| Standing Indian Loop Hike |
| This is one of my favorite trips. Beginners may find it a little too streneous, so be warned. The hike begins in the Standing Indian Camp Ground in the Nantahala Wilderness. The canpground is horseshoed by the Appalachian Trail with several Approach Trails to the A.T. from the campground. |
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| The loop that we will be hiking will be via the Kimsey Creek Trail. This trail follows the creek and is quite lovely, though it is a four mile uphill pull to Deep Gap and the intersection with the Appalachian Trail. It's another mile uphill on the A.T. to the Standing Indian Shelter where we will stay friday night. On Saturday we will have about 2 streneous switchback miles to the Standing Indian |
| summit. The views are worthy enough to take a break, enjoy the scenery, and look for the legendary "Standing Indian"(see below). The rest of Saturday's trip is a nice leisurely hike with easy terrain. The trail winds through beautiful rhododendrum forests so thick the sky is blocked out in places. Usually this time of year the plants are covered with beautiful large white blooms. |
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| Rhodendron covered trail |
| Saturday night we will camp at Carter Gap. The old, spooky, mouse infested shelter has been replaced with a modern, mouse infested shelter. The setting is serene and comfortable. |
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| Old and new Carter Gap shelters |
| You will find Sunday's hike very memorable. The trail again turns a little more rugged as it climbs out of Carter Gap to to Big Butt Mountain then past Bear Pen Gap and finally Albert Mountain.. Will you choose to endure the rock and root climb up Albert or will you choose the bail out trail around the mountain? Don't be ashamed to opt out of the climb, I did the first time I made this hike. The views from the tower atop the mountain are fantastic and since we will be camping just the other side it's worth getting up to see the sunrise from the summit as well. The hike up the far side is a piece of cake. |
| Sunday night we will camp at one of my favorite shelters. Big Spring Shelter is nestled in Rhododendrons and there is plenty of level ground for pitching tents. The shelter is old, but has lots of charactor. |
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| Big Spring Gap Shelter |
| Monday morning it's just a short easy hike to Glassmine Gap where we will leave the A.T via the two mile Long Branch Trail back to Standing Indian Campground and our cars. |
| The legend of Standing Indian from Cherokee legend Many moons ago a giant winged monster lived on the mountain. One day it swooped down and carried off a cherokee child from the villiage. It took the child to a cave on the cliffs of a mountain. The Cherokees gathered together to ask the great spirit to get rid of the monster. The Cherokees prayed and danced for days. Then a bolt of lightning came out of the sky shattering the mountain and killing the creature along with all it's young. The lightning killed all the trees on the mountain leaving the bald spot that still remains. A cherokee warrier standing guard on the mountain was killed and turned to stone for not being a good sentry. Though the years have worn away much of the stone figure, the head of the figure still remains. See if you can find it when you're on the mountain. Just watch out for the lightning. |