Years’ End Wrap-up 2016-2017

Grape Fern

Several backpacking trips in North Carolina and near Abrams Falls over the last two years got me back on track with my Smokies 900 Mile Club goal. Here are the numbers.
2016 — 133.4 new trail miles out of 199.2 total miles, representing 17 full trails, completion of Lakeshore and partial miles on Hazel Creek and Forney Creek trails.
2017 — 62.4 new trail miles out of 100.9 total miles, covering 10 full trails and completion of Hazel Creek, Forney Creek, and Gregory Bald trails.

Add these to the mileage from 2009 through 2015 and the grand totals are 1,241.2 miles hiked with 788.1 new trail miles on 150 trails. This fresh enthusiasm puts me on the cusp of completion in 2018 with one official trail left to hike, The Boulevard at 5.4 miles.

Car on Lakeshore Trail

It’s been in the back of my mind for some time to pair this trail with an overnight at LeConte Lodge. I want to bring friends Susan and Allen Sweetser and Mary McCord along to celebrate. They have been stalwarts through this journey, helping me in countless ways from hiking companion to transportation and as a guest in their homes. This accomplishment would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, without them. Not to mention a lot less fun.

We were stuck on the waiting list this year and did not get a break. Distractions kept me from booking 2018 accommodations until last week — two months into the registration process. Few dates were left, but I secured four slots for September 6. It’s a long time to wait, but there are things I can do between now and then.

I still have 1 Quiet Walkway along Thunderhead Prong in Tremont and 7 Nature Trails to document. I’d also like to cover Roaring Fork Motor Trail and maybe even Cades Cove loop road. It will be good to have everything else completed, including these “unofficial trails” before I hike The Boulevard in September. LeConte Lodge should be the exclamation point at the very end of my Smokies quest. After all, completing the official trail miles wasn’t my primary motivation. The goal all along has been to learn the park’s natural history. These smaller paths reflect this history as well as any of the backcountry trails.

Indigo Milky Fungus

A few notes on the numbers. Hiking Trails of the Smokies features descriptions of 151 trails. This figure includes two accounts for Beech Gap, which is understandable since they are not connected, and two accounts for Low Gap, which doesn’t make sense as it is one continuous trail. It also includes Polls Gap Trail (4.4 miles) on Balsam Mountain, which has long been closed yet remained in later editions of the book. Perhaps the most recent revision finally dropped it. I have not and will not hike Polls Gap. Even when it was open, it was notorious for downed trees and difficult, even dangerous, passage. I’ve stood at both ends of Polls Gap and stared into dense vegetation that had not seen a maintenance crew in many years. A person would be very hard pressed to follow that trail today. I’m quite happy to respect the park’s decision to close it.

My edition of the book does not include Ollie Cove Trail, a tiny 0.3-mile rutted access path from a Fontana Lake boat drop-off to Lakeshore Trail for Campsite #86. It is a signed trail, however, and I covered it in July 2016.

Fire Pink at High Rock

One last note. My mileage log from 2009 through August 2017 tallies 788.1 trail miles. Adding Ollie to the book’s trail miles for everything except Polls and Boulevard totals 786.2. What accounts for my extra 1.9 miles? I have no idea and no desire to spend time checking the math on approximately 170 separate entries. I’ve covered what’s required and then some; that’s good enough for me.

Once I’ve hiked The Boulevard, my total will be 793.5. I’ve yet to find any definitive number of miles in the park. The book says 800 miles of maintained trails, excluding all Quiet Walkways, self-guided nature trails, and manways. The park’s Web site says 850 miles of backcountry trails. Somewhere I read 832 miles. In a wild landscape this large, trail miles are always likely to be fluid and dynamic. Consider Scott Mountain Trail, the majority of which has been closed now for several years and may not be reopened. Parts of it were very iffy before storms took a toll. Whatever the numbers, I’ve hiked every inch of these trails and will become a bonafide 900 Miler next year.

Addendum:  Fellow 900 Miler aspirant Randy Small pointed out a list of trails on the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club’s 900 Miler site for a definitive(?) list of trails and mileages — 800.3.  Maybe it’s a good thing I’m not doing The Boulevard until Sept. They have things like Tow String horse trail (2.2), Benton MacKaye connector trail (1.0, I can’t remember if I did this one), the asphalt road to Clingman’s Dome (0.5 which I did), High Rock (0.3 which I did), Deep Creek Horse Trail (2.0 which I did), Cosby Campground trails (2.0), and another Hazel Creek access trail from Fontana (0.7). Those I’m missing should be easy to make up except the Fontana access to Hazel, that will be a major undertaking to pick it up. I thought Ollie was designated the connector trail. And why the Cosby campground trails?  Do all of these honestly constitute “official trails” in the park? None of these are in the trails book…at least not the three different editions I’ve bought over the years. These add another 8.7 miles and would bring my total to 802.2 when I finish. Ah, once again that 1.9 miles extra!  Their Lakeshore mileage is 0.8 LESS than mine. So there is half the difference right there. Guess I’ll need to compare all trail mileages. Oh boy, this could be quite a challenge to figure out!  And will it really matter in the end?  All you gotta do is fill out a form and send in $15 .

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2015 Review, 2016 Preview

Yellow Birch, Appalachian Trail, TN-NC

Overall 2015 was another light year for trail miles, logging 145.6 on the Appalachian Trail and 64.3 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Of those Smokies miles, 37.4 were new miles representing 7 entire trails and the completion of two partials. I still have unfinished business on Lakeshore and Gregory Bald trails. To date I have completed 118 park trails (79%) with 941.1 total miles and 592.3 new trail miles (71%).

The cavernous no-man’s land between Highway 441 and Fontana has been thumbing its nose at me for years. I am determined to chip away at that formidable block of remote trails in 2016. Even though my weather-shortened attempt to close the Tennessee-Virginia gap on the A.T. left 123 miles untraveled, I think I’d rather take the 12 days necessary to finish that and reinvigorate my original Smokies quest. A concerted effort there could put me within striking distance of the 900 Mile Club for 2017.

American Strawberry, Kephart Prong Trail

I enjoy the A.T. The sense of community is tangible, special. You rarely feel alone. I’m committed to hiking at least the southern half — Springer Mountain to southern Pennsylvania. However, the understanding that I will not likely hike all 2,189 miles gives me permission to follow new interests rather than a slavish schedule of section miles.

These interests aren’t really new, just a determination to sharpen my naturalist focus on Tennessee’s ecological communities. Various courses and workshops I’ve attended the last two years have dramatically increased my knowledge and provided fresh insights to the varied landscapes around me. I am eager to put this into practice and solidify my understanding of plants, fungi, lichens, mosses, and the diverse fauna living among them.

Dwarf Ginseng, Deep Creek Quiet Walkway

Right now, I probably know the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as I know my own backyard. That’s a great start, yet Tennessee hosts a rich assortment of natural communities, each with a distinct personality and look. I want to broaden my acquaintance beyond the Smokies (which will always remain my second home) and explore everything from the sandstone capped Cumberland Plateau to the bottomland forests of West Tennessee. I’m beginning with the harsh extremes of the Central Basin’s cedar glades and the organisms that thrive in those demanding conditions.

Tennessee has 56 state parks and 85 state natural areas not to mention Big South Fork and Land Between the Lakes with hundreds of trail miles and spectacular natural features. So this blog will now include another section, Tennessee Hikes, to share local adventures. These efforts to increase my “native intelligence” should provide regular opportunities for one or two days of hiking and theoretically shorten the down time between posts. That’s the goal anyway. We’ll see.

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Collins Creek Quiet Walkway, May 5, 2015

Access to the Quiet Walkway

The last Quiet Walkway along North Carolina’s stretch of Highway 441 is tucked in the back of Collins Creek Picnic Area. Left of the quite new pavilion is a gated gravel road with a simple brown “Quiet Walkway” sign.  About 30 yards down the road the typical QW marker stands at the beginning of a dirt path winding through a small grassy opening. Don’t be fooled by this rather inauspicious beginning. The Collins Creek QW is among the best.

QW trailhead

Once it enters the woods, the path follows Collins Creek curving along the base of a steep, unnamed mountain peak (4,564 ft) to the right. The National Geographic map shows a 0.5 mile trail terminating at a bend in the creek.

Two things about this QW set it apart from the others. First, I get a strong sense of walking an established park trail far removed from traffic and people. Part of this could be timing. It’s early evening, not long before the picnic area closes, and no one else is here. There’s something more, though. The quality of the surrounding forest has a maturity to it, less disturbed and weedy, under a shady canopy.

Footlog

Second, the richness of this QW in early May is nothing short of remarkable. This too is a matter of timing. Most any trail in the Smokies will have wildflowers now, yet the diversity here is quite high and concentrated. Another plus is the easy accessibility.

The trail is ample in width with smooth footing and a grade so slight, it isn’t worth mentioning. A low wooden bridge and short footlog facilitate crossing two narrow rills feeding into Collins Creek.

A wonderful trail

At least seven different fern species, three trilliums including Large White Trillium and Painted Trillium, Fraser’s Sedge, Alternate-leaved Dogwood, Showy Orchis, Bloodroot, Virginia Strawberry, and Hearts-a-bustin’ are tucked among the usual slate of herbaceous and woody plants present in a rich cove. The foliage of a clematis, most likely Virgin’s Bower as it occurs frequently in the park, vies with grasses at the start. Young birches shelter a glade of ferns and Wild Geranium. The geranium flowers vibrate with that deep, luscious shade of reddish purple so often found in the Smokies. Near the end, Intermediate Ferns and Solomon’s Plume are especially robust.

Collins Creek

The QW concludes at a dry cobble of mossy rocks and rhododendron thicket. This is a little trail to savor in spring. Its welcoming terrain and secret garden feel are free gifts all Collins Creek picnickers and anyone driving 441 with a little extra time should claim.

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Fighting Creek Nature Trail, Sugarlands Visitor Center, April 25, 2015

Interpretive Sign

Three trails converge behind Sugarlands Visitor Center. Gatlinburg Trail stretches 1.3 miles to the town’s outskirts along the Pigeon River’s West Prong. Cove Mountain Trail climbs to that mountain’s crest and coasts along the park boundary ridge for 8.4 miles. Fighting Creek Nature Trail nestles at the base of Cove Mountain, taking people on a relatively straight trajectory to John Ownby’s cabin then looping back via a more scenic route just upslope in 1.1 miles. A short spur trail at the end of the loop works its way down Fighting Creek and under a bridge to join Cove Mountain Trail at its start, providing quick access to Cataract Falls a mere 0.1 mile further.

Sweet birch bark

The threat of severe weather cancels an intended Pilgrimage hike of Sweat Heifer Trail at Newfound Gap. The three leaders and our handful of pilgrims search for alternatives and wind up on Fighting Creek Nature Trail. Brochures in the nature trail kiosk are all gone, leaving us to craft our own narrative for the trail. There’s plenty of history, both natural and cultural, to note in the Sugarlands area. We concentrate on the former.

Mockernut bark

The same plant markers found on Pine Oak Nature Trail in Cades Cove announce species of trees and shrubs along Fighting Creek too. We don’t need them though, as Paul Durr’s forestry background makes him a walking, talking tree guide. Bark becomes the focus for large trees: the peeling camouflage pattern of Sycamore, smoothly fluted musculature of Hornbeam, tight gray texture and horizontal lenticels of Sweet Birch, fine brown latticework of Mockernut Hickory, and longitudinal white ridges of an ailing Butternut.

Sassafras bark

Dark gray, thick ridged bark of Sassafras has been carved by previous hike leaders revealing its characteristic orange color and spicy fragrance. Paul points to lateral breaks in the ridges that an imagination could attribute to the imprint of a wire. I need to see more Sassafras trees to judge how applicable this character might be in eyeballing an ID. I’ve seen a Sourwood or two that give a similar impression.

Five tiny ‘pitch pocket’ holes

Paul also points to the allusive Shortleaf Pine pitch pockets. Yep, they really are those widely scattered, tiny depressions on the flat bark plates, though he can’t explain the confounding illogic that gives us pitch pockets on ‘Shortleaf’ Pine and not ‘Pitch’ Pine. A large Luna Moth distracts us from the tree upon which it rests, and the larva of an underwing moth, Catocala sp., (I think) demonstrates its ability to mimic lichen.

Sweetshrub fruit capsule

Various sedges, including Cherokee Sedge (Carex cherokeensis), line feeder streams and occupy an open canopy wetland. The dark green stems of Common Rush (Juncus effusus) contrast with light green leaflets of fresh Poison Ivy, which shows up regularly along the nature trail. In drier sites, Dolls Eyes are picture perfect, and Michaux’s Lily foliage portend summer photo ops. Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) hangs onto a few seed capsules from last year. They resemble the home construction of a bagworms.

Invertebrates from Fighting Creek

An old gnarled Sycamore sporting three young boles from a hollowed base piques the hiding instinct of young children near the bridge over Fighting Creek. Another Pilgrimage program has its pilgrims examine aquatic invertebrates in the creek with a tray of stoneflies, mayflies, craneflies, and water pennies as proof of their success.

Due to its convenient location, this nature trail gets much foot traffic. A steady stream of visitors shuffle between the cabin and the falls. For many, this is as close to nature as they can or wish to get. As for me, I’ll be glad to return to the backcountry where human encounters are often the rarest of sightings!

Possible underwing moth caterpillar

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North Carolina Quiet Walkways, April 23, 2015

Deep Creek Quiet Walkway

There are five Quiet Walkways along Highway 441 on the North Carolina side of the park. The first four past Newfound Gap are located at pull-outs along the highway. The final QW, Collins Creek, begins at the back side of the Collins Creek Picnic Area located midway between Kanati Fork Trail and Smokemont Campground. On a gloriously sunny, cool, and breezy morning of the pilgrimage, I set out early to visit as many as I can before my afternoon program through the AT beech gap and manage to complete all but Collins Creek.

View from DCQW

Deep Creek Quiet Walkway: Just 1.2 miles past Clingman’s Dome Road, Deep Creek QW is an unassuming and easy to miss wide spot in the road that could accommodate a few cars but in no way resembles an official pull-out that might tempt visitors to leave their cars. Not until you spot the equally unassuming Quiet Walkway marker at the edge of the forest is it apparent that there might be something to do here.

Emerging Hayscented Fern Frond

Deep Creek QW descends rather steeply for a quiet walkway. At just 0.3 mile, it angles down slope to join Deep Creek Trail 0.4 mile from its Hwy. 441 trailhead. From all indications, some people must stop at DCQW because the first part of the walkway is clear and appears well used. This condition peters out before long, however, as herbaceous and small woody vegetation invades the path and downed trees and limbs present impediments. Nothing is significant enough to prevent following the intended route to Deep Creek Trail, particularly at this time of year, but very few people do.

Junction with Deep Creek Trail

By the time the walkway reaches the real trail, it has become so well camouflaged as to be nearly indecipherable from the forested hillside. Only the sharpest eyes looking carefully for the QW at this end could tease out the faint wrinkle and recognize it. I bet most people who begin the walkway descent from the road realize quickly that all this trekking downhill means quite an uphill haul whenever they turn around and in short order determine to do so. Thus the clear upper third and nearly obscure lower two-thirds.

Erect Trillium

The sharp elevation drop has one advantage: the road and its noise are immediately left behind in a thicket of Rosebay Rhododendron and Red Spruce. A leafless view through the trees into the valley of Deep Creek imparts a total sense of wilderness. In late April, Spring Beauty, Fringed Phacelia, Halberd-leaved Violet, Erect Trillium, Dwarf Ginseng, Star Chickweed, Trout Lily, and Common Blue Violet are in flower. Early foliage of Bee Balm and Cutleaf Coneflower in the path portend color and impenetrability in summer. Juncos are flitting about, and a reasonably fresh pile of bear scat has me scanning the landscape.

For good exercise and an instant into-the-backwoods experience, stroll down Deep Creek Quiet Walkway on a mild day in winter or early spring.

View of Cherry Creek from Swinging Bridge parking area

Swinging Bridge Quiet Walkway: Travel 0.8 mile down 441 from Deep Creek QW to a major parking area and overlook. Marked with an interpretive sign “Spared the Saw,” the Swinging Bridge QW starts to the right and climbs onto a ridge. Shot Beech Ridge extends nearly two miles due south from the highway before dropping sharply to Deep Creek. One side of the ridge drains into Deep Creek, the other into Cherry Creek. Looking at a topo map, the ridge gently undulates for most of its length with one 375-foot decline in the middle. The final 0.5 mile drop to Deep Creek Trail, however, falls a precipitous 1,000 feet.

Shot Beech Ridge

This QW is listed as a half mile, yet that straight shot along the ridge line continues well beyond this point to beckon and lure the more adventurous in spirit. Small piles of deadfall provide most people sufficient incentive to turn around. Those that keep going must negotiate the increasing presence of briars and other understory growth.

Painted Trillium

I have no clue on the origin of this QW’s name. There is no bridge, ‘swinging’ or otherwise, and Place Names of the Smokies does not mention it. The walkway is relatively level with good footing. At this time of year, I find a few Thyme-leaved Bluets and violet species in flower plus an occasional Painted Trillium.

Large oak

The parking lot view spans Cherry Creek’s watershed. The interpretive sign informs visitors that only a small percentage of the park’s forest is “old-growth.” Most trees were logged for timber or cleared for agriculture in the early twentieth century. The majority of the forest today is relatively young second growth. There are some old trees nearby, and the sign notes that a few on the ridges though small in diameter could still be hundreds of years old. Large diameter oaks dot the QW.

Beech Flats Quiet Walkway

Beech Flats Quiet Walkway: Continue down Highway 441 another 2.7 miles and look left for a paved pull-out parallel to the road and a wide grassy area funneling toward an orange and white gate. The QW sign stands alone in the middle of the flat lawn to draw people from their cars. That colorful gate prevents vehicular access to an old road winding toward Newfound Gap, and Beech Flats QW travels that road.

Ravine stream

Grab a topo map of the park and follow Hwy. 441 down the North Carolina side from Newfound Gap. At Thomas Divide Trail, the road makes a wide switchback leaving a ridge to descend into the broad valley carved by Beech Flats Prong. About 0.3 mile before the second, much sharper switchback is Beech Flats QW snuggled at the base of a steep ravine. The QW strikes a northwesterly course across the mountainside running parallel to and well downslope from Hwy. 441. The old road rises steadily along the mountain’s flank, above the prong and below the new road. At Luftee Gap, it makes a sharp curve right to run alongside 441 and hit Newfound Gap at the back end of the parking lot. People can hike down the old road from NFG.

Moss-covered asphalt on Beech Flats QW

Could someone hike all the way from Beech Flats QW to NFG? I haven’t done it and cannot say for certain; however, I walked much further than the 0.6 mile listed for the QW with no trouble at all and found it to be quite pleasant. Might be fun to start a friend with her car at BFQW and another at NFG to meet in the middle and exchange car keys. I roughly put the distance estimate at a minimum of two miles, probably more, but certainly less than three. Climbing a road grade is heaven compared to some trails in the park, and walking down would be delightful. Patches of old asphalt are clearly visible and often felted with a green layer of moss. Hydrangea shrubs, tree saplings, and loops of grape vines dangling from young trees encroach. Nature is doing her best to reclaim what she can, but the road remains wide and inviting for foot traffic.

Confederate Violet

Today’s sunshine reflects in the bright blossoms of Fringed Phacelia, Creeping Phlox, and Squirrel Corn. This is only place I recall seeing the Confederate Violet (Viola sororia forma priceana) though it is likely to be in other disturbed areas. Dandelion is here too.

Eroded pit with Waterleaf

At the walkway’s start a small stream cascades down the steep ravine and works it way into something of an eroded pit that flows under the old road and emerges far below on the other side. Walking up the road, the right side falls away steeply toward Beech Flats Prong and the left side rises equally steep often featuring large moss-covered boulders and more small streams that have begun to cut through the roadbed. This side of the mountain faces northeast and remains cooler and more moist.

Short-winged Blister Beetle

I find one of those bright blue oil beetles, the Short-winged Blister Beetle, and stoop to take its picture. It seeks refuge in an unfavorable camera angle. Hoping to get it back on track, I offer one little poke of my finger, at which it instantly flops on its side, curls up, and starts oozing orange liquid from its leg joints. Nothing I do now will get that possum-playing insect to cooperate, so I photograph its faux demise and leave it in peace to ‘revive’ and get on with its day. (See Smokies Manways, March 2012, for more on the oil beetle.)

Steps at Kanati Fork QW

Kanati Fork Quiet Walkway: Drive 3.6 miles further into North Carolina to the Kanati Fork Trailhead parking area. On the left side is the QW marker, and several stone steps lead down to a path crossing a wooden bridge. Here the path splits; turn left for a short meander through the woods to a dead end or turn right to reach Beech Flats Prong. This part of the prong is just above its confluences with Kanati Fork and Kephart Prong, after which Beech Flats Prong becomes the Oconaluftee River.

Little bridge

Kanati Fork QW is just 0.2 mile. Perfect for visitors who aren’t prepared for or interested in the 2.9 mile Kanati Fork Trail and its 2,000-foot elevation gain located across the road. The QW provides easy access to the prong for a little toe-dipping and a taste of Smokies flora.

Water Strider’s shadow

Water Striders ski against Beech Flats’ flow in the shallows, casting shadows on the sandy bottom. Canada Mayflowers are in bud as the Painted Trilliums fade. They are joined by Trout Lily, Sweet White Violet, Indian Cucumber Root, Lady Fern, New York Fern, Hearts-a-bustin’, Witch Hobble, Witch Hazel, Striped Maple, Yellow Birch, and a large colony of Buffalo Nut among others.

Beech Flats Prong

I don’t have time to hike Collins Creek today, but an upcoming Smokies trip will include a few nights stay at Smokemont to hopefully complete all remaining trails in this vicinity except ill-fated Sweat Heifer. My co-leaders Paul Durr and Larry Pounds have promised a raincheck for the 2016 Pilgrimage.

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2015 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage

Pink Lady’s Slippers

Feels great to be back in the Smokies after a too-long hiatus. Mild sunny days showcase near perfect wildflower displays for hikes full of enthusiastic pilgrims. Plants past their flowering prime, Purple Phacelia, Great White Trillium, Merrybells and other early-flowering species, are easily offset by the beauty of Doll’s Eyes, Crested Iris, Creeping Phlox, several violets, Solomon’s Plume, Silverbell, Flowering Dogwood, and Yellow Trillium. Stunning clumps of Pink and Large Yellow Lady’s Slippers dotted about the park generate a buzz of excitement among photographers.

Luna Moth

Along the Smokies crest, a handful of white Erect Trilliums are breaking bud, but the main high elevation action is in the beech gaps. White carpets of Carolina Spring Beauty (Claytonia caroliniana) underlie bare American Beech branches to bask in the sun. A keen eye will spot a few bright yellow Trout Lilies sprinkled among the Spring Beauties. The hog exclosure (fence and metal trail stiles) protect this delicate and unique community from rototilling snouts of wild hogs.

Beech Gap

Pilgrims hiking the AT from Indian Gap to Newfound Gap step aside with regularity to let thru-hikers pass. I shuttle several up and down 441 between the trail and Gatlinburg. Young ‘Baloo’ getting his first taste of long-distance hiking, ‘Mover’ a veteran of the AT and PCT, Forrest and Cole (both without trail names as yet), and ‘Genghis Khan’ with his fur-lined hat all appreciate the lift. I enjoy talking with them. So many people I did not know reached out to help me in 2013, I’m gladly paying a bit that forward. Good luck to them all. The ride up and down is graced by a profusion of Silverbell trees in full flower following spring up the mountainside.

Carolina Spring Beauty

I hike to Courthouse Rock again (and think I’ve finally got the directions to that sucker firmly in my brain), cover Ash Hopper for the gardening program, walk Baskins Creek manway to the falls, and do the AT past the beech gap. On an off morning, I head up 441 to begin sampling the Quiet Walkways on the North Carolina side. More on those later.

Silverbells in the forest

The last hike I have scheduled is an all-day trek down Sweat Heifer and Kephart Prong trails from the AT to 441. A hike I’ve done on two other occasions, I plan to document it this time for the blog.  However, an ominous early morning weather forecast (storms, hail, possible tornadoes) persuades us to change plans. We drive down from windy and cloud-socked Newfound Gap to Sugarlands for a walk on Ash Hopper (again) and Fighting Creek Nature Trail behind the visitors center. As luck would have it, not only did the bad weather not materialize, but the day turned warm and sunny. Oh well, better safe as they say. Sweat Heifer will have to wait for another day.

Yellow Lady’s Slippers

I’ll post accounts of Fighting Creek and NC’s Quiet Walkways in the days to come.

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2014 Review and Pine Oak Nature Trail

Cades Cove Campground Nature Trail

The 2014 review won’t take long! It’s been one slim year for hiking. No A.T. miles, and 57.8 park miles. Only 35.9 were new with eight completed trails and one partial.  Stats to date: 554.9 miles (67%) and 109 trails (73%) with 893.9 total miles. Partials remaining include Beech Gap, Hyatt Ridge, Lakeshore, and Gregory Bald trails. I planned a four-day, three-night backpacking hike on trails along Forney Creek and Ridge in mid-October which had to be canceled at the last minute due to bad weather. Severe storms and high water would have made the trip a nightmare.

The paucity of hikes isn’t for lack of interest, just unfortunate timing. The loss of my beloved Pickles and bad weather precluded the few open windows I had this year for hiking. I may not have hit the trails that much, however, I did indulge an appetite for natural history knowledge. A two-week course, Macro Fungi of the Southern Appalachians, at Highlands Biological Station (NC) in August and two college courses, Field Botany and Natural History of Vegetation in Tennessee, at Austin Peay State University this fall, were informative, challenging, and fun.

Bear Huckleberry fruit

This extra education will provide new insights while on trail, because in 2015, I’ve got plans. If all goes well, I’ll hike 268 miles on the A.T. from Hot Springs, NC, to Atkins, VA, closing the gap through upper East Tennessee and giving me 858 continuous miles from Springer Mountain to Rockfish Gap. I’d love to complete at least two multi-day backpacking trips in the Smokies too. There’s another Highlands course I’m keen to take as well. We’ll see what 2015 delivers.

In the meantime, here is an account of Cades Cove Campground’s Pine Oak Nature Trail from July 11, 2014. I participated in a fungi bioblitz for Discover Life in America and spent the night there. This blog does not discriminate against Quiet Walkways or campground nature trails, so enjoy a bit of Smokies summer in December.

A fuzzy and lazy Pileated Woodpecker

Pine Oak Nature Trail, a one-mile loop, slips up, over, and down a small wooded hill then follows a feeder branch of Cooper Creek (itself a feeder branch of Abrams Creek) back to the beginning. From the road circumnavigating Section C of the campground, Pine Oak steps into flat woods stripped of most understory plants, a shady landscape of leaf litter and tree trunks. A few flowering Rosebay Rhododendrons and an occasional sprig of Pipsissewa join scattered seedlings of Eastern White Pine and Chestnut Oak.

The road and campsites are visible, yet the trees’ dense shade offers an immediate sense of separation. To reinforce that notion a noise at the base of a snag reveals a Pileated Woodpecker poking at the tree half-heartedly, eyeballing the results, and making another lazy stab or two. No skull-jarring thrums, no crazy laughter, just a quizzical red-crested male whiling the evening. He flies to two other tall snags with the same lackadaisical air.

Hairy Blueberry fruit

The trail leads straight back about 20 yards to the loop intersection and an arrow sign pointing left. Following directions like a good hiker, the trail soon curves right and approaches the base of the low hill where it appears to climb steeply about 20 feet as a mud path zig-zagging up through trees. Stop and look to the right for the actual trail skirting the hill’s base before moderately curving upward on terraced steps. Avoid the steep off-trail climb, as it just contributes to already evident erosion. I missed the real trail and scrambled up that dirt path wondering why on earth the park hadn’t mapped out an easier route. Park officials should put another arrow sign at this juncture for the unobservant and slow-to-catch-on among us.

Between Anthony Creek and the Cooper Branch feeder stream are three low hills southeast of the campground, apparent remnants of Ledbetter Ridge descending from Russell Field. Behind them are the camp’s water tanks. Pine Oak Nature Trail rises 150 feet to the summit (2,000 ft) of the southwestern most hill. As I climb, the leaf strewn ground disappears under a widespread layer of Bear Huckleberry (Gaylussacia ursina) with fruits in various stages of maturity. On the hill’s crest, a few Hairy Blueberry plants (Vaccinium hirsutum) join the huckleberries. Leaf undersides and stems are quite hairy. Even the fruits, both green and ripe, sport sparse hairs.

Bear Cub

Another noise prompts me to look for my redheaded friend, but I find a bear cub ambling just down slope. At the sound of my camera click, the little guy rears up on its hind legs to stare at me. Another cub and their mother are close behind, but neither takes notice of me or the first cub’s reaction. All three quietly disappear in the undergrowth.

When I checked in at the camp office, I was warned of bear activity in the area and practically swore an oath and my firstborn to store all food and odorous items. It’s quite a year for bears in the park. The population is robust and threatens to outstrip food supplies. Ruminating a math question of sorts, I wonder how many tiny Bear Huckleberry fruits it would take to satisfy three hungry black bears tonight?

Tree signs along the nature trail

Serving as something of an arboretum, the trail features attractive markers identifying different tree (or large shrub) species at intervals. Each small sign notes the common and scientific names, a cultural or natural history fact, and a drawing of significant identifying features, such as leaf, flower, fruit, or bark. Interesting facts tell of traditional Cherokee uses (Virginia Pine to scent soap) or settler usage (Eastern White Pine to build churches and mills) and cover everything from tea for coughs (Shortleaf Pine needles) to birch beer (Sweet Birch). Some note plant distribution, wildlife value, or flowering time. There are signs for 15 species including Black Gum, Mountain Laurel, American Beech, Sourwood, Tulip Poplar, Chestnut Oak, Rosebay Rhododendron, Eastern Hemlock, Fraser Magnolia, Pignut Hickory, and American Holly.

After descending the hill, the trail wends along the creek through the deep shade of rhododendrons. Three short footlogs assist passage across the shallow trickles of water. A scarce fern in the park, Netted Chain Fern (Woodwardia areolata), grows on the creek bank at the first crossing.

Netted Chain Fern

Standing at the third bridge making notes, a racket in the dense undergrowth on the opposite side of the creek draws my attention. I can just make out what appears to be a black furry face staring at me through a narrow gap in the foliage. It huffs loudly twice. I don’t need a third warning. In a couple of minutes I’m back in the open understory flat woods and head for my campsite wondering if there are enough Bear Huckleberry fruits for four hungry bears!

That night the young couple camping next to me hunch over their fire ring for nearly two hours struggling to light a fire. Nearby campers offer advice, and another camper whose struggles exceed those of the young couple ask them for advice! It’s 10:00 p.m., and I’m almost asleep when bright orange flickers signal their success, of sorts. It still takes much work to keep the flames up, but they are now roasting hot dogs!

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The Avent Cabin, Jakes Creek, June 18, 2014

Long bridge over Jakes Creek on Avent Cabin spur trail

A few log cabins from pre-park settlement days still dot the Smokies’ landscape. Most old homesteads have been removed or weathered away. Those that survive are maintained by the National Park Service as important cultural sites in the mountains. Hiking Trails of the Smokies and other books devoted to the park’s log cabins and historic buildings detail many of these structures, their architecture and owners. These publications consistently ignore one maintained cabin, and despite its hidden location well off an established trail, this home continues to attract numerous visitors.

A peek at the Avent Cabin near Jakes Creek has eluded me on two other treks along that trail and remained an itch I need to scratch. The opportunity comes June 18 during a short park visit. The half-park National Geographic map for Cades Cove and Elkmont, pinpoints the cabin’s location on the right side of Jakes Creek Trail across the creek. Not realizing it was that far off trail, it’s little wonder I hadn’t seen it while hiking. Today I will focus on finding the approach path.

Big window and ladder to loft

Jakes Creek Trail begins at the paved parking lot next to Daisy Town cabins being stabilized in Elkmont and ascends the old road past deteriorating cabins of Society Hill. Their conditions have worsened noticeably since my visit in June 2011. Those with metal standing seam roofs have faired much better than the cabins with shingle roofing. The latter show significant collapse. Even the caution tape in front of them sags to the ground.

At 0.4 mile the gravel road trail forks left, climbs another 0.3 mile to Cucumber Gap Trail junction, then 0.1 mile more to Meigs Creek Trail. The Avent Cabin path is about a quarter mile or so past the Meigs Creek trailhead. Even in the fullness of June, the path is fairly easy to spot. Log steps descend the steep road bank, and the path winds down past a mucky spot to a long, narrow footlog over Jakes Creek. On the other side of the bridge, the path mingles with a wet spring for a few yards and climbs rather steeply to the cabin. The entire approach path is perhaps 0.15 mile.

Two doors onto the porch

Staring up at the cabin, I am struck by its good condition, raised porch, and expansive side window. The site seems near idyllic, nestled in the flowing skirts of Blanket Mountain. Forget the Elkmont summer homes at the trailhead. Even in their prime, they would be hard pressed to touch the simple grace and charm of this cabin, and none could offer its quiet and privacy. I could be quite happy here! There is a definite air about this cabin…it’s not your typical Smoky Mountain homestead. A series of pleasant discoveries await.

Fireplace and built-in cupboard

Built around 1845 by Humphrey Ownby, the cabin remained in the family until 1918 when purchased (along with 18.5 acres) by Frank Avent. The National Park Service acquired the property in 1932 giving the Avent family a lifetime lease. Logging in Elkmont continued through the 1930s, orchards grew on the hillsides, and city families spent hot summers enjoying cool mountains in their little resort community as the forest gradually returned. In 1992, most of the Elkmont leases expired including the Avent’s, but this did little to ease the long-running battle over Elkmont. (See “Elkmont, June 20-25, 2011” July 2011 Archive).

To thwart park demolition plans, numerous buildings were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The Avent Cabin tucked far up Jakes Creek was one of the these. NPS had no problem approving historic designation for this cabin. Not only was it one of the oldest log structures still extant, it was also the summer studio for a famous Tennessee artist, Mayna Treanor Avent, Frank’s wife.

Mayna Treanor Avent

This is where things become fascinating for me. Mayna Treanor, was born in Nashville, TN, in 1868. Her parents lived at Tulip Grove, a Greek Revival mansion built in the 1830s by Andrew Jackson’s nephew one mile from Jackson’s home The Hermitage and now an official part of the preserved property associated with the seventh U.S. president. Mayna was a daughter of privilege and a talented visual artist. Her art studies included a two-year stint at the Academie Julien in Paris.

In 1891, she married Frank Avent, a well-connected Murfreesboro attorney who would serve as the state’s railroad commissioner for several years. Working primarily in oils and watercolors as well as wood block prints, Mayna taught painting in Nashville, exhibited her art throughout the country, and was an active member in the Nashville Artists Guild among other organizations. Her portrait of James K. Polk is in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

Rear of Avent Cabin

In the 1920’s, Mayna’s son James modified the recently acquired cabin on Jakes Creek adding an 8-foot-wide window on the southwest end to provide sufficient natural light for his mother’s work. The marvelous window was not the only remodeling work done.

As I approach the cabin, I have no knowledge of this history, but many things immediately distinguish this structure from all the others I’ve seen. There is no external access to the raised porch and railing facing downslope. A stone path between the back of the cabin and a rock retaining wall leads to and beyond the central entrance. Thanks to the large window, natural light lends a spacious feel to the interior. There are three other windows — two in the eaves and one overlooking the porch — and a glass door to the porch. A solid wood door also accesses the porch. The mortared stone-and-brick fireplace with what looks like a concrete hearth commands one wall. After that amazing window, the most unique aspect of this cabin is the finished oak hardwood floor complete with baseboards. An angled ladder of steps leads to a half loft overlooking the main room. There are even a few furnishings — metal bed frames, an old wooden hatrack, and a builtin corner cupboard. An assortment of clean garden tools (rakes, a hoe) and brooms lean against the wall.

Cabin Floor Plan

Attached to the far end of the cabin and accessible from the porch and outside is what I had at first assumed might be a ‘stranger room.’ It is a tiny kitchen with two generously sized windows, sink, counter, cupboard, and old iron stove. A visitors’ register with pen hangs by the door nearly full of names, dates, and comments. On the counter is a bound collection of documents including letters on the cabin’s historic place designation, intriguing pictures of the fully furnished interior, a photographic portrait of Mayna, and a floor plan.

Hemlock and stone seat

The floor plan shows that half the porch had been glassed in as a dining room connecting the main cabin to the kitchen via the glass door, and the rest of the porch was screened. There had been a small storage area off the kitchen, but it is now gone. The stone path across the entrance side of the cabin had continued around to the outer kitchen door, turned left and led to the privy. The plan also notes a large tree in front of the porch nicknamed the “bear tree.” It too is gone.

These renovations smoothed the ‘rough edges’ found in most preserved Smokies cabins. This must be why park books on historic structures don’t mention the Avent cabin. Mid-nineteenth century authenticity was compromised for early twentieth century comfort.

Rose cultivar

Following a dirt path up hill from the back kitchen door leads to a large, healthy hemlock whose roots cradle one large stone arranged with a smaller one into a makeshift chair. The view from this shady seat looks back toward the cabin as the sound of Jakes Creek downslope mingles with birdsong. What a pleasant place to sit. Flatbranch Ground Pine grows behind the tree. Near the kitchen, an old double rose cultivar sports flowers in a rich color Mayna must have loved.

The bound collection of documents highlights one of Mayna’s signed watercolors on the cover — a brilliant hued rendering of “‘The Log Cabin’ Smoky Mountain Park, Tennessee, July 1934.” Vibrant turquoise, yellow, rose, and green surround the more subdued cabin. Two black kittens are playing in the grass. Mayna used the cabin as her mountain studio for 20 years.

Mayna’s watercolor of the cabin

Images of some of Mayna’s other works can be found online, such as an oil still life of fruit and silver coffee pot in cool blues and turquoise, warm yellows and orange. Another of her watercolors traces pale blue and rose washes of jagged mountain peaks behind dense, dark foliage on a steep slope. It looks more Rocky Mountain than Smoky Mountain.

Mayna died in 1959, her son in 1995. She was 90, he was nearly 100. In the debate of nurture versus nature, one must give genetics the first nod for such longevity. However, all that time amid a regenerating forest, breathing its fresh air, relaxing in its peace and serenity, may well have bolstered their genetic dispositions, and if not, it certainly made those years much more delightful.

The links below provided some of the information for this article and include additional photos of the cabin plus a video tour.

http://www.chasingcarolina.com/2011/03/avent-cabin-hike/
Melanie Cantrell, a former park ranger at GSMNP, photographer

Favorite Trails: Mayna Avent Cabin

William Britten, photographer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MQrENNucY8    (video tour)
TheDayHikerGSM

http://smithdray1.net/angeltowns/gsmnp/ac.html
Ray Smith, East Tennessee historian

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Courthouse Rock and the 2014 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage

Purple Phacelia

It was a long hard winter. Thank heavens! Cold winters can offer multiple benefits. 1. Insect control: Initial reports suggest as much as a 90% kill rate for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Woo Hoo!! 2. Plant control: While native plants may experience a bit of die back, often it is non-native species that suffer most. 3. An awesome spring: Blessed with deep dormancy, native species wake up raring to go. Plants seem to flower more profusely with greater vigor.

A month ago, Little River Road was lined with large swathes of Purple Phacelia and Wild Columbine dangled fountains of red and yellow bells. White pedicellate trilliums, possibly both T. erectum and T. simile, stood like proud sentinels, and the sunny vernal face of the Smokies, Yellow Trilliums, were everywhere. Monday of Pilgrimage week, the weather was wet and warm. Tuesday brought sleet and snow. Wednesday, my first Pilgrimage hike to Courthouse Rock invoked fear that these colorful displays were doomed.

White Trillium

One to two inches of snow coated the ground, tree branches, and rhododendron foliage, and it was cold enough for down jackets, gloves, and hats. Most of the plants that morning appeared frozen solid with translucent, crunchy tissue, but by the time we walked out — having at long last seen that big rock! — the air was warming and many of the plants miraculously thawed and revived. The rest of the Pilgrimage was graced with warmer temperatures, sun, clouds, a little rain by Saturday, and gorgeous floral displays, particularly in the lower elevations.

Courthouse Rock

Three years ago I co-led a hike to Courthouse Rock that never reached its destination. We couldn’t find the rock! This year I get a do-over. The rock I pooh-poohed in 2011 is indeed an impressive geologic sight, a tall skinny slab of rock standing on end, having fallen free of Sugarland Mountain long ago. Someone said it landed upside down, with younger rock formations at the bottom. I don’t know if that is true or not.

The area has more attractions. On the way up, a small rock outcrop to the right presents a great view into Sugarlands valley. Near Courthouse Rock is another large, cracked boulder called The Judge. A pretty waterfall on Road Turn Branch and a rock house are further up the valley. Old home sites, including the Quilliams family, are marked by relatively flat terrain and crumbled chimneys, mostly near the bottom. We didn’t spot any of those in the snow but did find part of an old teakettle hanging on a tree.

Courthouse Rock

Courthouse Rock isn’t that easy to find; we can be forgiven for our failure in 2011. The manway off Highway 441 is not maintained and quickly overgrows in summer. Even this light snowfall hampers our efforts. Late fall, a mild winter day, or early spring would be the best times to try. Beware — people have combed this area quite a bit, and side trails veer off in various directions as red herrings. At the appropriate side trail, there is a long rectangular stone embedded in the main trail. A “C” and arrow have been scratched into its surface pointing the way. Courthouse Rock will come into view through the trees within several yards.

Courthouse Rock

Parts of the hike from the road are fairly steep, and a wide stream crossing requires a rather tricky rock hop. A few of our Pilgrims struggle. Since our program is a half day hike, we do not have time to look for the rock house or waterfall. I’d like to go back someday and take my time to explore the area and locate these other features.

Before and during the Pilgrimage, I am also able to complete a few more park trails. A two-night backpacking trip in the Twentymile section of the park nets me three full trails and two partials the weekend prior. Another leader and I descend Road Prong Trail with two charming Pilgrims my last full day in the Smokies. Accounts of these trails are forthcoming.

Spring snow

A.T. Note: My plans to cover another 205 miles on the Appalachian Trail had to be canceled for this year. My best friend and indispensable partner, Pickles Hunter, the sweetest tabby cat in the world and the man of this house, was unexpectedly diagnosed with a terminal illness. He showed up in our backyard in 1998 just nine months old and told us quite definitively he wanted to be part of our family. We formally took him in on my birthday and have been blessed with his love and incredible personality ever since. I was by his side when the time came, here at home where he was so dearly loved. His ‘brother’ Tucker and I are heartbroken.

Since little Tucky arrived 14 years ago at the tender age of 8 weeks, Pickles has been his constant companion, and leaving him alone for 20 days wasn’t an option. He needs me, and frankly, I need him. The A.T. will be there next year. Some short Smokies trips this summer and fall are possible.

brrrrrip

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Quiet Walkways, Tennessee, Part Two, Revised

Quiet Walkway sign

Last October, I hiked two of the Quiet Walkways on US Highway 441 and recently posted an account. Last week, I hiked the other two QWs and discovered some of what I had written was in error. The account from a few weeks ago has been substantially revised and is reposted here to correct those inaccuracies.

A small wooden bridge sits a the base of 0.2 mile Bullhead View Quiet Walkway loop.

There are four Quiet Walkways on US Highway 441 in Tennessee between Sugarlands Visitor Center and the Chimneys Picnic Area, each on the left side of the road overlooking the Little Pigeon River’s West Prong. The first three, Bullhead View Quiet Walkway, Riverview Quiet Walkway, and Jim Carr Place Quiet Walkway, are connected to each other and to the Carlos C. Campbell Overlook, forming a pleasant, roughly 1.5-mile walk (with occasional obstructions) along the river. Balsam Point Quiet Walkway, the last one before Chimneys Picnic, stands apart, despite the National Geographic map indicating it is connected to the others.

Complementary cairns flanking Little Pigeon West Prong

Bullhead View is a mile from Sugarlands Visitor Center and features a small parking lot. The trail is to the left and steps down rather steeply from the road to a wooden bridge over a tiny creek. Splitting here, the trail forms a very short loop of less than 0.2 mile, leading back to the river and the main walkway. The trail at this point is nearly level with the river. A small rock cairn where the river walk begins its trek upstream mirrors a counterpart across the Little Pigeon, marking (I assume) a short path to Old Sugarlands Trail, which runs along the opposite bank before turning east between Twomile Lead and Bullhead.

Riverview Walkway is often wide, smooth, and level.

The river walkway often follows a wide, level roadbed built well above the water. A short distance into the hike a concrete bridge support can be seen across the river. This open, easy valley was heavily settled before the park’s creation. The area is now a young, scrubby forest with birch, beech, sycamore, red oak, and sweetgum.

At 0.6 mile, a narrow path strikes off the main trail to the right. This is a rough trail (complete with downed trees) that climbs 0.3 mile to the parking area for QW #2 Riverview, the one across from Huskey Gap Trail with ample parking. The main river walkway continues another 0.2 mile to a log bench facing the river on the left and another path, this one wider and much smoother, to the right.

Log bench overlooking the river on Riverview Quiet Walkway

This 0.4 mile path is essentially level as it winds back to a small opening (to the left) and a copse of Pawpaw trees (on the right) before turning up the smooth, gentle grade of an old road past more benches to the same QW #2 parking area. Most people hike this wide, smooth section down and back. There are lovely and varied flowering plants in spring. We’ve found Crested Iris, Dutchman’s Pipe, Silverbell, Doll’s Eyes, Toothwort, Wild Geranium, Creeping Phlox, Bloodroot, Yellow Trillium, Foamflower, Alternate-leaved Dogwood, and many others.

Old roadbed from Riverview QW parking lot

To make a 0.9 mile loop at QW #2, stitch together the 0.4 mile old roadbed path down to the bench, turn left for 0.2 mile along the river walk, and find the narrow 0.3 mile path that will return you to the parking lot. This path may be hard to spot. Look for a tight cluster of four Tulip Poplars and one maple to the right of the river walk. The 0.3 mile trail cuts left just before the trees.

During the Pilgrimage, folks who don’t mind the more difficult footing and steeper elevation on the narrow 0.3 mile section will hike the loop. This section features old stone walls, an Umbrella Leaf Magnolia, and if my identification is correct, a Scentless Mock Orange (Philadelphus inodorus).

The last 1.1 miles of the River Walk are less traveled.

Returning to the main river walk (at the intersection of the log bench and smooth, roadbed section from QW #2), the trail looks much rougher and overgrown heading up river. There are downed trees and limbs right at the start. However, the trail is still easy to follow if you don’t mind occasional hurdles.

At the time of my October hike, I am blissfully unaware there are two more QWs up Hwy. 441, I just don’t recall noting them on my many drives up and down that road. Therefore, the less-travelled air surrounding this section seems fitting, and I assume the ‘trail’ won’t go very far. To my surprise, it continues for what seems like another mile, snaking between the river below and the highway above.

Massive rock slab in river

There is a good reason to not recall the two upper QWs. There are no little brown “Quiet Walkway” signs along Hwy. 441 to announce their presence from either direction. The only cues are paved parking and the little square interpretive sign at the trailhead, this latter marker very easy to miss while driving.

Massive rocks along the trail

As I noted last fall, the river trail from Riverview QW continues to follow Little Pigeon’s West Prong, moving away from the road and becoming steeper. Maybe a half mile past Riverview, a massive flat slab of rock sits with a slight tilt in the river below and looks big enough to serve as an impromptu dance floor, albeit on a slant. Twenty-five yards further, the trail becomes a wet, rocky gully for a short climb, but quickly resumes a smoother surface. The path is always evident weaving past large boulders and rock hopping one stream. Near the end it makes a high banked curve to the right as though headed toward the road again, but just past this point, the trail simply vanishes. Along the way, I only spotted one likely trail upslope and did not follow it. After the fact, I assumed it was the Jim Car Place QW, but my spring explorations disprove that assumption.

Jim Carr Place QW Trailhead

April 19, I stop at the Jim Carr Place QW (a paved pull-off with room for four or five cars parking parallel to the road) to see where it ties into the river walk. This QW is 0.6 mile up the road from Riverview QW and just past the Carlos C. Campbell Overlook. The trail for JCPQW is remarkably smooth and clear. With last year’s leaves well trampled, it almost looks mulched.

Nodding or Yellow Mandarin

Spring is the season to visit these QWs. Sections along the river walk, particularly around the upper three trails, are characteristic of mixed-mesophytic cove forests with Yellow Buckeye and Silverbell trees, each area quite rich with seasonal wildflowers. Bloodroot, Cutleaf Toothwort, Squirrel Corn, and Sharp-lobed Liverleaf are already fruiting. Fringed Phacelia, Purple Phacelia, Wild Ginger, Yellow Trillium, Solomon’s Seal, Nodding Mandarin, Creeping Phlox, Sweet Cicely, Star Chickweed, Rue Anemone, Early Meadow Rue, Blue Cohosh, Erect Trillium, and several different violet species are flowering in mid April. Meadow Parsnip, Solomon’s Plume, and Mayapple will soon follow suit with Black Cohosh, a species of waterleaf, Turk’s Cap Lily, Jumpseed, and Smooth Hydrangea waiting their turns.

Jim Carr Place QW Trail

The trail starts gently down to the right then switches back to the left, following the general contour of the road. At the lowest point, there is a T intersection, a right turn descends to the river walk and straight ahead rises to the Carlos C. Campbell Overlook. From the overlook, not many people would be tempted to follow the narrow slit of dirt flanked by grasses that curves sharply below the road and disappears into the forest. Those that do will find the trail quickly widens and becomes as smooth and inviting as the rest of the QW. The distances are probably about 0.15 or 0.2 from the JCPQW trailhead to the intersection and maybe 0.15 further to the overlook. From the intersection to the river walk is maybe another 0.2 mile.

Wild Ginger

This part of the QW is a little steeper, wending to a nearly rotted log bench about halfway down and reaching the river walk at the exact spot where that large ‘dance floor’ slab of rock sits in the Little Pigeon. Mere feet from the river walk, the trail appears to split offering two routes down. The left fork is a steep, rocky wash emerging between a large sycamore and a mossy buckeye straddling a boulder. The right fork is smooth and hits the river walk about 20 feet past the sycamore.

Flat area at the end of the river walk

Following the river walk upstream, the wet, rocky gully I found last fall is no more than 30 yards beyond the JCPQW junction, followed by the large boulders, stream rock hop, and high-banked curve. The area just above this curve is expansive and relatively flat. On the way I’ve passed those ubiquitous signs of habitation — daffodil and daylily foliage, which were gone or hidden last fall. People lived here, and apparently one resident was Jim Carr.

The ‘trail’ past the curve that petered out on me in October seems a bit easier to follow in the clear understory of early spring, and I am able to go much further this time. However, it soon becomes more a product of the imagination than any truly evident path, and I turn around.

Balsam Point QW trailhead and parking

Between the JCPQW trailhead and the T intersection, I notice a small path resembling a game trail. On the way back to my car, I decide to follow it and can recommend that others skip it. It is steeper with downed trees and emerges on the river walk at the wet, rocky gully. It is far better to follow the true QW trail.

Balsam Point’s graveled path

One more to go. The Balsam Point Quiet Walkway is one mile beyond Jim Carr. The parking area is larger with many lined spaces. This QW is a short loop as well, maybe 0.3 mile total, and the path is lightly graveled in places. About halfway, it splits, and the right path strikes a level course across slope, paralleling a rock wall. The left fork descends quite steeply to a visible log bench in a clearing.

Balsam Point Log Bench

The loop trail rounds to the right of the bench at an easier grade up slope to the rock wall. Visitors have created a path through an opening in the wall. To the left is a flat area with a narrow stream amid a carpet of Fringed Phacelia and large patches of daffodil foliage. Step back through the wall and follow the QW’s level path to complete the loop.

Balsam Point flat area at end of rock wall

A trail to the left of the log bench leads to a good view of the river both upstream and down. I wander a bit to see if there is some way to keep going and maybe find that elusive connection to the river walk, but no amount of imagination can conjure a trail worth following.

Little Pigeon’s West Prong at Balsam Point

Reader Michael Ray said he’d found another QW between Balsam Point and Chimneys Picnic with several parking spaces. From the picnic area, I drive down 441 watching carefully. From what I could tell, Balsam Point is the first QW on the highway from Chimneys Picnic and the first parking area with numerous spaces.

Now, there is a large gravel pull-off between Balsam and Jim Carr. There is no QW interpretive marker here, but a very steep, narrow, and rough trail does work its way down slope. I did not find that it joined the river walk, but I did not explore it very long either, preferring to stick with the established QWs.

Bloodroot foliage and fruit

These Quiet Walkways are far more interesting and rewarding than I’d imagined. Never underestimate the Smokies!

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