Camp 3 Loop Hike
From the June 2019 wind storm, one of the largest root balls is located at the junction of Robbins Branch and Birkhead Mountain Trails. It's a popular photo op. Our hike today, begins at Tot Hill Farm Trailhead, heads out BMT to Camp 5, then onto the Camp 3 Loop Trail and back to Tot Hill.
There are several nice rhyolite outcrops on the Camp 3 Loop Trail. This one is sometimes called Stegosaurus Rock or Split Rock. Take your pick.
This is obviously, Fern Valley. The water always flows here in the North Fork of Hannahs Creek. There is a very nice campsite with logs for sitting and an iron frame if you bring a grill.
The purpose for today's hike is to assess damage on this trail. I found plenty but the real issue is staying on the trail. The blowdowns and fresh leaves made it difficult to figure out where the trail is. There were 3 times I had to wander around to find my way. There are also new trees down. This 1 mile of trail is in dire need of some trail work. The Birkhead is a popular place, even more so during a pandemic. Folks who aren't really hikers are using the trails. Some are out there with just Alltrails.com on their phone as a guide. That is a recipe for getting lost here. The yellow blazes seem dull and difficult to spot now. They need some refreshing. And one of the blowdowns is so massive, the trail has already been rerouted and new blazes are appropriate.
After visiting Camp 3 and cleaning out the leaf choked spring box, I follow the old road toward BMT. There are a half dozen blowdowns along here. All have walk arounds. It would be nice to clear some of these. Although, it's hard to get lost when you are walking on an old road.
I did make a short side excursion to the Dowd Mines. this is large complex of pits and drenches. It seems to have two distinct series of pits, all in the headwaters of Betty McGee Creek. This creek is panned by gold enthusiasts especially in the Thornburg area, which is a long way from here.
