Tales From The Wood Booger: Hiking In The Clouds At Grandfather Mountain

Lately, some of my outings have been about unfinished business and that was just what I had to finish, Thursday, at Grandfather Mountain. Like my recent trip to Big Butt, I was returning to Grandfather Mountain because I had to cut my hike short and I didn't make it to the highest summit of the mountain...Calloway Peak.

Calloway Peak from my first trip in September.

Unlike my previous trip, I was not hiking from the Grandfather Mountain Nature Preserve (where the Mile-High Swinging Bridge is located), but instead, I came up from the Boone Fork Trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I didn't go here on Thursday.

Before getting to the hike I need to mention that when I started out from St. Clair it was a crystal clear morning and it stayed that way until I passed Elk Park, it was here that I started to see clouds. When I got to Newland when you go up to US 221 there is a view of Grandfather Mountain, but today was just white.

Near Elizabethton and no clouds in the sky.

This view was obscured by clouds.

Something interesting happened as I passed the entrance to Grandfather Mountain. About half-mile passed the entrance I spotted heading into the woods, it was a big cat. It was big, but it wasn't a Bobcat because it was short haired and had a long tail. I know there not supposed to be any, but it looked a lot like a Cougar... just saying. Anyway, before getting to the trailhead I stopped at the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center because to reach Boone Fork I had to cross the Viaduct.

This is what I spotted (Photo by Jack Thyen).

Heading onto the Blue Ridge Parkway...

...to the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center.

Next stop...

...Linn Cove Viaduct.

Once at the trailhead, my biggest problem was getting started as I had to come back to the car twice (one time was for my license plate number because you have to register before hiking) which got me behind. For the route up I decided to take the Nuwati Trail and then take the Cragway Trail. This trail had a number of nice outcrops including Top Crag View. It was here I was encouraged that the weather forecast might be right and it was clearing off (more on that later).

At the trailhead...

...there was a large group I think was overnighting.

From the trailhead...

...to the Tanawha Trail.

Nice footbridge.

Registration kiosk.

Headed to...

...the Nuwati Trail

It leads to the junction with...

Cragway Trail.

First outcrop.

Big rock.

Another outcrop.

Fatman squeeze.

Top Crag View...

...and the vista.

After some pretty steep grade up the trail, I reach the junction with the Daniel Boone Scout Trail, which is the path to Calloway Peak. At the junction another excellent overlook, Flat Rock View. The first half-mile of the trail up is a gradual uphill grade but then gets steeper. There is a rock scramble before reaching the junction for the Hi-Balsam Shelter. This is an odd little shelter because it has a low overhang in the front.

At the junction is...

...Flat Rock View...

...then on the Daniel Boone Scout Trail.

Cool, tree on the trail.

Mile markers show the way.

Daniel Boone Scout is a lovely forested trail.

That tree is a beauty.

The sign to the view...

...but no vista. I knew this was a bad sign!

This spot was a rock scramble with no cable.

The sign points to...

...the Hi-Balsam Shelter...

...welcome (remember no fires).

From here it is about a little over a tenth of a mile to the first ladder. I have talked about the ladders before, at Grandfather Mountain, and compared to those this one wasn't bad, but from what I read it it was the only one until I came to the next one. There was actually three, plus a cable climb but it is nothing compared to the climb up to MacRae Peak. When I finally crossed the summit and reached Watauga View what awaited me was a beautiful vista...of clouds! However, I will say I knew what awaited me because when I took the slight detour to the Linn Cove Viaduct View, instead of the famous bridge it was a wall of white.

The start of ladders...

...& cables.

Headed over the summit to...

...Watauga View...

...but there was a lot of view because of clouds.

After taking in the clouds and enjoying my lunch I headed back. I was told by a guy that there was wreckage from a plane crash. It was supposed to be near the bottom of the first ladder (or third on the way back), but as you can guess I didn't find it. The reason, as these two gentlemen later told me, it was not there but near the Raven's Roost Campsite.

Where I am headed...

One of the ladders, but I couldn't find the plane wreck...

...it was near here...

...so you can see it like me off the Internet (Photo by Brian Greer)

Widow Maker across the trail.

The clouds did lift, slightly, at Viaduct View.

It is a beautiful trail.

Arrow pointing the way.

The Daniel Boone Campsite allows fires & has water.

So when I reached the trail junction at Flat Rock View I continued on the Daniel Boone Scout Trail. The main thing I discovered was I should have come up this way and went back Cragway\Nuwati. I will say I was glad to reach the Tanawha Trail and the parking area. I was wet, cold and tired.

Another look from Flat Rock View...

...before continuing on the Daniel Boone Scout Trail...

...which was less steep than how I came up...

...at its starting point.

Now on the Tanawha Trail...

...then side trail to the lot.

However, my day wasn't over, I had to stop at some overlooks and take in the view. I reached one that had people parking in the grass I had to investigate. It was the Rough Ridge Overlook and I decided to head to it. The trail is part of the Tanawha Trail and is a six-tenths of a mile round-trip to a boardwalk to a spot called Ship Rock. I will say this was the best vista of the day.

Grandmother Mountain...

...& Mile-High Swinging Bridge from Pilot Ridge Overlook.

The trail from Rough Ridge Overlook...

...leads to Ship Rock...

...& this view.

After leaving there I stopped at the Yonahlossee Overlook and walked out to a great view of the Linville Viaduct. While I didn't get the view at Calloway Peak I would like I did bag the peak and got drive across the Linn Cove Viaduct. Oh, and I still need to come up from the Westside and the Profile Trail.