Mt Sterling via Big Creek

Hello, and Whoa!!, what a great backpacking excursion (7/27-7/29/09). This walk began at the Big Creek trailhead which we followed the 5 mls. up to campsite #37. Here we set up a base camp late in the evening just before the first of several thunder showers began. It rained both nights and was very pleasant temperature wise despite the humidity.
Big Creek trail is relatively easy hike w/ a slight incline most of the way amounting to less than a 2000' elevation gain over the 5 ml. distance. This trail is a dual use trail and parallels Big Creek w/ several popular swimming holes along the first mile or two.
The #37 site is a large flat area in a bottom surrounded by mountains allowing access to several trails in different directions. We barely noticed the other campers at this location because of it's size and everyone contributing to the quiet peacefulness.
Monday we got a relaxed start up the Swallow Fork trail and were blessed w/ having the entire distance of the roundtrip dayhike to ourselves for observation, contemplation and discussion. The natural gifts of the green plants and blooming "rodo's", a version or two of Aster's, some Coneflowers, Indian Pipe, Bee-Balm, and the funky Turk's Cap near the top of Sterling, and other summertime blooms were spectacular and will bring me back again. This trail also parallels the creek it's named after and branches of itself and others for more than 2mls. of it's 4ml. distance.
We enjoyed the clouds atop Mt Sterling from the firetower, had lunch and walked to the watering hole for campsite #38, which is located up here, before we started our return trip. After finishing the filtering I stood up and turned around to see a healthy bear coming our way and only about 50' from us. It appeared as startled as I but only looked at me and continued walking when I said calmly, "hello, we're just getting some water but were finished and will be leaving now". I quietly told my hiking partner, who was still sitting w/ her back to the bear to stand up and not freak out that there was a bear right behind us. When she stood the bear stopped and I continued my "dialogue" w/ it ensuring it we were leaving and that there was plenty of water. My friend saw the bear and slowly spread her arms to appear bigger while asking me "is that a big bear?" Suddenly...in my mind I became a PhD wildlife biologist w/ a vast knowledge of the black bear in Southern Appalachia and responded "naaa, about average",(Deputy Fife). Which was probably true based on the limited number of bears I've seen. I'd guess it to have been around 200 lbs.
The curiosity of these remarkable animals is great and while it sniffed the air and watched us we slowly began moving out of the way and up the trail we had come at which point it began moving in the opposite direction.
Along the return trip of Swallow Fork the rewards were great w/ a new perspective and appreciation of the plants, animals and water.
Our return to the camp came just before the rain began to fall. Peace