Who would have thought I'd see so many "chickens" along Thomas Divide trail in the
middle of September? They were perched on trees all along the trail and most were a lovely yellow and orange color. But I'm
getting ahead of my story so let me back up and start at the beginning....
Click here to open a trail map with an elevation profile in a new window (large file).
Thursday,
9/13/07, my friend Jan joined me for a 13.6 mile hike along the full length of Thomas Divide trail in the Smokies. This trail
has long been a favorite for me because it offers something for every season. On hot summer days I almost always choose a
cool, upper elevation trail to hike and with a starting elevation of about 4,650', Thomas Divide certainly qualifies.
Here
are the statistics for the hike: 13.6 miles. According to my TOPO! mapping software, there was 3,559' of climbing and
5,982' of descending. The ending elevation was 2,230'. The highest point was 5,177' at Nettle Creek Bald which we reached
about 2.3 miles after we began hiking. Our starting elevation was 4,650'. Our average speed, including all of our stops and
pauses, was 1.9 mph. Some portions of the trail were steep (17% grade) but generally the grade was about 8% - 10%. The trail
surface was easy to walk.
This time of year the wildflowers and birds are not the main attraction. Most wildflowers
are just a memory and the birds have finished their breeding season activities and are generally very quiet. In fact, the
entire forest was strangely quiet on the day we did this hike except for one spot where we encountered a group of Black and
White Warblers. Those cute little "squeaky wheel" birds were soon joined by several other species of warblers as they responded
aggressively to our "sphishing" (a vocal technique that often causes songbirds to "mob" the humans) . All-in-all, it was a
good day to walk quietly and contemplate the serenity of the place.
We did find
some foliage for a species of rare wildflowers and one location was a new find for us (I'll leave their name and location
a mystery for each of you to solve whenever you hike this trail).
Bluebead Lilies (
Clintonia borealis) were common and their beautiful berries were plentiful
and showy. Near the end of the hike we surprised a large wild boar that snorted loudly and then disappeared into the underbrush.
There
is no water along this trail so be sure to take plenty if you hike it. Many people are surprised at just how much "uphill"
hiking they have to do when when hiking "downhill" in the Smokies and this trail is typical. You'll certainly be stopping
to catch your breath in several places when hiking "downhill" along this trail.
We noticed lots of
acorns (mostly chestnut oak) on the ground along the upper elevations but once we dropped below 3,000' the acorns disappeared
(the late spring freeze got'em). We saw no evidence of recent bear activity and, except for a sighting from our car near the
trailhead, we didn't see or hear any Ruffed Grouse. This was the first time in my memory that I didn't see or hear both bears
and grouse while hiking this trail.
Near the end of the trail is the
Wiggins-Watson cemetery.
Driving
back after the hike, we saw two elk (a cow and large bull) along U.S. 441 just north of the Oconaluftee visitor center. It
is nearing the time of the "rut" (breeding season) for the elk and I was dismayed to see the tourists swarming into the meadow
with their cameras to get an up-close shot of the bull elk.
The only downside to a one-way hike along
this trail is that you need a two car shuttle. There are several exit options to either extend or shorten the hike. Those
looking for a shorter hike can plan to exit via Kanati Fork trail or even Newton Bald or Mingus Creek trails. A diversion
down Sunkota Ridge trail would be another day-hike option. In our case we staged our pickup car at the Thomas Divide trailhead
near Bryson City, NC (Deep Creek area) and drove to the upper elevation trailhead near Newfound Gap on U.S. Hwy 441 (Newfound
Gap Rd).
And about those "chickens"....
They were everywhere and among the most beautiful we've
ever seen. Here's the scientific name:
Laetiporus sulphureus.
And here are a couple of photos:
