Mud-on-the-tires Full-time RV Adventure: NC -- Cherokee, 10-17 November 2015

Why we came…

To explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The campground…

Cherokee KOA was decent. With 350 camp sites and a bunch of cabins, it’s huge. We were concerned that it would be a zoo, especially after one of the workers claimed it had been a slow weekend with just “60-something checkouts” the previous Sunday. Thankfully, the kind woman that checked us in, gave us a camp spot at the far end with nobody else nearby. Raven Fork Creek and a few ponds bordered the campground and were rumored to have decent trout fishing. A Cherokee fishing license was required for angling. The area was quiet and peaceful, unlike the busy summer season. We were four miles from Cherokee and about six miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance.

We had a long, paved, mostly level, pull-through site. There were no mature trees near us so satellite worked well. The cell phone signal was nearly non-existent, and the wi-fi was nearly useless. Like most KOAs, the bathroom and laundry facilities were well maintained. Laundry cost $1 to wash and $1 to dry…the best deal we’ve seen in awhile!

Cherokee, population 2,138 and elevation 1,991, was about four miles from the campground. It’s a busy, touristy town. We spent most of our time in the campground and the National Park. Other than grocery shopping and a few hours snacking and using wi-fi at Sassy Sunflowers Bakery and Café, we didn’t experience much of the town.

Gatlinburg TN, population 3,944 and elevation 1,289 feet, is 35 miles northeast of Cherokee. The entire drive is through the National Park…it’s beautiful, but often slows to a crawl. Gatlinburg was a zoo! We visited during the week, after the fall colors were done, and there were people everywhere. Thousands of tourists walked the streets and the traffic crawled through town, bumper to bumper. The congested town was a total tourist trap…not our thing! We had some good BBQ for lunch, and then headed to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for a few supplies. Finally, we eagerly hit the road, glad to leave Gatlinburg behind!

We had our own loop in the campground

Now we’ve been to North Carolina!

Adventures…

On 11 November we hiked the Appalachian Trail to the Jump Off and Charlie’s Bunion…

Due to perfect weather, we chose to do the best hike first.

Our first drive into the Park was beautiful! There were bright blue skies above us and clouds trapped in the valleys below. It was 8:30 in the morning and we were surprised at the amount of vehicles on the road. We arrived at Newfound Gap, elevation 5,046 feet, and the large parking area was only 1/3 full. Most of the people were milling around and taking pictures…there was hardly anyone on the trail.

We had two goals: the Jump Off and Charlie’s Bunion. At nearly nine miles with over 2,000 feet of climbing, this was going to be our toughest Smoky Mountains hike.

We headed northeast on the famous Appalachian Trail (AT). The sign informed us that there was 1,972 miles to the trail’s end at Katahdin Maine. Thousands of people attempt to hike the entire AT each summer and only a small percentage are successful. Now, that’s an adventure!

The trail straddles the ridge and is often on the state line. We had a lot of fun hiking back and forth between Tennessee and North Carolina. Unfortunately, trees blocked the view for most of the route. However, there were a few spots where rock outcroppings allowed us to enjoy expansive views.

We made a left turn on the spur trail to the Jump Off. The route got steeper and rockier…we proceeded more carefully. As the trail traversed across the 6,217 foot high Mount Kephart, we took a moment to remember the man, Horace Kephart, that dedicated his life to making these pretty mountains a national park.

As we descended through the trees on the north side of Mount Kephart, an abrupt opening appeared ahead. It looked as though the trail would come to a quick end or it would have to make a sharp turn. We got to the opening and were standing on an impressive precipice…just one more step and we would have experienced a thousand foot fall! The “Jump Off” provided an amazing view, albeit with a bit of heart pumping adrenaline. We had the incredible spot to ourselves for a minute or two. By the time we left, there were about 10 people on the precarious perch, and we hiked past 10 more headed that way.

We backtracked across the top of Mount Kephart and descended the rocky trail to the AT. Next, we traversed Masa Knob, elevation 5,685 feet. George Masa was Kephart’s best friend. They had an inseparable bond and shared a passion for the Great Smoky Mountains. Their story is inspirational and quite touching.

We approached a sign: “Charlie’s Bunion, Closely Control Children”. In short order, the trail traversed a very steep slope. Clumsy feet or a brief lack of focus would result in nearly a thousand foot fall to certain death: “Closely Control Children”!

The overlook was a multi-colored rock outcropping on a point with another incredible view. Caution was still required to avoid a life ending fall! We were surprised at the number of azaleas…they would be beautiful when flowering in June. We had the special place to ourselves for about 10 minutes, which we learned later, was unusual. As we enjoyed a lengthy break, more and more people showed up.

We hopped back on the AT and retraced the four miles with few stops. It was an incredible hike!

Hike route to the Jump Off and Charlie’s Bunion / Just 1,972 miles to Katahdin Maine!

A good portion of the Appalachian Trail straddles the state line / I’m in Tennessee, Arleen is in North Carolina

Standing on the state line with Tennessee on the left and North Carolina on the right

A typical section of the trail / Be careful!

Standing on the edge of the “Jump Off”…it drops nearly a thousand feet straight down!

Charlie’s Bunion overlook

On 12 November we hiked the Deep Creek valley…

A cold front moved through, dropping the temperature 15 degrees with strong winds, and soggy trails. We wanted to avoid the high country so we headed to the Deep Creek valley, just north of Bryson City.

The highlight of this route was the waterfalls. We walked the loop counterclockwise, arriving first at Tom Branch Falls. The 80 foot high cascades over multiple ledges before it plunges peacefully into Deep Creek. The Park Service has thoughtfully placed benches across from the falls. It’s a nice place to sit for awhile and appreciate the pretty spot.

Less than one mile later, we made it to Indian Creek Falls. The 45 foot high cascade is more like a tempting water slide. We had this beautiful scene all to ourselves.

The trail followed Indian Creek for roughly a mile and half where we made a left turn, and climbed nearly 400 feet to Sunkota Ridge. At 2,400 feet, this was the highest point along our route. The trail was well maintained, and just the right pitch to provide a good workout. The vegetation was thick with a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees along with mountain laurel, rhododendrons, and azaleas.

We dropped to Deep Creek and followed it about two and half miles, past Tom Branch Falls, and made a right turn on the short Juney Wank Falls loop. The trail climbed steeply through another tunnel of rhododendrons…it was pretty. Juney Wank Falls drops 80 feet. There was a wooden bridge crossing the small stream right in front of the waterfall. The bridge had a bench that provided a wonderful spot to appreciate the view. And we did appreciate it!

The final section of trail dropped quickly to the parking area. This five mile hiking route was great! We saw three of the prettiest waterfalls in the Park.

The Deep Creek Loop hike route / Toms Branch Falls

Indian Creek Falls / Juney Wank Falls

Juney Wank Falls

A tunnel of Rhododendrons

On 13 November we hiked to Alum Cave…

This hike to Alum Cave is one the most popular hikes in the Park. We arrived before 9am and got one of the last parking spaces.

The trail climbs slowly along Alum Cave Creek. The rhododendron-lined creek is beautiful with small cascades and moss covered rocks scattered randomly about. The trail gets a bit steeper and more rugged after it makes a left turn and follows little Styx Branch Creek. We crossed a new bridge and immediately climbed a beautiful rock staircase through a dark alcove.

The trail crossed another bridge and left the little creek behind. We worked harder as we climbed to Inspiration Point. There were other folks resting at the scenic spot so we continued higher to Alum Cave.

The final stretch was steeper yet, and rocky. We slowed our pace, careful to avoid a misstep. Alum Cave was impressive! It’s actually an alcove with a huge overhang. It’s roughly 80 feet high and 500 feet long. Amazingly, we had the incredible geologic feature to ourselves for a few minutes. We tried to take pictures to capture beauty and scale, but failed.

By the time we continued past the “cave”, there were at least 15 people milling about, and we could hear more on the way. We walked another mile up the trail towards Peregrine Peak. We wanted more exercise and hoped to see some peregrines.

The trail ducked into the deep shadows on the north side of the peak and we smacked into a cold 30mph headwind. We got chilled in a hurry and turned around! We got plenty of exercise, but didn’t see any peregrines.

We walked steadily back with just a few short breaks. There were about 25 people hanging out in Alum Cave and we counted 160 people on the way back! The two parking areas were packed and cars lined both sides of the road for about a hundred yards. This was a Friday in mid November, well after the trees had shed their pretty leaves…crazy!

Hike route to Alum Cave / Approaching the “cave”

A fun stretch of the trail

Posing in the large alcove…it’s roughly 80 feet high and 500 feet long

On 15 November we hiked to the top of Clingmans Dome and Andrew’s Bald…

We looked forward to this hike…we knew it would be a good one!

The short, half mile trail to the top of Clingmans Dome is paved, but quite steep. We steadily climbed the trail, and though our heart and lungs worked hard, we made it without stopping. The final couple of hundred yards is on an impressive spiraling walk-way…the view gets more and more incredible as you rise above the trees. We arrived at the observation tower at 6,643 feet, the highest spot in Tennessee! The visibility was good and the 360 degree view was fantastic. There were informative signs circling the tower that pointed out what we were looking at, and educating us about interesting aspects of the park.

We descended the spiral walk-way and hopped on the Appalachian Trail for a half mile. We again straddled the Tennessee and North Carolina state line and enjoyed the novelty of it!

We made a left turn on the Forney Ridge trail. Apparently, it use to be one of the most rugged and difficult trails in the park. Now it is a pleasure to walk. There are carved stone steps, wooden steps, and raised paths through muddy areas. There were large, odd shaped boulders strewn about in every angle. We noticed unusual circle formations on a few of the rocks, and learned later that they were concretion circles. So they are the result of two different rock minerals weathering at different rates…but, why in nearly perfect circles?!? It had to be the work of aliens or Sasquatch!

The predominately spruce and fir forest reminded us of hiking in the Rockies. As we approached a big clearing and descended to about 5,600 feet, there were more rhododendrons, mountain laurel, and azaleas. They circled the open meadow, known as Andrews Bald. These bushes put on a colorful display of flowers, usually in June. The view from Andrews Bald is outstanding. The Great Smoky Mountains were showing off the smokiness they are known for…it was beautiful! This was a great hike.

Hike route to Clingmans Dome and Andrew’s Bald / Examples of the great trail work

The spiral walk-way to the observation tower on Clingmans Dome

Looking north from Clingmans Dome…the highest point in Tennessee at 6,643 feet

These circles were a mystery to us. They are “concretion circles”, formed when calcium carbonate weathered quicker than the non-calcareous parts of the rock.

Outstanding view from Andrew’s Bald. The Great Smoky Mountains were showing off their smokiness. The Azaleas and Rhododendrons would be beautiful during early summer.

Visitor Center and critters…

We learned a bunch about the Park at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. The Rangers educated us about concretion circles and shared other interesting info. We spent some time listening to stories told by area old-timers…one of our favorite exhibits! Arleen got her National Parks Passport book stamped. The stamps are really accumulating!

We also learned that there are roughly 1,200-1,800 black bears in the Park. Despite warnings that the bears had recently been very active, we didn’t see any. However, we did see a herd of elk with an impressive bull keeping an eye on his harem. We also saw a bunch of turkeys. In fact, we saw turkeys anytime we drove anywhere!

We really liked Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The mountains were rugged with an incredible variety of flora and fauna. There were streams everywhere, some of them with trout, and many of them cascading around moss covered boulders, through tunnels of rhododendrons. There were a countless number of people, but like anywhere else, they were fewer as we hit the trails and left the parking lots behind.

Listening to stories told by old-timers…one of our favorite exhibits! / Great advice on this sign: “To best experience the Smokies, you must leave your car. Walk the trails, visit the historic sites, and enjoy the sanctuary that is Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

This herd of elk was near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The bull lost over 100 pounds during the recent rut!

We saw turkeys every time we went somewhere

Next…

We made stops in Columbia/Sumter SC, Savannah GA, and Fort Clinch State Park FL. Now we are at Disney World, and our next stop will be Flamingo Bay, Everglades National Park FL.

Parting shots…