Upper Creek midsection

Today, I decided to explore the section of Upper Creek between Burnthouse Branch and where the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) crosses the creek. Last summer, I explored Raven Cliff Gorge on Upper Creek with Mary and Orin, and we walked upstream to the confluence of Burnthouse Branch before turning around. I wanted to pick up where we had left off last year, but I was initially hesitant to do this alone because I don’t like doing creek walks by myself. The trail map shows the trail we had taken last year ending shortly upstream of Burnthouse Branch, but a blog by SC Jack posted a couple of months after my Raven Cliff Gorge hike last year indicated that an unofficial trail followed the creek for the entire stretch between Burnthouse Branch and the MST. I figured that this made it acceptable to do as a solo hike. I had examined this stretch of creek on Google Earth and marked three points of interest (POIs), numbered in order from downstream to upstream, that looked like possible cascades or swimming holes. I had used backpacker Tipi Walter’s blog of his many treks along Upper Creek as a reference when planning the trek through Raven Cliff Gorge last year, but there was one swimming hole in particular from his photos that I had not seen on last year’s hike, so I was particularly interested in finding it today. I wasn’t sure exactly where it was, but SC Jack’s recent Raven Cliff Gorge blog clued me in on its location.

After stopping briefly to check out the view at the Brown Mountain Overlook, I parked along NC 181 and took the MST down the mountainside. The trail wasted no time getting down to business, and when I say down, I mean DOOOOWN. From the road to the creek was about an 800-foot elevation loss over one mile with no switchbacks. This was going to be the first real test of my new trekking poles. I had used them a little bit yesterday, but not on anything this steep. I do feel like they took some of the impact off my knees as I was descending. When I was about three quarters of the way down, the stream that had been running alongside the trail started making some noise, and I could see some cascades shimmering through the trees. I couldn’t see any obvious way to get a good view, so I decided I might check this out on the way back up if I had time.

( Click here for the full trip report with pictures and videos )

In conclusion, I didn’t find any major highlights on this section of Upper Creek, but the one new swimming hole I found made the trek worthwhile. After all, you can’t really go wrong with Upper Creek. I still need to check out the section between Upper Creek Falls and the area I explored today, but at over two miles, that would be one hell of a creek walk unless the unofficial trail continues along the creek for most of the way. That adventure might have to wait until I become a little more hardcore. I guess you can consider this a tentative "To Be Continued".