I have hiked extensively over the Roan Highlands, but the one place I hadn't been was Big Yellow Mountain, but Saturday I got the opportunity to hike this beautiful bald.
I had seen Big Yellow Mountain on several hikes (especially Grassy Ridge Bald). But you won't find it in most hiking books and maps, because there isn't a marked trail to it. I had seen a couple of stories about it and Summit Post probably has the best information on it. I had also read conflicting reports that permission was needed from the Nature Conservancy, who jointly manage Big Yellow Mountain with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, acquiring the tract in 1975. I looked on the Nature Conservancy site and it just said they lead guided hikes and the sign at the gate says hiking permitted.
I had seen Big Yellow Mountain on several hikes (especially Grassy Ridge Bald). But you won't find it in most hiking books and maps, because there isn't a marked trail to it. I had seen a couple of stories about it and Summit Post probably has the best information on it. I had also read conflicting reports that permission was needed from the Nature Conservancy, who jointly manage Big Yellow Mountain with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, acquiring the tract in 1975. I looked on the Nature Conservancy site and it just said they lead guided hikes and the sign at the gate says hiking permitted.
Anyway, I had put it on the back burner as I was preoccupied with backpacking from Carvers Gap to 19E. However, when I got that done a month ago I started to think about what's next? Big Yellow Mountain. The only negative is it is just over a two-hour drive to the trailhead on Roaring Creek Road. So, I was looking at the Mid-Appalachian Hiking Club (MAHC) schedule and would you believe that a hike to Big Yellow Mountain was scheduled for Saturday.
I met up with the MAHC in the morning at Elizabethton High School. Then we headed for the aforementioned Roaring Creek Trailhead. This wasn't my first hike out of here, back in March 2016, when I hiked to the Humps. Like that time we headed up the road which is a little shorter than the Overmountain Victory Trail. It also takes us by the Overmountain Shelter.
This wasn't my first visit here, I actually stayed at the old barn when I did the AT Section backpack last month. But members of our group hadn't seen this iconic shelter or the wonderful view of Roaring Creek Valley. One noteworthy thing the piped water source I used near the shelter had dried up...I guess it is seasonal.
When then hiked up to Yellow Mountain Gap and the Appalachian Trail (AT) which signaled the biggest climb of the day up to the side of Yellow Mountain. The one thing is there are just sweeping views including where we were headed along this section of the AT. Eventually, we reached the woods and the junction of the AT and the path that goes up to Yellow Mountain. We decided to take the AT going and it wasn't long we reached the saddle and view of Little Hump Mountain. It was here we encountered lots of Milkweed and with it butterflies. After we all took pictures we left the AT and headed on the path towards Big Yellow Mountain.
We went through a forest that had some Hawthorne Trees which had seen better days. It wasn't too long before we reach the gate I mentioned earlier and we went through and out onto Big Yellow Mountain. This bald was nothing short of spectacular it reminded one of Scotland, but they do call these the Highlands.
While my group stayed at the main rock outcrop they indulged me while I headed over across the bald. It offered wonder views of the mastiffs of Grandfather Mountain, Grassy Ridge Bald and the main part of Big Yellow Mountain.
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| Photo by Janice Miller |
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| Photo by Janice Miller |
Once a got back to the rocks I had a snack, but soon it was time to return. The trip back did have a couple of differences. We went back over Yellow Mountain and we took the Overmountain Victory Trail back. It was a great hike with great people and we ate at Bob's Dairyland.
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