GRANDFATHER & GRANDMOTHER

Back in July, Johnny notified me that reservations were being accepted for the annual Grandfather Mountain Camera Clinic. I took one look at what was offered and knew I had to sign up. The clinic included 3 days admission to the park, 2 nights camping, a series of seminars, and a buffet dinner on Saturday night. All of that was only $25! That deal was too good to pass up. Plus, I was looking forward to hanging out with Johnny and Jack and meeting some other folks from the Carolina Adventurers group.

Unfortunately, the week prior to the clinic went askew early on. My job started poorly, and then I had to make an unplanned drive to Philadelphia for a funeral. On the way back, I had car trouble. By Thursday evening, I knew there was no way I’d make it to Grandfather Mountain by Friday afternoon.

I got the car fixed on Friday and headed up the mountain on Saturday morning. By the time I reached Hickory it was beginning to drizzle. This was quite a surprise, as I’d looked at the forecast right before I left. It had suggested lovely weather on Saturday, with storms moving in on Sunday afternoon. By the time I reached the entrance to Grandfather Mountain, it was fully raining and surprisingly cold. I registered and headed up to the picnic area, which was converted into a makeshift campground for the weekend. I didn’t have any trouble finding where Jack, Johnny, Joe, Dave, and Susan had set up camp. Luckily, someone had been smart enough to bring several canopies along. Most everyone was huddled underneath them, trying to stay out of the rain.

I parked and joined the party. Joe seemed disappointed that I hadn’t hiked in from Marion like he’d suggested. I blamed my chaotic week and the unexpected change in the weather for my approach by motor vehicle.

The weather was the prime topic of conversation under the canopies. After a bit of Blackberry research, I discovered that a tropical depression that was supposed to arrive Sunday afternoon had moved in early. Unfortunately, it sounded like it would be with us all weekend. Of course, I really shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, Jack was camping there, and it always rains when Jack goes camping.

During a lull in the showers I found a place to pitch my tent. I strategically placed it well away from Johnny’s truck, as I didn’t want Johnny tripping over me in the middle of the night.

While I was setting up camp I discovered that I’d left some key items at home. I always keep necessities like rain gear, a first aid kit, a survival kit, extra food, and warm clothes in my pack. That way, those things are always with me. Well, they’re always with me if I don’t leave my pack sitting in my garage, like I did this weekend. Oops. I guess it could’ve been worse. I could’ve forgotten the tent.

My lack of gear and the inconvenient weather forced me to cut back on my ambitious hiking plans. Still, I didn’t want to sit around all afternoon. The first seminar wasn’t scheduled until 4pm. I suggested a hike to Jack, and he was all for it. He had done the hike to McRae Peak that morning, so I suggested a different trail. We’d hike out the Black Rock Trail, which I’d last walked 15 or 20 years ago. It’s a nice hike, but it’s short and it doesn’t connect with any of the other trails on the mountain. That’s probably why I haven’t done it in so long.

I rode with Jack up to the trailhead. By the time we arrived the rain had dwindled to just a few sprinkles, but the fog had really set in. Since I didn’t have rain gear, I toted an umbrella along. I ended up using it more as a walking stick than for shelter though.

This trail isn’t a good choice if you’re in a hurry. Most of it seems to be across awkward rocks and boulders. Those rocks were slippery, too, after a couple hours of rain. Hey, at least I remembered to bring my boots!

A short walk brought us to Arch Rock. Arch Rock is actually a natural bridge, as a small stream runs through a tunnel in the rock. It’s a neat spot, and rather unusual for this part of the Appalachians. For the most part, viewing arches and natural bridges in the southeast requires visiting the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee or Kentucky.

There used to be a trail that connected Arch Rock with the Grandfather Trail high up on the mountain. Unfortunately, that trail was closed years ago. Prior to the closure, the trail made a convenient connection for a nice loop hike that included McRae Peak and the swinging bridge.

From there, we continued out the trail, which ends at a series of overlooks less than a mile from the trailhead. Our timing was good, as we arrived at the first overlook just as the fog was clearing. We enjoyed some surprisingly nice views of the Wilson Creek area to the south. However, by the time we reached the second overlook, the fog had closed back in. I also noticed that the trail from here to Black Rock Cave is now closed. The cave itself was gated years ago to protect endangered bats living there. It appears that hiking to the cave entrance is now forbidden, too.

We hiked back quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid another shower that struck near the end of the hike. Once back at the car, we made a quick trip down to the campground so I could get a few things out of my car. Then we headed up to the museum for the first seminar.

The seminars were interesting and all of them featured outstanding photography. The buffet dinner was quite good, and Jack and I visited the natural animal habitats several times during breaks. We saw black bears, deer, and golden eagles, but the cougars and otters were hiding.

We emerged from the final seminar to thick fog. Jack and I scrapped our plans to drive up to the swinging bridge for sunset. Obviously there would be no sunset on this evening. Later, while relaxing by the campfire, we discovered just how wrong we were. Joe and Johnny had driven up there despite the weather. They were rewarded for their efforts, as they found themselves above the clouds! I definitely learned a lesson here – you just can’t assume anything about the weather in the NC mountains.

I contemplated getting up early on Sunday for sunrise, but it was raining when my alarm went off. Jack and I did drive up to the top a bit later, before the morning seminars. There we found an interesting combination of thick fog and vicious wind. We didn’t loiter around there long before heading back to the museum for the morning sessions.

The seminars wrapped up around noon. Jack dropped me off at my car and headed home. At that point, the weather was starting to clear a bit, and I wanted to at least do a little bit of hiking before leaving. First I drove to the Cliffside Overlook, where I found views of the top of Grandfather Mountain. I had lunch there, before driving up to the Bridge Trail / Black Rock Trail parking area. I made a short hike up through a lovely forest carpeted with galax. This trail brought me out underneath the swinging bridge. From there I walked to the parking lot and up the steps to the brink of the bridge.

The view was overwhelming. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the waves of mountains in the distance. Rather, the whole mountain was crawling with tourists. The foul weather had scared away most people (except the camera clinic attendees) earlier. Now that the sun was out, the place was overrun with people. The cliffs on the far side of the bridge looked to be beyond capacity, so I made an about-face and headed back down.

I drove back to the museum for one final visit to the animal habitats. Johnny had recommended visiting the cougar habitat during the daily “enhancement”. The enhancements generally consist of food, treats, or toys. Their purpose is supposedly to entertain the animals, but it also provides entertainment for the visitors.

I arrived at the cougar habitat just in time and was treated to quite a show. Two cougars made an appearance, and one even posed nicely on a boulder. Luckily, I actually remembered to bring my telephoto lens with me!

From there, I visited the otter and deer habitats and got some more photos. I was planning to revisit the bear habitat when my camera battery died. Since my spare battery was in its usual place in my pack (which was still in my garage) I decided to call it a day.

It was only early afternoon, and I still hadn’t done a proper hike. I considered McRae Peak, but I wasn’t in the mood to dodge the crowds. Plus, that hike is a little dicey on wet rocks. Instead, I decided to check out Grandmother Mountain. Grandmother is just down the parkway from Grandfather, and it has a reputation for being one of the best rock climbing and bouldering places in the region.

I drove to the Grandmother Overlook, which is in the woods and doesn’t overlook anything. There was only one car there, so I figured I would get some peace and quiet, if nothing else. I had some trouble finding the trail initially. The trail actually starts near the east end of the overlook. It starts out going up a small stream, and isn’t signed. After a short distance it leaves the creek and follows an obvious route.

It occurred to me that this was probably rather foolish, as I had no pack, no map, and I’d never been here before. I’m stubborn though, so I headed up the trail a short distance to the first wall of cliffs. The cliffs aren’t very tall – maybe 25’ or so, but they offer dozens of potential climbing routes. I encountered two college-aged girls climbing one of them right away. We chatted briefly, and I continued up the trail, wondering what else I would find.

What I found was that the trail climbed steeply before eventually petering out. I pressed on following a faint track, and soon found myself at the edge of someone’s back yard. I’d known there were some houses on Grandmother. Unfortunately, I found them all too soon.

I wandered around a bit and found more houses. Discouraged, I headed back down through a lovely forest dotted with boulders and cliffs. This mountainside would probably be a great wildflower destination in early May.

I returned to where the girls had been rock climbing and spotted a side trail I’d missed earlier. It’s easy to miss side trails when you’re distracted by girls rock climbing. I headed down this path, which actually turned out to be the main trail. It ran roughly parallel, but high above, the parkway. It connected one cliff and boulder to the next, and before long I passed those same girls climbing another rock. I pressed on, and soon found myself in a maze of boulders and side trails. I explored several side trails, which usually led to the base of another climbing route.

I continued on, glad to finally be out and walking. Eventually I emerged from the woods onto a muddy dirt road. The top of the mountain was still calling, so I headed up the road. It provided some nice views of Grandfather Mountain and the surrounding valleys. Before long I passed a house and then the gated and heavily posted road leading to the Grandmother Mountain radio tower. I continued a bit farther, until the road turned into a trail and began descending the far side. At that point I turned back, ready to head for home. I returned by way of the same route, as I didn’t want to get lost in the maze of climber’s trails on the side of the mountain. I passed the rock climbing girls one final time, and returned to my car at 4pm.

Grandmother Mountain is obviously geared more toward climbing than regular hiking. However, I think I will plan a return trip. A spring wildflower hike might be rewarding. Even better would be a visit in the winter. I’ll bet those cliffs sport some impressive icicles after a long stretch of cold weather! Getting there might be tricky in the winter, since the Parkway would probably be closed. However, hiking in from the dirt road I’d found should be doable. Of course, walking a snow-covered parkway from the highway 221 bridge would make a nice winter outing, too.

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