Out of Our Rut: Visiting with NC Friends

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A good friend of mine and former college roommate has lived in the Wake Forest area of NC for well over 30 years. We have visited him, his wife and family a couple times over the years. Once during our cross country tandem bicycle trip back in 1991 and then again 6 years ago shortly after getting our current motorhome as we were heading back to western New York. Our current location would be as close as we will get to his place. It’s nearly a 4 hour drive so “close” might not be the correct word. I contacted him even before we got to Pineola which would give us 2 months of options. They felt that a trip to the mountains would be fun so they found a cabin in campground near Linville Falls and booked it for the upcoming weekend.

We had been watching the weather forecast for the days they would be here and at first it wasn’t looking promising. Fortunately the prediction (and reality) changed and we were looking at a couple of beautiful days. Chris went on a bit of a cooking spree before they arrived so we would have easy options for lunch or dinner. That way would could maximize our outdoor time.

They came over Saturday morning and we spent a lot of time getting caught up with all that has been going on in the last 6 years. We probably could have spent the rest of the weekend just talking but they wanted to do some hikes with us while they were here. We wanted a hike closer to camp just to avoid them needing to do another long drive. There are plenty of options - many we have already done but would enjoy a second time. But then I remembered one of the more popular hikes we hadn’t tried yet. Big Lost Cove Cliffs is a 3.3 mile round trip hike with just over 700 feet of elevation. It is in the Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area I have mentioned before. We had wanted to hike it when we first arrived but discovered that the very end of the hike was closed thru mid-August due to peregrine falcon nesting activity. We checked and the closure had just been lifted a few days earlier. So we moved our reunion to the car and the trail and headed out for our hike.

There is a bit of a parking pullout for several cars, with more room along the road before or after the trailhead. The first half mile climbs about 300 feet but we were having such a good time continuing to catch up that I barely noticed the trail. We would occasionally stop for a water break and lose track of time and realize we should start hiking again. The next half mile or so is fairly flat and we spotted a place that had some visible rock formations. We assumed we were close but then discovered we had another half mile or so of downhill loosing all the elevation gain we had at the start of the hike. It is quite obvious when we reach the cliffs that we had made it to the end. The views were stunning!

View at Big Lost Cove Cliffs

We sat down on the exposed rock outcropping and enjoyed a snack while soaking in the scenery. We could see some houses across the valley that appeared to have idyllic settings surrounded by woods. It looked like the owners had cleared trees on the downhill side of the homes in order for them to have views of the valley and cliffs where we were. One other couple showed up while we were relaxing but they didn’t seem to stay long. I managed to setup the camera on the rocks and got a group shot.

Cliffs Extent to the Right...

... and the Left

Say Cheese!

Initially we hadn’t realized that there were several small paths to different portions of the cliffs. We found we could get slightly different views by just exploring the opening. We kept a lookout for falcons - presumably they should be in the area. At one point we saw some birds flying at least a quarter mile away. I tried to convince myself that the silhouette looked like a falcon but can’t be sure. There was one spot across the valley that I saw cars occasionally drive past. It turns out it is the Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook along the BRP.

Jutting Rocks

Beautiful Views Abound

Contemplation Spot

Falcon Patrol

Line of Mushrooms Along Trail

We likely spent 45 minutes total on Big Cove Cliffs. I can see why this is rated as one of the most popular hikes near camp. The walk back didn’t seem so bad but we needed to get back to the rig for lunch. I suppose had we known what the cliffs would be like, we would have brought lunch along instead of just a snack. After lunch at the rig, we decided to go check out the Linville Falls Winery. They were having some live music that afternoon and the place was rather busy. We eventually got a table and tried out some of the wines while enjoying the music and the company of our friends. Before we knew it, dinner time was approaching so we headed back to camp for dinner, discussions and plans for Sunday.

Linville Falls Winery

With all the waterfalls in this part of North Carolina, we figured we need to check one of them out. A lot of the neat ones we have done require a rather lengthy hike. Our friends didn’t really have the time for that so we decided to go with the closest and most accessible option - Linville Falls. We arranged to meet them at the trailhead after they checked out of their cabin. We limited the hike to the more accessible overlooks on the south side of the river. It’s been 4 days since TS Fred came through the area. We could tell the water levels were a bit higher than when we were here a couple weeks ago but not dramatically so. However, there were some large logs laying on the rocks at the Upper Falls and one of the railings was damaged.

Friends Pose at Upper Falls

I hadn’t realized that there was actually significantly more damage than just additional debris. When I looked at some pictures from our first visit, there were some large stone pillars, additional railing and large interpretive signs that are completely gone! I didn’t take as many pictures during this visit so I don’t have an equivalent before/after comparison picture but these two should suffice. I have circled in red the things that seem to be missing and are likely downstream somewhere.

After TS Fred

Before - Substantial Pillars Had Been There

We continued walking up the the other overlooks for the Upper Falls. Being a nice weekend morning, it was somewhat crowded. At Chimney View was a guy with some very serious Nikon cameras and lenses. I was a bit jealous. He really wanted to get some shots from below but I warned him that while the Plunge Basin Trail might get him there, it was treacherous and would be very risky especially with what probably amounted to $20,000 worth of gear. At Erwins View, we get what I think is the best view of the falls. We sit and enjoy the spot as other people come and go.

Lower Falls

Plunge Basin Hikers

Upper Plunge Basin Overlook, Stairs and Railing Visible

From Erwins View

Panoramic Lower Falls Shot

We decided to try one more short hike to a waterfall. In order to minimize the travel impact for our friends, we picked one that wasn’t too far off their route back home. The Cascades Trail is about 15 miles east of Boone right along the BRP. Besides the short walk to some falls, there is a picnic area and restrooms at the stop. This would get them about an hour into their return trip. We could have lunch, a short walk and then say our goodbyes. We drove up the BRP and once we got past Cone Park, it was all new scenery for us. Since we didn’t have lots of extra time, we didn’t make stops along the way to check out the views - we could do that on the return trip if we wanted.

The Cascades Picnic area was rather busy although it looked like the majority of the people we part of one large group - possibly a family reunion? It is a fairly large area so we didn’t have issue finding a picnic table. After lunch, we did the short walk to the falls. It appears that the trail used to be a loop but one section was damaged and is closed for repair. There is an upper and lower viewing area but with the large number of visitors it was rather crowded. Plus you’re almost too close to the falls to get the full impact. There was also a geocache hidden nearby and it would have gotten me a new North Carolina county, but the terrain was rather steep and it seemed to be 250 feet off trail behind the barrier. This wasn’t the right cache to go for so I skipped it. Back up the short but steep trail to the parking lot. It was definitely too short of a visit. If the weather and their commitments permitted, we could have easily spent a week sharing the beauty of the mountains, stories from college and food and drink. We crammed a lot into the time we had and will get an opportunity to get together again.

Close View of Falls

Long Drop Down Falls

Dramatic Clouds at Stop Along BRP

The nice weather was continuing so we picked another waterfall hike. This one would be about a 25 mile drive south of camp just off of US-221. Tom’s Creek Falls Trail is an out and back trail of 3/4 mile round trip. It’s an easy trail with less than 80 feet of elevation gain. Pictures of the nearly 100 foot tall falls looked impressive so we were looking forward to pretty falls that didn’t require a long hike. There were a few cars already here when we arrived but only ran into 3 people when we arrived at the falls. There is a observation platform just a couple hundred feet downstream of the falls that provides a decent view.

Tom's Creek Falls from Observation Platform

But with just a bit more effort on a rougher trail, it’s possible to get as close to the water as you want. The other people were heading out as we showed up so I was able to setup the camera, tripod and ND filters to allow for some longer exposure times of about 1 second plus or minus. I spent some time carefully rock hopping near the base of the falls to get several different perspectives. It was nice to have some time to take shots without people waiting (except for Chris!).

There is an even more challenging trail to get up to the top of the falls. I should have read the description of the cache near the top and had us bring along our hiking sticks. We had started without them since this was an “easy” hike. As we got above the falls we found a couple that was just leaving. There is a small pool with a 6 foot mini-falls. I suspect they had been cooling off in the water. I struggled to find a way back to the cache and the final location was on a very steep slope with lots of rhododendron bushes making it a challenge to move around. I never did spot the container and had to give up after 10 futile minutes.

Mini-Falls and Pool at Top

There really isn’t a view of the main falls from above it although you’ll get glimpses of it from the trail on the way back down. There was a very colorful larva along the trail that caught my eye. When I stopped to get a picture, I realized it was being attacked by a bunch of ants and a couple of bees. Even though I didn’t find the geocache, it was still a nice hike to a beautiful falls. It’s probably isn’t worth the effort to go up top.

Heading Back down from Above

Meal-time?!?

Another Look at Tom's Creek Falls

Our friends had asked us if we had been to some “hanging rock” trail in the area. Supposedly it is a popular trail to get your picture taken while sitting or standing on a hanging rock. We’ve done a lot of hiking already and haven’t done one that sounded like this nor did we remember reading about one like that. We checked Google and the two possibilities it gave was Hanging Rock State Park or Blowing Rock. The former is closer to Raleigh/Durham so not exactly close and they were pretty sure it wasn’t Blowing Rock. A quick text to their daughter revealed the trail we wanted was called the Rough Ridge Trail. It’s not often that we get a personal suggestion for a hike so we had added it to our list. It turns out the trailhead parking is right along the BRP and we likely have driven right past it dozens of time by now.

We wanted to attempt this hike on a clear day since it sounded like the views can be spectacular. Our stretch of great weather was continuing so we headed there the day after Tom’s Creek Falls. The hike we wanted is part of the Tanawha Trail that parallels the BRP for over 13 miles. The full trail wasn’t in the cards but we could at least do the scenic portion that was recommended. A bit more investigation told us to start at the Rough Ridge pullout at mile post 302.8 on the BRP, go up the short spur trail to the Tanawha Trail and head west. After crossing a new looking bridge over a small water runoff, the trail starts to climb and really never stops climbing. The trail was in great shape so it wasn’t a problem.

Substantial Bridge Along Tanawha Trail

At about 0.2 miles you’ll come upon some stairs and an elaborate boardwalk section. This is the first point where you’re out of the trees and along some open rock outcroppings. The views are definitely worth the effort. The Linn Cove Viaduct along the BRP can be seen as well as Grandfather Mountain. They have even built a small walkway onto one of the flatter rocks that apparently has been deemed safe for visitors to explore. Just be forewarned that there is no railing and when I looked over the edge, it looked a LONG ways down. Chris kept her distance from the edge at this point.

Stairs Along Rocky Section

Walkway to Viewpoint Rock

Linn Cove Viaduct and Grandfather Mountain View

More Stairs and Boardwalk

Zoomed in on Viaduct

Colorful Berries

Mountain Ash Closeup

After the wooden walkway ends, the trail continues up. We believe the point our friends were talking about shows up just a little bit further than another tenth of a mile. Shortly after a hard right hand turn at a switchback, there will be another rock outcropping right along the trail. There were two spots with some overhanging rocks that looked interesting. Chris picked the rock on the left side of the trail and I picked the one on the right side to pose for our pictures.

Chris Tempts Fate

Jack Contemplates Life

The pictures look a bit scary and dangerous. I had posted them to Facebook and even got a “yikes” response. But we have a confession to make. Neither rock was all that dangerous. Chris’ fear of heights didn’t suddenly disappear. The rock she posed on has a very easy approach and the top of the rock is maybe 6 feet above the trail. Having Grandfather Mountain in the background helps and by getting the right angle for the photo she looks to be in a precarious spot. The overhang I picked was a bit more of a drop since it was hanging over the downhill side of the trail. But it was sloped back towards the trail fairly steeply so a fall wasn’t likely and wouldn’t be catastrophic.

A Realistic View of Chris' Perch

In less than another quarter mile we are at another much more substantial rock outcropping. From here we could look back down and see the first overlook with boardwalk and a couple people checking it out. This lookout point has a slightly better view simply because it is the local high point so it has a 360 degree view. There are heavy metal rods anchored into the rock with cable running between them. The signs mention they are there to prevent people from damaging the vegetation but I appreciated them for the additional support they provide to get to the top of the rock.

View of Boardwalk Section Down Below

Cables Define Path

Looking Back Down Rock Outcropping

There isn’t a cable at the far end of the rock so I was reluctant to get too close to the edge. From what I can see, it is quite the fall if you go over. Chris managed to work her way up part of the way to prove she was there. We noticed another rock outcropping just a hundred feet further along the trail, we headed there to have a snack and be out of the way of others at the main overlook but still have a great view. I spotted what I believe to be a ferret but it disappeared before I could get my camera around to take a picture. Beyond this point the trail continues but we felt we had accomplished what we had come for and got some of the best views along the way. It is a bit of a challenging hike but worth it. If you only make it to the boardwalk area, you will get 75% of the view with even less effort.

Another Stunning View

Chris Fights Back Her Fear of Heights

We had wanted to check out Hickory Ridge History Museum in Boone after visiting the App State campus two weeks ago but had been chased away by rain. The forecast looked better today so we took the half hour drive to spend part of the afternoon getting a tour. After having an excellent lunch at Stick Boy Kitchen in Boone, we headed to the museum. The place has cabins and furnishings from the colonial days in this part of the country - think Daniel Boone. It’s only $8 per person and you get an interpreter dressed in period clothing. In our case we got a personal tour since nobody else showed up after 15 minutes.

Inside Visitor Center at Hickory Ridge

We toured the various log homes scattered on the property. Each one was configured to show different aspect of life. In general the buildings were in good shape but it looks like there is probably always something to be done to keep these old places standing and safe for visitors. People from those days must have been short because at each cabin, ducking was necessary. They occasionally have craftspeople actually showing how things were operated but they aren’t there in general so we need to rely on our tour guide to help visualize.

Our Tour Guide Leads Us to Cabin

Spinning Wheel

DON'T Touch the Loom

Comfy Bed?

Since it was just the two of us, we could interact with the guide more than a larger group might. He is a college age guy with a passion for history. It was clear he was really into the gig and could rattle off just about any thing about the colonial time period. His dream job was to work at Colonial Williamsburg. Not exactly my cup of tea, but to each his own.

Mossy Roof

Our Tour Guide at the Tavern

Right next door to the museum is the Daniel Boone Gardens. It isn’t a very big place but they did have some garden beds and a bit of a woodland setting. It appeared that the rains from TS Fred has done some damage that still needed to be attended to. It only took us 30 to 45 minutes to explore it all. Personally I found the mushrooms growing on a dead tree the most fascinating part. One fallen tree was nearly horizontal but several feet above the ground. The mushrooms grew out from the bottom of the tree providing a great view of the underside of the mushrooms.