I had spent Friday fasting, eating only a very light meal of boiled eggs late in the day. At the rest area on I40 I pillaged my backpack and brought the nuts and bacon up front. I tore the packages open like somebody who had only had a couple boiled eggs in a 40+ hour time period. The bacon jerky is good! I ate half of it, chewing slowly savoring the baconey goodness. The drive was pleasant and traffic had not reached the level it would Sunday and Monday as folks drove towards totality. I cut across a section of The Blue Ridge Parkway to enter The Smokies at Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Newton Bald Trail head is across from Smokemont Campground. I pulled into an empty parking area at the trailhead. All concerns about overcrowding gone.
There was a motorcycle rally in Maggie Valley and with the wonderful weather, I was not surprised by the heavy Bike traffic. I like checking out other people’s rides and the heavy rumble of motorcycle engines is a pleasing sound to me. I was able to appreciate a great number of bikes as I drove in and as I put on my backpack and got my walking stick out of the Jeep. I went down to the river and soaked my cool rag, placed it around my neck and then headed across the road to the trail head.
Newton Bald Trail gains around 3000 feet elevation in 4.7 miles where it intersects with Mingus Creek Trail. My initial plan was to hike to where Newton Bald ended at its intersection with Thomas Divide trail at 5.4 miles then hike back out. I got a little later start than I like when going 10+ miles, but I figured I could do it before dark.
The trail goes alongside Newfound Gap road for several 100 feet and I walked it watching the traffic go by seeing them and thinking about how they could not see me, they had no idea I was there. I was in the woods, a part of nature now, not an observer but an intimate of the Park. When the trail took a turn and began to climb I turned my back on the vehicles and sought to distance myself from their noise and smells.
I climbed, there is no other way to gain 3000 feet in elevation. You go up, straight up, switchback up, winding along the sides of mountains on inclines up, it’s all about the up and this trail offered a little of it all. And about an hour in I realized it probably wasn’t the best idea in the whole wide world to go on a punishing hike after a day of fasting, at least not for me. I tired quicker than I am used to. My legs felt a little weak as I pushed on. My wind was OK I just wasn’t my usual strong legs of steel self. At 2+ miles in I had my first Bear 🐻 encounter of the year.
I rounded a hill, crossed a wet weather seep and climbed towards another twist in the trail. 3 cubs loped across the trail and down the hill beside me where they scampered up a huge straight tree trunk towards the cover of the canopy above. One of the cubs stopped and looked over at me and we contemplated one another for what seemed like long moments. I thought about digging my iPhone out for a photo then had visions of those websites advertising last photo before tragedy strikes. There I was, the last picture on my phone the infamous selfie with a bear and then I saw Momma, she grunted and rolled her big body around and headed away from the tree full of cubs. I decided distance was my friend and headed on up the trail away from the cubs. I could hear Momma in the woods off to the other side and I called out making sure she could hear me as I put distance between myself and her family. As I used my little adrenaline rush to speed my steps, my back to the bear tree it suddenly struck me that I had BACON in my back pack…and everything tastes better with BACON! 😳
It took a little while before my legs said enough and I stopped for Gatorade and a rest. The rest of the climb then became one of pure stubbornness on my part. I stopped more to rest during the next 2.7 miles than I think I have since my first serious hike in 2013. Every time I stopped to rest I would think about just calling it and turning around and heading back down. But that is not what we do. I thought of Mom stubbornly climbing up the trail two weeks ago refusing a helping hand unless she just couldn’t lift her leg or push herself along. I didn’t drive to North Carolina to only get part of the way up the trail. I came to finish it, by golly and finish it I would. I made it to the trail intersection with Mingus Creek and it was after 4:00. I had gotten all the elevation gain I was going to. The last .7 mile runs Ridge line to meet Thomas Divide. I rested and called it good. I had gone from Mingus Creek up to Newton Bald then past the backcountry campsite a couple weeks ago. I was familiar with the rest of the trail and frankly, I felt so washed out and done in from the exertion of the climb I just decided to cut myself some slack. I snacked some on the Chex mix and drank Gatorade and let my heart rate level out. I had taken 4 hours to top out. I took a deep breath and headed back down. It took me 2.5 hours to get back to the Jeep. No sign of my forest mates on the return trip.
Every adventure has its own flavor and texture. No two outings are the same. The bear encounter was the highlight of the day. People ask me all the time what would you do if you met a bear out there all by yourself. They tell me they would be too scared like I am some kind of superhero or supernutcase…I never can decide as I explain that I don’t know what I would do. Kinda depends on what the bear does really. Best case scenario we look at each other as the curiosities we are and go our separate ways none the worse for wear. The moments the cub and I stared at each other in wonder and awe on my part are etched in my mind’s eye enriching my life with its memory. Fear is the enemy, my friends, not the bear.
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 