Category: GSMNP900

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Big Creek Great Smoky Mountains in July

I have been wanting to do this hike for a long time. I wanted to see about the swimming hole and to hike on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. But really, I just love the name: Big Creek. A big name and a famous swimming hole. 

The trail was a perfect option the day after a big trail run. It was a gradual ascent and felt like a leisurely hike up the creek; despite Strava saying it was a 919 foot descent for 3.5 miles

The swarming bugs and spider webs were in full force this morning. Ugh. We saw lots of horse poop and eventually two horses. 

We stopped at Midnight Hole and saw fish in the water. Can you see it in the photo below, between the two rocks?

We saw Mouse Creek Falls cascading into Big Creek.

We crossed one bridge and chatted with a couple from Michigan who were heading up for an overnight backpacking trip. They told us the Backcountry Campsite 37 was closed due to bear activity, which I didn’t know about. Once I got home I verified this on the park’s website, and yes, it is indeed closed. 

I need to be checking this page before hiking. 

I also need to buy a Garmin InReach.

I’ve been thinking about getting one for a few months now and it’s time to invest. I plan to spend a lot of time on trails this year, and every year for that matter. It’s time. 

Since this was my first time on Big Creek trail I didn’t know that the creek is usually much higher. Melani, who I frequently hike with said that the water is very low. It’s very dry in Sevier County; we need rain. The forecast is calling for clouds and thunderstorms this week. Here’s hoping it’s just rains.

It was a good day to be on the trail.

Distance: 7 miles.
Time: 2 hrs, 37 mins
What I ate: peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
What I drank: .5 L water
What I wore: Salomon hydration vest, CW-X compression shorts, Motus race top, Pistol Ultra baseball hat
What I saw: fish in the water (trout maybe), 2 horses, a few butterflies, 6 trail runners, 15 hikers going to the water hole.

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Ramsey Cascade Hike, July

Today’s hike on Ramsey Cascade trail in Greenbriar was steamy on this Saturday in July. All the giant tulip poplar trees and ferns and wildflowers created a temperate rainforest. I’m was dripping sweat. Fortunately, there were several stream crossings and places where I could splash cool-ish water on my face and dip my hat into the water to cool off. 

The hike was as tough as always, even as I get into better shape, it’s still a killer climb: rocks, roots and ladders.  

As I climbed higher and surrounded by leafy green trees, I had to stop in my tracks to listen. A bird sings, loudly, and the Ramsey Prong of the Little Pigeon River roars. I’m not sure what the bird was but what a beautiful song to listen to in this moment. Watch here. 

I continue on with only four people coming down ahead of me. We all got early starts. 

I approached the falls and it was as spectacular as always. This was my fifth time hiking Ramsey Cascade. This time I walked through the water and got as close as I ever have to the falls and filmed it. The cool air from the water felt so good. Watch here. 

I waved to the two hikers eating sandwiches on the big rock; we were all so happy to be in this place. 

I turned around and headed down the trail.

Michael Frome wrote in his popular book, Strangers in High Places, about Ramsey Cascade and Arthur Stupka who back in the 50s and 60s led the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smokies, “We all hike … for different reasons. Some take to the trails for solitude … others look for natural beauty, finding their wonder in the trees, wildflowers, and wild animals. The scientists hike in order to study and advance the knowledge of the human race about the planet on which it lives. Others want to match their muscles and stamina against the long trails to the highlands. It does not make much difference really, why we hike, or tramp, or walk as long as the trails and the expansive natural environment are there so we can do these things. ” (326) 

I’m in the later category, I always have been. 

As I get closer to my car I notice Swallowtail butterflies lining the trail. They form bunches and then fly off together as I pass. I see more in the parking lot and the road back to Route 321. I don’t know that they are Swallowtails until I get home and Google it. 

It was a good day to be on the trails. 

Stats:

Distance: 8 miles.
Time: 3 hrs, 5 mins
What I ate: half peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one granola bar, a few handfuls GORP
What I drank: a bottle tailwind endurance fuel, 1 L water
What I wore: Salomon hydration vest, CW-X compression shorts, Little Rock marathon race top, L100 baseball hat
What I saw: Swallowtail butterflies, not many people, majestic 90 ft waterfall

Rate this hike: 10/10

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Ramsey Cascade in September

Last weekend I decided to run/hike to Ramsey Cascade in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I needed more than 8 miles for my training plan so I parked at the bridge that crosses Middle Prong at the intersection of Greenbrier Road. The total miles for the day: 11.2 miles and 2,680 feet of elevation gain. 

Parking remotely turned out to be the best idea because trailhead parking for Ramsey Cascade fills up quickly, and when I ran through the parking area on the way back there were many strange parking jobs where multiple cars looked stuck. And so many people by noon. 

I started early as always and only passed four hikers going up on this Sunday in September.

Trail maintenance has been ongoing during the week. Rock steps and ladders are this hiker’s dream. The closer to the end of the trail, the more ladders are present.  This construction does close this trail right now Monday through Thursday. 

The Ramsey Cascade trail is about 60% runnable. There are rocky parts and steep parts, and various flats and straight up parts; it’s a trail runner’s dream. When I cross streams or get close enough to the rushing water, I am able to throw water over my head and splash my face with the cool water to stay cool.

My favorite part of this trail is looking for the huge Tulip Poplar tree. I’ve seen so many old time photos of people holding hands around this tree for perspective. One day I will do the same if I hike it with a group of people. 

The closer I get to the waterfall the louder the water becomes and it’s thrilling to see the white cascades through the trees on approach. The waterfall is spectacular as always and I could stare at it for hours. This was my second time on this trail and first time trying to run it as much as I could. 

As I headed down I talked to another solo hiker and she told the story of how she comes to Gatlinburg every year and likes to hike this trail. Before all the new trail construction the boulders were so big that an older man got stuck and search and rescue had to get him. I told her how thankful I was for the trail maintenance done on this trail. It such a popular, it really is needed. I passed about 30 people going up. 

The leaves aren’t changing yet but I can’t wait to get back there for another run and see the fall colors. 

This week I finished reading Strangers in High Places; The Story of the Great Smoky Mountains by Michael Frome. The book is so good, so compelling, so well written, that I read it in a week. I like how Frome starts with the Eastern Cherokee history, and sad removal, and then moves to the mountain people and lumbermen. He writes about the moonshiners and revenuers (IRS), bears and all about the park’s boars/pigs.

The longest section is about the legislation surrounding the Smokies becoming a protected national park. He writes about land transactions surrounding the creation of the park and all of the ongoing personal interests that are threats to it. He wrote about Horace Kephart, and how Kephart left his family and moved to the North Carolina woods to start over. He later became a folk hero to many mountain people. I had to learn more about him so I’m now reading Our Southern Highlanders. The full text is here courtesy of The Project Gutenberg.

I would argue that these two books should be required reading for anyone who loves the Great Smokies and wants to understand its history. 

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August hike to Charlies Bunion GSMNP

The hike on Sunday to Charlie’s Bunion was a great day to be in the mountains. As I started on the AT from Newfound Gap I was thankful for cool temperatures and to see a few other solo, women hikers on the trail. I saw a few trail workers and hikers who have been on the trail a few days. 

I love being on the AT. While I do not have aspirations to through-hike this trail, I can appreciate the patience and dedication it takes to complete the feat. 

While hiking I was thinking of the book I’m reading, Following Isabella Travels in Colorado Then and Now. Since I’m traveling to Colorado soon I wanted to get in the Colorado spirit by reading about its history by Robert Root. But it got me thinking about the trip I just booked to Maine. I thought I should start reading a book about Maine to get in the spirit of traveling there. I start thinking about what I should read and Sarh Orne Jewett comes to mind. I have her biography and I’ve been to her house in South Berwick. I obsessively read about her many years ago. 

As I’m hiking I remember reading about Willa Cather and how she and Jewett wrote letters to each other, encouraging each other in their writing life. That advice is good: “Find a quiet place with the best companions.” Which is what I’m always unknowingly searching for in this life. 

While hiking I think of so many things I want to do. My mind wanders to books and people and places, and suddenly I’m deep into the mountains.

After 4 miles, I climbed to the rocky top of Charlie’s Bunion with expansive views of the mountain peaks. 

I hope to one day learn all the names of the peaks I see but for today, I just took in the view and was happy to be in the Smoky Mountains. 

On the way back to the car I talked to a father who was hiking with his two young girls. They hiked to the Jump Off for the sunrise. I love seeing young kids hiking on big trails. The girls were sweet and seemed thrilled to be hiking this morning. 

I passed about 15 people on the way back to the car, and I even saw one man in flip flops. 

I’m glad to be back hiking and running regularly. My training plan for the next 12 weeks is a long run on Saturday and a hike/run on Sunday. This plan is going to help me complete miles on the 900 miles map. As of today, I have completed 48.9 miles and I’m 2% done. Next week is Alum Trail to LeConte.

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Review of Murder at the Jumpoff

I like how the story includes chapters that take place in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I also like how I found this book after hiking many of the trails in Greenbrier in GSMNP. I’ve  been on a lot of the trails in the book except for the manways. As I read the book I just kept thinking what a funny name to call the bushwhacking trails since I’ve always known them as organic trails; trails that the Forest Service despises in NH. I think it might be a Smokies thing.

I’m not a big murder mystery reader but the landscape of this  book held me close. I couldn’t put down the book. I really enjoyed how each chapter switched back and forth from each character’s perspective. I liked the characters especially Hatsy, Sally and Hector. 

Before and after reading the book I kept Googling the author, wanting to find out more about her. I wondered which character she was like; probably Hatsy. But I wondered why the author committed suicide? She had such an interesting life and lived in many different places, and was such a talented writer.  The mountains called her, and she moved around a lot. She travelled and lived in beautiful places like Colorado, New Hampshire and Vermont – all places I’ve lived and loved, primarily for their mountain landscapes. 

This book found me after I’d stopped hiking in the park for a bit, getting distracted by other life things.  I was frustrated that I couldn’t hike with dogs on trails, plus it was getting hot and humid. However, the last few weeks, every weekend I went to Greenbrier on a different trail. It was easy to get to – I didn’t have to drive through Gatlinburg on a weekend. And I was always on a time limit since I didn’t want my new pup to be in his crate for more than 5 hours. When I started reading the book, I wanted to hike more and get to know this park. 

I don’t have a desire, even after finishing the book to hike off trail – I like hiking and trail running on trails; this book was just a new perspective on the park. The characters in her book loved the challenges of the mountains and exploring the landscapes I love, too. 

In an interview the author said, “To me, off-trail hiking is a magical journey, a quest to discover incredible places that practically no one ever sees.”

I like reading books that take place somewhere I know. Scenes in this book took place in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevierville and Knoxville. It allowed me to enjoy the book more that the story took place here. Plus, the final chapter takes places in the White Mountains and the scene is a mountain I know. 

Excellent book. Here is a link to a story about her and her death:

The Last Stream: Unraveling the Mysterious Death of Smokies Hiker Jenny Bennett

Jenny’s obituary

Ramsey Cascade Greenbrier
Ramsey Cascade Trail
Greenbrier area GSMNP