North Carolina: Dupont, Pisgah, Gorges, and Nantahala Forests

The Whomptons typically rotate summer vacations between national parks and the beach and spring break vacations between cities and nature.  This year we waffled between London and western North Carolina and WNC won resoundingly.  Mountains without snow was such an attractive option.  Also, Transylvania County, NC, boasts 200 waterfalls and we wanted to see them -- or as many as we could cram in a six day trip.

Eric's sister Stephanie lives in North Carolina and she does it all: trail running, hiking, mountain and road biking, kayaking and rafting, backpacking and camping.  Stephanie, whose alter-ego is Ruby in the camping world, knows western North Carolina in and out so Ruby Outdoors planned our entire trip for us.  We shared that we wanted to be outside, do some hiking, see what the locals love, and we framed maximum distances; from there, she set up a day-by-day itinerary with maps and written step-by-step instructions for the trails.  Later in the week she guided our whitewater rafting trip!  I highly recommend her vacation concierge service; the price was so reasonable and the detailed plan she crafted made for an anxiety free vacation.

The weather cooperated overall -- no rain, no snow -- but it started out chilly everyday (low 30's) and warmed up to 50's or 60's depending on the day.  We were grateful for all the layers we brought with us!

Sunday

We hiked sections of Dupont State Forest and Holmes Educational State Forest to get an initial exposure to the local waterfalls, trees, hills, wildflowers, and gorgeous views.  The hikes stretched our legs but didn't push them to the limit on the first day.  Even so, Raina's new trail shoes rubbed her feet painfully.

In the land of waterfalls, we learned all sorts of information about waterfalls themselves.  For instance, a waterfall cascade has the water continuously touching rock the entire time it flows down whereas a waterfall has a portion of the water separate from rock.  Triple Falls (below) is a beautiful example of a cascading waterfall.  Since we explored two different forests, we spent time at the Forestry Center to learn more about trees and the local area and we learned that all North Carolina mountain lakes were man-made.  

Triple Falls stuns Lola with its beauty.  Dupont State Forest

Part of our hike wandered nearby this flowing stream.  Dupont Forest

Hooker Falls was simplistic in its beauty and, while not as impressive in size and volume, made up for it in picturesque setting.  Dupont Forest

Since we set out for our hike so early, we beat the sun to this area and watched as the sun rays just began touching the water.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Hooker Falls, Dupont Forest

Whomptons + Waterfall.  Hooker Falls, Dupont Forest

Our morning hike was a down-and-back so we got another view of Triple Falls, this time with more light.  Dupont Forest

Ruby Outdoors planned the hike so that High Falls was the climatic conclusion.  Huge, broad, massive volume -- it was spectacular to see.  High Falls, Dupont Forest

High Falls.  Just above the waterfall is a covered bridge, which we explored to get an understanding of the falls themselves.  The front-on view was a better one, by far.  High Falls, Dupont Forest

Probably not a surprise, based on the name, but Dupont Forest was previously owned by the Dupont Corporation. Parts of the Hunger Games was filmed in Dupont and we're looking forward to rewatching the movie and saying "we were there!"

Monday
With our hiking legs ready to go, we ventured to a third forest in the Brevard area:  Pisgah National Forest.  The Looking Glass Rock trail was STEEP and many times we had to tell ourselves we were "closer but not close" to the top.

Pisgah initially was property owned by the Vanderbilt family to supply them with a hunting area nearby to the Biltmore Estate.  At some point, ownership changed hands to the American people and now we all can enjoy the beautiful forest.

This fallen tree was so tall that we had to clamor over it TWICE on two different switchbacks!  Looking Glass Rock Trail, Pisgah Forest

Sections of the mountain top were exposed rock without much growth except lichen.  The "balds" cleared the view to see the whole vista ahead.  GORGEOUS!  Also, by this point, we were grateful for a stopping point and a snack.  Looking Glass Rock Trail, Pisgah Forest

Photo taken from Blue Ridge Parkway, to see the Looking Glass Rock.
Credit to https://smokymountains.com/asheville/hikes/looking-glass-rock-hike/

The remainder of the day involved checking out the Center for Wildlife Education, the Pisgah Fish Hatchery to learn about and feed the trout, and explore Brevard, NC.  Notably, Brevard is home to over 1700 white squirrels and we went hunting in multiple places to see some in person.  We were unsuccessful, although we saw many Brevard businesses broadcast their love for all things white squirrel!  :)

Tuesday
The southern part of Dupont Forest was the plan for Tuesday's morning hike.

Raina enjoys the view of Lake Julia.  Dupont Forest

The hike instructions came with a warning: "Stream crossings!  You might want to bring another pair of socks."  We reached this stream and recognized the wisdom of Ruby's advice, because the stream did not have sufficient rocks placed to cross it without getting soaked.  When the weather is in the low 30's and the water is sure to be about the same temperature, getting soaked and hiking for miles is less than ideal.  Raina and Eric voted to cross; Krystal and Lola voted to turn back.  Then Raina started crossing and there was no turning back.  Raina was confident that her waterproof trail shoes would protect her and everyone winced when both feet submerged to mid-calf and water went in her shoes from above.  Eric stripped off socks and boots, stepped on as many rocks as he could, and nearly slipped on a slick pair near the end.  Lola, the only one of our crew who abided by Ruby's advice, stripped her shoes and put on her pair of extra socks.  She forded to mid-stream and, taking Eric's advice, stepped into the stream rather than on the slick rocks.  Unfortunately for Lola, the water came up to her knees and was really, really cold.  Krystal took Lola's path (sans socks and boots) and joined Lola in shaking fury once across.  It was wicked cold, y'all.

It doesn't look so bad from this picture.  Trust us, it was.   Dupont Forest

To warm up post-crossing, Lola is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, two of her own fleeces and Raina's fleece as well.  No one wanted to touch Lola's wet socks.  Because he's an amazing human being, Eric carabinered her wet socks to his pants and carried them the rest of the hike.  Dupont Forest

Happier outside of the water!  Dupont Forest

Another stream crossing.  So much fun to skip from rock to rock!  Dupont Forest

Whompton girls happily hiking along.  Dupont Forest

We had the afternoon off, so we showered, read books, and cuddled around a computer screen to watch Legally Blonde.  The girls had never seen the movie before and they found it incredibly funny.  Reese Witherspoon absolutely kills in it.

Once night fell, Ruby took us on a night hike in Pisgah Forest and she taught us about animals and adaptations, night vision, stars, and sounds.  As an experiment, after developing our night vision, she handed us each a crayon and a piece of paper and asked us to write our names and guess what color crayon we were using.  Needless to say, we all got it wrong and no one was even close!

Wednesday
The initial Tuesday night plan was to backpack and overnight in Gorges State Park.  Due to the cold, cold, COLD overnight temperatures, we audibled to sleeping in actual beds and getting up early to drive to Gorges.  It was time to see more waterfalls!

Normally, we hike up, up, up to get the best views and then are rewarded with an easy down hike.  Our Wednesday hikes were reversed: everything was downhill to get the views and then the second-half was uphill back to the car.  Luckily we had streams and waterfalls to see in the middle.

IMO, this may be the best photo Eric took all trip.
Rainbow Falls trail, Gorges State Park

The pictures do not fully capture the size and scale of this waterfall or its impact on the environment around it.  The temperature was noticeably cooler than freezing.  The waterfall mist covered everything nearby so we hiked on frozen and slick mud and rocks.  The signs warned us that people die at the falls and it was easy to believe.  Rainbow Falls, Gorges State Park

The trail followed around the waterfall and that closeness gave additional perspective on the force of the water.  Rainbow Falls, Gorges State Park

The trail ended at Turtleback Falls, which was on private property and had many warning signs about the owners not being liable for stupid behavior.  The falls were lovely and we anticipated would be even more gorgeous when the sun was setting.  Turtleback Falls, Gorges State Park

On the return trip, the sun's rays fully hit Rainbow Falls and we saw why it had the name.  From a single spot, we saw three rainbows in the mist.  Stunning.  Rainbow Falls, Gorges State Park

The mist encased each branch and twig on one side of the trail and froze around it; this side of the trail was completely iced over while on the opposite side of the trail was completely melted.  A little bit farther down the trail, we experienced an actual rain forest environment due to the falls' mist.  Gorges State Park gets 91 inches of rain a year and has an incredible variety of biodiversity due to the many microclimates.  Rainbow Falls trail, Gorges State Park

Stream crossings are so fun!  Rainbow Falls trail, Gorges State Park

The Whomptons highly recommend making the trek out to Gorges for the hiking, views all the way to South Carolina, and the amazingly informative Visitors Center.  Simply put, you should go.

The next stop was the Schoolhouse Falls in Panthertown, which was a relatively easy hike overall.  The trail ended at a peaceful pool, filled with skipping rocks and plenty of places to sit and stare at the waterfall.

Jumping from rock to rock was tremendous fun.  We also had a skipping rock competition, which Eric won by having his rock skip right into the waterfall!  Schoolhouse Falls streambed, Nantahala National Forest

Raina had a phone for the first time on a vacation and she delighted in taking her own pictures.  Schoolhouse Falls, Nantahala National Forest

Ruby, Lola, and Raina explore under rocks in the streambed.  Schoolhouse Falls, Nantahala National Forest

No Whompton vacation is complete without a National Park trip and Junior Ranger badge!  We explored Carl and Lillian Sandburg's home and learned a lot about Carl's poetry and Lillian's husbandry.  Yes, Carl won the Pulitzer Prize but Lillian's prize goats won our hearts.

This baby goat was 24 hours old and weighed 4 pounds.  Yes, baby goats are super adorable in baby sweaters. This one was napping in the sun; its siblings were in green and yellow sweaters and were walking around.  One was a little injured during the birthing process and had its legs splinted with popsicle sticks.  Carl Sandburg National Historic Site

We concluded Wednesday night with dollar bowling -- literally shoes and a game cost $1.  We bowled until our thumbs could take no more!  It was late when we got home.

The full moon was gorgeous on the night hike the day before and wowed again after our bowling adventures.  

Thursday
The Whomptons have not gone whitewater rafting as a family before; actually, of all of us, only Eric had done it in the past.  So, when Ruby suggested it as an option, we jumped at the chance to try it.  Luckily for us, Ruby has completed guide training and she volunteered to take us through the river.

We walked along the river and a tiny stretch of the Appalachian Trail.  The AT uses this same bridge and I geeked out at seeing the white AT blazes and the thru-hikers who were just arriving from their start in Georgia in early March.

The Nantahala River was gorgeous and the surrounding community was charming.

We scoped out the most challenging section of the whitewater rafting trip.  The inexperienced crew panicked a bit at seeing the whitewater pathway (Class III rapids, what!) but Ruby assured us that, if we fell out of the raft, we were so close to the end that we'd be fine.  

Ruby warned us that the Nantahala River is a cold river -- even in the summer -- and she urged us to layer up as much as possible.  The temperature outside was 50 degrees when we got in the raft but that wasn't warm enough to counteract submerging our feet in ice cold water for 2+ hours.

Afterwards, I googled the temperature of the river and discovered this fun fact: "The Nantahala River runs through .... a shaded gorge, giving it the distinction of being the coldest whitewater stream in the Southeast.  Averaging only 4 hours of direct sunlight per day, the water temperature averages a bone-chilling 45 degrees."

Our 8 miles trip downriver was filled with splashing, squeals of surprise and excitement, and lots of positive energy.  The rafting trip was Raina's favorite part of the vacation -- it really was so fun.  Even so, it took heating the car at 80 degrees for 2 hours before everyone's feet were back to normal.

Friday
Time to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited National Park.  Our goal was to reach the Folk Art Center at opening and to explore the traditional Appalachian crafts: quilting and embroidery, whittling and woodworking, furniture and instrument making, pottery, clothing, and dolls. Each person had a favorite piece of art to share with the rest of the crew.

So much of this trip reminded me of being home in Owensboro and the Folk Art Center was like walking through my grandparents' home: practical, sturdy, made from the land with their hands. I sat on a rug that looked just like the one in my grandparents' living room, pulled myself into a corner, and cried.  I miss them.

Since it is a National Park, of course Lola and I wanted to become Junior Rangers.  We added a small hike around the center to study trees and detoured to the Visitors Center to learn even more about the area.  Then we popped back into the car, enjoyed the views, and marveled at the engineering and tunnels that make the parkway possible.

View from one of many Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks.

We had one more hike in us, so we stopped off at Frying Pan Mountain.  This was at higher elevation and it had snowed overnight, so our hike was a bit snowy and icy.  The tips of the trees were frozen and, as it warmed up slightly, the wind ripped the ice pieces off of the trees and flung them into the trail.  We had never seen anything like it before.

Trees with frozen tips, near the top of Frying Pan Mountain.

View from top of Frying Pan Mountain.

The Fire Tower was completely frozen over, with inch-long chunks of ice connected to the fencing.  Raina, Lola, and Krystal climbed the tower, endured the 35 mph wind gusts, and delighted in the ice chunks flying away.  Frying Pan Fire Tower.

Family photo on a mountain top.  Frying Pan Mountain

At the next overlook, we stopped to look back at Frying Pan Mountain.  You can see the fire tower at the very top.

Gorgeous in every way.  Blue Ridge Parkway

On the way home, we checked out two more waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest: Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls.  Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide and delighted as a foolhardy guy decided to slide for us.  In the summer, the place is packed with campers and locals who slide over and over again.

Sliding Rock

One more gorgeous waterfall.  Looking Glass Falls, Pisgah National Forest

Looking Glass Falls had enormous boulders for climbing.  Lola scampered over and then got recruited to be a photographer.  Looking Glass Falls, Pisgah National Forest

Lola immediately turned to Raina and said "I'm taller than you!"  Looking Glass Falls, Pisgah National Forest

Simply put, North Carolina is gorgeous.  If you enjoy mountains, streams, waterfalls, trout fishing, and easy hiking, this is your place.