Last weekend we spent a couple of days in Charleston, SC for a wedding. On the way home we took a little detour to Roan Mountain, TN for a day in the mountains. We love Smoky Mountains National Park, but I figured that during this time of the year the area would be packed with people trying to make up for lost vacation time. Roan Mountain is about one and a half hours to the north and a bit more remote.
I took a bunch of photos with my Pentax K1000 but that film hasn’t come back from the lab yet. Since it’s been such a long time since I’ve shared anything I figured I would post a few photos I captured with my Ricoh GRiii.
Round Bald looking north towards Jane Bald.
Sarah and I made our way up to Carvers Gap, a mountain pass at around 5500 ft above sea level. It’s also the location of a parking lot with short hikes to Roan High Knob (to the south) and Round Bald, Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge Bald (to the north). We set off for Round Bald in hopes of making it to Grassy Ridge Bald, a relatively short 2.6 mile hike one way. But my wife is not much of a hiker and is also not very tolerant of heat. There is a nice breeze across the open mountain tops but there is not a lot of shade. We managed to get to Jane Bald but she was starting to feel pretty worn out because of the sun. So we sat for a bit, ate a snack, and marveled at the surrounding area before heading back to the car. At one point during our hike I mentioned that it would take me forever to hike this section. My wife got a little upset thinking that she was slowing me down. Of course, that wasn’t the case (I don’t have any problem hiking slower) but I was simply in awe of the views.
Flowers along the AT.
Once we got back to our bed and breakfast we found out that the food truck would be open for dinner that evening so that eliminated any traveling for dinner. My wife opted for a shower and rest while I opted for more hiking. Our B&B was about a quarter mile from the AT and even though there were some ominous clouds I decided to check out the nearest scenic view. It was about 2.5 miles one way and 900 feet up. It took a little over an hour for me to climb up to what was yet another stunning view. This time it was enhanced because of the ominous clouds and light to moderate rain with occasional thunder and a bad ass looking dead tree.
The coolest tree I’ve seen on the AT, with storm clouds for dramatic effect.
The area surrounding Roan Mountain is part of the Cherokee National Forest and also home to Roan Mountain State Park. It is an area that is considered to be among the most scenic along the entire Appalachian Trail (according to our host at the B&B). I haven’t seen all of the AT but I’m working on it and I can’t wait to get back to Roan Mountain.