Oct 23 Atop Randolph County

Mount Shepherd, the highest point in Randolph County, listed at 1151' to 1157' in elevation, sports this impressive observation tower. A former fire tower, decommissioned several decades ago, from a eastern North Carolina location, was moved and reassembled atop this mountain. Earlier this year, Piedmont Land Conservancy obtained a conservation easement for 274 acres of the mountain, forever protecting it.  

Up 164 steps will give you these views in all directions. Today, I was able to see the Sauratowns and faintly, the Blue Ridge beyond. 

Enlarge this photo to catch a glimpse of Pilot Mountain just to the left of downtown Winston-Salem.

Look closely and you will spot 3 towers here. I don't know if the smaller one in the center of the photo is still in use. The other two are loaded up with all sorts of receiving and transmitting devices. The access road is gated. The gate now has 8 locks on it. So, it would seem that if you are receiving a cell signal in the area, it is quite likely to be routed through here.

Oct 21 Land of the Longleaf Pine - Weymouth Woods

The Sandhills of North Carolina are home to Longleaf Pine. The original growth trees were exploited for masts of sailing ships and the naval stores industry. "V" shaped cuts into the tree produced a large quantity of sap which was collected and used for various products in sealing naval ships. Distilled sap was made into turpentine and used as an illuminate.  

By the 1850s, North Carolina was producing one third of the naval stores needs of the British navy. Union blockades of  southern ports during the Civil War, ended this trade. Most of the trees were harvested for timber after the war. The lumbering accelerated the growth of railroads in the area, leading to other development. 

In the early 1900s a large tract of this land was acquired by a conservationist. His widow donated 403 acres to the state of North Carolina in 1963. It became the first natural area in the state park system. Today that tract is known as the Boyd Tract and is part of Weymouth Woods State Natural Area.

Today, Weymouth Woods is surrounded by developed areas. You are never far from someone's yard. As a result, many people walk and run through the myriad trail system. It is also an excellent bird habitat and home to the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

Oct 5 Looking Glass Rock

Looking Glass Rock from the Blue Ridge Parkway

All week I have not met another hiker on a trail. That streak ended today. Looking Glass Rock is an extremely popular hike. The parking area already had 4 cars in it. When I finished my hike, it was jammed with folks parking in both directions along the road. The trail is very well worn and wide. It employees a number of switchbacks with many many shortcuts between them. 

Another relentless upward climb with no breaks until just before the turn around. I thought I had reached the top when I saw a large flat rock surface. I understand this spot is used as a helipad for climber rescues. A mile further up, I finally popped out into the open with expansive views. It reminds me of Stone Mountain State Park.

This area must get quite crowded at times. It drops off quickly and is more of a grade than it appears in the photos.

On my way down, it seemed to be a parade of dogs headed to the top.

Oct 4 Hyatt Ridge

Late Purple Aster

 Mountain Gentian

The hike today incorporates 2 trails, Hyatt Ridge and part of the Beech Gap Trails. The form a horseshoe which combined with a road walk completes a loop of about 10 miles. I begin climbing steadily up. The trail does not relent for the first 1.8 miles to the junction of Enloe Creek Trail. This section had been timbered about 100 years ago and now has many very tall and straight Tulip Poplars. It appears Elk have been using this trail as well as hikers and horses. At the junction, I stopped for a break. Someone had left a huge upright log, about the height of a low table.

At the junction, Hyatt Ridge Trail turns right and climbs the ridge. This area has not been timbered. It contained many very large Red Oaks with massive trucks and huge crowns. Also, all along this ridge are Chestnut skeletons, most laying on the ground but a few still partially upright. At each one, I see many young American Chestnut trees. None were fruiting. Above is a leaf with a still partially standing dead one in the background.

One of the massive Oaks I saw

The next trail junction also had a small log table with log seats. Here I continues to end of the trail at camp #44, also referred to as MacKee Spring. I looked about the camp but did not see the spring. My hike down was on the Beech Gap Trail. It weaved its way down the coves, passing several dry streams before reaching Straight Creek and the road walk back to my car.

Oct 3 Sunrise to Moonrise - Flat Creek & Spruce Mtn Trails

Sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Flat Creek Trail is a new trail for me. Located in the Balsam Mountain area of the GSMNP, it follows the creek briefly but otherwise, ambles through an exceptional Yellow Birch forest. The largest Yellow Birches I've ever seem are here. Also spotted trailside were large Basswood and Silverbell trees.

In the creek above, park rangers and volunteers were stunning Brook Trout and collecting them for relocation to the other side of the park. A stream there was being rehabilitated. Brown and Rainbow Trout, introduced for sport fishing years ago, have eliminated the native Brook Trout.

One end of the trail is at Heintoga Overlook picnic area. An old park map shows that this was a campground once. This seldom used picnic area has a special memory for me. I don't know if this was the campground I stayed at in 1956 with my parents. It may have been the current Balsam Mountain campground right down the road. One night on that camping trip, my mother and brother slept in the car while my father and I slept in a canvas pup tent. During the evening, a bear entered our campsite, picked up the metal ice chest which was latched with a metal latch, and tossed it. The ice chest burst opened. The bear proceeded to drink milk from the waxed carton, eat all the eggs sans the shells, watermelon except the rind, bacon and even punched a hole in the plastic ketchup squeeze bottle and sucked out the liquid. All the eggs shells, rinds and packaging were left in a neat pile. My father knew about the need to keep food away from bears but figured the metal ice chest with the metal latch was bearproof.

The original picnic tables in this picnic area have a quarried rock table. Pretty cool!

After Flat Creek, I drove down the one way road to Spruce Mountain trailhead. This trail is barely over a mile long but once went another mile to the west to the top of Spruce Mtn and over 5 miles east on Polls Gap Trail. Both those trails are closed now. I walked out on one along a ridge for several hundred yards. It is still quite discernible but fallen trees make it slow going.

The forest up on this mountain is an Elfin Forest. The original Balsam trees are gone and now it is hemlock, Spruce and various hardwood. The ground is covered in moss and full of holes and loose rocks. 

 Nearby is the Masonic Market. It is located in a level meadow which was a camp for loggers. They lived in railroad cars converted for living quarters. Local Masonic members organized a ceremonial monument using stones from around the world. It is a colorful monument. Once a year, Masonic members gather here for a ceremony. there was also a time capsule sealed up in the late 1930s and opened several years ago.

My day ends with the moon rising

Sept 30 Reach the Peaks

Trail crew encourages runners

Wolf Rock is looking pretty

Harry & Jaye check folks in at Wolf Rock

Everyone wants to get in the act

Friends of Sauratown Mountains

I wasn't the only one with a kilt

Sept 28 Flat Top Mountain

The 2.8 mile carriage road from Cone Manor to Flat Top Mountain, meanders through fields for the first mile. Today these fields were bathed in solidago, commonly called goldenrod. Aside from inflicting allergy misery, what a great looking flower. It briefly created some interest as an industrial plant, for the production of rubber. Thomas Edison experimented with it, growing a hybrid species 12 feet tall and containing 12% rubber. His buddy, Henry Ford, gave him a Model T with tires made from goldenrod rubber.    

Milkweed was also all over the meadows. Its status has been raised recently, as publicity of the decline in Monarch butterfly population has been in the news. The plant is so instrumental in the life cycle of Monarchs, it is being planted as breeding grounds and waystations for the butterfly. This seed pod is covered with Milkweed bugs. They are harmless but too many of them will make milkweed less desirable for butterflies. 

At the top of Flat Top is a 40 foot observation tower. Moses Cone named his nearby Colonial Revival home "Flat Top Manor", due to the mountain's proximity. The Cones built a tower out of Chestnut logs on the mountain top in 1900. When the National Park Service took over the property in 1949, that tower was torn down. Several years later in 1954, the current steel and wood structure was erected. There are great views in all directions. Boone and Blowing Rock are visible. Grandfather Mountain lies to the south and the Amphibolites are to the northwest.