1HappyHiker
Well-known member
During the Thanksgiving holidays I visited family in North Carolina. One of our activities was a hike to Moore's Knob (2,572 ft elevation) which is located within Hanging Rock State Park near Danbury, NC.
Included in the trail guide that was handed out at the Ranger Station is a statement which reads:
"Venomous snakes, ticks, and poisonous plants may be found along park trails. Exercise caution."
Hmmm! Don't seem to recall seeing a similar statement in White Mountain trail guides (especially the part about venomous snakes!
).
Oh well! We headed off on a very nice trail, and it wasn't too long before we came to a very picturesque pond.
Not long after leaving the pond, we encountered the sign shown below.
Hmmm! I had checked out this hike on the Internet and didn't recall reading anything about conditions along this trail that would require a special warning about "serious injury or death".
Undeterred by the sign, we proceeded onward and began the moderately steep climb to the top of Moore's Knob. It was an uneventful trek through a predominately oak and pine forest, with some intermixed rhododendron, azalea and mountain laurel.
Upon reaching the top of Moore's Knob, we found pleasant views from several ledges and from an observation tower. Most of the views from this location are primarily vistas of the piedmont region of North Carolina. But on a clear day, apparently there are some vistas with mountains in the distance. Although the weather was nice when we were there, conditions were not good for distant views.
Below is a photo showing one of the views from the top of Moore's Knob on the day we were there.
After taking in the "views from the top", we headed back down to the trailhead. At no time during our ascent or descent did we encounter anything that made us feel like we might face "serious injury or death". So, I assume that the warning sign at the beginning of the trail was purely for liability reasons.
However, regarding the tidbit in the trail guide about "venomous snakes, ticks, and poisonous plants", we did encounter one small snake. I'm pretty certain it wasn't a rattlesnake, but I'm not so sure it wasn't a copperhead.
On the way back from our hike, we stopped to visit a winery for a taste-testing which made for a very pleasant ending to our day. Many of the tobacco farms in North Carolina are being converted to vineyards and I'm told that the State has about 90 wineries.
We enjoyed our visit with relatives, and we enjoyed hiking in a new environment.
However, as the saying goes "there's no place like home", and we were happy to return to NH and our beloved White Mountains.
1HappyHiker
Included in the trail guide that was handed out at the Ranger Station is a statement which reads:
"Venomous snakes, ticks, and poisonous plants may be found along park trails. Exercise caution."
Hmmm! Don't seem to recall seeing a similar statement in White Mountain trail guides (especially the part about venomous snakes!
). Oh well! We headed off on a very nice trail, and it wasn't too long before we came to a very picturesque pond.
Not long after leaving the pond, we encountered the sign shown below.
Hmmm! I had checked out this hike on the Internet and didn't recall reading anything about conditions along this trail that would require a special warning about "serious injury or death".
Undeterred by the sign, we proceeded onward and began the moderately steep climb to the top of Moore's Knob. It was an uneventful trek through a predominately oak and pine forest, with some intermixed rhododendron, azalea and mountain laurel.
Upon reaching the top of Moore's Knob, we found pleasant views from several ledges and from an observation tower. Most of the views from this location are primarily vistas of the piedmont region of North Carolina. But on a clear day, apparently there are some vistas with mountains in the distance. Although the weather was nice when we were there, conditions were not good for distant views.
Below is a photo showing one of the views from the top of Moore's Knob on the day we were there.
After taking in the "views from the top", we headed back down to the trailhead. At no time during our ascent or descent did we encounter anything that made us feel like we might face "serious injury or death". So, I assume that the warning sign at the beginning of the trail was purely for liability reasons.
However, regarding the tidbit in the trail guide about "venomous snakes, ticks, and poisonous plants", we did encounter one small snake. I'm pretty certain it wasn't a rattlesnake, but I'm not so sure it wasn't a copperhead.
On the way back from our hike, we stopped to visit a winery for a taste-testing which made for a very pleasant ending to our day.
Many of the tobacco farms in North Carolina are being converted to vineyards and I'm told that the State has about 90 wineries.
We enjoyed our visit with relatives, and we enjoyed hiking in a new environment.
However, as the saying goes "there's no place like home", and we were happy to return to NH and our beloved White Mountains.
1HappyHiker
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