For the last couple of years, I've been slowly knocking off sections of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, and I'm almost finished. That doesn't mean I can't hike sections in other states though. And so, when the Atlanta Outdoor Club posted the North Carolina section from Winding Stair Gap to Siler Bald, I thought it would give me a chance to dip my toes into that state's part of the pool.
In advance of the hike, I chatted with the organized and we agreed to meet at the trailhead. Though it's drive of a couple of hours I arrived a few minutes before the rest of the group. Unlike many of the Georgia sections I've hiked recently, this trailhead is along a major paved road, which is a nice change. Within a few minutes the rest of the group, eight of us in total, arrived and after a quick round of introductions, we headed across the highway and north along the AT.
Almost immediately, we were greeted by a small waterfall along Moore Creek. I was able to snap a couple of decent pictures as we crossed over the creek on along a single rail bridge, common to this area. From here, the trail gently ascended as it zigged and zagged in a generally northwestern direction. The trail here is much like that which I've hiked in Georgia - well maintained with a few roots and rocks, but nothing difficult.
The group maintained a strong pace and we chatted about various topics as we made our way through the woods. At just about the four-mile mark, we left the AT and headed up a muddy, overused spur trail through yellow grasses towards the summit of Silar Bald. I attempted to walk in the muddy central track so as to not widen the trail, as my Leave No Trace training would have me do. However, due to the softness of the ground and perhaps some recent precipitation, this track was very slippery and I found myself almost falling a couple of times. Reluctantly, I began walking on the grass on either side of the deep scar of a trail.
After roughly a quarter-mile, we reached the summit and were treated to some spectacular views. The combination of warmish temperatures and clear blue skies made the summit an ideal place for our lunch break. As I walked around, I found a stone tablet marking the elevation at 5,216 feet and used the flat surface to plant my rump while I enjoyed a peanut butter sandwich I had prepared this morning. It was very pleasant on top and we snapped a couple of group photos, before packing up and heading back the way we came.
The return trip was uneventful and we enjoyed more conversation and tales of other adventures, while the trail descended gently back towards our cars. When we got back, my GPS track indicated we had hiked right at 9.0 miles. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday and with our good pace, I'm back early enough to even get get home before dark.
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