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Views of Thomas Ridge

To skip the chatter and go right to the pics of this walk, click the link below:
Thomas Divide Loop(Opens in new window)

13 mile lollipop walk up Thomas Divide Trail. The walk started and ended on the southern trailhead for the Thomas Divide Trail and included Deeplow Gap Trail and Indian Creek Motor Trail – November 7, 2009

Back up to the Smokies for a Saturday walk, I decided to stay close to base camp and return to the Deep Creek area. Goal for today was another tough lung and leg workout climbing up Thomas Divide Trail, starting at the southern trailhead on dirt Tom Branch Road. (or is it Galbraith Creek Road? The book says Galbraith Creek Road, but the trail signs say Tom Branch Road.) Whatever the case, enter the Deep Creek and drive past the picnic area on your right. Shortly after you pass the picnic area you’ll come to the large parking area on the left for the Deep Creek trails. Don’t pay attention to the sign that says ‘Trailhead Parking’ and instead turn right, crossing Deep Creek on a one lane bridge, and follow the dirt road about a mile to the southern trailhead parking area on your left. Only one other vehicle was there when I arrived on this 33 degree morning.

Thomas Divide Trail and the ridge that I would climb today are named for William Holland Thomas, white adopted son of Cherokee Chief Yonaguska. Thomas became the first white Cherokee Chief when his father died in 1839 and was instrumental in helping with the creation of the Qualla reservation for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Thomas was also an officer for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Climbing to Deeplow Gap up Thomas Divide Trail

Trailhead beside Tom Branch Road

Thomas Divide Trail starts around 2200’ and begins climbing immediately after I pass the gate. Although it is a moderate climb, the trail is a wide and well-graded roadbed and is covered with several inches of crunchy leaf litter. Though I appreciate the good footing after last week’s debacle, it will be next to impossible for me to spot wildlife today due to the noise I’ll make crunching my way uphill through the fresh mat of leaves. The good news about climbing on an chilly Fall morning is it won’t take long to warm up, and that is the case for me as I stop less than a mile up to remove some layers. Before long I reach the 1.1 mile point and the intersection with Stone Pile Gap Trail, a 0.9 mile trail that connects up with the Indian Creek Trail. More on that later.

After the intersection the trail walks directly to the left of the National Park boundary, and I hear lots of activity on the private land including chainsaws on the uphill and gunfire later on the return trip. Yep, must be deer season again. A train horn from the Smoky Mountain Railroad also echoes through the valley as the train makes its way to Nantahala Gorge. Trudging uphill on the wide trail, nice views into Indian Creek drainage and the Sunkota Ridge appear to my left and high walls of rhododendron shade the trail from the right. The trees are almost 100% bare now, making it easier to see the views of distant ridges. There are no signs of life Parkside save for the occasional squirrel and crow. After 3.3 miles of non-descript climbing I reach the nice flat gap where Indian Creek Motor Trail comes uphill to meet Thomas Divide Trail.

Clingmans Dome would be a constant companion today

Thomas Divide Trail now ducks off the roadbed and jogs sharply right to continue its climb up Thomas Ridge. No more road walking until later today, as the trail narrows on the ridgetop and also becomes more steep. Now I feel the breezes coming up the eastern slopes and also get my first glimpse of Clingmans Dome to the northwest. It’s pretty cool to see the highest point in the Smokies as you walk along a ridgetop. Now I’m really heating up as the trail swings into the direct sunlight of the eastern side of Thomas Ridge and climbs relentlessly up to today’s high point of 4225’. Cresting the ridge I see today’s first hiker, Steve Edwards from Sevierville, and I stop for a chat (and a rest). After a few minutes of conversation Steve looks at me kind of funny and says “are you Old Dan Walking?”. Hey, that’s cool..the first person to recognize me out on the trails, I’m semi-famous! More importantly Steve tells me that he is just three short trails from reaching the Smokies 900 goal. Congratulations in advance Steve! (Steve is a long-time follower of Smoky Scout that found my site through hers, thanks Sharon!) After a nice talk we part and I complete the remaining downhill mile to reach Deeplow Gap.

Decision number one…Deeplow Gap Trail

Bull elk 106 grazes in Cherokee

Taking a break at peaceful Deeplow Gap I have to make the first of two decisions on which loop I’ll do today. I was thinking about trying a long loop up to Sunkota Ridge, a walk that would complete my remaining miles of Thomas Divide Trail. Probably not the best idea for this time of year though, so I decide on a shorter loop. I begin by heading downhill along the flank of Thomas Ridge on Deeplow Gap Trail. Deeplow Gap Trail heads down into Indian Creek drainage where I’ll have two different choices for completing my loop today. At the top of the trail there are occasional nice views of Clingmans Dome and then looking back toward Thomas Ridge. Later the trail begins to level out and changes character to a more moist, rocky walk through a hemlock forest of several seeps and shallow streams. Downhill feels good but I have to be careful on the rocks, especially considering last week. Soon I reach the Indian Creek Motor Trail where a group of horse riders were stopped to determine which way to go next. I’ll have to do the same. I decide to continue the additional 0.1 miles of Deeplow Gap Trail (or so the sign said, it was actually 0.3 miles) because I remember from my February walk that there was a sitting bench at the Indian Creek Trail intersection.

Decision time on the bench

Today it would be up and down and up and down

I sit on the bench at the Indian Creek Trail intersection and contemplate the two choices I have for my return trip back to my car. Door #1 would be to return the 0.3 miles up Deeplow Gap Trail and then climb another 1000’ back up Thomas Ridge on the Indian Creek Motor Trail, rejoining Thomas Divide Trail at that intersection I was at earlier today. Door #2 was an easy gradual downhill on Indian Creek Trail and then a return to Thomas Divide Trail via Stone Pile Gap Trail. I’m tired, so I choose the easier door #2. After a few paces downhill the voices in my head keep whispering “dude, you need the work..door #1, door #1, door #1…”. So against my better judgment I whip around and climb the 1000’ up Deeplow Gap Trail and Indian Creek Motor Trail. Indian Creek Motor Trail is a walk along a wide roadbed for an abandoned National Park project to make a motor loop out of Deep Creek. For me it is just another grueling climb, and I shuffle along slowly. The only thing of note today on this trail was one large flat area on the right that had a nice view and a stone pile, probably a former camp of some sort.

After 1.8 miles of uphill along Thomas Ridge I finally reach the intersection with Thomas Divide Trail. Relief! Now it would be a long 3.3 miles of downhill to the car. It’s always amazing to me though how quickly the relief of going downhill fades late in the day, particularly if you’re retracing steps you walked earlier in the day. But I decided that I was in no hurry to be out of the Smokies, and even when I’m in the midst of a boring descent I’m thankful to be in the Smokies! Life is good…so I ramble on. Near the end of my walk I notice a cemetery on the right that I walked right by without noticing this morning. I go over and check out the well-kept peaceful hilltop resting place for many early residents of this area. I stand still and just listen to the wind. After that my 13 mile walk for today ends just a few paces away at the now-full parking area. Although today’s walk wasn’t filled with the ‘wow factor’ of some waterfall, stream, or high-mountain ridge walks, I still enjoyed the pleasant woods and the tough workout and of course look forward to my next visit.

Little Jarvis only saw 7 years

Low elevation on today’s 13 mile lollipop walk was around 2170’ near the Thomas Divide trailhead and high elevation was near 4225’ atop Thomas Ridge on the Thomas Divide Trail. The walk included about 5050’ of overall climbing.

For pics of this walk, click the link below:
Thomas Divide Loop(Opens in new window)

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 9:37 pm and is filed under 2009 Hikes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.