FIRE HOT!
Bob and Laura joined Christy, Saucony, and I for a couple of hikes on the Bartram Trail last weekend. I couldn't actually tell Christy that though. We hiked a section of the Bartram Trail a few years ago that she'll never forget. It climbed over 3000' in 5 miles from the Nantahala River to Cheoah Bald. After that hike, she swore she'd never hike the Bartram Trail again. She didn't believe me when I told her that most of the trail wasn't that bad. So, I simply neglected to mention that it was what I had in mind for this weekend.
I had never hiked in Georgia before, but I was determined to correct that oversight. Our goal for the day was Rabun Bald. It's the second highest peak in Georgia. Since Georgia's state parks have pretty much ruined the highest peak, Brasstown Bald, we may as well consider it the highest. We met Bob & Laura in Cashiers a little after 10. From there we endured the curvy road to Highlands, and then headed down past the Scaly Mountain "ski slope". From there we drove down a dirt road and into Georgia, though there was no sign to welcome us. We parked at the Bartram Trailhead, and Bob and I shuttled a car down to another access on the east side of the mountain. It was after 11 when we finally got on the trail.
We hiked a flat, easy stretch of trail before stopping at an interesting rock formation for lunch. The forecast had been for highs in the 40's, but it was easily 60. The hot soup we brought wasn't very appealing on such a warm day. After lunch, we hiked to Beegum Gap and began the climb. The route followed an old roadbed on switchbacks, so the grade was never unreasonable. The bald at the summit was mostly overgrown, but there was still a small clearing at the very top. The old firetower on the summit had been replaced a few years ago with a new observation deck. From the top were fine views in all directions. The best scenery was to the north, where Whitesides Mountain, the Fishawk Mountains, and Scaly Mountain dominated the view. To the east we could just make out Lake Keowee.
Far below us was the resort of Sky Valley. Interestingly, I had actually vacationed there with my family when I was a teenager. In a sense, my first "hike" had actually taken place there. I had gone off exploring on my own, and returned somewhat later than everyone expected. This caused some alarm for my parents. Christy would certainly agree that some things never change.
There were a few other groups on the summit. We hadn't seen anyone on the trail, but the summit had drawn a bit of a crowd. We stayed for awhile, but it was rather cool and breezy above the trees. Our route down followed an unnamed trail that was described as "very steep" in my guidebook. While it did have a few steep sections, for the most part it was an easy hike out. We reached Bob's truck by 4 and everyone piled in for the ride back to the trailhead. On the way out, we passed a house with an interesting front yard. It was decorated with several imported Greek columns. Apparently a previous landowner had them shipped over years ago. Now they're just standing there in the front yard. If I owned that property I'd hang a tire swing on one of them or something. That would give them more of a local flavor. Anyway, apparently the Beegum Gap Homeowner's Association doesn't have a problem with them.
We drove back through Highlands and down into Horse Cove. It was a beautiful drive down into the valley, directly below the south face of Whiteside Mountain. We set up camp at Ammon's Branch, which is a primitive, and free, campground not far from the Chattooga River. There was no one around, and the only sound we heard all night was an owl. We built a blazing fire, which Bob couldn't stop playing around in. Of course, most people use a stick for that sort of thing, but Bob just uses his hands. Fire hot! Well, that arm hair will grow back eventually.
Christy and I attempted to make mountain pies, but the mountain pie maker melted in the fire. So we ended up making glorified grilled cheese sandwiches in a skillet. It wasn't quite the same. We still enjoyed a few beers and a great fire though. All in all it was a fine end to another good day of hiking.
We didn't get up until 8 the next morning. It's hard to beat 10 hours of sleep just for the fun of it. We had a lazy start to the morning before finally breaking camp around 10. We headed back towards Highlands, but stopped to see the giant poplar tree (actually a Tuliptree) in Horse Cove. The trailhead was unmarked, but it was only a minute's walk to the base of a tree estimated at 300 years old. I'd guess that it's over 15' around and more than 100' tall. It compares quite well to some of the trees in Joyce Kilmer. Of course there the whole forest is like that. This was only a single tree. Nevertheless it was well worth seeing, and turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.
We drove up through Highlands and out 64 toward the Cullasaja (try pronouncing that one) river gorge. We passed Bridal Veil Falls, which you can actually drive under (great fun in a convertible!). From there we left the main road and headed up into the Fishawk Mountains. We climbed for what seemed like hours on a rapidly narrowing dirt road. Finally we reached a gap in the ridge and the parking area. We headed north on the Bartram Trail, this time starting close to 11.
We hiked through a field and then took a short side trail up Jones Knob. It led to a clearing with a nice view to the west and south before reaching the summit. From the top there was a decent view of the day's prime destination, Whiterock Mountain. Like many of the peaks in the area, Whiterock is a granite dome, much like it's better known neighbor, Whitesides Mountain. We had heard that the views from the cliffs were spectacular, so we hurried that way to get there for lunch.
We hiked a pleasant stretch of trail through a tunnel of rhododendron and past a wall of icicles. We reached a gap with a decent campsite and began to climb. Once again we found a side trail, and followed it up Whiterock Mountain. The summit was wooded, but the west side was steep, bare rock. We worked our way out onto it, and were greeted with a stiff wind. We found a large boulder that blocked the breeze and huddled behind it. The view from our vantage point was indeed spectacular. To the south we could clearly see Rabun Bald, where we had been the day before. To the west we could spot the tower on Mt. Albert, and Standing Indian was also visible. Farther north, we could just make out a tower on Wayah Bald. Wesser Bald was also in sight, as were the southern Smokies. Far below us was the valley of the Little Tennessee River. We had a long lunch there, huddled behind the rock. We wished we had the soup that we didn't want on Saturday.
Eventually we had to leave. We hiked back down to the Bartram Trail, and were spooked when we encountered two other dayhikers. They would be the only other people we'd see all day. We continued north and reached the base of Fishawk Mountain, the highest in the range. A sign and the guidebook both stated that the side trail to the top was 300 feet. It looked longer than that, but we headed up anyway. After 300 feet we were nowhere near the top. In fact, it was a very steep climb of at least 1/4 mile to the summit. The side trail may have been 300' UP, but it certainly wasn't 300' long. The summit was a little disappointing. The view was obscured by trees. However, I was able to work my way through the growth to the northeast side of the peak. From there was a good view of the Smokies, Yellow Mountain (not the one near Roan Mountain), Shortoff Mountain (not the one in Linville Gorge), Cold Mountain (the one in Panthertown Valley, not the one near Shining Rock) and Whitesides Mountain (not to be confused with Whiterock Mountain). Got all that?
We knew we had a long drive home, so it was time to head back. We hiked straight out in a little over an hour. It was a nice 7 mile hike, with enough challenge to be interesting without being strenuous.
We took the long way out to stop by Cullasaja Falls. The drive through the gorge was very exciting. US 64 is very narrow, as it is squeezed between a rock wall and the lip of the gorge. Add in a few dozen hairpin turns, and you have plenty of excitement. The road reminded me of one we had driven in Colorado. We pulled off the highway into a precarious parking spot to view the falls. The river cascades over 200' from the level of the road down into the gorge. I walked down a steep path to an overlook for a better view. The roar of the falls was incredible, and the spray coming up from the bottom was intense. For a minute, I actually forgot that I was only a few yards from the highway. Cullasaja is truly one of the most spectacular falls I've seen, and I highly recommend it.
The rest of the drive home was uneventful. We stopped in Brevard for dinner before we hit the highway and headed for home. It was a good trip to a new area, and one that we are looking forward to returning to.
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