Dolly Sods

Dolly Sods (WV)
7/30 - 8/2/23 (3 nights)
2023 Bag Nights: 10

CalTopo says about 27 miles and 3000' of elevation

Book: The City and The City by China Miéville (I clicked on the wrong title on my Kindle and decided that maybe I was "supposed" to read this book on this trip. Ended up being an awesome backpacking book. Slightly weird and highly recommended.)

My wife took the kids for the annual grndparents visit. Normally, I would have headed for the Sierra, but I had a trip planned for Yellowstone in another week. So what to do while I'm home alone? Haven't been to the Dolly Sods in a while.

I started at the Red Creek Trailhead about 3pm with the idea of a couple miles to camp. I had never been up the Little Stonecoal Run Trail, so that sounded like a good way to start. All of the trails from Red Creek gain a lot of elevation, some of them do it all in a short distance. The Little Stonecoal gains about 1000' in about 1.5 miles, so a good start to the trip. 

Crossing Red Creek on a beautiful day

I had a pretty good idea where I was aiming for the first nights camp and a couple hours later, I was there. 

Night 1 camp

Remains from logging

Camp visitor

Stonecoal Run

Some reflections in the creek ...

... and clouds in the sky

More reflections

Next morning, heading north

Large beaver dam on the edge of the trail, no signs of the builders

Near a favorite lunch spot overlooking Canaan Valley

Along Dobbin Grade Trail, this lake wasn't hear the last time I passed through ...

... The beavers have been working. Someone has routed the trail across the top

I followed a new to me user trail up the ridge to a dry camp and then fetched water down the hill. 

Night 2 camp

I was hoping for a nice sunset, but the lack of clouds made it not very photogenic

The next morning was very hazy, but I did not think too much about it. 

Canaan Valley

Blueberries

Cabin Mountain

Very hazy, a little weird

Old road around Dobbin Slashings

Back on the Dobbin Grade Trail and a little bit of mud

Dobbin Grade Trail has lots of stretches like this

Night 3 camp above Upper Red Creek

About this point I realized that the haze was smoke, probably from Canadian wildfires, maybe a good sunset?

Way to hazy for a nice sunset, the sun just sort of disappeared as it got close to the ridge. 

Next day back to the car and then drive home and get ready for Yellowstone

Lakeshore Trail - Smokies

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Trailhead: Fontana Dam
5/26 - 5/31/23 (5 nights)
2023 Bag Nights: 6

Lakeshore Trail => Bear Creek Trail => High Rocks => Cold Spring Gap Trail => Hazel Creek Trail => Lakeshore Trail
Sites: 86, 98, 75, 83, 90
Caltopo says 64 miles and 11,000' elevation
Book: I Am Legend (Richard Matheson) & Artemis (Andy Weir)

I planned this trip to finally come down Eagle Creek (been on my todo list for multiple years). but my legs weren't up to the climb up to the ridge and then down again. I ended up modifying along the way.

Day 1:Start by walking across Fontana Dam to the beginning of the Lakeshore Trail

Mountain Laurel blooms everywhere

History remnants 

Fontana Lake through the trees

I hate snakes

Deer are ok

Fontana Lake near Eagle Creek. I saw a snake in the water, two snakes in a couple of hours, not good.

Bridge over Eagle Creek

Eagle Creek

More history

Calhoun House on Hazel Creek

I got to Site 86 (Proctor) and all of the sites near fire rings were taken (about 10 people total). I didn't want to crash anyone's party and I didn't care about a fire. Two guys saw me poking around and said I could set up near them. They turned in early and I never talked to them again. 

I walked down the trail/road to the lake and then back to camp and bed

Day 2: Lakeshore Trail and cemeteries 

First thing in the morning as I'm hiking along, there was a crash and I looked up and saw a bear standing up trying to figure out what I was was. I tried pulling out my cell phone but he ran too fast. 1st bear of the trip. I ended up seeing a couple more along the Lakeshore trail over the next couple of days. 

A little while later, I took a short side trip to check out Fairview Cemetery, there is a trail down to the lake

The Cable name is all over the area. I'm always sad seeing the kids graves, can't imagine both twins dying in two weeks.

Fairview Cemetery

The first day I met a guy who had spent the day in his boat driving the lake to put flags on all the veteran's graves (Memorial Day was coming up).

An unnamed cemetery with 5 graves but no grave stones.

And another unnamed place with two children's graves

Way better than snakes

Site 98 (Chambers Creek). There were a couple dads and kids who had boated over. They had setup close to the lake while I was in the "official" site so I did not interact with them other than to say hello. 

Day 3: Lakeshore Trail to Forney Creek to Bear Creek Trail

Humongous fungus 

McClure Cementery

Forney Creek embayment

Forney Creek

Site 75 (Poplar Flats)

I got to the campsite and there were three guys setting up. I found a place off to the side and then relaxed near the fire ring. One of the guys was ready for a fire (saw, nice knife for batoning, firestarter). They seemed a little suspicious of me until I volunteered to take a turn sawing logs. We ended up chatting for a couple of hours and they were happy to share their party. They all worked together in Alabama and had been doing an annual trip to the park for the last couple of years. As it started getting dark a mom and dad and a young teenager rolled in, after setting up camp they joined us around the fire for a bit. Ended up being an entertaining night. 

Old logging history

Big trees

Day 4: Bear Creek Trail, High Rocks, Cold Spring Gap Trail, Hazel Creek Trail

Old steps to the firetower on High Rocks. I ran into the parents/kid from the night before as I was heading up the side trail. They said the view was great. 

Nice view with Fontana Lake down below. Great place for lunch.

Old desk chair and a foundation stone for the firetower

Remains of the cabin

Along the Cold Spring Branch. The trail is a little wet in places, a month earlier it would be impossible to keep your feet dry. 

Down to Hazel Creek, these signs usually mean there is a cemetery somewhere

Wilson Cemetery (only a couple graves)

Camp Site 83 (Bone Valley). I got set up away from the one tent that was already there, not a problem since it is a huge site. It turned out the tent was the family from the night before. 

Someone really wanted to avoid siting on the ground. It actually was pretty comfortable with my sit pad. I ended up sharing a campfire with the family and told them a little bit about the park since this was their first trip. 

Hazel Creek

Before campfire time I hiked up to the Bone Valley Cemetery

I stirred up this mouse from under some leaves, scared us both, he ran out and then immediately froze

Not everyone died young

Made it through WW1 and then died a couple years later

Day 5: Bone Valley, Hazel Creek, Lakeshore Trail

Hall Cabin at the end of the Bone Valley Trail

100 years old

Bridge over Hazel Creek

Bridge near Proctor

Site 90 There was gear spread all over the area (and it is a large space). I thought there were a couple large groups but it ended up being a guided trip (two sets of mom/dad/kid and one guide) that had paddled over from the marina. The seven of them had managed to take up space for about 15 people. There was one other solo hiker who was setting up his tent but I never saw him again, must have gone to sleep at 7pm. 

Fontana Lake/Eagle Creek embayment

Can't really tell, but the shadow in the middle is a bear running away (5th bear of the trip)

Back to the car and the drive home. I was thinking how good a beer would be and then I saw a sign for Fontana Village that said "Cold Beer" and my lunch stop was decided. Damn good beer. 

Pretty good pulled pork with great home made potato chips

I ended up seeing people everyday which usually annoys me (especially along the Lakeshore Trail where there are usually fewer people) but this time it was nice talking to some people and everyone I encountered was very nice. 

Got to finally see High Rocks, but still need to do Eagle Creek. All in all, a great trip.