The routes we travel to get to our destinations will vary greatly. When I describe a hike, I refer to the means of access using only a few different terms. Understand these terms so you know what to expect on the way.
Forestry Road (FR): These are remnants from the logging days. In many areas, these roads are maintained, making them easy to follow. They are subject to closure (gating) in the winter months, so always check in advance. They tend to have grades that aren’t as steep, employing switchbacks to climb. Most are marked where they intersect roads. The road number is posted on a brown sign, typically consisting of 3 or 4 digits. I refer to them with the FR prefix in North Carolina and the FS prefix in South Carolina. Most of the ones open to vehicle traffic also have names. You may hear it called FR1206 or Yellowgap Road
Old Logging Road/Roadbed: This is similar to a forestry road, but it is no longer maintained or used for vehicle traffic. Most are still signed, but some are mere remnants of roads. Once the maintenance stops, the forest slowly reclaims the land, so these roads will vary in condition. At times, they can be so overgrown that they are no longer visible. They can end without warning, and many of them aren’t on the maps. There is no comprehensive map of these roads, and the companies that built them have been gone for a century. One of the biggest problems with these old roads is the trees and rhododendron that grow out of the steep banks along the sides. When these things fall over, they fall down the bank, which means onto the road. I hiked one in Highlands, North Carolina, that was so bad that it was easier to sidehill above the road since everything had fallen onto the road.
Trail: This is a reference to a maintained path in the woods. These tend to have names and signs. They can have log steps, barriers to prevent erosion, and bridges over creeks. They are usually wide enough to walk two abreast, but not always. Some trails are maintained, and others are only rumored to be maintained. The Alum Cave Trail, which leads to the summit of Mount LeConte, is actively maintained by the Smoky Mountains trail teams. Across the gorge, the Sugarlands Mountain Trail is supposedly maintained. I hiked it in May of 2024, and the upper five miles from Kuwohi Road to the Rough Creek Trail were covered in downed trees from the fires back in 2016-2017.
Path: Narrower than a trail and not as well maintained. Expect rocky areas, rooty areas, eroded sections, and steep segments. They tend to be easy to follow, but they will grow over in the summer if they’re not frequented. Paths tend not to have names, and you may hear them referred to as manways.
Scramble Path: This is a short and usually steep access to the base of a waterfall. From the top, they can look intimidating. The best way to handle these is with your hands free to grab onto anything you can to get to the bottom. Lower Dismal Falls is a great example of a steep scramble path. If it were any steeper, you’d be climbing down an elevator shaft. Hurricane Falls in South Carolina is even steeper. Good shoes are a must for the brutal, toes jammed into the front of your shoes descent. I often joke that I don’t need a hiking pole as much as an ice axe.
Rock hop: Just like it sounds, there’s no bridge over the creek, so you have to hop from rock to rock. Oh yeah, the third rock is wobbly and the reddish one is covered in moss. When the water is up, these usually become a wade. Before you start hopping, know where your next step is going to land. Momentum is a bitch.
Boulder climb: There’s nothing between you and the falls but a pile of boulders. All you have to do is figure out the best way to climb up, over, and around them. Did I mention some of the boulders are ten feet high and others have water flowing over them?
A Wade: Time to get your feet wet, maybe your shorts and shirt as well. There aren’t rocks to hop; the water is too high to rock hop. Might be ankle deep, might be waist deep. The current is strong and the water is cold. Never underestimate a river wade. My ultimate example of a wade occurred in December of 2023, during a loop hike from Abrams Campground to Cades Cove. The hike to Cades Cove was on the Rabbit Creek Trail, and the hike back was on the Abrams Falls Trail and the Hannan Mountain Trail. Well, to get from the Abrams Falls Trail to the Hannah Mountain Trail required a crossing of Abrams Creek, which was bellybutton deep. Brrr!
Off-Trail: The logging road leads to the trail, and the trail to the creek crossing. On the other side, there is only a narrow gap in the dog-hobble. Every step will have you brushing up against foliage, pushing through rhodos, laurel, and downfall. Sometimes the hike begins where the trail ends. If it just rained, these hikes are miserable because the leaves are wet and brush against you with every step. Another thing with off-trail adventures is there isn’t a good way to describe it to someone, other than head down following the easiest route.
Bushwhack: There’s not even a faint path to follow, just a compass heading and the sounds of falling water to guide you through the forest. Good times! Much of the time, a bushwhack heads down or up, usually on a nasty grade. You can cut a path, but this makes for slow going. Downfall, especially hemlocks, is a constant irritant. I don’t fully understand why, but when a hemlock dries out and falls over, all of the nubs where the branches used to be turn into razor sharp spears that will slice you open. Dead mountain laurel will scratch the heck out of you, rhodos weave together to form a wall, and dog hobble will untie your shoes. Expect to find lots of remnants in your pack and down your back after a day of doing this.
Creek Walk: The path of least resistance is to walk in the creek, stream, or river. There are more hazards to this than I count. Slippery rocks, swift currents, cold water, one step you’re in six inches of water, and the next it’s waist deep. Cascades, downed trees, and piles of boulders are the first to come to mind. I got plenty more. I still think it’s better than bushwhacking.