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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