Mar 18 Walnut Creek Greenway

If you wish to test your urban navigational skills, this is the trail for you. Walnut Creek Greenway, part of the Raleigh greenway system, follows Walnut Creek from the Neuse River to and around Lake Johnson, southeast of downtown Raleigh. The previous night, I reviewed the course and maps. There were brief descriptions of the four sections. I didn't pay much attention because everything looked pretty simple. I found the trailhead on Lake Johnson right where it should be. Where was the trail. There was a trail going by the parking area but with no signage. Thinking it must be at the bottom of the hill (its a creek!), that is where I went. OK, there is a trail, no signage. I go about a half mile and there is a detour sign pointing left. I went left but there was never another sign. I kept going and finally saw what looked like a trail. OK, back on the creek. Then I entered the Centennial Campus of NCSU. Very nice trail through here. At about the 3 mile mark, I finally see a sign indicating that someone has adopted this section of the Walnut Creek Trail. That is the first sign I saw naming the trail.

At about the 4 mile mark, the trail ended at a road. There was a spray painted arrow on the road pavement. I turned, came to a stop sign. There was no indication which way to go. I turned left, saw a trail and followed it. About a mile further, I noticed, the creek was running the wrong way. Or, I was going the wrong way is a more appropriate statement. I backtracked and saw another trail, came to a road intersection and saw a sign "Walnut Creek Trail" pointing left. I started along the road and soon realized I was headed toward downtown Raleigh. I turned back and went the opposite way of the sign. Then I saw trail again. Surely, I'm going to be fine now. Passing by some warehouses and junkyards, I was back alongside Walnut Creek. I pass some nice wetlands and ride over some boardwalks. Then I come to another road. No indication which way to go. I follow what I think is the most logical route through a neighborhood. I try to find a way back to the creek and end up riding in a huge loop ending at a neighborhood park. Thinking that I am lost and this is my turnaround spot, I decide to eat lunch, fire up my phone and figure out where I am. It turns out, I am just a hundred yards from the trail. 

Now I'm back in business. Riding trail through a nice area including the Walnut Creek sports and entertainment area. There appears to be a collegiate softball tournament of historically black universities going on. I could tell that by the buses parked in the lot. From here, the trail takes on a different look. It looks more professional. There are mile markers with trail names on them. I do have to pass through a huge construction area before entering some wetlands where there are 3 boardwalks totaling 1/2 mile in length. From here it is just a couple miles to the Neuse River. 

Armed with all the knowledge the trail route, I am confident I can return to Lake Johnson without getting lost. I manage all the way past NCSU campus and then come to a road with no signs and I have forgotten how I came through here. It takes me about 3 minutes to figure out where I am and how I should proceed, using google maps. Once I had it figured out I did fine back to the car. From the car to the Neuse is about 14 miles and there is the 3 miles I route being lost, so a big day on the bike for me.

Mar 16 Big Creek Gold Mines

The Big Creek area of the Uwharrie National Forest is not visited much except by gold panners. Its common to see a car or two parked here but there aren't many hikers or other sightseers. The parking area is quite sketchy. The creek crossings aren't easy and the forest service has fenced or gated off many of the spots that just look too enticing for thrill seekers to venture into.

This was an area of serious hard rock mining. So serious in fact, a huge stone structure was built here. I don't know the specific purpose but guess it had something to do with gold mining.

A couple of the hard rock shafts have bars over them preventing entry. Steep rocky terrain where mining took place is also treacherous. An entire mining area of pits and shafts is barricaded off with welded metal railing. 

Massive lower and upper walls are visible

The stone structure is massive and the most impressive structure I've seen in the Uwharrie national Forest.

Bloodroot in bloom

It is not what you think

Mar 8 Virginia Creeper Trail

It is early March and warm. A great time to head out to the Creeper trail for a bicycle ride. The added bonus is, it is midweek and I don't expect many riders to be barreling down the trail at me as I slowly go up.

It is chilly, in the 40s, so I stop for a leisurely breakfast at Mojo's Trailside Cafe. Now I am set for the climb. It is still chilly but I warm up quickly riding uphill.  

One of the concerns I had, is what the trail will look like. Other trails don't get much use if any, in the winter and often there is debris and mud. This trail looked decent. There were some spots where small branches had come down but they could easily be ridden over. I did stop to move to fallen rocks in one area.

I saw a couple hikers on the way up but no bicyclists until Green Cove, 15 miles up. It had taken me almost 3 hours to reach here so I decided it was far enough. The next 3 miles are the steepest.

O Winston Link took this daytime photo of a mule bowing to the Virginia Creeper back in the 1950s. The railroad still used steam at that time which was the attraction for Mr Link. This is one of his most famous photos and possibly his most famous daytime photo. He is better known for his use of lights for night shots.

Here some beavers have created an infinity pool with a great view of fields in the foreground and mountains in the background. How do they build these things and not have then leak?

Mar 7 Channels

The Great Channels of Virginia are now protected. They are a Virginia Natural Area Preserve located within Channels State Forest. All of that is on Clinch Mountain near the town of Abingdon Virginia. Previously privately owned, the channels became accessible to the public through the efforts of George Kennedy. He engineered their purchase by the Nature Conservancy which, in 2008, transferred the property to the state of Virginia.  

The Brumley Mountain Trail runs 14 miles and passes by the spur trail which leads to the top of the mountain and the channels area. The simplest was to visit the channels is to walk in from Rt 80 on the Brumley Mountain Trail for 3 miles and return the same way. There is a parking area as you crest the mountain gap about 14 miles from I-81 (Meadowview exit). Next to the parking lot is a driveable road which is gated about 80 yards from Rt 80. Signs here say you are welcome to walk on the road but you are on private property. There are a few seasonal homes along the road. You can catch glimpses of a couple. Eventually, the road switches back and you follow a dirt road which leads you to a gate and the Channels State Forest. From here to the top, you are still on a two track road the entire way. 

Once on the spur trail, the first structure you see is the decommissioned fire tower and then the warden's cabin, or what is left of it. Walk up past the fire tower and look for little arrows on trees along a trail. It will lead you to the entrance of the channels in about a minute. 

Before you head down, you are looking out over what appears to be a solid rock face of about an acre in size. Walking out, you realize there are crevices which go down about 20 feet. These appear frequently and in some cases they are wide enough that you can not step over them. Although, you catch glimpses of the underworld below, you don't get a good feel for it until you actually find a way down and enter the maze. 

There is one entrance which is pretty easy to find. It is steep and today it was icy. I managed to get down fine. Once I started walking through the channels, I could not keep track of where I was. Many looked the same. A few were deadends or too narrow to pass. I think I explored almost all of the maze but I can't be certain.

When it was time to head back, I started up twice only to end at a deadend. Finally, I located the entrance which I slid down. 

View from below

View from above

Mar 4 Cedar Rock Mountain and Betty McGee Creek

One of the Doud Mine Pits

Hiking in from a new trailhead on High Pine Church Road, I can easily access Camp 3 and Rush Mine area now. The Trailhead is on NC Wildlife Resources Commission property recently acquired from the Land Trust for Central North Carolina. The property was to be a development with quite a few lots/homes. The developer sold the property to the Land Trust when demand for housing crashed in 2007/2008. 

Near the end of the development road, an old woods road heads left into the Birkhead Wilderness. This old road has seen significant foot traffic recently and resembles a super highway trail. In a few minutes you arrive at a side trail heading to Camp 3. This campsite is the site of an old homeplace. There is a small springbox, a mine pit with steel crank and a rebuilt firepit. 

Keyhole Tree

Leaving Camp 3 and retracing back to the super highway, I continue to head into the Birkheads. A short distance further, a mound can be seen in the woods on the right. Further investigation reveals and series of pits, perhaps 20. This is the Doud Mine complex and the headwaters for Betty McGee Creek. From here I veer upward toward Cedar Rock Mountain. The terrain is open mature hardwood and gradually sloping up. Along here I spot the keyhole tree, an oddity of nature. 

Cedar Rock Mountain

The scene and view from Cedar Rock Mountain are like nothing else in the Uwharries. There is a limited far off view of Mt Shepherd. 

Heading down the mountain, I enter a settled area. It is relatively flat. there are two distinct homesites and many piles of rocks. Those rocks are probably there to clear some pasture or tilled fields. This is an extensive area of some former activity. 

Early American Chimney 

Following Betty McGee Creek on an old road, I walk all the way to the "Big Rocks" with the ladder up them. Then onto the abandoned house on Grey Owl Road. A Black Vulture crashed its way out of the attic as I approached.

Big Rock

After a short stop for lunch, I retraced back to Betty McGee and returned to Cedar Rock area. From here I made my way back via old roads rather than the off trail route which I had come in on.

Mar 2 Walker Creek Trail relocation

New Walker Creek Crossing

Our group of Uwharrie Trailblazers has been working on a continuation of the Uwharrie Trail through some forest service property we have been referring to as Walker Creek. Our route has been tweaked several times. Now it comes time to get forest service approval. The biggest stumbling block is the archaeological survey. It was originally estimated at $4800. A few slight moves, brought the estimated cost down to $3600. Now we have to make sure, our route isn't impacting any new areas.

We put up flagging, found a nice place to cross the creek. Then we tweaked that to add an attraction, the "Biscuit Rocks" and add some length.

One further move looks like it might save $500. There is an old eroded roadbed which our trail crosses. It is not important where the trail crosses it, just that it crosses it. If a trail crosses an old roadbed, that road must be researched to see what it is. We noticed that the road was obliterated without trace by a forest service gate on Eagle Field Rd. If we put our trail there, where there is no trace of it, the research to learn what it is, is not needed. That seemed like a no brainer. It look about 5 minutes to flag a new route by this forest service gate.

It looks like we are finally close to getting an arch survey done and already have a botanical survey lined up. 

Now, if we could just figure out what this covered bridge is all about, maybe the trail could go through it. Just kidding. It is on nearby private property.

Covered Bridge?

Feb 27 Sunrise at Sunset

On my early morning walk to Bird Island, I got to see the colors before sunrise. They are always best 40 to 20 minutes before sunrise in my opinion. Walking beyond the Kindred Spirit mailbox, I watched shore birds on the sandy beach alongside Little River. The NC/SC line is somewhere in this vicinity. I found a survey marker but it did not indicate it was the stateline.

The flag is up - full of drivel today

Feb 20 Stony Ridge & Cuniff Cabin

Cundiff Cabin

The mid 19th century cabin sits just off the Corridor Trail in Pilot Mountain State Park. Our walk out here included a scramble up nearby Stony Ridge, a high point between Pilot Mountain and the Yadkin River.

We are told the cabin was built by someone lost to history. Its name is derived from the most recent owners, the Cundiffs. In 1907, the cabin was sold to Billy Cundiff, a former slave, for $500. Billy did not have the entire amount. Milton Cundiff convinced the seller, Billy would be goof for the money. The two had been childhood friends. Billy's mother, also a former slave, had been owned by Milton's father, Kit. I think they were all Cundiffs. 

Billy and his wife raised 9 children in the cabin. It has two ground level rooms, a large upper loft and an addition on the back. It is in very poor condition with holes in the floor and peeling wallpaper as well as what you would expect from a 150 year old cabin left to fend for itself.

Headed up Stony Ridge

After leaving the Cabin, our small group headed up Stony Ridge. There was a nondescript, wooded summit with limited winter views of Pilot Knob.