rpcv
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Posts: 170
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Post by rpcv on Mar 2, 2015 16:18:53 GMT -5
My husband, a friend and I hiked North Fork Mountain this weekend (and met Galiwalker!). We've driven by it countless times and finally figured we really needed to hike there. I was expecting it to be pretty, but the views from Chimney Top were just incredible. We had fabulous weather on Saturday and, up high, there was about 8 inches or so of snow on the ground. We didn't wind up needing snowshoes because the trail had already been packed down. I was glad to have microspikes, though, when I was shooting around the edges of the cliffs. We'll definitely go back and explore the area more. I'm hoping to hike the whole trail as an overnight trip this year (realizing that we'll need to haul all of our water).  The first overlook on North Fork Mountain.  The outcrops of Chimney Top and the valley below.  Looking south along the ridgeline of North Fork Mountain from Chimney Top.  The snow-covered slopes of North Fork Mountain.  The power plant and wind turbines on Mount Storm to the north. There are a few more pictures over on my blog. |
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Post by Admin on Mar 2, 2015 16:36:26 GMT -5
Isn't it nice to place a name with a real face?
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Post by GaliWalker on Mar 2, 2015 16:48:50 GMT -5
I really like your second photo, of Chimney Top, with the snowy hills behind providing a nice contrast. I wish I'd also taken a similar photo in these conditions, but I've taken that shot so many times on earlier trips that I didn't.  Great shots! I don't know if you climbed the main 'chimney' block, but the views from that are the best. Unfortunately, when I explored the access - a short, narrow and exposed bridge - it was pretty snowy so I didn't even think about it. I suspect you didn't try either (I can't see any photos from there), but if you didn't, you must on your summer trip. Also, just a bit north of the main Chimney Top outcrop (maybe 50yds?) there is a small rock spire that can handle one person at a time, which has a lovely unobstructed view of the north (it too was too snowy to climb, at least for me). I once saw about 20-30 black turkey vultures roosting on that northern spire. That got the heart racing! |
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Post by arfcomhkr on Mar 2, 2015 19:23:13 GMT -5
More nice pics.  BTW, If you plan on hiking the whole trail you can drop water up on FR79 and just continue through Smoke Hole rd. to 220, Franklin and up 33 to the top. |
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Mar 2, 2015 19:30:46 GMT -5
Great pics and +1 on what Gali said about Chimney Top. I've gone out on it and would be very hesitant to do it with snow. As for the entire hike a buddy and I did it as a 3 day trip and didn't cache any water. We did it in mid-May (usually the rainiest month around here) and found filterable water in rock depressions along the trail and in the tire ruts near the radio tower. Didn't know about the spring way back then.
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rpcv
Forum Elder
Posts: 170
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Post by rpcv on Mar 3, 2015 11:55:00 GMT -5
We didn't actually make it to the top of Chimney Top. I saw what looked like it could be a route up there, but it was covered in snow. Not having been up there before, I wasn't sure if there was solid ground under the snow or if it was just a drift over narrow gaps in the rocks. No way would I have tried it with the snow there. I will definitely check it out when it is dry, though.
Arfcomhikr, is FR 79 passable with a regular car (i.e. not high-clearance)?
rpcv
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vdeal
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Post by vdeal on Mar 3, 2015 12:19:12 GMT -5
Not arf, but FR79 should be fine. Don't recall any issues.
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Post by arfcomhkr on Mar 3, 2015 13:11:48 GMT -5
Arfcomhikr, is FR 79 passable with a regular car (i.e. not high-clearance)? rpcv Yes, as long as there's no snow. A guy in our party had a normal sedan up there fall before last. It's decent enough road up the hollow to the last farm/homestead. It's steeper and has a tight switchback or two from there up to the campsite. I don't remember too many big mud holes or ruts from when I was up there last month. |
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Post by GaliWalker on Mar 3, 2015 15:15:21 GMT -5
I saw what looked like it could be a route up there, but it was covered in snow. Not having been up there before, I wasn't sure if there was solid ground under the snow or if it was just a drift over narrow gaps in the rocks. No way would I have tried it with the snow there. I've been up there plenty of times and I still had the same thought as you. No clue what was under that snow, and what the footholds would be like. It's not going anywhere... |
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ki0eh
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Post by ki0eh on Mar 4, 2015 10:24:38 GMT -5
In my experience many larger gaps in rocks (such as the "watch your step" path just south of the Haunted Vista in Mid State Trail section 17) do not ice over, due to air movement in channels under the rocks. A more prosaic manifestation of this phenomenon would be to see how clear storm inlets in a street (connected by unfrozen underground pipes) sometimes are, under an accumulation of snow (unless, of course, the plow dumps it over top of them).
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Post by jnk556 on Mar 4, 2015 17:54:22 GMT -5
Chimney top is IMO one of the best views i have been to. I mean the scenery is just so amazing, words don't describe it. As far as getting up on that one lonely rock up there, I don't remember exactly, but I can't place a way to get over to it, but then again, when i went up there on our trip I walked up to the top alone, and I'm not a big fan of hopping gaps in rocks either, so.... EDIT: found my crappy video of my trip up there, I think you can see the spot your talking about where you can hop over to... Chimney top video |
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Great shots!
