Penultimate hike: Hemphill Bald - Caldwell Fork - Rough Fork

New Miles: 12.0
Total Miles: 13.7
16-17 Sept. 2023

Fall is in the air a little bit these days. High temps in the 80s instead of the 90s. Overnight lows in the 60s instead of the 70s. A few leaves starting to turn and drop off the trees. Up in the higher elevations of the park, it feels even more fall-like.

Took this weekend to finish my second-to-last hike to complete my map. Saturday morning I drove over to Polls Gap on the southeast edge of the park so I could complete the Hemphill Bald - Caldwell Fork - Rough Fork loop. After the hike I stayed at Balsam Mountain campground for the night.

My route in red.

Trailhead selfie

Hemphill Bald trail starts at Polls Gap at about 5200' elevation. The trail meanders up and down a bit over the five miles out to Hemphill Bald. It's fairly flat out of the gate and then starts to climb up to the Cataloochee Divide. From there, the trail follows the park border closely with a few ups and downs. For the most part the trail is in good shape - in fact, it looked like it had recently been maintained with the vegetation trimmed back from the trail (thank you Trail Maintainers!!!).

Hemphill Bald trail

Late summer wildflowers: Goldenrods and White Snake Root

Late summer is a fantastic time for wildflowers. Most of what is out now is in the Sunflower family: wood aster, new england aster, goldenrod, ironweed, snakeroot... But what a show they put on!

Hemphill Bald trail

Giant rock outcrop

Ups and downs on the Hemphill Bald trail

Rock outcrop covered with Mountain Spleenwort!

Hemphill Bald trail from Polls Gap to where it runs in to the Cataloochee Divide is an up and down sort of things, mostly trending upwards as you climb toward the divide. The forest floor is grassy and ferny. The trees are of the Nothern Hardwood forest - beech and birch and maple. Lots of cool rock outcrops with their own unique flora.

Meeting the Cataloochee Divide / park boundary

A huge field of White Snake Root behind the split rail fence

Hemphill Bald trail

As the trail meets up with the Cataloochee Divide / park boundary you run into the old split rail fence that marks the park boundary and was built by the CCC to keep cows out of the park lands. In some places the fence is still in pretty good shape - in others, all that's left are the posts and twists of wire.

Hemphill Bald trail - some deep erosion going on rutting out the trail

For the most part this is a well-maintained and well built trail. There are some steep sections that have become pretty deeply rutted, and could benefit from some water bars.

Cataloochee Ranch - just on the other side of the park boundary

Cows of the Cataloochee Ranch just on the other side of the park boundary

A ways out you start to run in to new fencing and No Trespassing signs from the Cataloochee Ranch which lies just on the other side of the park boundary. It's a bit odd to be hiking along with forest on your left side and fully grazed pasture & herds of cows on the other... With amazing mountain views in the background!

View from Hemphill Bald

Panoramic view from Hemphill Bald

Hemphill Bald geodetic survey marker

Hemphill Bald selfie

At mile 4.4 from Polls Gap you reach Hemphill Bald itself. Amazing views looking out to the east and southeast from the park boundary. There is a small area set aside inside a split rail fence with benches and a stone picnic table (complete with explanatory viewshed info). I stopped here for a snack and a break and ran into a group who had hiked in from The Swag.

Hemphill Bald - Cataloochee Divide trail junction at Double Gap

From Hemphill Bald the trail continues down hill to Double Gap where it meets Cataloochee Divide trail. From here, Hemphill Bald trail leaves the Cataloochee Divide and heads north-ish down into Cataloochee Valley. So you leave the mountain views behind and drop down, down, down into the forest.

Hemphill Bald trail after leaving Double Gap

Pink Turtleheads

Rock outcrop with Rock-Cap Polypody

Long Green Tunnel under a canopy of Mountain Laurel & Rhododendron

Hemphill Bald - Caldwell Fork trail junction

Three miles later you pop out at the end of Hemphill Bald trail at its junction with the Caldwell Fork trail. I like this trail junction - it reminds me of a roundabout, with a pile of rocks in the middle of the 3-way intersection.

Hemphill Bald - Caldwell Fork trail junction

Bridge over Caldwell Fork

I hiked this section of Caldwell Fork (from the Hemphill Bald junction to the Rough Fork junction) earlier this summer. The trail was in better shape this time - not nearly as mucky and churned up. I guess that's what a couple of months of little rain will do for the trail. Stopped to see the "Big Poplars" again, and then continued on up toward Rough Fork trail.

Caldwell Fork - Rough Fork trail junction

Caldwell Fork - Rough Fork trail junction

Last time I was at this junction I was about to turn right (east) and down toward Cataloochee Valley. I remember thinking that I did not look forward to coming back here and having to turn UP that trail - it looked steep! And it was... But not for nearly as long as I was afraid it would be. From this junction the Rough Fork trail climbs (pretty steeply) for about a mile, mile and a half. And then it levels out and is just a fantastic cruising trail for the rest of the way back to Polls Gap.

Rough Fork trail - up, up, up!

Rough Fork trail - and then it flattens out

Occasional views from Rough Fork trail

Top section of Rough Fork trail - flat and cruisey!

Near the end of a 13+ mile day, I was grateful for a flat couple of miles to finish the trail. Not a lot of great views in this section, but good trail, nice forest to walk through and good weather.

Done! 13.7 miles in 6 hours

Steak and corn on the cob as my dinner reward

Balsam Mountain Campground is lined with Jewelweed!

Drove the rest of the way from Polls Gap up the Balsam Mountain campground for the night. Got camp set up, and cooked dinner: steak cooked over a wood fire, and corn on the cob warmed up. Delicious way to celebrate a good hike! Got a good fire going and sat and stared into the flames for a couple of hours before the rain started in for real and drove me to my tent. In to bed around 8 pm, and slept (off and on) til about 8 am when it was still raining... So I just threw all of the wet stuff in the back of the car and headed out. Made a stop in Maggie Valley at "Pop's Place" for breakfast. Two thumbs up - really good breakfast! Sausage, eggs, grits, and biscuits and gravy, with 3 cups of coffee to wake me up!

Breakfast spot in Maggie Valley. Love the caption: "One Love For All People Humanity!"
Had eggs, sausage, grits, biscuits and gravy, and 3 cups of coffee!

This was my second to last hike to finish my map. Have plans to do the Boulevard trail in October and wrap this long quest up. Can't believe we're finally here, but I'm excited to get this all wrapped up!

Til next time, happy hiking!