I’m
heading back down to Pruitt, for some hiking along the north side of the
Buffalo. Pruitt is always tempting
to visit for me, because it’s about the closest area on the Buffalo River to the
house. Anytime I don’t feel like driving
very far, I seem to end up near Pruitt (most recently see: 209 Mill Creek).
Or if I don’t want to drive ‘at all’ I’ll go to Mincy Conservation Area
or Slippery Hollow, either one of those is less than half an hour by paved
roads.
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the lovely Buffalo River
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There
are a few popular hiking trails in the Pruitt area, but on the north
side of the river and especially east of SR 7 is more off the beaten path. And for that reason, I head down NC 3580 also
known as Pruitt Yardelle Road. The
road’s in good shape, after a little over two miles in, I pass a small sign at
the BNR boundary and start looking for a parking place.
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off-road parking on old 'lane'
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The
first promising location is at the first little dry creek crossing, with
a ‘hay lease’ access road and a cable gate to the south. There’s a good parking spot for one car on
the left before reaching the gate, but I keep going. About half a mile further is the next little
creek crossing and a short faint road north also with a cable gate. It doesn’t look like this road gets much use,
I park here to take a look up the road. |
yucca above Coot's Branch
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This
gate is right at the BNR boundary, so beyond is private property, it doesn’t
appear anyone has drove through this gate in a long time. So I feel pretty safe parking here, although
I still try to get off the road as far as possible, just in case someone wants
to drive through the gate. I head south
and cross the road at the little creek with some flowing water, few if any maps
give this little stream a name.
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| Coot's Branch near NC 3580 crossing |
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old road crosses dry Coot's Branch
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According
to ‘Buffalo River Handbook’ by Kenneth Smith, this creek was called Coot’s
Branch way back around 1890, so Coot’s Branch it is. Next to the road about 50 feet west of the
creek, is an old cable gate hidden in the thick weeds and brush marking an old
road. It’s almost impassable here at the
beginning, but it gets much better pretty quick. Coot’s Branch has some lovely pools for the
first 100 yards before drying up completely.
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little meadow on way to river
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In
about 300 yards the road crosses the creek, and maybe 100 more yards is a small
spring with just a seep of water.
Just past the spring the trail leaves the road through the cut bank down
5-6 feet and crosses back to the west side of Coot’s, and I see some pink
ribbon marking the way on the other side.
I stick with the road, and right away is a tree fall that I have to
maneuver through.
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above river at gully access
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Past
this fallen tree, the road slowly climbs up about 40 feet above the dry
creek. Higher now with nice views down
in Coot’s Branch, the terrain gets a little rocky. Occasional low bluffs along the creek and
some scattered boulders on both sides, the hike gets more interesting. Soon I come to a flat topped boulder next to
the road, that I’m easily able to get on top for a nice view up and down Coot’s
Branch, where I notice more pink flagging tied in trees down below.
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bedrock on the Buffalo
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The
road stays pretty level for the next 200 yards, then at a turn southeast it
climbs gently some more as the road leaves Coot’s drainage. Now the Buffalo River is down on my right,
but I seldom catch a peek at the river through the woods. The road is still an ‘obvious old road’,
until I arrive below a pond. I climb up
the earth-dam to check it out, this is a good sized pond but almost completely
dry. |
low water on Buffalo River
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Back
on the road, after about 400 yards I come into a small clearing, which may be
an old homesite although nothing remains in the way of ruins. Here the road completely ends, but a good
horse trail continues southeast, dropping in elevation as I get closer to the river. Where a tiny creek has cut a gully through
the river bank, the trail descends to river level. The Buffalo is pretty low, exposing lots of
bedrock.
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in little valley of Coot's Branch
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The
river is beautiful, with bluffs downstream to the east and across the river to
the west. Here on the edge of the water
are three or four small rock patios (bedrock), it isn’t very far to the other side,
maybe 30 feet, and looks only about 3 feet deep. The trail ends here at the river, so I
suspect this horse trail crosses the Buffalo and continues downstream, but I
can’t find a trail by just looking (across the river are many more old roads, for a few I've explored see: 188 Flatiron Bluff). |
boxed spring
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Instead
of getting my feet wet, I turn around heading back the way I came. About 450 feet past the dried-up pond, a good
trail leaves the road and heads gradually downhill west. It isn’t very far back to Coot’s Branch, down
the bank on the good trail is easy.
About half way down is a boxed spring hidden under a huge tree, a
galvanized pipe extending out from the concrete box has a steady stream of
flowing water. A flat rock under the
pipe provides an easy place to refill your canteen.
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| looking upstream on Coot's Branch |
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and downstream toward Buffalo
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I
continue down and cross dry Coot’s Branch, in the little valley only 100
yards above the Buffalo. Sticking to the
trail I soon climb back above Coot’s, although that ‘pink ribbon’ route seen
earlier heads up Coot’s Branch north, back to the county road where I’m
parked. This trail keeps well
above the river, soon entering a rocky area with low broken bluffs as I
continue west. Here on this rocky south
facing hillside are a few early wildflowers, just poking out of the ground.
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rocks above and river channel below
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The
trail passes under a shallow rock overhang, with a small cave up above the
trail on the back side of the overhang.
The trail continues northwest, although in places it gets a little faint
through a small grassy meadow. Soon just
before the next little creek, I notice what looks like a faint old road heading
uphill northeast. I cross the dry creek
and land on a road, this is the other end of the ‘hay lease’ access road with
the good parking spot, that I found while driving in.
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more BNR beauty
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Turning
left on the road, I immediately enter a big field of dry golden brown grass
about a foot tall. Following the edge of
the field, I soon find a way down the creek bank and out onto another
riverfront bedrock slab on beautiful Buffalo River. Upstream across the river are some low
rounded bluffs down next to the water, and more lovely scenery up and
downstream. I work my way back up the
bank to the field, then the road.
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rocky terrain and small caves
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This
road, or ‘farmer’s lane’ along the dry creek looks inviting, but I decide to
check out that faint old road I noticed 200 feet back up the trail. Turning left, this faint road soon fizzles-out,
maybe it wasn’t a road but a driveway. I
don’t find anything to indicate a homesite, but uphill a hundred yards or so
are two nice rocks to sit down for a break.
Continuing uphill I soon come to some thick impenetrable jungle,
skirting around the perimeter of the blackberry and brush jungle. |
| tranquil Buffalo River |
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dry golden grass
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Just
before reaching NC 3580, I find a bunch of bleached bones, these are too big to
be a deer, my guess is either a steer or maybe an elk. Anyway, just 100 feet past the boneyard is
Pruitt Yardelle Road, I go east just a quarter mile back to Coot’s Branch and
my waiting truck. Not a long hike, only
2.7 miles with 276 feet of elevation gain, and not hard either. I had a great time today, finding some good
trails and old roads off the beaten path.
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Coot's Branch crosses Pruitt Yardelle Rd.
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Coot’s Branch Loop: Statistics Chart 221 It’s easy to get here. About 1000 feet north of the curving SR 7
bridge over the Buffalo, turn northeast on NC 3580 and go across the high bridge
over Mill Creek. At 1.7 miles (from SR
7) is an intersection, turn right (south) staying on NC 3580, and continue down
the long hill, at 2.4 miles cross BNR boundary, at just under 2.6 miles is the ‘farmer’s
lane’ with a parking spot, and finally at about 3.1 miles is Coot’s Branch with
parking on an old road north before gate.
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