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 25-26, 2019 I could have easily driven to Tellico Gap and hiked 1.5 miles up to Wesser Bald. In lieu of the easy route and in search of a weekend adventure, I decided to hike to Wesser from the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) and camp at Cold Springs Gap and hike back the next … More Wesser Bald Fire Tower
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
August 26, 2018 The second hike of the day was to another fire tower in Western North Carolina. This one located near the border of Henderson and Buncombe Counties in what is called the Hickory Nut Gorge area. I have not done any hiking in this area, so I knew little of what to expect … More Bearwallow Mountain Fire Tower
August 26, 2018 Nestled in the middle Wilkes County, Rendezvous Mountain State Educational Forest is a place of solitude and historical significance. I was in the area to hike a fire tower as part of the NC Lookout Tower Challenge, but found an area teeming with intrigue. The Hike According to the parameters of the … More Rendezvous Mountain Fire Tower
August 11, 2018 Most fire towers in the Lookout Tower Challenge are located in the western most portion of North Carolina. The one outlier is Moore’s Knob Tower, just outside Winston Salem, Mt. Airy and Greensboro in Hanging Rock State Park. What was once a fire tower that was destroyed by a fire years ago … More Moore’s Knob Tower
July 21, 2018 The Qualla Boundary is the designated land for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (ECBI). The land is nestled on Jackson and Swain Counties and abuts the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). Before starting the Lookout Tower Challenge, I had never been hiking on the Qualla, hell, I didn’t even … More Mount Noble, Barnett Knob
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