10 May 2016, Tuesday
Today’s destination is Charlies Bunion, an 8.2 mile hike along the AT
beginning at Newfound Gap, right on the NC-TN border. We have a
delicious breakfast of potato cakes enhanced with cheddar cheese,
bacon jerky and dehydrated egg whites. It may not sound great, but it
is nicely browned and very tasty.
We drive over to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, stop there briefly, and then
head up Newfound Gap Road, which divides the park in half, cutting
from north to south. Along the road we encounter a traffic jam caused
by people abandoning their cars in the middle of the road so they can
photograph a poor, scared young black bear climbing in a tree. We
safely negotiate our way around the jumbled cars and continue up the
mountain.
We arrive at the trailhead for Charlies Bunion. It is a very large
parking area and is also the site of a Rockefeller memorial. The view
from the parking area is a worthwhile stop in its own right. Several
groups head up the trail towards Charlies Bunion, but most only make
it 1 or 2 miles before turning around. The first 1 ½ miles are at a
pretty steady upward grade. We walk on. The forest floor is a carpet
of spring beauty and bluets with interspersed trillium. The scent of
the woods is wonderful and the views into NC on our right and TN to
our left are of ridge after ridge of misty mountains fading into the
distance. As we approach our destination, a golden crowned kinglet
swoops past my knees, so close I can feel the brush of air from its
wings. It alights in a bush next to the trail, showing off its bright
yellow head.
We hike from 11:45 until 2:15 and finally reach the Bunion. Mother Nature is
going to have to take care of this surgery! The stark rocky
prominences remind us of Stac Pollaidh in Scotland. Very
uncharacteristically, I climb to the top of the rocks to admire the
view. We eat our lunch, chat with fellow hikers and watch juncos and
an occasional yellow warbler flutter in and out of the blooming
heath. It is cool, breezy, and beautiful, another “top of the world”
moment.
After awhile we head back down the trail, retracing our steps. I manage to
find three thru hikers willing to accept our last bags of Trader
Joe cookies. We pass a doe in the woods, more flowers, and more birds. We
stop at a supermarket on our drive back to Cosby Campground to buy
some apples, extra pasta and crackers. As we return to our car, a
brilliant rainbow glows over the ridges. It persists for the entire
20 mile drive back to camp.
Dinner and dishes are finished late. We both journal by lantern light, which
is unfortunately attracting a myriad of annoying gnats. Time to head
for the tent. We will have to pack for our backpacking trip in the
morning.