Tales From The Wood Booger: Winter Provided A Glorious Return To Bays Mountain Park

Why did I choose Bays Mountain for my hike on Wednesday? Well, it is a little closer to home, less than an hour, around 40 miles and a forecast of great winter weather. This isn't my first trip to Bays Mountain Park, no I hiked here (with Deb) back in the Summer of 2014. Let say it wasn't the best day. Since it was July it was hot and crowded, but the Wolves were cool.

Wolves stay cool in summer heat.

Anyway, I have been meaning to make a return trip, so why not this week. As fate would have it I awoke to fog and surprisingly the icy kind. Luckily I didn't have to leave as early so most of it had burnt off when I reached Kingsport. The hike I did on Wednesday was the Tower Loop Hike.

Foggy start.

At the entrance.

My outing, the Tower Loop Hike.

I had done part of this hike before, to the two towers. So, I started out on the Lakeside Trail which takes an easy hike around the east end of the Bays Mountain Lake. The first junction is with the Fern Trail. Then a short distance later the Lakeside Trail reaches split with the Holly Trail. What is funny is the Lakeside Trail heads into the woods while the Holly Trail hugs the lakeside. The Holly Trail is more scenic but adds four-tenths-a-mile.

Lake with algae in High Summer of 2014...

...crystal clear in winter.

The lake overlook surrounded by lily pads & algae...

...in winter it was just ice on the overlook.

Summer of 2014...

...winter of 2017.

Just to show the difference between summer...

...& winter.

Lakeside Trail goes left & Fern goes right.

The trail had some water.

If you take the Holly Trail...

...you get a view of the Lakeside (2014)...

...2017.

Back on the Lakeside Trail.

Another short section finally leads to the junction with the Firetower Trail. As the trail heads up it is not too long before it crosses the Chinquapin Trail. Let me say that the sign here can be confusing. It points the Firetower Trail going left and right. The Firetower Trail goes left that trail going right is the Chinquapin. I think the sign should have pointed back the way I came. However, it is here that the trail gets steep, I mean really steep. It was here that I knew Deb was done for the day. Back in July of 2014, it was a miserable climb being hot and steep. So, Wednesday wasn't as bad, but it did let me appreciate the steepness of this part of the trail. I will say that like that summer I was glad when the old fire tower came into view.

Headed up the Firetower Trail.

Just go left!

Trail up in summer...

...& winter.

Glad to see the tower.

The old fire tower was erected in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corp. It is one of those tall, thin 60-foot towers. I have talked about them before (here & here), but these are not my favorite types of towers. But I will say this one is in a little better shape than Mount Sterling and a lot more than Shuckstack. I will say that the view was much better in winter. Back in 2014, you couldn't see the large peaks, but today they were all in view.

The Bays Mountain Fire Tower in 2014...

Mount Sterling...

...Shuckstack...

...& Bays Mountain again Wednesday.

Looking toward Hawkins County & Kingsport.

Southwest vista was haze in 2014...

...better in winter because you could see...

...Chimneytop Mountain...

...Camp Creek Bald...

...Unaka Mountain...

...the Roan Highlands...

...Grandfather Mountain...

...& Holston Mountain.

Look out the window.

It is here that the hike moves into new territory because back in July we headed back. But today I continued on the old River Mountain Road which is now a multi-use trail. It is a typical ridgeline trail up and down, but unlike the knife edge of higher altitude ones what you notice here is the fence to the left. No, it is not part of the park, but left from the days of the Holston Army Ammunition Plant (also known locally as Holston Defense).

Headed on the old River Mountain Road, notice the fence...

...marking the boundary for Holston Defense.

Cool trees on the trail.

Also on the border of the park is a hunting club...

...so, I guess this is what these signs are for.

If you have ever seen Bays Mountain from I-26 you will have noticed the communication towers on the mountain. Well, River Mountain Road winds through the through the towers, but it is surprising that the towers are more spread out than you would think. It is here that the mountain forms a V and is the northern most end of Bays Mountain.

The communication towers from the fire tower.

The first one...

....has a limited...

...vista.

The tallest tower.

Behind this tower...

...is a view of Kingsport.

It is here that the trail turns onto the Bays Mountain Road, passing the junction with the Azalea Trail. The Bays Mountain Road, unlike the River Mountain Road, is still graveled and in better condition (this must be the way up used to the communication towers). Not too far down the trail, one comes to the White Rock Overlook. It has seen better days and unlike Johnny Molloy says in his book, Five-Star Hikes of the Tri-Cities, the view has grown up and would be completely obstructed in summer. Just past White Rocks I first encountered a young Buck (deer) and then I noticed some people off the trail. They were a Geocaching group called New Cache Order (a take on the 90's WCW Wrestling faction New World Order) and said that Bays Mountain was Geo-friendly.

Bays Mountain Road.

White Rock Overlook.

This view of I-26 was above the overlook.

Ran across this guy...

...& this group, the NCO!

Eventually, the road comes to the old Lookout Tower. This 40-foot tower is just below the tree line, so the view is not what it use to be. That seems the theme for this stretch. It seems at one time this was probably the focus of the park with the White Rocks Overlook, the Lookout Tower, and the old Cliffside Trail. They have all seen better days.

The lookout Tower in summer...

in winter.

The only view from this tower is the fire tower.

Speaking of the Cliffside Trail, it is what I went back on. It must be said that today was a far better experience than two summers ago. I came up the trail to the tower and that day it was hot, steep and I had to deal with yellowjackets. My experience was so bad that I came back on the road. On Wednesday, my experience was worlds better and I got to appreciate how this was once a well-used trail that now seems forgotten.

Back in 2014, the Cliffside Trail was a slog up, so much so...

...I came back on the Bays Mountain Road.

But I enjoyed the Cliffside Trail much more in winter.

This sign is a symbol of the lack of maintenance of this once great trail...

...I mean it has an overlook like this...

...with views in summer...

...& winter.

This shows how much work was done in the past.

View from an outcrop.

The first overlook needs some work.

Once back at the area of the Nature Interpretive Center I headed out on the Lakeside Trail across the dam, which is very scenic. I finished the day, first with a tour of the Nature Interpretive Center, which has a lot of cool exhibits.

Crossing the dam Wednesday.

Summer of 2014, not much water coming down the spillway...

...but this week that was totally different.

View of Bays Mountain Lake.

My turnaround point...

...Ecology Pond from the bridge.

Back across the dam.

The Nature Interpretive Center...

...inside are some cool exhibits...

...like this...

...the Planetarium (I need to make a visit)...

...there has got to be a Black Bear...

...yes, that is a Yellowjacket Nest!

Then I headed over to the Animal Enclosures. There are raccoons, river otters and birds of prey to mention a few. However, Bays Mountain is famous for its collection of Grey Wolves. However, my favorite animal encounter was with a deer a called "Buck." As I was walking around the back of the deer enclosure he was at the fence. Like I said earlier I had encountered a deer on the trail and the same thing happen in 2014, so I told Buck I felt for him as I figured the wild deer, including the does, taunt him. Well, I moved on to see the wolves and owls, but when I came back around the Deer Enclosure there was Buck come up. Then when I moved toward the overlook he followed me and when I headed back here he comes. Before I went I told him I hated leaving him behind I will have to go back to see him. Anyway, that was my day at Bays Mountain it was a good hike, glorious weather and I made a friend you can't beat that.