| Date |
Distance |
Time |
Elevation Gain |
Average Moving Time |
Year to Date Miles |
| 2/21/2022 |
2.6 miles |
1 hour 30 minutes |
417' |
1.9 mph |
108.5 |
Parking: Garenflo Gap
Maps:
- Figure 8 loop hike on the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Trail
Carolina Mountain Club Challenges
We woke up feeling stiff and sore after 2 days of hiking. But the weather was nice today! We decided to do some recovery hiking. We chose 2 short hikes which are a bit of a drive away. The first one is the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. On our drive I was lamenting about how grey and dull February is. It's always been my least favorite month. I've read that this hike is loaded with wildflowers in the spring. Well, we did find some yellow violets on our hike! And I was hiking without a jacket on today! I still can't wait until things start to turn green. This was a lovely old growth forest, preserved in memory of the poet, Joyce Kilmer. The trees are gorgeous, though there are other highlights as well. Krummholz liked the streams. We also found some pretty fungi. The forest had a lot of moss, ferns, and rhododendrons, so was a pretty green trail for a winter hike. We couldn't finish the figure 8 of this hike, as part of the trail is closed. So, we'll have to come back in another season. Maybe in April or May when we need another recovery day.
Our second hike we planned was close by - Huckleberry Knob. I'm a sucker for a bald! As we drove, we could see blue mountain views, but the skies looked like rain. We knew it was going to rain tonight or tomorrow, but figured we'd be fine. As we got close to the summit, it did start to sprinkle. That's okay - we can hike in the rain. But then we became socked in by clouds rolling across the road. We realized when we got to the parking area that we wouldn't be able to see a thing from the summit. It wasn't worth it to hike up just for the exercise, as we were tired. So, we turned around and headed home. Next time, hopefully we'll get a sunnier day.
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The beginning of the hike is next to a stream
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Lots of greenery
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Plaque between the two loops
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Closed off section
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Many of the larger trees only had branches at the top.
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The treetops remind me of neurons
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Looking at the bottom of fungi
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And looking at the top
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Deeply grooved bark
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