Mike and his wife, Dianne, offered to guide us on a hike through Panthertown just outside of Cashiers, NC. If a person isn’t familiar with Panthertown, it’s easy to get lost. Mike lives there and is an active member of Friends of Panthertown—- a group of volunteers who take care of the hiking paths. He is a wealth of information about the area and we were thrilled to take him up on his offer. We met at the Salt Gap Trailhead and took our traditional selfie. We took off down the trail... ...and soon came to a lovely vista of Panthertown. Mike pointed out where we’d be hiking today. And then we were off again hiking the Panthertown Valley Trail. Wet muddy spots were common along the trail, but we maneuvered around those areas. We stopped at one wet spot to check out a pod of frog eggs floating in the water. Mike and Dianne took us out on a large sandbar with a perfect swimming hole—-Sandbar Pool. We lingered a few minutes and then returned to the trail. We crossed a bridge spanning a creek... ...and continued on across the wet trail. We turned down a path and crossed a footbridge to Schoolhouse Falls. No hike is complete without a waterfall and a view! We took a break here before continuing on. Mike showed us his bear “gun.” And then it was time to hike up to the top of Little Green Mountain. So UP we went... ...and UP... ...and UP... ...until we reached the top. What a lovely view! Mike and Dianne picked this spot for a lunch break. Perfect! After a nice lunch, we walked across the mountain top. We stopped often to take in the views. And then it was time to come down off the mountain. So down we went. When we finally reached the bottom I just had to turn back and get a picture of that final set of steps we had come down. We continued on the trail. And, yes, it was wet on this side, too! Mike told us the area pictured below was a favorite hangout for the bears so we picked up the pace. I’m not sure how many bears are in Panthertown, but I know it’s a bear sanctuary so I would think there are a lot! We took a little detour to see Granny Burrell Falls. We stopped to look for the native brook trout which fill these waters. Fishing is permitted but only catch and release. Then it was time to hike the rest of the way out of Panthertown Valley. Mike had told us that Panthertown was like a bowl which meant we had to hike up the side to leave. Did I mention UP? We made one last stop at the vista from the very beginning of our hike where Mike had shown us where we would be hiking. This time we recapped where we had been. Thank you, Mike and Dianne, for a wonderful hike. We can see why you love it!
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
December 2019
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