SPRING BEAUTY
I
had most of this week off, but I resisted the temptation to do a long
backpacking trip. I haven’t been home
much lately, so I decided to settle for a dayhike or two. Since the forecast for late in the week
looked marginal, I decided to hike on Wednesday. Since I was going mid-week, I chose a popular location. I headed up to the Roan Mountain highlands,
where the pleasant spring weather promised lovely views and impressive
wildflowers.
I
arrived at the Roaring Fork trailhead in exceptionally windy conditions. I couldn’t believe how hard the wind was
blowing down in the valley. This
worried me, since I was heading up to Grassy Ridge, which is a high, open
bald. I was afraid I might get blown
clear off the mountain. It was chilly,
too, but I resisted the temptation to put on long pants and a long sleeve
shirt. I knew the climb ahead would
warm me up quickly.
Saucony
and I hiked up the Overmountain Victory Trail through a carpet of white-fringed
phacelia and other wildflowers. I followed
a small stream initially, before leaving it to hike through a grassy
meadow. From the meadow, I had a fine
view of Grassy Ridge above and the Roaring Fork valley unfolding below. More hiking beyond the meadow brought me
through the woods to the Appalachian Trail on the crest of the Roan
Highlands. The initial climb was over,
but more work was still to come.
Another
climb led to a wooded knob. After a
brief descent, some easy walking led along Little Yellow Mountain. Wildflowers were abundant here, particularly
the white fringed phacelia. Although
there were many flowers, the phacelia was still short of its peak. In another week, this stretch of woods will
look like it’s covered in a fresh layer of snow.
I
reached the Stan Murray shelter, where I met a long-distance backpacker. I took Saucony down to the spring for
water. From there, we began the biggest
climb of the day.
We
continued up the AT, climbing steadily along the ridge. As we gained elevation, the phacelia
disappeared, but it was replaced by spring beauties. Spring beauties are lovely white flowers that grow in
abundance. Aside from the spring
beauties, yellow trout lilies and red trillium added color to the forest. All of these flowers helped distract me from
the grind of climbing out of the valley.
Before long, we reached a series of springs running off Grassy
Ridge. After 2 hours of hiking from the
trailhead, we reached a junction on Jane Bald with the side trail to Grassy
Ridge. Fortunately the wind had died
down to a gentle roar.
I
climbed out of the last of the trees and shrubs and walked along the open
ridge. I passed a couple of dayhikers
heading down as I hiked the final yards to the summit. At the top, I used a couple of boulders as a
wind-break, but they didn’t help much.
Despite the conditions, I huddled behind the rocks, ate lunch, and
enjoyed the view.
Grassy
Ridge offers one of the best views in the southern Appalachians in good
conditions, and today was no disappointment.
To the west, the dark mass of Roan Mountain loomed over Round Bald and
Jane Bald. To the east, the balds of
Little Hump, Big Hump, and Big Yellow Mountain marched away towards Grandfather
Mountain, Beech Mountain, and Mount Rogers.
To the south, I spotted the Black Mountain Range and Table Rock and
Hawksbill in the Linville Gorge Wilderness.
To the north, I could see most of northeastern Tennessee.
The
wind was brutal, but I didn’t want to rush home. Instead, I decided to explore out Grassy Ridge farther. I descended to a minor gap, where the wind
was blocked by the summit. There is a
scenic campsite in a meadow here. As
long as the wind is coming from the north, it’s a relatively sheltered spot. Of course, it would be a bad place to pitch
a tent if the wind was blowing from the west.
The meadow is surrounded by rhododendron-covered hillsides, so it would
be an exceptionally pretty place in late June.
I
continued beyond the gap to the southern peak.
This peak features more rhododendron, as well as more fine views from
cliffs along the way. From the summit,
the ridge drops away dramatically, down into the land of Christmas Tree
farms. It might be possible to continue
down the ridge, but I can’t see a good reason to try it.
I
headed back the way I came. I returned
in a couple of hours, having seen nobody since that morning. I reached the car at 3:45, which gave me
plenty of time to make it home in time for dinner. I’ll certainly be back to hike the Roan Highlands again, as it is
one of my favorite places. I may have
to return in June, just to see the rhododendron on Grassy Ridge in bloom.
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