My first visit to Panthertown was fun, wet, and a little scary
- Where: Panthertown Valley | Nantahala National Forest
- When: June 2020
- How many nights: 1, although planned for 2
- Weather: Mostly sunny and clear, besides a severe storm on Day 2
- Nearest town: Cashiers, NC
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Researching an Unexpected Find and Navigating an Unexpected Pandemic
Panthertown Valley has, for about two years, been high on my wishlist of places to explore and overnight. Although I frequent the southern area of western North Carolina (WNC), I honestly had not heard of the area and first learned of it while researching fire towers and waterfalls in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest (PNF).
Time that I had intended for planning a Pisgah adventure was now being used to search all corners of the web for anything related to this Panthertown place which I had just discovered.
A few months later, in March of the year 2020, I was in Brevard, North Carolina, and scouting the Art Loeb trail for the first time. The thirty-mile Art Loeb trail has been at the top of my hiking wishlist for quite some time. An opportunity to fly south to Asheville had appeared and I did not want to waste a chance to skip the seven hour drive. After renting a car at Asheville Regional Airport, I drove south to Brevard and US-276. I already knew that US-276 was the southeast gateway to the Pisgah Ranger District and to say I was excited was an understatement. My plan was to drive northwest into the PNF on US-276 and visit some of the roadside sights. That included stopping at the Ranger Station which was stocked with maps of the Art Loeb trail and Panthertown Valley.
Do you remember the month I visited that station? If you recalled March of 2020, you are correct.
Two weeks later, the entire world had changed. The novel coronavirus that would later come to be named COVID-19 was spreading across planet Earth and impacting social and economic norms in every country. Social distancing and face masks. Concerns of ICU wards being completely full at hospitals and a shortage of ventilators. Unprecedented un-employment statistics. At home, I calculated the number of servings of pasta we would need to eat pasta twice a day for the next three months and then bought the amount of boxed pasta to meet that number. We stayed at home. We worked from home. Amanda would eventually lose her job.
Several months would pass before we would briefly see some of our friends. Outside, with masks, and distanced by six feet or more. With more time came more understanding of this coronavirus. The mitigation strategy was now more clear.
Southbound I-75
It is now June of 2020. This past month, my friend Aaron and I had discussed getting outdoors to have some fun and adventure. Fortunately, with backpacking being a hobby of mine for several years, I had all of my gear plus enough gear for a second person. There is no need to order anything online and hope it quickly ships. I knew where I wanted to go: North Carolina. Linville Gorge? The Great Balsams? The Smokys? This would be Aaron’s first time camping. Ever. For this reason, I knew I had to simplify the decision making process. Not wanting his first hike to be a difficult one, I narrowed it down to two options. Shining Rock Wilderness or Panthertown. Clearly, simplifying the process was an ideal decision. Aaron quickly chose Panthertown after seeing the elevation change involved with climbing to Shining Rock from the Big East Fork trailhead.
Inside our rented Jeep Compass, we are ready to drive south. Eight hours and twenty-two minutes. For the majority of our time we will be headed south on Interstate 75. I know the route well, having used it for half a dozen family factions and growing up within 300 yards of the highway itself. The drive is mostly uneventful apart from a scary moment when a flatbed trailer carrying a double-wide home happened to have a blow-out of one of its tiny tires. I am behind the wheel of the Compass and in the passing lane. You know the scene all too well. There is a tiny two-door pick-up truck with the “Oversized Load” sign. The pick-up truck, as they always do, looks as if it has not once in its existence seen a maintenance center or been washed. A curve in the interstate is ahead. Realizing this, I decide not to pass the trailer until the curve has ended. However, not trusting me to decide this on my own, the pick-up truck suddenly changes lanes and is now, at most, two car lengths in front of me.
The driver of this early 90’s B-2000 or Ranger must have realized he overreacted and moves back to the right lane. I accelerate quickly as the lane ends, wanting to get around this mess. Seconds later we hear a loud noise and see the trailer slightly bounce and shake. When you watch a double-wide home shake on the back of a flat-bed trailer that is driving at a speed of 65 mph or higher, it is difficult to look away, but we certainly did not miss the donut shaped piece of rubber that bounced a few times before jumping high into the air. The tire misses our passenger side and slams onto the hood of the pick-up truck which begins swerving left and right in a panic.
Having now passed the trailer, we continue to watch in our mirrors to see what happens. Both the trailer and pick-up are able to safely move to the highway’s shoulder and come to a stop. Not more than a minute later and a rest area appears. We briefly stop to inspect the rental car and determine we did not take a hit from the tire. Onward we go.
Hours later we are in Brevard, NC. Having so far only stopped for fuel, we decide to find some lunch before continuing to our destination. Having visited Brevard back in March, I know a few spots. Aaron decides we should visit Burning Blush Brewery. Next we visit Ecusta Brewing Company before ordering some seriously tasty sandwiches at Oskar Blues Taproom.
Panthertown Valley
Panthertown has three trailheads. The Cold Mountain Gap trailhead, on the east side, and Saltrock Gap to the northwest, and Deep Gap trailhead at the southwest point. Our plan is to park at Cold Mountain Gap and camp two nights. Camp for the first night will, hopefully, be on a sandbar near Schoolhouse Falls. Our planned camp for the second night will be only a couple miles from the first sight- a flat area between Big Green Mountain and Blackrock Mountain located back in a forest of well-spaced pines.
At the trailhead, Aaron and I stuff our packs with all of our gear. Usually I do bring any luxuries with me, but for this hike I will be carrying a lightweight chair. I brought one for Aaron as well. He also, several days ago while looking at a checklist I provided him, mentioned he did not have a rain jacket. I toss him both of these items and stuff the final items into my pack. For this overnight I am carrying my Gossamer Gorilla 40L pack and will be using my Six Moon Designs shelter, the Lunar Solo.
Whether you are a beginner or experienced backpacker, Panthertown is a pleasure to hike. Beginners will love it for the relatively easy trails and frequent sights to see. Fantastic scenes of water falls, as well as rhododendron and mountain laurel, are plentiful. Experienced hikers will enjoy how quickly you can walk from one end of the valley to the other while seeing a variety of terrain. If planned properly with favorable weather, I would guess that the entire map could be explored in three days.
The trail quickly comes to a series of easy switchbacks before flattening and becoming some of the easiest trail I have ever driven over four hundred miles to hike. We each brought some fishing gear. A fly rod for me and a traditional pole for Aaron. Unfortunately for him, his pole does not collapse down nearly as well as my fly rod and he frequently gets caught on low-hanging branches. I cannot help but laugh. Seriously. This continues to happen every ten yards or so and I am laughing every time.
As I said earlier, easy hiking. One mile from the trailhead and we have found camp. The sandbar pool, as it is labeled on the map, was our planned spot for the first night and there are no other people around. That said, an surprisingly large and heavy tarp is sprawled out on top of the sand. An empty, plastic gallon jug is not too far from the tarp. Leave No Trace? Apparently not for these folks. A group that had recently camped here has left quite the trash pile. Regardless, we set up camp and push a few cans into the sand beneath the cold water of the creek. We set up our individual tents and shuffle our gear around. Much to our amusement, Aaron has also brought an inflatable pool toy. This inflatable looks like a donut with sprinkles. Although it is June, we are still camping at some elevation and the temperature has begun to decrease. Aaron decides it might be too chilly to hop on the donut and float around the creek. We take a few minutes to find a spot to hide my bear can.
With fires being permitted here, and camping on sand that is surrounded on three sides by water, I do not have any concerns about having a campfire. We gather enough tinder and wood to that lasts about an hour and a half. I clearly remember the feeling of sitting in my chair, surrounded by the forest, feet in the sand, and staring up at a partly cloudy night sky. The fire is crackling and we are both taking some photos of the moment. The cans have been retrieved from the water and are nicely chilled. Leaning back in my chair, watching the embers drift into the twilight. Peripherally, I notice a moving object in the night sky to my left. It is a solid shape of light. No blinking or navigational lights. It appears circular in shape but is behind a thin layer of broken cloud, the light is too wide for any known aircraft that we can think of and, again, it does not blink. The light does not stop, moving quickly and smoothly from north to south. Aaron theorizes that this is the International Space Station but it appears to be at a much lower altitude. It glides beyond the tree-line and out of sight.
We will never know.
Reduced to a few flickering flames per minute, the fire is almost finished. Aaron and I say our goodnights and retire to our shelters.
Waterfalls and Off-trail Fun
Day two. Never underestimate the convenience of sleeping on flat ground when you are in a shelter with a silnylon floor. Or, sand. More often than not I find myself on unlevel ground and sliding to one end of the tent. Not last night.
Aaron appears to still be sleeping. I am the first to emerge and decide to retrieve the bear can. It is a beautiful morning. Although I had enough gear for the both of us, Aaron had decided a few weeks ago that he wanted to find his own pack, sleeping bag, tent, and cook kit. His stove and pot setup is not too bad and appears almost as lightweight as my own. We boil some water and separately rehydrate some eggs and mashed potatoes. My bear can, the Lil’ Sami made by small operation LighterOne, has an aluminum lid that doubles as a cooking pan. If I have not mentioned this previously, I was a little disappointed when I found this great piece of gear. Weeks prior to finding it, I believed I had thought of a new idea for a bear can with a frying pan as a lid. Sad face. I use the lid to heat up two soft tortillas that we will use for breakfast wraps.
Rehydrated eggs and potatoes, positioned perfectly into a warm, crisp tortilla with a protein bar on the side and a bottle of water. Glamourous.
The plan for today was easy to design. Due to how quickly you can walk the miles of Panthertown, the plan is to leave our tents up with gear inside as we go searching for several waterfalls on the map. We will, hopefully, see several of these off-trail falls, hike back to camp, tear down and move on tonights campsite. Rain is expected in the area today and the forecast as been a back-and-forth of 50% to 70% chance. If you have never researched the actual process for forecasting rain percentage, please do. It will help you better understand exactly what these percentages mean. Weeks ago, during the planning process, one area of concern had been getting caught on exposed mountain tops when this weather moved through the area. This was the main reason that I did not object when Aaron so confidently selected Panthertown. That said, it is a beautiful morning and we are hours away from seeing any rain. Lets find some waterfalls.
We retrace our day-one steps to the nearest trail intersection and turn left. According to the map, we should be approximately one quarter mile from an unofficial trail, or “footpath” per the map, that will lead to some waterfalls. This unofficial trail was missed by both of us but it did not take long to retrace and find.
This so-called footpath was rather difficult at times. You need to hold on to the branches above you and side to side while you hike down eroded run-off trails or slick rock. It sure was fun, though.
There comes a time in every waterfall hike where you hear that sound. Sometimes you play the game of is it wind or water and other times you already know. The sound of rushing water is unmistakable and we know that the questionable trail conditions are going to be worth the effort. I was not prepared for how much fun these three waterfalls were going to be. In order to help others do their own research I will not be mentioning the names of the waterfalls, but information is widely accessible. You can also purchase the official map, carto-graphed by Burt Kornegay.
The Tuckasegee River, or “the Tuck,” as some locals refer to it, provides the water for these falls, at least five, that you find along this particular footpath. We had to cross the Tuckasegee at one point to get to the third waterfall. Crossing that river is a moment I will never forget. Fortunately, it lacked the danger and drama. Although the water did reach my hips, it was a very easy crossing of clear, calm river water.
Dark clouds had appeared in the distance. Aaron estimated we had been away from camp for an hour and a half, so we determine how much adventure we have remaining before we need to turn around. Rushing water from the third waterfall along this footpath can be heard just a short distance ahead of us. These falls do not have the steeper angles of the prior two. Safely, and slowly, we wander up and down the falls as the water rushes over our feet. Realizing this is an ideal waterfall for some rock sliding, we take turns cautiously sitting in the moving water and sliding a short distance down the slick rock. So much fun!
Towards the north and northeast, the clouds have become darker. Their direction is clear to both of us. The clouds are moving east but because of the thick tree-line in our westward view, we are unable to see if any rain is in our future. Aaron and I have decided that it’s time to hustle back to camp. Retracing our steps, we re-cross the Tuckasegee and scramble the side of the second waterfall. Atop these falls we hear the first claps of thunder. Great.
Warmth from the sun has dried our bottom halves and we are making good time to camp. A shift in the winds can be felt, but the sun shining deceivingly bright due to the lack of clouds at the moment. We are not fooled, however, and quickly begin packing up our gear when two women and a dog pay us a visit. We are discussing our campsite, where they have hiked, and the inbound weather.
“Hey dog! No! Stop it. No, no, no,” exclaims Aaron.
Myself and the women quickly turn to see what the issue is. Their dog has discovered Aaron’s dessert from last night: a Snicker’s candy bar, and pulled it from the open pocket on his pack’s hip belt. Knowing that chocolate can be harmful to the friendly pet, Aaron is concerned and quickly grabs the candy from the pet.
“Will it die?” he asks. The women laugh and assure him the dog will be fine. As we say our goodbyes, they glance at the giant tarp and empty plastic jug that I had mentioned earlier. They cannot possibly think that the two of us had carried this monstrosity for a mile, can they? I would not normally think so, although one of the women had a slightly judgmental look as they walked away. Oh well.
Before leaving camp I decide to bury the tarp. It is too massive for us to carry out when we leave tomorrow, although I honestly considered this. Taking the time to carefully fold in some of it’s edges, I conclude that there is no way I can fold this thing up and carry it out, nor completely burry it. The solution? Leave it as we found it but cover it with as much sand as possible. Destroying the fire pit is the final task. We depart the sandbar without a trace of having been there.
Lightning! Thunder! Flooded trails!
Panthertown Valley is great for day hikes, camping one night, or overnighting multiple nights. The area and trail system allow you to take as much time as you need. Whether you want to crush miles and see as much as possible in a short amount of time, or if you are more interested in spending hours searching for waterfalls and taking in views from the higher points, Panthertown accommodates all types of hikers.
Hiking west on the Panthertown Valley trail, the thunder that at one point had been barely audible is now much louder. My plan for the second night is to find camp somewhere amongst the pine forest that is often suggested online by folks who have overnighted here. We are soon there and we discuss the possibility of changing the plan and hiking further. After all, it has been less than an hour since we left last nights campsite on the sandbar. Did we really want to pitch our shelters again so early? This area is beautiful. Tan colored pine needles have covered the forest floor and there are several existing sites to choose from.
Reviewing the map, we decide to make an effort to reach a shelter that is marked on the map. Once there, we will take a quick break and find a nearby site. There should be flat, spacious campsites in that area, correct? If not, surely there are sites below what the map labels as the Great Wall of Panthertown. Zero information was found on this area during my research. I do not know if you can rock climb here, but the wall seems like it could be a climbing spot. Perhaps there will be sites beneath the wall.
The sky has darkened and thunder is constant. Rain begins to lightly fall on us just when we reach the shelter. This shelter is not what I was expecting. Metal roof. Aaron believes we have found refuge from the incoming rain but I am highly skeptical. Nearby lightning is flashing several times per minute. We now know that a storm is close and this will not be only rain we are dealing with. Constant lightning occurring while we shelter under a metal roof is not something that sounds ideal. Turning towards Aaron, I explain the danger and my concern.
I have read countless stories of others who have found themselves caught in storms while in the backcountry and I have a feeling it is my turn. We are continuing on towards the wall to search for a site with appropriate tree height. Pulling my rain jacket and pack cover out of my pack, I shout to Aaron to do the same.
He retrieves the pack cover, but cannot find the rain jacket. Minutes are spent digging through his pack but we find no jacket. This should be the jacket that I tossed to him back at the trailhead yesterday. It is no where to be found. This is a critical moment. The temperature has dropped and is no longer the warm mid 70-F that we were enjoying earlier while walking in waterfalls. We have three options. Either wait out the storm under a metal roof, find a flat, existing campsite near the wall, or retrace our steps and camp in the pines. We have zero good options. Aaron defers to me and, being concerned of the metal roof and lightning, decide to continue south on the Great Wall trail.
Not less than ten minutes later, the rain is a complete downpour. Believing some campsites would be near, we keep hiking into the heavy rain. Lightning is striking within a mile of us in seemingly every direction. The strikes are loud, reverberating off the 400 foot rock wall that is just east of our position. Between the torrential rain and lightning strikes, Aaron and I can no longer hear each other unless standing side by side. There is no time for chatting. This is a sinking feeling. I tell Aaron that we need to keep spaced out as far as possible but keep one another in our sights. If one of us gets struck by lightning and the other is too close, we may both be impacted by the strike.
Aaron is completely soaked. So far, zero campsites. With every step I take, I wonder if I made the wrong decision. Aaron turns around and shouts to me. I cannot hear him. Once caught up to him, he asks if we can hang the hammock rain fly that I brought for such occasion.
Lightning strikes nearby. I wipe rain from my face. Lightning strikes again. His soaked shirt is clinging to his skin as the rain pours.
We keep moving and make a left turn, now hiking up hill towards an intersection with the Big Green trail. This next 1/8th mile of hiking is the most intense I have ever experienced. The lightning continues to strike all around us. The sound bounces off of the rock wall and we cannot help but react by shaking. The rain is falling heavier than before. Now that we are hiking uphill, the trail has become a waterfall of its own. Each step is met with high splashes of water.
Aaron is shouting at me again but I still cannot hear him. The rain and lightning are relentless to hang the tarp. I jog towards him, being careful not to slip on a root or rock. He is asking again to hang the hammock rainfly. I am not experienced at all in hiking in the rain but I can see that he is cold. The temperature has dropped by ten degrees and he is soaked. I tell him we cannot stop, that he has to keep moving. There are no campsites to be found along this stretch. None.
Making a right turn onto the Big Green trail, our uphill effort has ended. This new trail has some ups and downs and two spots where we have to cross water as it’s running off. The lightning has moved on and we no longer hear the constant crashing of nearby bolts. These are the spots that typically are no wider than a couple feet and you barely notice the water beneath the rocks. Current situation? It looks like white water raging across the trail. We both make it safely past each spot. The rain is not as heavy.
An intersection with the Little Green trail is what we are looking for. This trail will take us north, back towards the sandbar. While hiking with a purpose, I see that Little Green trail will be a climb. I do not want to gain a lot of elevation right now. Likewise, I do not want to get much lower than where we are. The concern up high is more lightning, the concern down low is flash flooding. We will stay on Mac’s Gap trail, hiking eastward.
Decision Time
The rain has all but stopped when we reach the intersection of Mac’s Gap and Greenland Creek trails. The sun appears and I quickly hang the rainfly. Ditching our packs, we sit down and take some deep breaths. That was intense.
Aaron is cold. Shivering at times. He removes the pack cover to find that his pack is also soaked. The cover was not specific to his pack. Needing a dry shirt, he quickly searches through the contents of his bag. At this point, I know we have no chance of exploring the western side of the valley. We essentially just made a giant loop in the wrong direction and are now closer the trailhead where we began yesterday.
Bad news. All of Aaron’s extra clothes are soaked. Thinking out loud, I begin weighing options. Aaron’s dedicated and says he is good for another night of camping. The man has zero dry clothes.
The correct decision is to bail. I may be dry, but that was a seriously stressful hour and a half of hiking. He is too wet and we have no way of drying his clothes. Explaining to Aaron that we should likely bail and find a hotel for the evening, he quickly agrees. We are only a fourth of a mile from the Cold Gap Mountain trailhead where the rental car is parked.
You would think this is the end of our Panthertown Adventure, but we accidentally took the wrong trail after our break. This led us to a beautiful waterfall that we had not planned on seeing. We each snapped a few photos and hustled back to the Mac’s Gap trail.
Ten minutes later and we have arrived at the rental car. There, in the trunk of the Jeep Compass, is a dry rain jacket.
It would not have mattered, though. The rain cover I had loaned to Aaron had not been a good fit for his pack and all of its contents were drenched after the hour-long walk through a severe storm. This trip would not be a two-night hike after all.
Departing Panthertown, we agree to first drive around the area before returning to Brevard. We pass Sapphire Ski Resort and Lake Toxaway neighborhoods before making our way to a hotel. A good night’s sleep in a climate controlled room was definitely not a bad way to spend our evening after the experiencing of hiking in a severe storm earlier in the day.
The next day we made stops at some more breweries along our way home, including Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville, NC.
Final Thoughts
This year has certainly been one unlike any previous year that any of us have ever experienced. A global pandemic has closed taken lives, temporarily separated families, resulted in lost jobs, and has hurt many small businesses. It is not lost on us that we are very fortunate to have our health. Before this trip, knowing that we would be in a car together for so many hours, both Aaron and I made the effort to avoid other people so we could ensure a safe experience for each of us.
What a wild two days in the woods. I feel as if I say this after any backcountry adventure, but Panthertown was unlike any area I had seen before. Moderate to easy trails, a great map, the creeks, the waterfalls, the views, and also the views we did not get to see. Panthertown has several high points that provide fantastic looks into the valley. Thinking of that second day, I know that my decision to not set up camp in the tall pines during our pass of the area was a critical error. Had we established camp there, we would have been prepared when the storm passed through and could have waited in our shelters while the rain and lightning fell from the sky. Which of course would have meant we would be dry and could continue as scheduled. Today, back at home, I review the map and trace the trails that lead to Blackrock Mountain, to Big Green Mountain.
Big Green Mountain had been the plan for our second night. We would have seen the sunset from above the rock wall of that Great Wall of Panthertown. On the third day, our second morning in the valley, we would have made a quick day hike up to Blackrock Mountain before tearing down camp and hiking out. These plans were not to be, but I hope to return here someday. Whether that be with Aaron, by myself, with Amanda, or with new friends. Seeing the amazement on the faces of others while in the backcountry is something I very much enjoy.
I look forward to returning to Panthertown someday. Perhaps the weather will cooperate a little more when I return.