White Oak Sinks with Friends

Pink Lady Slipper along the trail 

White Oak Sinks with Friends

Robert Shaw

Betsy Lee

Greg Evans

Dana Koogler

Total Round Trip Hike Distance for Bobby and Dana today

6.5 miles 

Wednesday May 15, 2019

  I had the good fortune to be invited to join my friend Robert Shaw on some day hikes during their family vacation.   I was free and jumped at the chance.  We always have a good time together.
He is excellent company.    He had never been to White Oak Sinks and in particular wanted to see the waterfall there.  It had been a couple years for me as well so I was game.   He had some information that the park service removes the barriers after May first.   It then permits access to see the waterfall.
I was not sure about that, but figured it would just be bonus if it turned out to be true.   We met at
Schoolhouse Gap Trailhead early Wednesday morning to get started.    He hikes about 1/2 day and then joins back up with the family for the remainder of each day.    Today's planned hike for us would end up being about four miles round trip and an easy hike. We reasoned if we still had plenty of time we'd tack on some other easy hikes in the area.  I had wanted to see Finley Sinks with water in them.
I also had a couple areas along that road where I wanted to ford West Prong to see stuff on the opposite bank.   

 Above: Soft morning light on Schoolhouse Gap Trail at the start of our hike.

      We had a nice cool morning to start out with.  It was slightly overcast and the forest shade made things perfect for hiking.    We enjoyed the pretty stream flowing past the trail.  Most Spring wildflowers were done, but a few late Spring flowers remained.  The trail was lined with Fairy Wands and lush with fern fronds.     Indian pipes were up in a couple spots.

 Above: Indian pipes growing under ferns

Above: Fairy Wand in bloom beside the trail. These bloom about the same time and same forest type as pink lady slippers.

   
    We stopped every so often for photos along the way.   We had a slight uphill grade on the hike in.  I took time to turn aside and point out good spots to check for earlier Spring wildflowers in case Bobby hikes this area in April sometime.   He usually tries to ease back on the hiking during April thanks to seasonal allergies, but I think he has been hanging round me too long.  He's developing the same attitude as me about allergies. "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" ~~Admiral Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay and  Dana Koogler about life in general.  

Directions to White Oak Sinks 

     The hike to White Oak Sinks starts along Schoolhouse Gap Trail and at one mile just past the intersection with Turkey Pen Ridge trail there is a left turn.   You then turn down and left to enter the manway to the sinks through a wooden horse stile.  You know, one of those narrow structures they put up to prevent horses from starting down a trail they don't want them on?   See the photo below from a previous trip. Once on the manway just stay straight on the main, obvious trail.
It goes through a flat pine woods then bends left to ford a shallow stream on sticks and logs.
The manway then goes up hill and around a bend only to start downward into the sinks after about 0.2 miles.   At the bottom of the hill you will encounter a split in the trail.  Left leads to the blowhole. Right leads to the falls.  There is more to the sinks, but the park service doesn't want to encourage folks to go off trail.  Moreover,  I don't feel comfortable giving anything beyond basic directions since I am no longer very familiar with the off trail features in it.   It has been awhile since I explored the side trails.

Above: Horse stile at the intersection of Schoolhouse Gap with the start of the White Oak Sinks Manway
     

 Above:  Sunbeams shining down into the piney woods heading to White Oak Sinks.

Above: I hoped to see some puttyroot orchids and did find a couple.  They were not yet open or past peak bloom.

 We spotted a several Vaseys trilliums along the trail near the creek.  So pretty!  Hard to spot since these flower blooms hang beneath the large leaves.

Above: Tulip poplar blossom fallen to the ground.

  I pointed out to Bobby the "short cut" that comes up past the falls.  I just pointed out the barely discernible  track on the ground, and explained where it started.  We did not use it or go near it.

We started down past the large bluffs with all the interesting shapes and mosses.   We began to see loads of synandra from here on in.   Too many to count.   It was a beautiful sight. I knew it bloomed in here and had seen it, but never in peak bloom.  I just caught a bloom or two remaining in June or July.      It was quite something!   

 Above and below: Bobby Shaw checking out the flowers and taking pictures

 above: close up of synandra blooms

 above and below: the synandra is pretty much covering the ground especially on the right of the trail!  It is beautiful.

 Above: rock formation with moss and greenery all over it.

Above:  Sunbeams illuminating the synandra.  Whiter than white!

   We got to the bottom of the trail where it split and went right to try to see the waterfall. I was hopeful, but not holding my breath.   We arrived to find the orange barrier still up.  We were both very disappointed.   Neither of us were willing to disregard it and go ahead.  I have been told they have motion activated cameras in use in the area, but I don't know if that is true.  It just wasn't worth getting in trouble over.  I don't want to push my luck.   We sadly turned and went toward the blow hole cave instead. 

Above: Orange barrier up to prevent access to the falls along with a warning sign about the bats having white nose syndrome.  I wish they'd just gate the cave and vaccinate the bats!  

   White Oak Sinks is certainly prettier in early Spring when the purple phlox and colorful wildflowers dot the ground.  It was still pretty today, but not as colorful.  All the leaves being on the trees make it harder to see the cliffs and interesting features of it.   We arrived at the blow hole cave, and saw all the man made and installed contrivances here.  Warning signs. Cameras.  Orange barriers, and even an electric fence charged by solar panels.   Yippee!  All of it ugly.  

 Above:Harder to see down here in the sinks after leaf out.

 Bobby along the trail taking photos of flowers

 Above: What is left of a yellow trillium.

 Above: Grating that gates the Blow Hole Cave.  Not much air coming out of it today.

 Above: Some sort of monitoring device down inside the blow hole.

 Above and below : Signs of warning around the blow hole along with an electric fence.

    We left the blow hole area and back tracked to the dry wash we passed.  I did not feel comfortable doing much off trail hiking today. I felt it had been too long since I last did so. I did not trust myself to remember the way.   We walked the dry wash a little, but turned back since it doesn't lead to anything much.

 Above

 Above and below: Dry wash in White Oak Sinks. The bottom photo shows that the rains we had on Sunday probably caused this to flow heavy enough to flatten the weeds growing in it!

Above: a large mossy tree leaning out over the dry wash. This sits below the Abraham Law grave.

 Above and below:  Bobby had been hoping to see a Jack in the Pulpit and nature obliged him!  One was growing along the dry wash.

 Below: We doubled back and walked up the hill to see the Abraham Law grave.

See the link here for an interesting blog telling a little about Abraham Law and his burial.

 above:  a hog trap below the Law grave that is now being used as storage for their neon orange mesh fence.

Above: It is hard to even see the trail in this photo

   We started back along the trail having seen all we believed we'd see today.   We had gotten just past the spot shown above in the photo when we saw the first hikers we would encounter today.  I took a look and lo and behold I knew them!  I was tickled pink.  It was Greg Evans and Betsy Lee out hiking.   I hollered about how they'll just let anyone in here!  and laughed.  I went up to my friends and hugged them both.  It was wonderful to run into them this way.  It had been ten months since I last saw Greg and more than a year since I saw Betsy.   I introduced them to Bobby and we all exchanged greetings and pleasantries.  It didn't take long to get down to business though.  They were going to do some off trail hiking so I asked if they minded if we tagged along? They were game so we did.  I checked with Bobby to see if that was going to be okay time wise. At this point it was so we set out.   We hiked along using the time to catch up on each others doings.   

      Betsy had an app on her phone that was helping her navigate.  It was similar to a GPS, but probably simpler to use.   Bobby had his GPS running and he is really good with it.   We wound round and round back through the woods. Every now and then I'd see a spot that looked somewhat familiar.   I also saw places and things I had completely forgotten.    It was great to see that pretty area around the bluebell hole.   We went on a search that proved difficult in the vegetation and downed trees of the forest.   I was just waiting to get snake bit.    We were having fun, but I began to realize this was going to take longer than anticipated.  It was going to push Bobby for time to get back to meet his family.    Make a long story short we said our goodbyes to Betsy and Greg and I asked Bobby if he felt between the two of us we could get back out of there? He believed so. 

We went back the way we'd come and it was simpler than I'd imagined.  It is different when  you are looking for something.  You are not as focused on the navigation as you are keeping your eyes out for your objective.    

 Above: Virginia spiderwort with an ant off trail in the sinks.

 Pretty pink lady slipper orchid off trail in the sinks.

 Butt shot of Betsy leading the way. She is an awesome hiker and proved herself a skilled navigator to boot! I was very proud to call her friend.

 Above: First clinton's lily I had seen this season.

 This is what the back of White Oak Sinks looks like in places.

 Rock forms coated with moss at the back of the sinks.

 Above: Tiny bloom of green violet. First one of these i'd seen this season also.  They are not showy.

     I was really happy at the chance to spend time with them. I was glad that I have been blessed with many good friends. Good enough that when you introduce one set of friends to another they like one another and you can be proud of all of them!   We made tracks getting back up the trail toward the cars.   We did stop to greet some other hikers we met on the way out.    They were talking to two rangers who were on their way to take down the barrier to the falls. They invited us to turn back and go with them to the falls, but we were out of time for the day.    Bobby ended up returning the next morning and hiking in to see it. He got some fine photos of it and enjoyed his trip.  

     We ran into the group of hikers a second time back at the horse stile.  They were nice folks. 

We had a chance to talk with them some more.  I think the next time I run into fellow hikers out like this and they show me things they are excited about finding I will play along.  I should just go with it and let them think they have found something I've never seen before. I think it means a lot to some people.   It won't cost me anything.  It might make their day.  A man showed me photos of things, and was disappointed when I was not surprised or impressed.  He seemed deflated when I reacted as I did.  It made me wish I'd just had sense to bolster his ego and let him have his moment. 

       By the time we got back to the vehicles we really needed to get going! Especially Bobby.

We said brief goodbyes til next time. He is a pleasure to hike with any day.   I felt so grand

from having spent time with three buddies all at once. I enjoyed that so much that I was still grinning about it when I woke up the next day.   It was a handful of blessing on purpose. Like a little gift from God.  It reminded me how much I love my friends. How much I've neglected those relationships while I've been busy raising a child.  I feel fortunate to not have been forgotten altogether.  

Today was just one more instance of recapturing part of my own identity and my life!  

 Above: Virginia waterleaf blooming in White Oak Sinks.  I had never seen this here before!

Above: Bobby ahead of me in the sunshine heading to the Law grave atop the knoll.

Below is a short video taken on a past trip of the waterfall in White Oak sinks. (Click the link for info on the falls) 

Kenny was with me on this trip. We are talking about how the water from this falls comes out as Silver Falls down in Tuckaleechee Caverns.