Rocky Branch Trail – Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

2025 FOWC: Rock

2 Cairns, 2 Towns, 1 Trail

The Rocky Branch Park Trail was developed by an enhancement project in partnership with the non-profit trail advocates the Tarheel Trailblazers, the City of Belmont and Town of Cramerton. [2 Towns]. The project transformed a public open space in the City of Belmont into an urban trail system for mountain biking enthusiasts, runners, hikers, and walkers that extends into the Town of Cramerton.

The progressive trail system created beginner, intermediate and advanced trail features, fun for a diverse range of interest and skill levels. The park now features three entrances, two feature trail heads marked by a 6-foot cairn. [2 Cairns].

The first is located in Belmont, NC on Sacco St just one mile from Main Street shops and restaurants and 12 miles west of uptown Charlotte. The second is in Cramerton, NC on Eagle Rd just one mile from Center Street and its shops and restaurants.

Coleman and I begin our hikes at the lower Cramerton entrance, hike to the Cramerton Trailhead with one of the Cairns and then proceed to hike The Rocky Branch Trail. Naturally, Coleman finds the need to climb the Cairn before we continue our hike.

Hopefully you have guessed what a Cairn is, but if not let me explain. A Cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones. The purpose for the pile of stones (rocks) as a marker (in this case) or burial mound. Cairns have been used for centuries as trail markers, especially in mountainous regions or across challenging terrain.

The Rocky Branch Trail [1 Trail] connects the city of Belmont and the Town of Cramerton, weaving through forests and offering over 4 miles of mountain bike trails for cyclists of all experience levels.

Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC)-Rock

Terri’s Sunday Stills: Paths and #Trails in the Great Outdoors

Cameras: 1, 4-5, 8-9) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 2-3, 6-7, 10) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Belmont/Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Take a Hike/Walk. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 SYD: June 15

Clare from Clare’s Cosmos invites everyone to join her in Sharing Your Desktop (SYD). Below are her suggestions for participating in the Share Your Desktop Challenge .

To do so, simply share the photo (not a screenshot) you have set as your wallpaper; Provide as little or as much detail as you wish; Use a pingback, or post a link here so I know you have joined in on the fun; Then finally, share the fun around.

I am sharing my Wallpaper from both my Laptop and my Smartphone. I enjoy looking at different images each month. Most of which revolve around Coleman (my grandson) and nature.

Here are my Desktop Wallpaper and Screensaver for my Laptop:

From My HP Laptop:

Desktop Background Wallpaper

*Coleman looking over the Pond*
*by The Trailhead Store*
*at Daniel Stowe* Conservancy

Desktop Screensaver

Color Pop of Coleman
sitting on a Fence Post
on The Carolina Thread Trail
by The Trailhead Store
at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

From My Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max:

Focus

*Coleman*
*sitting on a Cairn*
*at Rocky Branch Trailhead*

Personal Focus

*Coleman*
*sitting on a Bench*
*inside a Gazebo*
*by The Trailhead Store*
*at Daniel Stowe Conservancy*

Reading Focus

Coleman
sitting on a Fence Post
on The Carolina Thread Trail
by The Trailhead Store
at Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Hiking Focus

*Coleman*
*by a*
*Do Not Enter*
*Trail Post*
*on the*
*Rocky Branch Trail*

Click on each image for enlarged viewing.

Share Your Desktop – June 2025

Cameras: 1) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL Filter attachment; 2-6) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Locations: 1-2 & 4-5) The Trailhead Store, Daniel Stowe Conservancy, Belmont, North Carolina; 3 & 6) Rocky Branch Trail, Cramerton/Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Having a Wonderful Week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Thursday Trios: 12 June —

Trios Flowers & Fungi

Carol’s Thursday Trios

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Camera: 1-6) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments; 7-8) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton/Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week and weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Wordless Wednesday: 11 June

Be Careful Where You Step

Click on images for enhanced enlarged viewing.

Hugh’s Wordless Wednesday

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Have a Walk Amongst the Trees. Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CFFC/CosPhoChal — Bridges Made of Wood

As I sat thinking about these two challenges, I began to ponder what I could use and what might be best to fit each of these challenges. Then it dawned on me, Dan from No Facilities has chosen a theme of Things Made of Wood for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge and Dale who hosts the The Cosmic Photo Challenge has selected a prompt of Bridges, both of these challenges might actually work out well combined together into one post.

Now you are thinking how might that be possible? Well, let me explain myself to you. There are many Bridges which are constructed out of wood, especially Bridges engineered to make it easier to cross creeks, streams, rivers, and or lakes. Many Wooden Bridges are built strategically in much needed areas throughout campgrounds, greenways, and hiking trails.

Coleman and I go hiking together every week and sometimes several times throughout the week. We do encounter Wooden Bridges along the trails we hike almost everywhere we venture to hike in the Woods. Hey, I just thought of something when I wrote that last statement … Trees are Made of Wood and when we cross Bridges Made of Wood we are surrounded by Trees.

Enough jibber-jabbering around, here’s my contribution for #CFFC and #CosPhoChal.

***Wooden Bridges***
***along the***
**Rocky Branch Trail**

Dan’s Fun Foto (CFFC)-Things Made of Wood

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge (CosPhoChal)-Bridges

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55/250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton & Belmont, North Carolina , USA

God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

You might want to see what’s up next on the Which Way homepage. Looking forward to seeing y’all’s Which Ways come Friday.

2025 Monday Portrait: 09 June

Monday Portrait

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Cramerton, North Carolina. USA

God Bless. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all.

2025 Macro Monday: 06.09

Rudbeckia triloba

Aka Brown-Eyed Susan
Thin Leaved Coneflower
Three-lobed Coneflower

Macro Monday (MM)

Macro Monday

Cee’s/Chris’ FOTD

Photo Credit:©️2025 Deb L. Waters

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 OWS: Looking Up (From Underneath)

Daucus carota

Also Known as Bee’s Nest-Plant; Bird’s-Nest; Devil’s Plague; Queen Anne’s Lace; and Wild Carrot

Queen Anne’s Lace is a summer biennial wildflower from the Apiaceae (carrot) family. In some states it is considered invasive. It has naturalized in many states and can be found in sun to partial shade along roadsides, old fields, and waste places. In our area of North Carolina Queen Anne’s Lace can be found along trails, in wooded areas, and near the Catawba River.

The 2 to 4 foot tall umbels of white flowers appear in its second year of growth from mid-summer to mid-fall and have a lacy look. The basal rosette consists of 5-inch long arching leaves with a few leaves occurring alternately up the main stem.

Instead of looking straight at these flowers I chose to shot them looking up at them from underneath for a unique perspective.

Debbie’s One Word Sunday-Looking Up (Continued)

Janet’s One Word Sunday

Cee’s Flower of the Day

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 23

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments.

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Rocky Branch Benches

Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge-08 June 2025

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 23

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Enjoy a hike/walk. Commune with Nature. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Silent Sunday: 08 June

Retiboletus ornatipes

Silent Sunday

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV & CPL filter attachments

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Cell Pic Sunday: 08 June

Hand Capped

Retiboletus ornatipes
Ornate-stalked Bolete

John’s Cell Pic Sunday-07 June 2025

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Rocky Branch Park; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 CosPhoChal: Up, Down and Sideways … This Way and That Way

“I LOOKED UP THE WAY I WAS GOING AND BACK THE WAY I COME AND SINCE I WASN’T SATISFIED I STEPPED OFF AND [FOUND] ME A NEW PATH.”
MAYA ANGELOU

Whenever one goes hiking in the woods it is wise to be mindful of your surroundings. Pay close attention to your environment using all of your senses in order to identify potential hazards and navigate safely.

Thus look up to be aware of any changes in the weather; look from side to side observing for wildlife, uneven terrain, and potential hazards like deep drops or slippery rocks. Look downward and backward always being aware of your direction and the surrounding landscape, and use a map and compass if available.

Pay attention to the feel of the ground under your feet and the temperature to make certain you are staying on solid footing and avoiding cold and damp areas.

Coleman and I go hiking/walking practically every week, sometimes several times during a week. Looking up occasionally ensures the weather is still good, no storms or cold temperatures encompassing. We always look around us being on the lookout for any wildlife (lizards, snakes, birds, etc.). Looking down the path to make sure no tree limbs, rocks, or other obstacles are on the trails to ensure our safety. We don’t want any preventable accidents like scrapped knees, arms or injuries to occur if at all possible.

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing views. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”
– Edward Abbey

Beauty is all around us, to see it all one must look up, down, sideways, and all around you or you might miss out on something truly special and beautiful.

“Life Is Meant for Spectacular Adventures. Let Your Feet Wander, Your Eyes Marvel, and Your Soul Ignite.”
– SLVCWRITER
WWW.BEMYTRAVELMUSE.COM

Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge-Up, Down and Sideways

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #266

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2025 Week 16

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Set 1) Rocky Branch Trail; Set 2) Riverside Park and Greenway; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the beauty in Nature. Take a hike/walk. Find your inner peace. Always be aware of your surroundings. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Sinuous

“I realized, watching that supple and sinuous movement, that life was the only magic all humanity could agree upon.”
— Anonymous

According to Dictionary.com the definition of sinuous is having many curves, bends, or turns; winding: a sinuous path. Most of the trails Coleman and I hike have many sinuous paths that twist and turn around bends and hills, up and down going back and forth curving this way and that way constantly winding down or up a sinuous route along the trail.

*Coleman hiking along the Rocky Branch Trail*

“Life is full of unexpected twists and turns.
We can embrace, or resist, the journey.
The choice is ours.”
— Kathy Overman

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Sinuous

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Take a hike. Enjoy the Outdoors. Embrace the journey. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Pull Up a Seat – Coleman Style on a Stack of Rock Slabs

Rocky Branch Trail

As we were nearing the end of our hike along the Rocky Branch Trail to head back home; Coleman decided to climb up into the top of the Stack of Rock Slabs (Rock statue) located at the Cramerton entrance to the Rocky Branch Trail portion of the Carolina Thread Trail. As you can tell, if something appears to be suitable for sitting Coleman will find a way to Pull Up a Seat.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 15

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Fusion Camera

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Enjoy the Outdoors. Take a walk. Relax and have Fun. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Pull Up a Seat on a Trail Bench

Coleman and I hiked a new (to us) trail today after he arrived home from school and switched shoes. We had to walk approximately one mile alongside the road (not every section had a sidewalk), across the C. Claudius Dawson Bridge (which crosses over the South Fork Catawba River) and cross the forked road before reaching our destination to eventually begin our hike for the afternoon.

On our hike we periodically encountered a wooden Bench here, there, and yonder along the Rocky Branch Trail. Here are a few of the Benches we happened upon throughout our hike.

Pull up a Seat Photo Challenge 2025-Week 9

Jude’s Bench Challenge

John’s Cell Pic Sunday

Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

Location: Rocky Branch Trail; CarolinaThread Trail; Belmont/Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a Son Shiny Day. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2025 Last on the Card — February

Brian from bushboy.blog is the host for the #LastontheCard challenge. His rules are simple to follow. As per Brian, Your last photo doesn’t have to be on the very last day of the month if you didn’t take any photos on that day. Maybe it was earlier in the month when the last photo was taken.

Brian’s rules are simple:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 31st or whenever your last photo was taken.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
4. Create a Pingback to this post or link in the comments
5. Use the tags The Last Photo and #LastOnTheCard

Here are my Last photos for February 2025 …

From my iPhone 14 Pro Max:

*Coleman*
*at the*
*South Fork Catawba River*
*via the Rocky Branch Trail*
*Cramerton/Belmont, North Carolina*

From my Canon EOS Rebel T3i:

South Fork Catawba River
Via Riverside Park and Greenway
Cramerton, North Carolina

Brian’s The Last on the Card-February 2025

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Cameras: 1) Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max; 2) Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens and Altura UV filter for Canon.

Location: Belmont/Cramerton, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Share this:

Share this:

Trios Flowers & Fungi

Share this:

Be Careful Where You Step

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Rudbeckia triloba

Share this:

Daucus carota

Share this:

Share this:

Retiboletus ornatipes

Share this:

Hand Capped

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: