Much Needed High Summer Escape To The Cabin

There are times I need to go to the Cabin for some woods time. This was one of them because I received bad news about an old friend (I might write something later), so heading to Fort Blackmore Thursday was welcome even with having to mow. 

Cows!

Mowing was just one of the missions, the other was Dad wanted to fix the tire on the tractor he flattened and had someone come over to fix it. Speaking of tires I had problems with the ones on the mower which delayed me until Friday. Then I awoke Friday morning to rain which put off my Superloop hike and delayed my mowing start until noon. However, I got done. 

Tires & rain delayed mowing

Anyway, when I got to the Cabin I noticed we had been visited by the bear. I think this bear is Bernie and why I believe this? I first saw him in 2016 and he had been around for at least two or three years. So, that would make him at least seven and account for the size of the bear I saw last year and how he pulls down feeders, moved a big rock and where he scratched the sap output of a tree.

Bernie in 2020

Bear sign...that is where he reached, scat in the yard, a peach tree limb broke & he moved that rock

I did finally get to hike as I did the Superloop which clocks in at four miles. While I have done it a few times this was my first time since last year. At the start of the hike, near the barn, I found fresh bear scat. On the way I saw wildflowers and even scarred up a turkey, it was nice and trust me needed.

Fresh scat besides the barn

Clockwise: Fringed-leaf Ruellia, Broadleaf Milkweed, Oxeye Daisy & Daisy Fleabane

While I Went Back To Rocky Fork...The Bear Was Still There

It has taken a little longer than I thought (about a week)to get this blog up. First, my Roan Highlands Camping Blog had monopolized my time and then a holiday (4th or July) got in the way and then Max Patch was closed to camping. Anyway, as Pete reported I helped lead a hike with the Care NET Sierra Club Conservation Committee on an outing at Rocky Fork State Park.

This outing was unofficial if the Sierra Club is reading this. Anyway, with that out of the way, the hike was a route I have done a few times in the past. Up the Rocky Fork Trail then up the green blazed Flint Creek. I got to go across the new bridge over Flint Creek, which slightly reroutes the trail.

While the new bridge is nice it was a shame to see the old Rocky Fork one go. 

Then it was to the Flint Creek Battlefield site (or Slaughter of Native Americans as I go with) when John Seiver attacked a Cherokee winter encampment know as the Battle of Flint Creek (or the Slaughter on Flint Creek). I will say the state finally put up a sign that lets one know where the site is and there are plans to excavate. 

Our turnaround point was the Flink Creek Campsite. Two people in our party (Wendy & Bobbi) had stayed here. Well, it is a nice campsite with a tent platform, fire ring, Bear Box and privy. I will have to stay here soon...

Anyway, once back I had planned to see to some unfinished business on the White House Cliffs Trail. If you read this blog you might have seen that a hike up here a couple of weeks back was interrupted and brought to an end by a bear. It was a sow and two cubs who huffed me. Well, it turns out that she hadn't gone anywhere because the trail was closed. I heard from one of the park rangers that the bear had taken up residence there and that she had bluff charged. So, much to Pete's chagrin round two again went to the bear. Oh well, it meant I dot stop at Whistle Stop Deli...again!

Camping Ban On Max Patch...No Surprise Here!

At the end of May, I camped two days at one of my favorite spots...Max Patch. Well, what a difference over a month makes as the US Forest Service (USFS) has instituted a two-year ban for camping on "the Patch!"

I can't say I am surprised as I have written about people abusing Max Patch twice in less than a year. I even said back in September that one solution would be closing the mountain to camping. Well, as of July 1st that is what the USFS did and this is through. This what Appalachian District Ranger Jen Barnhart. said: “We’ve been working with partners to achieve sustainable recreation at Max Patch because of the impacts due to a significant increase in visitors over the past decade, Unfortunately, the level of use is causing a public safety hazard as well as serious damage to wildlife." 

Others photos: Angela Wihelm & Mile Wurman

The closure order covers the summit and the entire area that makes a part of the longer Max Patch Loop, which includes the Appalachian Trail (AT) from the south junction with the Max Patch Loop Trail to the woods on the north end. That includes all three sites I camped at, but he AT the woods, from how I read it, (and thought about camping at, is) is still open.

Map of closer (PDF for left map)

2019 (TL), 2020 (TR) & 2021

No Camping at the summit...

Out on bald to the wood.

It seems you can still camp here...

...& here

Oh, that's not all, while I have included the order, there are no campfires, the parking area closes one hour after sunset and open an hour before sunrise, group sizes of 10, dogs have to be on a leash, no fireworks and a few others. The other big one (and one I wrote my last blog about) is that hikers have to stay on designated trails. That means those cut trails like the one straight from the parking lot are off-limits like they have been the whole time. This means besides not being able to use these trails to haul stuff the weekly Burning Man festivals are banned too.

Closure from USFS (PDF)

My campfires...BANED!

Parking closes hour after sunset & opens an hour before sunrise...

,,,so you can still head up for sunset (T) & sunrise (B)

Clockwise: Dogs off leash, Horses, Groupes over-10, Drones & Fireworks...BANED!

User made trails...Still BANED!

The hard part will be enforced as violators will be subject to situations of up to $5,000 for an individual and $10K for organizations. That is the one thing I haven't seen any plan for how it will be policed. I have read that according to the USFS "The restrictions will be in effect for two years, during which time visitor use and impacts will continue to be monitored and addressed. Past efforts of visitor education and engineering controls such as barriers and fencing have not been sufficient to address the challenges. A visitor use monitoring group consisting of local partners, the USFS, and local community members have helped to develop solutions and will also help to educate visitors on the new restrictions." Which I translate to mean that if there isn't improvement these restrictions might go past 2023. 

If things don't change this could be Max Patch's future

I love camping here so I am sad that I can no longer camp here, but I have no probable and am not mad about this order. What makes me mad is people leave the crap behind, use cut trails there not suppose to, and spoil it for those who try to camp responsibly. If people won't take care of places like Max Patch this is the result. Like I said in September it mhtay take making wallets lighter might change attitudes.

Because I Forgot Here Are Videos From The Roans

 

When I published my blog on my Roan Mountain camping trip in June I forgot to post my videos. I have added them to the blog which you can check out here. However, if have already checked out this blog and just want to view the videos I am posting them here, on this blog. Anyway...enjoy!

Roan Mountain To St. Clair On 4th of July Weekend '21

 This year, because the fourth day in July falls on a Sunday this is an Independence Day Weekend. This is a special Fourth of July because last year was married by COVID and while the pandemic isn't over but with vaccinations gatherings with family and friends were possible again. 

Because of this Glen told me that the Roan Mountain Fireworks at his mom's house in the shadow of Hump Mountain. This was the first time in three years that this celebration has taken place. Funny thing, I didn't blog about that celebration in 2018 I didn't blog about it. The last time the Wood Booger blogged about it was the previous year...2017. Anyway, there was good food, shooting an Uzi, friends and best of all fireworks!

Anyway, that was Saturday evening as for Today the actually Fourth of July, it was a day of grilling (including a St. Clair favorite via Bosnian...Three-Meat Burger) and watching the Captial Fourth on PBS. It was nice that to feel like we fina;;y may have turned the corner...Happy Fourth of July!