Spring in Appalachia, North Carolina

The Trip

The Southern Appalachians are world renowned for their diversity of plant and animal life and the beauty of their ancient mountains. Spring in Appalachia is a very special time of year, with the early spring bloomers putting on a show and the forest waking up after a winter's nap. We will feast on abundant wildflowers and enjoy spectacular mountain views without the summer crowds. 

One day we will carpool (sharing costs) and drive the country road to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest to enjoy 500-year-old tulip poplars, hemlock trees, and a profusion of spring wildflowers, not to mention mosses, ferns, and galax. The Forest has never been timbered and it is pristine! The lovely Little Santeetlah Creek tumbles through the center of it all.

On another day we will walk through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along Twenty Mile Creek, with its cascades and waterfalls that are so typical of the park -- and more wildflowers.

We will also visit Fontana Dam, the largest dam east of the Rockies. There, we will walk on the Appalachian Trail -- that's the trail that runs over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine. In actuality, the trail goes right across that dam! Sometimes we'll have the opportunity to chat with "through-hikers" heading north to Mt. Kathadin.

We will carpool to the Cherohala Skyway one day and try to catch spectacular views. There, we will hike up to some of the balds so typical of the southern Appalachians. No one really knows why or how those were formed. Why are some mountains bald, while nearby mountains, at the same elevation, are covered with trees? The Cherokee have legend about their creation. Otherwise, they remain a mystery.

On another day we will go by boat on 29-mile-long Fontana Lake (with its 280 miles of shoreline) to Hazel Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There, we will visit the abandoned lumbering town of Proctor and learn a bit of the Park's interesting history.

On our daily walks, we will look for migrating birds, enjoy great views, and identify wildflowers. In the past, we have seen whole hillsides of white trillium, spring beauties, Canada violets, and squirrel corn! In addition, there are usually very few people on the trails at this time of year and we often feel we have the entire area to ourselves. This trip, actually, is a general overview of this incredibly beautiful unspoiled area. We end our days by mid- to late-afternoon.

In the evenings, we will discuss environmental issues and share some of our stories of concerns from where you live. We will recount some of the history in the western North Carolina area and the formation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park during the depression era. We may also discuss the role, impact, and history of the Cherokee Indians. Remember the Trail of Tears? Many died when the Cherokee were forced to walk to the government reservation -- in Oklahoma! It is an historic tragedy. On a brighter note, we will have a local band play during one evening. If you play a musical instrument, bring it. In the past, we've had wonderful evenings with participants playing the guitar, violin, or recorder, as well as singing or telling stories. On one evening, we will walk up to a cemetery within the Park.

Remember, it does rain a lot in the area -- 80 inches during the year -- so be prepared with good raingear. It may also be cool in the evening, but it should be warm during the day. Expect temperatures to range between 30 and 80 degrees. Occasionally there will be snow at the upper elevations.

Note: The leaders will make every reasonable effort to meet the goals outlined in the itinerary. Please keep in mind that weather or other conditions beyond our control may cause us to modify the itinerary in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the group.

Getting There

Fontana Village Resort is located in western North Carolina, 20 miles north of Robbinsville on Highway 28 North near Fontana Lake. Please plan to arrive by mid-afternoon on Sunday. We will meet at 4 p.m. and dinner is at 6 p.m. It's nice to settle into your room before the meeting, and remember: the area is sort of in the middle of nowhere (no superhighways here). It will take longer to get there than you expect. Those who fly into Knoxville will drive on Route 129. You will encounter 318 curves in 11 miles. The road is known as "The Tail of the Dragon" and is extremely popular with motorcyclists and sports car drivers, especially Miatas. Actually, no matter what direction you come from, you will find the last hour of travel is on two-lane, up and down, curvy, scenic country roads.

Accommodations and Food

Beautifully situated on the northern edge of the lush mountains of the Nantahala National Forest, the lodge's spacious, comfortable double rooms (accommodating two people) have private baths, heat, air conditioning, telephone, TV, and wireless internet. There will be no traffic congestion or neon signs. It's a quiet place, nestled amid some of the most scenic forests in America. Bedding and towels are provided. There is a huge fireplace in the lobby and a gift shop. The trip is priced for double-occupancy rooms.

Meals, prepared by the chef and his staff, are served in-house, family or buffet style. The lodge serves a hearty breakfast, a healthy packed lunch for our outings, and a substantial supper. The first meal of the trip will be dinner on Sunday, and the last meal will be breakfast on the following Saturday.

Trip Difficulty

The trip can be considered easy to moderate. There will be time for birding, observing flowers, taking photos, fishing, and enjoying the old-growth forest. The leaders may accommodate one or more moderately strenuous hikes, depending on the wishes of the group participants.

Equipment and Clothing

On Sierra Club outings, participants furnish their own personal equipment.

Quick-drying, layered clothing is best for trekking in the Southeast. It may get cold, so bring a jacket. It may get warm, so be ready to remove outer layers. You will need a day pack to carry your lunch, water (1 to 2 quarts), raingear, binoculars, cameras, and other personal gear. You must have raingear and comfortable -- preferably waterproof -- shoes or boots. It is sometimes wet in the forest, and tennis shoes get wet and uncomfortable quickly. It is also your responsibility to provide any equipment you will want, such as bicycles, fishing equipment, canoes, or kayaks. It is also good to carry sun protection, insect repellent, and something for the itch, although we've had very few problems with insects at this time of year. We will carry a first-aid kit, which we hope not to use!

References

You may wish to purchase trail maps, topographic maps, or books online at the Great Smoky Mountains Association or in person at the Cheoah Ranger Station. It is located north of Robbinsville and 1.5 miles from U.S. 129 on Massey Branch Road (SR 1116). Some books and maps you might want to have include:

• Brewer, Carson, Day Hikes of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association, 2002.
• DeFoe, Giddens, and Kemp, Hiking Trails of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association, 1999.
• Homan, Tim, Hiking Trails of Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock and Citico Creek Wilderness Areas. Peachtree Publishers, 1990.
• de Hart, Allen, North Carolina Hiking Trails. Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 1988.
• Kemp, Steve, Birds of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association, 1991.
• White, Peter, Wildflowers of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association, 2003.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park Recreation Map (1006) or Hiking Map & Guide (229), Trails Illustrated.
• Hiking Map & Guide Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Earthwalk Press.

Conservation

The saddest current environmental issue is the destruction of hemlock trees by a non-native insect -- the hemlock woolly adelgid. Although expensive spraying slows them down a bit, eventually, they will destroy all -- even the Park's 500-year-old giants. They have already destroyed most of the hemlocks along the Blue Ridge mountains and in the Shenandoah National Park to the north.

A long-standing environmental concern is the dam on the Cheoah River. Built by Alcoa to produce electricity for its plant in Tennessee, the dam releases too little water into the river, making it difficult to sustain fish populations and prevent the growth of brush and trees in the riverbed. Potentially, the river could be a pristine fishing creek; some would also like to see it become a whitewater river for canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. For the first time, in 2006, several releases provided whitewater enthusiasts with an opportunity to raft or kayak Class IV plus rapids! Hopefully negotiations between Alcoa, Graham County, and the Cheoah Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest will continue to eventually restore the river to its original water flow.

Other environmental concerns include acid rain (especially at the higher elevations of the Smokies), logging in the national forests, and the persistent problem of people who establish "fishing camps" with big plastic tarps, fire rings, and garbage piles -- in designated wilderness! Unfortunately, as the Forest Service will tell you, there just isn't enough money for staff to manage trails and police the area. We agree with them. Even more staff will be required if indeed the Cheoah River becomes a prime whitewater destination.

Even in Joyce Kilmer Memorial, people love the big trees to death. They like to wrap their arms around the big trees and trample the roots and other rare plants; dwarf ginseng, for example, is almost extinct in the area now.

And then there's hunting with dogs. While it is part of the area's cultural heritage, it creates a forest with practically no wildlife.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under permits from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest.