I don't normally hike in the middle of the week because work is so hectic and I find it less stressful to just work all week than to take a day "off" and come back to the 200 new emails that came in while I was trying to disconnect. It's certainly extra-hectic right now with all the extra COVID-related research, etc., we have going on, and I had no business being out of the office on Tuesday, but several months ago (pre-COVID), I registered myself and Ben for two of the Classic Hikes of the Smokies outings offered by Friends of the Smokies, and they are on Tuesdays, so here we are.
We don't typically do group hikes, but in the case of these two FOTS outings, our friend Kevin FitzGerald mentioned that he would be either leading or assisting with both of them. We hiked to Hemphill Bald with Kevin last year as part of a package we won at the Evergreen Ball silent auction, and we really enjoyed his company and his wealth of knowledge about the GSMNP and pretty much every other National Park in the history of National Parks, so we will take the opportunity to hike with him every chance we get. I reasoned that I really did need a mental health break on this lovely Tuesday, so off we went, e-mails be damned. We started out at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center on Purchase Knob; and man, what a beautiful place that is.
The trail from Purchase Knob to Hemphill Bald is generally increasing in elevation, but there really aren't that many super-steep places, so overall it's a really pleasant, not too difficult hike. The views from Purchase Knob and Hemphill Bald are both really amazing, and there are a couple of other views along the way as well.
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| Cataloochee Ranch on the way to the Bald |
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| One of the views from the Bald. The black specs are gnats. I have no idea what was up with the gnats on this hike, but they were out with a vengeance. It was kind of creepy. |
There were lots of wildflowers and a few rhododendron starting to bloom on the trail.
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| Don't know what this is, but it was kind of cool, and it was blooming everywhere along the trail. |
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| Lil' Rhody |
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| Big Funghi |
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| Fire Pink |
On the way back, we stopped at The Swag's picnic area to take in the amazing views.
This was a fun, relatively easy little hike. I would encourage you to try it; however, you will likely have to plan for added miles because I don't think the public is generally able to park at the Science Learning Center without some kind of special event. You could hike in from the other ends of the Cataloochee Divide or Hemphill Bald Trails, or park below the gate on the road leading up to the Science Learning Center. It's not a super long walk up to the Center, but it is uphill. On the other hand, it's on a pretty well-maintained road (they were actually doing road maintenance while we were there), so it's not difficult walking. We saw several people (including children) walking up it. Even if you just walk up that road to Purchase Knob and take in the view from the Center, it's probably worth it.
A great half-day on the trail before returning to reality in the afternoon. Two thumbs up (four, including Ben's)!
Unduplicated Smokies Miles: 22.2
Total Miles: 29.6
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