changing beauty

Change can be beautiful, when we are brave enough to evolve with it. 
--Bryant McGill (b.1969) author.

Some more shots from the area of the Blue Ridge Parkway around Grandfather Mountain. Click the panorama below to enlarge.

For more photographs of the Linn Cove Viaduct, click here.

For directions to Rough Ridge Overlook, click here.

dream world

There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other. 
--Douglas H. Everett

At the last minute I thought I'd jump in the car and try to catch the sunset on Beauty Spot outside of Erwin, TN. Driving up the mountain, the fog was thick and I figured I was wasting my time. But I had come this far, so might was well see it through. I'm glad I did. Soon after I arrived, the fog lifted and the sunset was really spectacular, with rain clouds in the distance.

I met two thru-hikers setting up camp for the night, one from Florida, the other from Maine. Their trail names were NoMo (as in No More) and MoMo.  Although NoMo said that in reality they should both be called NoMo. They were very sweet and said that when people ask why they are walking 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, it was for nights like this.

Heading back to my car I ran into another couple, they proudly announced they were just engaged on the mountain. So I took Sasha and Heath's photo and enjoyed the opportunity to talk with them and share in their excitement. What a fun, beautiful and dreamy night on the mountain!

Hampton Cove Creek

Hampton Cove Creek is a bit off the beaten path. Not often visited, but a gorgeous place to hike. Most everyone comes to Roan Mountain for the balds and the Rhododendren Gardens, but this gem, found outside the actual town of Roan Mountain, TN, is worth looking into. Click here for information and directions.

It's a unique place to hike because the lower part of the hike takes you through a working farm. So you open and close gates as you go and find yourself walking next to cows and horses.

I haven't ever gone all the way to Yellow Mountain Gap from this direction, but that's where this trail (part of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail) leads. Doing so would put you very close to the Overmountain Shelter (aka 'The Barn').  The trail is not really well marked, so I'd recommend studying the map found at the trailhead (or at the link above) before heading out. Depending on the season, the initial part of the trail can be muddy and weedy.

Click photos to enlarge.

limitless possibilities

Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision. 
--V. S. Naipaul (b.1932) author.

Above: Expansive springtime view from Round Bald in the Roan Highlands (click image to enlarge).

Congrats to those graduating from Milligan College this weekend! :)

Angel Tree

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. 
--Michelangelo (1475-1564) Italian sculptor, painter, architect and engineer.

[click photo to enlarge]. The oft photographed 'Angel Tree' is a live oak located on John's Island outside of Charleston, SC. I happened to visit on New Year's Day and the gate was closed, so I took a series of photos through the fence and stitched them together in Photoshop. What you see here is really just a portion of one side of the tree - this thing is massive. What stands out to visitors is not necessarily its height (it stands 67 feet tall), but its trunk which measures 28 feet in circumference. Most astounding of all, however, are the branches that stretch out so incredibly far from the trunk. Its longest branch is 89 feet long and its widest diameter (tip to tip) is 187 feet. In all, the tree's canopy covers an amazing 17,200 square feet. Estimates of the tree's age vary greatly, from 400 to 1,400 years old. If it were 1,400 years old, it would be among the oldest living things east of the Mississippi.

See more photos here.

lovely view

Standing on the moon 

With nothing else to do 

A lovely view of heaven 

But I'd rather be with you 

--Grateful Dead 

I hiked out to Watauga Dam last weekend from Hampton, TN. A sign at the start identifies it as a two mile hike, but it feels much more like three each way. It's a scenic hike that mostly follows along the lake, with lots of wildflowers this time of year. The view above was taken from the top of the 318-feet-tall earthen dam looking downstream in the direction of the powerhouse, which is nearly a mile away from the reservoir.  The more familiar view from the dam is below. There are three different hiking options to get to the dam, click here for more. Click images to enlarge.

nature talk

It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for reality is more important than the feeling for pictures.
--Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) 

Above: Watauga Lake at Carden's Bluff Campground.

Little Rock Knob

I previously gave an overview of Iron Mountain, which sits between Unaka Mountain and Roan Mountain.  Pictured here is thru-hiker "Sockless" and the view from a cliff near the high point of Iron Mountain, Little Rock Knob (elev. 4918 ft.).  The nearly 180 degree views to the west are spectacular.  To the southwest is the looming Unaka Mountain, easily identified by its dark spruce forest at the summit (see photo below). Further out and due west is Pinnacle Mountain, with its fire tower barely identifiable with my zoom lens from this distance.  And to the right of Pinnacle far on the horizon is Buffalo Mountain which overlooks Johnson City, TN. Click panoramic image below to enlarge.

View of Unaka Mountain in the distance

The hike to the overlook is only 2.5 miles from Hughes Gap. It's an enjoyable walk with moderate elevation gains. There are two very small springs along the way which my dog "Blue" appreciated on a hot day -- from the maps, it appears Doe River originates in this area. I'd say the best times to do this hike would be either mid-May as the wildflowers would be at their peak or fall when the autumn views would be amazing. I enjoyed meeting all the thru-hikers moving through our area, many stopping at the overlook to catch their breath and take in the sights. In all, this overlook is easily accessible for those of us who enjoy day hikes along the AT -- go on a clear day and you won't be disappointed with the views.  :)   Click here for more photos and discussion.

Click here for a map of the area. Take There's parking available at both Hughes Gap and Iron Mountain Gap.

oh, what a beautiful morning

Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'rything's goin' my way.
--Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) & Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) Songwriters. 

Above: The Exchange Place in Kingsport, TN. An 1850s farm open seasonally and for special events throughout the year.  Click here to visit their website.  And click here for a previous post which contains some more information, along with directions.

BTW...There's a parking area adjacent to the farm that serves as the trail head for the Kingsport Greenbelt.  Map here.

[Click the photo above to enlarge]

a longing

I long for scenes where man has never trod
A place where woman never smiled or wept
There to abide with my Creator God
And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept,
Untroubling and untroubled where I lie
The grass below, above, the vaulted sky.
--John Clare (1793-1864) English poet. 

Above: Grayson Highlands panoramic (Click the image above to enlarge). Grayson is a gorgeous place, a little out of the way for most of us, but well worth the drive.  Best known for its wild ponies, Grayson also offers stunning vistas and overlooks, waterfalls, fishing steams and camping facilities.

Click here for more photos, discussion and directions to Grayson Highlands.

Roan High Knob

The last time I went to the Roan High Knob Shelter the snow was several inches deep (see photos and my short write-up of the history of the shelter here), so I thought I'd venture back to see what it looked like in the summer. To be honest, it looked a lot better covered with snow! The old fire warden's cabin is in pretty rough shape, but not bad considering it was originally built back in 1933 (renovated in 1980). Below is a handheld panorama of five photos stitched together in Photoshop of the steep and winding side trail leading off the Appalachian Trail to the shelter (click to enlarge).  While I was there I noticed that there's a very nice spruce forest behind the shelter, and as I explored that I came across the 1934 survey marker (on the top of the boulders you see below) marking the highest point on Roan Mountain at 6,285 feet. 

Directions: Take Route 19E to the town of Roan Mountain, turn onto Route 143 and travel 12.8 miles to the TN/NC state line (Carver's Gap). On your way up the mountain, you'll pass through the Roan Mountain State Park. Eventually, you leave the state park and enter the national forest. Option 1: Park at Carver's Gap and take the AT approx. 1.5 miles up (heading south on the AT, away from the Balds). I really like this section of the AT. It's beautiful and, while a steady climb, not as steep as you might think. -- Option 2: Turn right at Carver's Gap and continue driving up the mountain to the Old Cloudland Hotel Site (this road is closed during the winter months). Pay the entrance fee ($3) and park at the end of the lot nearest the bathrooms, look for and climb a short flight of stairs and venture to your left.  You'll soon run into the AT.  Turn right to hike north on the AT (toward the balds) for a short distance (approx. 1/2 mile) -- on the way you'll pass by an old chimney. The shelter is located one tenth of a mile off the AT on well-marked, blue-blazed trail. Click here for the Google map of the Roan Mountain area.

In winter months, when the road to the top is closed, I hike a loop -- taking the AT up to the Cloudland site and then walking the road back down to Carvers Gap.

Max Patch

Max Patch has always been on my radar -- but it was just far enough out of the way, that I never visited until now.  This one's definitely worth the drive. It's not the tallest (only 4629'), but yet this gem offers some of the most spectacular views found in the southern Appalachians. These photos really don't do it justice - it's huge - over 300 acres - and the views (even on a hazy day) are magnificent, breathtaking in every direction. Here's a panorama looking west toward the Smokies....because of the haze, not all the ridges in the distance appear (click to enlarge). But just imagine this scene on a cool, crisp autumn morning!

While the origin of most of the balds in our region is subject to debate and speculation, the origin of Max Patch is known. In the 1800s, this knob was cleared and turned into farmland for cattle and sheep. For a time in the 1920s it was even used as a landing strip for small planes giving aerial tours of the area.  To maintain the views, the forest service mows the bald each year to prevent reforestation.

We came in following the road south of Hot Springs.  It offers many beautiful views and country scenes, but I had dubbed it 'The Corkscrew' (update...Just found out others call it The Rattler), both are appropriate! Eventually, you turn off the main road and follow a gravel road for many miles. So not only is it remote, but it's also slow going.  I thought it would be a bit more straight forward coming in from I-40, but the descriptions of that route seem to indicate the road turns to gravel and is slow going as well.  Anyone care to comment on that approach? Parking is limited, so I recommend going early or on a week day. And while plenty of cars were in the lot, I was glad to have a high clearance vehicle for the rough gravel road.

Ran into a couple of through hikers while there, always fun to talk to them about their experiences.  The one on the left is from Massachusetts, the one leading the way is from New Mexico.  The AT crosses over Max Patch, and both of these hikers commented on how the views and the cool breezes 'made their day' after hiking through the sweltering heat.  In that sense, it reminded me of the balds on Roan Mountain - where it's always 10-15 degrees cooler than down below.

Here's a photo of the map of the immediate area (sorry for the low quality, the plexiglass in front of the map was broken).  You can see there are various trails that loop around the bald. I recommend taking the loop trail to your right at the parking area -- take it until it meets up with the AT and then take the AT to the summit (see this post).

 After visiting Max Patch, we were determined to find Wolf Creek Falls again - this time by car.  I'll write about that next time...[Update: here's that post!]

Detailed directions from Hot Springs and Asheville here.  Map showing route from Johnson City to Hot Springs, NC to Max Patch.

perspective

Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance.
--Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) American Aviator 

The Roan Landscape - five photos were stitched together to form this image of Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge.  Click to enlarge.

BTW, here's a pic of the first north-bound (NOBO) AT thru-hiker of the 2011 season to make it to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters in Harper's Ferry, WV. Here's a spreadsheet/list of the Class of 2011.

a fork in the road

If you come to a fork in the road, take it. 
--Yogi Berra (b.1925) Baseball player and manager 

Another panorama (click to enlarge), this time from Rock Creek Park. The left fork is the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail that leads 0.4 miles to Dick Creek Gap before continuing on up to the Unaka Mountain Overlook (a.k.a. Pleasant Garden). In all, this 4.4 mile trail climbs from 2400' to 4850'. (From Dick Creek Gap there is another trail that would lead you to Dick Creek Falls). The trail to the right labeled "Bicycle" is part of the Rock Creek Bicycle Trail that provides a leisurely walk in the woods and along Rock Creek itself before looping back to the park.  In all my years of walking this trail, I can only remember seeing a handful of actual mountain bikers.

For a superb guide to the hiking trails of Unicoi County, click here.

Directions: From I-26 take the Erwin Main Street Exit (#36), at the end of the ramp turn east towards town and you will immediately arrive at a stop light. Turn right onto Rt. 107 and drive 1/2 mile, turn left at stop light onto Rock Creek Road (Rt. 395) -- continue on for 3.1 miles, turn left at entrance to Rock Creek Park. Once there, drive through the picnic area and park near the bath house just before you enter the campground (In the winter you might have to park farther back and walk to the bath house because they lock some of the gates). From here, walk towards the campground and you'll immediately see the trail head on your left for the hiking/biking trail that follows Rock Creek. After a short ten minute walk, you'll reach a footbridge -- cross it and you will soon come to the fork in the road you see above.

Sill Branch Panorama

Snow and adolescence are the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough.
--Earl Wilson (1907-1987) Journalist 

A panoramic view of Sill Branch Falls. I did this fairly quickly yesterday, wish I would have used the wide angle lens to capture more of the context of this beautiful waterfall.  Click photo to enlarge.

In the woods...

In the woods, we return to reason and faith.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist and philosopher 

A small waterfall found in the Rocky Fork area of Unicoi County, TN. This panoramic photo above was stitched together in Photoshop using three separate images. Click photo to enlarge. This weekend should be peak color in many of the higher elevations - hope you're able to get out and enjoy it!  :)

wide open

Where there is an open mind there will always be a frontier.
--Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958) American engineer, inventor

A panoramic view of South Holston Dam comprised of seven images stitched together effortlessly by Photoshop CS5 (click photo above to enlarge). It amazes me how the software figures out where each photo goes, lining up the rocks and mountains and shoreline, and then blending them together so well. Only in one place is it obvious where there is a seam -- and that has to do more with my use of a polarizer filter on my lens than with Photoshop. My tripod has a 'ball-head' on it, so it's of no use for panoramic photos, so for this I just lined up the grid in my viewfinder with the water line and tried to keep everything as level as possible. You want to make sure you keep the same exposure for each component image, so keep the camera on manual - and...it's probably best to take off the polarizer before you start. :)

Construction of South Holston Dam was begun in 1942, but not completed until 1950.  This impressive earth and rock dam (on the right of the photo) is 285 feet high and spans 1600 feet across the South Holston River. When completed, the dam resulted in the South Holston Reservoir, which extends for 24 miles, with 168 miles of coastline. More info here.

Directions: From the intersection of routes 394 and 421 south of Bristol, continue 2.9 miles south on 421 (toward Shady Valley). Turn right onto Emmett Road/Holston View Dam Road. Continue for 1.6 miles (bear right at the fork) and you'll see the Osceola Island/Weir Dam recreation area on your left. Continue on Holston Dam View Road for another 2 miles to the top of the dam. Beautiful views! 

Black Rock Nature Trail

This one mile hike at Grandfather Mountain offers spectacular views in all directions from an enormous boulder known as Black Rock. The hike itself is an easy one mile self-guided nature walk culminating in panoramic views in all directions including Grandfather Mountain, Grandmother Mountain, Beacon Heights and Rough Ridge. The rocky, but relatively flat trail begins at the Hiker's Parking Area, passes by another natural feature known as Arch Rock and includes a number of very interesting markers which describe the various natural wonders found along the way.

At the end of the trail, there is a loop, turn to the right and you'll come to a smaller outcropping, continue on in a counter-clockwise fashion and you'll arrive at the main attraction. A short ladder and helpful rope lead to the top of Black Rock and some spectacular views. The panoramic photo above is made up of five images stitched together of Grandfather Mountain taken from Black Rock. The first thumbnail photo (top right) shows the Mile-High Swinging Bridge, the second one is of Grandmother Mountain, and the third photo shows the Blue Ridge Parkway as it makes its way around Rough Ridge (click photos to enlarge). For more information and a trail map, click here.

Appalachian Trail Panoramic

This photo is my first attempt at 'stitching' a series of six photos together to make a 180+ degree panoramic. This was taken at the high point of the ridge overlooking Watauga Lake from the AT. If you look closely you'll see a couple of the "seams" -- to create a seamless panoramic takes a tripod (and a scene with even light would help!). I take zero credit for putting this together. The software that comes with Canon camera (called 'PhotoStitch') did all of this in less time than it took to open the photos. It's truly amazing software that I got it with my tiny Canon SD1000. Glad it also works with photos from my Nikon D80! This is obviously one photo you need to click to enlarge!