Every once in a while it pays to get away. When the stresses of work and life start building up, a great way to escape is to grab a tent, a pack and find a trail. I did just that earlier this week.
A buddy and I decided to take a trip to the Linville Gorge in northwest North Carolina. This incredible Gorge is one of the most wild places in the southeast US. The thousand foot cliff walls stretch several miles from the top to bottom of the Gorge. Numerous peaks line each side where the mighty Linville River spilled over the edges millions of years ago before it had carved this deep gully. Many people call it the “Grand Canyon of the East”, and if you have never seen it you absolutely need to go. I have made many trips here and hiked all over, but this time I would do something for the first time. Camping atop Hawksbill Mountain has long been on my bucket list. This is one of two particularly recognizable peaks and sits next to the very well known Table Rock. The view from the top cannot be beat. Looking to the north you get a stunning view of Grandfather Mountain. We arrived late in the day so the setting sun cast long shadows.
Georgia ‘Leaf Watch’ provides travel tips for leaf watchers
We caught the sunset from the sides of one of the many cliffs. The exposed sections of this mountain see particularly tough weather earlier than many other spots, so some trees are already adorned in red leaves.
Winds were already picking up ahead of the then hurricane Ian, but they died down enough at night to allow for some spectacular stargazing. The Gorge is located far enough away from any major cities to see some good dark skies. The Milky Way stands out against the dark background. I took advantage of the calm weather to get a photo of the iconic peak of the mountain with the stars behind. You can certainly see how this mountain would have gotten it’s name looking at this sharp point that is the highest part of the mountain.
We got up early this morning and made a trip to a section of the Gorge known as the NC Wall. This particular section is closed from January through August to protect several Peregrine Falcon nests that are built on the cliff edges. This section of the Gorge is the longest section of continuous cliffs in the Gorge, most of which are 1000ft tall or more. Climbers enjoy many parts of this area throughout the year when it is open. If you look closely you can see 3 climbers on this cliff in an area known as the “Amphitheatre”.
The NC wall is also a great place to get some views of Shortoff Mountain. This is the southernmost mountain on the eats side of the Gorge, and is characterized as being very long and relatively flat. From the Amphitheatre you can take some very steep, very narrow, very dangerous trails to get unmatched views of this southern section of the Gorge, as seen below.
The fall color was especially noticeable during the bluebird sky day. This rough section of the gorge is very exposed to the elements, so its trees and bushes are always the first to change color.
Overall, it was a great night getting away from all the madness with an old friend.
I hope you can find a chance to do this yourself sometime soon.
Have a great week, and I’ll see you on the road…
