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| On top of Hemphill Bald |
Amy and I both had a busy fall, with Amy transitioning into
her new library position at Newberry College, and me grappling with the demands
of classes and extracurriculars at USC. However, each of us continued to work
on the book in the time we could find, striving to have almost everything
complete by the end of the year. We reserved the weekend of October 12th
to do our final, and perhaps most anticipated, hike: an 8.2-mile round trip to Hemphill
Bald and back. This post is a couple of months overdue, but the collection of
stories in this blog would not be done justice if this last experience was not
included. As always, it was unique and beyond words.
Beyond Amy’s and my wildest expectations (and most USC
students’ expectations), the government was still shutdown when the weekend of
October 12th came around. Our anticipated hike to Hemphill Bald was
a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We decided to go anyways and
just park the car outside of the gate. I still don’t know if this was legal or
illegal, but I do know that nobody was there to enforce the “facility is
closed” label. In fact, we ran into more fellow hikers on this hike than we did
on any other hike of the entire project.
Amy and I arrived at the gate around 10:30 am. It was a
crisp autumn morning on this 5000-foot mountain overlooking the local
communities of Maggie Valley, NC. This was sweatshirt-beckoning weather, a
welcoming contrast from the never-ending 80° Columbia summer.
Not far into the hike, we came upon the first major point of
interest: a beautiful mountain house sitting upon a grassy knoll in the
distance. Once the summer home of two generous mountain lovers, it is now the
Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, a national public research
facility that was included in the 535-acre donation by its owners, Kathryn
McNeil and Voit Gilmore, to the National Park in 2000. What a wonderful gift!
The Learning Center was closed due to the shutdown, but normally it is open to
the public.
Amy and I continued our hike on a relatively level trail,
red and yellow leaves crunching beneath our feet. The trail, aptly named Cataloochee
Divide Trail, traversed high along the Cataloochee ridgeline, which resembled a
natural bridge connecting two grand mountains-there were great views off both
sides.At one point along this stretch, we remarkably found a hidden
piece of paradise, tucked away from the trail on a small nook in the mountain. I was overcome with imagination of what it would be like to
wake up every morning and spend just 15 minutes in this spot drinking my
coffee. There was something special about this place, and Amy and I could feel
it.
We eventually had to pull our bodies away from the
ever-relaxing paradise chairs and return our minds to the ultimate destination
of the hike, Hemphill Bald. We continued along the forested Cataloochee ridgeline
for about another mile before we started thinking about lunch. The timing of
our hunger could not have been planned any better; we arrived at the Swag
County Inn, a luxury mountain inn bordering the National Park and overlooking
the valleys below. The Inn and its viewing grounds were private facilities, but
fortunately for us, the gate was open for visiting hikers. Amy and I sat down
and had lunch at this rare piece of civilization in the wilderness. We enjoyed
the company of several of the Inn’s guests, including a Clemson fan who refrained
from talking about his school and opted for expressing his admiration of the
views.
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| View from the Swag Country Inn |
Lunch left us with a renewed energy. We were in the
homestretch. In less than a mile, Amy and I arrived at Double Gap, the base of
the magnificent grassy façade, Hemphill Bald. From here it would be a short,
steep trek to the top. Before beginning this last push, we ran into a pair of
Gamecock fans (one of whom worked in USC’s admissions office), and we exchanged
the great news of USC’s triumph over Arkansas in the day’s football game. With
an extra pep in our step, we made it to the top of the 5,550-foot summit in a
matter of minutes.
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| Double Gap |
Once again, I am at a loss for words to describe the
sensations I felt atop Hemphill Bald. I walked along the crest of the grassy
façade, eager to take in every angle, every color, and every view that could be
given. The autumn colors brilliantly enhanced the atmosphere. Pictures can only
come so close to depicting the actual experience, but in this case, they are
better than words.
Amy and I sat in the grass for a long time and, as usual,
tried to take it all in while momentarily forgetting the trivial stresses of
life, such as the thought of having to eventually leave this place. In the
spirit of Bob Dylan and my Echoes in Blues class at USC, I had brought my
harmonica along, and I played “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Amazing Grace” on top
of the bald. Never will I do another hike without bringing the ol’ tin sandwich
along. 
Amy and I took the adventurous route back to Double Gap. We
went straight down the side of the grassy bald rather than taking the trail
that wound through the forest. Strewn across the bald were reckless markings
that, without a doubt, were caused by the infamous wild boar perpetrators,
known to roam the area.
Amy and I made it back to the car at the fringes of dusk,
exhausted. Neither of us had ever been to Papas and Beer Mexican Restaurant in
Hendersonville, NC, but we had heard raving reviews and knew that we had to
keep the excellent-food-streak alive; it was a given.
We pulled into the restaurant at 8 pm and were immediately
caught off guard by the 20-person crowd waiting outside. Our stomachs were
teeming-was it worth the wait? We gave it a go, and miraculously, got seated at
a 2-person table without having to wait.
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| Mine |
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| Amy's |
The bean-based dip was unlike any dip I had ever had, and it
was absolutely amazing. My main dish, which was some sort of burrito, was undoubtedly
the best Mexican food I have ever had. Amy’s looked even better. After our
meal, we stayed and watched the quadruple-overtime Penn State-Michigan game on
t.v., one of the most thrilling games, I think, in the history of college football.
Somehow the day’s experiences exceeded anything I could have dreamed about and
cultivated the same surreal sense of wonder and awe that I felt during every
other hike. The grassy balds will keep bringing me back for new adventures.
I will definitely post again with a summary of this project,
information on the book, and prospects for the future!
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