Linville Falls and Linville Gorge

Linville Falls is a town and a waterfall, about an hour Northeast of Old Fort. It is reportedly the most photographed waterfalls in North Carolina, though I thought Catawba Falls and Hickory Nut Falls were more impressive. Linville Gorge, however, earns its moniker as "Grand Canyon of North Carolina".

Linville Gorge, from Hawksbill Trail

Linville Gorge is one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern US and is a designated wilderness area of North Carolina. Elevation ranges from 2000 feet at the Linville River to 4000 feet atop Hawksbill Mountain, which is the trail I started the day with.

Trailheads can be found on both sides of the Gorge, and Hawksbill is on the Eastern side a few miles down a bumpy, unpaved, gravel road. The vision of Linville Gorge in my mind was one of open grass, an amalgamation of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area (from two weeks ago) and what I can imagine the Grand Canyon might be like if it were green. But instead it is heavily forested (it is part of the Pisgah National Forest after all), and the perfectly clear, sunny day would go to waste.

Hawksbill Trail, starting to ascend

I didn't know much about the Hawksbill Trail before I started, well nothing really except that I was promised a nice view. For much of the beginning it was rocky and climbed very slowly, somewhat dull. Once it picked up though, the trail steeply ascended through a bright spot of sparse trees and my tummy warmed with exertion.

Pseudo-rock climbing

I had to tuck away my camera and water so I could use both hands to climb, clawing roots and mounting big boulders. During moments like these, I wonder what it must feel like to be a 12-year-old boy, when Twainian adventure is king (as an English major I reserve the right to make up words, especially when they relate to authors of classic literature).

Beautiful!

After a short while I saw a spur off to the left. I typically refrain from these but this one had bright light at the end so I naturally moved toward it. It was a good thing I did because it was the only breathtaking view I saw all day. It was, of course, the Linville Gorge, in its entirety and one of the most spectacular things I've seen so far.

Steeper than it looks here --  had to turn around

I continued along the trail and it soon became nearly unclimbable. The slope had roots for footing and handling, but it was at such a grade I was sliding a bit with every step. The trail is unmarked, but I never saw an alternative path that looked viable. This had to be it (I think) but I just couldn't do it. Visions of broken body parts danced in my brain so I slid back down on my butt.

Runners feel great shame in uncompleted runs and races. We will slog along so slowly that we might as well be walking, but we will not quit. My runner brain was pissed off and ashamed, so I had to tell myself the rest of the way back that I was not on the trail, that I had missed a turn off somewhere. 

About half way down the return is a trail head for another trail, one that I didn't know anything about but decided to try it anyway. I had one more trail planned before heading over to Linville Falls, but I had plenty of time. The trail descended down the Gorge, and it quickly grew dull. All down, all trees. Of course I knew I had a nice climb ahead of me, but since there could be no rewarding views at the bottom, I was getting impatient. A hiker passed from the other direction and assured me it was worth the time, so I continued. Down, down, down. After a mile I turned around. So far I was 0-2, not a good day.

The climb back up the Gorge was a mile straight uphill, at a decent grade, which I didn't realize on the way down because it was pretty easy. By the time I reached the top I was drenched in sweat, from hair to shorts. If nothing else, I had a good workout this morning.

When I returned to the parking lot, three guys I had passed on the way down the Gorge were chatting. When I told them I didn't make it all the way down, they said I missed a stunning view (of what?). They also assured me I missed the climax of the Hawksbill Trail, a rock with 360 degree views.

After driving another five miles down the unpaved road at 15-20 miles per hour I couldn't find the second trailhead and my frustration grew after a near-collision on the single-lane road. Screw it, I turned around and drove back to the Linville Falls parking area to begin the second half of the day.

Linville Falls

At this point I was tired and agitated. I knew the trails at the Falls would be easy and crowded but the people were driving me nuts anyway. Having Katie along can be a mixed bag of companionship from her and fellow hikers, the latter of which can be tiresome. The thing about a beagle is that everybody has one or had one and they make sure to tell you about it. And children, as cute as they can be, must pet every dog they see. This process can lengthen a hike by 50%.

Me & Katie at the Upper Falls

To pile it on, the trails were merely wood-chip sidewalks and still people complained about how much walking they had to do. One man decided he would sit in the car and wait for his family before seeing anything more than the restrooms, and I silently applauded him. A great thing about being alone is that you can leave whenever you want, and I wanted.

Lower Falls