From the Mountains to the Sea

from Summer Times 2021

Beer and Wine

From the mountains to the sea A 1,200-mile journey

BY DEREK HALSEY

Hiking and many other outdoor activities became very popular during the pandemic. The desire to escape from lockdowns and turbulent big city environments led to a noticeable increase in the number of people spending time in nature during the last year and a half.

For experienced hikers or those that desire to build up their hiking skills to take on a months-long, life-changing journey, many are taking advantage of these unique times to try and achieve adventures that exist on a bigger scale. For those hearty and hopefully-prepared folks, there is a series of very long trails found in the United States that provide such an opportunity.

For example, on the West Coast, the Pacific Crest Trail goes from California to Washington State. Further inland is the 3,000 mile-plus Continental Divide Trail that meanders through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. East of the Mississippi River there is the world-famous Appalachian Trail that travels from northern Georgia to Maine, including a large swath that cuts through western North Carolina.

Here in the Tar Heel State, however, we have our own relatively new, 1,200-mile long trail that exists almost entirely within the borders of North Carolina. It is called

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HIKING

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see the trailhead for Big Lost Cove Cliffs on the left a couple of miles in, and three miles farther you will see a small parking lot on the right for the Little Lost Cove Cliffs trail. The latter is a shorter hike, but both of these moderately difficult trails lead to outstanding cliff-top vistas.

Do some research online and you will find many other trails, waterfalls and more on this same Forest Road 464 road as it goes deeper into the Wilson Creek Gorge area.

Back on the Parkway, within a few short miles you will enter the Linville Gorge and Linville Falls section of the High Country. It is on this section of the BRP where you will find the only detour you will have to make at the 316 milepost.

There, the wonderful double arch bridge on the BRP that goes over the Linville River that was built over 80 years ago is being repaired. Access to the Linville Falls campground and trail system near the bridge is open.

One easy detour is to take the short connector road at milepost 314 that goes from the BRP to Rte. 183. After turning right onto Rte. 183, the road quickly meanders into the village of Linville Falls and leads to the Old 105 western rim road on the left that veers off into Linville Gorge.

There you will see a sign by the entrance of Old 105 that will lead you to Wiseman’s View and Linville Falls. The first parking lot you will see on the left on Old 105 leads to two trails that show you different views of Linville Falls.

From there, if you take Old 105 for about four miles further, you will see the sign for the Wiseman’s View parking lot on the left. Turn left there and you will find a short, wheelchair accessible paved walkway that leads to a very special a view of Linville Gorge. The vistas seen there will simply take your breath away.

But, a quick warning — please remember that Old 105 to Wiseman’s View is a gravel mountain road. If you have a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle, you should be fine. If you are in a vehicle that is only two-wheel drive, only go on the gravel road if it is completely dry. Watch out for the occasional ruts as you venture forth, otherwise the heart-stopping sights at Wiseman’s View are very much worth the effort.

Here is a more adventurous way to experience the eastern rim and the summits of Linville Gorge.

Back at milepost 312 on the Parkway, you will see the exit for Rte. 181. Once there, turn south onto Rte. 181 and look for the second right turn onto Ginger Cake Road, which will be across from a big wooden “Ginger Cake Acres” sign on the left. Once on Ginger Cake Road, you will quickly turn left onto Table Rock Road, which eventually becomes a wide gravel road that will lead you to fantastic trails on the east side of Linville Gorge. As you travel along, you will see a parking lot about four miles in for the trail that leads to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain, which is one of the better hikes in the region.

Look for the “Hawksbill Trail” sign on the right at the trailhead. It is only a mile-long hike to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain and your first inclination once at the top will be to veer to the left to get to great views of Linville Gorge. But, also remember to take the summit trail to the right on the Hawksbill summit where you will find rock formations and even more sweet access to the gorge.

If you travel four more miles on Table Rock Road past the Hawksbill trailhead, you will find the right turn for Table Rock Mountain Trail, which continues up the mountain. Once you are at the Table Rock parking lot on top, the trail to the right of the parking lot takes you to the summit of Table Rock Mountain overlooking Linville Gorge. The trail on the left side of the parking lot leads to what many consider to be a favorite hike in the area known as the Chimneys Trail.

A much easier rim trail than the summit hikes, the first mile of the Chimneys Trail finds you hiking through exquisite rock formations on the edge of Linville Gorge that are simply sublime. Instead of looking down at Linville Gorge from the Hawksbill Mountain or Table Rock Mountain peaks, on this trail you literally become a part of the Gorge as you walk along the rim. About a mile into the Chimneys Trail, when the rock formations stop and the path turns into woods; simply retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Please remember that Linville Gorge is a true wilderness area and many of the rough trails found there can be dangerous for novice hikers. Learn how to deal with bears and timber rattlesnakes and more so that you can avoid having a truly bad day. Know your physical limits, know how much water to bring, and research the gorge and the trails found within before you venture forth so you do not get lost.

The hiking notes above will keep you occupied for many hours if not days on the trail. Plan your adventures right and you will soon experience why this is one of the best areas for hiking in America. Be smart, stay safe, don’t leave campfires unattended and take more trash out than you bring in. Most of all have fun and enjoy your stay in the N.C. High Country.

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the Mountains to the Sea Trail and since its creation just 21 years ago, it now forges over the mountain region in the west, heads downhill into the flatter Piedmont area and ends up on the beautiful Outer Banks Barrier Islands found on the Atlantic Ocean coast.

While the Appalachian Trail was conceived in the early 1900s, the Mountains to the Sea Trail was officially created in the year 2,000. Technically, the pathway begins near Clingman’s Dome, which is the highest mountain in Tennessee and in the Great Smoky Mountain chain. The trail then becomes a series of runs on dirt trails and paved roads until it crosses the worldrenown Blue Ridge Parkway around milepost 460 at Big Witch Gap. From there and for many miles to come, the Mountains to the Sea Trail meanders through the gorgeous-yet-daunting western North Carolina Mountains and forests.

Somewhere between Asheville and Boone, geographically speaking, the Great Smoky Mountains turn into the Blue Ridge Mountains. There, the MST makes its way around Asheville to Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain found east of the Rockies. Rising to 6,683 feet in elevation, the views on Mt. Mitchell and its surrounding companion summits are incredible.

As the MST intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway often as it heads east, it also crosses and combines with many popular trails found here in the High Country. Those include the potentially dangerous yet exciting wilderness area known as Linville Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the East,” along with many other trails near the towns of Boone and Blowing Rock.

The trail marker officially established for the MST features a large white circle, which you will see on trail signs and on trees along the pathway.

The MST is still a work in progress as it becomes more popular. As a result, an organization was formed called The Friends of the Mountains to the Sea Trail, which is a loosely-affiliated group of like-minded hikers who work together to help build and maintain the trail.

PHOTO BY DEREK HALSEY The 1,200-mile long trail that exists almost entirely within the borders of North Carolina, the Mountains to the Sea Trail, was created just 21 years ago

The organization brings together folks in the communities that the trail intersects and gathers together volunteers of all stripes who work to clear the trail and keep it navigable. The trail collective has a staff and a Board of Directors who help so-called “trail angels” to improve the pathway as well as advocate for the importance of the MST to local, regional and state politicians.

The Friends of the Mountains to the Sea Trail consortium offers Trail Building classes and sets up workdays for volunteers at 20 different crew leader segments located at various points throughout the length of the journey. The good works done by these volunteers are essential to keeping this younger and lesser known trail among the elite pathways in the world. The organization raises money by memberships, stock gifts, matching gifts, workplace fundraising and even through the purchase of a special MST license plate for your vehicle.

Older, more famous trails such as the Appalachian Trail have benefited by this kind of support for decades. Now the MST and its wonderfully unique characteristics are being brought to life by the efforts mentioned above.

Back on the trail, as the MST makes its way past Grandfather Mountain and the town of Blowing Rock, it eventually begins to head down into the foothills and eventually the lower elevations of the flatland Piedmont section of North Carolina. Following a combination of trails and hikeable roadways, the MST comes within eyesight of the famous Pilot Mountain in-

FRIENDS OF THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA TRAIL

While the MST is still the little brother to all of the more famous long trails found in the U.S., its popularity is growing. That means that you can be a casual hiker on its pathways, or you can be a part of making it grow, making it a better trail, donating to the cause and becoming a part of a real conservation and adventure movement that is the Friends of the Mountains to the Sea Trail organization. To learn more about the trail and find more information on the Friends of the Mountains to the Sea Trail organization, ground zero for all of the above is the website mountainstoseatrail.org.

between Mount Airy and Winston-Salem and soon veers south towards Greensboro. The MST then explores the Triad area and reverts back to strictly dirt trail near Durham, which lasts until it passes the eastern side of Raleigh. When you reach the town of Smithfield, the MST traveler has an interesting and adventurous decision to make. One can either continue walking on foot to the southeast, or one can bring in a canoe and paddle 170 miles on the Neuse River all of the way to the coastal Pine Cliff Recreational Area.

Once the MST begins to follow the North Carolina coast, it trails through Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge until you catch the Cedar Island Ferry, which takes you to the island of Ocracoke and the heart of the Outer Banks Barriers Islands. Once on the wonderful barrier islands, you will follow Rt. 12 until the end of the MST found on Jockey’s Ridge State Park, featuring one of the highest sand dunes on the East Coast.

Many people simply hike various short sections of the MST while others seek out the full trek. Either way, it is always a good thing to do your trail research ahead of time to make sure the trip goes smoothly. All of this is what makes the MST such a challenge.

Like the other long-hike trails mentioned above, doing a trek on the MST requires proper planning, gear purchases and a pre-hike exercise regimen as you lead up to the months-long adventure. Once all of that is figured out, you will be ready for the adventure of a lifetime.