Laurel Fork falls trail - 31st April 2015

Laurel fork falls is one of the trails that has been on the bucket list since we moved to the tricities area. But for some reason or the other we had not gotten around to doing it. It is one of those things that is so easily done,that you just keep saying that you will do it but you never do, because it can be so easily done. (phew that was a complicated sentence).  Anyway we finally decided to do it this Friday. It is a not-so-far 45 minute drive through Elizabethton and the sleepy town of Hampton.There are two routes to reach the falls. From the North side the falls can be reached by the 5.5 mile Hampton Blueline / Laurel Falls trail combined with Appalachian trail. The trail head for this route is along TN-67 E / US-321 S just past Hampton downtown. The other much shorter, around 2 miles, route is from Dennis cove via the Appalachian trail northbound. To get to the trail head turn right on TN-67E/ US 321 S towards Dennis Cove and drive for around 3.5 miles to reach the trail head on the left. Since we reached Hampton around 3 pm we decided to take the shorter route so that we could enjoy the falls without worrying much about getting back on the trail.

The trail itself is very relaxed. Once we started following the trail in about 1 mile we reached a fork. The falls can be reached by both trails at the fork. The trail at the right is the high water trail which we chose to take. This trail passes along a shelter and has a fork immediately after the shelter. Be careful not to take the spur on the right as that is not the trail but only leads to a small stream and a dead end. Once we went down the left side there is a trail marker which indicates the falls are on the left (via the low water trail) and the North bound Appalachian trail on the right. We continued on this trail for around 15 mins to reach the falls. There was a minor confusion as at one point as we hit a dead end on our way. But after a helpful fellow hiker showed us the way around a few rocks / stream crossing we were back on the trail.

The falls are pretty and relaxing. There was not much of a swimming area as  the water seemed to be shallow but I can imagine this to be a nice swimming area when the water levels are higher. We had a good time relaxing and taking some pictures. The crowd was not much so we could enjoy the quiet time. The hike back was quick as we completed the loop by coming back via the low water trail. This is a easy hike and can be completed within 2-3 hours based on how much time you spend at the falls. We were planning to have a look at the twisting falls which are about 40 mins away from Dennis Cove after this hike, but that was not to be as we reached a little later than we would have liked to. So that's a story for another day and hopefully the day will come sooner than later :)

Please check the following link for the hike gpx and stats.

https://www.gaiagps.com/public/Ma5XHt0gQDZfXh6wqkvRiLjA//

-Koustubh

Mt St Helen via Monitor ridge - 4th June 2015

I completed the Mt St Helen trail via monitor ridge route starting from Climbers Bivouac today. It was a damp and disappointing start as I was driving up to the trail head since it was very foggy and the visibility was low. But once I reached the trail head my spirits were brightened by the cheerful hikers around. It took me around 6.5 hours round trip (including one hour at the top). 3 hours 15 mins to climb and 2 hours 20 mins for the descent. Good news is, the trail was in fantastic shape. Although the visibility was low sometimes due to fog I had not difficulties navigating the trail. I did not encounter any rain or snowfall on the trail. No ice/snow on the trail until the very last patch very close to the summit. I had to cross a snow patch of about 20 feet very close to the summit but it was very firm and not dangerous at all. The summit of course was snow capped so had to walk through ice, but there are markers on the summit indicating what areas are good to walk and what areas might have a cornice.

This hike is strenuous but certainly not dangerous. I will say though that the hike is not for the weak of heart (literally and figuratively), particularly the second half after you reach the 4800 feet marker. The first two miles are a breeze until you reach the boulder fields. It took me about 45 mins to reach the boulder fields on the way up. Boulder fields are more like boulder mountain. You climb pretty much the next 2 miles through rocks where it is a combination of scrambling and some pushing up your body with your shoulder / hiking poles. The last section is deceptive as you keep seeing the peak but it takes much more time walking through the sand than you think it would take. The trail is very well marked and if you don't see a trail marker every 5 minutes you are most likely on the wrong route

The view at the summit was gorgeous. Unfortunately it was a foggy day so I couldn't see too far. But I waited long enough for the clouds to clear a few times to reveal the crater as well as the view of the glacier and mountain that I had climbed. All in all it was a nice trail and certainly can be done by anyone with intermediate hiking skills and a drive to keep going. Hiking poles are an absolute must have and help immensely on the hike. Apart from that another useful thing to have maybe a ski jacket and ski pants. These are not necessary for the hike itself but if you like you can slide down the glacier on your way down to shorten the hike time and have some fun in the process. I saw a lot of people do it and seemed like fun and safe. I did not bring my ski clothes so I could not partake unfortunately.