June 4 Tanawha Trail

Eight of us began our 13.5 mile Tanawha Hike about 10am at the Beacon Heights Parking Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We'd be within sight or earshot of the road all day. The first 1.5 miles of this hike is loaded with mountain laurel, rhododendron, galax and various ferns. Approaching the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitors Center, we pass over a steep rocky ravine via steel walking bridges. It is in this vicinity, the environmentally sensitive seep and extremely rocky terrain, prevented the BRP from being a complete 469 mile entity until completion of the viaduct in 1987. Today we stopped at the solar powered visitors center for a brief rest room and water break. 

Leaving the parking area, the trail immediately passes under the viaduct. You can view the unique construction in which the roadway appears to be connected to the bridge supports with ball and joints. You continue to catch glimpses of the viaduct as you walk parallel to it, hidden among huge boulders and the dense understory.

By the time we reached Rough Ridge, our group was only 3.6 miles into our hike with almost 10 to go. Several of us we hot and tired at this point. Lunch on the top outcrop revived us. The view of Grandfather Mountain, the viaduct, parkway and distant mountains was a wonderful sight. Someone commented you could see only 2 homes. There was a cell tower too.

Hiking down from the top you are funneled onto a wood staircase with multiple lounge decks. The primary purpose of this is to keep people from trampling the fragile alpine vegetation. We saw many Turkey Beards in this area (see bottom photo of the white topped spire flower). Stop and smell one, they have a unique odor.

As we hiked on, the terrain settled down, temperature appeared to cool and we all got our second wind. We ran into crowds at the major trail head parking areas. Once beyond the Cold Prong area, we didn't see many folks until near the end. 

In the last couple miles, the trail crosses several large pastures which appear to be active although we did not encounter livestock. I eat one very sweet wild strawberry in the last pasture. From here we had a short walk through the woods and across the parkway at Price Lake, our ending spot.