The Appalachian Trail runs from Maine to Georgia over more than 2100 miles. Some hikers have done it all, but most of them hike only a short portion of the trail. The trail crosses North Carolina from North to South following closely the border with Tennessee. One portion that we like to do is the stretch from Elk Park to Carver’s Gap.
We start the hike on US 19, at the frontier with Tennessee, in that state, just outside of the little town of Elk Park. Thirteen miles later we arrive at Carver’s Gap, still on the Tennessee side but at the frontier. The start of the hike is reached by going through Blowing Rock, then Boone, then Banner Elk and Elk Park, or by taking a route further South through Morganton, Linville and Newland.
The thirteen mile hike is strenuous but is one of the nicest hikes in North Carolina, with beautiful views from the top of the mountains. Elk Park is at elevation 3182 feet. The hike will lead you to Hump Mountain (5567 feet, after 5 miles), Little Hump Mountain (5459 feet, after 6.5 miles), Yellow Mountain Gap (after 8 miles), Grassy Ridge Bald (6165 feet, after 11 miles), Jane Bald (5820 feet), Round Bald (5826 feet) and Carver’s Gap (5512 feet). Middle of June is the best time to hike around Roan Mountain because the rhododendrons and flame azaleas are in full bloom, along with some other wildflowers.
This year we were a group of 30 hikers, most of us from Charlotte, who started the hike at 10:30am on Saturday June 16. We left the cars at the trailhead and started under thick clouds. We were quite lucky this time to not have any rain on the trip, as well as cool weather instead of annoying heat.
It had rained the day before quite heavily, with thunderstorms, so the leaves on the trees were all wet and shiny, giving a strong green color to the landscape. The trail is not wide and muddy all the way. The first part of the hike is uphill, going through woods of oaks, mountain laurel bushes and others maple and beech trees. We quickly hit some fog, more as we were getting to the top of the climb. Fog gives a nice spooky look to a trail in the woods.
After three miles, a flat rocky portions leads to the bottom of Hump Mountain. The rocks were slippery. The trees changed with more aspens. Suddenly, the trail takes a turn, climbs up and gets out of the woods to reach the middle of grass fields, specific to the vegetation of those balds: open grassy meadows. Usually the view is nice but there was so much fog, and some wind, that we couldn’t see farther than 50 feet.
Just at that time, a group of 10 longhorns came suddenly out of the fog, from nowhere. That view is surprising. I’ve seen cows a few times there but never longhorns. We continued hiking, the trail went down somewhat through grass and small portions of woods to Little Hump Mountain. The woods are mainly aspens with lots of ferns and grass, it is very remarkable.
There are lots of wildflowers along the trail, everywhere. Cow parsnip, thyme leaved bluets, dandelions are everywhere. On the grassy fields along the trails a lot of Gray’s Lilies were blooming too. Their petals are dark red and cannot be missed, standing a little bit higher than the grass and other flowers. This flower is considered threatened in North Carolina and endangered in Tennessee. Of course, at the end of the hike on Round Bald, Grassy Ridge, the blooming rhododendrons and flame azaleas are everywhere. A few miles further up on the road towards Roan Mountain is Rhododendrons Garden with a short easy trail and even more rhododendrons – we didn’t go there.
Back on the trail, we headed towards Yellow Mountain Gap, where a barn has been transformed into a shelter. At that time the clouds were starting to open up and the fog disappeared. The grassy meadows were over for some time and we were back into the woods. One mile after the shelter, so nine miles from the start, another small shelter signals the start of a steep and long climb to Grassy Ridge. This part is difficult and it seems that it keeps on climbing again and again.
At the end of the climb, the trail gets out in the open between bushes of blooming rhododendrons, so thick and tall that you have to walk below them like in a tunnel. The trail to Carver’s Gap is hilly but beautiful. Flame azaleas are competing with rhododendrons, the former putting bright orange touches of color on the slopes of the mountains and the latter putting pink purple touches.
The sun was out then. We took a nap on the rocks, waiting for some of our slower hikers, and went to Carver’s Gap where a bus took us back down to the cars.
I really like this hike because it is challenging and strenuous, being almost always uphill. There is a nice diversity of vegetation with woods, aspen forest with tall grass, grassy round balds and fields of rhododendrons bushes. The views are spectacular. Wildflowers are everywhere along the trail and many species are blooming at that time of the year. The fog adds a nice touch without the inconvenience of rain, bringing to refreshing cool air for that long hike.
The weather is quite unpredictable in the mountains. This time we were very lucky with fog followed by sun, no rain and fresh temperatures. We were also lucky to hit the trail during full bloom at Carver’s Gap, which made this hike one of the best ever.
Three hikers of the group thought that 13 miles were not sufficient at all. They got up very early, drove to Carver’s Gap where they started the same hike in the other direction. They met us near Elk Park at 10:30am and hiked back up with us.
One week before, three of us were hiking a 12 miles loop at Doughton Park, our last three miles were also a steep strenuous climb. On the way, we met a 65 year old man who was running the trail. As a matter of fact, he ran the portion we feared twice in the morning. He was running 38 miles that day to train for a 100 miles run a few weeks later.
There are some days when my bed is the best place in the world.
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