V6E16 - The Wonders of Southern Appalachia

It was very much a coincidence that I passed through the idyllic, North Georgia small-town of Dahlonega  during their annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival . Legend has it that a family of bears wandered into the town square in 1996 and caused quite a commotion within the community. This event brought folks together in the street, and inspired an annual festival that celebrates Appalachian music, art, and storytelling. That Saturday, April 27th, 2019, was a picture-perfect day. The sky was blue, the trees were green, and the temperature hovered around the mid-70s. The streets were lined with vendors, food stands, and countless musicians playing stringed instruments. People were milling about everywhere, all beaming with small-town pride as they immersed themselves in the festivities. The atmosphere was infectious as I wandered in-and-out of stores, tents, and restaurants. I was reluctant to leave, but it was getting late in the day, and there was adventure to be had…   The Gnarly Road After stocking up on groceries in Dahlonega, I traveled northeast, into Chattahoochee National Forest  toward a concentration of forest roads that I identified on GAIA GPS . This is what I do - I study the map, looking for roads that pass through the wilderness en route to some unknown destination. I consider how far they are from nearby towns, cities, and private land. I examine the contours of the terrain, and look for nearby streams and other geographical features. I also consider the likelihood of finding safe, interesting places to camp in the area. As soon as I turned off pavement, and onto the gravel forest road, I encountered a line of Jeeps whose drivers were seemingly staging for a stroll through the forest. This was a good sign that I had set off to explore the right place! For miles, the forest road was smooth and well-maintained. However, after a junction near the summit, it deteriorated into a very rough, primitive two-track with some technical sections consisting of ledges and varied terrain that would pose a challenge for a stock 4x4. The Jeep negotiated the twisting terrain and an errant mud-hole without much ado. It was a colorful route, both in terms of scenery and terrain, and a unique discovery, as most forest roads in this region are well-groomed!   Truck-Lite Hack My Truck-Lite LED  headlights had been installed for roughly five months, and while I’ve been quite fond of their performance, I’ve found that they do not seat firmly in the factory Jeep JK headlamp bezels. While they don’t move freely or rattle, they might shift slightly after hitting a bump or while traveling down a washboard road. As I passed through Hiawassee, Georgia, just south of the North Carolina border, I stopped at the local hardware store to try to resolve the issue. The main problem, in my case, was that the tightened bezel was deeper than the rim of the lamp itself, so it was my hope that I could find some thin tubing to wrap around the light to close the gap. What I found was Stihl .130” trimmer wire , which one would normally use to trim grass and weeds around posts and curbs. This .130” diameter wire looked nearly perfect for my needs, although I didn’t quite need 22’ of it, it was only $5.00 for a roll. Once I was outside in the parking lot, I removed the headlights and wrapped each with roughly one foot of trimmer wire, and replaced the bezel. This secured the headlights nicely, yielding a much better fit. Though this wasn’t necessary in my case, wrapping the perimeter of the Truck-Lite LED with electric tape might also improve fitment.   Chasing Waterfalls Jaw-dropping waterfalls are abundant in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Now in North Carolina, I was exploring Nantahala National Forest , when I passed a hiking trailhead for Big Laurel Falls. Glancing quickly at my GPS, I saw that it was roughly a ¾ mile hike to the falls, which would be fairly quick and grant me plenty of time to find a place to camp afterward. The trail crossed a rustic wooden bridge and wound its way through the laurels before emerging at a tall, cascading waterfall with a moderately-deep pool at its base. I seized the opportunity to take a refreshing dip!   AT Camp Following my short hike, I continued driving up the mountain to where the forest road intersected with the Appalachian Trail . There, among the laurels, I found a small clearing with a fire ring directly alongside the popular hiking trail. It was a great place to set up camp for a couple of nights. I settled in by deploying my Ursa Minor J30  camper and ARB 2500 Awning , and immediately crafted a sign using a marker and a brown paper bag, which I then placed along the AT. Within minutes, a total of six thru-hikers showed up, with whom I shared some refreshing IPAs and exchanged stories. This isn’t the first time that I’ve invited thru-hikers for beer, and it remains one of my favorite pastimes, as I draw so much inspiration from these folks! The next day, I caught a breathtaking sunrise, and then set off on a two-mile hike along the AT, up to the Albert Mountain Fire Tower . This was easy at first, but culminated into a very technical, high-elevation scramble across rocky terrain that must surely take its toll on weary thru-hikers. The view from the fire tower was breathtaking, despite not having access to the cabin itself. It was an extraordinary place to sit on the steps and take in 360 degrees views of the gorgeous, North Carolina mountain-scape.   Bryson City While I had hoped to arrive in the Great Smoky Mountains  before the end of the week, I found that there was far too much to explore in the National Forests of northern Georgia and southern North Carolina, and that I should postpone the Smokies until next week. However, I would at least conclude the week just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , in Bryson City, North Carolina . Bryson City  is an outdoorsy mountain town with shops, cafes, breweries, food trucks, adventure tours, and outfitters. It is also a very popular hub for driving enthusiasts, as it is very close to the Tail of the Dragon , a famous motoring route! 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