Updated January 15, 2015
Sprengs lose beloved family member
Pinnacle Falls has lost another member of our pet family.
Trevor Spreng passed away last Wednesday, January 7. He was 17 years old, blind, deaf, and increasingly weak in the legs. According to Bev, "He had a great run but it was time for him." On behalf of the entire Pinnacle Falls community, I'd like to express sincere condolences to Mike & Bev, and the entire Spreng family, on the loss of their beloved family member. |
Updated January 14, 2015
PF Gazette editor to take sabbatical
This will be the last issue of the Pinnacle Falls Gazette...at least for a while. Due to work demands and other personal interests, I'll be taking some time off from updating the newsletter. Thank you for your continued support of the Gazette over the last two-and-a-half years.
A year of hiking in Dupont State Forest
by Kathleen Nance
The North Carolina mountains are blessed with myriad opportunities for outdoor activities, but for Grady and I, one of our favorites is hiking. With the Blue Ridge Parkway, Smoky Mountains, and Pisgah National Forest so close, we have ample reasons to lace up our boots and go. In January 2014, however, we set a goal to explore more thoroughly one of the closest venues: Dupont State Forest. We decided in the course of that one year to hike all 84 trails.
We began on January 2, 2014 with the Triple Falls/High Falls hike. Despite interference from out of town travel and weather, and the health barriers of shoulder surgery and a cardiac stent placement, we completed our mission on December 18, 2014 when we reached the intersection of Rocky Ridge Trail and Stone Mountain Trail. We estimate we walked well over 150 miles during our year.
Our starting point, the Triple Falls/High Falls hike, is probably the most popular in Dupont, and rightly so. With easy trailhead access, a well maintained trail, manageable elevation change, and gorgeous scenery of multiple waterfalls and a mountain stream crashing across rocks, the hike provides a stellar microcosm for the pleasures experienced in hiking. Because of this, you are likely to never be alone during the hike. In contrast, no other car was parked at the small outturn to the Rocky Ridge trailhead and we met not a single soul during the hike. While the scenery is not as spectacular, we still heard a brook burble, walked among stands of rhododendron and mountain laurel that promise beauty in the spring, and stretched our hamstrings on a steady upward climb.
In between, we experienced interesting scenery, awesome views, and enjoyable forest strolls that we might never had encountered otherwise. Many times we had trails to ourselves, or shared them only with an occasional biker. Our longest hike was 12 miles along Joanna Road. Our most strenuous was probably up to Stone Mountain, with a spectacular view as a reward. Although we identified a trail or two that fell into the category of “well we did it, now we don’t have to go on this again.” (Yes, I am referring to you Guion Trail – half a mile of steep erosion that was merely a connector between Hickory Mountain Road and Sky Valley Road), we had many more delightful discoveries.
One favorite is Plantation Trail, a 1.2 mile “lollipop” trail. This has become our go-to trail, along with Triple Falls, when we have company in town. The initial trail is level and thick with pine needles, traveling through a majestic stand of pines. We were also intrigued to discover an old rock quarry, a family cemetery, hidden lakes, charming waterfalls, and a 10-rock-hop stream crossing. Along the way we saw wildflowers, colorful mushrooms, butterflies, and bright-hued lichen. I have many locations where I made notes to visit in the spring when the rhododendrons and mountain laurel are in bloom or in the fall when the leaf colors are vivid.
Overall, we found our challenge rewarding. At best, we found an intriguing destination, at worst we had an invigorating forest hike. We visited locationss we might never have gone to otherwise. Dupont State Forest has many charming discoveries beyond the well-publicized sites. Some trails we have already revisited and there are many more we can’t wait to check out again.
We began on January 2, 2014 with the Triple Falls/High Falls hike. Despite interference from out of town travel and weather, and the health barriers of shoulder surgery and a cardiac stent placement, we completed our mission on December 18, 2014 when we reached the intersection of Rocky Ridge Trail and Stone Mountain Trail. We estimate we walked well over 150 miles during our year.
Our starting point, the Triple Falls/High Falls hike, is probably the most popular in Dupont, and rightly so. With easy trailhead access, a well maintained trail, manageable elevation change, and gorgeous scenery of multiple waterfalls and a mountain stream crashing across rocks, the hike provides a stellar microcosm for the pleasures experienced in hiking. Because of this, you are likely to never be alone during the hike. In contrast, no other car was parked at the small outturn to the Rocky Ridge trailhead and we met not a single soul during the hike. While the scenery is not as spectacular, we still heard a brook burble, walked among stands of rhododendron and mountain laurel that promise beauty in the spring, and stretched our hamstrings on a steady upward climb.
In between, we experienced interesting scenery, awesome views, and enjoyable forest strolls that we might never had encountered otherwise. Many times we had trails to ourselves, or shared them only with an occasional biker. Our longest hike was 12 miles along Joanna Road. Our most strenuous was probably up to Stone Mountain, with a spectacular view as a reward. Although we identified a trail or two that fell into the category of “well we did it, now we don’t have to go on this again.” (Yes, I am referring to you Guion Trail – half a mile of steep erosion that was merely a connector between Hickory Mountain Road and Sky Valley Road), we had many more delightful discoveries.
One favorite is Plantation Trail, a 1.2 mile “lollipop” trail. This has become our go-to trail, along with Triple Falls, when we have company in town. The initial trail is level and thick with pine needles, traveling through a majestic stand of pines. We were also intrigued to discover an old rock quarry, a family cemetery, hidden lakes, charming waterfalls, and a 10-rock-hop stream crossing. Along the way we saw wildflowers, colorful mushrooms, butterflies, and bright-hued lichen. I have many locations where I made notes to visit in the spring when the rhododendrons and mountain laurel are in bloom or in the fall when the leaf colors are vivid.
Overall, we found our challenge rewarding. At best, we found an intriguing destination, at worst we had an invigorating forest hike. We visited locationss we might never have gone to otherwise. Dupont State Forest has many charming discoveries beyond the well-publicized sites. Some trails we have already revisited and there are many more we can’t wait to check out again.