Devils fork trail - August 1st 2015

A trail blog after a long time. I have been meaning to start writing a travelogue for our escapades for a long time. It has been more than once that I have said to myself "OK, this is it, today when I get home after this trail I am going to start writing". Finally I have gotten around to doing it today. Hopefully I will be more persistent from now on.

Devil's fork trail was suggested by one of our friends. I had never heard about it so we googled it. The pictures seemed cool and the trail description enticed me as it mentioned several stream crossings. We were undecided till almost 11 am. Finally we decided to go and since it was just an hour's drive from Johnson City we thought we still had a good shot at the 7 mile loop trail. The drive from Johnson City to the trail was pretty with the panoramic landscape that we have gotten used to staying in this part of the country. We took I-26W and the US-23N towards Gate City, then got onto VA-72N towards Fort Blackmore  via VA-71N (E Jackson Street), turned left on State Rt 619 (Big Stoney Creek Road) which becomes High Knob Road and then finally turned on Forest Road 619 which ends at the Devil's fork trail head. As we approached the final dirt road towards the trail head parking we met a guy coming back who was kind enough to inform us that the parking was full at the trail head and so we were better off parking at the roadside and just hike in the last 0.4 miles which was the dirt road. For hikers planning to visit a useful tip is, it is OK to park along the road on the left side (along the stream) if the trail head parking is full. There are "no parking" signs on the right side of the road since this is private property. From what we saw this trail seems to get REALLY crowded during weekends.

As we parked we were still in two minds considering wether we should do the entire loop or just hike to the Devil's bathtub and back since it was already 2 pm. Finally after consultation with a friendly couple who had been on the trail before and were considering doing the loop too we decided to hike the full loop. So we started the hike at around 2.10 pm. The hike to the trailhead is not much and took us 5 mins, if that. There is a clear sign that directs you to the trailhead. As we were just about to start the trail we saw a family coming back from the trail and getting frustrated because people had parked cars all around their car so that it was impossible for them to get out. Poor guys, I hope they got out soon, people really need to be more considerate while parking in such tight spots. The trail-head is actually past the steel gate. After we passed the gate there was a sign which indicated the two directions in which the fork trail went.

We decided that we will complete the loop from west to east since that way we would complete most of the hike before we reach the Devil's bathtub for a dip. The trail was very well marked to our surprise since a lot of reviews we read mentioned that it was not well marked and was confusing at times. I think somebody has done a very good job at marking the trail blazes very recently as the yellow blaze is hard to miss as long as you are not paying attention at all. There are a few fallen trees along the first 1 - 1.5 miles of the trail which obscure the trail briefly so be careful to not be deterred by those. It is an easy scramble across the trees and the trail is pretty prominent after every fallen tree. This section of the trail can be strenuous for some, since it is pretty steep, almost a steady climb of around 900-1000 feet. About 1.5 miles in the trail we reached a fork where the Devil's Fork trail continued eastward and there was a spur for Straight fork ridge trail. The hike from here on is fairly easy. We encountered about 3 stream crossings till we reached Devil's bathtub from this side. The trail itself is very rewarding with a lot of green tunnels, tiny creeks and the occasional water holes on the way. We saw a pretty fall with a water hole just 0.5 miles before reaching the bath-tub.

The bath tub itself was refreshing. We reached the around 6 pm and so a lot of the crowds had left although there were still around 20 people hanging out. I am glad we decided to complete the loop first as I can only imagine how busy this place would have been in the afternoon. We spent around an hour in the area taking pictures, jumping in the tub and just looking around. The whole area is really pretty with the bath being the central attraction and 2-3 other waterhole around it. Personally I felt that the bathtub was a nice place to take a dip but if you wanted to swim or at least float around the other two swimming areas further down the trail are better. It is overall a nice area to hangout and one can easily make a picnic out of it just hiking the east side to the trail to the bath-tub. 

The trail back was short, albeit with several stream crossings. I had decided to count but lost count. I would agree with the general consensus that there were about 12 stream crossings, none of them really challenging and my feet got wet just once and that too probably because of my own clumsiness. I can imagine these crossings could be a little more tricky if there was much more water than there was today. It took us about 45 mins to hike from the bath tub to our car and we took our time enjoying the trail. The trail mileage was around 9 miles including the extra 0.5 miles hike from our car to the trail head. My assessment is, a normal hiker can complete this loop in 5 hours including ample time at the swimming holes. 

We also ended up making friends and exchanging contacts with the friendly couple we met at the start since they were with us for the most part. My respect for them increased immensely after I noticed that they had packed out a bag full of trash left by other visitors on their way out. Another unfortunate outcome of a trail being easily accessible to not-so-considerate people who like to be jerks on the trail.

Overall I think this is a very rewarding trail considering the proximity and accessibility from the tricities area. Definitely a must do if you live in the area. Check the following link for the gpx for the trail and the trail map.

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

- Koustubh

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.