Now that the autumn season is fast approaching
us here in the Smokies, I've elected to share several images from hikes along one of our favorite upper elevation trails:
Hemphill Bald trail.
Click to see the photos I've uploaded for the Hemphill Bald trail area
(each link opens in a new window).
One of my favorite upper elevation trails....
This trail is a pleasure to walk and its 5,000'+ elevation offers cooler weather and usually
the first glimpse of fall foliage. Views along the trail include some strange flowers like Fly Poison, carpets of red
berries from hawthorns and some of the biggest buckeye seed pods we've ever seen--guarded by an army of hungry and noisy red
squirrels. Even more extrordinary are the mushrooms like the Black-footed
Polypore and Netted Stinkhorn. But I'm already two seasons ahead of my story.
Spring in July, Fall in September....
I spent three months in the Aspen, Colorado area one year and can still recall one of the "pet"
sayings by locals about the "seasons": Colorado has only three seasons--Winter, July and August.
Certainly we don't have it that bad here in the Smokies but there is definitely a big difference in the weather
and the plant life found in the valley areas vs. that in the upper elevation peaks and ridgelines. Travel to a
place like Hemphill Bald trail and you may find plants blooming in June and July that were seen in flower way back in March
and April n the valleys. Fall comes early to the mountains and brings with it early frosts and rapid change to the canopy
of leaves. Many plants in these upper elevation zones have adapted to the shorter growing seasons and live-out
their own version of shortened bloom schedules.
Many hikes during different times of the year....
Janice & I have hiked Hemphill Bald trail at various times of the year with winter being
our only "missed" season. Photos linked from this webpage have been taken from many of those hikes and will allow you
to see a variety of plants from May thru October. The photos were over a period of 5
years starting with our first hike of Hemphill Bald trail in October 2002.
Odiferous fungi with a PG-13 view....
Mushrooms continue to surprise and entertain me with their
wide variety of colors, shapes and odors. In fact, mushrooms are one of the dominant organisms of interest for late
summer/early autumn. A particularly odiferous variety we've often seen along Hemphill Bald trail is the Stinkhorn family.
We can usually smell the stinkhorns more easily than we can find them! Some people find the resemblance of stinkhorns
to certain male human body parts to be a bit risqué. Let me just say this fungi doesn't appear to need any Viagra-laced
fertilizer.
Wildlife galore....
A few notable wildlife sightings on this trip:
- Three Ruffed Grouse
- Barred Owl (including a varied vocal dialog among three or more birds)
- Several Wild Turkeys (they were roosting in trees and flew away upon our approach)
- Gobs of Red Squirrels & Chipmunks
- Elk Tracks!!
- Coyote
- Songbirds including Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Black-throated Blue Warbler & Blue-headed Vireo
- Two "bear trees" that showed lots of signs of bear claw marks
Linking-up with other trails in the area....
The trail also links with Caldwell Fork trail and hikers using Rough
Fork trail can make a loop route of those three trails but, beware, it is a somewhat long and strenuous loop.
Click to see the photos I've uploaded for the Hemphill Bald trail area
(each link opens in a new window).
Getting there takes time....
I'd hike Hemphill Bald trail more often if it wasn't a two hour drive from my home.
How long will it take? From Knoxville: 2 hours.
From Gatlinburg: 1 hr 15 minutes. From Cherokee, NC: 30 minutes. From Maggie Valley, NC: 30 minutes.
Directions: Hikers have several options for accessing Hemphill Bald trail but
perhaps the easiest is to drive to the upper elevation trailhead at Polls Gap on the road to Balsam Mountain campground.
Take the Blue Ridge Parkway out of either Cherokee, NC or Maggie Valley, NC (US Hwy 19 at Soco Gap) and drive to
mile marker #458 where you'll see the Balsam Mountain Road exit. Balsam Mtn road leads about 10 miles before it becomes
a one-way gravel road. Don't worry, you'll get to the Hemphill Bald trailhead before that. Just watch on the right
side for Poll's Gap and the Hemphill Bald trailhead + parking area.
Extending the visit...Adventurous travelers may opt to continue along the 17 mile gravel one-way Heintooga
Ridge road that winds thru the park all the way back down to the Big Cove area near Cherokee, NC. Those who opt to continue
on the one-way gravel/dirt Heintooga Ridge Road will need at least 60-90 minutes to get back to Cherokee if you don't make
any stops.
A road with many names....The road names in this area are confusing. The one road that you'll
drive along has four or five different names--just depending upon where you are along the route. Starting at the Blue
Ridge Parkway the road is Balsam Mtn Road then becomes Heintooga Ridge Road as it changes to a one-way gravel road where you
enter the Smokies. Many miles later the gravel road again becomes two-way and becomes known as the Roundbottom/Straight
Fork Road. Leaving the park near Cherokee, NC the road will again change names as you enter the Cherokee Indian Reservation.
The official name of the road on my maps is BIA-403 which then turns onto BIA-1410. BIA-1410 eventually runs into the
town of Cherokee where it is known as Big Cove Road.
Because I've found the final exit route is without any direction signs, here are some tips
for getting back to Cherokee without taking the "grand tour": You will come out of the park on a gravel road which then
becomes a paved road. It think this portion is named Roundbottom/Straight Fork Road. Glance
now at your odometer as you exit the park boundary. The paved exit road temporarily becomes very narrow as it passes
right beside a series of fish-rearing pools. Follow this paved road about one mile to an unmarked but
paved three-way intersection with a bridge on the left. This is Big Cove Road. Turn left there (across the bridge)
and stay on that road all the way into Cherokee. Watch out for unmarked sharp curves and large RV's (you'll see
a series of commercial campgrounds along the river on the left side of the road during your drive back toward Cherokee).
Several miles later you'll pass beneath an overpass which is the Blue Ridge Parkway that you took at the start of your
drive. About another mile and you'll enter the town of Cherokee. At the end of the road there is a stop
sign; turn right and then two blocks later you'll turn right at the next stop sign which will have you back on the main road
(U.S. 441 north) leaving Cherokee and leading back into the Smokies toward Gatlinburg.
Watch for elk!! Be sure to watch for elk along the last section
of Big Cove Road and also in the large fields just inside the park and right before you get to the park's Oconaluftee Visitor
Center. We've often seen elk on our way back home from hiking during late afternoon/early evening. The elk tend
to come out into the open meadows to graze just about an hour before sunset. --including a large antlered bull and several cows
with small calves).
Click to see the photos I've uploaded for the Hemphill Bald trail area
(each link opens in a new window).
Portions of this story were originally published
in October 2002 as a newsletter item.
