Jan 9 Three Sisters and Sheeprock

With hiking partners Deb and Will, I set out on this interesting traverse of Hanging Rock Ridge including the Three Sisters and Sheeprock.

Beginning at the Visitors Center, we walked up the wide trail to Hanging Bluff. Just past where the trail reaches the bottom of the bluff, Will pointed out the old route to the top of the bluff. He had visited the park several times in his youth and remembered the route prior to all the stone steps being added. 

After climbing the stone steps, we turned right on what now is a recognizable trail leading out Hanging Rock Ridge. We are treated to views to the south. Flat Shoals Mountain, part of the park, stands by itself. The rest of the landscape is flat. We can easily see Duke Power steamstacks at the Belows Lake powerplant. The skylines of Winston-Salem and Greensboro take a bit more searching to see and High Point is discernible with a little keener eye. On the north side we can see the Blue Ridge from Fishers Peak to the Roanoke area. The only mountains I can identify are Buffalo and Bull. Will can reel almost all of them off. He also points out the ridges and mountains not part of the Blue Ridge.

Hanging Rock Ridge very slightly slopes down in the direction we're hiking but doesn't deviate much until the pronounced drop between the HRR and the First Sister. Along the way, we scramble over rock and pass through a keyhole. It is much fun here.

On the way down to the saddle before the First Sister, we pick up a flagged route which eventually leads to the site of the 1963 plane wreck. Seeing this wreck up close reminds me how fragile a small plane can be. I recall the metal swingset we used to have, had a sturdier metal frame.

Leaving the plane wreckage, we decide to go straight up the First Sister. This was our first battle with greenbrier, laurel and rhododendron. Long before we reached the top, we encountered a faint manway and followed it up. At the top, we ate lunch on an outcrop. Then moved below some bluffs before finding a way up. The outcrops here are much smaller than those of HRR. 

In the saddle between First and Second Sister, we see an old roadbed choked with laurel and rhododendron on the north side. We climb the Second Sister and see the Third Sister ahead. The next saddle is not as deep. We make our way up and over the Third Sister to a very interesting spot. The south side of this ridge has some great bluffs leading on down to Sheeprock. We explore them all.

This is the first bluff we encounter. The east end of Flat Shoals is in the background.

Here is the second bluff we explore. This is part of a series of bluffs.

At this bluff, Will and I scramble down to see this keyhole. 

Will looks through the keyhole. There is also a small cave in this vicinity.

On our way back, we see an old roadbed in very nice condition on the north side of the Third Sister. We follow this road, bypassing the climb up and down the Third Sister. In the saddle between Third and Second Sister, we see the road continue around the north side of the Second Sister. It is so alluring, we take the bait. You may recall we saw the other end of this road earlier and I described it as "laurel and rhododendron choked". As you might guess, we ran into that mess and struggled through it. Next time, I'm going over the top.

Back on HRR, we look for and find the rock, Will has described as a balanced rock. It is also the site of a stealth campsite. We scramble down to get a close look. The rock is huge; the size of a double garage but its footprint is only a fraction of its circumference. It was quite interesting to walk around it. Will mentioned, Dave Cook had led an outing here and continued further, staying low on the bluffs to a cave a couple hundred yards east. 

Before returning, I mention the route we have just taken is being considered as a trail route to Danbury. Will thinks it would be included in the Mountains to Sea Trail bypassing the current road walk into Danbury. He says it would be the most talked about section of the MST in this area. I agree it would be a spectacular trail but also would like to see some areas of the park remain free of trail development.