Back to back Mondays on Grassy Ridge Bald on the Roan mastiff. The August 7 hike is with Carl Fritz of Tennessee Eastman. I am the only one who showed up for the hike. It was a relatively early start at Carver's Gap and the weather was nice but the forecast was not. That is likely why no one else showed up. The parking area was at about 2/3 capacity.
Silver Rod
Carl has for 20 years been in charge of maintenance on Roan and 130 miles of AT. It was fascinating to hear his stories of 20 years experience on the mountain. Virtually all his work there involves the impact of hikers on the mountain. He feels the impact up until 2014 was manageable but now, it is a losing battle. What was once a 3 foot wide trail has grown to a 3 lane highway. The club, Tennessee Eastman put down ground cloth and another strong plastic sheet with holes designed to hold gravel in place on steep sections. The initial work began in 2001 and a major replenishing was done about 2014. They were able to get tons of gravel up on Round Bald using a track vehicle and then bucket brigades to get gravel beyond where the vehicle could go. They harvested over 100 Black Locust trees on a nearby property that needed to be cleared thus using local wood rather than bring in wood from an area which might have non-local bugs in it. The wood was used as steps and water diversions.
A more recent project was to install 2 peak finding signs on the top of Round Bald with wood and wire raised walkways to them but few people walk on the walkways, preferring to walk on the ground next to them. Although the metal interpretive signs have been there less than a year, they are scratched up.
So, how do you deal with the current situation? Parking is out of hand. The state has put up cones to keep people from parking at roadsides. The last time I visited Carvers Gap, a woman parked her car on the roadside right by the parking lot entrance and went into a ditch. The car had one wheel in the air and was at a 45 degree angle. To accommodate vehicles, the plan is to build another lot slightly down the hill on the Tennessee side. I saw that spot and it will help but won't be very large. They also have a tentative plan to pave the trail from Carvers Gap to the top of Round Bald. The majority of people visiting don't go beyond that spot. Carl knew roughly the tonnage of materials that would be needed. I don't remember the number but it was staggering. And, there are plans to re-route the AT also. As you go up Round Bald, you're in a bald as you start and then enter woods, then back in the bald to the top. The AT will will go into the wood and stay there, bypassing the top and joining back near the gap between Round and Jane Balds. I saw flagging in this area on my second hike. Morgan Summerville with ATC was coming the next day to review some of these plans and may have flagged the route.
Getting back to my hike description, we topped Round Bald, then Jane Bald. At Jane, Carl told me how it got its name. Over a century ago, a local gal, Jane, tended cattle in the area. She was searching for a lost cow, got caught in a storm and died of exposure on the bald now named for her. However, on my second hike I got a different story from my hiking buddy, Russ. It starts out the same, Jane is tending cattle. The cows eat the vegetation with includes White Snakeroot. It is mildly poisonous to cows but deadly poisonous to humans. Jane drank some cow's milk and died on the bald. I like that story better so I'm sticking with it.
After Jane Bald, there is a gap but not a deep one, before heading up Grassy Ridge. There is a trail split with Grassy straight and AT veering left. I wonder how many AT hikers miss the sign and continue straight. We made it to the large rock with the plaque and turned back. Volunteers with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy were weed whacking acres of blackberry near the top.
My second hike was with hiking friends, Will and Russ. Once again the threat of rain was with us. We started out in good conditions and had a lively conversation going on the hike. We did the same hike to the rock with the plaque but decided to go on further.
Starting out on a well worn path, we entered some scrubby forest where folks often camp. Once out of that area, we re-entered a bald on a fainter trail. We got to an open spot where trail volunteers often camp. Beyond there, we were following a faint trail which had tall vegetation overtaking it. I used my poles to spread out the vegetation so I could see where I was stepping. This continued about 1/4 mile until the faint manway ended. We had lunch on the rocks here with the view pictured below.
As the photo indicates, there are some clouds heading our way. Just after starting back, the clouds obscured Roan High Bluffs and Roan High Peak. Seconds later, the wind picked up and without warning, rain pelted us. We struggled to get into raingear and covers on our packs. The rest of the hike we were in and out of rain. The wind on top of Round Bald made us look like a few drunks trying to walk straight. Once at the vehicles, we were able to get into dry clothes and head out.
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