Camping
at Picklesiemer Fields
May
20 - 21, 2000
Hoping to get started on a full summer of backpacking, and looking toward the possibility of a strenuous trip to Joyce Kilmer this summer we decided to invite those friends of Simon who we believed would accompany us on such a trek to do a "shake down" hike. We felt that this would acquaint them with the rigor's of our planned trip and help us determine their capabilities before plunging into the deep wilderness with them. All this aside, we hoped to have a good time as well, and we did! We were surprised and delighted that Brian and his family, hiking partners for years, joined us in the woods on the second day. Join us for a couple of nights.
The walk into Picklesiemer is an easy one, about 1 mile with a climb of about
150 feet on a well trod pathway.
The boys sprinted a head and at the top of the trail we found where they had
left the trail to visit a nearby waterfall.
After a good supper in the "back" meadows the boys enjoyed a night
of hijinks in the dark.
Steve, Robert, Richard and Simon had "gone hunting" and brought
back Robert on a pole.
The real challenge of the trip was the seven mile day hike on Saturday around
cedar Rock Knob.
This walk was first up the Butter Gap Trail to the intersection of the Art
Loeb Trail, then that trail to the
Mountains to the Sea Trail, then intersecting the Cat Gap trail and back to
Picklesiemer.
Here at the highest point on the trail the boys relax on the face of cedar
Rock.
And here at Cat Gap we all take a break for a well deserved snack of crackers
and cheese.
(That's the elusive Josh Taylor at the rear of the crowd)
Teen aged appetites were in full swing back at the camp,,,
(where are you Josh?)
And Brian, famous for his trailside culinary efforts, is there to meet the
need.
Back at the trailhead Sunday afternoon, we had all had a wonderful time.
(Josh missed the group shot somehow)
On the way home the boys insisted on a cooling dip in Looking Glass Falls
off of US 276
To find this spot look for the signs to the Fish Hatchery after leaving Brevard
on US 276 going north into Pisgah Forest.
Scenes from previous trips to Picklesiemer, John Rock and Looking Glass