BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

 

 

Last March, I hiked to Daffodil Flats in Linville Gorge in time for the peak of the daffodil bloom.  Afterwards, Jack expressed interest in visiting the area.  We made firm plans to do the hike in 2009.  Meanwhile, Bob had planned to join me on that same hike the year before.  Unfortunately, due to some confusion about our meeting time that morning, he missed the hike.  Almost exactly one year later, he was eager to get a second chance.

 

Bob and I met in Belmont, and rode together from there.  We joined Jack at the Pinch In Trailhead at 9:30, and discussed our options.  The regular hike to Daffodil Flats is only a 6 mile round trip, and we all wanted to tackle something a little more ambitious.  I proposed a couple of options, one of which would involve some scrambling and route-finding downstream, before exiting by way of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail and Pinnacle.  Jack and Bob both wanted to check out the Rockjock Trail though, so we decided to add that on to the hike.  So, Jack and Bob shuttled a vehicle up to the Conley Cove Trailhead.  They returned, and we hit the trail at 10am, on a surprisingly chilly and cloudy day.

 

We started on the Pinch In Trail, which starts out steep and gets worse.  After a short walk in the woods, we entered the beginning of the burn.  Most of Pinch In ridge (and the surrounding area) was ravaged in the 2007 fire.  Now, the path descends through a bizarre landscape of ash and char.  On the upside, the views are fantastic.   We enjoyed incredible vistas up and down the gorge, despite the lingering morning clouds.

 

We stopped at a rock outcrop for some photos, and a couple caught up to us.  They had a dog with them, and my puppy, Boone, went crazy.  He spent the rest of the descent to the river running up and down the trail between them and us.  Most people wouldn’t want to hike up that stretch of trail once, but he must’ve done it a dozen times!

 

We eventually escaped the burn, and descended through the woods to the Linville Gorge Trail near the river.  From there, we strolled downstream along an easy stretch of trail.  It was along this stretch that we passed Allen Hyde leading a group of hikers in the opposite direction.  They were doing the same hike we had originally considered, but in the reverse direction, from Pinnacle to the Pinch In Trailhead.

 

We passed through a lovely camping area, but unfortunately the Hemlocks here are already dying.  A few minutes later, we arrived at Daffodil Flats.  The blooms were nice, but not as spectacular as they’d been a year earlier.  Either we were a little late this year, or the previous night’s cold snap had left the flowers looking a bit wilted.  Despite this, it was still a beautiful spot, and Jack and Bob seemed to enjoy seeing it for the first time.

 

I took my final photos of the hike here, as my spare camera batteries died.  My regular batteries had died while we were descending the Pinch In Trail.  Fortunately, I knew I could count on Jack and Bob for photos.

 

We hung out for a bit, before heading back to the camping area.  There, we found a nice stretch of beach along the river for lunch.  We had just settled in, under suddenly sunny skies, when Boone lost his mind.  He began sprinting up and down the beach, spraying sand all over me, Bob, and our lunches.  For an encore, Boone took a plunge in the river, splashing me with icy river water.  In doing so, he managed to dampen my already limp sandwich.  Ah, but there’s no better marinade than Linville River water.

 

We picked up the pace after lunch, as we still had a ways to go.  We humped it back to the Pinch In Trail, and started up.  Jack and I both left our pant legs on, knowing that we would be bushwhacking shortly.  This was a mistake.  Once we left the trees behind, we roasted under the early afternoon sun.  Before long, we both stopped to shed.  Despite this, we all made it to the junction with what’s left of the southern extension of the Rockjock Trail in about 45 minutes.  It was here that our real adventure began.

 

Back before the fires, an unofficial extension of the Rockjock Trail continued from Mossy Canyon Ridge to the Pinch In, and beyond.  That trail is only a memory now though.  The only hint of a trail here now is a small homemade sign pointing towards the RJT, and some sporadic flagging.  I knew the route was doable though – assuming that the slope we planned to traverse hadn’t become completely overgrown over the last two years.

 

We followed the obvious route, and dropped down through a garden of thorns to a small creek.  The vegetation eased on the far side, and we climbed over a minor hill.  Initially we followed flagging along here, but near the flat crest of the hill, we lost it.  I quickly gave up on the ribbons and plunged ahead, thrashing through the briars and the charred remains of Rhododendron.  We headed roughly northward, generally following the path of least resistance as we hiked in and out of two more small gullies.  After about 30 minutes or so, I’m sure Jack and Bob were wondering if we’d ever set foot on trail again.

 

We climbed out of the last gully, and I nearly blundered right past the Rockjock Trail without realizing it.  This was a bit of a relief, as we’d been bushwhacking for about 45 minutes.  From there, we descended Mossy Canyon Ridge a short distance, before curving north on the RJT.  Here, we found the first of several fantastic overlooks.  We walked down to a small rock protruding from a cliff overlooking the gorge.  From here, we had a fine view of the lower Pinch In Trail and a sweeping bend in the river.

 

We continued ahead, and stopped at Balanced Rock for more views and photos.  Beyond Balanced Rock, we followed the new route of the RJT through the upper end of Crevasse Creek Canyon and Moonshine Canyon.  The upper ends of both canyons feature massive Hemlocks.  Unfortunately, these are also dead or dying, due to the blight.

 

We reached the turn to Razors Edge quicker than I expected, and I nearly missed it.  Unfortunately, we were running short on time.  Plus, Bob was struggling with some cramps, and the side trip to Razors Edge isn’t trivial.  We decided to skip it this time, but I vowed to bring Jack and Bob back, as Razor’s Edge is one of the Rockjock’s finest features.

 

From there, we passed through Split Rock and contoured through Blue Jay Canyon.  Blue Jay Falls was only a trickle, but it was still a cool spot, with rugged, mossy cliffs and dripping springs.  From there, we climbed again, and arrived at the cliffs of Hackers Point.  This offered the best view of the day, and made for a fitting climax to the hike.

 

After a short break, we contoured through Fern Canyon and passed the side trails to Lost Dog Pond.  We skipped those as well, and pressed on to the trailhead, arriving at the Conley Cove Trailhead at 6pm.  This ended another great day in the gorge, which featured hundreds of blooming daffodils, some relaxing riverside scenery, and dramatic views from the cliffs along the rim of the canyon.




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