Section 7 of the MST / Falls Lake Trail is in some ways the toughest section so far. You can tell it's less traveled than the previous sections -- it's the end of January, and the leaves that fell 4 months ago lie thick and undisturbed, so you need to pay close attention to the white blazes. On parts of the trail you're on a narrow edge of a hillside that slopes precipitously down to the lake. There are a couple of creek crossings that in previous sections would have had a footbridge. But the worst part is that there's a really muddy, difficult section underneath some power lines. However, there are some really awesome views of the main section of the lake which make this worthwhile.
This section, also known as the Upper Barton Creek section, starts at a gravel pull-out on Six Forks Road, just north of the Upper Barton Creek causeway. The trail goes mostly east and slightly north along the shores of Upper Barton Creek. After 2.3 miles, it ends at route NC-98.
To start with, you enter a pine forest, zigging and zagging around some large trees and a lot of rippled ground, that must be drainage into the lake during rainstorms. This doesn't last long, because at 0.1 mile, you arrive at the Overflow Parking Lot for Barton Creek Boat Access area. There weren't any cars parked there when I passed through (this being a Thursday afternoon in January, although nice with temp around 60). Walk directly across the gravel parking area, and re-enter the woods at a sign-board.
You're still in a pine forest, with lots of nice soft pine needles covering the trail. You drop down to a crossing of a creek, then rise again, and turn left onto an old roadbed, which continues through a young pine forest. Soon, I saw ahead of me a clearing (which is a power-line clearcut), and a small pond. You cross the power-lines at 0.4 mile. From here, look at the power-line tower across the water. That will be your second crossing of the power-line.
Continue back into the forest, turn left, and follow the power-lines on your left, and a cove of the lake on your right. At 0.5 mile, you cross an L-shaped bridge, and then a second one, which looks like it has a relatively new ramp attached. You start climbing a steep hill, and see a handful of homes at a distance.
At 0.7 mile, you cross a (usually) dry creek-bed. At 0.8 mile, you pass a narrow roadbed, and soon start following a creek away from the lake. You cross a branch of the creek at a small metal conduit (no bridge), and shortly take a right across a larger branch of the creek (again, no bridge). This right turn is easy to miss. I did miss it, and so continued to follow the creek until I saw an old footbridge across it. At this point, you're within sight of a house, so perhaps it is their bridge.
Once you cross the creek, you start uphill again (of course). At 1.0 mile, you cross the power-line again.
Soon, though, you get to a section I really hated. At 1.2 miles, you come back to the power-line again. But instead of crossing it, you are using it as a way of going around a creek at the end of a cove. So, you are routed left up a muddy steep hill, which has been denuded of vegetation (except for quick-growing grasses and thorny briars around you). Then, you turn right on a dirt road heading steeply downhill. It's very steep and eroded and muddy (You can really tell how much damage to the topsoil takes place when you pull out all the trees). You quickly take another right across a low spot that is extremely muddy. Someone has placed a dozen large branches lengthwise in the mud. It helps, but walking on wet branches is tricky. There really needs to be a boardwalk here. Yuck -- I hope you're not planning to wear white sneakers here. Finally, you climb steeply uphill to go back into the woods, along a narrow ledge at the edge of the water, so be careful.
It's actually worth the hassle, because the next section of the trail follows closely to the shore of the lake, and has some really great views. Boats frequently go by this section, and planes seem to frequently fly overhead. If you look behind you, you can see the Six Forks Road bridge near where you started this section.
At 1.5 miles, you drop down to a low area, and climb back uphill for more views. I thought I was miles from civilization at this point, but you do see another few homes on your left. You turn away from the lake again, and at 1.9 miles, you cross a creek. It's a steep descent to the creek, and no bridge across it. After the creek, you're walking along a narrow ledge above the creek, so be careful here also.
At 2.1 miles, you cross another creek, this time on a footbridge. You can hear traffic on NC-98 from here on. You start up a hill, and shortly reach the "old 98" roadbed. You turn right here, and follow this unused paved section of road, that was the original 98 before Falls Lake was constructed.
It's eerie to walk along this old road. You get the feeling this is what will happen to all roads when mankind is gone. Trees have grown in very close to the edges of the road, and there is very little pavement left. It looks as if the forest is taking over the road. I thought to myself, when will it disappear entirely?
At 2.3 miles, the trail turns left, away from the road (which continues its march down to the lake), and climbs up to a bluff overlooking the new NC-98. Because of the height, it feels like this would have been a wonderful place for a house. And there must have been a house here in the past, since you pass an unusually large double-trunk oak (or maple?) tree, and nearby, what appears to be a large magnolia. These trees generally would be planted near a home-site.
The trail ends shortly afterward, dropping rather ignominiously down a muddy slope to NC-98. There's no gravel pull-off here. Although it seems out of place, directly across NC-98 is the steeply rising Falls Glen Court, a new home development. From my vantage point at the end of the trail, I don't see any homes. Perhaps I'll see some on the next section, which starts across NC-98 at a gravel pull-off just a few hundred feet to the east.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
MST in the Triangle - Section 6
Views, views, views! Oh, and benches.
Section 6 stays consistently closer to the lake than the other sections up to this point, so you get a lot of awesome (winter) views.
Section 6, also known as the Blue Jay Point section, is 3.1 miles long, and goes from one end of Blue Jay Point Wake County Park to the other. It starts at the northern end of the Lower Barton Creek causeway on Six Forks Road, and ends back on Six Forks Road, just south of the Upper Barton Creek causeway. The first half of the trail heads northeast, along Lower Barton Creek. The second half heads west, along the southern shore of Upper Barton Creek.
Besides the beautiful views, you pass lots of hills, bridges, benches, and side paths leading to other parts of the park. You'll also probably meet a lot of other people, as they are strolling from the park's parking areas down to the lake. What you don't see are any homes, at least until the very end of the section.
The trail starts at a wide graveled pull-off on Six Forks Road, just north of the Lower Barton Creek causeway. You enter the woods and take a quick left turn. In a very short while you cross several drainage areas. Then at 0.1 mile you walk across a plank bridge. You walk along an area with a steep drop-off on your right, just past what looks like a man-made berm for a short distance. Also in this area, I noticed a roped-off area on the left with a sign that says "This is not a trail". It doesn't look like a trail, though, so I'm not sure why anyone would want to go that direction.
Then, you start to pick your way down to a bridge for a creek crossing. You turn right and follow the creek back to the lake, walking uphill so some pretty good views. The next section consists of several crossings of creeks (some dry) by bridges and planks of various sorts. At 0.7 mile, you cross a wide footpath.
At 1.0 mile, you start a steep descent down some stairs to cross a creek over a footbridge. You turn sharply right after the bridge, and soon see the first of 16 benches. This is a novelty, possibly because this is a County Park. From here on, you see start to see some evidence of park development, such as cross-paths, and those benches. At the fourth (or fifth?) bench, you get a great view across the water to the Yorkshire Center, which is at the start of Section 5.
The next section is a little confusing, with several twists and turns. Just follow the white-blazed trail. At 1.3 miles, you cross a gravel blue-blazed trail that leads right to Blue Jay Point. I'll have to go back to the park sometime to see it, since I continued on.
At 1.4 miles, you cross another bridge, and turn right to join another trail. If you turned left here you would go uphill to a playground and restrooms.
At 1.6 miles, take a right to join a wide yellow-blazed trail that heads toward the lake. At 1.7 miles, the MST continues to the right. At 1.8 miles, there's another footbridge. At 1.9 miles, you intersect a wide blue-blazed path, and turn left to follow it for 100 yards. Then, turn left again. You start heading uphill to a signboard and parking lot at 2.0 miles.
From the parking lot, turn right to cross the road and re-enter the woods. This next section is extremely hilly. You are initially very high above the lake. At 2.2 miles you cross a bridge, and then head downhill. At 2.3 miles, you cross two bridges with a bench between them. One of the bridges is brand new -- it has a plaque that says it was built by an Eagle Scout Troop on January 10, 2010 (just 9 days ago!).
Back uphill you go, then downhill to cross another creek on a bridge at 2.6 miles. You start to hear cars on Six Forks Road, but you've still got a ways to go. Back uphill and downhill to cross a bridge at 2.8 miles.
Then, I encountered the first houses of this section. It's just two houses, but it's kind of jarring -- you're in a park after all. The first house has a couple barking dogs. The second house, which you pass extremely closely to, is bright yellow and seems to be brand new. You also get a good view of the boat ramp across the lake from here.
At 3.1 miles, you descend a set of steps and emerge from the forest onto Six Forks Road. The MST continues north along Six Forks for 0.3 mile.
Section 6 stays consistently closer to the lake than the other sections up to this point, so you get a lot of awesome (winter) views.
Section 6, also known as the Blue Jay Point section, is 3.1 miles long, and goes from one end of Blue Jay Point Wake County Park to the other. It starts at the northern end of the Lower Barton Creek causeway on Six Forks Road, and ends back on Six Forks Road, just south of the Upper Barton Creek causeway. The first half of the trail heads northeast, along Lower Barton Creek. The second half heads west, along the southern shore of Upper Barton Creek.
Besides the beautiful views, you pass lots of hills, bridges, benches, and side paths leading to other parts of the park. You'll also probably meet a lot of other people, as they are strolling from the park's parking areas down to the lake. What you don't see are any homes, at least until the very end of the section.
The trail starts at a wide graveled pull-off on Six Forks Road, just north of the Lower Barton Creek causeway. You enter the woods and take a quick left turn. In a very short while you cross several drainage areas. Then at 0.1 mile you walk across a plank bridge. You walk along an area with a steep drop-off on your right, just past what looks like a man-made berm for a short distance. Also in this area, I noticed a roped-off area on the left with a sign that says "This is not a trail". It doesn't look like a trail, though, so I'm not sure why anyone would want to go that direction.
Then, you start to pick your way down to a bridge for a creek crossing. You turn right and follow the creek back to the lake, walking uphill so some pretty good views. The next section consists of several crossings of creeks (some dry) by bridges and planks of various sorts. At 0.7 mile, you cross a wide footpath.
At 1.0 mile, you start a steep descent down some stairs to cross a creek over a footbridge. You turn sharply right after the bridge, and soon see the first of 16 benches. This is a novelty, possibly because this is a County Park. From here on, you see start to see some evidence of park development, such as cross-paths, and those benches. At the fourth (or fifth?) bench, you get a great view across the water to the Yorkshire Center, which is at the start of Section 5.
The next section is a little confusing, with several twists and turns. Just follow the white-blazed trail. At 1.3 miles, you cross a gravel blue-blazed trail that leads right to Blue Jay Point. I'll have to go back to the park sometime to see it, since I continued on.
At 1.4 miles, you cross another bridge, and turn right to join another trail. If you turned left here you would go uphill to a playground and restrooms.
At 1.6 miles, take a right to join a wide yellow-blazed trail that heads toward the lake. At 1.7 miles, the MST continues to the right. At 1.8 miles, there's another footbridge. At 1.9 miles, you intersect a wide blue-blazed path, and turn left to follow it for 100 yards. Then, turn left again. You start heading uphill to a signboard and parking lot at 2.0 miles.
From the parking lot, turn right to cross the road and re-enter the woods. This next section is extremely hilly. You are initially very high above the lake. At 2.2 miles you cross a bridge, and then head downhill. At 2.3 miles, you cross two bridges with a bench between them. One of the bridges is brand new -- it has a plaque that says it was built by an Eagle Scout Troop on January 10, 2010 (just 9 days ago!).
Back uphill you go, then downhill to cross another creek on a bridge at 2.6 miles. You start to hear cars on Six Forks Road, but you've still got a ways to go. Back uphill and downhill to cross a bridge at 2.8 miles.
Then, I encountered the first houses of this section. It's just two houses, but it's kind of jarring -- you're in a park after all. The first house has a couple barking dogs. The second house, which you pass extremely closely to, is bright yellow and seems to be brand new. You also get a good view of the boat ramp across the lake from here.
At 3.1 miles, you descend a set of steps and emerge from the forest onto Six Forks Road. The MST continues north along Six Forks for 0.3 mile.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
MST in the Triangle - Section 5
Section 5 of the MST (also known as Loblolly Point) is a short walk -- just 1.2 miles long. It starts at the end of Bayleaf Church Road. Just past the massive, and somewhat aseptic, houses of Carlisle subdivision, Bayleaf Church Road ends at a State Park -- one I didn't even know was there, and doesn't seem to have a name. For a park, it's strange that it doesn't seem to have any amenities. No picnic tables, no ball fields. Just the terminus of two sections of the MST, and the site of a two (or three?) story building called the Yorkshire Center, which houses the administrative offices of the NC Division of Parks and Recreation. Oh, and the park is only open to traffic from 8-5 weekdays, when the Yorkshire Center is open. You can park on either side of the road, outside the gate, during other times.
It's a nice location for an administrative center, as it commands an excellent unobstructed view of Falls Lake.
Back to the trail -- it starts opposite a sign board just inside the park gates. This section of the MST stays mostly close to the lake shore on your right, and homes appear every now and then on your left. The trail heads mostly south-west, following the southern edge of Lower Barton Creek.
Walk across Bayleaf Church Road and enter the forest. At 0.2 miles, you cross a footbridge over a small drainage creek, and head uphill. At 0.4 miles, you cross a short plank over a dry creek. At that point, you leave the state park, and enter game-lands, where hunting is allowed, so be sure to wear bright-colored clothing.
At 0.6 miles, you come to a broad open area, and cross an angled footbridge across a nice creek, that wouldn't look out of place in the mountains. Walk uphill again. At 0.8 miles, another footbridge to cross. Soon, you can hear the cars on Six Forks Road ahead, even though you have a ways to go. The trail makes a sharp left turn, seemingly away from the lake.
As you approach another bridge at 1.1 miles, a blue house appears in front of you. At this point in my journey, a large domerman came running down the hill from that house, crossed the bridge, barking and snarling as it approached. I yelled at it ("Sit!" and "No!") to stop it from attacking me, and it stopped for a bit. Since couldn't see any human near, I screamed at the top of my lungs "Where is this dog's owner?" "This dog is attacking me!" The dog came very close and snarled menacingly. Finally, I heard the dog's owner say something, a long way off, and the dog ran back to its house.
That experience got me wondering -- do the people who live on land that borders the public land the MST crosses really think of this public land as an extension of their own land? Perhaps not, since some homeowners have surrounded their house with a fence, but a lot of them have no fence. I'm guessing they probably would have stopped the construction of the trail if they could have.
Anyway, after crossing the footbridge at 1.1 miles, you walk right, around the blue house, and climb a ridge. At 1.2 miles, you come to a steep, muddy and rocky set of steps up to Six Forks Road. Turn right on Six Forks Road and follow it across a causeway over Lower Barton Creek, the largest creek I've seen so far. After 0.3 miles, the next section of the trail turns right into the woods, into a Wake County park named Blue Jay Point.
It's a nice location for an administrative center, as it commands an excellent unobstructed view of Falls Lake.
Back to the trail -- it starts opposite a sign board just inside the park gates. This section of the MST stays mostly close to the lake shore on your right, and homes appear every now and then on your left. The trail heads mostly south-west, following the southern edge of Lower Barton Creek.
Walk across Bayleaf Church Road and enter the forest. At 0.2 miles, you cross a footbridge over a small drainage creek, and head uphill. At 0.4 miles, you cross a short plank over a dry creek. At that point, you leave the state park, and enter game-lands, where hunting is allowed, so be sure to wear bright-colored clothing.
At 0.6 miles, you come to a broad open area, and cross an angled footbridge across a nice creek, that wouldn't look out of place in the mountains. Walk uphill again. At 0.8 miles, another footbridge to cross. Soon, you can hear the cars on Six Forks Road ahead, even though you have a ways to go. The trail makes a sharp left turn, seemingly away from the lake.
As you approach another bridge at 1.1 miles, a blue house appears in front of you. At this point in my journey, a large domerman came running down the hill from that house, crossed the bridge, barking and snarling as it approached. I yelled at it ("Sit!" and "No!") to stop it from attacking me, and it stopped for a bit. Since couldn't see any human near, I screamed at the top of my lungs "Where is this dog's owner?" "This dog is attacking me!" The dog came very close and snarled menacingly. Finally, I heard the dog's owner say something, a long way off, and the dog ran back to its house.
That experience got me wondering -- do the people who live on land that borders the public land the MST crosses really think of this public land as an extension of their own land? Perhaps not, since some homeowners have surrounded their house with a fence, but a lot of them have no fence. I'm guessing they probably would have stopped the construction of the trail if they could have.
Anyway, after crossing the footbridge at 1.1 miles, you walk right, around the blue house, and climb a ridge. At 1.2 miles, you come to a steep, muddy and rocky set of steps up to Six Forks Road. Turn right on Six Forks Road and follow it across a causeway over Lower Barton Creek, the largest creek I've seen so far. After 0.3 miles, the next section of the trail turns right into the woods, into a Wake County park named Blue Jay Point.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
MST in the Triangle - Section 4
Wow, another great section, at least from the point of view of varied terrain.
Starting at the Possum Track Road causeway over Cedar Creek, Section 4 heads basically northwest towards an intersection with the end of Bayleaf Church Road. It's also known as the Cedar Creek section since it, well, starts at Cedar Creek.
And considering how hilly the end of the previous section of trail was, the first part of this section is surprisingly flat. It starts out through a forest, occasionally coming within a few hundred feet of Possum Track Road in spots, as it heads west.
After about 1/4 mile, you enter a young pine grove, with pines planted extremely close together on each side of you. The slope is gradually upward. It gives you the feeling of walking through a tunnel. In the middle of this grove, at 0.4 miles, you cross a wide roadbed, and start a gradual descent.
After the pine grove, you turn gradually to the right, away from Possum Track Road, and directly toward the lake. At 0.6 miles, you pass alongside an open wildlife area (which looks like a wide road cut through the forest), and soon you pass a former homesite on your right (with a building still standing), and a rusted-out car very close on your left. Then, you come back to the wildlife clearing.
At 1.2 miles, cross a footbridge. You soon reach a creek that leads to a finger of the lake to your right, and at least 6 homes on your left.
At 1.5 miles, you come to a sharp promontory, with great lake views. The trail turns sharply left here, and goes along another finger of the lake. After crossing the dry stream at the cove, you walk through an area with a lot of ground pine (I think that's what it's called) -- a unique evergreen ground cover.
Then, you walk up a hill and soon enter an area with profuse holly and, surprisingly, mountain laurel. It must be the north-facing slopes here that allow the mountain laurel, which typically only prospers in the mountains of NC, to grow here.
The trail here is very rooty and rocky. You're walking along a narrow strip of land between some homes on your left, and the lake on your right. Parts of it seem as though they will shortly erode away down the hill. Finally, the trail leads down along a creek, and at 2.4 miles, you cross a footbridge over the creek, and a sign says you are entering an NC State Park.
Shortly you cross another bridge, and start uphill, then back downhill to another bridge. Then you start a long uphill climb, perhaps the longest climb on the trail so far (well, except for climbing the dam itself). Thanks to the city of Raleigh for not allowing developers to cover this ridge with homes!
You start back downhill again, and this section of the trail ends at 2.8 miles when you intersect Bayleaf Church Road.
I don't know if it's because this section of the trail ends in a state park, or because it was a pleasantly warm day, or the closeness of housing, but I did meet several people walking on this section. Two were walking their dogs (unleashed), whose dogs immediately left their owners and ran towards me. Both owners said they were sorry, but I still freak when a strange dog runs at me.
Starting at the Possum Track Road causeway over Cedar Creek, Section 4 heads basically northwest towards an intersection with the end of Bayleaf Church Road. It's also known as the Cedar Creek section since it, well, starts at Cedar Creek.
And considering how hilly the end of the previous section of trail was, the first part of this section is surprisingly flat. It starts out through a forest, occasionally coming within a few hundred feet of Possum Track Road in spots, as it heads west.
After about 1/4 mile, you enter a young pine grove, with pines planted extremely close together on each side of you. The slope is gradually upward. It gives you the feeling of walking through a tunnel. In the middle of this grove, at 0.4 miles, you cross a wide roadbed, and start a gradual descent.
After the pine grove, you turn gradually to the right, away from Possum Track Road, and directly toward the lake. At 0.6 miles, you pass alongside an open wildlife area (which looks like a wide road cut through the forest), and soon you pass a former homesite on your right (with a building still standing), and a rusted-out car very close on your left. Then, you come back to the wildlife clearing.
At 1.2 miles, cross a footbridge. You soon reach a creek that leads to a finger of the lake to your right, and at least 6 homes on your left.
At 1.5 miles, you come to a sharp promontory, with great lake views. The trail turns sharply left here, and goes along another finger of the lake. After crossing the dry stream at the cove, you walk through an area with a lot of ground pine (I think that's what it's called) -- a unique evergreen ground cover.
Then, you walk up a hill and soon enter an area with profuse holly and, surprisingly, mountain laurel. It must be the north-facing slopes here that allow the mountain laurel, which typically only prospers in the mountains of NC, to grow here.
The trail here is very rooty and rocky. You're walking along a narrow strip of land between some homes on your left, and the lake on your right. Parts of it seem as though they will shortly erode away down the hill. Finally, the trail leads down along a creek, and at 2.4 miles, you cross a footbridge over the creek, and a sign says you are entering an NC State Park.
Shortly you cross another bridge, and start uphill, then back downhill to another bridge. Then you start a long uphill climb, perhaps the longest climb on the trail so far (well, except for climbing the dam itself). Thanks to the city of Raleigh for not allowing developers to cover this ridge with homes!
You start back downhill again, and this section of the trail ends at 2.8 miles when you intersect Bayleaf Church Road.
I don't know if it's because this section of the trail ends in a state park, or because it was a pleasantly warm day, or the closeness of housing, but I did meet several people walking on this section. Two were walking their dogs (unleashed), whose dogs immediately left their owners and ran towards me. Both owners said they were sorry, but I still freak when a strange dog runs at me.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
MST in the Triangle - Section 3
Well, another unseasonably cold day -- it was overcast, dreary day, with temps around 39 when I hiked this section. It is January 12, 2010, and this has been the 12th day in a row with unseasonably cold temperatures. Not that I'm complaining -- the brisk weather is a nice change of pace. Just dress in layers (and make sure the first layer isn't cotton, which tends to trap sweat close to your body, which makes you cold).
Section 3 is known as Neuse Bend Point. It starts at the end of Possum Track Road and ends at the Possum Track causeway over Cedar Creek. Instead of heading northeast as Section 2 did, Section 3 meanders mostly westerly, which is a good thing since this is the westbound MST after all! According to the sign on the trail, this section is 2.9 miles long.
There is no official parking area at the start of this section, but there's room for a car or two to park at the very end of Possum Track Road. The trail enters a pine forest on the north side of Possum Track Road.
For an interesting short side trip, after just a minute's hike on the MST, take the first cleared trail to the right (it is very broad, almost looks like a jeep trail) that leads down the lake. I was amazed that you get a very clear view of the back of the Falls Lake Dam. It seems very close! It's hard to believe after two day-hikes away from the dam, you are still this close to it! Well, that's because Section 1 of the trail goes down one side of a finger of the lake, and Section 2 goes back up the other side of that finger.
Just one more word about this section -- it's like getting two hikes in one. The first half and second half of this hike are very different. The first is relatively flat, with few rocks or roots to trip you up. It also has no lake views. The second half is quite hilly, with trickier footing, but has awesome lake views. Best lake views, of course, would be in winter, with no leaves to block your view.
Getting back on the MST, and heading west, you start going through a pine forest, with a nice flat trail covered by soft pine needles. It's the flattest section of the MST so far. So, it's surprising you cross two footbridges here, over mostly dry waterways. Just after the second footbridge, at 0.3 miles, you cross a paved access road which leads down to a processing plant opposite the main Raleigh Water intake structure in the lake. I'm not sure that is of any interest, or even accessible to the public, so I kept walking.
Just past this paved road crossing, there's a white sign saying you're entering wildlife game lands, where hunting is allowed in season, except on Sunday. So, plan on wearing something brightly colored. Until this point, you were on a trail section marked with red "wildlife" signs, meaning bow & arrow hunting only.
At 0.6 miles, you cross some former logging roads (dirt), and soon head into a cleared-out section of forest consisting mostly of pine, which lasts another 0.6 miles. There's a third footbridge at 0.8 miles. At 1.2 miles you cross the fourth footbridge and leave the cleared area. You catch your first glimpse of the lake, but soon leave it again. This is where the path starts getting more hilly and full of tree roots.
At 1.4 miles, there's another footbridge. You start to get some really nice views of the lake on the right, and some houses on the left. At 1.8 miles, cross another bridge. At 2.3 miles, another one. After each bridge, you gain some nice altitude, and have better lake views.
At 2.5 miles, you cross another bridge (your 7th bridge!), and a large embankment for Possum Track Road looms above your head on the left side. Resist the urge to scramble up the slope to the road here, and instead continue on the MST to the right for another half a mile until you reach a concrete drainage culvert. Walk up the culvert to the left to end the trail at Possum Creek Road.
The trail takes a right onto Possum Creek Road and follows it for 0.2 miles, crossing the picturesque Cedar Creek (which is much wider than Honeycutt Creek was at the end of Section 1) until it enters the woods again.
Section 3 is known as Neuse Bend Point. It starts at the end of Possum Track Road and ends at the Possum Track causeway over Cedar Creek. Instead of heading northeast as Section 2 did, Section 3 meanders mostly westerly, which is a good thing since this is the westbound MST after all! According to the sign on the trail, this section is 2.9 miles long.
There is no official parking area at the start of this section, but there's room for a car or two to park at the very end of Possum Track Road. The trail enters a pine forest on the north side of Possum Track Road.
For an interesting short side trip, after just a minute's hike on the MST, take the first cleared trail to the right (it is very broad, almost looks like a jeep trail) that leads down the lake. I was amazed that you get a very clear view of the back of the Falls Lake Dam. It seems very close! It's hard to believe after two day-hikes away from the dam, you are still this close to it! Well, that's because Section 1 of the trail goes down one side of a finger of the lake, and Section 2 goes back up the other side of that finger.
Just one more word about this section -- it's like getting two hikes in one. The first half and second half of this hike are very different. The first is relatively flat, with few rocks or roots to trip you up. It also has no lake views. The second half is quite hilly, with trickier footing, but has awesome lake views. Best lake views, of course, would be in winter, with no leaves to block your view.
Getting back on the MST, and heading west, you start going through a pine forest, with a nice flat trail covered by soft pine needles. It's the flattest section of the MST so far. So, it's surprising you cross two footbridges here, over mostly dry waterways. Just after the second footbridge, at 0.3 miles, you cross a paved access road which leads down to a processing plant opposite the main Raleigh Water intake structure in the lake. I'm not sure that is of any interest, or even accessible to the public, so I kept walking.
Just past this paved road crossing, there's a white sign saying you're entering wildlife game lands, where hunting is allowed in season, except on Sunday. So, plan on wearing something brightly colored. Until this point, you were on a trail section marked with red "wildlife" signs, meaning bow & arrow hunting only.
At 0.6 miles, you cross some former logging roads (dirt), and soon head into a cleared-out section of forest consisting mostly of pine, which lasts another 0.6 miles. There's a third footbridge at 0.8 miles. At 1.2 miles you cross the fourth footbridge and leave the cleared area. You catch your first glimpse of the lake, but soon leave it again. This is where the path starts getting more hilly and full of tree roots.
At 1.4 miles, there's another footbridge. You start to get some really nice views of the lake on the right, and some houses on the left. At 1.8 miles, cross another bridge. At 2.3 miles, another one. After each bridge, you gain some nice altitude, and have better lake views.
At 2.5 miles, you cross another bridge (your 7th bridge!), and a large embankment for Possum Track Road looms above your head on the left side. Resist the urge to scramble up the slope to the road here, and instead continue on the MST to the right for another half a mile until you reach a concrete drainage culvert. Walk up the culvert to the left to end the trail at Possum Creek Road.
The trail takes a right onto Possum Creek Road and follows it for 0.2 miles, crossing the picturesque Cedar Creek (which is much wider than Honeycutt Creek was at the end of Section 1) until it enters the woods again.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
MST in the Triangle - Section 2
Section 2 (also known as Honeycutt Creek West) starts just west of the Honeycutt Creek "causeway" on Raven Ridge Road, at a small gravel pull-out on the shoulder of the road. It travels for 2.6 miles, mostly northeast along the shore of Falls Lake, and comes out on a private road that leads to the end of Possum Track Road. It has three bridges to cross, all of which are still there, unlike Section 1!
This section of trail initially hugs close to the lake shore, going up small hills and down through wash-out areas, most of which were dry. You turn away from the lake and start following a feeder stream, then cross it on the first bridge at 0.4 miles in.
Soon afterward, on your left you pass two very large manor-style homes, fenced of course. The trail starts to curve left around these homes, while you have good lakes views on the right.
At 1.2 miles, you come to another bridge across a sizable stream with some cascading water, and a huge black chain link fence comes within several feet of the trail. You follow this fence for at least 1/4 mile. In the winter you can catch a glimpse of the house in the distance, and it's a doozy. It has so many wings, it looks like a compound. Huge!
After you get past the fence, at 1.5 miles you come to a large pond on your left, and you travel on a berm between the pond and the lake. It looks you're walking across some kind of man-made dam. Not sure why it's there. After the pond, watch out for a fork in the trail, and keep to the left. I took the right fork by mistake (I wasn't watching the white blazes), which goes down directly to the lake.
From here to the end of this trail section, you don't get any more views of the lake. At 1.9 miles, there's a stream you have to rock-hop across, but it's easy. At 2.2 miles, you come to one more stream crossing by bridge, and then start uphill, then back downhill, and skirt a house very close on your left.
At 2.5 miles you exit the woods and come out at Red Fox Run, a dirt road that leads you to the end of Possum Track Road (at 2.6 miles), and the start of Section 3.
This section of trail initially hugs close to the lake shore, going up small hills and down through wash-out areas, most of which were dry. You turn away from the lake and start following a feeder stream, then cross it on the first bridge at 0.4 miles in.
Soon afterward, on your left you pass two very large manor-style homes, fenced of course. The trail starts to curve left around these homes, while you have good lakes views on the right.
At 1.2 miles, you come to another bridge across a sizable stream with some cascading water, and a huge black chain link fence comes within several feet of the trail. You follow this fence for at least 1/4 mile. In the winter you can catch a glimpse of the house in the distance, and it's a doozy. It has so many wings, it looks like a compound. Huge!
After you get past the fence, at 1.5 miles you come to a large pond on your left, and you travel on a berm between the pond and the lake. It looks you're walking across some kind of man-made dam. Not sure why it's there. After the pond, watch out for a fork in the trail, and keep to the left. I took the right fork by mistake (I wasn't watching the white blazes), which goes down directly to the lake.
From here to the end of this trail section, you don't get any more views of the lake. At 1.9 miles, there's a stream you have to rock-hop across, but it's easy. At 2.2 miles, you come to one more stream crossing by bridge, and then start uphill, then back downhill, and skirt a house very close on your left.
At 2.5 miles you exit the woods and come out at Red Fox Run, a dirt road that leads you to the end of Possum Track Road (at 2.6 miles), and the start of Section 3.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
MST in the Triangle - Section 1
Well, I finished the first section of the MST through the Triangle on Jan 5, 2010. I almost delayed my walk, since although it was sunny, it was only about 37 degrees. But by dressing in layers, with of course a hat and gloves, I was fine. The distance one-way on this section is 3.5 miles.
Section 1 starts at the base of Falls Lake Dam, at a parking lot known as the Tailrace Fishing Area, on Falls of Neuse Road. Directly across from the bathrooms, follow the white-blazed trail into the woods. If you're tempted to see the dam itself, you could also hike directly uphill to the top of the dam for a great view, then take a left along the dam access road until you intersect with the MST, taking a right onto the trail.
In .25 miles, a blue-blazed trail bypasses the Visitors Center. Stay on the white-blazed trail. At just less than a mile, you arrive at the Visitor Information Center at Falls Lake Dam. This is also the headquarters building of the Army Corps of Engineers. It's quite an impressive building and parking lot, commanding a terrific view on a bluff overlooking the dam and a broad section of Falls Lake. With this magnificent view, it's hard to believe you're only a couple miles north of busy I-540! Or that you're surrounded by huge housing developments.
From the Visitor Center, follow the sidewalk counterclockwise around the loop parking area, then onto a short boardwalk that leads into the woods. There's an information board and map just past the end of the boardwalk. Follow the trail into the woods.
The trail is moderately hilly (for the piedmont) and generally follows the shore of Falls Lake at first, then turns away from it (and thankfully the winter wind-chill off the lake subsides as well). There's an intersection from the left of a blue-blazed trail that also leads back to the dam, but bypasses the Visitors Center. Continue on the main trail (right) toward Raven Ridge Road.
At 1.6 miles from the start, you cross a cleared area that resembles a road, although it isn't paved. I'm not sure what this is, although the pipes you can see poking out of the ground makes me think it is perhaps for a water or utility line.
With all this wilderness in sight, it's surprising to see, perhaps another 0.25 mile later, the sight of a beautifully manicured backyard of a huge house on your left. It's the first of several houses along this section.
At the 2.8 mile mark, you walk down to a broad ravine with a sizable creek. Unfortunately, the bridge over the creek has been washed away. But you can easily rock hop across the creek just upstream from where the bridge used to be. It's hard to believe this tranquil creek was once a raging torrent pushed the bridge downstream a hundred feet or so. A sign says the bridge will be fixed soon, but not sure when that will be.
After crossing the creek, the trail follows the creek right back to the lake, passing a couple architecturally interesting homes on the left. One is very contemporary, with what looks like a treehouse attached to the back, and the other looks like a grand European manor.
After another 3/4 mile, you reach Raven Ridge Road. There's another information board and map here. There's also a small parking area along the road. The trail follows Raven Ridge Road to the right past water on both sides of the road, then (after about 0.2 mile) re-enters the woods to start Section 2.
As for me, I turned around at this point, and retraced my steps back to Falls Lake Dam.
Section 1 starts at the base of Falls Lake Dam, at a parking lot known as the Tailrace Fishing Area, on Falls of Neuse Road. Directly across from the bathrooms, follow the white-blazed trail into the woods. If you're tempted to see the dam itself, you could also hike directly uphill to the top of the dam for a great view, then take a left along the dam access road until you intersect with the MST, taking a right onto the trail.
In .25 miles, a blue-blazed trail bypasses the Visitors Center. Stay on the white-blazed trail. At just less than a mile, you arrive at the Visitor Information Center at Falls Lake Dam. This is also the headquarters building of the Army Corps of Engineers. It's quite an impressive building and parking lot, commanding a terrific view on a bluff overlooking the dam and a broad section of Falls Lake. With this magnificent view, it's hard to believe you're only a couple miles north of busy I-540! Or that you're surrounded by huge housing developments.
From the Visitor Center, follow the sidewalk counterclockwise around the loop parking area, then onto a short boardwalk that leads into the woods. There's an information board and map just past the end of the boardwalk. Follow the trail into the woods.
The trail is moderately hilly (for the piedmont) and generally follows the shore of Falls Lake at first, then turns away from it (and thankfully the winter wind-chill off the lake subsides as well). There's an intersection from the left of a blue-blazed trail that also leads back to the dam, but bypasses the Visitors Center. Continue on the main trail (right) toward Raven Ridge Road.
At 1.6 miles from the start, you cross a cleared area that resembles a road, although it isn't paved. I'm not sure what this is, although the pipes you can see poking out of the ground makes me think it is perhaps for a water or utility line.
With all this wilderness in sight, it's surprising to see, perhaps another 0.25 mile later, the sight of a beautifully manicured backyard of a huge house on your left. It's the first of several houses along this section.
At the 2.8 mile mark, you walk down to a broad ravine with a sizable creek. Unfortunately, the bridge over the creek has been washed away. But you can easily rock hop across the creek just upstream from where the bridge used to be. It's hard to believe this tranquil creek was once a raging torrent pushed the bridge downstream a hundred feet or so. A sign says the bridge will be fixed soon, but not sure when that will be.
After crossing the creek, the trail follows the creek right back to the lake, passing a couple architecturally interesting homes on the left. One is very contemporary, with what looks like a treehouse attached to the back, and the other looks like a grand European manor.
After another 3/4 mile, you reach Raven Ridge Road. There's another information board and map here. There's also a small parking area along the road. The trail follows Raven Ridge Road to the right past water on both sides of the road, then (after about 0.2 mile) re-enters the woods to start Section 2.
As for me, I turned around at this point, and retraced my steps back to Falls Lake Dam.
Hiking the MST in the Triangle
The MST (Mountain to Sea Trail) is a trail in progress. It will eventually stretch almost 1000 miles west to east across the state of North Carolina. It consists of hiking paths, and connecting roads.
In the past few years, there has been quite a lot of work done in building the MST section that goes through the Triangle. According to a sign at Falls Lake Dam, there are 39 miles of hiking trails that have been created (although I suspect there is more by now), that mostly hug the southern shores of Falls Lake.
The path starts at the Falls Lake Dam just off Falls of Neuse Road, and heads west from there. Eventually there will be a path that heads east from the dam, and follows the Neuse River through eastern Wake County.
I thought I would try a series of short day hikes, with the intent of walking the entire section of the MST through the Triangle. Actually, since I have just one car, I'll be hiking each portion of the trail twice, out and back to my car. From the map at the MST site -- ncmst.org -- you can see that the trail is intersected by a road about every 2 or 3 miles, so that seems like a logical way to split up the hikes. That is, just hike from one road intersection to another.
In the past few years, there has been quite a lot of work done in building the MST section that goes through the Triangle. According to a sign at Falls Lake Dam, there are 39 miles of hiking trails that have been created (although I suspect there is more by now), that mostly hug the southern shores of Falls Lake.
The path starts at the Falls Lake Dam just off Falls of Neuse Road, and heads west from there. Eventually there will be a path that heads east from the dam, and follows the Neuse River through eastern Wake County.
I thought I would try a series of short day hikes, with the intent of walking the entire section of the MST through the Triangle. Actually, since I have just one car, I'll be hiking each portion of the trail twice, out and back to my car. From the map at the MST site -- ncmst.org -- you can see that the trail is intersected by a road about every 2 or 3 miles, so that seems like a logical way to split up the hikes. That is, just hike from one road intersection to another.
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