Vineyard Gap and Riverside Trails, Pisgah National Forest

June 3rd, 2012 by Jeff

We approached the first crossing with just a touch of trepidation, not knowing the water temperature or the swiftness of the current. It didn’t take long to realize this was doable and on subsequent crossings we plunged right in with reckless abandon. We wouldn’t be good Meanderthals if we didn’t. On this day we had a new member of our troupe of wayward vagabonds, so we broke him in right. Hey! Walking in a mountain stream is great fun, no matter your age.

The Riverside Trail is appropriately named as it follows all the myriad twists of the river, never getting more than 25 yards away. The river itself is a lazy one. Unlike many of the rivers and prongs in the Blue Ridge Mountains there’s no whitewater here. It isn’t a big river — no more than 40 feet at its widest. We were following the trail upstream, in a generally northeast to southwest direction, but the river turns so much that there’s something new to see round every bend. Most of the photographic spots are on the corners.

Riverside Trail /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/netbros/7323867698/in/photostream" target="_blank"></a> </div></p><p>The 2nd crossing was a little testier than the first. The trail picks back up on the opposite bank about 25 yards upstream, so you’re not only crossing, but also going against the current. The rocks on the riverbed are also bigger here, so watch your step. Leave it to me to cross to the wrong place. What I saw on the other side wasn’t a trail at all. Thankfully the other guys were more astute than I and found the correct point.</p><p>Once back on the original side of the river where we started, we noticed a sort of berm, or levee between the trail and river. No more than five feet high, there were stretches on both sides of the river where this flood control was deployed. The trail is a little wider here, a combination of crushed leaves and mud. Since this is also a horse trail, some of the wetter areas have been chewed up pretty well by hooves. What’s a little mud on the trail?</p><p>Speaking of horses, as we reached the third river crossing, so too did a group of four equestrians on the other side, coming toward us. That’s one way to get across the river without getting your feet wet, but where’s the fun in that? Oh, horseback riding is fun too? Never mind. We gave them a wide berth and all the horses were well behaved as they crossed the river, then passed us the way we came.</p><p>The 3rd river crossing is by far <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/netbros/7323867698/in/photostream" target="_blank">the most scenic</a>. There is a series of granite fins jutting out of the river, topped with moss and fern. On the far side of the river is a sandy and rocky shoal with a campsite, and a great spot for lunch. The whole area is encompassed by a large turn in the river that enables viewing upstream and down. As luck would have it there is a very large downed tree right along the bank that makes a perfect seat. We took off our packs, pulled out our sandwiches and snacks and reveled in the beauty and the perfect weather.</p><p>After lunch, I took a little time for some pictures while the other guys were chatting. I’d managed to stay on my feet so far through three fordings of the river, but when I got up from my seat on the ground near a picturesque clump of grass (seen at the top of this post), I stumbled and nearly fell head first into the river. Good for me I was able to catch myself on the aforementioned log. It sucks getting old.</p><p>Upon our return to the trail we passed a particularly lovely forest grove covered with ground cedar and shaded by tall hemlock. The forest service must also recognize the appeal of the area as they have placed a number of campsites along this stretch of the trail. The river is a ready water source, the ground is soft, and the trees form a canopy to protect from bad weather.</p><p>Page 2 of 4 | <a href=Previous page | Next page

Posted in Hiking, Hiking Blog, North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest, Rated Easy Hikes, Water Hikes | 3 comments

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