Another month, another new Piedmont Day Trip

A specialty of mine and Judy's is finding day trips

less than 90 minutes from home. We've done it again.

Full disclosure, we went to a place we went to some

20 years ago, but found it much different.

From Southern Pines, we followed NC Highway 22

through Carthage, Highfalls, Bennett, Coleridge, and 

Ramseur. There it crossed Highway 64. Still following 22,

 we came in no time to the old mill town of Franklinville.

We were here to visit Faith Rock, which has a famous

Revolutionary War anecdote to its credit. More about

that later, but let's begin our tour.

This sign gives you the basic info to find Faith Rock
at the Franklinville Town Park, adjacent to the Deep River.

We remembered this impressive structure from years
ago. It affords great views up and down the river.

Up river was the site of an old mill of yesteryear,
in fact, dating back to 1840.

We were warmly greeted by a venerable old caretaker,
Brother Terrapin.

Those rapids are the reason this was an ideal spot
for a mill in those days of water power.

Across the sturdy bridge was our loop trail to Faith Rock.

A curious crowd of onlookers gathered when they
heard there were some new folks in town.

As in much of the North Carolina piedmont, there
were fascinating stone formations.

We ascended a fairly easy trail, with a view of the river
and bridge most of the way. That might change once
the hardwood trees are in full leaf.

If you have a vivid imagination, you might see
something in this gnarled old stump. Please let me
know what you think you see.

As we neared Faith Rock, we could see the bridge
where Andrew Hunter Road crosses the Deep River.

If you can enlarge this, you can read all the details
of how Andrew Hunter (yes, the one the road is 
named after) made a daring escape from Tory leader
David Fanning, on Fanning's own horse. The daring
part was riding the horse down the steep slope of the
50 foot rock into the Deep River and to freedom.
One of countless amazing stories of the Revolution.

If you stand on that rock, you'll realize what a display
of courage, and yes-- desperation, was required.
But, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

We met a most friendly and helpful local gentleman
who advised us to lean backward if we went any
further down. We were not at all tempted.

Faith Rock

An apt setting for a "Leap of Faith."

When we had marveled at the rock and the story 
long enough, we continued on the loop trail. Every
few feet we stopped so I could document the array
of spring wildflowers. I won't attempt to name them
all, but this one is Trout Lily. It is past blooming time,
but never had we seen hillsides more covered with
a single species. It was EVERYWHERE!

A velvet-leafed specimen, not yet in bloom.

Some dainty white flowers grow in a cluster.

Even away from Faith Rock, we saw more impressive
rock formations that could easily dump you right into
the cold water.

Two of my favorite plants are in this shot: Wild Ginger
and Pipsissewa, or Spotted Wintergreen. Frequent readers
of my writings may recall that Pipsissewa was my Indian
name at Camp Cherokee 50 years ago.

Along the upper trail, we had a good view of the 
ruins of a more modern manufacturing plant.

Leave it to Judy to spot some blueberries! Or at 
least the blooms.

A lovely yellow sample.

This mossy overlook seemed like it was designed
for a private little prayer spot.

Even though it was soft, getting up from that low is
never easy nowadays.

A very different white flower.

Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make this
place educational.

Now Judy has found a sweet shrub, which has one
of the most appealing fragrances to be found in nature.

A little more historical background. To examine some
REALLY interesting local history, visit this blog:
https://www.sweetteaandpasta.com/mills-of-the-deep-river-in-north-carolina-franklinville-in-photos/

If you live in central North Carolina, you could have
easily been within a short distance of the interesting
town of Franklinville without ever visiting it.

Here is one more VERY good reason to visit:
the Franklinville Diner.

Their sign does not exaggerate.

Here and below are the items on their extensive menu.

Something NOT on the menu is the daily special,
which today was country style steak with three
vegetables.

Judy got the special without the steak, and her
generous portions of pintos, cabbage, and taters
was $4.50.

Personally, I couldn't resist the Franklinville Burger.
A fist-sized hamburger patty, a slab of ham, good,
crispy bacon, and cheese really filled up that bun.
And the onion rings with homemade ranch dressing
was the perfect side.

We opted to carry our take-out plates to the town
park, just around the corner. Nice covered shelter
and a playground, right beside the Deep River.

There were plenty of ducks frolicking in the river,
sensing there was no danger to them here.

Before leaving the park, we followed the bank a 
short distance to see the ruins of the oldest mill.

You would think you couldn't go wrong on this trail.
And you'd be right. However, we drove about a mile
to another section of the trail for an after lunch walk.

Here are a couple of pictures of the massive ruins of
the mill of yesteryear.

I can scarcely guess the function of some of these
remnants, but it's fascinating to see what remains.

So just a short drive back toward Ramseur, we parked
in a little community called Living Well. It's almost like
a commune of nature lovers/respecters. We entered this
trail by passing by the old water treatment plant.
Warning!! At times it emits foul odors, but when we
walked there in the afternoon, we smelled nothing amiss.

Along this nice, level path we would see still more
colorful flora. This one is Green and Gold.

More massive rocks point to the river.

I couldn't tell if a flood had placed this ancient bike
in this tree or if someone was just trying to be creative
with their junk. Or is it art?

I've seen this before, but can't name it.

Another pretty yellow one.

Wild violets. We saw these everywhere, but the leaves
were often hidden by other neighboring plants.

This sign directed us to the site of an ancient fish weir,
which was an obstruction built partly or completely
across flowing waters to trap fish or direct them into
a desired channel.

We learned that at low water we might be able to
see evidence of the fish weir. But we were glad the
river was up today.

This plant is called False Solomon's Seal. Its leaves
are very similar to Solomon's seal, which is occasionally
seen on our SFL Nature Trail. But its flowers are very
different, and its leaves are alternating, rather than 
opposite each other.

We came to the end of the trail as it currently exists.
This photo is especially for Liz Tayler, who loves a challenge.

An unoffical trail continued to the right for some distance.

This extension came to an end beneath the Highway 64
bridge between Ramseur and Franklinville. Someday,
it is meant to connect to other rails-to-trails, which we love.

This was our smooth and pleasant return route.
It's a simple up-and-back trail, more for a stroll than
scenery. But we enjoyed it as well as the Faith Rock trail.

This odd bark was a mystery, but I believe this towering
tree is a short-leaf pine.

Through a dogwood, you can see pine needles
at the top. There were several of these trees, but
they were not at all numerous.

I've seen this plant before, and perhaps even looked
it up, but its name escapes me.

Last item on that trail was a tree with a huge colony
of mistletoe. Have you ever seen such a supply? It
would probably serve the whole town of Franklinville!
But it's probably easier just to stand under the tree.

As we were about to leave town, I couldn't resist
taking a turn to see Lake Ramseur. And this is it.
A beautiful spot, with a few folks fishing on a weekday.
I imagine it is really busy on weekends and all through
the summer.

We couldn't walk out on the dam, but this shot
gives you a pretty good idea of this tranquil setting.
A nice place for a picnic even if you don't fish.

All in all, this day trip was a great success.

We'll look forward to another trip to Franklinville,

perhaps dragging some grandchildren along!

 

A New N.C. Piedmont Destination: Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area

Judy and I were delighted recently to read of a new natural

area within 90 minutes of home. It's not a state park, but Alamance

County leaders deserve praise for their ambitious vision of what

can be done on this beautiful and unique tract of 1,000 acres near

Snow Camp, NC. Most Moore County residents can reach it by 

way of Siler City. 

As a new facility, we saw it in its initial stages. A 2.5 mile trail

with a shorter 1.0 mile option are the main choices now. But more 

trails are planned, as well as an observation tower, which should

be a major draw. On a weekday, we saw only a small number of

hikers, several of whom had read about the site in the Raleigh

News & Observer, as we had.  

Join me for a mini-tour.

Here's the informational welcome board. Back in 1937
these lands were home to Pioneer Camp, a popular camp
for area children in bygone days.

The map shows not only the layout of the current trails,
but the comparative altitudes. The highest point is
987 feet, the greatest in our state east of Greensboro.

The park has two picnic tables (and a primitive but
well-maintained restroom). We had the requisite lunch
of PBJ, fruit, almonds, and more to energize us for a
challenging hike.

With spring foliage not yet appearing, we could see
great distances wherever we went. The terrain was 
rolling with moderate difficulty level, but no problem.

At the lower levels we would cross a number of foot
bridges to navigate a small creek and later Buggy Shop
Branch, a larger free-flowing stream.

This sprouting acorn is a sign of approaching spring.

Judy demonstrates the size of this boulder. This mountain
is known as a monadnock: extruded during ancient volcanic
periods with softer soils now eroded away. The mountainsides
were strewn with boulders large and small.

Rocks too large to throw are still nice to lean on.

I was happy to see one of my favorite wildflowers:
Wild Ginger. It was everywhere.

What do you see in this picture? I saw a fierce
face warning "Go back!" But we didn't.

The boulders are not just on the surface. This partially
uprooted tree reveals small boulders underneath. Such
is the composition of this region of Alamance County.

Rocks and trees can peacefully coexist, though the 
trees have to be pretty creative to survive.

Right in the middle of that boulder was the largest and
healthiest patch of Wild Ginger I've ever seen or hope
to see. Amazing how it thrives here!

You may see a red trail marker on a small tree. They have an
ingenious system with numbered tags every tenth of a mile
throughout the trail. In case of emergency, you can tell rescuers
your precise location. I wonder if there's cell phone reception . . .

This seems to be near the peak, though it was a very
gradual slope.  We wondered if this would be the site
of the future observation tower, or some other spot we
haven't seen yet.

This is apparently the stone where the locals sacrifice
the occasional interloper from the Sandhills and other areas.

We could see a long way. We just didn't know what 
we were seeing. I can imagine this hardwood forest
when all the leaves emerge. We want to see it at 
different seaons.

This was a little further along, but seemed about the
same altitude.

Here's another tree that does a pretty good job as
"Watchman." Don't want to mess with him.

You'll have to look closely, but this picture has about
four examples of another of my favorite plants: 
Cranefly Orchid. A couple of the leaves are green (the
topside) and a could are purple (the underside). They 
always have just a single leaf and are on a "backwards"
schedule, appearing during the winter and dying down
in the spring and summer.

This is a specimen of River Birch, a tree which was
prevalent in the lower elevations, but some grew even
near the peak of our climb. Carrying its leaves through
the entire winter makes it easy to identify. I read of some
interesting uses by Native Americans and pioneers.

This is Trout Lily, a dainty wildflower Judy and I had
also encountered at Occoneechee Mountain at Hillsborough,
which is another monadnock (coincidence?). On the eastern
side of the mountain these beautiful flowers were abundant
and evenly spaced. More flowers will come later in the spring,
but can they be more lovely than these?

With many fallen trees (natural causes, mostly), 
volunteers find creative expressions that are 
welcomed by leg-weary hikers. Who can resist?

On our downward trek, our path began to follow
Buggy Shop Branch, which due to recent rains was
loud and bubbly. The trail designers wisely routed
our path to follow the branch a good distance, then
cross and follow the other side.

The water certainly appeared clean (I didn't taste it-- 
I know better!) And it WAS cold-- as Judy can testify!

Here's a relaxing 13 second video of the rippling waters

of Buggy Shop Brance.

We're nearing the end now, but we're not out of oddities.

Does anyone else see a swan here?

A closeup looks more like Donald Duck to me.

We're back in the lowlands now, and as we approach

the parking area we go through the largest and healthiest

patch of broomstraw either Judy or I had ever seen.

That wasn't the only familiar plant we saw.

Anyone recognize this longleaf pine? And we thought

they were only for the Sandhills. This area has been

replanted with them, at least the low elevations. These

hardy pines coexist well with hardwoods if they have

proper soil. And the Cane Creek Mountains are part

of the Carolina Blue Slate belt that goes through large

areas of Moore County. After all, it's less than 50 miles

from parts of our county, so it shouldn't be a surprise

to show some kinship.

Judy and I were so excited to be early visitors to this

new attraction. We're even more excited about the vast

possibilities this natural area holds. Yes, we'll want to

share it with the grandkids-- but I think we'll wait for

that observation tower. But if you want a nice medium

difficulty hike at a new venue, there's no need to wait!

We're glad we took the plunge!

 

The Father's Time: the Right Time

As I have recently been studying the Gospel of John, some passages regarding “time” have given me cause to reflect. Before I get into that, though, recall the familiar passage from Ecclesiastes 3:

“There is a time for everything,

And a season for all things under heaven.”

It goes on to enumerate many of the events, pursuits, and activities which comprise our earthly walks.  We often put much thought into deciding what is the “right” time for certain things in our lives. Marrying, buying a house, having children, changing jobs.

In John 2:4, Jesus’s mother, Mary, urged him to assist at a wedding in Cana. It was something like: “They have no more wine—hint, hint….” Though Jesus did come through in a miraculous way, his first response was, “My time has not yet come.”

In John 7:6, Jesus’s brothers urged him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Judea, that more people could see his miracles. He replied to them, “The right time for me has not yet come.” Yet he did afterward go to the feast, not publicly, but in secret.

Throughout the gospels, we see Jesus in action, healing, casting out demons, even raising Lazarus from the dead. In every instance, He knew when it WAS the right time.

For me, the culmination of these instances is in John 17: 1. Here at the Last Supper, Jesus prayed, “Father, THE TIME HAS COME. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”

This was only hours before Jesus’s arrest, mock trial, and crucifixion would follow in a shocking cascade of events.

Yet Jesus knew this was the RIGHT time, the time for which He had come into the world. On a personal level, this makes me ponder. Each day, in God’s view, there are countless things for which the time is “right.” We can be a part of these things if we are aware of them.  Our challenge is to be so attuned to the prompting of the Holy Spirit that we recognize these opportunities. We can do this by spending time in prayer and in studying God’s Word, the Bible. And by being vigilant; using our spiritual eyes and ears.

Easter is fast approaching. Think of what Jesus endured on the cross, but knowing full well the glory of the resurrection that awaited—and what that means to us. Jesus knew it was exactly the right time—God’s time.

Think of how today, tomorrow, or the next day might be the perfect time for something in your own life. And with God’s help, you can do it, whatever it is!