June 20 Best Pizza yet

The perfect pizza requires perfect ingredients. I don't make pizza unless I have chanterelles on hand. Usually they are frozen but today I got to use freshly foraged mushrooms from the Uwharrie National Forest.

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Our best dough is half white flour and half hard red flour. Nanci stretches it across the pizza pan. For me a very thin crust is key so that means more stretching of the dough.

Coordinating all the ingredients: puttanesca sauce, mushrooms, dough rising, oven heating, grass fed ground beef already cooked and mozzarella cheese already grated. Nanci will cook some spinach while the pizza is cooking and add the greens after baking.

I enjoyed this pizza more than any other I have made.

July 15 Another Spin around Cades Cove

An early start today, just past 6am. There are only a handful of folks out there. On my first go round I saw 30 deer, 7 turkeys and 3 bears. Plus a pretty nice sunrise.

Just at the entrance to Abrams Falls trailhead road, I spotted this bear in the grass. She was just lounging there. Then I noticed she was watching over her two cubs that were running around the branches of the tree right above. They were as agile as cats and about the same size as cats too. 

My first circuit was 1 hour 20 minutes. The next go round was 50 minutes. I felt good and didn't want to stop, so it was as fast as I could go. It worked out to only 13.2 mph.

How do you feel about bicycles with motors being used during the "no motor vehicle" mornings? There are more every year. They hardly make any noise and look like a pack sitting on the back pack frame. The motor is battery operated and may have some recharging capacity when you do pedal. I don't know if the bicycle could be ridden the entire loop without some pedaling. So when the old guy passes you on the hill, check out that humming noise.

June 14 AT- Clingman's Dome to Newfound Gap

Two companions accompanied me on this beautiful AT section, the highest point on the AT. We began by leaving a vehicle in the nearly empty Newfound Gap parking area. Then began hiking at the nearly empty Clingmans Dome parking area. Instead of walking the asphalt trail, we opted for the bypass trail which added a little mileage to our hike but was a pleasant walk. Clouds hung low obstructing the early views so there was no need to climb the circular observation tower. We couldn't even see it.

The going was steeply downward at first and up Mt Collins which seemed to never end. It was only 3.2 miles from the "dome" but it took an inordinate amount of time to travel this distance. Shortly after passing the trail to the shelter we took our lunch break.   

Continuing along, we encountered the "enclosure". Built in 1984 to protect and study the Beech forest, the metal grating keeps the wild hogs out. A sign indicates this is one of 20 such sites identified in the park. It is about 150 yards square.

Next we approached one of the most significant natural heritage sites in the park, Indian Gap. It is here an Indian trading path and later a toll road for wagons and westward heading settlers crossed the ridge. The Road Prong Trail which heads in the direction of Gatlinburg was part of this path/road. It wasn't until the park was set to become a national park, the gap to the north was found and the road was built there. Hence the name "Newfound Gap".

We saw a number of uprooted trees along this section, including this one that lifted a big rock along with it.

I suspect the AT was relocated in spots when the Clingmans Dome road was built. I'm certain it would have visited the east side of the ridge for some of the fine views in that direction.

The road was initially part of a longer road which would have crossed the entire park creating a "X" shaped road system when combined with the Newfound Gap Road. This road was to have one terminus at Deals Gap and one heading straight for Asheville. Enthusiasm for this road was strong among the Asheville business owners who pushed the plan but clearly did not have local support. Superintendent Horace Albright decided the road through the eastern section of the park (toward Asheville) would not be built since it would cut through one of the unlogged areas of the park. However, the section to Deals Gap was clearcut and a road would work out just fine through there. The Clingmans section of about 7 miles was built in the early 30's at a cost of $600,000 including rockwork, pullouts and parking lot. It was paved about 1940. Interest in finishing the road waned and finally disappeared.

Just before finishing this hike, I looked for the trail leading to the tunnel under the road but missed it. We finished up about 3pm, retrieved the cars and set off toward Elkmont for short hike.

June 13 Abrams Falls Trail

This morning I intended to walk Rabbit Creek Trail. Upon entering the woods at the trailhead, I realize, first thing you have to do is a wet creek crossing. If it had been 1/2 mile along the trail I'd have done it but just starting out... I turned right and walked out to Abram Falls. No one was on the trail until at least the halfway point on the return. 

Here is where I sat and ate breakfast, just far enough away from the spray. If you have seen photos of this waterfall, you might notice it has more water than most of those photos.

As the sign states, folks have died here. In 2008 Backpacker magazine listed this trail as the 9th most deadly trail in the country. The article stated since 1971 (to 2008) there have been 29 drownings in the GSMNP but did not specify the number attributed to this trail.

The water coming over the fall goes right to the bottom of the pool below, but then recirculates back to the fall near the surface, much like a hydraulic river rapid. 

June 12 Two Circuits of Cades Cove

On those days motor vehicles aren't released into the cove until 10am, you can bicycle multiple times around the 11 mile loop. I didn't get started this morning until about 6:50. After the first mile the crowd really thinned out. If you can get ahead of everyone, your chances to see wildlife increase. Once the groups get moving in the cove, the critters get chased around by cameras and then decide to head to hills. On my first turn I saw 46 deer, 9 turkeys, 3 coyotes and one bear. I didn't count them on the second turn but saw more deer and turkeys and no coyotes or bear.

Early morning mist will be gone by the second time I pass here.

This is a small graveyard in the middle of a field. It has a fence around it so it is easy to spot. The trees have forced all the unmarked gravestones our of the ground.

My first circuit took 70 minutes. The second circuit was a slower more relaxed pace.

June 11 Metcalf Bottoms and Little Brier Gap Trails

When you are attempting to hike all the trails in the park, you have to hike these gravel roads called trails. They are loaded with folks you would not see on most park trails. That especially goes for the baby stroller I saw.

The two attractions here that bring on the folks are the schoolhouse and to a lesser extent, the Walker sisters cabin. I've seen photos of the Walker sisters. No wonder most of them never married.

I was impressed by the size of the wood used to construct the cabin and other buildings. Like most other park cabins, it is dark and dank inside. It probably really smelled bad too.

June 11 Ace Gap Trail

I did not intend to hike this trail. My intention was Scott Mountain Trail but not being able to find the trailhead on the narrow farmroad, Schoolhouse Gap Road, I ended up here. Ace Gap is the end of the trail where it connects with Beard Cane Trail and a trail which continues onto the Blackberry Farm B&B property.

It was a delightful stroll out and back. The only persons I encountered were two park service employees at the gap. They were supposed to be working on Beard Cane Trail but were quite happy to spend 20 minutes clowning with me (see photo of me "working").

Spotted Wintergreen above. It was flowering, as was Indian Pink, Fairy Wand and Galax. This trail is loaded with Pink Lady Slippers. I saw hundreds in one gap. They have finished blooming now. The park service guys say you can't even park when they are blooming. "The word is out" they told me.

Beard Cane Trail suffered more than any other trail in the area from the the Spring tornado 2 years ago. It is open and passable now but you can easily see the effects.

At the beginning of the trail, another path leads left to a couple caves. Above is the entrance to Bull Cave. It appears the sunken entrance is a sink hole within an sinkhole within a sinkhole. There is a small stream that drops into the entrance. I'm told it descends down 420' and is one of the deepest caves in the Southeast. 

Indian Pink

June 8 Black Mountain Crest Trail

Hiking buddy, Will and I decided to go on our own outing after this PHOC  hike was cancelled due to all the rain. Will and I saw the forecast and realized it would be almost perfect conditions just after the rain passed through Saturday morning. Often just after a rain, all the particulate matter in the air is cleared and some really nice clear skies and views follow. We didn't have the perfect conditions we thought might exist as there were some lingering clouds and early fog. About mid day we had some some views.

Above is the lone plant of Rosy Twisted Stalk I saw today.

Clinton Lily was all along the trail in large communities like this one. They appear to be at peak bloom right now.

I know it doesn't look steep but then why would a rope be installed. It is steep, just an optical illusion. We managed very well in the steep spots on the slick rock and muck. It might have been different if we'd been carrying packs. My guess is there were 12 people that would spend the night out at Deep Gap. We did not encounter anyone on the way out. Will said he was breaking cobwebs. On the our return we run into the usual allotment of BMC hikers. One group of four had to be part of a basketball team. 

Thyme Leaved Bluets seemed to be most abundant at the beginning of our hike at Mt Mitchell State Park parking area. From the parking area, the trail heads right through the picnic area. It descends on some stone steps before reaching a gap and heading up Mt Craig, the second highest peak in the east. Between Mt Craig and Big Tom is a short drop but nothing like you're in for later. Heading down to Big Tom gap is pretty steep in spots, and then it is up Balsam Cone, down again, up Cattail Peak, back down and up Potato Hill before the long descent to Deep Gap. All those peaks are top 6500'+.