Post 900 Hike #51: Max Patch

This was my first hike in three weeks due to weather on 10/8 and a memorial service for a neighbor and friend on 10/15. Today was also the first hike that I took with our group that was outside the GSMNP. When this hike was scheduled previously, I was either (a) intent on completing all trails within the GSMNP first or (b) after doing the former, requested to go with someone else in their quest to finish all the trails. I had also wanted to go to Max Patch for someone suggested that it would be a good place to XC-ski; I wanted to check that possibility out in good weather prior to driving there in the winter.

The meet-up site was Cracker Barrel at the Strawberry Plains exit at 07:45. Eleven of us set out in either Ann’s vehicle (BJ, Diane, Marita, & Teresa); I went in Cecil’s with Bill B., Bill W., John H., and Joy. I am not sure when we started our hike on the AT but I believe it was ~09:45. John and I completed the 5.5 mi. hike to Max Patch at 11:35; we pushed in the last ~0.5 mi. going up the Bald to get an aerobic workout.

At the top I went over to talk to a couple of AT through hikers from Vermont; they planned to fly from Knoxville back to Vermont on 11/1. They were in tune to the water and bear problems so they knew which AT campsites would be OK. Because of water problems, they had to carry as much as a gallon at times; these individuals were perhaps not in too great a hurry, but I really must tip my hat to them and those others who undertake the AT challenge. One of the Vermonters brought to my attention the special cloud formation that I tried to capture in the first picture.

Bill Broome identified the first "whole" mountain from the right in the second picture as being Newfound Gap; for those not familiar the AT is basically follows the ridge of the Smokey chain. The third picture presents a different view from of the bald.

We started our downward trek at 12:30; Cecil and Bill W. went to the former’s church camp where he does periodic checks of water quality. Bill B. started down with us but when we met one of his sons, latter’s wife, and another couple, he went back to the Bald then down to the parking lot on the other side to wait for us. The rest of us set out the 5.5 mi. trek back to our two vehicles; John, Joy, and I completed the 5.5 miles at 1:55. John drove Cecil’s vehicle back to pick up our three cohorts while I iced my knee. Relative to potential XC-skiing on the Bald, it would have to be just after a snow on a cloudy day; of course the road to the bald could be closed under such circumstances.

Post 900 Hike #50

I went to Food Lion planning to do a 17.1 mi. loop out of Twenty Mile Ranger Station. Four vehicles set out at 07:00; Dick Ledyard, Lloyd Luketin and I rode with Frank March. When I realized that Frank was going to do another hike alone, I decided that I would hike with him. When we arrived at the Ranger Station Dick and Lloyd joined the hikers from 2 of the other 3 vehicles. I rode with Frank to the two trailheads close to the Fontana Dam (AT & Lakeshore); Brian Schloff followed us so that he could take us back to the Ranger Station.

At 09:18 we started out on a 0.5 mi. section of Wolf Ridge; Brian went ahead because he was considering doing extra miles and wanted to keep his options open. Frank and I finished the 2.6 mi. section of Twentymile Trail at 10:19 (~3.1 mph); Brian was there expecting to meet those doing Twentymile Loop Trail. While we waited Brian showed us his new GPS unit which is really neat; all the other hikers arrived ~10:30.

At 10:32 Frank and I headed East on the 1.9 mi. section of Twentymile Trail (the other hikers headed North on Long Hungry Ridge). The section we were on has ~1,400 ft. gain in elevation; this presented an opportunity to get a good aerobic workout. I think my top HR was 151 (didnot write it down); arrived at our trail’s junction with the AT 11:14 (~2.7 mph) and was quite wet with sweat.

Although we were next planning to take the 2.7 mi. Lost Cove Trail to its junction with Lakeshore Trail, Frank and I decided to take a sojourn South on the AT in order to climb the Shuckstack fire tower (it is on relatively high ground, the roundtrip this sojourn was probably ~1+ mi.). I had done this section of the AT twice previously but only once did I attempt to climb the tower; I did not make it to the top then because thunder suggested that this endeavor was unwise. Today the wind really picked up as we climbed; the tower is somewhat “enclosed” at the top, hence some of my pictures were taken through windows (actually there is sort of an open balcony above the enclosure but its roof is somewhat rotten). The first two pictures are in a more easterly direction; the third is SE. Before we descended the tower Frank suggested that we put on our light jackets; this was a very good idea.

We arrived at the Lost Cove trailhead at 12:10; we elected to descend this trail a bit to find a sheltered spot out of the wind to eat lunch. The last time that I did Lost Cove two of the stream crossings required water shoes; today all were easy to rock hop. After we arrived at the Lakeshore Trail junction, Frank wanted to do a little of it in an easterly direction 1.5 mi. to Campsite 90 to ensure that he had covered this particular section because it could have been missed (e.g., in boat hikes one expects to go West on Lakeshore). After returning to the Lost Cove junction with Lakeshore Trail, we then set out on our final leg of our hike on Lakeshore. I did not record the exact time that we completed these 5.2 mi. and arrived at Frank's SUV.

Frank had cold drinks in a cooler plus chips and salsa; this was a most excellent way to conclude a hike of today's ilk. We then started our return trip, which included a few miles on the Dragon. The weather was truly great; on the Foothills Parkway I do not believe that I have ever seen the vista to the West as the one that we saw today.