Date: 2009-06-24
From: Max Patch Road NC

To: Lemon Gap NC/TN
Miles today: 6.2

Trail Access:We have been accessing the trail this week from Hot Springs, NC. There are a number of restaurants and a motel and the cute little Springbrook Cabins where we are staying. The back deck here looks out onto a creek. Very relaxing!!Max Patch Road: We headed south out Rt 209 approximately 8 miles to Meadow Fork Rd. There are good signs to Max Patch from 209. We turned right onto Little Creek Rd. This deadends on Max Patch Road, turn right and the AT parking is on the left in a little over a mile. There is also an AT parking lot at Max Patch (access trail to Max Patch and the AT).Lemon Gap: From the directions above, continue 4 more miles on Max Patch Rd. The parking area is on the right with a sign.The Hike:We left Max Patch Rd heading north and walked in the woods for about 1/2 mile. Then...WOW..WOW..WOW!!It was about 7:30am and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The temperature, which had been in the 80s the last few days, was only about 65 with a pleasant wind blowing. The views for the next mile were phenomenal! We will upload a video from the top when we get home and have good internet service.There were some camping spots in the woods right at the edge of the bald, but about 1/4 mile later, there was a big tree and an opening with a really great campsite that looks up to Max Patch. We met 2 section hikers that were just packing up camp.The rest of the trail was quite nice with no dramatic ups or downs. We crossed many streams and almost always heard the large creek below us. While one guidebook had the Roaring Fork Shelter 1/2 mile from Lemon Gap, this shelter had been re-built in 2005 halfway between Max Patch and Lemon Gap. We should make note that as we started today, there was a note that there was a bear in the area working all the shelters and he was stealing food bags. We met a group of section hikers (teenagers/guides)yesterday at Lemon Gap. We saw them again this morning, still in camp at Roaring Fork Shelter, packing up to leave. They did not have any bear activity last night, but said they were told the bear was at Walnut Mt Shelter. We finished the hike around 11, then decided that Max Patch was so beautiful and the weather was so great today, that on our way back with the car, we would stop at the day hiker parking lot and climb back up to the summit to have our lunch. We got to the top and there were a couple of other groups with the same idea. We walked south for a good view of the Smokies and that white FAA tower in our Snowbird Mt hikes. We spread out our tyvec ground cover, had lunch and laid in the grass for the next hour savoring the view!Days like today remind us how lucky we are to be able to pick when we do specific hikes. We knew this hike had to be on a good day. Earlier in the season we heard so many stories of thru hikers who got to Max Patch (and some other balds) on a rainy/foggy day and could not see more than 20' ahead. It's sad that they missed these views.Wildlife:Despite the bear warnings... no bears. Bugsy saw 1 lone squirrel and we both heard a crow, a woodpecker and a bobwhite singing (the crow was not singing, only squawking).Since there were no animals, lets talk about 'flora'. Max Patch had wildflowers everywhere...wild clover, buttercups, Queen Ann's lace, and many more. The woods were full of fern, flaming azalea (bright orange) and many other plants that we have not yet learned to ID. Plus some cool mushrooms. Photos are coming!To end a perfect day, we finally made it to the hot springs in Hot Springs. For $25/couple (for one hour) you got to soak in a personal jacuzzi tub in an enclosed area overlooking a quick-flowing stream in the 'famous Hot Springs mineral water'. How relaxing!