As the seasons move into the heat of summer, I find so much to enjoy about hitting the trails in the early morning. There's no problem of finding a parking spot at a trailhead. The low, slanting sunlight streaks through the light mist and sparkles in the droplets of dew on the leaves and flowers. Nothing beats the quiet solitude with only the sound of birds singing their songs to the morning. And I get the privilege of clearing any fresh spiderwebs from the trail.
For this hike, I chose to hit the Strawberry Gap Trail--the newest segment of Conserving Carolina's ambitious plan for a 100 mile Hickory Nut Gorge trail system. The Strawberry Gap Trail connects with the Trombatore Trail which then links up with Bearwallow Mountain trail. Conserving Carolina has preserved 49,000 acres of endangered natural areas in the region. This trail is in partnership with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy which has preserved 80,000 acres. These groups partner with private landowners through developing conservation easements to protect habitats, water supplies, farmland, and views. The private landowners of Strawberry Gap Preserve use the land for horseback trails so dogs are prohibited from this particular trail with abundant signage to alert users.
I caught the preserve somewhat in-between flower season. Early spring wildflowers were gone and late spring/summer blooms were just beginning. Early on the trail, a lone flame azalea stood out. As the trail ascended, mountain laurel was abundant and some early catawba rhododendron were beginning to bloom. Spiderwort was plentiful, as was galax that was not quite in peak bloom. I spotted solomon seal and false solomon seal, and a single jack in the pulpit still hanging in there. The biggest surprise though was a section that was loaded with bunches of fire pink. These are plentiful in our area but the only place I have ever seen them was on rocky cliffsides. I don't recall ever seeing them on a forest floor, and in such abundance.
One of the defining features of hiking in this area is views. Whether it's Chimney Rock, Bearwallow Mountain, or Eagle Rock, there are plenty of places to find views along trails and this trail is no exception. About half way up, is Ferguson Peak that offers views to the northwest showing the farmlands of Fairview and mountains beyond. The trail comes to an end and meets the Trombatore Trail at Blue Ridge Pastures, a high meadow where the butterflies were dancing around the clover and bees were buzzing around the bits of multiflora roses. This is a wonderful place to channel your inner Julie Andrews and twirl around while you admire the peaks that surround.
One of the great goals of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has been to protect the scenic vistas surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway. The BRP is a national park scenic road that runs from Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It threads through the Appalachians in rural areas that are increasingly seeing development. SAHC works to protect Blue Ridge Parkway visitors from the sight of condos and Walmarts overtaking the natural views. One of the most pernicious development trends in the region could be spotted from both of these viewpoints on Strawberry Gap Trail. That is the clearcutting of ridgelines and mountain tops for the purpose of building for pricey homes. These properties are often simply summer vacation homes for the wealthy from Florida and elsewhere to come enjoy "their" mountain views for a couple of months while spoiling the views for everyone else year round.
If you would like more information about Conserving Carolina and the trails of Hickory Nut Gorge, you can find them here: https://conservingcarolina.org/hickory-nut-gorge-trail/
