Snowbird Mountains backpacking adventure

Join me as guests in the rugged, magical wilderness in the Snowbird Mountains in Western North Carolina. These serenely quiet, rugged mountains were so remote many Cherokee Indians hid from the trail of tears, so many others suffered on. Enough hid here to create 3 populations in present day North Carolina, 2 of which surround these mountains.

These are beautiful and special mountains, blessed with spirits of Indians and settlers from the past; they have seen many existences in past 100 years, bought and logged by Bemis lumber company and regenerated nicely as a national forest (closeby to Joyce Kilmer Ntl. Forest-up the road, 'a piece').

There, we will backpack in about 3 mostly easy, slightly ascending miles, rock hop Sassafras Creek; and immediately across the creek, reach our camping flat; where we will set up tents.

We will have lunch and/or snack, before going on a five mile moderate to strenuous loop hike up Burntrock Ridge, past Sassafras Falls, and follow steep trail up to a ridgeline and down to a very cold creek crossing of Big Snowbird Creek. Then we reach Middle Falls of Snowbird Creek; where we have the option of a very cold wading or swim in the nice swimming hole below Middle Falls (the coldest I've been in-double dog dare you!). From here we will follow the udulating moderate terrain to descend Mouse Knob, and follow Big Snowbird Creek back to camp

We'll gather firewood for the nights festivities; including card playing-hopeully wine and cheese party. Sunday we wake up in a leisurly manner, have breakfast, and hike about 1 mile to 2 nearby waterfalls on Big Snowbird Creek and enjoy then until returning to break down camp and return to our cars, and optional quick and inexpensive dining in Andrews, NC at a nice Chinese restaurant there, before returning to the ATL.