Dec 14 Snake Mountain

Snake Mtn from Rich Mountain Road

Snake Mountain at 5580' is one of the highest peaks in Northwest NC. I had been on the north side and climbed to the ridge but never made it to the top. The ridge extends for over a mile. This trip, I approached the mountain from another way. Rich Mountain Rd is a winding dirt road off Meat Camp Road on the way to Elk Knob State Park. After turning, drive 1.7 miles to open pasture. You are in woods all the way until suddenly, you are in pasture on both side of the road. There is a small pulloff near a metal gate on the Snake Mountain side. The pulloff is on the Rich Mountain side. There is a spot next to the gate where you can step over the barbed wire. Head up in open pasture. You'll see a large rock outcrop right where the pasture transitions to woods. Head to the right side of the rocks. Immediately above the rocks, you'll find a manway. It is very steep. Poles are helpful. It takes about 45 minutes to leave the steep ridge and get on an open ridge with a more moderate rise. Another 15 minutes and you'll be at the top after passing several false summits.

View looking west to Tennessee

Views are in all directions except toward Grayson Highlands. There always seemed to be trees blocking that view. The view west into Tennessee reveals several long ridge mountains. These are the ridgelike mountains west of the Blue Ridge. They run from Georgia to New York and were created by tectonic events other than that which created the Blue Ridge. 

Grandfather & Sugar Mountains

Rich Mountain is in the foreground with Grandfather on the left and Sugar on the right. Next to the snowy ski trails of Sugar Mountain, is the Sugar Cube condominium building, also known as SugarTop.

Elk Knob

Elk Knob is quite close. I was able to see Pilot mountain just to the left of Elk Knob. You could see the old trail on Elk Knob which went straight up. It was covered in snow today. There was snow on the mountaintops including Snake but not enough to cause any footing problems.

Black Mountain behind Beech Mtn

If you hike the Black Mountain Crest Trail, here is the profile. Low gap is clearly visible as are the various peaks of Black Mountain.

The valley below

Rich Mountain

Rich Mountain lies nearby and also offers great views at a slightly lower elevation. The route up Rich is more open pasture than snake and there is no trail. 

Once on the Snake ridge, there is a well defined trail, blazed yellow. It appears to run the entire ridge of the mountain.

Dec 12 Laurel Knob; another fine mess

Poplars

Laurel Knob is located just north of Old Fort, NC in the Curtis Creek drainage. Our scramble up was a torturous one. We drove up Curtis Creek Road just past the campground, parked and crossed the creek. There were not many options except follow the unnamed side creek. We were able to do this but high up on the right side. The terrain was very steep and we were walking on a cross slope  the entire time. Footing was never good. The loose soil would always slip a bit with every step. I found using one pole to steady myself helped greatly. With a steep cross slope there is a fine line to keeping your balance. Often just a loose branch or small twig is all you need to maintain your balance. 

The cascade

We'd heard there were big trees here. Old growth Poplars and Chestnut oaks. We saw some but I'd seen many larger in the Smokies and Joyce Kilmer. We were also looking for a nice cascade about 30 minutes into the scramble. We did locate it but I did not want to expend the energy needed to get a close shot.

We continued on in very difficult terrain which eventually eased. Then the rhododendron and laurel began. It seemed to never end. We were able to remain upright through most of it but I was tiring of ducking and getting my pack snagged.

Around 12:30 we had to stop and eat something. After looking at the map and checking out elevation, it was disheartening to learn we may have only gained half the elevation to the top. We were tired and never saw the big trees we had hoped for. Turning back was an option but we pushed higher. It was about an hour and a quarter later, we popped out on the Green Knob Trail. We still had 3 miles to go but the trail was a breeze compared to what we'd just done.

Pinnacle 

This is the view looking west. Pinnacle is the distinct peak. We have hiked up it via Heartbreak Ridge many times.

Linville Gorge on left

Our hike back was nice. We stopped at a rock outcrop, Snook's Nose to finish our lunch. The last half mile of this trail is relatively flat but there is a section which is very steep. It was a slow descent here but I'm glad we were headed down. 

Dec 7 Linville Gorge - Below the Camel

Shortoff to the south

This is another foray into the tangled mess of Linville Gorge. Drop below the bluffs on the east side of the gorge and you are in greenbrier and rhododendron. The fire of '13 has changed this area. Much of the vegetation has been burned to the ground. Rhododendron looks dead but almost every bush has new growth sprouting at ground level. Greenbrier is young and healthy. Charred pines are everywhere. The ground is black and soft. Erosion is occurring. Due to the steepness of the terrain, we had to be more mindful of dislodging rocks. Rhododendron which had provided handholds, now breaks off in your hand or comes out by the roots. So in some ways it is easier to get around but in others it is more difficult.

Hawksbill, Little Tablerock and Tablerock

Five of us, led by Matt, drop down a steep gully full of perils beside Apricot Buttress. Matt has heard there are caves down at the base of the Camel. We work our way along the buttress wall and find caves we have seen before. Paula is able to slither through one for some distance, exiting about 40 feet from the larger entrance.

Marshall & Will near cave entrance

We toil to make our way around the base of the Camel. It is rough work. We stop for a break in an exposed spot at the Camel's base to take in the views. From here we work around the base never seeing any caves. Then Matt suggests the report he had heard may have referred to caves on Apricot which we had already known about. Now we are looking for a way out. Then, we pass through a keyhole and into a cave entrance. This one is amazing. It has 3 more entrances, all high up the vertical bluff wall. We can walk into one but the wall turns and drops making the other 3 entrances just holes high up the cliffside. We spend a good 30 minutes here, having a lunch break.

Paula slithers out of cave

Matt looks down

Once we have had our fill, we continue to look for an exit up. We see 2 or 3 spots which look very difficult, even dangerous. We push on through the tangled mess. Finally, we come to the realization we are not going to find a new way out, we are going to have to exit at Mossy Monster, a route Ben managed to find on an earlier scramble. The Mossy Monster is very steep and loose soil is an issue. There are 3 or 4 difficult climbs along this route but we manage. About 2/3 up it merges with another route, Separation Crack. My energy is depleted at end of this climb but Marshall and Matt decide to look for  another route out instead of the trail we are on. They manage to find one without much difficulty.

Window on the Sphinx

Another dead end

Camel and Apricot Buttress 

As we pop out on the MST and head back to the parking area, we can see Ben and another group on top of the Chimneys. So, of course, we have to scramble up there. Both groups enjoy the 360 degree views and then traverse the top of the chimneys. there are 3 spots of concern up there. Ben's group had some less experienced Gorge Rats so we all pitched in and helped everyone through the tough spots. The final one was particularly difficult as you had to find a foothold without ever being able to see it, then fall backwards in a controlled fall. As Marshall was assisting here, he himself fell backward off a rock which looked as if it might drop off for a ways. Luckily branches slowed him and he ended up on his back just a few feet down. It was a scary moment.

Traversing the Chimneys

Dec 4 Upper Lower Haw River State Natural Area

Now a pedestrian bridge

Today I walked the upper portion of the Lower Haw River State Natural Area. This section has a well worn trail from the small park next to the pedestrian bridge. All of this is down river of the Bynum Dam in a an area which appears to have been a textile mill at one time. There are large paved parking areas which probably served as the mill's parking lot. From one of those areas you can cross the bridge which is loaded with graffiti. From another, you can walk alongside the river.

Wisdom or graffiti 

Haw River

I walked about a mile until I ran into Pokeberry Creek. The same creek I was unable to cross coming the other direction. The side get considerably more traffic and the trail was well worn.

Bynum Dam above the 15/501 bridge

Calm Haw River

Dec 1 & 5 Uwharrie Trail Progress

Girdling beetle trims hickory

I spent these two days working with a small group on a proposed route for a continuation of the Uwharrie Trail through the Walker Creek area. Our group has been working on this for about a year. We have settled on a route and it was time to show it to the National Forest Service and begin their long processes of approval. As I understand the process, we will provide them with a GPS track of the route. They will have their specialists in archaeology, biology and botany look for any significant sites which need to be avoided. Then there will be a flagged route based on their stipulations for drainage and slope. Then we can build their trail.

Apparently, one of our members dug a hole for a sign he had made on another section of trail and destroyed a number of Georgia Asters, a rare plant. So I will be interested in what they find along our route.  

Ultimate deer stand

Nov 30 Endor Furnace on Deep River

Camelback Bridge over Deep River

Will and I are paddling a 6 mile section of the Deep River between Lee and Chatham Counties. This section accesses the Civil War era Endor Furnace. We began paddling at Deep River Park just upriver of this Camelback bridge. This particular bridge was originally over the Cape Fear River at Lillington. Built in 1901, it was paired with another camelback at that location. In 1930 it cracked and was removed. Half of the bridge was salvaged and placed on this site in 1932 replacing a covered bridge which had burned in 1929. In 1992 it was taken out of service and transferred to Deep River Park Association. 

Disassembled and labeled stones from Endor Furnace

On the paddle to the furnace we spotted a bald eagle evidenced by the white tail as it flew off. As we neared the horseshoe left bend in the river just before the furnace we immediately spotted a place to land the kayaks. We had not seen many spots to land a kayak since putting in. So there was a good chance we might not have another opportunity. That proved to be the case. After securing the boats on the rocks, we walked along the river a few hundred yards to the furnace site. As we approached, we had to climb a steep bank. It turned out to be spent iron ore.

Spent iron ore

The furnace operated for 10 years between 1862 and 1872. It was built by several partners from Wilmington wishing to capitalize on Confederate war needs for iron. Iron ore was mined a few miles downriver. Coal was found a few miles upriver. However, the reason the furnace is situated where it is, is due to the brownstone quarry on the premises. The furnace produced pig iron for the Confederate arsenal at Fayetteville.

We were surprised to see the furnace covered in scaffolding with a metal roof over it. Nearby, many brownstone building blocks were stacked and labeled. I later learned this is a 2 million dollar project to restore the furnace. It appears some of the upper courses of brownstone and the side facing the river, have collapsed into the center. These are the pieces that were removed and stacked up. The rest of the structure remains intact.

Portion of Endor furnace left intact 

There was a bridge from the top of the bluff in the photo above, to the top of the furnace. Fuel, flux and iron ore were placed in many layers. The flux agent used here is not known. It would be lime or crushed seashells. Neither have been found at the site. Once the fuel is lit, air is forced (blasted) into the opening seen above. The blast of air burns the fuel hotter until it melts the iron. As the melted iron makes its way from the top layers to the bottom, the flux agent helps expedite the process. At the bottom, the melted iron ore is collected and run off in a trough which empties the iron into molds. The molds are designed for the molded iron to be about the weight a strong man could lift.

We found lots of spent iron ore on the site. It was light and looked like melted glass. We also found some raw iron ore. It was very heavy.

Put this on your calendar for a return paddle in about a year when this restoration is complete.  

Camelback Bridge

Nov 29 Lower Haw State Natural Area

Turn around point at Pokeberry Creek

Will and I decided we were going to Walk this route all the way from Rt 64 to Rts 15/501 in Bynum. I had read a report from some one attempting to the same thing but running into Pokeberry Creek and failing to get across. Surely, Will and I could cross this thing. I was so confident I left my creek crossing footwear at home. We arrived at Pokeberry and confidently walked upstream. We stopped here and there and kept going. Finally, we decided we'd have to throw in the towel and head back.

The above photo is the creek entering the Haw. It was loaded with greenbrier too.

Resurrection Ferns

We ran into some locals who told us the property was donated to Duke University by Duke Power before being acquired by the state. Will had speculated it was acquired by Duke as a possible hydroelectric dam site. Both sides of the river were owned by Duke, so this is a reasonable hypothesis. 

Beaver did not finish the job

Beavers have been busy on the east side of the Haw, Over on the west side, billionaire James Goodnight and his group of investors, Preston Group, have also been busy acquiring land. Their proposed 8000 acre Chatham Place would triple the current 63,000 person population of Chatham County. Ground has already been broken for a new UNC hospital. The residential/retail/business project is staged in 5 developments over the next 30 years. Although there is some local opposition, this is a done deal in my opinion.

One of many large pines

Nov 21 Flat Shoals Mountain

"Tombstone Rocks"

The mountain has not changed since I last visited two years ago. Today, I parked alongside the park boundary on Young Road and walked up the mountain from memory. I attained the top of the ridge at exactly the same spot as before, by the "Tombstone Rocks". On the way up, look for a faint trail into the scrubby pines by the utility pole in the road bend. Head straight up along a faint spine. Eventually a draw will develop and then two draws, side by side. Then head for the top just to the right of a patch of pines. Once on top of the ridge, a manway goes in either direction along the ridge. To the left, there will be a couple open views of the rest of the Sauratown range, from Sheeprock to Pilot Mountain. When the leaves are on the trees, there may not be any views. The best views are where the ridge begins to drop off more steadily. Near here, you can head down the north side of the mountain and hit an old road. It is best to look for open forest on the way down, as Mountain Laurel can grow thickly on the north facing side of the mountain.

Following the manway to the right of Tombstone Rocks, you will within a minute or two, see a major rock outcrop. From the rim you can easily spot one of the caves here. Carefully pick your way down the rock jumble and explore along the base. Several of the exposed rock cliffs are devoid of lichen as seen in the photos, above and below. There are 3 caves in this area. One of which has a tight entrance but once inside, several people can stand and move around. None appear to be more than 15 feet in depth. This area is full of holes and unstable footing. It is a slow go around here. Further along the ridge are a few more rock outcrops but smaller in size. There are two basins before the ridge drops off. Walking down from the ridge you will again hit the old road, perhaps a mile from where I described the other access.

Sedimentary layers of Quartzite rock  

Old road on north side of Flat Shoals Mtn

I followed this old road for over a mile. There were a number of tagged trees like the one below. They were all dead trees. There was an area which looked like it might have been a staging area for timber cut. Huge vines ran up the trees in this area including one large hickory in the center of this possible staging area. Saw dust inhibits growth for some time and I have often seen vines growing in these areas. 

Killer Trees are labeled for your safety

The road continued onto private property which I walked a short distance to an abandoned cabin. I believe this property is off Harris Road and marked by purple paint by the road.

Heading back to my car on Young Road, I exited the ridge manway by the Tombstone Rocks and headed straight down, exiting the woods exactly where I started.

Nov 9 Rock Dam on Little Caraway

This is a massive stone dam on Little Caraway Creek near Mt Shepherd. Will and I made one wrong turn on our way here but managed to find the dam. The size of some of the stones is impressive. We stayed here about 15 minutes walking all around and on top of it. It was hard to imagine having built this structure without mortar or power equipment. Some very skilled people built this dam to last a while.

After marveling at the dam, we hiked up Mt Shepherd and accessed the lookout tower. I live next to one of those bumps on the horizon.

Nov 1 Lower Haw River State Natural Area

Haw River

The Lower Haw River State Natural Area is a 1000+ acre tract on both sides of the Haw. It was purchased from Duke University. The state's brief description of the property refers to a 2 mile hiking trail on the east side of the river. Other hiking websites describe a 4.8 mile trail from the Bynum bridge to the US 64 bridge on the east side. I parked in the tiny parking area on Rt 64, east side of the bridge. I believe there is a larger parking area on the west side.Heading down to the river, trails lead in several directions but it is not difficult to locate the one which follows the riverside. It is obvious, due to the litter, this area is used for fishing. I found the trail definitive but not used much. Near the bridge you have to push your way through a reedy area. For much of the rest of the way, you are at the edge of the river in a flood plain. At several point you could see homes through the trees.

Spider Flower blooming Nov 1

About a mile in, there was a grouping of rock outcrops overlooking the river. I saw many very large pine trees, a few large cedars and one big holly. There was some recent beaver activity too.

There were two tributaries which formed ditches. I needed to walk up the creeks a short way to find a crossing spot. After the second of these, the trail was no longer visible. I meandered in the flood plain looking for any sign of the trail. Finally, I walked to the edge of the flood plain where the land begins sloping up. Here was the state's boundary and a pathway of sorts. I followed this a ways but turned around, probably just over 2 miles from the starting point.

Faint trail follows river

Haw River

Oct 30-31 New River Trail Bicycling

My ride began in Draper on the New River Trail. It took 6 1/2 hours to bicycle the 46 miles to Galax where I spent the night. The following day I took the same amount of time to make the easier return ride to Draper.

Leaves covered much of the trail but I did not have any bad encounters with hidden rocks or nuts. As always, care needs to be taken when riding alongside the cliffs. Often there are fallen rocks in the trail; sometimes obscured by autumn leaves. 

Above is the approach to Hiwassee Bridge. The video at the bottom of the blog follows my approach and crossing of the bridge. The videos sometimes seem like I am traveling at a high rate of speed but really I am only doing 9 or 10 mph. 

The state of Virginia renovated the exterior of the Foster Falls Hotel during the past year. It served as a hotel and orphanage during its 125 year existence. I don't know what the state plans to do. There is a nice new parking area to accompany the hotel. The 3 adjacent buildings have either been renovated or are in the process. As you can see from the 2 photos below, the exterior is the only part which was renovated. I took the photos through a couple windows. 

My favorite bridge (near Ivanhoe)

Major work was being done to the Appalachian Power Company's Byllesby Dam. The wood planks which hold back the water had all been removed. The impounded area behind the dam has returned to almost its original riverbed. It looks like you could walk across the river in a number of spots on nice sandy surface. There was also some nice new sandy beaches. 

You don't want one of these to hit your head

It is an Osage orange which is related to mulberry not oranges. The small bumps are called drupes. The fruit has a latex based fluid and is not edible. This one is quite heavy and I'd hate to think what would happen if one hit your head.