24 April 2019
I really feel sorry for the owners of Fort Wilderness RV Park. They have to contend with the kennel of dogs continuously barking (they went at it literally all night long – I slept with the white noise app playing in my ear) but they also have a squirrel problem.
I was busy with my morning constitutional when I heard something running across the roof of the bath house. Then all of a sudden, a loud explosion and I was in the dark. Luckily, I knew where everything was – on me and in the bath house). Apparently, there will be fried squirrel for lunch today. I didn’t bother notifying them since no one but me had been in the bathroom during my stay. I’ll let them find out when the season arrives.
I was out of there by 8 am and headed for Mickey D’s in Cherokee. From there I called my friends Reed and Sandra Bilbray in Asheville and invited myself to coffee. Actually, when Reed read my itinerary, he suggested I stop in. It’s always good to see those two. They are so up and positive. It’s great to be around people who always look on the bright side. I also got to meet the newest addition to the family, Oreo. I think the dog loves me. I really appreciate Reed and Sandra taking time out of their day. We talked hiking, camping, and how Asheville and Fort Lauderdale are having transportation problems and infrastructure problems.
Oreo followed me out the door but Reed insisted he not go camping today.
To get to South Mountains State Park, you follow I-40 east for a ways and then head down US 19. This is a wonderful back road with curves and dips and beautiful scenery. It reminds me a little of the old roads I used to take into the Smokies.
Everyone I know that I’ve talked to in North Carolina have never heard of South Mountains State Park. It won the park of the year award in 2017 (I assume NC).
I’m in the family campground which is predominately tents and hammocks. I had high hopes of no more dogs but wouldn’t you know it, a lady with a hammock is parked next to me with a yappy dog that starts in when anyone comes anywhere near her campsite. It may be a long night – again.
The park is full of hikes. The map they provide you upon checking in has 22 listed with degrees of difficulty from easy to moderate to strenuous. One of the main attractions is High Shoals Falls. I can’t resist a good waterfall so I headed out at 2 pm. It was 80 F out so I made sure I was in shorts and a tee shirt.
You first walk through the parking lot of the family campsite and then follow the River Trail until you merge with the Clear Creek Trail. It’s at this point I made a fortuitous mistake. I meant to follow the River Trail until it merged with the High Shoal Falls Loop Trail.
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Instead, I incorrectly shifted to the Raven Rock Trail System . Trust me when I say it is all up hill. It’s listed as strenuous on their map. I have to admit, either I’m getting good at this hiking thing or I’m just in better shape. I didn’t find it any more difficult than the Smokemont Loop Trail which is rated as moderate.
From the Raven Rock Trail, I finally merged with the High Shoal Falls Loop and it was all downhill from there. Fortunately, my tendonitis did not act up and I made it pretty well.
The reason I said fortuitous mistake is once you reach the falls, there are wooden rails and steps all the way down, down down. If I had correctly followed the map, the ascent to the falls would have been twice as steep as the trail I took.
By the way, I hate steps. I know parks mean well with them but they have to fit the landscape and the rise is either too high or too low. I take a pounding when I walk down steps.
I made it back at 5 pm, so the entire hike was 3 hours. I clocked in at 5 miles exactly. The campground is at 1286 feet in elevation and the top of the mountain is 2022, so I had a 916 foot elevation gain. That was a pretty good workout. I’m tired.
Tonight is Three Cheese Mac & Cheese.
Tomorrow, I’ll probably take it easy and do some short, easy hikes.
Either spring has not really sprung here or it’s already sprung and gone. There isn’t much as far as wildflowers. My one big thrill was as I was hiking, I had an overwhelmingly sweet scent waft to me. It reminded me a little of honeysuckle. I looked around and didn’t see anything and then I looked up and in the distance and saw a big leaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) in full bloom. I’ve seen these before but not in bloom. The leaves are not thick like the southern magnolia. Instead they are paper thin. The blooms are not as large either but they certainly produce an aroma. The tree was some 50-75 feet away.
Post Script. The dog turned out to be perfectly behaved last night. It apparently only barks when she encourages it to bark. It didn’t make a sound all night.
