![\"big](\"http:\/\/www.trailstealth.com\/site_pics3\/turtle_lg.jpg\")
<\/a>Big Pond Turtle<\/p><\/div>\n
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The hike to find \u2018Ephraim\u2019s Place\u2019, an elusive, supposedly scenic, view overlooking the Nolichucky River Gorge from the furthermost southern ridge on Unaka Mountain, was a bit of an adventure.\u00a0 Situated along the Tennessee\u2014North Carolina border, my plan was to hike up to the southernmost Unaka Ridge via Curly Maple Gap and the Appalachian Trail from the trail-head at Jones Branch<\/a>.\u00a0 Despite having gotten up early, it was already quite hot by the time I started trekking up the trail into Jones Branch; fortunately the woods were shady and still holding in some of the coolness from the previous night, and I was able to reach the shelter at Curly Maple Gap<\/a> in good time.\u00a0 There, I was greeted by a black dog with white markings (which reminded me quite a lot of my old dog, Buford<\/a>) along with three section hikers<\/a>, \u2018Duct tape\u2019, \u2018Chainsaw\u2019, and \u2018Bug\u2019.\u00a0 I spent some time in friendly trail-conversation with them before hiking up to the old gap-trail that intersects the Appalachian Trail at Curly Maple Gap.<\/p>\n Indian Pipe (poisonous)<\/p><\/div>\n Turning south upon this trail, I began the long, steady ascent to the top of the ridge.\u00a0 After about half a mile, or so, I saw a boot track in a marshy place on the trail, and since I didn\u2019t think anyone ever walked this trail, I had to wonder if I was somehow walking in circles.\u00a0 Past experience on this end of Unaka Mountain has proven to me how easy it is to get lost there\u2014it is like the \u2018Bermuda Triangle\u2019 of mountain ridges, or so it seems at times.\u00a0 Before long, however, I encountered a fellow hiking down the trail, he seemed to be as surprised to see me as I was to see him.\u00a0 Anyway, I soon found out that this fellow, Wade Franklin, lives near Martins Creek Falls, where the gap-trail begins in Erwin (to see Mr. Franklin’s Flickr photo page, click ‘here<\/a>‘).\u00a0 He informed me that I was only about a quarter mile from the top, which was good news.<\/p>\n View of The Bald Mountain Chain<\/p><\/div>\n The view from a prominent knob on top of the ridge wasn\u2019t nearly as good as I had anticipated, having grown up in trees along the state line; I believe the view would be much better during the winter months, when the leaves are off the trees. I did, however, salvage a view of the river gorge<\/a> and the mountain ranges to the south by descending off the edge of the ridge (onto the North Carolina side) where I found a small, and steep, open area.\u00a0 It was difficult terrain to negotiate, but I managed to get a couple of photos across the gorge of Flattop Mountain and the Bald Mountain Chain, including the Hogback Ridges in the distance, all while trying to swat sweat bees and the kamikaze eye-gnats that can be so irritating.\u00a0 I had thoughts about moving down the ridgeline to the actual place that is designated on the map as \u2018Ephraim\u2019s Place\u2019, but I saw a couple of \u2018No Trespassing\u2019 signs, and even though I was technically on the state line, the boundary between the private land of Tennessee and the wilderness area of North Carolina, I thought (unhappily), perhaps I should consult the Forest Service, or current land owners, as I try to be respectful of property rights. One would think that would be the end of the adventure, but to my complete surprise, when I had returned to Curly Maple Gap Shelter<\/a>, sitting at the picnic table was my friend and former thru-hiker (1997, I think) John \u2018Haney\u2019<\/a> Tackett (\u2018Nice Guy from Alabama\u2019), whom I had met on the trail to Curly Maple Gap just last fall while taking photos of the autumn colors.\u00a0 I stayed at the shelter and talked with him for at least two hours.\u00a0 When I finally did leave to hike back to the car at the Nolichucky River<\/a>, the entire walk back I just had to smile and wonder \u2018did that really just happen?\u2019\u00a0 I mean, what are the odds of running into \u2018Haney\u2019 twice on the same trail section\u2014the only 2 times he has been there in the last year?\u00a0 Anyway, meeting the 3 section-hikers, Wade Franklin, and having the unexpected opportunity to converse with my trail-friend \u2018Haney\u2019 certainly did brighten my day considerably, and took much of the sting out of not getting to go to the increasingly elusive \u2018Ephraim\u2019s Place\u2019.<\/p>\n Yellow Fungus found on Flattop Mountain<\/p><\/div>\n There was another extraordinary hike to write about:\u00a0 The hike to \u2018Joe Lewis Fields\u2019 on Flattop Mountain.\u00a0 Having failed to get a view from the \u2018Ephraim\u2019s Place\u2019 on Unaka Mountain, I decided that perhaps I could get a somewhat similar view of the Nolichucky River Gorge<\/a> from the fields atop Flattop Mountain.\u00a0 I had been there once before, probably 20 years ago, having climbed up there from \u2018Lost Cove<\/a>\u2019 (a deserted mountain community) during one of the trail club\u2019s (Rat Patrol Hiking Club) adventures \u2018back in the day.\u2019\u00a0 I parked the car at just below a meadow in \u2018Devil\u2019s Creek Gap\u2019, near the intersection of several trails, including the Appalachian Trail, The Devil\u2019s Creek Trail, and the Lost Cove Trail (and of course the Forest Service Road (#278) I drove in on).\u00a0 Beyond the meadow was a gate that blocked the road access onto Flattop Mountain, but that wasn\u2019t a problem since, no longer having a 4-wheel drive, I had anticipated walking from there anyway.<\/p>\n Butterfly in meadow on Flattop Mountain<\/p><\/div>\n It is a long story, about how I saw several wild turkeys, and passed by a couple more nice mountain meadows, and yet was never able to find the \u2018Joe Lewis Fields\u2019, instead only managing to wander around lost over the Flattop Mountain, so you should hopefully consider it a \u2018mercy-edit\u2019 for me to boil all that down to just this one sentence– okay, that is not possible, but I did try.\u00a0 Although it was quite interesting being lost upon this mountain, and witnessing some of the amazingly twisted trees that still stand there, it was also quite humbling, and the realization of walking around with a map and a compass in my hand is almost always \u2018a bad thing.\u2019\u00a0 Fortunately, along with the safety features of telling someone where I was going, and not panicking, I had paid close attention to my route on the way up to the top of the ridge, always veering \u2018up and to the left\u2019 at every split in the ever-diminishing trail, so on the way back down, I did the exact opposite (heading due south) and before too long was able to find the 4-wheel drive trail, connecting with it just above the 3rd meadow.<\/p>\n Twisted Gnarley Tree on Flattop Mountain<\/p><\/div>\n Once again, one would think that would be the end of the adventure, but it wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 For some reason, I decided to take a short-cut through the last meadow, stopping a couple of times to take photos of meadow flowers<\/a>; somehow I managed to pause in this capacity only a few feet away from a creature, who\u2019s sharp, loud cries startled me quite a lot.\u00a0 Thinking that I was about to be eaten by a hungry mountain lion, perhaps, I turned to see what at first glance appeared to be a baby fox.\u00a0 The second glance, however, revealed an abandoned, scared and skinny orange tabby kitten.\u00a0 It took a couple of minutes to coax the poor kitty out of the meadow-jungle, where I could grab a-hold of him.\u00a0 The ride back to town was also an adventure, having to keep the windows up (the a\/c is broken) while having a kitten climb all over me and the steering wheel.\u00a0 Fortunately this kitten, who has since been named \u2018Shere Khan\u2019<\/a> for his tiger-like features and tiger-like gait, was adopted by a friend of mine just a day later.\u00a0 Anyway, from these two adventures, I learned that sometimes finding what you aren\u2019t really looking for is sometimes better than finding the things you were actually trying to find.<\/p>\n Shere Khan (kitty found on Flattop Mountain)<\/p><\/div>\n There was another hike on the opposite end of Unaka Mountain, in which I walked in from Iron Mountain Gap to the Shelter at Cherry Gap<\/a>.\u00a0 It had been a few years since I had been there, and I was seeking a little more variety in my hike locations.\u00a0 Also, I was aware of the new Appalachian Trail relocation last year, and really like what the Konnarock Crew and the ATC have done with the trail through there\u2014it is so much nicer than the old trail.\u00a0 I was about halfway to the shelter, walking along the top of the ridge, when a big rain storm blew in quite suddenly.\u00a0 I had seen an overhanging rock ledge just a few minutes before the storm hit, and re-traced my steps back to there; of course, I was already soaking wet by then, but didn\u2019t mind because it was altogether refreshing, but sat under the rock ledge for the rest of the rain shower, nevertheless.\u00a0 The storm blew over rather quickly, and I continued on through the fresh breeze to the shelter just beyond Cherry Gap, where a group of Boy Scouts from Columbus, Ohio were already making camp.\u00a0 I returned to the Iron Mountain Gap along the rain-soaked trail, at times walking within a cloud\u2014it was very peaceful and the air was cool and fresh.<\/p>\n Rock Shelter<\/p><\/div>\n The hike from Sam\u2019s Gap to Hogback Ridge Shelter was also a good time.\u00a0 The trail was still wet from a recent shower, but mostly what I remember about this leisurely walk was finding a patch of delicious wild strawberries on my way back.\u00a0 They were awesome.<\/p>\n Lil Brown Mushrooms near Hogback Ridge<\/p><\/div>\n Just one other mountain trek to document here:\u00a0 a loop hike over Buffalo Mountain.\u00a0 I had the intention of taking photos of \u2018pink lady slippers\u2019 (exotic wildflowers) but never did find any.\u00a0 Having heard reports of rattlesnakes being spotted up there, I was also somewhat hoping to get a photo of one of them, as well, but again, did not see any.\u00a0 Instead I hiked up to the summit<\/a> and around to the White Rock Cliffs<\/a>, stopping occasionally to eat ripened blueberries.\u00a0 The blueberries in the higher elevations were much better, as the berries on the lower portion of the park trail were inexplicably crunchy\u2014perhaps they were over-ripe.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>