North Carolina – Laurie Apgar Chandler

Back on the water: Badin Lake, Uwharrie National Forest, NC

How my new origami kayak performed in some small coves on a very large lake

Every great blue heron seems unique. This one had marvelous feathers and a calm presence.

Before jumping into the report of kayaking Badin Lake in my new boat, I want to share that life out here is not always rosy. I’m in South Carolina now, and last night was cold, lonely, and edgy. A true test of camping totally off-grid in frigid conditions. I wanted to try this, and I’m discovering that a lot of effort goes into cleanliness (laundry and even showers, as the camper is still winterized) and maintaining enough battery power to have light and warmth. This morning, I woke to an outside temperature of 13, after a night in which I had to switch propane tanks at 2 a.m. and then lost battery power at 4:30 a.m., an hour and a half before generator use is allowed. But it’s warm and cheery in here now!

Assembling the kayak from folded suitcase to finished product is down to nine minutes

In asking for questions, it’s evident you want to know how the boat handles. My first two significant outings were on 5,350-acre Badin Lake, launching from the Cove Boat Ramp adjacent to my campground. After tying a line onto a bow strap, I stepped in from the dock. From the first moment, the boat felt very stable. A huge positive, along with its compact folded size, light weight, and portability. A boat that’s easy to get ready gets used more.

A friend has likened it to paddling a box, and in some respects, he is not far from the mark. I went out twice and found that my paddling technique improved with experience, as I adjusted to a much shorter, less dynamic craft, where I am not up on a seat. Even in small, choppy waves, I felt secure and angled into them as I would have in my canoe.

This was my favorite nook, where it almost seemed I would find a shortcut to the next cove. Maneuvering around logs and weeds, I was pleased that the boat responded in a familiar way.

Another drawback is comfort, or should I say discomfort? After a couple of hours on the thinly padded seat, I found myself wiggling and stretching to try to get comfortable. Loosening or tightening the side straps to adjust the angle of the seat’s back rest helps, but not enough. There is also no foot rest or bar to brace against. My back and bottom were very stiff when I clambered out onto the dock after the longer three-hour excursion.

Mosaic of sun and cloud above the beautiful wooded shore

Most of all, it just felt wonderful to be back out on the water. I saw lots of wildlife, including a painted turtle sunning in January, belted kingfisher, buffleheads, cormorants, herons, downy woodpecker, and a large dark hawk I could not identify. There were moments when the cadence of the paddle felt just like old times. Somehow, this seemed rather miraculous in this unique boat.

To read more about the sights on Badin Lake, look for my March column in the Northwoods Sporting Journal. Issues become available on the NSJ website shortly after publication.

Farewell snow, hello North Carolina

The Uwharrie National Forest offered excellent kayaking, hiking, and warm campground friendships at the start of my winter-long RV journey.

You have all been exceedingly patient in waiting for the full NC story, which will be covered in the next several posts. This was the first true camping stay of the trip, chosen for its convenience for a visit to my dad’s first cousin Janet in Graham, NC. I arrived on January 5, 2024, two days after my 62nd birthday. I had been eagerly anticipating this milestone, the magic age for purchasing a Senior Lifetime America the Beautiful pass.

Running from the snow and toward the Uwharrie National Forest headquarters before Friday closing time, I made it. After a marathon 484-mile drive, with my pass in hand, I set up in the Arrowhead Campground on Site #31 (first come, first serve so it was mine for up to 14 days). There was an electric hookup and a thankfully sturdy (more on that later!) stone shower house.

The Uwharrie National Forest is in Piedmont North Carolina, east of Charlotte.

At the campground, I found the community I had been promised. Don, the campground host, lives out his philosophy of making the world a better place, one camper at a time. He, and fellow campers Joan and Al, even bought my books! Joan, an AT section hiker who is well on her way to finishing, read as far as chapter 12 in Upwards, and it was fun to be able to answer her questions about my NFCT thru-paddle around the campfire.

How fortunate that Don was my first campground host! He finessed my trailer into a better spot for me, treated me to an El Dorado cheeseburger with onion rings, and stood next to my truck yesterday in the freezing cold and miraculously got it to start when it hadn’t earlier.

Me, with Al and Joan…a fun surprise was unexpectedly meeting them and their dog Missy, during my hike on the Dark Mt. trail!

Looking out from the shelter of the shower house during a downpour with a tornado warning!

My Arrowhead campsite (#31) was paved, fairly level, and very wide, with an electric hookup.

Looking toward the lake at sunset, with a glimpse of the lake through the trees.

History and a Hike: The Thornburg Tract, Birkhead Mountains Wilderness, NC

Winter hike and fun exploring the 1855 Lewis-Thornburg farmhouse and outbuildings

Back porch of the 1855 Lewis-Thornburg farmhouse

The Birkhead Mountains Wilderness is found at the northern tip of NC’s Uwharrie National Forest. Today’s exploration from the Thornburg trailhead included a 3.4-mile easy to moderate, although a little muddy, hike. The tract also includes what the kiosk eloquently describes as “an excellent example of the evolution of a vernacular farmhouse and outbuildings.”

Behind the farmhouse and outbuildings (a barn, chicken house, carriage house, and tack shed) is the Thornburg Trail, a pleasant, rolling, up and down path through open hardwoods.

The temperature reluctantly climbed into the mid-50s today, warm enough to be comfortable moving along, even in the wind. I enjoyed plenty of friendly human and canine company along the way. The most interesting section of the trail looks down a steep hillside with lots of ferns to the stream below.

My shadow stretches toward the stream far below

The Forest Service has preserved the farmhouse unfurnished and in need of some repairs, for visitors to explore. My favorite discoveries were the flowered linoleum patterns in the upstairs hall and bedrooms, as well as little handmade touches like hooks carved from tree branches.

Sun drenching the interior of the carriage house, circa 1900.

Uwharrie National Recreational Trail: Dark Mt. and Little Long Mt.

Winter views and discoveries on two mountains along North Carolina’s Uwharrie National Recreational Trail

I want to begin with a note that my posts will not always appear in exact chronological order. In order to be a little more secure, I will be posting some details about my solo RV journey (like exact camping locations) after the fact. In the meantime, here’s a peek at yesterday’s adventure.

View from the shoulder of Dark Mountain near Mile 20

The 40-mile Uwharrie National Recreational Trail can be completed as a thru-hike or enjoyed in short sections. I began at the Jumping Off Rock trailhead, hiking south for the short, but rather steep, 500-foot ascent to the shoulder of Dark Mountain. Highlights were the beautiful open hardwood forest and patches of mountain laurel, which I could picture in its spring delicate, pink-flowered glory. Even in January, it was enlivening to see the shiny green.

Can you imagine the beauty of this mountainside in spring?

After the initial climb, the rest of the trail (4 miles roundtrip) was less rocky and smooth, with only gentle ups and downs. Wooden signs marked each mile, and surprisingly, there were audio stops where you could scan a QR code to listen to snippets of area history and ecology. The name Dark Mountain derives from tales of the killing of Army deserters here and an outlaw cave that was the hiding place for a murderer of one of those pesky revenuers.

The summit of Little Long Mountain (922 ft) opens up to the best views of the day

Moving on to the nearby Joe Moffitt Trailhead, named for the Boy Scout leader who created the trail, I could choose between two hikes. To the north, King Mountain, the highest peak on the trail at 1,020 feet, was a 1.1-mile climb. To the south, Little Long Mountain was 0.8 miles away and provided the most open mountaintop vistas. I went south, hiking back toward Dark Mountain.

Passing through a short section of copious exposed white granite

At the Little Long Mountain summit, another audio tour stop explained that I was standing in a Piedmont glade. Characterized by thin layers of soil over rock, this ecological community features unique plant species like native prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), which I found in abundance. There is a lean-to here, as well as a spring providing a water source on the way up. Descending, my first white-tailed deer of the Uwharrie bounded away down the hillside.