Fonzie

I love the ridge that runs from Shumont Mt out to Rumbling Bald. It is one of the most seriously rugged places in these mountains!

I remember the scouting trip I took to investigate the first section of it, back in the early '70s. I was with a couple of friends at Eagle Rock, and we decided to explore a bit. We climbed the old logging road going up Shumont to where it forks in three directions. My friends decided to hang out in that area, but I wanted to explore a little farther. I took the left fork, thinking it had to be the one going out that ridge. It is, in fact it follows the top of the ridge all the way to Rumbling Bald and on down to Lake Lure.

On this day I had just started out the ridge and was in the area marked by an arrow in my photo. Just above that big cliff.

 

I was accompanied by my trusty trail dog Fonzie.

 

He had been with me over miles of trails, and through places so rough I wasn't sure I could get out alive. He was a great companion, but had one bad habit. If he caught a whiff of where some animal had been he would take off running as fast as he could to investigate. That's what he proceeded to do here, running off the side of the ridge right towards where I knew that cliff was! I tried to call him back, but once he got on a run there was no stopping him til he was done with his investigation. I was used to the behavior, and he always came back, but this time the location was making me nervous!

So I waited, and called, and clapped, and whistled. No Fonzie. I tried finding a way down to the cliff, but it was too steep and dangerous, and I gave up. Waited some more, trying not to worry. He would be back any time now... I'm not sure how long it was, probably close to half an hour. Way too long!

Finally he came running back up the hill to me. I never saw him in such a state! He was panting as hard as I had ever seen. His muzzle was covered in froth. I grabbed him in a big hug, and he was trembling all over. He acted like he had been through the ordeal of a lifetime! And this was the same dog who would frolic all over Eagle Rock with no fear. Who later went through the Bonas Defeat Gorge like it was a walk in the park!

All I can do is guess what happened. I think he pulled a “Bonas” and ran off the top of the cliff. Fell and / or slid no telling how far down. And then took a half hour to fight his way back up somehow. I wish I knew the details, but I do know how scared he was, and how happy he was to see me again. And I was glad to see him too!

Autumn in Panthertown

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014

Today reminds me of an Autumn Saturday almost 20 years ago.  October 23, 1993.
I had just started exploring Panthertown Valley that Summer, and was excited about seeing it in the Fall.   It was a morning much like today - chilly with clear blue sky, the peak of leaf season.

I had my pack and camera gear loaded in the Bronco early and was ready to head out.

The only thing holding me back was that I hadn't been able to get my Mother on the phone.  She was 80 years old and living alone since my Dad died several years before.  I talked to her often in the morning just to check in and chat, and this particular day I wanted to tell her about my Panthertown plans.  She had always loved to hike, and enjoyed hearing my (somewhat censored) trip reports and seeing the photos I took.  I once took a picture of a flower on Big Green Mountain so I could get her to ID it for me, she knew all the wildflowers  "Oh, that's a yellow fringed orchid!"  (As I was just now scanning the print I saw where she had written the name on the back.)

The first half hour or so that she didn't answer I wasn't worried, I thought she might be in the shower.  But after nearly an hour I was getting concerned.  She had been having problems with unstable blood pressure - she took medication because it was high, but a couple of times when she got up in the morning it was so low she nearly passed out and had to go to the ER.  Just the previous morning I had taken time off work to go with her to her doctor, who adjusted her meds.

We went out for lunch afterwards, and when I took her home she told me "You're a good son Stephen, I love you."

She lived about 20 minutes away, but not far off my route to Panthertown, so I decided to stop and check on her.  When I got to her apartment she didn't answer the door, but I had a key and went in.  She was lying in the floor between her bedroom and the kitchen.  There was a half-full glass of water on the kitchen counter, I'm guessing she woke up feeling bad and went to the kitchen for water and maybe some medicine.

She never made it back to bed.  Her body was already starting to cool when I found her.  She probably went quickly, without much suffering, which was merciful to her but one hell of a shock to me!  Maybe the worst I ever had.

 Vernon and Helen Wilder

I was freaked out, but had to start the series of phone calls.  911 to send paramedics to confirm what I already knew.  My sister in New Orleans - that broke my heart!  I called a good friend to come over and be with me.  (Thank God for friends!)  The funeral home to send out a hearse.  My pastor, who also came and was a big support.  Other relatives and friends.  Started making arrangements, it went on and on.  A long and trying day.  Every once in a while I would look outside and see how beautiful it was and think: "I'm supposed to be on top of Little Green Mountain right now!"

That evening I was driving to the airport to pick up my sister, and looked at my pack and camera case still in the back of the Bronco.  Life has a way of changing your plans, doesn't it?  I didn't get to see Panthertown in Autumn until the following year, but it was beautiful.  I did miss showing the pictures to my Mother!

 

The Overlook(ed) Trail

Carlton McNeill standing on Little Green looking at the cliffs on Blackrock Mountain.

One winter day (around 1994) I was rambling around Panthertown and ran into Carlton.  That wasn't unusual, it seemed to happen on almost half the trips I made.  I wouldn't try to find him, but would wonder where we'd meet!  (If I was parked at Cold Mtn Gap I did sometimes stop at his house to visit him before I left in the evening.)

On this occasion he was excited about a new trail he had "clipped out" and wanted me to try.  It made a connection from Blackrock Mountain down across the top of the cliffs and on into the valley. (Now known as the Overlook Trail.)  This was exciting for me - a brand new trail, and I'd be one of the first people to use it!  (That little bit of pride will come back to haunt me later!)

So he told me how to find the old logging road that goes up Blackrock Mountain from the Salt Rock Gap parking area. I hadn't been up that way before, but had been admiring the Blackrock cliffs and wondering how to get on them.

Cliffs on Blackrock Mountain

I didn't wait long to come back and try it, maybe a week or two.  I found the old roadbed and headed up the mountain.  It was a steady climb, but I soon reached the top of Blackrock Mountain.  Or actually close to the top. If you look at a map or if you've been there you'll see that the roadbed runs around the back (North) side of the mountain just below the top.  Here was where I realized that Carlton's simple directions weren't quite complete. There was an area of woods between the roadbed and the top of the mountain with no visible trail going through them.  Being winter it was pretty open between the trees, and I wandered around for a while with no luck.  This was typical Carlton McNeill - his directions made something sound easy to find (It was for him!) but it was often a challenge to spot his little trails.  He never used any markers or blazes, I think he figured if you were going to be hiking in that valley in the first place you should be able to find a simple trail!

I was nearly stumped.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I revised my strategy a bit. At the top of the ridge was a solid wall of rhododendron, and I knew the cliffs were somewhere on the other side of them.  I started at one end and walked along it trying to find a passage through .  About halfway across I found an opening just big enough to squeeze through.  I stepped in, and the passage continued.  I soon realized I was on a faint narrow trail.  I'd found it!  

I followed it out and before long came to a great overlook on top of the cliffs. It gives you a whole new perspective on familiar landmarks. Really an awe inspiring spot!

Looking down on Little Green Mountain from Blackrock Overlook.

Good view of Cold Mountain, and the power-line.

After I had enjoyed the view for a while I followed the trail on down the mountain til it came out on the Powerline Trail in the valley.  I don't remember exactly where I went from there, but just had a leisurely ramble around the valley. I'd already accomplished my goal for the day! 
I do know that in mid afternoon I paid a visit to Frolictown Falls.

Frolictown Falls

Afterwards I found a comfortable rock along the Deep Gap Trail and sat down to rest and eat some trail mix.  I hadn't been there long when two men came walking down the trail.  A distinguished looking  gentleman and a college age guy pushing a bicycle-wheel measuring device.  The older man introduced himself as Allen de Hart.

I was amazed!  Allen de Hart was a legend in the hiking world, and has authored some of the best trail guides available anywhere. He is the man most responsible for the creation of the Mountain to Sea Trail.  I had, and still have, a lot of respect for him. 

http://blueridgecountry.com/newsstand/country-roads/allen-de-hart%3A-a-mountain-wonder-walks-on/ 

He explained he was mapping the trails of Panthertown for the next edition of his book, North Carolina Hiking Trails.  In a one day visit he was covering all the main trails in the valley. He said he was about 18 miles into a 25 mile day. He appeared fresh and energetic, but his wheel-man looked kind of shell shocked!

During our conversation I asked him if he knew Carlton McNeill - wrong question! Allen was not a fan. He started talking about how the Forest Service was unhappy with Carlton for his unauthorized trail building. He complained that some of Carlton's trails went through ecologically fragile areas, that they weren't graded for drainage, and some were too steep to hold up under heavy usage. All this was true of course, but wasn't the whole story. Without Carlton McNeill's trails many of the best places in Panthertown would be inaccessible. Just mentally erase all the winding footpaths, leaving only the old roadbeds, and you'll have some idea.  When I started hiking Panthertown in 1993 there was no evidence of Forest Service trail maintenance at all.  It was a couple of years before I saw any signs of their work, with some drainage issues being addressed. I never saw a Forest Service employee or one of their trucks, ever.  
But miles of the best trails exist today because of Carlton's years of hard work.

I didn't go into all that with Mr de Hart.  His tone and manner of speaking clearly established him as The Expert Authority on hiking trails, and I wasn't in the mood to argue.  But when he mentioned that he had been on Blackrock Mountain that morning I had to ask: "did you see the trail that goes from the top down across the cliffs?"  "No, I didn't see any other trail."  At this point I felt that little rush of pride again - I had found a trail that The Expert had missed!  So I proceeded to explain: "Well, I wouldn't have seen it either if I hadn't known where to look, but it definitely is there because that's how I came into the valley, and..."
"I TOLD YOU!  I WAS THERE, AND THERE IS NO TRAIL!!!"

OK then.  The Authority had spoken, and there was no room for debate.  I'd like to have a picture of the expression on my face, I bet my jaw was hanging open for a minute. But I shut it and swallowed the first 2 or 3 responses that came to mind.  I finally just wished him and his wheel-man a good journey, and they went off down the trail, leaving me sitting on my rock shaking my head and laughing. I had been put in my place for sure!

A few months later I found the new edition of Allen de Hart's book in a store. I looked and found the new chapter about Panthertown Valley.  He gave a description and history of the area, along with good maps and directions for the "authorized" trail system.  There was also a paragraph about the damage done by "unauthorized trail building"  
But no mention of the Overlook Trail!

I'm thankful that the Forest Service is more active now, and I especially appreciate the work done by Friends of Panthertown!  If I was able I'd probably be working with those guys.

Looking now at Burt Kornegay's map it looks like the connection with the Overlook Trail may be farther up the Blackrock Mountain Trail than I went. I'm guessing it's marked now and is a well worn path; that day it was a 2 foot wide opening in the Rhodo, with no wear showing on the ground. Not intuitively obvious to the most casual observer!  I may have missed the proper trail connection, and it would have been amazing if Allen de Hart had actually spotted a trail.  What was really amazing was his inability to even entertain the idea that he had overlooked a trail!

Skating Panthertown

It was a clear cold winter day, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it than to hike Panthertown Valley.  No particular agenda that I can remember, just a ramble.  It was the usual drive from Fairview until I started up Breedlove Rd, then I started seeing some patches of snow along the sides of the road.  Funny, it hadn't snowed anywhere else...

I stopped and locked-in the front hubs on my old Bronco, just in case.  I was glad I did, because by the time I started climbing the grade up to the gap the road was covered in white.  Shifted into 4 wheel drive.  It was kind of weird - although the snow didn't look packed down it was really slick!  I was glad to be in that Bronco, it was made for times like this.  

 My faithful 1976 Ford Bronco in the driveway of my house in Fairview.  Most of my trips to Panthertown were made in it.

I made it over the gap and to the Salt Rock trailhead, where the ground was covered in white.  I stepped out and almost fell down.  That may have looked like snow, but it was something else!

The best I could tell there had been a sleet storm.  A bad one because it was a couple of inches thick.  Then it froze.  Solid.  My tire tracks were 1/4" deep, but my vibram lug boot soles left no track at all. And got almost no traction at all.  The ice had a slightly granular surface, but it was definitely ice!  

It reminded me of a conversation at work one day as we attempted to do carpentry work on an ice covered concrete slab. We talked about the different kinds of ice - clear ice, white ice, black ice, and the dreaded bust ice. That's what this was!

I calmly and rationally decided that only a fool would attempt to hike in the wilderness alone when he could barely stand up on level ground.  So I got my gear out of the truck and started down the road.  I couldn't believe how slick it was!  I couldn't walk normally because it felt like if I picked up my foot to take a step I would fall  for sure. So I scooted one foot across the ice and then the other, kind of like slow motion skating.  Even that was treacherous! As I started down the hill I was looking for any hump or dip in the surface that I could use for traction.  The top of the sleet had smoothed out really nice before it froze, footholds were scarce!  I would have paid good money for crampons at that point.

 Big Green from Salt Rock

You'll notice I didn't try going out on the rock.  That looked like a slippery slope!

Also notice how clearly you can see the line of the roadbed cutting across in front of Big Green.  Snow or white ice really show up roads and trails!

I slowly shuffle-skated down the mountain.  I don't think I lifted either foot off the ground the whole trip - I never felt stable enough!  

Me inventing the selfie while getting an image of the cliffs on Blackrock Mt.

I finally made it down to the crossroads.  I decided to just take a general tour of the flat parts of the Valley and not attempt the cliffs or Devil's Elbow.  I do have a very little bit of good sense!

First I went down the Panthertown Valley trail as far as the sandbar pool / shelter.

It was really pretty there, and I hung around for a while.  I'm sure I took a break in the shelter to get off the ice!

I turned around there and went back up to the Mac's Gap trail.  (I hear the groans from the "Loop Only" faction, hush up!)  I went out to the turnoff for Granny Burrell Falls.  I had to have one waterfall!

It was a mite skittish going out far enough to get this shot!  I had been holding on to Rhodo branches coming down the trail.

I went back out Mac's Gap and Panthertown Valley to the Deep Gap trail. I went a little way out to the area where there are large campsites on both sides of the trail.  Here I met the only other people crazy enough to be out on such a day.  3 or 4 people were either setting up camp or just hanging around the campsite. We talked for a while, and I decided to turn around and head back out. I wanted to get into the Great Wall area, but didn't want to try fording Panthertown Creek. 
I hadn't covered a lot of mileage, but my nerves were shot!  I was having to focus so hard on not falling it was exhausting. I really didn't want to get injured and have to crawl back out of there!

So I slid my way up that long hill and back to the truck. I have to admit I was glad to get back out unbroken!  I was a little concerned about driving back over the gap on Breedlove Road, but it went fine. I stopped at the top of the gap and put the Bronco in 4 wheel low range and just let it crawl down the mountain. Never had any problem at all, and 2 miles later was on dry road for the rest of the drive home.

That was a completely unique experience for me. Just one more way for things to be beautiful and terrifying at the same time.  Panthertown is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get! 

My trail-route drawn in blue.

Big Green Mountain

The Great Wall of Big Green Mountain

My first trip to Panthertown Valley was just a random exploration.  I had no specific destination because I didn't know how to get anywhere!  (If you haven't read that story and are interested it's at:

http://sakikahn.blogspot.com/2014/06/panthertown-rambling-begins.html )

But on that first trip I met Carlton McNeill, and he started the process of orienting me.  He took my topo map and sketched in a few trails.  He showed me the route over Big Green Mountain, so for my next visit that was my goal.

I came into the Valley by the western entrance, stopping of course at Salt Rock to admire one of the best views in all of Panthertown.  I headed on down the hill, watching the right side of the road for the shortcut trail Carlton told me about.  After a couple of false starts I found it & followed it down to the Deep Gap Trail.  A left turn onto the Granny Burrrell Falls Trail soon led to the crossing of Panthertown Creek and the Great Wall Trail.
(I'm getting these trail names from the current "official" Panthertown Valley map, at that time none of the trails were named or marked.  Here's a link to the PDF map:

http://panthertown.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/panthertownlatest_june22_0911x17_usemap.pdf )

I took off my boots, waded across the creek and headed out the Great Wall Trail. Stopped to look around the big campsite with the A-frame shelter, and a little farther down found the little spur trail that goes to the base of The Wall.  I don't think I ever passed by without taking the time to walk that short trail.  I loved the way it wound through the ferns, and of course the base of the Great Wall is amazing!

 Fern Trail

 The Great Wall

After some rambling around the boulder strewn base of the cliff I went back to the main trail and went on my way.  Next I came to the big ravine where the trail turns left & starts up the mountain.  Right at that point I stepped in a patch of mud.  Not big or deep, just a little spot of sticky black mud.  When I lifted my foot there was a loud "slurping" sound and the sole of my right hiking boot peeled almost completely off!  Turns out it was only sewed in place around the toe, and the rest was just glued on.  The soaking those boots got on my previous trip had evidently softened the glue, and now 3/4 of the sole was flapping in the breeze.  Surprise!

My first thought was that not only did this bring to a halt what had so far been a really enjoyable hike, it was going to be interesting getting back out the way I had come.  I may cussed a little (bad habit!).  I sat down to asses the situation, and rummaged around in my day-pack.  Luckily I had a piece of nylon cord that was just what I needed.  I was able to wind and twist and tie it around my boot til the sole felt fairly secure.  I tried walking around a little bit.  "Not bad!  I think I can make it back out with this!"  Walked around a little more, and the inevitable next thought: "Not bad at all!  And I really hate to turn back now..."  Am I really that dumb?  You should know the answer to that by now!

So I started up the mountain, telling myself what a foolish idea that was!  The trail is steep but beautiful.  It goes up a huge ravine in the mountainside, which I took the liberty of naming The Big Green Ravine.  A great place, and my boot was still together!  I finally came up to the Big Green Trail, and followed it up the ridge to the top of Big Green Mt.  I found the top of the cliffs and settled myself down for lunch and contemplation.  I still had a long path to get back out, but I wasn't worried.  It was such a beautiful spot, and I was just thankful to have reached my goal.

 View from Big Green Mt.

 Cliff-top on Big Green

After a relaxing stay it was time to make my way down.  I re-tied the cord holding my boot together and started out.  I followed the Big Green Trail to its intersection with the Mac's Gap Trail, & took a left on it.  As I was going down from Mac's Gap I ran into Carlton beside the trail picking blackberries.  Of course I had to stop & talk!  He said it was a slow summer for berries, he'd only picked 45 gallons so far.  (Every time I saw him during blackberry or blueberry season he'd tell me how many gallons he'd picked.  I don't know what he did with them all, I think he gave them away!)  

He was shaking his head at my tied-together boot, but when I told him where all I'd been he seemed to think I wasn't totally hopeless as a hiker.  We talked some more about scheduling a hike together, which sounded fine to me!

I made my way from there through Pine Valley and back up to Salt Rock without further incident.  Altogether an enjoyable and satisfying hike!  I did have to retire those boots, but I made sure the next pair were sewed all the way around the sole. 

To the Batcave

This was around 1975, so I was in my early 20s – ready for most anything.

A friend, who I will call The Instigator, approached me and a couple of like minded (crazy) friends with an idea for an adventure: “Let's go up to the Batcave!”

Always the responsible one, I replied: “We can't do that, I know where the trail starts, but it's covered up with No Trespassing signs!”

“Oh, it'll be OK. I went up there last week and nothing happened. It's awesome! There's a big cave, and a bunch of cliffs. I want to go back up with ropes and do some rappelling.”

“Well, that sounds like an adventure all right, lets go!”

The Instigator got his rope and the rest of us grabbed some flashlights(!) and the 4 of us headed out. We parked on the side of the road, walked around the No Trespassing signs, and followed the trail up the mountain. It was steep and rugged – just the way we liked it. The cave itself is in the line of cliffs that run along the gorge, so when we got up that far we were surrounded by rock faces and boulders. Beautiful!

We found the cave entrance easily, and went right in. I'd never seen a cave around here that big! A description I found online says this:

“One of Bat Cave’s coolest features (pun intended) is its natural air conditioning: a cool moist draft constantly pours out of vents on the side of the large cave. Bat Cave is the largest known granite fissure cave in North America. The main chamber is a dark cathedral more than 300 feet long and approximately 85 feet high.”

We wandered around just checking it all out. And yes there were bats. Lots of bats! It was eerie! In several places around the sides there were cracks or holes that were just big enough to crawl though, but were too scary looking for any of us to attempt.

After we finished exploring we went back outside to where the cliffs were. My friend set up his rope on a 50 footer and was rappelling down in big swooping jumps. Having nearly gotten myself killed the year before in an attempted rappel off the side of Eagle Rock I was content to watch.

So I was standing there minding my own business when I heard a noise behind me. I turned around in time to see a man pop out of a hole in the ground, followed by two more, all with helmets and headlamps. Spelunkers! We got to talking, and one of them asked if we'd like a tour of the caves. Alrighty then!

So we went back into the main cave and he went to one of the cracks in the wall and crawled right in. We followed with our plastic flashlights and entered a whole new world. Since it's a fissure cave there were no more big open spaces, just cracks in the rock. There were passages leading off to the left & right, up & down. I felt like an ant crawling in a rockpile! It was a maze, and I soon realized that if I got separated from the group I wouldn't have a clue how to get back out.

A lot of places were a tight squeeze, including one spot where you had to lie on your back and wriggle under a huge slab of rock. It was so tight that even with my 32” waist I had to reach down & pull my belt buckle loose from the rock. I was on the verge of claustrophobia there, it felt like the weight of the whole mountain was pushing down on me, and one tiny movement of the rock would cut me in half! One of my friends who was just a little heavier got stuck, and it took one of us pulling his arms while another pushed his feet from behind to get him through.

The passages had holes in the floor, you had better watch your step! At one hole a couple of feet wide we stopped to see if we could tell how deep it was. All our lights combined showed only blackness. We tried tossing rocks down and listening to them bouncing off the sides. The sound faded away, and we never could hear it hit bottom...

Then we started climbing. It wasn't vertical enough to need ropes & gear, but dang nearly! I was a pretty good boulder scrambler, but this was as difficult as any I ever did. And did I mention most of the rock was wet? And we were in pitch blackness with our Kmart flashlights? One spot was an inclined rock over 50 feet long at a 45 degree angle. You needed both hands to climb, so we took turns holding a light for the person climbing. I made it about halfway up and got to a real sketchy spot. I barely had a foot-hold and was searching desperately for a hand-hold before I slipped. Right then somebody yelled: “I need some light over here!” My trusty light holder switched his beam to the other guy, leaving me in total darkness! I may have cussed some. I needed my light back NOW!

I'm not sure how far we went, but it was a long way. I do know I was relieved when we crawled up out of a hole into the sunlight again! We had to hike down about a quarter mile of steep mountainside to get back to the main cave again.

Whew, what an adventure! We went back down the trail tired but pleased with ourselves and what we had done. But when we got nearly to the bottom of the trail we looked through the trees and saw a sheriff’s car sitting next to ours. That wasn't part of the plan! We didn't want to come popping out of the trailhead with all the No Trespassing signs, so we bushwhacked away to the side til we were out of sight and then came walking up the road looking all sweet and innocent. Of course he knew where we had been, and proceeded to tell us so, along with a long lecture on Trespassing and arrest and prosecution and punishment. Mixed in with questions and checking of IDs and generally making us very uncomfortable for about 20 minutes. And the he let us go and drove away. Like I said, Whew!

The current status of the Batcave as I understand it is that it's owned by the Nature Conservancy. They used to do guided hikes up as far as the main cave. But now there is an epidemic of White Nose Syndrome decimating the bat population in many states, including WNC. In an effort to quarantine and protect the bats from infection the area is closed to the public for the foreseeable future.

I found some pictures online. The first half of the page is some good shots of the Rumbling Bald Cave, scroll on down for Batcave pics.

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/alan_cressler/sets/72157607426293722/

Panthertown rambling begins

 
Salt Rock Vista

I first went to Panthertown Valley in the Summer of 1993.  I had been wanting to go for 13 years, since the Summer of 1980 when I was a caretaker for the Clarke family on their property at Rock Bridge.  Their land bordered Panthertown, and they told me how beautiful it was.  This was before the power-line, when the Valley was owned by Liberty Life Insurance Co, and not open to the public. Then Duke Energy bought the property and did their abomination.

Then finally some good news; Mr. Clarke, who was a US Congressman at the time, was very instrumental in arranging the purchase of the remnants of Panthertown Valley by the Nature Conservancy, and then its transfer to the National Forest.  It could have become just one more gated "community" with mansions hanging off the cliffs.  I'm grateful that so much was saved!

I procrastinated a few years longer, but finally decided I had to go.  I got a shiny new topo map and driving directions to Salt Rock Gap, and drove out on a Summer Saturday morning. (Breedlove Rd was all gravel at that time which made the drive more interesting!)  I got parked at the trailhead and headed off down the road.  I signed the entry log book on a tree beside the trail. (Is that still there?)

Of course it wasn't long before I came to Salt Rock, and I was just overwhelmed.  The valley was so beautiful, and looked like hiker heaven.  That view was worth the drive!  I walked on down to the crossroads at the bottom of the hill and randomly took the right hand turn onto what is now known as the Mac's Gap trail.  You need to remember that back then none of the trails were named, marked, or blazed. Only a few of the main logging roads were on my topo map, unnamed.

I soon came to what I call Pine Valley:

Evidently after that area was clear-cut it was replanted in White Pine. I heard someone planted them for Christmas trees but never cut them. (Does anybody know anything about that?  Does anybody raise White Pine for Christmas trees?)  However they got there it's a magical place.  The open park-like spaces covered in pine needles, the ferns & moss, very cool!

I followed the road and after a while it started up the mountain.  I went up for a while, but finally turned around because I didn't want to wear myself out on hills without knowing if they went anywhere worthwhile. (Shows how little I knew!)  I backtracked through Pine Valley, still enjoying the unique look and feel of those woods. 

I can't remember for sure, but I think I probably discovered Granny Burrell Falls (at low water flow) along the way: 

I never could pass a side-trail without checking it out. After all, it might go somewhere!  So I'm going to give myself that much credit.

Back at the crossroads I turned right and headed down the Panthertown Valley trail. I passed the Sandbar Pool with its little shelter, and when I came to the old rickety bridge over Panthertown Creek (Since replaced I believe) I decided it was a good place to sit down & eat lunch & try to figure out where I was and where to go next. So I was sitting on the middle of the bridge dangling my feet over the creek when this old guy & his dog came along.  He said his name was Carlton McNeill, his dog was Cheyenne, and he was the unofficial guide to the Valley. He talked like an old codger, but you could tell there was more to him than that. 

 It's hard to describe Carlton, he was a genuinely unique man. He was small built and wiry.
Weather-beaten with a twinkle in his eye. He loved to talk, to everyone he met.  He could do a 15 minute monolog while speed-walking up any hill in Panthertown.  He'd talk about nature (He knew a lot!) anything about Panthertown, the trail he had just clipped out, literature, philosophy. (He was a devout atheist.)  I once asked his age and he replied: "Well, I got as far as 70 and figured that was old enough for anybody, so I turned around and started going back the other way.  I'm down to 67 now."

He could see I was clueless about Panthertown, so he took my topo map & showed me where I was and with an old pencil sketched in a couple of trails he said I should try. He suggested I should go on from where I was to see School House Falls. He said I could then go up and across Little Green Mt to Mac's Gap trail (Pine Valley again!) and go back out that way.  Sounded good to me so I set off refreshed and encouraged. Before I left Carlton gave me his business card and told me to give him a call if I wanted a guided hike.

 

I found School House Falls and spent some time admiring it. 

 There was a drought going on, Carlton said it hadn't rained for weeks. Everything was bone dry, and the water flow was way down.  But it was still pretty!. 

I located the trail up Little Green and made the climb. I came up to what's now known as Tranquility Point and just stood there admiring the view and the surroundings. This was what I had come to see! 

 But meanwhile I kept hearing rumbles of thunder from the West. I tried to find my way across the clifftop as Carlton had instructed, but couldn't find the path right away.  And that thunder kept getting closer. Maybe it hadn't rained for weeks, but now I was here.  Standing on top of a cliff.  And that storm was getting CLOSE!  Time to retreat the way I had come, and quick.  I started down the trail and the rain began.  Not just a little rain, but a genuine Wrath of God Thunderstorm. Of course I didn't have rain gear, and was soaked in no time.  Water was streaming across my glasses, and I could barely see the trail.  (Of course I could take them off but really couldn't see then!)  I had a case with all my camera gear that I really hoped was waterproof.  

I felt my way back down to the valley and made it to the open-sided shelter at the Sandbar Pool. 

I went in with 3 or 4 refugees already there and watched the storm. The drought was over for sure! It must have put down 2 or 3 inches in an hour.  Rain was blowing in one side of that shelter and out the other. I  think I'd have been drier if I'd jumped in the river!  Finally it slacked off some, and I decided it was time to go, so I headed up the Panthertown Valley trail.  There were long stretches where the water was standing a foot deep in the road, over the top of my boots of course! Just when I thought I couldn't get any wetter...

But I slogged my way through and finally made that last climb to Salt Rock.  That's when I took these pictures.  The storm was over and mist was hanging in the valleys & swirling around the cliffs.  

That experience made the near-drowning seem trivial!  I was happy with my day, and knew I'd be back to learn more about this amazing place. 

(Some of the other photos on this page were taken on different hikes, but are representative of what I saw that day. I apologize for the image quality, I'm scanning faded old 4x6 prints, but it's what I've got!)

My first trip to Coffee Rock.

Coffee Rock

(Named by Josh Simons after he prepared and drank a cup on top of it.)

Labor Day Monday, around 1996.

I had been hiking in the Valley for a few years, and was learning my way around.  That was a lot different in those days!  Carlton McNeill had been hard at work surreptitiously “clipping out” new paths and keeping existing ones open, so there were at least as many trails as now.  But the Forest Service was not active at all in the Valley.  There were no trail markers or blazes. When I first started exploring there were no trail guides available. It was a real adventure in wilderness route finding!

 I'd been to all the major clifftops, most of Greenland Creek, Wilderness & Frolictown falls, and was working my way down the Tuck a section at a time. I had learned my way from Warden's Falls to Riding Ford.

Warden's Falls

I was ready to go farther downriver with the ultimate objective of getting to Devil's Elbow.  It was obvious from the contour lines on my Topo map that it was where the action was!

On this trip I was exploring the last of the little side trails running from Devil's Elbow Trail to the river before the main trail climbs up the ridge away from the water.
The trail goes to Elbow Falls, which is a small drop but has a strange feeling of power.  From there on down you are entering the mouth of the gorge and it feels like wilderness!

I found a trail that goes downriver from there, Rich Stevenson describes it and that section of river in his website trail guide at:
http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/panther7.htm

At that time the trail was narrow and faint, but not too hard to follow if you paid attention.  It soon climbs up the ridge away from the river and runs parallel for about a half mile.  Then it goes back to the river in the Red Butt Falls area.
From there I explored on downriver into the area around Coffee Rock .  I was trying to find a trail heading from there towards Devil's Elbow, but there was none.  I wasn't ready to start wading at that point, so I turned around.  

Looking back upriver at Coffee Rock

I headed back upriver, looking for that little trail. It was at this point I realized I had committed a serious newbie blunder - when I came down off that trail I didn't pay good attention to where I was. I didn't place it with landmarks or stick arrows or nuthin. Now I couldn't find it!   I'd go upriver til I ran into the briar-patch that covered the riverbank. I'd head back downstream but couldn't see where the trail went up the ridge. I did circles through the woods with no success, and the terrain is too steep to navigate very far. After 15 minutes of this I gave up. I may have cussed a couple of times, and felt pretty foolish.  I wasn't lost, since I was on the river, but I was seriously inconvenienced!

I finally said “Oh well” and started upriver.  I soon realized why the trail had not followed the riverbank.  That may be the healthiest patch of scrub and saw-briars I ever encountered!  I was wearing shorts & t-shirt, and was getting slashed. Every step was painful.  I finally got stopped by a dead-fall tree and had to get in the river and start wading in my hiking boots. 
Rich Stevenson mentions this section of river in his account: “ I rock hopped and waded down one time. The river is very scenic, but there are deep pools to maneuver around.”
That sounds a bit under-stated compared to my experience!

Even though I spent a lot of time in wilderness areas I didn't feel very sure-footed on those wet rocks in fast flowing water. I felt in real danger of a broken ankle or something worse, and was very aware what my situation would be then.  Alone, way off a barely known trail, and no one knowing my location any closer than  “in Panthertown”.  Didn't even own a cell phone.   I could have been there a long time!  You might say I was scared, I prefer to call it being a little concerned.

When the river got too treacherous I climbed out into the briar-patch again. Until it became impassable and I got back in the river. I probably did 3 or 4 repetitions of that cycle. 
(Another complication of wading in deep water was my oversize camera case full of all my 35mm gear.  I went shopping for a smaller case the next week!)

I think that when I finally rejoined the trail at Elbow Falls it was one of the happier moments of my life. I hiked back out to my old '76 Ford Bronco in my soggy boots with arms & legs bleeding and a smile on my face!

Of course I had to go back on my next trip, paying closer attention.  Then I couldn't believe how obvious that trail was to find!

If there is a moral to this tale it would be: “”Pay attention!”  Especially when you think you know what you're doing.  Don't let your enjoyment of wilderness make you lose your respect for it. Or it will bite you!