The Halo Above the Smokies
Solar Eclipse Trip
August 19-22, 2017
Summary:
Eclipse! Eclipse! Eclipse! "A once in a lifetime" moment, until it happens again! The line of totality passes through my second home, and I knew just the place to watch it. I don't want to take all the credit because Mike had the idea and planned for the trip to occur. I just came up with the fire tower location that we decided on among all of the other good ideas. The map below shows that we were in the totality streak. I think someone said we were 20 something miles away from the exact path, how cool.
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| Wesser Bald location on Solar Eclipse Map Source |
The Gear:
The Story:
Saturday Evening Hike on the Appalachian Trail from NOC to Wherever the hell we set up camp
We arrived at the NOC around 7. I grabbed an annual river pass for the Nantahala while Mike got a parking pass for hiking the AT. We prepped our packs and introduced Juanita to the wonderful world of carrying giant packs on our backs while hiking and got her fit to a pack. It was late when we got started on the hike, but obviously not too late to get some pictures in.
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| AT Sign at the NOC [2017-08-19] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Juanita's pack is bigger than she is! [2017-08-19] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Group photo! [2017-08-19] Appalachian Trail, NC |
We passed by a large group at the first shelter and then a few more tents set-up along the trail.
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| Crossing over a creek / wet rocks - we all survived! [2017-08-19] Appalachian Trail, NC |
There was absolutely no way we would make it to the fire tower tonight as the darkness increased so once we found a decent enough clearing, we set up camp. Juanita and Mike each had regular tents, so they were able to squeeze them into the small open space there was with enough room for hikers to pass through if needed. It took me awhile to find two trees adequate enough to set up my hammock. It got pitch black fast! And my headlamp is not good at actually being bright enough to accomplish anything. The forecast for the night was clear so I didn’t even bother setting up the rainfly.
I ate some snacks and sipped on Nantahala Brewing App Trail Extra Pale Ale. I couldn’t think of a better brew to bring. When I returned to my tent to crash for the night, I noticed for the first time the white AT blaze on the tree right next to my hammock. The first time, I thought it was just the normal white paint slash. Next glance, there was a smiley face. Then for the rest of my glances, I realized it had X’s for eyes and got spooked. Either I wasn’t paying attention earlier or someone (or my mind) was playing tricks on me. As unsettling as it was, I fell asleep instantly and woke up the next morning alive.
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| Creepy night time view of the Death Face Blaze next to my tent [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
Sunday Trek to Wesser Bald Fire Tower on the Appalachian Trail
We ate breakfast and packed up in the morning. We were 4.9 miles out from the tower. The hike was mostly uphill and included some rock scrambling. I realized that using hiking poles ruins my step count for the day. Over the entire hike, I only got a few thousand steps which is total BS. Oh well.
There’s another shelter about .5-.75 miles from the tower. There’s also a water source there too. From there, I just had to keep charging uphill.
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| Daylight view of Death Face Blaze next to my hammock [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Juanita and Mike's tents, Sunrise poking through the trees [2017-08-21] Appalachian Trail, NC |
There were several views on the trail. I ended up hiking further ahead since I move uphill at a quick pace. This allowed me to take my time to "point and shoot" photos with a camera that does most of the work for me.
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| AT Hiking/Rock Scrambling [2018-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Staircases on a steep ledge [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
Once up onto the ridgeline, the hike becomes slightly easier. There's also more flowers and other distinctive plants. Bees were everywhere. I haven't been stung by a bee before so it mildly concerns me if I happen to be allergic. Fortunately, no stings.
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| Bees and Flowers [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
I found what looked like basil on top of the ridgeline. It looked like basil, smelled like basil, so it must be basil. I didn’t know that it grew wild here? I’ll have to look it up. And this is what I could find... So this is likely "wild basil" Satureja vulgaris. It is a member of the Mint family along with the basil we use in cooking. Wild basil can still be used but the flavor is more like thyme. The basil plants in the Great Smoky Mountains are likely not the original Wild Basil from northern North America naturally migrating South but are actually from basil plants and seeds imported from Europe.
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| Basil on the Ridge of the Smoky Mountains [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
There’s another shelter about .5-.75 miles from the tower. There’s also a water source there too. From there, I just had to keep charging uphill.
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-20] Appalachian Trail, NC |
Sunny Sunday Setup and Socializing
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| Lunch and Nantahala Brewing App Trail XPale Ale [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Arrival at Wesser Bald [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Set up camp and called dibs on my solar eclipse viewing spot [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| The Mountain Lioness at work on the blog [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
Throughout the afternoon, more hikers trickled in, and we all started to make friends with each other. There are freshly printed signs at the base of the tower and the top of the staircase stating that there is a 14 person maximum capacity. This is concerning, especially as there quickly became more than 14 setting up camp. Several day hikers passed through but weren’t staying.
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| [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Maximum Occupancy: 14 Persons - Uh oh! [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Bees | Appalachian Trail, NC [2017-08-20] |
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| Bees | Appalachian Trail, NC [2017-08-20] |
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| Group Photo! Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Panorama Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail - NC |
By around 19:00, the sleepover has been set-up. There were so many sleeping bags on top of the tower. People were playing card games, cooking food, and drinking the beer. As sunset arrived, the crowd on top of the tower doubled to watch the beauty and snap some photos. If that was the crowd for the sunset, then it will be interesting to see the crowd for the eclipse. I wonder if someone will be out here to enforce the 14 person rule.
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| So surreal. Sunset. [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Sunset [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Sunset and Sleepover [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
As soon as the sun was down and the sky was dark, it was a beautiful sight. With the lack of lights from a large city nearby, we could see the Milky Way spectacularly. There were tiny stars among the brighter, closer ones we normally see. I didn’t take any photos because I was in a mindset where I just wanted to enjoy this existence.
Monday Morning
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| Sunrise [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
I awoke Monday morning as I heard whispers and rustling around. I emerged from my hammock to see about half of the sleepover crew awake watching the beginning of the sunrise. A few tripods were set up. I picked up my camera and started to take some pictures too. The clouds around the mountains looked like the sea surrounding islands. This is the Smoky Mountains, and they always live up to their name, especially this morning. The sunrise was not the most impressive I’ve seen in terms of sky coloration, but the view from being way up on top of the mountain was incredible. The fog gradually spread around the mountain range. Everyone was communicating via whispers to not disturb the moment (and the people sleeping). Right around seven, the sun finally popped up in a stunning big red ball.
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| Sunrise [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail - NC |
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| Sunrise [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail - NC |
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| Sunrise [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail - NC |
It was neat having a sleepover on the tower. We got to meet and spend time with people from all over the southern-middle parts of the east coast. There’s basically a pact between everyone who camped out last night, either on the tower or below, to make sure we all get priority for eclipse viewing. As I’m typing this part, I’m just chilling on the tower with several others killing time until the eclipse. This is as good of time as ever to start my writeup. To quote someone who is currently on the phone with someone not here: “This was the strangest sleepover with adults I’ve ever been apart of.”
It is now nine in the morning. The tower top is full of people and all of the people’s stuff. There’s three tripods set-up, and I’m expecting more. Day hikers are starting to arrive and are bewildered about how many of us are up here and camped out. Some of us are more committed than you newcomers! What is unfortunate about this location is that there are trees obstructing any views not from the top of the tower. So if you’re stuck at the base, it’s not going to be great. Alright I’ll update later. Kat out.
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| I left a legacy | 'KAT Eclipse '17' Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
In addition to the fresh new signs about capacity, there were also fresh new reinforcements on the tower. Basically every wooden surface had been carved into by people passing through over the years. This was my time to put the first scratches into the new boards. I also hung my solar charger over the side of the tower after the sunrise, and oh man, I have never seen that thing charge a cell phone so fast. It got 2 phones up to close to 100%, when in most places it charges unbearably slow if it isn't just maintaining the current charge. Now I know the thing works lol.
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| Solar charger off the side of tower [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Sunrise [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
Why is the sun disappearing?!
As predicted, several entitled people arrived at the fire tower just an hour or two before the eclipse process would begin. The forest service never sent anyone out, but a few people did take initiative on trying to make sure we wouldn't cause the tower to collapse. We all know exactly who has been there for awhile and who just arrived. We agreed on capping it at around ~35 people. I decided to be a good person and dropped off my pack at the base of the tower so we wouldn't have the weight. I also put my hammock away to make a tiny bit of space. That was my fatal error. Queue my fire tower jerkface encounter.
Jerkface basically stepped over me, where I was minding my own business reading a book, into the corner I had been staking out. I politely told him that I had been staking this out for a day. He didn't care, and he got nasty with me really fast. "It's a National Forest, I have every right to stand RIGHT HERE." "No you do not. There were posted signs that say 14 max capacity, and you clearly just came up here when it was clearly over the capacity." Jerks don't like to hear basic logic, so I went into defensive mode because I was not going to let this asshole ruin my day. I hate how I had to act in a way to defend my spot. Any respectful person with an ounce of empathy would have understood. He had no logical ways to defend himself, obviously since he was in the wrong. He finally moved and told me that he hopes all of this karma will catch up with me, and his wife definitely called me a b****.
Jerkface basically stepped over me, where I was minding my own business reading a book, into the corner I had been staking out. I politely told him that I had been staking this out for a day. He didn't care, and he got nasty with me really fast. "It's a National Forest, I have every right to stand RIGHT HERE." "No you do not. There were posted signs that say 14 max capacity, and you clearly just came up here when it was clearly over the capacity." Jerks don't like to hear basic logic, so I went into defensive mode because I was not going to let this asshole ruin my day. I hate how I had to act in a way to defend my spot. Any respectful person with an ounce of empathy would have understood. He had no logical ways to defend himself, obviously since he was in the wrong. He finally moved and told me that he hopes all of this karma will catch up with me, and his wife definitely called me a b****.
I temporarily got over it when the whole point of this trip began:
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| Solar Eclipse Day [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| The moon got hungry and took a bite from the sun | Beginning of the eclipse [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Unofficial eclipse viewing party [2017-08-20] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Solar Eclipse Totality [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| Post-Totality of the Solar Eclipse [2017-08-21] Wesser Bald Fire Tower | Appalachian Trail, NC |
Hiking from Wesser Bald to the Nantahala Outdoor Center
I got out fairly quickly. I had been in close proximity to several people for way too long. I was also still feeling crappy about my interaction with jerkface. Mike and Juanita were going to descend the shorter trail to the Tellico Gap parking lot where Mike would catch a ride with some tower friends we made. He would then drive his truck from the NOC back to Tellico Gap to pick up Juanita and then meet me at the NOC when I arrived. It sounded like he thought they would beat me there, but I had a feeling traffic would be awful. After all, this hike was going to be 95% downhill.
I stopped to filter some water from the designated stream by the shelter. I unfortunately arrived at the time where my two absolute favorite people (sarcasm) were walking past but fortunately before a large group arrives. I was alone most of the trail, which was nice. I needed to unwind and enjoy alone time.
I stopped to filter some water from the designated stream by the shelter. I unfortunately arrived at the time where my two absolute favorite people (sarcasm) were walking past but fortunately before a large group arrives. I was alone most of the trail, which was nice. I needed to unwind and enjoy alone time.
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-21] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-21] Appalachian Trail, NC |
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| AT Hiking [2017-08-21] Appalachian Trail, NC |
NOC Chillin' and Turkey Creek Campin'
I completed the 6.3 mile hike back to the NOC at a brisk pace. First things first, use a real bathroom instead of finding a secluded spot in the woods. The more people that arrived at the tower, the more difficult it became to take care of business.
Second priority - hydration. I went to the general store and bought some Powerade and immediately consumed 90% of it. I hadn't filtered enough water for the hike back. Now that I'm hydrated, the next priority is food and beer. I went to Wesser BBQ and got the Nanty BBQ boat and beer #1. As Mike and Juanita were fighting traffic, Beer #2 and Beer #3 also came into the picture. I sat by the river and read my book. I also called up Turkey Creek Campground to see if they had any spots available, and they sure did! Once we were full of food, we got on our way. At check-in, we were told we could set-up in any unoccupied areas.
There were a few lots to choose from and selected this spacious one:
As soon as I had my tent up, I charged towards the hot showers like someone who's been in the woods for a few days. That hot shower felt GLORIOUS. When I got out of the restrooms, it was dark. I decided to just pass out.
Second priority - hydration. I went to the general store and bought some Powerade and immediately consumed 90% of it. I hadn't filtered enough water for the hike back. Now that I'm hydrated, the next priority is food and beer. I went to Wesser BBQ and got the Nanty BBQ boat and beer #1. As Mike and Juanita were fighting traffic, Beer #2 and Beer #3 also came into the picture. I sat by the river and read my book. I also called up Turkey Creek Campground to see if they had any spots available, and they sure did! Once we were full of food, we got on our way. At check-in, we were told we could set-up in any unoccupied areas.
There were a few lots to choose from and selected this spacious one:
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| Turkey Creek Campground | Almond, NC |
As soon as I had my tent up, I charged towards the hot showers like someone who's been in the woods for a few days. That hot shower felt GLORIOUS. When I got out of the restrooms, it was dark. I decided to just pass out.
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| Turkey Creek Campground | Almond, NC |
Paddling the Nantahala River
Juanita and Mike were up before me Tuesday morning. We packed up and got on the road quickly. Mike was going to take Juanita to her car to get it to a mechanic. The Nantahala River Launch site was on the way, so I was dropped off there.
The water release wasn't scheduled until 9, so I killed time for an hour and a half. I walked around the area, ate some food, organized my gear, and read a few more chapters of my book.
The noise from the river amplified as I was reading. More water was flowing, and the rapids were larger. They released the water at about ten til nine. I began to gear up and got in the water ten after nine. The only time I've launched this far upstream is my first time down the river in a ducky July 2016 (just over a year ago, even though it seems like much longer than that).
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| Surf wave [2017-08-22] Nantahala River | NC |
I had the river to myself. I saw a few raft buses on Hwy 74, but they wouldn't catch to me. I was mostly running the river but also practiced catching eddies and surfing. I did one practice roll, but the water was cold of course. The water was not high towards the end of the section so I did take some breaks. The "Bump" was even more of a bump at lower levels, and I enjoyed that! It was imperative that I disembark and scout the falls in the current conditions. The water was definitely moving there, and I made it through cleanly. Mike had just gotten back to the NOC. I gave my hand at some of the slalom course set-up. It didn't go well. Not to make excuses, but I was pretty exhausted from the weekend! It's totally not my current skill level!
What a Trainwreck!
Bus, meet train. Train, meet bus.
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| Great Smoky Mountain Railroad hits tour bus [2017-08-22] Nantahala Outdoor Center | Bryson City, NC |
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| Great Smoky Mountain Railroad hits tour bus [2017-08-22] Nantahala Outdoor Center | Bryson City, NC] |
News Stories:
The train tracks go over the road right after the bridge. The train was honking and slowing down, as is protocol. The bus doesn't notice. It was apparently a slow motion crash that pushed the bus about 10ft. Fortunately it did not flip over. Once I had my food, I made my way back. During that time, we bumped into the friendly couple from Clearwater that we met at the fire tower sleepover who wanted a lift to a further section of the Appalachian Trail. We happily agreed, just had to wait for who knows how long.
Once we dropped off our friends, we were officially back on the Road to Reality. The delays caused our arrival through Atlanta right at rush hour, so reality slapped us back in no time. The best thing about coming back is seeing my kitties, Jovi and Taco. However once I have my RV, they get to travel with me.
Hurdles:
- Jerkface trying to take my spot I staked out for 24+ hours
- Transportation failures. Yikes.
- Bus-Train collisions causing delays and therefore hitting Atlanta during rush hour traffic
- Trying to outhike the darkness and setting up camp with a crappy headlamp
Relevant Quote:
Other:
The RV Envy is so real. I enjoyed checking out different setups at the campgrounds and traveling on the highways. The one across from us at Turkey Creek was what I wanted. Had they been outside in the morning before we left, I may have asked to see inside. Class C in the lower 30' range towing a vehicle.
Also an interesting fact: People thought the Wesser Bald Fire Tower burned down in the terrible fires from Nov 2016 (almost a year ago), but it didn't! Fun fact: I just realized I was up at the tower Dec 2016 after the fires.
I think next solar eclipse, I just want to take a kayak out into a clear body of water in the line of totality. It was amazing to experience it in one of my favorite areas on top of a mountain, but other people stress me out. I'm glad I did it, but I think I'd enjoy it more somewhere more calm.
Crappy headlamp crisis soon to be resolved: I had an REI gift card for $100.00. Their Labor Day sale kicked in as I'm about to finally publish this post. The $99 headlamp on my wishlist was 25% off. I just got an email that it was shipped. Next week I will be able to see at night!
Notable Resources:
- Solar Eclipse Facts
- Wikipedia: Wesser Bald
- Tellico Gap > Wesser Bald Fire Tower
- Hikingtheappalachians.com: NOC > Wesser Bald Fire Tower