Trip Report: Joyce Kilmer Round DOS

Imagine my surprise when I tell Blake the backpacking trip he's agreed to come along on is back to Joyce Kilmer and his response is, "Ok."

That's right. I used my womanly charms to somehow convince him to step back into the Joyce wilderness.

Liz and I had been planning another trip for a short while. Always in the back of our minds was to return to Joyce Kilmer and "do it right." Once we became serious about planning it seemed the only logical choice. Let's go kick its butt this time!

The new plan: let's do the first trip backwards since we will now (in theory) know which trail to take out. Liz suggested taking Jenkins Meadow Trail out since we'd already done Naked Ground Trail. Then we could check off another of the wilderness trails from the list. Also, let's bring Amber!

We'd leave a car at the Jenkins Meadow trailhead and drive up to start at Haoe Lead trailhead. We'd follow Haoe Lead for a mile or so and then hop onto Deep Creek Trail. We'd summit around 4 or 5 PM and find a spot to camp. Then we'd check out the Hangover. The next day we'd hike over to Naked Ground and set up camp. Then we'd go out to Bob Stratton Bald without our cumbersome packs. Day 3 we'd head out of the wilderness down Jenkins Meadow and on to Asheville for pizza and brews.

Really? You want to go back? OK!

A 4 to 5 PM summit is difficult when you get on the trail at 3PM. But we're all happy to be laced up, loaded up, and hiking up because the weather is beautiful. You can't beat a mere 80 degrees for an August backpacking trip. Liz starts her hike armed with a road soda and a spider web whacking stick since she's in the lead. As with most trips I've taken with Liz, there are almost as many dogs as there are humans. Lego, Masi, and Jandro are all packed down and ready for adventure also.

Jandro is so ready for adventure. Liz falls on some slick rocks and he comes back to "check on her" by stealing her spider whacking stick and running away. Many laughs were had. Then the laughs turn into yells as we realize we haven't seen him in awhile. With the rain beginning to pour, Blake and Amber de-pack and head back down the trail to look for him. Liz and I stand still as a point of reference. Within 10 minutes we hear him come bounding down the trail behind us...with no pack. We can only assume he had gotten wedged in something and had to slip out. Lego and Masi grudgingly offer portions of their food for the next 3 days.

Here's a pro tip: always check your gear before you leave for a trip. Blake and I did NOT do this and found that our water pump was not working while we were on the trail. Thankfully we always bring iodine tablets. And you should, too.

The trail is right gorgeous and pretty similar to Naked Ground in terms of difficulty. The beginning sections mix slight grades with moderate pulls. And closer to the summit (relatively) the tougher sections beat your quads. But oh, is it worth it. We turned right at the summit to head toward the Hangover and find a place to camp. We drop our packs and Liz and Amber go on to check for other sites. That last thing I hear from them is, "OH WOW!" and mumbled excitement. They had found the Hangover.

Never have I been so rewarded for working so hard. As the sun set behind the ranges, the shadows in the valleys grew. You could see it all. Stunning.

Being that it was 8 or later we needed to set up camp and cook dinner. Amber won camp chef for this trip as she brought hobo meals and eggs that all smelled delicious. We hung the bear bags and extinguished the fire. Once situated in our tents I noticed something haunting. SILENCE. Absolute stillness all around us. No wind. No bugs. No critters. It was eery. Of course I didn't sleep well. A few times I had dreams a bear was attacking us. Those sucked. But dawn came and 4 humans and 3 dogs emerged from tents unscathed.

Sunrise at Hangover is a must. So we trundled out and I had a morning brewskie. Liz sipped on her wine. A nice way to start the day. Liz goes off to pick blackberies we saw the day before down the trail. She comes back with teeny, delicious berries and a bumble bee sting for her efforts. Breakfast was made and then we all went back to the Hangover to just sit and watch the clouds roll over the valley below us.

Sunrise at Hangover

Around noon we decided it was time to pack up and head to Naked Ground. We met a guy headed the opposite way and told him he should camp where we had the night before. Fifty minutes after leaving the Hangover we arrive in a familiar flat spot...

"OH! This is Naked Ground!" It was almost unrecognizable with all the greenery. We set up camp and ate some snacks. Then decided to head to Bob Stratton Bald.

View from campsite at Naked Ground - lots more foliage this time!

It wouldn't be a proper backpacking trip if we didn't take a wrong turn. At the junction we went right. We should have gone left. The bumble bees are out enjoying their day when 4 humans and 3 dogs come crashing their party. Liz is stung 3 more times near her tookus. And, for the first time in his outdoorsy life, Blake is stung by a bumble bee. Everyone rejoiced for him as he is now able to be tested to see if he is allergic. HOORAY?

It's a little hot, and with the growing number of angry bumble bees we're all done with hiking. We get back to camp and laze about the rest of the afternoon. It was glorious! This is the kinda backpacking I think I'm REALLY into. Hike in and then laze about for a few days. Blake goes to bed early, but the ladies stay up and chat about what I imagine most women chat about: farts, drinking, and dudes. At least the women I like to hang out with.

As in the first time we stayed in Naked Ground, this night greets us with howling wind that rolls up the mountainside. But being as tired as I am, sleep comes quickly and easily. I wake up feeling more refreshed and craving pizza and beer.

More Hangover!

We pack up and head back down Haoe Lead Trail. We reached the Jenkins Meadow Trail junction and start our descent. We appreciate the new signage the volunteer group has spent hours and hours installing. We're feeling pretty good and the trail is nice. A few times we question which trail is the actual trail, but the detailed guidebook never fails us. This trail gets a little hairy at times. Not in the "I'm going to fall off this mountain," kind. But the rhodo-hell kind. A classic Class I Rhodo-hell lasts for what seems like miles. We'd pop in and out of the rhodo-hell, but it's still tough going for most of the time.

There's also tons of poop on the trail. Tons. Liz frequently calls back, "Briers on the left! Poop on the right! Poop on the left! Briers....everywhere!"

After a few hours of hiking and poo dodging we begin to hear the rushing sound of water. We're all a little giddy because it means we can de-pack and rinse off. AND get our beers we've left in the car. Once we reach Amber's truck we pack into the bed and head up to get my car. We get back down to the stream and have the most glorious stream rinse off I've ever had. The beers were ok...kinda warm...but still a nice reward! Amber needs to get back early, but the rest of us are so intent on beer and pizza in Asheville we decide to part ways soon after our dip.

Mission Accomplished!

And thus ends a very successful 3 day, 2 night trip into the Joyce Kilmer wilderness. We've figured out the best combo of hiking trails and have some favorite hiking spots. And we know which trail never to take ever again. Our next NC adventure will hopefully be this fall in a new location. But Joyce Kilmer will be a special place that I'll always be willing to return to.

One last Hangover sunrise