The Foothills Trail Day 4

From Camp Toxaway to Camp Chimney Top

We woke up to the patter of rain on the tent canvas and were in no hurry to get going. When we arrived at Toxaway and finally settled into our sleeping bags, it was around 3:00 am. When the rain subsided, my husband went to get our bags of food and apologized to our neighbors for waking them up in the middle of the night. We had tried to be quiet, but I imagine someone moved while we were looking for an open spot and a new bear would hang out. Fortunately, our nearest neighboring store belonged to the father and sons we had chatted with the day before. They were kind to forgive our inconvenience in the middle of the night.

Anguish Crest

Immediately leaving camp we were faced with one of the most famous climbs on the Foothills Trail: Heartbreak Ridge. That little bastard is steep! It’s not a long climb, but within that half mile or so you climb 317.9 feet, which translates to a >14% gradient (if I’m interpreting FarOut’s screenshot correctly). What a way to wake up and warm up!

Heartbreak Ridge set the tone for the day, immediately followed by a longer climb and then a descent into the Laurel Fork Valley. Once in the gorge, we ran along the Laurel River for several miles before a long, gradual climb over Flat Rock Mountain, before a climb of about a mile to Chimney Top Campground. We had decided, after the previous night’s escapades, to camp at established sites with bear cables, and hopefully other people, for the rest of the hike.

Maybe, sitting comfortably on your couch as I am now, you think we’ve overreacted. Cool. Next time you can scare away the bears all night. I think we made the best decision to pack up and leave. If we had stayed, we wouldn’t have slept much anyway, so we might as well get some miles in.

Unfortunately, I am concerned that there will be increasing bear problems along this trail. While we saw several hikers using bear canisters, we also passed several campsites with half-burned food and other trash in the fire ring and lines of poorly strung bear bags. Friends, this is why we can’t have nice things! As I reported in a previous post, the only bear cable in Whitewater was overloaded. If you hike this trail, bring a container or be prepared to hang your food!

Laurel Fork Valley

Helene hit this area hard. I cannot emphasize enough the heroic efforts that must have been necessary to open this trail just half a year after the storm. The monitoring teams and the FTC are to be commended. The trail is easily navigable and very well signposted. Each turn is indicated with double white lights and beautifully crafted wooden signs. I feel like you should do it attempt get lost on this path.

The Laurel Fork section was probably the hardest hit area of ​​the trail. Apparently the crews focused on making the trail passable and clearing the established camps. As it stands, I would recommend camping only at established campgrounds in Laurel Fork Valley. Most of the stealth sites in this section were surrounded by widowmakers and dead people and I imagine some of them could be swallowed up forever as the forest recovers.

The exit from the gorge is long and gradual. The gentler slope was the most appreciated as the constant rain was doing my feet no favors. When we finally reached the ridge and started descending towards the road, I was tired. The four-mile hike in the middle of the night, plus the 14 miles planned for the day meant we were actually doing an 18-mile day and my mental energy was flagging.

Laurel Fork Falls

Trail Magic and the Birth of Hiker Trash

When the guy in a puffer coat and rain pants yelled, «Hey! You did it!» We didn’t recognize him at first, then as we approached the parking lot where we would cross to begin our climb to camp, another guy joined us and said hello. Then a third person, a little shorter, waved and waved too.

It was the family we had met before! They had decided to stop and camp with their mother, who had had to give up the hike due to an injury. He felt good enough to walk with them for a day.

«Do you want some food?» She approached with a pizza box. «There’s one piece left, although I may have taken a bite out of it.»

And then I witnessed the most extraordinary thing: my husband, probably one of the pickiest eaters on the entire planet, ate that slice of cold pizza with a bite from a complete stranger.

I realized I had just witnessed the birth of hiker trash.

And, as I drank the offered Gatorade and munched on a Snickers as we continued, I realized that I had just received my first real magical trace.

As a weekend warrior section hiker, I’ve handed out magic-filled trash on the trails, handed out extra snacks, etc., but I’ve never been on the receiving end. It made my day considerably and made the rest of the climb to Chimney Top Campsite a little easier.

camping alone

We reached Chimney Top and found our hopes dashed. After our experience with the bears the night before, we were hoping for a greater sense of security from other people nearby, but it seemed like we were going to be alone. At least we had the bear cable to ourselves!

We set up shop just minutes before the heavens opened. It poured down for hours, so hard that the water splashed under the fly and dampened the edges of our sleeping bags. The rain made me drowsy, but my husband said that after the rain stopped he kept hearing something walking on the ridge above us all night. I’m sure it was a deer, right?

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.