MST: Fork Ridge Overlook to Old Bald Access (Segment 2)

This past weekend I set out on an attempt to complete my remaining miles of Segment 2 of the Mountains to Sea Trail. However, just like the past few months, things do not always go as planned. This was my first hike in over two months, having been saddled with unexpected diversions from work and health. The leaves were beginning to turn and the cool air was inviting me back out, and I could not wait to hit the trail. My plan was to break up my remaining 33 miles from Fork Ridge Overlook to Bear Pen Gap into 3 day hikes, increasing in complexity and mileage.

I am thankful to my patient and beautiful wife, Kimberly for being my personal shuttle driver as well as faithful supporter in my adventures. Day 1 began at Fork Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had previously hiked down to the overlook from Waterrock Knob for Hike #3 of the 40 Hike Challenge.

The MST leaves the woods here and heads east on the shoulder of the Blue Ridge Parkway for 0.5 mile. It was an early Thursday morning, so the Parkway was not too crowded.

The trailhead is obvious on the side of the road, but note that there is no parking available here, so if you are leaving a car, you will have to park at the overlook. The trail is a moderate hike as it basically parallels the BRP. It is very scenic, but obviously any long range views will be seasonal.

At approximately 3.3 miles into the hike, the MST joins a gravel road (Greenspire Dr.). I met several trucks on this road including a tractor and caravan of about 10 all terrain vehicles. So much for serenity. Regardless, it was great to be back outside on a beautiful day.

After 2.0 miles on the gravel road, the MST comes out at the Orchards Overlook which is different than the majority of overlooks. This one sits away from the parkway so it provides a bit of seclusion. The trail again follows along the shoulder of the parkway for another 0.9 miles before exiting briefly to the woods (across from the exit to 23/74). The MST again joins the parkway to cross 23/74 and then immediately makes a sharp detour off of the road to a small parking area on the side of 23/74 (near the parkway maintenance building).

Overall, this hike was about 7.5 miles, with approximately half of it either on the parkway or gravel road, but it was a good warmup for the tougher days of hiking ahead of me.

Day 2: Old Bald Access to Balsam Gap

One advantage of day hiking is that you can choose which direction you want to hike individual trails. This section is 11 miles long with over 2200 feet in elevation change. I decided I would rather hike downhill, so I planned on hiking west from the Old Bald Access off of the Blue Ridge Parkway (approx. MP 433.9). The parking at this trailhead is on the grass and is also in a very sharp curve, so caution is advised. It is a short spur trail until you meet the MST intersection.

This was a rather diverse hike – from moss covered rock fields to Birch and Beech covered canopies to Oak forests and even fields of Snakeroot and Angelica.

This past January, I began taking courses at the NC Arboretum for my Blue Ridge Naturalist Certification. Through a variety of core and elective courses, it is a deep dive into the ecology and diversity of the Southern Appalachians. The instructors are excellent and if you enjoy the outdoors, I highly recommend you check out their Adult Education courses.

Needless to say, my immersion this past year into Zoology, Botany, Geology, Ecology and Flora and Tree identification classes has made my hiking even more enjoyable. It has been a great break from a stressful career and it has really opened my eyes to the beauty that we are blessed to call home.

However, my personality is also very goal oriented and I do enjoy marking off each hike as I strive to complete another challenge. Because of this, I have to fight off the temptation to rush through a beautiful hike.

I was blessed with beautiful weather and I was ahead of schedule – it was a perfect day. Immediately I felt like I was being bombarded by flowers and trees that were grabbing my attention.  It seemed like every few steps I was stopping again to try and identify a species that I had not recognized before. It was like I had become someone else – like I had no care in the world and I had thrown out the schedule and then . . . it hit, my old self. . .  I looked at my watch and realized I had only walked 1 of 11 miles and I was behind schedule for Kimberly’s pickup at the next trailhead in 5 hrs.  So, the battle began. . . 

 When is a ‘distraction’ a divine appointment or something evil meant to throw us off track?  I know it may sound cliche’, but every aspect of the outdoors that I was experiencing made me feel closer to the Creator and it was calming my hurried spirit.  I am thankful that my old self did not win out.  I was able to walk slower and enjoy all that I was experiencing, and as I stopped for lunch I realized that I was well within my schedule and had not missed a thing.  

Wherever you are in life – whether it is raising a houseful of kids; starting a career; looking ahead to where God is leading in relationships, etc, it is so easy to get tunnel vision on what the future looks like – the next goal to achieve.  Meanwhile we tend to brush aside the ‘distractions’ that may actually be divine appointments.   Our child’s priceless artwork; a coworker’s need for attention; a parent’s need for a phone call. . . 

With about 2 miles left to go in the hike, I twisted my knee and fell flat on a rock.  As I got to my feet and hobbled down the remaining trail, my anxious and driven mind was fighting with the reality – this pain was real and it wasn’t just going away.  Day 3 and my goal of completing Segment 2 was not going to happen this weekend.   

As I woke up the next morning, knowing it would be some time before I was hiking again, I wished that I had spent some more time on that last hike enjoying more of the ‘distractions’.  

Sometimes we do need to see the trees instead of the forest, and actually get lost in the weeds. 

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