Wayah Gap to Siler's Bald to Winding Stair Gap 3/2/2022

For the 6th hike of the year, the usual gathering happened at Poteet Park at 9 am while others met at the Wayah Gap trailhead. This trip was planned as a shuttle or one-way hike. The route from Wayah Gap up to Siler's Bald and then on to Winding Stair Gap is shown in the dotted line in the Google Earth view below. Once shuttle cars were in place, we began the hike from Wayah Gap at around 4,150 feet, going up around 1,000 feet thru some 1.8 miles of terrain to Siler's Bald at 5,216. Some returned to the Wayah Gap picnic parking area from there. Others headed gradually downhill some 1,500 feet over a 4.2 mile route to Winding Stairs Gap at about 3,652 feet. Wind forecast for Sylva on hike day was for gusts to 18 mph, but though breezy the animated image above shows that it was not that strong.



The Wayah Crest Trailhead parking lot just off Wayah Rd. handled our several cars nicely.

Several cement picnic tables make a great place for locals and through-hikers on the AT that sometimes meet with resuppliers and friends.

Any ideas? Still researching this one.

Galax was everywhere.




fancy fern, one of just two varieties found on this largely dry trails hike, the other being the ubiquitous Christmas fern


rattlesnake plantain orchid in a mossy nursery bed


shining club moss


Brook lettuce saxifrage

Wall Scalewort (Porella platyphylla)


pipsissewa



Learn how to watch out for wild hog signs. The tousled ground and numerous acorns along these trails suggest they are around. 

cinquefoil




Common blackberry stems cover much of the field around the bald.


It's a steep hoof up from the AT to reach the Bald.


Siler Bald, El. 5,216 ft.



Long banks of galax followed the trail down the mountain.



Near the end of the hike, the trail crosses beautiful Moore Creek that was full of water on this day. 
The trail builders put a stepping stone bridge at this crossing.




More photos to come.......

P.S. Litters. A couple of us had a brief discussion about this. We've only had a couple of falls over the last 2 months which is great. They just needed bandaid level aid so far. We do have the advantage of numbers. What if we had to carry someone out? Do we know how to make a litter? Here's a clip on an improvised litter from YouTube that is relevant to hikers. If you find better ones, let me know.
-Video Clip 1



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