Dick’s Creek Gap to Fontana Dam March 2006

Route map with terrain features | Detail of the descent into Nantahala gorge | Elevation profile of entire trip

Tues 3/28 Dicks Creek Gap à Beech Gap 20.9 Elevation profile

Our initial intention in planning this hike was to leave a car at Fontana Dam, get a shuttle ride to Dicks Creek Gap, and backpack north back to our car. We hoped to do the hike in seven days, which was the exact amount of time I had available during spring break. As the time of the trip approached, we decided to day-hike the section instead, for two reasons – both related to the short time frame. One was that Tatiana had developed a wrist injury in a minor fall, and we were concerned about her ability to complete the hike. The other was that the forecast called for cold temperatures and snow, and we were concerned that a large amount of snow could slow our progress to the point that we would not complete the hike in time. So we planned a day-hike itinerary with more miles per day, and spent a couple of days at Francis Marion National Forest and Fort Sumpter on the way down. The first day of hiking started on a cool, rainy morning. We had slept in our car at a National Forest campground nearby, deciding not to set up the tent because it was dark and raining when we arrived. The initial climb was unrelenting, it seemed – not rocky, but steadily up. I passed the famous twisted oak tree at Bly Gap on the state line, then continued up to a high point called Whiteoak Stamp. The weather began to clear in the afternoon, and by the time I met up with Tatiana near Deep Gap the sun was shining. We proceeded up Standing Indian Mountain, where we enjoyed the view before proceeding along the ridge. The trail follows a circuitous route here, curving south and east before regaining a northerly direction. There were no road crossings for quite a few miles yet, so Tatiana had parked along a gravel road and hiked up to the AT on a side trail to Beech Gap. When we reached the car we drove a couple of miles to a primitive National Forest campground, where we would stay for the next two nights.

Wed 3/29 Beech Gap à Winding Stair Gap 19.1 Elevation profile

Temperatures were very cold overnight, a trend that would continue throughout the trip. There was only one other camper at the campground, so we felt quite isolated. In the morning, Tatiana dropped me off at Winding Stair Gap, on US 64, then drove back to the spot where she parked yesterday and hiked south from Beech Gap. From Beech Gap, the trail climbed and then soon descended again to Wallace Gap, where another road leads to 64. The temperatures remained cold, and ice crystals could be seen in the mud where it had frozen overnight. I had a hard time regulating temperature, repeatedly taking off layers while climbing and then putting them back on when the trail leveled off. The highlight of the day was the view from Albert Mountain, where a fire tower rises above the trees for an outstanding view. Descending the mountain was a bit tricky, as the trail passes over an uncharacteristically rocky and steep section. In the next gap I came upon a clearing where people were serving pancakes and coffee for hikers. They had driven in on a rough gravel road with an RV, and were planning to hang out for a few weeks while the main pulse of thru-hikers came through. Soon after I met up with Tatiana, and we returned along the ridge to Beech Gap and down to the campground.

Thurs 3/30 Winding Stair à Nantahala River 27.2 Elevation profile

The following morning, Tatiana again dropped me off at Winding Stair Gap, and I headed north. I got an early start, knowing it would be a long hike. Tatiana had to drive east to Franklin, then back west again along the Nantahala River to reach the trail. There were three “high points” on the hike, both literal and figurative. The first was Siler Bald (not to be confused with Silers Bald further north in the Smokies). The upper portion of this mountain is a grassy bald, which the Forest Service maintains in that state by mowing. The view was outstanding, and nobody else was around, so I enjoyed the solitude. The next high spot was Wayah Bald, where an old stone observation tower, accessible via a Forest Service road, provides a view over low-growing vegetation and trees. A few backpackers were there when I stopped and took a break. I met Tatiana at Tellico Gap, and we then make the steep but relatively short climb to Wesser Bald, the third high point on this section of trail. Another observation tower, this one a converted fire tower, rises above the trees to provide a view. We could see all the way back toward the other peaks I had crossed, and north to the long descent into the Nantahala Gorge. In his book about the first-ever thru-hike of the AT, Walking with Spring, Earl Shaeffer describes meeting a Forest Service employee working in the fire tower on this spot, and staying with the guy for a night to keep him company. It must have been a lonely job – and certainly hiking the AT was a different experience in 1948! The trail descended for what seem like an eternity from there, finally reaching the rushing Nantahala River, which is popular for rafting and kayaking trips. The Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) spans the trail at the river, and we spent the night in one of their rooms.

Fri 3/31 Nantahala River à Stecoah Gap 13.7 Elevation profile

Starting from the NOC, today I attempted one of the longest sustained climbs on the trail – 3000 feet of elevation gain from the river to Cheoha Bald. Before starting the hike, we had a memorable breakfast at the restaurant overlooking the river (see pic at right). It had rained over night, and as I ascended I soon realized that cold temperatures had turned the precipitation to snow further up the mountain. I could see the snow line as I approached it, and as I hiked further up I found myself striding through several inches of white powder. I stopped and took a break at Sassafras Gap Shelter, where the blanket of snow created a scenic effect to the environs. I did not pause long on the top of the bald, because the view was completely blocked by clouds – and the weather was cold enough that stopping was dangerous. As I followed the trail north, it felt like I should be skiing instead of hiking – the snow conditions and temperatures seemed appropriate for gliding through the woods with boards on my feet. The section ended at Stecoah Gap, which at an elevation of 3165’ was covered in snow. As we descended toward Fontana Lake in our car, the snow disappeared – but not the cold. We spent a chilly night as the only campers in the Tsali campground, near Fontana Lake.

Sat 4/1 Stecoah Gap à Fontana Dam 15.8 Elevation profile

The next day I started in again at Stecoah Gap. Conditions were similar to the previous day – I think more snow might have fallen over night. When I took a break at the Cable Gap Shelter my hands were so cold that I had to sit on them for a bit in order to regain circulation – and this in spite of wearing gloves – I was not unprepared! The trail dropped down steeply, out of the snowy world, to cross a road at the edge of the developed area near Fontana Dam, then continued on a bumpy ridge for a mile to the dam itself – where we ended our section. I gazed longingly at the high ridge of the Smoky Mountains, eager for a chance to tackle those peaks on another hike.