Bartram Hike in Nantahala

On Sunday we checked out of the cabin early and returned to the Bartram Trailhead on US-19/US-74, this time heading the opposite direction into Nantahala Gorge. After crossing the Nantahala River on two bridges, we joined the Nantahala Bikeway and followed it upstream along the river for about a mile.

The stretch was especially scenic in the morning clouds and fog drifting over the water. At the Beechertown Commercial Launch Site the paved path ended.

We crossed the road, passed the Duke Energy parking area, and continued on an old service road that climbed toward Rattlesnake Knob for roughly a mile and a half.

At the top of the road a clearing offered a fine view of the foggy gorge far below.

From there the route turned to singletrack and rose through a series of switchbacks before leveling off, only to become so overgrown that we decided not to push farther.

Rain set in as we retraced our steps along the old road, and we finished the hike wet before making the long drive home to Raleigh.

Rainy Hikes in Citico Creek

On Saturday, Amaroq and I headed into Citico Creek Wilderness via the Cherohala Skyway. Heavy rain followed us up the mountain until it eased near the top, giving way to thick fog that made driving challenging in the poor visibility. Fortunately, we only needed to go a short distance to the West Rattlesnake Trailhead.

From there we dropped onto the Falls Branch Trail (#87) and entered the wilderness under dark, misty conditions, with bee balm blooming brightly along the path.

The trail began fairly level on an overgrown old road before steepening. 

Heavy rain returned as we descended, thoroughly soaking us by the time we reached the falls.

The trail emerged downstream of the waterfall, requiring a creek crossing and a short climb up the opposite bank to the base.

Falls Branch Falls were roaring with the day’s rain, and the weather eased just enough for a few photos.

It was looking really nice today.

The rain held off for the return hike, though we were already soaked through. We continued a short way up the Skyway to Unicoi Crest and joined the Benton MacKaye Trail, heading deeper into the wilderness.

The first mile and a half followed a moderate, somewhat overgrown old road lined with more bee balm and a few Turk’s-cap lilies.

At the road’s end we turned right to stay on the singletrack Benton MacKaye, aiming for Bob Bald.

After about three miles the rain returned in force and erased any chance of views, so we turned around. It poured steadily the entire way back, leaving us completely drenched. At the parking area the rain paused long enough for me to towel Amaroq off before we started down the Skyway. 

Stuck behind slow-moving bikers, we made a quick stop at Spirit Ridge, where a short paved trail leads to an overlook.

It was far too overgrown for any views that day (something that might improve in winter).

From there we returned to the cabin to pack up and prepare for the drive home the next morning.

Fontana Dam & Tsali

Friday, Amaroq and I headed to the Fontana Lake area for a full day of hiking. We started at Fontana Dam, parking at the visitor center.

At roughly 480 feet, Fontana is the tallest dam east of the Rocky Mountains, and the thick morning fog that greeted us created an atmospheric, almost otherworldly scene.

We walked across the dam through the mist, catching glimpses of the lake on the far side.

The Appalachian Trail continues from there into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but since dogs are prohibited on park trails, we turned around.

On the way back we paused at a picnic area with more open views of Fontana Lake.

Finally, we climbed to the overlook above the visitor center for a few final photos before moving on. 

Next we drove to Tsali Recreation Area and parked at the bike trailhead. 

A short connector trail took us to the Horse Parking Area, where we joined the Left Loop.

The trail hugged the shoreline for more than eight miles, delivering steady views of the lake.

About a mile in we spotted an old chimney just off the path.

A couple of hours later a brief but intense five-minute downpour soaked us thoroughly; the sky cleared quickly afterward, and continued hiking helped us mostly dry out.

At the end of the Left Loop we branched onto the Overlook Loop and walked out to Cliff Overlook.

Here we ate lunch while taking in wide views of Fontana Lake and the distant Smoky Mountains.

We finished the loop, followed County Line Road back to the trailhead, and on the way home stopped once more in Andrews at Snowbird Mountains Brewing so Amaroq could enjoy another well-earned pup cup.

Fires Creek Hike

On Thursday, Amaroq and I headed to Fires Creek Recreation Area for a solid day on the trails.

We parked at the picnic area and walked down toward Leatherwood Falls, only to find the view completely blocked by thick summer foliage.

Undeterred, we jumped on the Leatherwood Loop Trail and followed it up to the top of the falls, where we got a clear look at the upper cascade, though the main drop remained hidden from above.

After crossing Leatherwood Branch on the bridge and finishing the loop, I decided to wade Fires Creek for a better angle from the base.

The water was relatively low but still nearly knee-deep in spots, so it would be a much tougher (or impossible) crossing in higher flows. Even from below, the falls turned out to be modest rather than dramatic. From there we crossed the road and started up the Rim Trail counterclockwise.

The first stretch climbed steeply, but after about half a mile it leveled into classic ridgeline hiking with rolling ups and downs with surprisingly decent views despite the full summer canopy. I can only imagine how open and far-reaching those vistas must be in winter.

We pushed several miles along the rim across Graveyard High Top to Carvers Gap before dropping down Bristol Trail toward the horse camp.

I’d planned to return via Cover Trail, but it was so overgrown and hard to follow that we simply took the road back instead.

Once at the picnic area again, we explored the other end of Cover Trail a short distance; the first quarter-mile is paved through the picnic grounds before reaching a ford that looked tricky, and with rain starting we turned around. 

On the drive back toward Robbinsville we stopped at Snowbird Mountains Brewery in Andrews for a late lunch. They don’t serve food, which meant Amaroq was welcome inside, and we ordered delivery from the restaurant next door. Amaroq scored a pup-cup of hot-dog pieces and thoroughly enjoyed the treat while we relaxed. We finished the day back at the cabin with a fire; another good outing in the books.

Snowbird Waterfall Hike

Wednesday we headed to Snowbird Backcountry Area and set off early on Big Snowbird Trail (#64). The morning air was cool and pleasant as we hiked upstream along Snowbird Creek.

After about 2.5 miles we passed the old shot-up car sitting out in the wilderness, then crossed a narrow footbridge over Sassafras Creek.

Just beyond, we turned onto Sassafras Creek Trail (#65) and followed it to Sassafras Falls.

The water level was good and the cloudy light made the falls look especially nice, so we paused for photos while Amaroq enjoyed a treat.

Above the falls we joined Burntrock Ridge Trail (#65A) and started the steep climb.

The first stretch was open but quickly became very overgrown; luckily the steepest section lasted only a bit more than a quarter-mile, though the ridgeline itself stayed thick.

After the climb the trail followed the ridge before descending back to Snowbird Creek. We forded the creek, rejoined Big Snowbird Trail, and continued upstream, first open, then choked with dog hobble for a stretc.  After a steep, narrow section, we came to Upper Falls after roughly a mile from the ford.

With the sun out I skipped the usual wade for a photo and turned around.  This isn't the best waterfall anyway. At the ford we took Middle Falls Trail (#64A) to the short Middle Falls Alt connector (#64B), which returned us to Big Snowbird just above Middle Falls and spared us multiple wet crossings.

Middle Falls remains my favorite in the area, not the largest, but beautifully scenic.  I was surprised to find another couple already there.

A few clouds drifted in, giving me better light for pictures, and rosebay rhododendron was blooming nicely at the falls and throughout the area.

We retraced Middle Falls Trail back toward the main path; it was steep and a little overgrown in places but kept our feet dry.

At the end we rejoined Big Snowbird by a campsite and crossed the big footbridge over the creek.

Shortly past here, we scrambled down to Big Falls.

Another timely cloud gave me good light on both the main drop and the cascade below.

From there it was about a mile to the Sassafras Creek junction and the old shot-up car.

And then another 2.5 miles or so back to the trailhead, roughly 13 miles total and very enjoyable despite the overgrown stretches on Burntrock Ridge. 

On the way home we grabbed a pizza in Robbinsville and finished the day with a fire at the cabin.