September 29, 2023: Walking with Bartram from Lake Nantahala to Appletree Campground
Chris Tranchina
Published
Oct. 2, 2023
We had a great hike, great weather, plenty of wildflowers and mushrooms along the trail, and a fantastic group to share this adventure with.
Brent Martin started the morning with a reading of Bartram poetry and with some new hikers joining the group for this section, we did a quick round of introductions, recalling a fun memory from our childhood!
This section starts with a short 1/4-mile roadwalk on the shoulder, which is not ideal, but there’s not much in the way of alternate routes. This is one road walk that we just embrace. A few more signs of civilization and the past are taken in before we hike into the woods.
As we drop off the road and into the forest, the experience shifts to a more tranquil pace as we begin to notice the wildflowers, mushroom, and other flora along the path. Pinesap, blue fungus fruiting, jack in the pulpits going to seed, and the iconic rhododendron tunnels are some of the welcomed sights.
This is a unique section, traversing Lake Nantahala’s dam and old riverbed. Signs of the efforts by Duke Energy to warn hikers of the dangers of the valley during water releases join the wildflowers. Pools of still water and trickles of the remaining flow of the Nantahala River reflect our surroundings. Most of the river is now diverted through the series of pipelines that generate energy as well as regulate flow for the commercial rafting and kayaking operations.
If anyone knows the story behind the quarry/swimming hole just above the Highwater Trail crossing, we’d love to learn more about it. Send us an email at info@blueridgebartram.org or comment below.
We’ll continue our journey, section by section, until we reach Cheoah Bald. It looks like we’ll get this round of section hikes completed by the end of November.
If you would like to join us on these final sections, check out our Events page for details on all our currently scheduled hikes, volunteer activities, and other outings.
Hike Participants
- Starlett Henderson
- Michelle Stephens
- Sharon Mandel
- Karen Lawrence
- Jill Osborne
- Angela Faye Martin
- Jana Plemmons
- Patrick McLaughlin
- Susie McNeely
- Tom Claiborne
- Ruth Claiborne
- Karen Wallace
- Noryce Burgey
- Chris Tranchina
- Brent Martin
