Babel Tower Trail, Linville Gorge Wilderness
[dropcap style="font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;"] E [/dropcap]xplorer William Linville and his sons were scalped by Indians in 1766 in what would eventually become known as Linville Gorge. I do believe I’d be fine with going through life not having anything named for me. The Linville Gorge Wilderness in Avery County, NC was one of the first protected areas in the country under the Wilderness Act of 1964. I’ve enjoyed this rugged country a number of times now. The west rim of the gorge is known for its steep descents down to Linville River, while the east rim is a series of spectacular mountaintop climbs that offer 360 degree views of the gorge below and the surrounding Pisgah National Forest. The area is isolated and primitive… you would expect that in a wilderness area. I’ve learned to be totally focused on what I’m doing when hiking Linville Gorge Wilderness. This hike took place on Thursday, April 28, 2011. We started at 9:50AM and finished about 1:15PM with longish stops at the river to marvel, and on the Babel Tower for lunch. The goal was to descend the Babel Tower Trail to the Linville River at the bottom of the gorge, then stop at Babel Tower on the way back up.
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Hike Length: 2.6 miles Hike Duration: 3.5 hours Hike Rating: Difficult, strenuous
Blaze: None, wilderness Elevation Gain: 1300 feet Hike Configuration: Down and back up
Trail Condition: Primitive, extremely rocky
Starting Point: On West Rim Road (NC 1238) on the left.
Trail Traffic: We encountered six other hikers in two groups. One couple had camped overnight on Babel Tower. The other was a family of four day hikers.
How to Get There: From Marion, NC take U.S. 221 north to the intersection of NC 183 at Linville Falls. Turn right on NC 183 and go one mile to NC 1238, otherwise known as the Kistler Memorial Highway or the West Rim Road. This is a dirt and gravel road. The Babel Tower Trail is about 2.1 miles on the left.[/box]
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The last time I did this hike I must have been having a bad day because when I finished, I was whupped. I sweat so much that day, I could ring my shirt out. I hung it out the car window to dry while I was driving back to the main road. I learned on that day, again, not to wear cotton on a hot summer day. So, I knew to expect to be tired. I exercised a little bit less the day before. I went on a day when the temperature was in the high-fifties rather than the mid-eighties, and I wore seasonal appropriate, wicking clothing. This was still a very strenuous hike despite the short length. The bottom line was, the climb back up is 1300 feet in just 1.3 miles. The down was no slouch either. It was rugged, rocky primitive terrain that was hard to navigate. The trail starts out benign enough, but within 1/4 mile we encountered the roots, and then the rocks. Babel Tower is a wilderness trail. Yes, there is a modicum of maintenance, but there is something new every step waiting to stub your toe, or sprain your ankle. There are downed trees across the trail. Some we went over… some we went under… some we went around.
What I wasn’t expecting was blooms on the mountain laurel. That usually happens around here in mid-May, but it seems everything has been a couple weeks early this year because of a very mild February. We saw the first bloom at about 3300 feet. The further we went down, the more there were. The wild iris was also blooming its magnificent shade of royal blue. The flowering was truly an unexpected treat. After about 1/2 mile, the trail begins to pop out of the forest a bit, so there are views of the north gorge. It’s a nice introduction to the beauty that lies ahead. Over the course of the next 1/3 mile down to Babel Tower there are occasional outcroppings that offer long distance views to the south of Hawksbill Mountain and Table Rock Mountain, as well as the first glimpse of Babel Tower below.
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