A Visit to the Gardens of Grassy Ridge

by Bob Jones
June 15, 2002
Pictures by Robin Hitch

Catawba Rhododendron and Mountain Ash in full bloom on the flanks of the Highlands of Roan, June 15, 2002

It had been almost thirty years since I had been to the Highlands of Roan, on the North Carolina - Tennessee border. My wife Robin had been there in 1984 so we shared a fond memory of the place, although our visits were a decade apart. We both on those separate occasions visited when the Rhododendrons were in bloom, a magical time, and we both walked through the "Roan Mountain Gardens" and visited the "High Bluff of Roan". Both spots were memorable, and recommended by anyone who feels the least "car bound". We both also recall, upon exiting that wonderful area back to Carver's Gap, that we each stopped and made half hearted attempts to scale the face of Round Bald, up the steep and eroded trail that ascended that impressive, grassy dome. That trail was the Appalachian Trail, on it's way north from Georgia to Maine.

I can't say now for sure what effect the vision of a loan hiker cresting the top above me had on my 20 year old mind that day, but I do remember now a distant recollection that I thought about such an adventure in that moment. It would be a few years after that summer day in 1973 before I first donned a backpack and set out on a trail, at least for the first time in "adulthood". After 1979 a series of wonders met my eyes, local wonders such as Mt Rogers, Grandfather, the Blacks, the Balsams, the Smokies, the Unakas, Standing Indian, Cold Mountain, Shining Rock, and my most visited highlands of all, Joyce Kilmer - Slickrock. In addition the river haunts took many sweet weekends, the Chattooga, the Thompson, the Horsepasture and the Jocassee Gorges stole our hearts for years. The jungles of Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Mexico and the coastal roughness of Cape Lookout and Portsmouth Island met the boots of my family, as my son Simon grew up along the trail. I can say that the long ago vision of that loan backpacker silhouetted against the sky, heading into the unknown, may have been an important influence on this later life. If so, it is an influence I treasure.

Now, through the kind invitation of a friend, Dr. Charlie McCullough, we had late the evening before decided to join the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) on a hike led by Ed Schell, a 79 year old Naturalist and "expert" on the flora, fauna and history of the Roan Highlands. I was at first reluctant, not a "joiner", having not been on a "guided" hike since I was 16. But the shared remembrances of those visits and my wife's gentle persuasion won me over. We determined to leave at 6:30AM our home on the French Broad south of Asheville, and through the early morning river fog and rising sun we drove north toward the Roans.

We arrived, via Roan Mountain, Tennessee, at Carver's Gap about 45 minutes ahead of the "crowd" at about 8:30AM and discovered a seemingly bitterly cold morning with wind ranging to 40 mile per hour gusts. Grey clouds passed over in waves driven by the wind in the early morning light. I was unprepared for the cold, a "sin" for a "mountain wizard" such as I (I actually am experienced in the highland's quirks). However with the help of my friends I ended up comfortable in a borrowed wind breaker. When the members of the Conservancy arrived at 9:15AM here at the top of the gap, on the line between Tennessee and North Carolina, we assembled, introduced ourselves, and "hit the trail".

The junction at Carver's Gap looking toward Round Bald presents a different picture today compared to the bald and eroded slope seen in the early 1980s.

The first thing that struck me upon our arrival at Carver's Gap was the change the years had brought to the western face of the bald. Now the trail no longer went steeply up the incline causing the remembered ugly eroded scar. The trees and shubs had encroached in wide swathes across the vast expanse of grassland I remembered as well, and the fences, paved parking areas and signs were new to me.

Looking Southeast as we begin the climb up Round Bald the Welcome To North Carolina Sign has a background that says it all about why I love it here.

New as well was the growth of trees and shrubs across the face of the bald.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON

FOR :

A discussion of the "growing in" of the Balds of the Southern Appalachians with Ed's comments and thoughts, Dr. McCullough's surprising insights and my own home grown thoughts...

The history of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and their good works, including their "pet" project, Grassy Ridge...

Ed's guide, as best I can remember the wealth of information he imparted, to the flora and fauna of Grassy Ridge and the Roan Highlands...

All when time allows.

Bob

Please visit the good folks at SAHC at www.appalachian.org

Ed begins the trip with an introduction to the Mountain Ash and Catawba Rhodos. Our group ranges from 2 to 80.

Ed talks as he walks, pointing out the "in growth" that is taking hold on the once bare slopes.

The new section of the AT trail built by Constructed by Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club and Appalachian Trail Conference Konnarock Crew winds up Round Bald replacing the eroded older route. The graded footpath is engineered with both aesthetic values and proper drainage in mind, and is underlaid with a system of plastic "French Drains".

After Ed's recounting the many legends surrounding the naming of Roan, Charlie McCullough had his own story to tell. My take, which I kept to myself, is that Roan was named by the early settlers (ca 1774) of the Watauga settlements. They thought themselves in Virginia, mistakenly, and looked to the mountain barrier to the southeast believing it to be the border of North Carolina's Rowan County. Rowan at the time stretched from the Yadkin River near Salisbury NC all the way to the coast of California! To them these were the highlands of Rowan.

Looking from Round Bald toward the Northwest, out toward Johnson City TN.

Round Bald looking North toward Elizabethton TN.

The first "top" along the way ....

Round Bald looking Northeast toward Mt Rogers in Virginia

The view from Round Bald back across the northern part of Carver's Gap

The idealic path crosses the top of Round Bald and prompts the group to tarry a while in wonder

Ed points out the distant Black Mountains covered in clouds

A picture could never do the Flame Azalea justice on the far side of Round Bald

This was the greatest garden of Azalea I'd ever seen in the wild...

With Round Bald behind us and Roan's two peaks in the distance, we all prepare in our won ways for the assault on Jane Bald.

To the south over Grassy Gap the mountains framing Linville Gorge can be seen

The climb up Jane Bald takes us through the first Catawba gardens on our route

The surrounding beauty disguises the rugged climb

and soon brings us straggling to the open rocks at the top of Jane Bald.

Where we all take a much deserved rest stop...

and admire the 360 degree views...

and contemplate our next "jump", over the Grassy Ridge in the background... except for Becker, who seems to have plans of his own.

From the gap between Jane and Grassy we get a wonderful view of Roan Creek, NC..

No hike in the area can be complete without a general denunciation of the Condo at Sugar Mountain. Ed points out it's squarish ridgetop ugliness just visible on the distant skyline across the flank of Grassy.

Ed recounted how in his early visits here the balds extended across all the nearby ridges, and now have "grown in" at an incredible rate

Finally at the top of Grassy Bald we see the marker set in memory of the early Pioneer who owned this mountain

Here at the "high point" of the trip Ed tells a tale, while Grandfather Mountain dominates the distant skyline.

Grandfather's rugged profile is unmistakable, with the condo at the left center and Yellow Bald in the foreground.

THe AT follows the near ridges to Little Hump, and then Big Hump Mountain. In the distance the pointed top of Beech Mountain dominates.

From the top of windswept Grassy the Black Mountains, with their high point Mount Mitchell, mark the Southwest view.

To the Northwest from Grassy Bald you can see our route up along the ridges in the foreground, and distant Johnson City TN

Looking off towards Burnsville and distant Asheville, lost in haze across the distant Craggies.

The views are a treat in any direction... but now Ed leads us off the top to the Southeast, and insists that we all go...

soon we all know why, the Gardens of Grassy Ridge are in the peak of thier blooming! Oh what a sight to behold.

Windblown, sunburned and cold on this unseasonable June day, and weary after the 2 1/2 mile walk/climb, that all seems a small price of admission for the beauty of this place.

but Ed, not willing yet to stop, leads us on into the gardens.

On our way up he scrambles to the top of a ledge with the excitement of a small child when he spots a "Federally Endangered" flower growing from the cliff side. He tells us it's the first he ever saw on Grassy.

For ten days each year a finer destination couldn't be found on earth, I believe.

Finally at the end of the trail on the southeast point of Grassy Ridge Ed announces we will turn around

although he confides that he hopes one day to go on down into Grassy Gap, below us, and climb Little Yellow Mountain beyond. Maybe he'll wait until he's ninety for that one.

All I can say is I hope he'll take me along.

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