to Hazel Falls! Typically, when you think of Shenandoah’s waterfalls, you think of Dark Hollow, White Oak Canyon or Doyles River-Jones Run. It’s not very common to see photos or hear people talking about Hazel Falls. After being there in person, I’m not really sure why. It was a great hike! Although the falls are not high, I found them to be nicer than some of the park’s more popular falls – I’m looking at you Lewis Springs Falls! It’s probably spring’s higher water flow, but this small waterfall was much more impressive than some of the park’s larger falls.

Christine Hiking — The trail was mostly wide and gentle. Below: Adam negotiates the largest blow down on the hike; The junction of the steep rock trail that leads down to the falls/caves; Rock walls tower above the falls.

The hike mostly consisted of pleasant, gentle walking through pretty forest. The last time we hiked in this area was a few years ago when we went on our very first overnight backpacking trip with PATC. That trip made a loop of Hazel Mountain and Catlett Mountain. It’s funny – I remembered the trail being a lot steeper than it seemed this time. I guess I had a heavier pack and wasn’t in very good condition on that trip.

On this particular spring day, I enjoyed seeing all the early season wildflowers blooming along the side of the trail. We had perfect weather – sunny, crisp blue skies and a nice breeze. It was ideal for hiking, but not so ideal for waterfall photography. When we finally got down to the falls, I did the best I could to capture a few decent shots under the bright mid-day sun. It didn’t go that well.

I also really enjoyed the little caves adjacent to the falls and sunning on the big flat rock next to the smaller falls. It was a gorgeous spot and I’ll look forward to visiting again.

After our hike, we decided to stop by Big Meadows for Shenandoah’s famous blackberry ice cream. Even though the park has a new concessionaire for food/gift shops, the ice cream was just as good as it’s always been!

Adam Says…

The hike to Hazel Falls was a pleasant surprise. When looking for hiking suggestions, we typically peruse our hiking guides, study maps, and explore the internet for ideas. The 2000 edition of the Falcon Guide for Hiking Shenandoah National Park didn’t include Hazel Falls in the book, but the updated 2012 edition does cover it. So, we have to give thanks to Bert & Jane Gildert, the authors, for including this one for us to explore. As Christine said, I feel that this is a great waterfall that really allows you to sit down and take in the beauty of the setting around you.

Hazel Falls with Adam — Adam enjoys the falls. Below: Adam makes his way down the steepest part of the trail; Pretty cascades leading away from the falls; Christine at the lower falls, Another view of Hazel Falls.

The trail starts off from the Meadow Spring Trail parking lot. This is a popular parking spot for many hikes and overnight backpackers; we have rarely seen this lot not packed with vehicles. If you are going with a larger group, try to carpool to minimize the number of parking spots you may need. The good news is that most of the cars will likely be heading down to Buck Hollow or doing larger loops around Hazel and Catlett Mountains. The trail goes just a few feet before you reach a junction with the Buck Hollow Trail. Instead of branching off, just stay straight on the trail and walk down the wide path. The trail is mostly a slight downhill grade with some flatter sections. At 1.5 miles, you will reach a junction with the White Rocks Trail on the left. Take the White Rocks Trail. At 2.4 miles, you will reach a junction post that will direct you to take the trail to the right for the falls. Climb down the steep trail and you should reach the first, small waterfall at the bottom. Continue along the path over the rocks and you will reach the larger Hazel Falls and see the cave to the right. Make your way back the way you came to get back to your vehicle.

Cave Near Hazel Falls — Adam checks out the cave near Hazel Falls. Below: Making the steep climb back up; Blackberry ice cream at Big Meadows wayside

Because of the uncomplicated, mostly gentle terrain, this might be a great hike to do with older children. The only strenuous part of the hike was hiking the last .2 miles (the climb down will challenge your knees and the climb back up will get the blood pumping). You can tell a lot of great trail work has been done to create the stone steps that allow you to climb down without it being too slippery. The picturesque setting of the falls will encourage you to take some time to relax, eat a snack, and enjoy the sound of rushing water. The pool at the larger falls could also be one to wade into fairly easily if you like getting your feet wet.

While Christine was busy taking a lot of photos, I enjoyed peeking inside the larger cave near the falls. Christine took some coaxing to go in, since she was worried that bats would fly out. I didn’t see any bats inside or guano on the ground, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of them took refuge in the top of the cave on occasion. At the falls there is also a path that leads to a small rock opening that you can climb around to get closer to the falls. As I was climbing around there, I saw a bird’s nest tucked in the top of the rocks. Sure enough, within a few minutes, I saw a bird (I believe a sparrow of some sort) fly into the nest. I hope too many people don’t disturb the nest and it is able to raise some cute chicks.

I imagine we will go back to Hazel Falls many times in the future. If you haven’t been here before, this is a waterfall that is worth checking out.

Trail Notes

Distance – 5.2 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – 800 ft
Difficulty – 2. The final .2 mile descent (and climb back out) into the stream gorge is very steep, but the rest of the hike is flat or very gently graded.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. There were a few blow downs that required navigation, but most of the trail is smooth, easy footing. The descent to the waterfall showcases the great work trail maintainers do in the park. They turned a extremely steep piece of terrain into a giant staircase with a series of well-placed rocks.
Views – 0. In the winter and early spring, you may catch some glimpses of mountainsides through the trees. Otherwise, this walk takes place exclusively in the woods.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. Though the waterfall is not tall, it’s it a lovely setting surrounded by towering rock walls and small caves.
Wildlife – 2. We didn’t see anything on this trip, but we have spotted bears and deer in the vicinity on past trips.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Trail directions are clearly marked at junctions with cement markers.
Solitude – 2.5. The parking lot was jam-packed on a pretty, sunny Saturday afternoon, but there are lots of trail options in this area. We saw about 15 people over the course of the hike.

Directions to trailhead:

From Skyline Drive proceed to mile 33.5. Parking is on the east side of the drive at the Meadow Spring parking area. The trail descends from the south end of the parking lot.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Fridley Gap Loop

April 28, 2013August 26, 20153 Comments

This six-mile loop hike in the Fridley Gap area of George Washington National Forest has everything – views, waterfalls, beautiful stream scenery, rugged climbing and great backcountry camping. It’s a perfect hike to get away from the crowds in Shenandoah National Park.

View the full album of photos from this hike

Adam at the Overlook — If you miss spotting the faint side trail behind one of the many backcountry campsites along this loop, you’ll miss the best view of the hike! Below: Adam crosses the stream; A small waterfall on the stream; This loop has many choices for backcountry camp sites.

Adam Says…

Last year, we made an attempt to do this Fridley Gap loop hike, but we had trouble finding one of the trails. We bushwhacked for a while, but finally gave up. This time when we returned, we had better directions and the blazes had recently been repainted on much of the loop.

From the top end of the parking lot, we started on the trail. We saw both purple and blue blazes early on, and started to worry. (Fortunately, it turned out that this was the only section of the trail that hadn’t been recently re-blazed.) Early parts of the trail traverse large rocks, and it’s sometimes tough to see exactly which way the trail goes. We saw faded red Xs painted on the surface of some of the rocks which let us know that we were going the right way. The trail is uphill but not too steep. In .2 miles, you come to a fire road. Take a right here and continue on the fire road. You will pass by some small falls and Mountain Run to the right and a large boulder slide to the left. The trail actually follows the streambed, and you will need to rock-hop to continue on. At .45 miles, you will reach another falls area and you will cross over Mountain Run until you see the trail junction cement post. This is also the point that Mountain Run and Fridley Run join. It was at this point that we failed last time trying to find the orange-blazed Massanutten South trail. Looking at the cement post as you approached it, look back around 4:00. You will see the orange blazes on the Massanutten South trail as you will cross the water again (this time it is Fridley Run) and climb up the hillside. These weren’t painted on the trees before (they look fresh now), so you should be able to find your way more easily.

Walking in the Streambed — Early in the hike, the trail traverses the streambed. There are plenty of rocks, so it’s fairly easy to hop from spot to spot and avoid getting your feet wet. Below: Adam climbs up the trail shortly after the parking lot; A rockslide early on the hike; Blooming redbuds.

The climb up the Massanutten South trail is quite steep and you may need to stop a few times along the way to catch your breath. This trail is also narrow and you may have to cross over a few blown-down trees, but the trail wasn’t too hard to navigate with the recent re-blazing. At 1.85 miles, you will reach a campsite area. Look closely and you will see a path that leads to a rock outcropping called Grubbs Knob Overlook. Take this path up to the overlook to get the best views along the hike. You will see the top of Grubbs Knob to the left from the overlook and views to the west. After taking in the view, go back to the campsite and continue along the Massanutten South trail. At 2.05 miles, the trail reaches its peak and then you will start to descend, as the trail takes a steep turn to the left. You will make your way back down this very narrow path and cross Fridley Run at 2.70 miles.

After crossing Fridley Run, you will begin to ascend on the trail again (turning again into a wider fire road) until you reach a rocky slide that gives you views of Fridley Gap and North Mountain at 3.25 miles. Continue to ascend as you walk around part of Third Mountain. The fire road stops ascending at 3.5 miles. The trail then descends and you reach another cement junction post at 3.84 miles. Take a left on the purple-blazed Fridley Gap trail, which follow another wide fire road. You will likely see lots of burned trees from a fire in 2010 that covered a big portion of this area. At 4.5 miles, you will reach another junction. The purple-blazed Fridley Gap trail ascends to the left and continues through the woods. Take this trail and begin a steep ascent across some switchbacks. At 4.85 miles, you will reach the top of your climb and there are a few stones that you can rest on for a few minutes if you need to catch your breath.

Christine at the Small Waterfall — This small waterfall feeds one of the most popular swimming holes in the area. Below: More pretty cascades.

The trail now begins to descend very steeply. We were so glad we had our trekking poles since the rocks under the leaves were often loose and it helped to lower ourselves down the steep steps. We were also glad we did this hike this direction rather than the clockwise version of the loop. At 5.5 miles, we reached another junction with the Massanutten South trail. Take a left on the orange and purple-blazed fire road (don’t go the way that crosses the bridge) and you will reach the junction that closes the loop at 5.65 miles. Take a right here, crossing Mountain Run again and make your way back down the fire road. Be sure to catch the rocky path at 5.8 miles that leads back to the parking lot at 6 miles.

A funny moment happened along the hike. Christine had programmed her phone to use the MapMyHike app. In a recent upgrade, it now includes some vocal updates along the way, usually at the mile increments. One time, we heard the voice say “Don’t stop now. Walgreen’s is behind you.” (Walgreen’s is now advertising on MapMyHike.) While this is meant to be a word of encouragement to keep hiking strong, I was thinking of it as “Walgreen’s is chasing us.” As I sometimes do, I started thinking of a parody song to the tune of the Road Runner Show TV theme song. So for your enjoyment, here are my lyrics: “Fridley hiker, Walgreen’s is after you. Fridley hiker, if he catches you, you’re through. That Walgreen’s is really a crazy store. They have pharmaceuticals, toiletries, and so much more. Fridley hiker, never, never, never slow down. Fridley hiker. Walgreen’s is after you. Fridley hiker. If he catches you, you’re through.”

There is one geocache along the trail, Fridley’s Cache, a normal-sized cache near the swimming hole.

It is always a good feeling to know that we redeemed ourselves by covering a hike that we had previously failed to navigate. If you are looking for good views of streams or a swimming hole, along with a challenging hike to get some views, this may be a great hike to try out some time.

Rocks at Grubbs Overlook — The rocks at Grubbs Overlook might trick people into thinking there isn’t an open view. Below: Views from Grubbs Overlook and the campsite that sits adjacent to the overlook.

Christine Says…

Hallelujah for freshly painted blazes! I was so frustrated last year when our attempt to hike the Fridley Gap Loop ended in failure. The failure was mostly my fault. I tried to map out the hike based on a course I saw on someone’s Runkeeper page. There were no directions, just the route overlaid on a rudimentary map of the area. I thought we’d be able to figure things out on our own with a NatGeo map of the area. It turns out that faded blazes and a large group of people camping in the middle of the trail are insurmountable challenges to my ability to navigate. We’ll let bygones be bygones and get on to the successful version of our Fridley Gap hike.

Let me start by saying, I loved this hike! It was even better than I expected. The stream was running beautifully, the views of the valley ‘greening up’ below were lovely and the weather was perfect (sunny, cool and breezy enough to keep the bugs away). I really enjoyed the little rock-hop as the trail followed the stream bed. The small waterfall and swimming hole were so pretty.

The climb up the Massanutten South trail to Grubbs Knob was steep enough to be challenging, but not so steep that we had to stop for a breather. On the way up, we could see all the little signs of spring creeping back into the forest – tiny buds on trees, tightly curled ferns and the occasional early season wildflower poking up through the leaves. The overlook at Grubbs Knob is rather easy to miss. It lies at the top of a faint footpath above a campsite. When you first climb to the top of the footpath, vertical, spine-like plates of rock obstruct any possibility for a view. But if you climb along the rocks, eventually you come to a few footholds that allow you to scramble to the top of the rocks. Once you’re there, the valley below spreads out as far as the eye can see – farms dotted with red barns; small country towns; and wide, green fields make up most of the vista.

Downhill Through Dense Laurel — The climb downhill after Grubbs Knob takes you through dense mountain laurel. The harsh light makes for an ugly photo… but you get the idea. Below: Adam approaches the stream; Crossing Fridley Run.

After leaving the Grubbs Overlook, we ascended a few more moments before taking a sharp downhill turn. The trail passed through dense mountain laurel, with occasional peeks toward the next ridgeline. Eventually, we heard the sound of water again. For a short way, the trail followed Fridley Run. But soon, we had to cross the stream and head back uphill along a wide fire road. From the fire road, we caught our second open viewpoint of the hike. It was a nice view, but nowhere nearly as lovely as the one from Grubbs Overlook. It’s one thing to slog uphill and come to a magnificent rocky outcropping with a sweeping vista to appreciate. It’s a little less stirring to stop along a roadside and take in a view of a couple mountain ridges.

Eventually, the fire road met up at a four-way trail junction. One direction headed toward the Boones Run shelter, another toward Cub Run Road, another continued along the Fridley Gap trail in the direction of Martins Bottom, and of course the fourth headed back in the direction from which we arrived. Seeing this junction made me think of all the different ways these trails cross and connect. There are definitely multiple possibilities for overnight backpacking loops in this area.

Second Overlook — The second overlooks comes at a spot along the fire road. Below: Adam checks out the map at this four-way trail junction; Continuing along the fire road before our climb up Third Mountain; Charred trees from the 2010 fire.

We followed the fire road to another junction. Heading straight would have taken us toward Martins Bottom, but to stay on course we turned left and started very steeply uphill along the purple-blazed Fridley Gap trail. By this point of the hike, I was pretty hungry and my energy was starting to flag. If I were smarter, I would have eaten a snack before tackling the climb. But I’m not smart, so I spent most of the climb complaining that I was hungry!

After a short break (and snack) atop the tree-covered peak of Third Mountain, we began a crazy-steep descent. For three-quarters of a mile, we carefully picked our way down the craggy, leaf covered mountainside. Through the trees, we could see some really fascinating rock formations on the shoulder of the next mountain over. I kept trying to appreciate the view, but every time I did, I lost my footing a bit. This climb down definitely makes the case for paying attention and using your trekking poles.

Steep Uphill Over Third Mountain — The ascent of Third Mountain may not look steep in this photo, but it is! Below: Descending Third Mountain – you can see rock formations through the trees; A bridge not taken on the Massanutten trail; Adam once again crosses the stream we crossed early in our hike.

At the bottom of Third Mountain, we had just a short walk back to our original junction – the one where everything went wrong when we tried to hike Fridley Gap last year! I was quite pleased to see that marker again and be 100% certain that we had actually found our way successfully this time around. From the last junction, we retraced our steps through the streambed, past the rockslide and back to our car.

Trail Notes

Distance – 6 miles
(Check out the stats from MapMyHike)*
Elevation Change – 1850 ft
Difficulty – 3.5. The trail goes up and down several times.
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail had blowdowns, loose conditions, and narrowness, but there were also sections that followed a fireroad. It gets an overall average rating.
Views – 3. The views from the Grubbs Knob overlook are the best on the trail, but if you miss the path from the campsite you’ll miss the best view on the loop. The views along the path at 3.25 miles are nice, but not remarkable.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. The trail goes along (and through) Mountain Run and Fridley Run on several occasions. The small falls and swimming hole gives it a bonus.
Wildlife – 2. This may be a good hike for bird watching. We saw a peregrine falcon soaring above at the Grubbs Knob overlook and enjoyed hearing the song of the eastern towhee along the way.
Ease to Navigate – 2. If we got lost before, we have to give this a low rating. The path to start the trail from the parking lot could be better blazed and there are several turns to make.
Solitude – 4. You may see some people at the swimming hole or camping alongside the junction with Mountain Run and Fridley Run. However, we only saw one other group after this point on a nice spring weekend day.

Directions to trailhead:

From Harrisonburg, VA, head east on 33. Take a left onto VA-620 North/Indian trail Road and continue for 1.7 miles. The road will turn into Rt. 717. Go 3.4 miles and take a right on Minie Ball Ln. Go 1.1 miles. At this point, the road will turn back into Rt. 620. Go 2.7 miles and take a right, continuing on 620 for about half a mile. Take a right onto Armentrout Path. Take the first left onto Airey Ln. Parking is a lot at the end of this gravel lane. If you pass the lot, you are on private property. The directions to this trailhead are a little confusing, and we recommend putting the coordinates on the map below into your phone/GPS.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Tag: medium hike

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Download a trail map (PDF)

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Download a trail map (PDF) – Coming soon!

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Download a trail map (PDF)

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Cucumber Gap Loop (TN)

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Kephart Prong (NC)

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Deep Creek Area Waterfall Loop (NC)

Trail Notes

Hazel Falls

Fridley Gap Loop