September 15, 2019 After camping at Spruce Mountain, I decided to grab another trail before heading back to Boone. One place I had not been to was the Tow String Trail. Sometimes referred to as the Tow String Horse Trail, it runs from Tow String Road to the Bradley Fork Trail near Smokemont Campground. The … More Tow String Trail
July 27, 2019 For the past month, I’ve gone on several backpacking trips and a lot of day hikes, but they have been to places that I have already chronicled (Max Patch to Walnut Mountain, the Roans, the Blue Ridge Parkway around Boone) and have chosen to just enjoy those moments. This past Sunday was … More Yellow Mountain Fire Tower
June 1, 2019 I have put off these two towers on the Lookout Tower Challenge for quite some time. They are short hikes, but they are located very far from where I live. Joanna Bald (or Teyahalee Bald) is located in Andrews, NC and Panther Top is in Murphy, NC. Both are located in the … More Joanna Bald Lookout Tower, Panther Top Lookout Tower
May 13, 2019 I’ve become enamored with the eastern rim of the gorge. For a great day hike with views, a little uphill and nice peaks; I highly recommend the Table Rock Gap Trail. To arrive at the trailhead, start on Hwy. 181, turn onto Table Rock Road, which will turn into a gravel and … More Linville Gorge Wilderness: Table Rock
May 5, 2019 After hiking Albert Mountain Tower, I met my good friend Perry at Outdoor 76 in Franklin, NC. The route to Cowee Tower is not overly complicated. We took Hwy. 28 for 15 minutes and arrived at Cowee. A “town” in Macon County, Cowee once was an important site for the Cherokee people. … More Cowee Bald Lookout Tower
May 5, 2019 Albert Mountain is mainly known for being the 100-mile mark on the Appalachian Trail (AT) from the southern terminus. Albert is located in Macon County in the Nantahala National Forest, just outside the Southern Nantahala Wilderness. I lived in Franklin for a year while I was practicing law in Sylva and would … More Albert Mountain Fire Tower
April 27, 2019 Many fire towers were built as recovery efforts during the Great Depression. At a time of hunger and desperation, the government developed work relief programs, enabling unemployed men the ability to earn a living. The results were some of the 20th century’s greatest engineering feats. Fire towers defy logic. Brut, manmade strength … More Shuckstack Tower
December 30, 2018 For years I have spied a fire tower just off of I-26 outside of Unicoi and Erwin, Tennessee. Sunday, I resolved to finally hike to the top of it. Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower sits atop Buffalo Mountain along a nice and very new trail. From the easily accessed parking area, it’s 4.8 … More Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower Trail
December 2, 2018 It’s been several months since my last blog entry. While I have not been idle, I decided to take a break from writing. In November, my brother-in-law and I hiked the Bartram Trail. It was nice to not write every day, to take pictures for fun and generally just enjoy a hike. … More Pond Mountain Wilderness – Laurel Falls Trail
September 9, 2018 Nestled on the border of McDowell and Yancey County just off the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost #339) are the wonderful Crabtree Falls. The 70 ft. falls are known as being one of the most popular and eye-catching in the High Country. It’s a simple .9 mile hike from the parking area, with … More Crabtree Falls
