October 23-24, 2021 Two miles above Georgia and barely in Macon County, North Carolina (NC) is a wonderful, short loop. It is a quintessential Nanthala Ranger District hike. The trailhead for the loop starts at the end of Blue Valley Road (a gravel road about 6 or so miles south from Highlands, NC). It is … More West Fork Trail, Hurrah Ridge Trail, Picklesimer Rock House Falls Trail
October 12-13, 2021 A divide is nothing more than a dividing ridge between drainage areas. Noland separates Deep and Noland Creek. The northern terminus starts a mile and a half from Clingman’s Dome and the Appalachian Trail and runs south for 11.5 miles to the Deep Creek Campground. My friends and co-workers, Margo and Howie … More Noland Divide Trail
August 20-22, 2021 My slow, sloth-like completion of the Smoky 900 continued in August. On a really pleasant weekend, my friend Howie and Johnny met just outside Bryson City, NC and left a car at the Deep Creek Campground. We then all rode together to the northern trailhead for the Deep Creek Trail just off … More Deep Creek Trail
July 31 – August 1, 2021 Shining Rock Wilderness is quite breathtaking, chockfull of sweeping vistas, balds, and several peaks over 6,000′. It is also jammed with people hiking the trails and driving to the trailheads. Right next to Shining Rock, separated by Hwy. 215, is a gem. Middle Prong Wilderness has beautiful vistas, gorgeous … More Middle Prong Wilderness
June 18-19, 2021 Cabin Flats is a very short trail at .8 miles. For some reason, I had never hiked it before, even though I’ve hiked Dry Sluice Gap Trail and Bradley Fork. Aside from hiking the Smoky 900 challenge, why would one hike this trail? Well, it has one of the best campsites in … More Cabin Flats Trail
May 21-23, 2021 My plan was to spend 3 days in the Smoky’s and hike in via Mingus Creek Trail, spend the night at campsite #52 (Newton Bald), hike down to campsite #60 (Bumgarner Branch) via Sunkota Ridge Trail and then back to the car on Sunday via the Deeplow Gap Trail. In total, I … More Mingus Creek Trail, Sunkota Ridge Trail, Deeplow Gap Trail
April 17-18, 2021 Psalm 104:1 (KJV)Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Psalm104:10-11 (NIV) He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the … More Palmer Creek Trail
September 14-15, 2019 Looking at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Smoky’s) map, Spruce Mountain Trail is intriguing. It is a 1.2 mile, in-and-out hiking destination located off a one-lane Balsam Mountain Road. Campsite #42 is the terminus of the trail. My desire to hike and camp here is because of this solitude, as it … More Spruce Mountain Trail
August 17-18, 2019 I’ve encountered an abundant variety of wildlife in nature, from a wolf, moose, skunks, an occasional bear, boar, and a plethora of smaller animals. These outdoor rendezvous’ are often brief, with the animal quickly fleeing. This trip was something else completely. I am slowly hiking all 850 miles of trails in the … More Caldwell Fork Trail, Rough Fork Trail
May 25-26, 2019 I could have easily driven to Tellico Gap and hiked 1.5 miles up to Wesser Bald. In lieu of the easy route and in search of a weekend adventure, I decided to hike to Wesser from the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) and camp at Cold Springs Gap and hike back the next … More Wesser Bald Fire Tower
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