Chroniques des Appalaches: Mountain to Sea Trail: Tom's Creek to Wood Mountain Firetower

Samedi il faisait un temps magnifique, l’idéal pour une randonnée. Comme on avait de la famille de passage a Old Fort nous avons choisi une rando dans ce secteur la: une section du MST, le Mountain to Sea Trail (et oui en français je pense toujours a l'autre version d'MST). Nous avons choisi de partir d'une route forestière accessible depuis Tom's Creek Rd et juste a l'ouest du hameau du même nom. Il n'y avait qu'une autre voiture, un coureur que nous rencontrerons bien plus haut avec son chien.

Saturday the weather was beautiful, ideal for a hike. Since we had family visiting in Old Fort we picked a hike in that area: a section of the MST, the Mountain to Sea Trail. We chose to start from a forest road accesible just off of Tom's Creek Rd, west of the "town" of the same name. There was only one other car, a runner whom we me with his dog much higher up.

Shortly after the start the forest road splits in two, we picked the left one. It was nice, not going up too fast. It's the trail that horseback riders use to do a big 18 mile loop. Once we reached the crest we found the MST and followed it to the west. Mainly south facing it allowed us to enjoy the sun. The trail follows an old logging road. They are numerous in the area. After 2 hours and 20 minutes we took a lunch break while admiring the view over Lake James. We continued just a few more minutes to find the former site of a fire tower: Woods Mountain Firetower. There is only the four cement pillar base and a name on the map left of it.
Peu après le départ la route forestière se séparé en deux, nous avons choisi de prendre celui de gauche. C’était sympa, ça montait mais pas trop vite. C'est ce chemin que les cavaliers utilisent aussi pour faire une grande boucle de 18 miles. Arrives a la crête on a retrouve le MST et nous l'avons suivi vers l'Ouest. Exposition vers le Sud principalement qui nous a permis de profiter du soleil. Le sentier suit en fait une ancienne route d'exploitation forestière. Elles sont nombreuses dans la région. Au bout de 2h20 nous avons fait une pause casse-croute tout en admirant Lake James. On a continue a peine quelques minutes de plus pour trouver l'ancien site d'une tour d'observation des feux de foret: Woods Mountain Firetower. Il n'en reste plus que les 4 bases en béton et un nom sur la carte.

A la descente les genoux ont bien travailles, finalement j'ai plus senti cette randonnée dans mes muscles que la course de 8km le jour d'avant. Bon en même temps ce n’était pas une petite ballade non plus: 4h de marche pour environ 11km aller-retour. Le petit remontant chez la cousine au retour c'est fait fortement apprécier.
C'est vraiment une belle randonnée a faire l'hiver quand les arbres sont nus, en effet on peut voir le lac de Julian a l'Est, celui de Tahoma au Sud et puis vers l'Ouest toute la crête de Black Mountains, inclus Mt Mitchell ou justement ce jour la il y avait le Mount Mitchell Challenge.

Saturday the weather was beautiful, ideal for a hike. Since we had family visiting in Old Fort we picked a hike in that area: a section of the MST, the Mountain to Sea Trail. We chose to start from a forest road accesible just off of Tom's Creek Rd, west of the "town" of the same name. There was only one other car, a runner whom we me with his dog much higher up.

Shortly after the start the forest road splits in two, we picked the left one. It was nice, not going up too fast. It's the trail that horseback riders use to do a big 18 mile loop. Once we reached the crest we found the MST and followed it to the west. Mainly south facing it allowed us to enjoy the sun. The trail follows an old logging road. They are numerous in the area. After 2 hours and 20 minutes we took a lunch break while admiring the view over Lake James. We continued just a few more minutes to find the former site of a fire tower: Woods Mountain Firetower. There is only the four cement pillar base and a name on the map left of it.

On the way down our knees worked hard, in the end I felt it more than on my 5 mile run the day before. Well it wasn't a small hike either: 4h hike for about 7 miles round trip. The cheer up drink at his cousin's on the way back was much enjoyed.
It's really a great hike to do during winter when the trees are bare, indeed one can see Lake Julian to the East, Tahoma to the South and to the West the crest of the Black Mountains including Mt Mitchell where the Mount Mitchell Challenge was taking place that day.

Carte/ Map

La route forestière. The forest road.