Grandfather Mountain

Sometime when adventuring you are surprised and challenged in the space of a day, not knowing exactly what to expect as the day unfolds to reveal itself to you, this was one such day that ultimately left me fulfilled, tired, but still smiling as it drew to a close. 

This trip started out as a last-minute decision having already spent the morning photographing a different location (see previous blog post about Washburn's), thankfully it was still relatively early and of course able to leverage the slightly longer days a little, despite still being in the early part of the year. It was a warm day here in North Carolina, well to this sun shy Englishman it was, with temperatures resembling a hot summers day back home in the UK, the temperature sitting at around 26c (78f) an average for this part of the world at this time of the year, the kind of day where you would still be hot even if you had the top down on a car with the wind blowing in your hair. 

Although the drive to the base of Grandfathers Mountain was only scheduled to be around an hour and a half, the wide sweeping roads through this region coupled with the diversity of the Western North Carolina countryside makes every trip, no matter how short, feel like an epic movie road trip, and that is something that I will never complain about, and a stark contrast to the often claustrophobic hedge lined narrow lanes that I am accustomed to back home in Wales, every glance out of the car window punctuated with sweeping mountain vista’s or dramatic climbs through dense forests as our destination grew close.  

The problem with this kind of road trip is that it could be too easy to stop the car every two minutes to capture the natural visual feast on offer, something that was around nearly every turn, but sometimes you must ignore that nagging urge and push on to your destination and hope that it is as giving as you are already anticipating. 

We pass through the entrance way to the mountain and are advised by staff that the ‘Mile High Swinging Bridge’ is closed due to frost, and although we had noticed a slow decline in temperature as we weaved our way through the woodland to the base of the mountain, it still perplexed us as it was still feeling like a nice sunny day. Before the full winding ascent of Grandfathers Mountain starts, we pass the ‘MacRae Meadows’, an open grassland area that hosts a yearly gathering of Scottish Clans for a highland games event at the base of the mountain, something that struck me as curious this far from the Scottish Highlands. 

The flat lowland area soon gives way to a steep, winding ascent, the road laying like a discarded piece of string on the side of the mountain, steep hairpins that challenge with adverse camber as you navigate ever forward towards the 9500ft summit that promises views of up to 90 miles in the right conditions, a real motivating factor.  

Thankfully the route upwards is not the only distraction, as strategically placed pull out stopping points allow you to experience the many facets of this iconic location, not only offering stunning landscape photographic opportunities, but also allowing you to get close to some of the unique geological features around the mountain like ‘Split Rock’ and allowing you to get close some of the wildlife that roam freely close the these area’s.  

About halfway up you pass the Wilson Visitors Center that is much more than a normal visitors centre despite housing the obligatory restrooms, gift shop and places to eat, more a love letter to the conservation and study of the mountain and its unique wildlife, along with the plant life and the geology of the area, preserving and learning for the future generations which is really important work, something that I am all in favour of. 

Beyond this point the climb started to drastically steepen and the temperature rapidly started to plummet, the air starting to feel different in our lungs, the sunshine dampened by atmospheric haze common at these kinds of heights, with thoughts anticipating what the conditions would be like at the summit car park and our ultimate destination for the day.....well a little bit of walking as well. 

Stepping out of the car there was a sudden realization of just how cold it had gotten during the climb in altitude, a biting –2C (28F) gave us a sudden wake-up call, and that was before the arctic blast wind really started to wrap itself around us, my choice of wearing shorts which seemed like a pertinent selection of clothing earlier in the day now feeling like a dramatic under estimation of the conditions here, especially as the wind chill factor pushed the feeling of the temperature way below the readings. 

A short walk later across the parking area, up and along the open, exposed mountain top towards the ‘Mile High Bridge’ which had now been opened during the time ascending, the open expanse offering no respite from the biting wind swirling around all that ventured this far, was certainly fun task staying on our feet!

We approached the still icy looking bridge with thoughts of it just very recently being shut due to safety concerns, and considering the current conditions opted to stay relatively sure footed on solid ground rather than crossing an icy bridge in the wind, well that and the fact that it was starting to get a bit unbearable to be outside, this was close to being the coldest I had ever been, frozen fingers struggling to grip my camera any longer. 

It was a welcome relief to return to the warmth of the car, just being out of the wind made a huge difference. The descent was just as awe inspiring, seeing the mountain from a different perspective, prompting further stops and photographic opportunities, wonderful little rocky outcrops with captivating vistas that had me laying prone like a sniper on the edge for safety from the still ever-present wind. 

Upon reflection when my body had fully thawed, it had been an amazing day that I was thankful to able to share with great company, the astounding scenery despite the conditions was humbling, and really highlighted what a small piece we are on this spinning rock of ours, inspiring & forever memory worthy. 

Oh, and mustn’t forget the wonderful pulled pork BBQ on the way home, the perfect end to a wonderful day!

Scott.