Spectacular Fall Foliage Views from the Camel

Few trails in the Smokies are as difficult to access as Camel Gap trail. The shortest route to one of its two trailheads involves a 5.3 mile hike and that route is rocky & steep. Many people doing a dayhike start in Big Creek and walk the 5.6 mile Big Creek trail to get to Camel Gap--you've perhaps read my account of just such a hike: Camel Gap Trail: 21 Miles to Hump a 4.7 Mile Trail (originally posted 9-26-2006). My Sunday (10-12-2008) hike didn't use either route.

Low Gap trail--Low Gap II or Low Gap I? Yep, the Low Gap trail is one of two trails in the Smokies with official name suffixes as "I" or "II" (the other is Beech Gap trail). Starting out of Cosby campground, the trail is Low Gap II and it is a 2.9 mile walk to its junction at 4,240' elevation with the AT. This little devil of a trail has no doubt been the source of grief for many a novice hiker who looked on the trail map and read the 2.1 mile distance published there without any further info. The truth of this trail is that it is really 2.9 miles from the hiker parking area and the last 2 miles of the trail subject hikers to 20% grades and extremely rocky surfaces. All-in-all, this "short" hike to the AT is a painful challenge. During my hike the steep and rocky slog was punctuated by a bear sighting, strong winds and the sound of a gigantic tree falling somewhere nearby--out of sight but seemingly just behind me! Those strong winds were really blasting by the time I reached Low Gap on the AT and I found myself digging into my pack for a long-sleeved shirt to prevent my sweat-soaked body from turning into a Popsicle.

Down the other side I continued--now on Low Gap I--toward Big Creek. Although less traveled by humans, this NC side is apparently favored by horseback riders. The trail has been devastated by horses. Forget the concept of a nice dirt path thru the woods. Low Gap I is a rock slide down the slope of the mountain into the Big Creek drainage. Before I reach the bottom of this trail I will have resolved that if the next time I hiked Low Gap I is "never" it will have been too soon. Whew. Enough of that. Now for some fun!

Big Creek Isn't So Big Today. Two years ago I'd marveled at how much water was running down the Big Creek drainage. Someone must have turned-off the faucet: It was barely flowing today. Mostly, Big Creek was a series of deep pools being fed by hardly more than a gradual trickle of water from further up the mountains. You may have seen some photos I've posted of signs which warned hikers of a hazardous stream crossing along Gunter Fork trail which is impassable during times of high stream flow?

Well, today that "Impassable" crossing is a rock hop event. Stream levels in the Smokies are the lowest I've ever seen in more than 23 years of hiking here.

Kersplash! Yep, a rock hop doesn't mean one is without risk of an unexpected bath in the creek. While enjoying my lunch perched atop one of a group of rocks that are usually UNDERwater, I watched as one group of backpackers easily rock-hopped across diminutive Big Creek. The next group wasn't so lucky as one of its elder members fell flat on his back in the middle of the creek. Fortunately the backpack he was wearing took the brunt of the fall and he didn't appear to be injured. I was reminded that sometimes it is just a better idea to don the wading shoes and trudge THRU the creek instead of trying to rock hop--especially when backpacking with a top-heavy load. This time the outcome was somewhat humorous but it could have easily been a serious injury if the hiker had fallen just a little bit left or right of where he landed.

Let's Walk the Camel on a Fall Color Tour....I do love Camel Gap trail. This gem of a trail goes unappreciated by most hikers because of its remote interior location. Trust me when I write that you need to come up with a way to hike Camel Gap trail before the end of October this year. You'll be amazed with the experience you'll discover waiting for you there. For starters, the trail is easy to walk. It is no rock slide like Low Gap trail and it offers a gentle change of elevation owing no doubt to its origin as a railroad grade back in pre-park days when timber harvesting was the big business here. The first 2 miles of the trail follow the banks of Big Creek which splits-off to the left at the confluence of Yellow Creek. Less than 1/2 mile later the trail switches back away from all streams as it continues upward toward the AT. Periodic openings in the canopy offer stunning views of the Balsam mountains to the south. Peaks like Mount Sterling, Luftee and Old Black dominate the ridgeline views. Huge stands of dark green spruce & fir trees along the ridge tops yield to the gorgeous colors of various species of deciduous trees like maple, hickory, beech and oak. Descending finger ridges are accented with crowns of laurel slicks (mostly rhododendron). The complexity of it all just adds to its jaw-dropping beauty. You must look at my photos to appreciate these views. Better yet, hike it yourself.

Cherries Galore! Where are the Bears? Here along the Appalachian Trail (AT) at about 5,000' elevation I'm surprised to find lots of cherry trees still loaded with fruit. I taste a few cherries to see if for sure that is what they are; yep, my taste buds tell me these are the same stuff they use to make wild cherry cough drops and other flavorings dubbed "wild cherry". Remarkably, I've not seen any signs of bears since way back in Cosby. Trekking toward Cosby Knob I continue to enjoy the nice views of the surrounding peaks and can now also see mountains on the Tennessee side of the trail. I have to tell you though, those Balsam Mountains are the prettiest for fall colors on this day.

Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) in action (well, kind-of)...Coasting down from Cosby Knob we start seeing evidence of recent trail maintenance--new water bars, trail steps, etc. That Rocky Top trail crew from the ATC must have been at work here. Just about that time we encounter their base camp! We found about 10 crew members resting after a long day of work on the trail--including one who was a "Southbounder" who'd taken a short break from his hike of the AT from Maine to Georgia. This crew had arrived Thursday and was planning to work until next Thursday. Every one of them was from a different state! I'm sure I join countless other hikers who offer their "Thanks!" to those selfless volunteers who work to make our hiking trails the gems they are. Note: The group leader on this crew was the same person I'd met 9-20-2008 atop Clingman's Dome when I was hiking out to see the Double Springs Gap shelter renovation. At that time the ATC crew was working to improve the routing of the trail across Andrews Bald.

Cosby Knob Hiking Shelter. When I'd last visited Cosby Knob hiking shelter it was in the process of being renovated (6-30-2006). Today I find it is already well-worn after the renovation. This is the hiking shelter located between Davenport Gap shelter (6.2 miles) and Tricorner Knob shelter (7.7 miles). Walking the 0.8 mile from Cosby Knob shelter to Low Gap, I pass another 6 people (two groups) who were bound for Cosby Knob for the night. Those hiking shelters are popular places so if you are planning an overnight in one of them then you'd best get started making your reservations in advance or you'll find a full house when you call for a spot.

Water? The spring at Cosby Knob was just barely flowing. All along my route today I found dry streambeds and low creek levels. I was surprised to meet so many people bound for Mt. Sterling backcountry campsite #38 as part of their itinerary for an overnight stay. Why? Because #38 is usually one of the first campsites to suffer low water problems. It isn't on the "water problems" list on the Smokies NPS website so perhaps the little spring there is still flowing well. I hope so (but I doubt it). I know I wouldn't plan an overnight at #38 in times of drought and I wonder how many of those hikers (if any) had been cautioned about possible low water by a backcountry specialist; after all, #38 is one of those backcountry campsites that requires you to call for a reservation. All of those backpackers were surprised to hear me say that they might have trouble finding water at #38.

Leaf Peeper Update: Now's the Time! Go For It!!! You read that correctly. Now is the time to go looking for fall colors in the Smokies and surrounding areas. That is especially true for the higher elevations where the colors will likely be hitting peaks the weekend of 10-18 & 10-19-2008. Get out there and have fun! See ya on the trails.....