Autumnal Photo Project: Backpacking at Lost Cove Creek

Last weekend was delightfully warm and pleasant for late October in Appalachia. Most of the leaves are gone off the trees and a winter front was heading our way, packing a potentially potent wallop thanks to Hurricane Sandy. It was a seasonal cusp of sorts, and a perfect time to head out into the Pisgah National Forest with a backpack on. My friend Edwin and I headed out to Lost Cove Creek and camped near an old favorite site, Hunt Fish Falls, that's been documented on this blog before (the photo in the header is Hunt Fish Falls proper). Here's some photos from our trip: 

Hiking in through a characteristic rhododendron tunnel, so common in this neck of the woods.

Looking upstream from the big rock overlooking the falls.  That's Tina Louise on the leash.

Tina keeps an eye on the creek near our campsite.

Waning fall leaves clinging on the big rock overhanging the creek.

We hiked in on Friday afternoon and made camp. Saturday we hiked upstream, crossing the creek six times in the process.  We then took the trail up to Timber Ridge, then hiked along the ridge and back to our campsite near Hunt Fish Falls, a total hike of about 8 miles or so. 

A pool upstream from the campsite.

A narrow section of Lost Cove Creek.

This tree was rooted on a small rock outcrop over the pool.

Another view of the tree on the outcrop.

On the trail upstream.

Heading up the switchbacks to Timber Ridge.

Red and brown and green and gray.

On Timber Ridge heading back to the campsite.

This scary label was affixed to this tree near  our campsite. It's the only one we saw like this. Did I mention this was the weekend just before Halloween?

Cocktail hour back at camp after our hike.

cameras: Olympus E-PM1 and 14-45mm lens, Panasonic ZS15