Those of you who have known me for awhile are aware that, since retirement, I have been what the National Park Service calls a VIP. Sounds pretentious, but really all it means is Volunteer in Parks. I help out at two, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Up on the Parkway I pick up litter, clean out storm drains, and do general tidying at one of the high country overlooks. During the green season I go about every 2-3 weeks. It was time. I made a plan to combine it with a Blue Ridge sunrise. So I got up early and made the drive to the Parkway in the dark.

I was rewarded with a cloudy day, conducive to colors painted on the clouds by the rising sun. The downside, though, is that once the sun does rise above the horizon, it then goes behind those clouds. The event is short lived. Frankly, the pre-sunrise was the show on this morning; Wednesday, September 23, 2020.

Once there was enough daylight I did the trash pickup and other chores, then moved further west on the Parkway, seeking photo opportunities along the way. I always carry a camera when I go to the high country. You never know what you might see.

The following is what I saw.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Mount Parnassus is a mountain of limestone in central Greece that towers above Delphi, north of the Gulf of Corinth, and offers scenic views of the surrounding olive groves and countryside. Mount Parnassus is named after Parnassos, the son of the nymph Kleodora and the man Kleopompus.

According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Dionysus and the Dionysian mysteries; it was also sacred to Apollo and the Corycian nymphs, and it was the home of the Muses. The mountain was also favored by the Dorians. As the home of the Muses, Parnassus became known as the home of poetry, music, and learning.

It is suggested that the name derives from parnassus, the possessive adjective of the Luwian word parna meaning house, or specifically temple. So the name effectively means the mountain of the house of the gods.

So that would make Grass of Parnassus the lawn at the house of the mythological gods. Imagine walking barefoot through acres of these stunning white and green wildflowers.

Regardless of whether any of this is true or just myth, it’s fun to consider. What is true is that the significant biodiversity, both in flora and in fauna, led authorities to the establishment of the National Park of Parnassus in 1938. The slopes of Mount Parnassus are composed of two ski sections, Kellaria and Fterolakka, which together make up the largest ski center in Greece.

Grass of Parnassus, also known as bog stars, occur in arctic and alpine habitats, as well as in dune systems and fens, swamps, wet meadows, open seepage areas, and moist woods. In the Southern Appalachians they tend to be found in the high country, above at least 5,000 feet.

I’ve encountered these rare late summer blooms a couple of places: high on Mt. LeConte in the Smokies, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The North Carolina variety is Parnassia caroliniana, and is considered imperiled. Therefore I’m somewhat coy about exact locations. Poachers and all. If you study my photos below you can get some hints.

Feel free to leave your comments below the gallery.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Does 2020 seem like a lost year so far? If you’re like me it has. I’ve been self-isolating since mid-March because of coronavirus. I only venture out to get groceries for my dad and myself. I have been hiking a grand total of once since March, and that time was only after entering Phase II of the grand reopening. Obviously soon after, positive cases began soaring, so it was back to stay home, stay safe.

In the meantime, folks have been visiting state and national parks in record breaking numbers, and in a lot of cases, leaving their trash behind. I never have understood litter, especially on our beautiful public lands, but apparently many find it necessary to exhibit their privilege. As a trash collecting volunteer on the Blue Ridge Parkway this saddens me.

Parkway management finally told the volunteers we were allowed to come back and work in June. I’ve resisted the temptation up to this point, but felt it was probably about time to do my part. So on Sunday, July 26th I packed up my mask, my gloves, my reacher-grabber tool and sanitary wipes for an inspection and cleaning of Pounding Mill Overlook. I went early in the morning to avoid as much crowding as possible. Much to my surprise, the overlook was not entirely trashed. There was more than usual, but mostly small stuff like paper and cigarettes.

I brought my camera along too, so when I finished my chores, it was time for a peaceful drive west on the Parkway. Starting at milepost 410, I continued to milepost 430 with many stops along the way. The weather was near ideal early, but as the morning wore on, the clouds began building. I stopped at Ferrin Knob Overlook for a lunch break, and watched the traffic on the Parkway building as well.

About noon I called it a day because of crowding, and concern about thunderstorms. I had one additional stop planned, along Scenic Byway 276, at one of the old CCC stone bridges over Looking Glass Creek. The ever intensifying clouds helped set the mood. Fortunately I got a few shots in before the sky opened up about five minutes after I finished. It was a wet drive the rest of the way to Brevard.

Below are some of the photos I captured on this day, only my second time out since March 2020. Feel free to leave any comments.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Cloudy and very windy. That’s what greeted me the morning of July 14, 2019 as I first stepped from my car at Pounding Mill Overlook (milepost 413). Those who know me also know that I’ve been picking up trash and otherwise maintaining this overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway for each of the last 10 years. As I walked around to survey the accumulated trash since my last visit, it was everything I could do to stand. Seriously!

If you’ve been to Pounding Mill you know it is exposed to the elements on a near horseshoe curve that juts out over Pisgah National Forest far below. The wind was at least 40 mph, with gusts even higher. Several times I had to really take a wide berth and plant my feet to remain upright. Must be Tropical Storm Barry — all this way north and east. No trash collection now… perhaps later, on the way back.

So I got back in the car and headed west. Still nursing a sprained ankle while hiking Memorial Day weekend, this would be a car trip with maybe a few short walks at particularly picturesque vantage points. The clouds certainly looked threatening, but the forecast from TWC said no rain until mid- afternoon. Should I trust them? It really was dark, with fast-moving clouds pushing up and through the gaps.

Over the course of the next 18 miles I stopped at every overlook, including some of the best views like Cherry Cove, Big East, Devils Courthouse, Ferrin Knob, Spot Knob, Caney Fork and Richland Balsam. I turned around at the highest point on the Parkway (milepost 431). When I got to mile 430 the sky actually began to clear a bit, offering glimpses of blue sky between the now white cloud layers.

The wildflowers were in abundance, especially the rosebay rhododendron. They appeared to be in peak bloom above 5,000 feet. Many were in that lavender transition stage from bud to bloom. Lovely. I also found phlox, coneflowers, morning glories, and black eyed susans.

Enjoy the gallery below representing a sample of what I saw along my journey. The rhododendrons were scattered throughout, but I saved them all for last in the display. By the way, when I got back to Pounding Mill, the wind had dropped to about 20 mph, so I was able to complete my trash removal mission.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

There’s not much more beautiful than the high country along the Blue Ridge Parkway in June. The days are long. The forest has completed its greening and the heath bushes are in bloom. If you catch the sights in the evening or very early morning you can even avoid the crowds.

I’ve been on the shelf for a few weeks with an ankle injury while hiking, and was really suffering fear of missing out anguish. I can’t do much walking, so I came up with a plan that would enable me to combine my volunteer work on the Parkway with a chance to catch a sunset and sunrise from Black Balsam at milepost 420.

I loaded my foam sleeping pad in the back of my Subaru and headed to Pounding Mill Overlook at 6:00 PM to pick up trash. When done, I continued another few miles west to the Black Balsam spur road. The air was cool as a cold front has been hanging over the Southern Appalachians for a few days. It was jacket weather, but the good news was the high pressure and persistent breeze had cleared out the haze, leaving crystal clear sky and long distance viewing.

From my perch at 6,000 feet over Graveyard Fields and Looking Glass Rock, I planned on enjoying the sunset, and the sunrise. I brought a picnic to while away the time as I took pictures from my tripod and watched the scenery change with ever lengthening shadows. The moon was hanging over the scene, about three-quarters full, adding natural lighting and ambiance.

Once it was dark, I enjoyed the star constellations and wispy clouds for an hour before crawling into my Subaru for some shuteye. I got up once around midnight to see if the Milky Way was visible, but there was too much light from the moon and the towns of Brevard and Hendersonville… even Greenville way off in the distance.

Back to sleep, I got up again at 6:00 AM, and was quickly energized by the 41° temp and 25 mph wind that greeted me. Brrr! Good thing I came prepared with plenty of warm clothes.

I setup the tripod, and waited patiently for that big orange globe to make its daily appearance on the eastern horizon. I was not disappointed. The sunrise was magnificent. While the cloudless sky did not light up the entire arena with hues of pink and orange, it did enable clear viewing all the way to the Black Mountains far north of Asheville. Très bon.

After sixty minutes enjoying the golden hour, I packed up and headed 10 miles further west, stopping for occasional photos along the way. Finishing up at Herrin Knob, it was time to call it a day. I was back home by 9:30. All in all, a wonderful adventure. It wasn’t as exciting as getting out on the trail, but was pretty darn nice for an old geezer hobbling around on one leg.

The photos below are from the evening of June 13, 2019 and morning of June 14. Feel free to make any comments below the gallery, or tell me about your overnight experiences in the high country. Thanks for visiting!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

The Blue Ridge Parkway frequently closes for snow and ice in late Fall and Winter. While it’s disappointing you can’t traverse the roadway by vehicle, the fun news is that you can still access your favorite overlooks on foot, without any traffic. It is so peaceful.

Most access roads to the Parkway are maintained during snow season, so you can get to the Parkway, you just can’t drive on it. I chose Scenic Hwy 276 from Brevard for my trip to the Parkway on December 18, 2018, just a few days before the Winter Solstice. I parked at the Cold Mountain Overlook at milepost 412, and headed southwest via Meaderthals power.

With the leaves down, the long distance viewing is incredible. I was treated to an extremely clear day as I walked to Pounding Mill Overlook at milepost 413. I could see the Black Mountains to the east, 40 miles north of Asheville. Cold Mountain and the Great Balsams to the west seemed almost close enough to touch.

There was still about six inches of snow in the shady spots, leftover from a major dump the week before. Where the sunshine touched the pavement, the snow was all gone. The forest may not be as pretty during this season without its leaves, but it is still so much better to be outside enjoying the Blue Ridge scenery from 5,000 feet. See what you think.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Every couple weeks or so during the green seasons I travel up to milepost 413 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Friends of the BRP has a volunteer program called Adopt-an-Overlook that I have participated in for six years. I am responsible for keeping Pounding Mill Overlook clean and green, trash free, and desirable for the tourists. Saturday, August 13, 2016 was one of those days.

I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to participate in this program, and I believe it has paid off in ways other than simply clean overlooks on the Parkway. Since I began picking up trash at Pounding Mill in 2011, I have noticed that there is less and less litter as time goes by. I have no scientific evidence to back this up, but it seems when visitors see how clean the overlooks are, they do their part to keep it that way by not throwing out trash. People seem to take pride in our beautiful public lands and wild places.

Usually when I go up there I combine it with a hike nearby. My plan on this day was to hike the Art Loeb Trail across Black Balsam and Tennent Mountains to compile some photographic memories. Sometimes plans just don’t work out though. Elevations above about 5,500 feet were completely obscured in a massive fog bank. I went about half way up the Black Balsam summit, couldn’t see more than 20 feet, so I turned around. I would look for more photo opportunities below the clouds. Following are the results. Please feel free to leave your comments below the gallery.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Quite frequently in winter, the Blue Ridge Parkway will be closed for snow and ice. Not great fun for those who wish to drive along the beautiful ridges. Ah — but it’s the perfect time for hikers to get out on the trails that parallel the Parkway — like the Mountains to Sea. Between Pigeon Gap and Bennett Gap at miles 412-414 the Mountains to Sea Trail traverses a ridge that crosses Green Knob, a 5,000 footer that splits Haywood and Transylvania counties. South of Green Knob is the Parkway itself, as well as the Cradle of Forestry and Looking Glass Rock. To the north is the full expanse of Shining Rock Wilderness and the majestic Cold Mountain. The leafless trees of winter enable magnificent views on both sides of the ridge. This hike occurred on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 from 10:00am to 1:05pm. Our plan was to walk the closed Blue Ridge Parkway from Hwy 276 to Pigeon Gap, then hop on the Mountains to Sea Trail up and over Green Knob to Bennett Gap, completing the loop by returning on the Parkway.

It’s fun to walk on the Blue Ridge Parkway knowing there won’t be any cars or motorcycles coming. Not to mention how much quieter it is. On this day my companion and I headed up Hwy 276 to the Pisgah Ridge to do some parkway hiking. The Mountains to Sea Trail follows the Parkway nearly all the way from Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Asheville corridor and beyond. So you can almost always find a short hike anywhere you are on the Parkway. I encourage the car tourists to get off the road at least once each day and hop on a trail.

We walked about half a mile from the Cold Mountain Overlook at milepost 412 to a spot at Pigeon Gap where the Mountains to Sea Trail (MtS) crosses the Parkway. We entered the trail on the west side, heading in a southerly direction. It was an extremely foggy day, so when we entered the forest it was murky and damp. My friend commented it was like an enchanted forest may be just around the bend past the misty fog.

After a few hundred yards the trail begins a moderate climb up Green Knob. There are switchbacks that wind around rocky outcrops to make the ascent easier. To our right (west) we could hear the far away sound of rushing water from Big East — the East Fork of Pigeon River — in the valley below. We knew Cold Mountain stood over there on the other side, but we were shrouded in fog.

The higher we got, though, the clearer it became. We entered a layer between clouds. They were above us, and below us. By the time we reached the top of the ridge 600 feet above where we started, we had a window through which to view the skylines. To the southeast, the sun was creating a sunset-like effect with an orange glow on the horizon. The valley below was completely obscured by clouds, as was the sun by another higher cloud layer.

We continued following the ridge southward until we reached a spur trail that headed to the west. Neither of us had been on this stretch of the MtS before, and this spur isn’t on the map, so we went exploring. We could now see the peak of Cold Mountain in the distance, again between cloud layers. The spur trail followed a game lands boundary, and after a quarter mile actually entered Shining Rock Wilderness. Once the trail began a steep descent toward Big East, we said that was enough and turned back. At one time this was a marked trail because we saw some very old, faint red blaze paint.

Returning to the Mountain to Sea Trail, we resumed the gradual climb to the Green Knob summit. The ridge narrows at the summit, no more than 30 feet wide, so there are picturesque views on each side. On the left (east) is the Cradle of Forestry and Looking Glass Rock (unfortunately covered in clouds for us), and on the right (west) is Shining Rock Wilderness and the Black Balsam area. The sixers at Black Balsam were tall enough to poke above the lower cloud layer.

This looked like a great spot for lunch, so we took off our packs, pulled out soup, sandwich and map, and enjoyed the unusual cloud inversion that we’ve encountered twice in our last three hikes. The map was useful to tell us what we might see on a clear day. We also concluded that winter was a good time to take this trail because the leafless trees enabled long distance views that would not otherwise be available.

We could see the Blue Ridge Parkway directly below us, about 300 feet over the edge, and then heard the sounds of a vehicle. As quiet as it had been that surprised us. Turned out to be a Parkway maintenace pickup truck with a snow plow just scouting the road for any signs of accumulation. As we would discover later, he totally ignored other fallen rock and ice debris.

After a rest and some nourishment we continued along the ridge. The forest on top is simply beautiful, gnarly oaks and beech with lichens growing on the trunks in shades of mint and olive green. That’s the picture at the top of this post. Click on it for a larger image. As you can see, the trail itself is grassy and cushioned, a delightful stroll through the friendly woods. The sun even popped out… but just for a couple minutes.

Not far past the Green Knob summit is an outcrop known as Penny Rock. This is the only clear view, unobstructed by trees, of the scene to the east and south. Hard to know on the day we were there because of the cloud cover, but I suspect there are remarkable long views of the Black Mountains 40 miles east, as well as all the towns and villages between. I know that Looking Glass Rock is there, and Cedar Rock, and Pilot Mountain. The landmarks are numerous.

The descent on the south side of Green Knob is more gradual than the climb. It winds casually through the hardwood with one steep switchback. All the while the Parkway is just to your left, but delightfully quiet in its closed status. The trail spills onto the Parkway at Bennett Gap, milepost 414.5.

It’s all uphill on the Parkway for the next mile and a half until you get to the Pounding Mill Overlook. My hiking companion also rides bicycles on the Parkway and says this incline will test your resolve. There are steeper pulls, but this one just keeps going up and up and up. Because there are no other overlooks before Pounding Mill, this is a stretch of road with views that aren’t normally seen when trapped in a car. Another great reason for walking the Parkway when it’s closed.

As we approached the hairpin curve that is the Pounding Mill Overlook, we could hear loud pops and cracks on the cliff face above. Unsure if it was another maintenance vehicle, wildlife or what, we kept our eyes peeled as we neared the turn. Then we saw why. There were broken off pieces of granite and ice lying in the middle of the road, another reason the Park Service is wise to close this byway under winter conditions.

My hiking friends and I volunteer for the National Park Service in their Adopt an Overlook program. It just so happens that Pounding Mill is ours. Since the maintenance truck we had seen earlier apparently passed right by the fallen rock and ice, or maybe it fell since he went by, we did our volunteer thing and moved all the debris to the side of the road. As we were finishing up our hike a half hour later, we noticed the pickup truck coming back the other direction. Perhaps when he reached Pounding Mill he wondered what in the world happened to that downed rock.

On the north side of the overlook the Parkway begins descending toward Pigeon Gap. As we approached there was a large fog bank wafting through the gap. Just barely peaking out through the fog was the fire tower on top of Fryingpan Mountain. It’s one of those landmarks you come to recognize when you spend a lot of time on this stretch of the Parkway.

As we walked through the gap, there was the entrance to the Mountains to Sea Trail that we took on our way south, and then the final half mile back to the Cold Mountain Overlook. The clouds had cleared just enough to capture one last photo of the peak of Cold Mountain.

If you’re looking for a shortish hike of three hours or less that will give you some exercise and offer exceptional views of the surrounding Blue Ridge and wilderness areas, then this hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail over Green Knob may be just the ticket. Obviously, you don’t have to wait until the Parkway is closed to try it, but there is a certain serenity in the high country without the sound of vehicles. To access the trailhead when the Parkway is open, you can park at the Wagon Road Gap Overlook (milepost 412.2) or Pounding Mill (milepost 413). It’s just a short walk on the side of the road to the trail.

Update May 30, 2016: Memorial Day 2016 offered beautiful weather in the high country. I started the day doing my Blue Ridge Parkway volunteer duty by picking up trash at the Pounding Mill Overlook. Then it was down to Pigeon Gap to hop on the MST for the climb up Green Knob. Arcane wildflowers were in abundance including such esoteric varieties as Canada may flower, speckled wood lily, smooth and false solomon seal, and fly poison. Old favorites mountain laurel and blackberry were also in abundance. Contrast the photos below during green season with the ones above from winter. Hardly seems like the same place.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Pilot Rock is another of the granite plutons found in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. Not as spectacular as it’s more famous cousin, Looking Glass Rock, Pilot still offers remarkable views of the Blue Ridge Parkway and national forest, including the Cradle of Forestry National Historical Site. It’s a short mile climb of almost 700 feet from the valley floor to the southern face of Pilot Rock. The forest changes along the way; from birch saplings to oak and maple, and the omnipresent laurels that embrace Western North Carolina. This hike occurred on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 from 11:30am to 1:00pm. My plan was to climb the Pilot Rock Trail to the pluton, then make a visit to Bradley Creek, farther down Forest Road 1206.

Are you looking for a short hike to get a great view of Pisgah National Forest from above? Well, Pilot Rock is your ticket to a pleasant and enjoyable forested hike that climbs nearly 700 feet in just one mile. From the rock there are unobstructed views of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cradle of Forestry National Historical Site, as well as a wide expanse of beautiful, lush, protected forest lands.

The trailhead for Pilot Rock Trail is one of many great hikes that begin on Forest Road 1206 otherwise known as Yellow Gap Road, less than a half mile beyond the Forest Discovery Center and Pink Beds off Scenic Highway 276. Once on the gravel forest road, it is four miles to the trailhead, located on the left side of the road. There is parking available for 3-4 cars.

Take note of a confusing turn in the trail just a hundred feet up. The trail appears to go straight ahead, but instead bears to the right. The straight ahead trail goes to a campsite. So bear right, and you will immediately cross Bradley Creek on a log bridge. Once across the creek, the trail begins a steady climb through an amazing forest of thin and numerous birch saplings.

This is an enjoyable area no matter the season. In winter, when the trees are bare, you can see through the forest to the base of Pilot Rock. In late September look for the bright yellow leaves to signal the start of a brand new autumn, and in spring and summer the birch is alive with a vibrant, verdant showcase. The National Forest continues to recover from the logging of the early 20th century.

You will cross an old logging road (stay on the orange blazed trail straight ahead), and the trail begins to climb in earnest. Next comes the first of two series of switchbacks that make the ascent more moderate. Watch your step, especially in late autumn when the trail is covered with fallen leaves. There are roots and loose rocks hidden beneath those leaves that will easily twist an ankle.

Once the trail straightens out again, it enters a boulder field and a change in the makeup of the forest. Look for oak here, and maple, poplar and of course mountain laurel. I was lucky to find this stretch still rocking the bright autumnal hues, so I paused for a break on the boulders and snapped off a few pictures.

Not long after clearing the boulder field you’ll hit the 2nd group of switchbacks, this one just a little bit tougher. If you start to breathe hard, fear not, you are almost to Pilot Rock. As the trail makes a sharp easterly turn, it will pop out of the forest with the granite of Pilot Rock to your right and just below.

You will notice immediately that the face of Pilot Rock is very steep. Hopefully, you have hiking shoes with good grip because you will need it as you inch your way down to take in the scenery. If this rock is even the slightest bit wet be very, very careful. If you slip and begin to slide downwards, you won’t stop for a very long way. If icy in winter, I would recommend that you not even set foot on the rock face. Just enjoy the view from the trail.

Again I was lucky, as on this bright sunny day Pilot Rock was completely dry and I was able to navigate its surface with ease. If you go down the face about 30-40 feet you’ll clear the trees completely and have a 180° view of the surrounding mountains. A light breeze helped dry the perspiration from my face as I took out a snack and the tripod.

Straight ahead, to the south, is the Cradle of Forestry. It is nestled in a large valley that is filled with every color of tree imaginable (well, maybe not blue). You can barely make out the ribbon that is Yellow Gap Road slicing through the forest. There are pockets of pine and stands of spruce surrounded by the hardwood, remnants of the experimental forests that were planted in the heyday of the forestry school.

The westerly view is perhaps the most spectacular. That’s the photo at the top of this post. Click it for a larger image. You can follow the Blue Ridge Parkway as it winds its way from ridge to ridge nearly 5000 feet high. Starting from the northwest there is Fryingpan Mountain with its trademark fire and communications towers. Next is Beech Knob and then the junction where Hwy 276 meets the Parkway. Continuing southward, through Wagon Road Gap you can make out the 6000′ summits of the Black Balsam area far in the distance. You’ll then see the Parkway make a sweeping hairpin turn at Pounding Mill Overlook (the one I take care of as a Park Service volunteer), and continue its journey toward Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The eastern view from Pilot Rock is the most difficult to see because of the angle, but you can make out Funneltop Mountain across the valley. The face of Pilot Rock continues around the mountain to the east so you can eventually see Slate Rock, but it’s a dangerous proposition. I vote for safe rather than sorry.

I stuck around for about 20 minutes taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather. There was not a cloud in the sky. The fall foliage was perhaps a week to ten days past peak color, but it was still a delight. It sure beats working.

When finished, I resumed Pilot Rock Trail for an additional tenth mile or so. It continues uphill for another two miles before eventually coming out at the parking area and trailhead for Mt. Pisgah. If you want to make a complete day hike of it, combining these two hikes would be a fantastic way to take in this section of Pisgah National Forest. But I wanted to get back to Yellow Gap Road and spend some time on Bradley Creek.

Because I was hiking at midday, on the way back down the sun had changed directions and was now casting a fabulous glow on the colorful trees in the boulder field. Bright orange and yellow were all the rage as I rustled my way through the thick bed of recently fallen leaves. There wouldn’t be any wildlife today. The swish and crackle beneath my feet made too much noise.

It’s about another three miles east on Yellow Gap Road to the trailhead for Slate Rock Creek. At that trailhead, Slate Rock Creek meets Bradley Creek in a picturesque deep forest setting that always lures me whenever I find myself near there. It is unbelievably green. I have been there in December and seen the rhododendron leaves still totally green. The hardwood trees were just barely showing color to indicate they were willing to shed their leaves. It’s amazing what water will do.

It was still fairly early in the afternoon, so I walked up the Slate Rock Creek Trail about a quarter mile just to enjoy the rushing sound of the stream and the solitude of the forest. I pulled up a rock on the creek bank and sat for awhile, splashing my face with the crisp, clean mountain water and giving thanks to those a century ago who had the forethought to protect this wonderful wild place for you and me and those who come next. I am so very fortunate to live where I do.

Eventually my mind returned to now and I headed back out Yellow Gap Road to Hwy 276. I stopped a few times alongside Looking Glass Creek to take some pictures and pulled into Sliding Rock just to see what it was all about. Even though I’ve lived here for half a dozen years, I’d never managed to check out Sliding Rock. It was closed for the season, of course, which meant I could explore the grounds and see what I’d been missing. I can see it being fun summer family water entertainment that for just $1 per person would be quite refreshing on a hot muggy day.

In summary, the Pilot Rock Trail is a moderately steep trail to a fantastic view of Pisgah National Forest. At an easy pace, you can make it to Pilot Rock in 30 minutes. Depending on how long you stay, you can be back in an hour ready to tackle one of the other trails on Yellow Gap Road. If you want to make a full day of it, Pilot Rock Trail continues up Slate Rock Ridge for another couple miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway where you can then hike to the summit of Mt. Pisgah if you desire.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Looking at a trail map or topographic map, the area of this hike within Shining Rock Wilderness can be somewhat confusing. There is the Greasy Cove Prong, a creek that runs off of the Grassy Cove Ridge. The trail is called Greasy Cove, but it starts/ends at Grassy Cove Top. I think the guys who named the area may have had a touch too much huckleberry wine. Regardless of the befuddling names, the hike has a bit of everything for hiking enthusiasts. There are sections of hardwood forest, a couple creek and river crossings, a steady climb through delightful grass and fern ground cover, bushwhacking through blueberry and blackberry bushes, as well as rhododendron and laurel thickets, long distance views above 5800 feet, and even a cascading waterfall thrown in for good measure. This hike occurred on Thursday, June 16, 2011. We started at 9:15AM and finished at about 3:20PM. The plan was to start at the eastern trailhead at the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There, the Bridges Camp Gap Trail connects to the Greasy Cove Trail where the East Fork of the Pigeon River and the Greasy Cove Prong meet. From there the Greasy Cove Trail climbs to the Grassy Cove Ridge where we would pick up the Graveyard Ridge Trail south to the Mountains to the Sea Trail. The final 3.8 miles back down to the parkway is along the MST.

View Greasy Cove Trail, Shining Rock Wilderness in a larger map

WARNINGThe first half of this hike on Greasy Cove Trail is in the Shining Rock Wilderness. There are no trail markers, signs, blaze spots or other means of following the trail. You can get lost. There are false trails, particularly at camping areas, that can lead you astray. It is very important to have a good topographic trail map and a compass. It is best to do this hike with companions, and you should always let someone back home know where you are hiking, and approximately when you intend to return, so they can notify search and rescue if you are gone a lot longer than expected. Also, there are two creek and river crossings on this hike. If the water is high, crossing can be treacherous. The rocks are very slippery and falls can happen suddenly… as I found out. Hiking sticks or trekking poles can be very useful for maintaining your balance when crossing the streams. The crossings are also the most likely spots to lose the trail, so study your surroundings carefully.

About 100 yards east of the Looking Glass Rock Overlook the Bridges Camp Gap Trail heads into the forest from a small grassy clearing on the opposite side of the parkway from the overlook parking. There is also a trailhead directly across from the parking area, but that one is the return exit point. About 1/4 mile into the woods, there is a trail junction where Bridges Camp Gap meets the Greasy Cove Trail. This is where the fun begins. The trail descends for 20 minutes to the unmistakable sound of water streaming down the mountainside. The first to greet us was the East Fork of the Pigeon River, really little more than a creek. There are several campsites along the sandy and rocky riverbank, as well as places to cool off on a hot summer day. Not much further we got to the sign that marked the Shining Rock Wilderness boundary. From here on there would be no markings, just hope the trail itself was obvious.

The night before there had been a significant line of thunderstorms move through western North Carolina. With the storms came very high winds and about four hours of steady rain. The river was swollen quite a bit more than its normal flow, and the trail was covered with green leaves blown from the hardwood trees that comprised the forest, an odd sight. It actually made for a nice trail cushioning. The rushing stream was another matter. It’s generally dicey crossing rocky streams anyway, but when the rocks that are used to hop and skip across are partially submerged, caution is paramount. The East Fork crossing was located alongside a campsite, so it wasn’t intuitive to determine we needed to cross. Seeing the exit trail on the other side of the river was really the only clue. That, and the topo trail map indicated we would be crossing the river somewhere.

Just going down the bank to the crossing was slippery. I knew this was going to be interesting. I slipped not once, but twice on the first few rocks but managed to stay upright. Just about the time my hiking friend asked me if I wanted to use his poles to get the rest of the way across, down I went. My left foot slipped off its perch and into the water and I fortunately landed on the softest part of my body. No, not my head silly. It startled me for a moment, but I took inventory, and decided I wasn’t hurt… just my pride. I immediately accepted his invitation to use his poles the rest of the way. After he tossed them to me, I was able to cross the remaining half of the river without further incident. Lesson learned. I always carry a spare pair of socks in my pack, so I paused for a moment to change into those, and I was good to go.

The trail begins its climb after crossing the East Fork. It’s hard to select the correct trail. There is another campsite on the far side, and lots of false trails where campers no doubt go into the woods for nature calls. The proper trail is straight ahead from the crossing, and climbs steeply up, up and away. The trail is now alongside Greasy Cove Prong, running just as hard and fast down the mountain, but not as big as the East Fork. Half a mile further and it was time to cross this creek. Again, there is a confusing trail decision. There’s a false trail up and to the left, but the Greasy Cove Trail goes down steeply to the creek for another rugged crossing.

Remember that lesson learned? This time I let my friend cross, and then toss me his poles. Piece of cake. I’m still debating whether to get some poles myself. I really like having my hands free. Perhaps an adventurous marketing rep from a hiking poles company is reading this (hint-hint). The next couple miles of Greasy Cove is the toughest part of the hike, but perhaps also the most beautiful. It climbs roughly 1200 feet in those two miles with few switchbacks. It’s definitely uphill. But all along the climb you see where this area got its name (I still think it’s supposed to be Grassy Cove). The forest floor is covered with a thick carpet of natural grasses and ferns with the trail just meandering its way up and through. See the photo at the top of this post. The soil here is as black as the grass is green. Eventually we reached the Grassy Cove Ridge (yes, now it’s called Grassy), and the foliage and vegetation began to change to a more hearty stock that can withstand wind and snow. We found a beautiful little opening on the ridge to enjoy our lunch.

After lunch we continued upward toward the ridge crest. There are a few brief stretches where the trail gets overgrown with blackberry bushes, but otherwise it is quite lovely. There is a delightful beech forest and a long, dark tunnel of rhododendron, laurel and old, old blueberry trees. Yes, they’re so big they have become trees. As we approached the ridge crest, the trail got the steepest it had been and our lungs were burning. It was well worth the climb though as we popped out into the clear and had magnificent views of Mt. Pisgah and the Pisgah Ridge to the east, the Graveyard Fields area to the south, and Ivestor Gap to the west. Now at 5800 feet, the mountain laurel and flame azalea were still in bloom. My friend and I began to tick off the places we had hiked in the past year, like the fire tower at Fryingpan Mountain. There were a dozen at least that we could see from this vantage point.

There are a couple small signs along the trail announcing the Shining Rock Wilderness boundary. The rest of the hike is contained within Pisgah National Forest. The trail forks, with the right fork going to Ivestor Gap. We took the left fork, now an old logging road that is known as the Graveyard Ridge Trail. This two mile stretch is totally flat, so it was a welcome respite after the tough climb up Grassy Cove Ridge. The road is very rocky from erosion and hard on the feet. It skirts the southeastern flank of Tennent Mountain and looks out on the Blue Ridge far into the distance. There was a nice breeze to cool us, and fantastic views to enchant us.

We came upon another trail junction. From there we had a great view of the Tennent Mountain summit and could see a large group, probably a hiking club, up top. We encountered a young couple coming up from Graveyard Fields. At this point we could continue straight along the Graveyard Ridge and eventually end up at Graveyard Fields. We could turn right, and go up to Black Balsam Knob, or take the left turn on the Mountains to the Sea Trail to return to our starting point. It is 3.8 miles from this junction back to the parkway overlook.

After about 1/4 mile, the trail began its plunge, just as steep as on the way up. Again the scenery changed with the elevation. We went through the scrub foliage, then the thick hardwood forest. Along the way we met four other young people with their dog. I don’t know that they were hikers as they weren’t carrying anything. There are a couple more opportunities to cut over to Graveyard Fields, but we continued in an easterly direction on the MST. With about a mile left in our hike, we heard it again… the unmistakable sound of rushing water. This time is was the Yellowstone Prong. The trail parallels the stream about 200 feet above on the right, then steeply drops to Skinny Dip Falls.

Skinny Dip Falls is a popular place with sunbathers, and there were certainly quite a few out on this beautiful warm June afternoon. There is a wooden bridge across the river at the falls. The final 1/3 mile is about a 200 foot climb that was quite taxing at the end of a nearly nine mile hike. The trail exits onto the parkway directly across from the overlook. I always wondered why there were usually so many cars parked at the Looking Glass Rock Overlook. Now I know. They are all down at Skinny Dip Falls catching some rays, and a, um, dip.

I have been volunteering with Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway for a couple years now with their Adopt an Overlook program. So my friend and I stopped at our adopted overlook, Pounding Mill, at milepost 413.3 to do a little trash pickup and general maintenance. I try to get up there about every 2-3 weeks in the summer. I think it’s one of the best overlooks in the Pisgah district of the Parkway because it sits on a curve and has a 240° view of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. All in all, a very nice day.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.