Max Patch Mountain, Haywood County (3-21-13)
Read MoreSubaru's represent!! One other car in the parking lot...not a common occurrence here as it's usually full...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The bullet-ridden parking lot trail map (apparently the locals are a bit violent)...I'd be following the so-called "Long Loop" with a side trip over the summit for a total of about 3-miles...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The trailhead sits right beneath the open summit, though there's no direct route from it. The Forest Service asks visitors to stay off the summit lawn to protect the grasses that grow there...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Across the fence, the trail heads to the along the western edge of the summit eventually meeting the summit trail on the far side...
IMG7165pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The only thing to compromise the views around here are the power lines that cross the fields in a couple spots...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
A few minutes of steady uphill walking in and the trail enters the woodlands on the west side of the summit...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The snow wasn't quite heavy enough to cover this seeping spring...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Within a half mile the trail breaks free of the woods atop the main summit ridge...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The wind hit me full force here, blowing out of the north...holding still to take some shot literally took my breath away. Here I'm looking up at the summit from where the path joins the Appalachian Trail which traverses it...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The panorama from the AT below the summit. I'd be headed to the left (north) along the AT away from the summit, saving it for the finale of the hike...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
No one had preceded me on the AT today...though with the wind blowing so hard any trace of their passing would quickly be erased...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
My planned route would take me north along the AT into the woods in the distant left, I'd then follow the open ridge across the center in front of Max Patch before climbing back to the summit...
IMG7177pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Looking east I could see the high peaks of the Black Mountains...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
From where I hit the AT, I could have made a quick jaunt up to the summit of Max Patch but decided to save it for the finale...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Heading north on the AT, it took me less than five minutes to get to the edge of the bald and back into the trees...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Upon entering the woods, I was so enthralled by the snow-encrusted trees that I totally missed where the trail turned downhill...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
After retracing my steps a short distance I was back on the AT and heading downhill...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
There have been precious few days like this down here this winter...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The weight of the snow on this rhododendron had created a rather difficult obstacle...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
As the trail continues down off the ridge it crosses this small stream, which the snow wasn't heavy enough to cover...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The AT bottoms out at the fields that could be seen from up above...
IMG7196pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
A broad U-turn takes the trail around what looks like a spring area...
IMG7198pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Curled rhodo leaves testify to the coolness of the afternoon...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
A nice point-to-point hike is to continue north on the AT for another 5 miles to Lemon Gap...no time for that today as I'd be heading right to continue the Max Patch loop...
IMG7203pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The lower part of the loop is almost completely flat, running through what looks to be a very young forest...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Reaching the halfway point, the trail passes the wide field visible from up above. Though this is Forest Service land, it is still mowed to maintain the open fields visitors have come to expect on Max Patch...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
If it was a warmer day this would have been a nice place to lay out for a bit...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Beyond the field the trail curls back downwards back into the woods...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Here I'm nearing the low point of the hike, though for the mountains my return climb would not be at all that strenuous... I'd only have to recover about 300 vertical feet to get back to the summit...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
At what looks like an old logging road the summit loop heads right from the Buckeye Ridge Trail...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Looking at Max Patch from the location of the previous photo...
IMG7215pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
After a short distance the trail split yet again, this time giving you the option of heading to the summit or straight back to the parking lot...of course, I'd be heading up...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
After the final split, the trail doesn't take long to once again break free of the trees...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
It's not really much of a climb back to the summit but it was just enough to warm me up again...
IMG7221pMax Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Overlooking the fields I had passed a short time earlier...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
Back atop the treeless ridge the cold wind hit me full force once again...I had to literally hold my breath to take many of these shots! Here I'm looking west towards the 6,000' bulk of the Great Smoky Mountains...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
To the south from the ridge were the high peaks of Haywood County. I believe that the broad, snow-capped summit in the center distance is Black Balsam Knob (6,214'), some 33 miles distant...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest
The Smoky Mountains dominate your attention up here, pictures don't do justice to how massive they appear from the slopes of Max Patch...
Max Patchsouthern baldheath baldGreat Smoky MountainsBlack MountainsGreat Balsam MountainsRoan Highlandswinter hikePigeon River GorgePisgah National ForestHot SpringsHaywood CountyAppalachian TrailCherokee National Forest