In the midst of a long snowy Winter, a window of perfect weather opened up. Mid 60s during the day, low 40s at night, and plenty of sunshine! So we packed up our bags and headed out to Uwharrie National Forest. I can't think of better way to spend the first backpacking trip of 2022 than a 19 mile trek with the folks I love most.
Music featured in this video: "Santa Barbara" by Nick Gerow, "Airship Fury" by Jahzzar, "Not Drunk" by The Joy Drops, "Abiding" by Kelly Latimore, "Bonfire Music" by David Mumford, and "Ascension" by Scott Holmes Music
Uwharrie - Dutchmans Creek Figure Eight
Loop or Figure Eight?
Thanks to the four way junction with the two trails that make up this route, there's a variety of ways to complete it. You can follow it like in either direction as a figure eight, infinity pattern, or even as two separate shorter loops. We chose to follow the two trails North to South from Wood Run trailhead making a counter clockwise figure eight. I don't think it matters which option you choose. No matter what, you're in for an adventure with a little bit of everything.
Hike Overview
Type of hike: Figure Eight/Loop - counter clockwise
Trails hiked: Dutchmans Creek trail & Uwharrie Trail
Time span: 3 days 2 nights
Total Mileage: 19 - 20 miles
Day 1
We made it to the trailhead around 4 p.m. This would be our shortest and easiest day of the trip. Just under 2.5 miles to camp. We could handle that. It was easy going at first, apart from Barrett wrapping himself around every tree and veering off to sniff every boulder of course. Walking through the tall loblolly pines reminded me of Francis Marion NF. I thought "The Uwharries are what Francis Marion could be if it wasn't a god-forsaken swampy nightmare..." So the more I think about it they're really not similar at all, except for the flat sections with pines.
Our first camp was on top of a "hill." I say "hill" because the steep climb up made it feel more like a mountain. Thankfully, I had the foresight to fill up our water at the small creek just before the climb up the hill. Goodness knows neither of us would not want to go all the way back up and down that for water later on in the evening.
The site we chose clearly had not been used in a while. Dry crunchy leaves were piled up thick in the fire ring. After repeatedly shooing the dogs off the tent body to set it up, and finding a tree to hang our food bag we got to work clearing a path around the fire ring and burning away the leaves. It was well after sundown by the time we got everything set up and dinner cooking.
On this trip I decided to test out a new alcohol stove. I've only ever used an isobutane stove, and for one trip a wood burning stove so this was a new experience for me. How did it go? Well, it had a lot of disadvantages, most of which I knew about going in it. But what really disappointed me was the way the fuel didn’t go as far as I thought it would. Just goes to show using a piece of gear in the field won't always yield the same result as testing it in the backyard the week before the trip. My first night using it didn't go all that well, but I wasn't ready to give up on it all together. Maybe things would go better the next day?
Day 2
If you had any doubt, two grown adults and two 100 lb German Shepherds CANNOT fit in a two man tent. Not even if it's a true two man tent like the Teton Mountain Ultra. I guarantee Barrett and Nora had no trouble getting a good night's sleep. As for Jordan and I... it was a struggle. (Note to self: look into lightweight 3 man tents when you get home.)
On Day Two we got a much better idea of what the Uwharries have to offer. I was surprised by how much variety there was in the landscape. One minute we're trekking beside a rushing creek, next we're trudging up boulder lined inclines, then we're back to walking in the pines. But seeing as how the NF is in North Carolina's Piedmont, it makes sense. This place is the perfect meeting between mountains and coast. It was also a good compromise as far as what Jordan is now willing to endure on a hike… unlike some places (ITAYG. Maybe some day I'll live that one down)
A complaint that came up when researching this route was a lack of trail markings and blazes. Multiple AllTrails reviews I read claimed there were no blazes and barely any signs along the way. In fact, many of them turned around instead of finishing the hike because of this. Our experience, on the other hand, was just the opposite. Blazes were frequent, every junction was well marked, and signs were everywhere! Both trails were absurdly easy to follow. My only guesses are either recent improvements have been made on the trail making those reviews outdated OR the people writing them were all 105 years old with cataracts.
Speaking of signs. It was at the very well marked four way junction with the Uwharrie trail where I made an unfortunate discovery. We sat down at a campsite there to take a break when Nora came up beside me. I got a whiff of something strange coming from her pack. Then I realized what it was. The fuel bottle had gotten packed into one of her saddle bags that morning and was leaking! Thankfully, it was grain alcohol. So, it should evaporate throughout the day. Only half an ounce had been lost, so it could have been worse. Still that little bit of fuel can be the difference between piping hot and lukewarm coffee the next morning. I moved the fuel bottle to the side pocket of my pack checking back on it neurotically to be sure it was standing upright with no chance of further leaking.
It was nearing the end of the day and most of our energy had been spent. The idea was to refill our water at Dutchmans Creek and end the day on Lick Mountain. After reaching the top and seeing no sign of a fire ring or even a decent place to put the tent, we kept moving. No problem we would just stop at the next site about a mile away. But when we got there it was already occupied by two hammocks and a tent. The climb up and down Lick Mountain was a doozy, but what really got us was the hill/unnamed mountain that followed. So, we hauled ourselves up yet another exhausting incline. Waiting for us on the other side was a steep rocky scramble.
I offered to take both dogs as we navigated down. Carefully stepping between boulders and off jagged rocks I thought back to navigating a similar scramble with Barrett on the Southside of Albert Mountain last fall. My fond flashback was interrupted by a list of creatively strung together curses. Seeing Jordan’s face all screwed up in pain, I imagined the worst. Maybe he stepped between two rocks and broke his ankle! Praise God that wasn’t the case. Instead, he had taken a wrong step lightly spraining his knee. While still painful and sucky, the injury was not debilitating. Thankfully right below all of that was our camp, with a flat place to put the tent and easy water access.
After fixing dinner I was almost out of fuel all together. I wasn't sure there would be enough to even get the water warm at breakfast. Jordan suggested boiling water over hot coals. While I didn’t think it would end well, I also wanted to have hot coffee. He set two rocks up on the fire ring like pot holders and put the kettle above some hot coals. A few minutes later I was proved right. The coating on the bottom of the kettle was dripping down the rocks. I could tell he felt really bad about it. Honestly, I wasn’t mad. I pretty much expected that to happen.
Day 3
The next morning, the last bit of fuel barely cut it. We had lukewarm coffee and crunchy half-rehydrated grits. While I won't write off using an alcohol stoves altogether, I will say when it comes to reliability an isobutane stove may be the way to go.
Barrett correctly demonstrated the second technique for achieving a "Loo with a View" that morning. While looking for a spot to do his business, he wandered across the trail and up a slope. Sniffing in a circle three or four times, he positioned himself behind the foliage before squatting. His dark fur camouflaged him in the shadows of the brush. The perfect "Loo with a View." (He could see us, but we couldn't see him.) Funny as it was to see on the trail, this behavior is nothing new. Even at home, Barrett searches for secretive spots to do his business.
As we hiked out of camp, a thick cloud cover rolled in. My hope was to make it back to the trailhead before the rain. The only thing standing in our way? Dennis Mountain and a couple more creek crossings. Had we climbed up Dennis Mountain any other day it probably wouldn't have posed as much of a challenge. But having nearly 15 miles and 2 day of hiking behind us already made it seem monumental.
The audio tour stop at the top was a great excuse to take a short break. I wondered why we hadn't seen more of these during the trip. I later found out there were only 4 along our route. The other 20 were dispersed across the remaining 30 or so miles of the Uwharrie Trail. We stopped to take a break in between climbing two more hills. The last couple creek crossings were a fun change of pace from the stop and go nature of tackling tiresome inclines and declines. With all the creek crossings we had done the day before, by this point in the trip I was becoming a master rock hopper!
A light drizzle started to fall, so we picked up our pace. The sound of engines starting up and tires crunching on gravel gradually came into earshot. The parking lot was so close! Just one more bend in the trail. There's nothing more welcoming than the sight of your car patiently waiting for you at the end of the trail. As we pulled away from the trailhead big rain drops splattered the windshield. Right on time!
They're STILL Mountains
I was deceived by the elevation profile. You see, because the Uwharrie Mountains don't rise above 1,200 ft (High Rock Mountain) I was under the impression we would be trekking up some big hills. I thought "I've climbed Table Rock and Sassafras dozens of times" (3,100 and 3,500 ft) "This will be a piece of cake!" Boy was I wrong. These mountains may not be tall, but they're STILL mountains. While the inclines and declines over Lick Mountain, Dennis Mountain, and the various other unnamed mountains along the route were by no means unmanageable, they were still a workout! We had to stop for breaks and pace ourselves just like any other climb up a summit. When I say we I mean Jordan and I. Our dogs didn't miss a beat. They practically live for that kind of energy expending activity.
Was this a dog friendly trip?
Our German Shepherds had a blast! Plenty of creeks to splash through and leaves to roll in. The only part that posed somewhat of a challenge for them was the steep rocky scramble just before our Day Two camp. I helped them navigate some of the boulders and drop offs on the way down, but at this point in their adventuring career they're used to that whole song and dance. For medium to large size dogs with outdoor experience, this loop will probably be a lot of fun.
Be sure to check out "Informative Guide for Hiking and Camping on the Uwharrie Trail" by Brian from RidgeTrekker. His knowledge of the trail was incredibly helpful in planning our own hike.