NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Last Saturday Jack and I joined another official CMLC (Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy) hike. This hike, which was held in conjunction with the Carolina Mountain Club, was a 5-mile trek across Bearwallow Mountain, Little Bearwallow Mountain, and Wildcat Rock.

The hike was scheduled to start at 10:30. The late start meant that we’d have some time that morning for some additional explorations. Jack and I decided to use that time to visit Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Falls tumbles off the north rim of the gorge almost directly opposite of Hickory Nut Falls. It’s not nearly as tall as Hickory Nut Falls, but it still looked pretty significant on the topo map. Rainbow Falls is now included in Chimney Rock State Park, and we were eager to check it out.

Currently there is no public access to the falls. Jack and I had a plan, though. We met at the Lake Lure Marina at 8:30 and I rode with Jack from there. We drove up through Chimney Rock Village and turned right into the Reserve at Rainbow Falls. This road has a gate, but fortunately it was open when we arrived. The Reserve at Rainbow Falls is another housing development, but currently it only consists of vacant lots for sale.

Jack and I are always interested in looking at mountain property. We drove to lot #6 at the end of the road and parked. Lot #6 looked compelling, so we got out for a closer look.

From the lot we enjoyed a nice view across the gorge to 300’+ Hickory Nut Falls. Below it and to the right we spotted another (likely seasonal) waterfall that isn’t shown on the map. We walked up an old road from the far end of the lot in search of even better views. Light snow was falling as we hiked, but it was nothing compared to what we’d run into later that day.

After a steep climb we crossed the boundary into Chimney Rock State Park. At that point we decided to put our investigation of mountain property on hold in favor of exploring this new section of park.

We continued climbing on the old road. Frequent switchbacks eased the grade, but it was still a steep climb. Along the way we got a few peaks at Rainbow Falls, which was still high above us.

About 20 minutes or so after leaving the car we reached an old A-frame cottage. This was startling at first, but apparently the cottage is now included in the state park. The old road ends there, but we continued up the mountainside in search of a better view of the falls. The climb from here was steep and difficult as we negotiated a boulder field. Eventually we worked our way to the base of the falls. Although there are many more slides and cascades below this point, the main part of the multi-tiered waterfall was directly above.

The view from there was good, but the light was marginal for photography. While snow was blowing in from the west, brilliant sunshine was already beating down on us from the opposite direction. That was ok though. We were just happy to be there, seeing another waterfall for the first time.

From that point we scrambled up a steep slope for a closer look at the upper part of the falls. We eventually fought our way to the base of the main drop. This spot is really cool, as the creek free-falls and cascades for perhaps 50’ or so. At the bottom of the waterfall the stream runs below an undercut rock that’s really cool. Jack and I spent some time here taking more photos before heading back down.

We did take one wrong turn on the return hike. We missed the turn off the old road that leads back down into the development. That turn is obvious coming up, but out of sight on the way back down. Interestingly, the old road continues west, following a gentle grade. That road could end up being incorporated into Chimney Rock State Park’s trail network.

On the hike out we passed a large group (10-15) of hikers on their way in. No doubt they’d also been taking a close look at lot #6 before getting distracted by the waterfall above. I think that the lots in that development are too steep, but I may have to return in the spring when the flowers are out for another look. In fact, that may not be too long from now. We actually saw a bunch of Toadshade Trillium on the slope below the falls. They aren’t blooming yet, but it looks like they could start in the next couple of weeks.

We returned to Jack’s truck and drove up through Bat Cave to Gerton. We joined a large group of hikers at the Florence Nature Preserve trailhead there. I was surprised to see that many people (20-25) given the weather forecast, which called for high winds, sub-freezing temperatures, and snow.

We met the hike leaders, Peter and Chet, at the trailhead. Once everyone arrived, Peter informed all of the hikers that there would be two options for the day. The group would split in two, with the less-ambitious hikers going only as far as the summit of Bearwallow Mountain. The more hardcore hikers would brave the ice and snow and freezing temperatures by continuing the hike over Little Bearwallow Mountain and down to Laughing Waters in Gerton.

Once everyone had decided which version of the hike they’d do it was time to organize a shuttle. Since the full hike was a one-way trek, the logistics were complicated. Hikers doing the short version needed to drive to the upper trailhead on Bearwallow Mountain Road. Meanwhile, the hikers planning to complete the whole hike needed to leave their cars at the Gerton trailhead. As you can imagine, this was exceptionally complicated. If it were somehow possible to harness the energy required to set up a shuttle of this magnitude, we could instantly eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.

Jack, Peter, and I caught a ride with a woman that was doing the short version of the hike. Several other cars followed us as we drove up highway 74A and then Bearwallow Mountain Road. Bearwallow Mountain Road was covered in a light layer of snow, and with more coming down, we knew we were in for an adventure. When we reached the trailhead, the sound of the wind howling through the trees was actually rather intimidating.

Until recently the only way to hike to the summit of Bearwallow Mountain was along a dirt road. Last year the CMLC built a new trail to the summit. We hiked this trail, which winds its way through hardwood forest and past many impressive boulders. The trail is well-designed and constructed, and the hike hardly seemed uphill.

Eventually we emerged from the woods into an expansive grassy bald. The meadow was covered under a dusting of snow, and the wind was absolutely howling. We hiked into the teeth of the wind, bound for the collection of towers (including a fire tower) on the summit. It was somewhere along here that I discovered that my water hose was frozen solid. I have an insulated tube that wraps around my water hose to prevent this problem, but it was back in my warm house. I ended up doing the rest of the hike without water.

Normally Bearwallow Mountain features great views, but today they were hidden behind a wall of clouds. Because of the conditions the group wasn’t real interested in lingering up there. We did wait in the woods just beyond the summit for a few hikers to catch up. Once we’d stopped moving I realized that I needed to put on more clothes. I’d started out wearing only nylon pants, a t-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt, a fleece vest, and a hat. I tend to under-dress before hiking uphill to avoid sweating, because once you get wet there’s no hope of staying warm. I pulled on a windbreaker, but came to the unpleasant realization that my gloves weren’t in my pack where they belonged. Probably they were sitting next to my water tube insulator. My hands were actually numb, and hiking with them in my pockets was rather awkward. I did borrow an extra pair of gloves from another hiker later on, which was a big help. Thanks!

At that point the group doing the short version of the hike turned back. The rest of us continued ahead, descending towards Bearwallow Gap. There isn’t much of a trail along here, but the route was obvious. Eventually we emerged from the woods into a large meadow. I’d like to see the view from here under better conditions, but today all we could see was big fat snowflakes falling all around us.

We descended to Bearwallow Gap, and the actual bear wallow. The bear wallow is a muddy natural spring situated in the gap. Apparently bears actually wallow in it in the summer. Needless to say, there weren’t any around on this particular day.

From there we climbed through more meadows to Little Bearwallow Mountain. After a few minutes we re-entered the woods and began a long, steep descent to Gerton. We were on a primitive trail, and the icy conditions required full use of the many rhododendrons growing along the trail. Despite this, there were no major injuries.

After a lengthy descent we reached a signed junction. We took a spur trail up to Wildcat Rock, which offered the first real views of the day. The snow had finally stopped falling, and the clouds were clearing from the western end of the gorge. As a result, we were treated to nice views of Ferguson Peak, Blue Ridge Pastures, and Little Pisgah Mountain. However, it was hard to enjoy the vistas because the wind was roaring harder than ever. In fact, those cliffs were a little treacherous with the wind blowing us around. As a result, most of us descended into the woods below the cliffs for a more sheltered lunch spot.

My lunch consisted of hot (well, ok, warm) soup from a thermos. While I was eating I got the distinct sensation that the other 14 hikers were staring at me. Most of them were munching on cold sandwiches and frozen granola bars. I felt a bit like Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, but unfortunately I hadn’t brought enough to share with everyone. I ate quickly, fearing that the smell of my soup might start a riot.

Another long descent with occasionally awkward footing followed lunch. This part of the trail passed beneath numerous sheer cliffs that were glazed with ice or adorned with icicles. One cliff featured a high but trickling waterfall. That waterfall might be worth a look after a downpour, but on this occasion there was barely enough water to moisten the rock.

Another descent followed, and a view of house in the distance indicated that we were nearing civilization. We reached the banks of Hickory Creek a few minutes later. We passed a nice cascade on the creek and a small, sliding waterfall on a tributary. The waterfall on the tributary might also be worth a look after a hard rain. The hike ended with a footbridge crossing of Hickory Creek. On the far side we passed through an apple orchard at Laughing Waters and climbed up to the road directly across from the trailhead where we’d parked our cars.

We finished the hike around 2:30, an hour or so earlier than expected. Cold weather has a funny way of making people walk faster! Seriously though, I was impressed with how well our group of 15 did on steep, icy trails.

Since it was early, Jack and I decided to do a little more exploring on the way home. In the community of Bat Cave we turned north on highway 9 towards Black Mountain. Oddly, I’ve never driven this stretch of road. On this occasion we only drove about a mile of it. We went up the road as far as the bridge over Grassy Creek. Upstream from here are “The Cascades”, which are labeled on the Bat Cave topo map. However, they aren’t visible from the road, and the driveway leading upstream along Grassy Creek past several houses is clearly private.

We backtracked a short distance and turned right on Minnehaha Road. This road brought us down to another bridge over Grassy Creek. Camp Minnehaha Falls is immediately downstream from the bridge, and the brink of the cascade is visible from there. However, the surrounding property is all private. There is a house on one side of the creek right at the brink of the falls. A trail leading down the other side of the creek is posted with “no trespassing” signs. On a side note, I’m not sure if there was a camp here at one time, but now there’s a store, the previously mentioned house, and some condos.

We drove back out to highway 9 and spotted the waterfall through the trees from the road. Jack pulled off the road at the end of the guard rail and we walked back up for a better look. Camp Minnehaha Falls is listed at 30’ in several places, but the total drop is quite a bit more than that. The upper plunge may be only 30’, but the long slide below must be another 100’ or so. The view from the road was actually ok, but it wasn’t worth getting the camera out. Jack and I also contemplated descending into the gorge for a better look. Although it is private property, it isn’t posted along the road. However, getting down to the creek would require an incredibly steep descent. We weren’t really up for attempting it, particularly since the lighting for photos was poor.

I’m looking forward to doing more hikes in the Hickory Nut Gorge. The plans that the CMLC and Chimney Rock State Park have for trails in the area are exciting. Next time I’m there, I think I’ll hike from Gerton up to Bearwallow Mountain and back. That’s a really cool trail, and I want to go back in better weather to see the views I missed last weekend.

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