Joyce Kilmer Hikes

Tuesday morning we got an early start and headed to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. We were the first ones there and set out on the double-loop trail.

The lower loop climbed steadily through a beautiful, almost rainforest-like forest.

At the top of the lower loop we reached the memorial rock, then continued onto the upper loop where the giant tulip poplars began to appear.

The trees in this old-growth forest are just amazing.

Black cohosh was flowering in the deep shade, rich soil, and the moisture of the forest.

At one point the early morning sunlight cut bright crepuscular rays through the hazy forest, it was really striking.

After finishing the upper loop, we finished up on the lower loop crossing over Little Santeetlah Creek.

Another car pulled in as we took off.

We drove farther up the road and made a quick stop at roadside Verlie Falls.

Summer foliage was thick and the water was low; it would look much better with higher flows in winter.

From there we continued on and parked at the Haoe Lead Trailhead near the top. The first tenth of a mile was fine, but then the trail became extremely overgrown.

It wasn’t steep (we’d already driven most of the elevation), but the dense vegetation made progress tough.

We did get one open view looking down toward Santeetlah Lake, and the wildflowers were excellent, Turk's cap lilies and beebalm were in bloom.

After the junction with the Deep Creek Trail we climbed into the clouds and the forest turned very foggy. If the trail hadn’t been so overgrown it would have been a really nice hike.

We pushed about two miles to the top of Rock Creek Knob (no views) before turning around. On the way out we stopped at Maple Springs Overlook.

A short accessible trail led to an overlook, which delivered phenomenal views.

Then we continued on for a few more waterfalls.  

We drove down to US-129 and pulled off at Bear Creek Falls.

Its a 12-foot cascade on the Cheoah River right beside the road.

There’s a second Bear Creek Falls a short distance downstream where Bear Creek joins the river, but foliage blocked the view and I couldn’t cross with Amaroq. Our last stop was Yellow Creek Falls. A short trail of just over a quarter-mile follows Yellow Creek to the scenic waterfall. We had it to ourselves at first.

I pulled off my boots and waded while Amaroq took a nap. As I was drying off, a group of teenagers arrived for a swim. They all stopped to say hi and pet Amaroq; one girl was especially enthusiastic, swimming behind the falls and jumping from the big rock. We said goodbye and headed out.

Bald River Gorge Hike

On Monday, we headed into Tennessee via the Cherohala Skyway and made our way to Bald River Falls. It's one of my favorite waterfalls in the area.

It looked absolutely gorgeous in the early morning light. We crossed the bridge and scrambled down to river level for some great photos right at the base. From there, we drove a short distance to Baby Falls on the Tellico River.

We carefully made our way down to the base again for a few more pictures before heading back up. Next, we picked up the Bald River Trail (#88) and entered the Bald River Gorge Wilderness right at the top of the main waterfall.

About a half-mile in, we reached Middle Bald River Falls, a very scenic cascade, though tricky to capture in a single frame.

After a quick break, we continued upstream on the river-right side of the river. The trail stayed close to the water, with a few tributary crossings but no need to ford the main river (which would have been tough).

The path was narrow in spots and a bit overgrown with dog hobble, but overall it made for a pleasant wilderness hike.

We spotted rosebay rhododendron blooming in patches (though we seemed to be past peak), along with a good number of mushrooms popping up along the trail.

Roughly 4.5 miles in, we arrived at another lovely waterfall on Bald River (about 12 feet high, unsure if it has a name).

Amaroq and I enjoyed lunch there while I scrambled around the rocks for photos.

Just a quarter-mile farther brought us to the trail’s end at Bald River Road (FR-126). We turned around and retraced our steps.

Back at the car, we started the drive toward Robbinsville. We pulled over at the Lake Overlook on the Cherohala Skyway for a beautiful panoramic view.

Shortly after, heavy rain moved in and followed us most of the way back into North Carolina, but it soon lightened up.

We took advantage of the break to stop at Hooper Bald for a short hike to the top.

The grassy bald offered a fantastic overlook down into the Snowbird Creek drainage.

There were some Carolina lilies flowering along the trail.

From there, it was an easy drive through Robbinsville and back to the cabin.

Cheoah Bald on the Bartram Trail

Sunday kicked off our mountain week with Amaroq in classic style: an early start and a scenic drive through the Nantahala Gorge to the Bartram Trail trailhead in the Cheoah Backcountry Area. We geared up, crossed the railroad tracks, and headed left onto Section 12, the final stretch of Bartram Trail leading to Cheoah Bald. A shiny new bridge over Ledbetter Creek greeted us right away (a welcome upgrade since my last visit).  From there, the trail turned relentlessly steep, and we felt every step in the July heat and humidity. The nearly perpetual clouds of gnats didn’t help either. After the initial big climb, the path eased as we dropped toward the first creek crossing.

I let Amaroq cool his paws and grab a drink in the refreshing water. A couple more easy rock-hops followed, and around 2.5 miles in we reached Bartram Falls.

The lighting wasn’t ideal (same on the way down), but I still love the dramatic upper section where the water tumbles into a tight V-shaped canyon just above the main drop.

Three more creek crossings later, the trail left the drainage, crossed an old road, and ramped up steeply again.

The final push was overgrown in spots, but we pushed through.

Just over 4 miles from the start, we joined the Appalachian Trail and turned right (southbound) for the short quarter-mile jaunt to the summit of Cheoah Bald.

The views were fantastic, sweeping down into the Nantahala Gorge we’d just climbed out of.

We enjoyed a quick snack, but the persistent flies and gnats kept our break short.

The return was mostly downhill and much easier on the legs.

Back at the bottom, we made a quick detour to Findley Falls as the sun finally broke through.  

It's a peaceful spot to relax before jumping back in the car. 

From there, we headed west to Andrews and the newly opened Cover Falls Preserve.

The easy half-mile trail led to a beautiful 40-foot Cover Falls.

I scrambled around the rocks for photos while another couple captured their own shots and videos.

We headed out just as rain started to fall.

Dinner was excellent pizza at Happy Trout Brewing in town, followed by check-in at 129 Cabins and a well-earned deep sleep.