Mt. Sterling out-and-back; Little Cataloochee & Palmer Creek out-and-back

New miles hiked: 11.1

Total miles hiked: 24.6

17-18 Sept. 2022

Day 1 in red, day 2 in blue. Spent the night at CS#39

Finished off a few more trails in the Cataloochee - Mt. Sterling area this weekend. The trailheads for the Mt. Sterling and Little Cataloochee trails are fairly close on Old NC 284 (aka Mt Sterling Rd) which made it convenient to get them all done on the same trip.

The Mt Sterling Rd is a narrow gravel road the skirts the eastern end of the park. I accessed it from the Waterville exit of I-40. The distance is not huge, but it's a SLOW road - 15-20 mph most of the way, so it took a while to get to the trailhead (and my car is covered with dust)!

Trailhead selfie

Parked at the Mt. Sterling trailhead with a bunch of other vehicles. It's apparently a popular day hike. Passed a bunch of folks on the trail, and saw some folks setting up camp at CS#38 near the summit of Mt. Sterling. The trail isn't long (just 2.7 mi) but it's steep - gaining about 2000' in elevation.

Some of the fall wildflowers and leaves starting to turn

Fall wildflowers were out in abundance. Fall asters, snakeroot, and Gentians were out. And the witch hobble leaves were starting to turn their lovely maroon-purple, leaving some cool patterns on the leaves.

Mt. Sterling - Long Bunk trail junction

The first bit of trail, up to the junction with the Long Bunk trail, isn't too steep. Once you pass that trail junction though it's all up, up, up. And the trail is rocky - the kind of rocks that are just big enough to turn your ankle on if you're not paying attention.

Mt. Sterling trail: rocks, rocks, and more rocks!

Mt. Sterling - Mt. Sterling Ridge trail junction

About 2.3 miles from the trailhead you reach the junction with the Mt. Sterling Ridge trail which comes in from the left (southwest). The Mt. Sterling trail continues to the right, following the ridge up to the summit, CS#38, and the fire tower.

Horse racks near the Mt. Sterling fire tower

Just before you reach the campsite and firetower is a horse rack, with a sign indicating that horses are not allow to go any further up.

View from the Mt. Sterling fire tower

Mt. Sterling fire tower stairs

Mt. Sterling USGS marker

Mt. Sterling fire tower

The fire tower itself dominates the summit. There is now a weather station (or some kind of monitoring system) at the top of the tower and a solar array to power it.

I'm a little sketchy with heights, but thought I'd surely be ok going up the tower. I had gone up others, like Shuckstack with no problem. But as I climbed, and saw the platforms with no rails or bars, my knees started to wobble and I decided that going up two flights was enough. I took a couple of pictures from the 2nd platform and turned back down.

View from the top of Mt. Sterling

Mt. Sterling - Baxter Creek trail junction

Just a few feet beyond the base of the fire tower is the end of the Mt. Sterling trail where it reaches its junction with the Baxter Creek trail, which follows the ridge down to Big Creek. Nice view off of the side of the ridge from here.

I had more driving and more hiking to do today, so I turned back down to hike back to my car pretty quickly. Tough hike up, but cool to see the fire tower and the views!

Drove a few miles down the road and parked at the trailhead for Little Cataloochee trail. I was looking forward to the historic structures and areas of this section and they didn't disappoint. I was not looking forward to the climb up & over Davidson Gap. This also did not disappoint. 😳

Trailhead selfie

Little Cataloochee valley is a narrow and steep valley just north of Cataloochee Valley. It was settled later than Cataloochee, but apparently pretty heavily. Lots of farms, apple orchards, and communities along the road through the valley.

Lobelias in flower EVERYWHERE!

Little Cataloochee trail is a gravel road for the first couple of miles

The first couple of miles of the Little Cataloochee trail is a gravel road, and presumably used by the park service to maintain the historic structures in the area. There are some steep ups and downs at the beginning, but they're mostly pretty short.

Little Cataloochee - Long Bunk trail junction

About a mile in you reach the junction with the Long Bunk trail which comes down from the north where it begins along the Mt. Sterling trail. There is a large cemetery (Hannah Cemetery) just north of this junction, along the Long Bunk trail.

Hannah Cabin

Hannah Cabin

The first historic structure you reach is the Hannah Cabin, just up the hill from the trail. One big room below, and a loft above with a front and back porch. If you notice the chimney in the picture you'll see that it's brick which is fairly unusual. Most chimneys in the park were made with stacked stone.

More fall wildflowers and berries

More beautiful fall wildflowers along the trail. Thistles, and Jewelweed, Yellow Crownbeard, and Doll's Eyes in fruit (poisonous berries).

Springhouse

Along the way I saw a lot of other evidence of prior habitation. Old paths that led up to home sites, sometimes even with posts flanking the path. Yucca plants (a favorite ornamental of pioneers, but not native to the area, so they always stick out). Even saw one constructed rock springhouse, right at the entrance to a home site and along the main road.

Little Cataloochee church.

Next you pass the Little Cataloochee church. This frame-built church looks like it's still in fantastic shape. Bright white and shining, both inside and out. There's a cool bell-tower (complete with a bell), and a larger cemetery next door. I could just envision how this place must have been the community center for this valley.

Dan Cook Cabin

The final historic structure you pass is the Dan Cook Cabin, a one-room cabin with a loft and a wrap-around front porch set in a wide yard with a split rail fence! This is also the end of the road, and from here on the trail reverts to typical smokies single-track type trail.

Trail becomes single track beyond Dan Cook Cabin

This is also where the trail starts to climb up toward Davidson Gap, the high point of the trail at about 3800' elevation. The climb from Dan Cook Cabin up to Davidson Gap happens over about 3/4 of a mile and gains about 600 feet. It's a bit steep, and I was quite happy to reach the gap!

Climbing UP toward Davidson Gap

From Davidson Gap down toward Pretty Hollow Gap trail is equally (if not more) steep, rocky and very wet. So I was happy to reach the Pretty Hollow Gap trail where I turned right (north) for about 1 more mile to reach backcountry campsite #39 (Pretty Hollow), which would be my home for the night.

Little Cataloochee - Pretty Hollow Gap trail junction

Pretty Hollow Gap is ROCKY!

Backcountry CS#39

I reached the campsite around 6 pm, and settled in to do camp chores. Filtered water (the creek runs right along the bottom edge of the campsite), set up my tent, cooked dinner (Mountain House beef stew), and got a little campfire going. Campsite #39 is large, but much of it is on the side of the hill, so finding a flat tent spot can be challenging. There are several official fire rings and at least a couple of sets of bear cables. I chose a site near the top of the hill. I managed to stay up until about 10 pm watching the fire.

Cheery little campfire

Sadly, CS#39 is heavily damaged by wild boars. Much of the trail and the campsite in this area is plowed up and highly disturbed.

Wild boar damage in CS#39

The next morning my hike included an out and back on the Palmer Creek trail, and then backtracking on the Little Cataloochee trail to the trailhead. Because I would be coming back this way, I opted to leave a bunch of my gear in the campsite on the bear cables, and just carried my pack with food, water, and my 10 essentials bag.

Beginning of the Palmer Creek trail at its junction with Pretty Hollow Gap trail

Palmer Creek trail runs 3.3 miles from Pretty Hollow Gap up toward Balsam Mountain Road. It follows the creek most of the way, although mostly high up on the ridge above the creek. So you can almost always hear the creek, even if you can't see it. There are 3 creek crossings - and while the little brown book says there are bridges on all 3, only the first two still actually have bridges. The Beech Creek crossing is a rock hop.

Log bridge over the creek

The first creek crossing is right at the trail beginning, and then the trail starts up the valley. For about the first mile and half, it's super-cruisy. While the trail is narrow, it's flat-ish and nicely packed dirt without lots of rocks and roots. It was early morning when I was there and the sun was shining up the valley making awesome patterns through the trees.

Palmer Creek trail is narrow and high on the ridge above the creek

Unbridged crossing of Beech Creek

The final creek crossing is at Beech Creek - I thought I had a good rock-hop path over it, but my foot slipped on a wet rock, so I had a wet left foot for the rest of the day.

Moss-lined trail near the top

From Beech Creek on up the trail leaves the creekside and starts up the ridge in earnest. It's steeper here, although the trail is still easy walking. There are places where it's deeply rutted, though. Also several sections of Rhododendron tunnels.

End of Palmer Creek trail at Balsam Mountain Road

Palmer Creek trail tops out at Balsam Mountain Road, and I stopped here for a quick snack and drink. Saw one of the few sets of other hikers I saw all day here. They were coming down Balsam Mountain Road, presumably from Pin Oak Gap which is just about 0.7 miles up the road.

More wildflowers: Cucumber Root, American Spikenard, and White Turtleheads

View of a small cascade on Palmer Creek 

From Balsam Mountain Road I turned back around and headed down. Easy-peasy trip back to the campsite. I stopped at the campsite for another snack, and then packed up the rest of my gear getting ready to head back to the car.

Little Cataloochee trail / creek

The trip back was uneventful. The climb up Davidson Gap from this side was even steeper and tougher than the climb from the other side. Also, much of the trail on this side of Davidson Gap is very rocky and often the trail and the creek are intermingled, making the hiking tough and sloppy.

First signs of Autumn - red maples are turning!

It was a good late summer / early Autumn trip! Happy to check a few more trails off the list, and neat to see the fire tower and the cabins & church in Little Cataloochee valley. The days were warm (80s) and the night cool (50s), and the beginning signs of Autumn were evident. Fall is my favorite time in the mountains!

Til next time, happy hiking!

Balsam Mountain Loop: Beech Gap - Balsam Mountain - AT - Hughes Ridge - Enloe Creek - Hyatt Ridge - Beech Gap loop

New Miles Hiked: 20.7
Total Miles Hiked: 34.8

1-3 July, 2022

Day 1: blue, Day 2: orange, Day 3: red

Really fun big loop! Some steep sections, but a lot of really nice cruising too. Love being at high elevation along Balsam Mountain and the AT. And, LOTS of rain. I had previously done the AT through here, as well as Hughes Ridge, but the rest of the loop was all new miles for me.

Day 1: Beech Gap I and Balsam Mountain trails to Laurel Gap shelter. 8.9 miles

Parked at the Beech Gap trailhead on Straight Fork Road, just as the 2-way round turns to 1-way. Hiked up Beech Gap trail to Beech Gap. To finish off all of the trails in this section I had to hike down the lower section of Balsam Mountain trail to Straight Fork Road at Pin Oak Gap, and then back up to Beech Gap. Then I hiked further on up Balsam Mountain trail to get to Laurel Gap shelter for night 1.

trailhead selfie

Beech Gap I trail is only 2.5 miles long, but gains about 2000' in elevation going pretty much straight up the whole time in to Beech Gap. Along the way there were lots of wildflowers to stop and admire. The Rosebay Rhododendron were in peak flower and were EVERYWHERE along the trails this whole trip. The Fire Pinks and Bee Balm were especially prolific and striking.

lots of wildflowers out!

Beech Gap I trail. up, up, up...

Beech Gap I trail. more up

Beech Gap trail starts at about 3100', and as you gain elevation along the trail you rise into the "Northern Hardwood Forest" with beech, maple, and birch trees, but then also start to run into the occasional red spruce - a tree typical of the higher elevation "Spruce-Fir Forest" that dominates the highest elevations of the Smokies. Smells like Christmas!

Junction of Beech Gap and Balsam Mountain trails at Beech Gap

I reached Beech Gap where the Beech Gap and Balsam Mountain trails meet. I needed to do an "out and back" on the lower section of Balsam Mountain trail to finish it off, so I descended 2.3 miles from Beech Gap back to the Straight Fork Road, and then turned around and hiked back up. Luckily, there is only about 700' of elevation difference on this trail, and it's not very steep.

Balsam Mountain trailhead at Straight Fork Road

After making it back to Beech Gap, I continued on along Balsam Mountain trail another 2 miles toward the Laurel Gap shelter, which would be my home for the night. As you climb, the Red Spruce trees become more and more common.

Red Spruce along the Balsam Mountain trail

Settlers in the Smokies used to call both Red Spruce and Fraser Fir "Balsam", but distinguished "He Balsam" (Red Spruce) from "She Balsam" (Fraser Fir) which is a close relative of the Balsam Fir. Lots of spots in the higher elevations of the Smokies have "Balsam" in their name.

boardwalks through mucky sections of trail

The higher elevations of the Smokies also see a LOT more precipitation (both rain and snow) than the lower elevations. The higher average precipitation and lower average temperatures of high elevation gives rise to the particular plant communities of the Spruce-Fir forest. Lots of moss and fern and consistently wet soils. There are boardwalks through some of the particularly wet areas along the trail here, and also lots of evidence of the rooting of the feral hogs in the wet areas.

Laurel Gap shelter

Laurel Gap shelter

Finally arrived at Laurel Gap shelter. Shelters in the GSMNP are mostly along the Appalachian Trail. Other campsites in the park are open tent/hammock sites. Laurel Gap is one of just two shelters not associated with the AT (LeConte shelter being the other). I took advantage of the ability to stay in shelters this trip and didn't bring a tent, which shaved a few pounds off of my pack weight.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a group of campers from a nearby adventure camp who were out for a 5-day backpacking trip. 2 counselors and 5 13-14 year old campers. They were a hoot! Lots of fun to watch and listen to as they played card games, cooked, fetched water, and debated the best way to do everything. A little later, 3 brothers from Michigan came in to camp for the night. Shortly thereafter it absolutely POURED rain, sending everyone under the roof of the shelter. It was a pretty full house, but a pleasant evening.

Food note: I got a couple of different freeze-dried meals for dinners this trip. First night I had the Good-to-Go Thai Curry. It was pretty good. A few too many Thai spices for me (not hot - just the flavors), but overall not bad. I wanted to try something different than my usual Mountain House meals.

Day 2: Balsam Mountain and Appalachian Trail - Laurel Gap shelter to Pecks Corner Shelter. 11.7 miles.

Got up and out about 7 am. I was the only one up when I left - everyone else was still snoozing! Had my usual coffee & oatmeal breakfast, but also threw in a lemon Lara bar, and hit the trail.

Heading north from Laurel Gap shelter on Balsam Mountain trail you shortly reach junctions with the Mt. Sterling Ridge trail (0.2 mi), and then the Gunter Fork trail (1.1 mi).

Balsam Mountain - Mount Sterling Ridge trail junction

Balsam Mountain trail through the Spruce-Fir forest

Cool rock outcrop with a tree growing on top

Balsam Mountain - Gunter Fork trail junction

At this point the trail has reached about 5500' elevation and it cruises along at about this same elevation all the way to the AT. So really nice hiking through Spruce-Fir forest (mostly Red Spruce, just a few Fraser Fir).

A path through the ferns

Baby Fraser Fir tree

About mid-morning the skies began to darken, the mist through the trees became more prominent. Rain had been predicted for most of the weekend, and is definitely more common at elevation, so I was mentally prepared to get dumped on. Mother Nature did not disappoint. About a mile from the AT the skies opened up and it rained HARD. I pulled out my pack cover and rain coat and trudged on through the downpour. The trail turned into a flowing creek with water over the tops of my shoes in places.

Misty morning - just before the rain began

Balsam Mountain - Appalachian Trail junction

The trail (aka creek) during the rainstorm

I reached the junction with the Appalachian Trail and turned left (west). Just about a tenth of a mile down the AT is the Tricorner Knob trail shelter. It was only 11 am, I had already gone about 6 miles, and only had about 5 miles left of my day, SO I decided to pop in to the shelter for lunch, and a nap!

There was nobody else at the shelter when I arrived to get out of the rain. I took off my wet shirt, and put on a dry one, ate a snack, and sat down to read the shelter log. The log started back in March 2022, so there were lots of entries from AT thru-hikers talking about snow, cold temperatures, and how weird Gatlinburg is :-)  Very amusing! After snacking & reading I got out my sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and pillow and laid down for a nap. Not too long after I laid down a group of 3 guys from Ohio came in, this was their final destination for the night. Then a peak-bagger (and his dog :-/) looking for Mt. Guyot stopped in for a second (I assume he was doing the SB6K challenge). Then another multi-day backpacker stopped in for a while to dry off and eat. Then a group of day-hikers stopped in... It was a very busy place on a rainy day! I never did get a an actual nap, but I did get warm and dry, and enjoyed chatting with the folks who stopped in.

The rain eventually let up, and the sun peaked out, so I decided to get on the trail while it was dry. I had done this section of the AT previously with my friend Shane, when we hiked from Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap in June of 2013. But the AT always has a hold over me, and I always love a chance to hike on it. Currently planning my thru-hike for Spring/Summer/Fall of 2033...

Appalachian Trail

High elevation wildflowers

The wildflowers were plentiful along this section of Balsam Mountain trail and down the AT. There are several species that are only found at higher elevation in the Smokies. Rosebay Rhododendron was still common, as it is at most elevations of the Smokies. But Rugel's Ragwort was just starting to flower, I saw a few plants of Southern Bush Honeysuckle, Bluebead Lily was all in fruit. AND I got to see the newly named Smoky Mountain Rhododendron which only grows at the highest elevations in the Smokies on exposed ridges. Pretty botanically cool!

Appalachian Trail through a tunnel of Red Spruce

There's a really cool stretch of the AT near Eagle Rocks where the trail skirts the highest edge of the ridge. It's a rock outcrop above a sheer cliff that hovers over an inaccessible valley. REAL untouched wilderness... And absolutely amazing views from the trail.

View north from the AT near Eagle Rocks

White blaze of the Appalachian Trail

Finally reached the Hughes Ridge trail and turned left (south) down toward Pecks Corner shelter. To the consternation of many AT thru-hikers, this shelter is 0.4 miles off of the AT, and fairly steeply down. Which means it's fairly steep back up the next day to get back to the AT. Subsequently, a lot of thru-hikers skip this shelter in favor of moving on to Tricorner Knob shelter.

Appalachian Trail - Hughes Ridge trail junction

Hughes Ridge trail heading down

Pecks Shelter sign

I reached Pecks Shelter around 4 pm, and thankfully had a dry afternoon of hiking after my very wet morning. There were a few other folks already at the shelter when I arrived (including another backpacker I had met at Tricorner Knob earlier that day - hello Gary from Mississippi!). I set up in the shelter again, taking advantage of the ability to hike without carrying my tent. Others were going back and forth between tenting/hammocking outside the shelter vs. staying in the shelter, mostly because of the potential for more rain.

Most backpackers I've met really don't like staying in the shelters. There are often critters to deal with: usually mice who eat the crumbs left by hikers; sometimes snakes (rat snakes that eat the mice that eat the crumbs...); and occasionally a bear who is also interested in hiker food. It can also be hard to sleep in the shelters when other folks are snoring, or rolling over on their loud, crinkly air mattresses, or are up late talking or going to the bathroom. But regardless, they are great gathering spots for hiker conversation and community. I sat through the evening chatting with other hikers about gear, food, other trips we had done, other trips we hoped to do... It was a really fun evening. Climbed into my sleeping bag when it stared to get dark and chilly, and went down for the night.

Food note: Tonight I had the Good-to-Go Pad Thai. Very good! Comes with a little baggie of crushed peanuts to add in. I also like the Good-to-Go dinners because they are 1 serving, as opposed to Mtn. House which are typically 2 servings, and too much for me to eat alone. 

Day 3: Hughes Ridge to Enloe Creek to Hyatt Ridge to Beech Gap II trails. 14.2 miles

Final day on the trail, and longest of the trip. Got up, had breakfast, and packed up. Gary from Mississippi was headed the same way I was so we hiked together for the morning.

Hughes Ridge trail descends gradually from the AT and on the way passes the Bradley Fork trail coming in from the west, then meeting up with the Enloe Creek trail coming in from the east. As you drop in elevation you lose more and more of the Spruce trees and the trail gets drier and drier. While there are some rocky & rooty sections, for the most part it's a pretty pleasant path.

Hughes Ridge trail

Hughes Ridge - Bradley Fork trail junction

More summer wildflowers

At the Enloe Creek junction we turned left (east) on to Enloe Creek trail, and new miles for me. Enloe Creek seems less well used than Hughes Ridge, and was certainly overgrown in sections. The trail follows its namesake creek which you can hear and see from above as you hike. It's a fairly large creek, with some cool cascades, pools, and boulders. Very picturesque. 

Hughes Ridge - Enloe Creek trail junction

Enloe Creek trail was a little overgrown in spots

There is one creek crossing that is unbridged about a mile before Campsite #47. Maybe it would be an easy rock hop if we hadn't had much rain, and I did make it about 1/2 way across before deciding that it would be smarter to have wet feet than to fall and break my leg on a slick rock...

Creek crossing - rock hopped half way, but then just walked through

The trail bottoms out at backcountry campsite #47 - Enloe Creek campsite. While the campsite itself is small, and kind of muddy, the surroundings are beautiful!!! It sits just above a bend in the Raven Fork, a large creek that drains this valley. There is a metal footbridge spanning the creek, and huge boulders, fallen trees, cascading water, beautiful Rhododendrons... It's really a pretty magical spot.

Backcountry Campsite #47 - Enloe Creek

Backcountry Campsite #47 - Enloe Creek

Backcountry Campsite #47 - Enloe Creek

Bridge over Raven Fork at Enloe Creek campsite
* notice the bear cables attached to the bridge *

Rosebay Rhododendron over Raven Fork

Raven Fork

Bear pole for hanging packs at Enloe Creek campsite

The food hanging system here is unlike any I've seen in any other GSMNP campsite. There are a couple of bear cables, but they are attached to a pole hanging from the bridge, rather than being suspended between two trees as usual. AND there is a bear pole with a metal rod for lifting & hanging your pack as an alternative. I've heard of these and seen pictures from some AT campsites further north, but I'd never actually seen one in person. Looks like a fun game to try!

From campsite #47 Enloe Creek trail climbs STEEPLY up toward its junction with Hyatt Ridge trail. It's about 800' of elevation gain over a mile, and it wore me out! It was warm, and very humid, so I was quite literally dripping sweat by the time I made it to the top.

Enloe Creek UP out of campsite #47

I had been hiking with Gary up to this point, but he was faster than me, and had farther still to go, so we parted ways at this trail junction, and he moved on up Hyatt Ridge. I enjoyed hiking with him, and look forward to the possibility that we might see each other out on the trails again.

Enloe Creek - Hyatt Ridge trail junction

Having just climbed UP from Enloe Creek, I was NOT looking forward to Hyatt Ridge which features more uphill. The first half-mile or so of this section is brutal. There are 3 or 4 climbs that are just straight up - not terribly long, but STRAIGHT UP. I was cursing the trail builders for this one.

Rock Tripe - a lichen, growing on a trailside boulder

Hyatt Ridge trail: straight up

BUT, luckily, once you make it through that first part the trail levels off and becomes a pleasant stroll through the woods for the middle section. It then climbs steeply for a bit again as it approaches the junction with Beech Gap trail.

Ultimately, I would take the Beech Gap II trail down to Straight Fork Road to finish my hike, but first I needed to take the 0.9 mile section out to the end of Hyatt Ridge to campsite #44 - McGee Spring campsite.

Hyatt Ridge - Beech Gap trail junction

I'll be honest - the 0.9 miles felt a lot more like 5 miles... The trail rises to a ridge, then back down the other side. It wanders this way and that. Maybe I was just tired, but if felt like I would *never* get to the end! Finally stumbled in to campsite #44, and was thoroughly unimpressed. The little brown book call it an "enchanted glade" - it felt more like a damp, buggy, muddy spot, with few good flat tent spots. I was not enchanted, and have no wish to spend a night here. (but maybe I was just tired...)

Backcountry campsite #44 - McGee Spring

Backcountry campsite #44 - McGee Spring

From here I retraced my footsteps back to the trail junction with Beech Gap II, and headed down. Beech Gap II is like the mirror image of Beech Gap I. It drops steadily about 2000' from Hyatt Ridge trail down to Straight Fork Road. Mostly ridge-side hiking as the trail descends. Some nice wildflowers, and a good trail. But I was ready to be done and my feet were sore. So I was happy to see the road through the trees as a I approached the trailhead. A short road walk up hill to the Beech Gap I trailhead and I was done!

Done! Finished at the bottom of Beech Gap II

So: really great 3-day / 2-night trip. Loved the high elevation hiking. Fantastic wildflowers. Fun in the trail shelters, meeting & chatting with other hikers. And a big chunk of new miles complete. 

I have a bunch of trails in Cataloochee, plus a chunk of Lakeshore/Noland Creek/Noland Divide, and then Boulevard trails to wrap this journey up. Looking forward to getting this quest completed, and to seeing more amazing trails in the park.

Til next time, happy hiking!