It has been such a great start to the new year! Happy 2022! It is a goal to get out and onto a trail at least once a week this year, and new year's day was unseasonably gorgeous making it impossible to resist loading up to find somewhere to go play. It has been many many years since the last trek on Cat Gap Loop Trail and after the GPS decided to ignore the downloaded for offline use maps to not get me to the intended destination, I knew where to head. This trail starts at the Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery in Pisgah National Forest in Brevard, North Carolina. This area was ravaged by tropical storm Fred in 2021, and many of the bridges have been washed out, so if you hit this trail soon, be sure to watch the signage of what trails are open and safe to trek. Keep in mind that the Hatchery is still closed so there are no public restrooms. Dogs are allowed on this trail if kept on leash.
As I stopped a few other places and had a short window of time to go play, I only hit part of the trail to get to Cedar Rock Falls. My main goal was to sit by a waterfall without a bunch of other people around - and this was the perfect spot. I adore this spot and sat listening to the roar of the falls surrounded nature. I do not think I have ever seen so much green in January in the mountains - the lush mosses, the rhododendron and other native plants enveloping the trail were all just vibrant. If it wasn't for the bare trees and leaf debris covering the ground, it wouldn't look like winter at all.
If you decide to take the loop, it is about 4.6 miles and passes another waterfall, Grogan Creek Falls and you can get some really epic views if you take John Rock trail to bypass part of the loop. On my next visit, I plan to trek up there to share those views as from what I remember from a decade ago it was spectacular. This varied trail circumnavigates John Rock. John Rock and Looking Glass Rock (just north of the smaller John Rock) are both granite plutons. This was a new term, so I had to take the opportunity to learn a bit about what on earth a pluton is. "Plutons are bulbous masses that commonly develop beneath strings of volcanoes associated with plate subduction." as defined by Science Direct's website. There are several fault lines in Western North Carolina that have contributed to the variety of minerals and dramatically varied landscapes in this area. I have so much to learn about the magic of the oldest mountains in the world. It never ceases to amaze me that I get to call the Appalachian mountains home.
I am glad to get back to sharing some of my adventures and hope you enjoy getting to see some of this lovely little section of trail.