November 3, 2013 Jones Gap Standing Room Only

I went up 290 through Greer, past blazing maples and at times getting a glimpse of the ancient rounded by wind, rain and snow, peaks of the Appalachian mountains.  I got on 25 which goes from Greenville to Ashville, then 11, the Cherokee Scenic Highway and turned right at the F-Mart, advertising Food, Knives and Hamburgers from a sign on the roof.  This is Gap River Road and it snakes alongside of the rocky Middle Saluda River until you reach the park on the escarpment of the mountains. (You can also reach hwy 11 from I-26 between Asheville and Spartanburg, go West).

A glorius day, golden beams of sunlight reaching behind and through the dappled canopy of burning yellow leaves above.  It is the height of the fall leaf viewing season.

There is a line of cars at the entrance with two rangers directing traffic.  They say that there is parking in the park for only about 40 cars (there is handicapped and camping parking as well at the top of the drive), so that when full, we have to wait until cars come out before we go in.  I am the thirteenth car.  Now and then a car drives slowly out.  I walk the dog and meet a couple from Texas with a little boy learning to walk.  We wait and wait. Soon I notice people are opening up their picnic lunches and enjoying fried chicken and brownies from the back of their cars.  People are patient, however. Now and then a car turns around and leaves. (You cannot park down the road and walk in, not unless you live there.).  Finally, a gold SUV drives out of the park and I am in!  It has been an hour and 15 minutes, but it is worth it.

Jones Gap was originally Cleveland Fish Hatchery and there is still a stone basin of trout, rainbow, brown and brook swimming peacefully around and around.

You can take the long trail from here to Caesar's Head, but I chose the Hospital Rock Trail which is 4.4 miles long. I pass primitive campsites, one with a lone camper sitting by his fire.  The trail is blocked due to mud slides from the wet summer so I turn back.

The ranger tells me that Hospital Rock, by legend, is so called because wounded Confederate soldiers camped there in secret. The rock juts out for shelter and there is a stream nearby. They tended each other''s wounds.

He told me another story told to him by a landowner nearby of a solitary grave on the mountain.  He tells that there were two Confederate deserters caught here. They were given the choice of being executed either on the mountain or down at the Baptist church.  One grave remains here on the mountain.

The ranger says that at this time of year, Caesar's Head and Table Rock also have lines of cars waiting to get in.  In a few weeks, I will visit Caesar's Head, early in the morning.