Steven and Betty RV Adventures

SWANNANOA, NC. Yesterday, Thursday, after running some errands, we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craggy Gardens Visitors Center, which was closed, I guess due to impending poor weather. Things inexplicably close around here. We proceeded north on the parkway to the Glassmine Falls overview. One more example that is was the wrong time of year to see waterfalls. The rock, center left below, is supposed to have water flowing over it.

Glassmine Falls Overview

The Falls Area

We walked up a path to the left for a better view of the area (see below).

Panorama of This Wider View

Betty Looks for Layers of Mountain Ridges

View Down Trail is Pleasant

Closeup of Scene

We then drove to Mount Mitchell State Park. As we drove up the long winding road to the top, it started to rain. The concession stand was closed (like everything else around here), so we used the restroom and looked at the small museum inside. Finally decided to leave, since it was too wet to hike the trail to the summit. As we drove down from the mountain top, it stopped raining and cleared off. We decided to keep going down.

As we headed back to the campground, we saw a pull-off area that might be interesting. One side of the area was a higher ground with a signpost and another sign pointing to a trail into the thick rhododendron bushes. One sign said Rhododendron Trail, and another sign said Craggy Pinnacle Trail. It seems that everything in this area is named "craggy" something, including the tunnels.

The rhododendron were not in bloom this time of year, so it is a solid green view inside. The sign says 0.7 mile, and others who had hiked it before said it was not far and not hard. I foolishly forgot the last time I heard that lie.

Innocent-looking Trail At the Start

We ventured onto the trail for what seemed like a short while, but things started to look ominous, too much like Hickory Nut Falls Trail. People were coming back from the hike, saying that it was not bad, etc, etc. Betty decided to turn back but told me to hike to the end and take photos. It was so hot and humid that I did not even wear my hat, since the sun had gone back in.

Betty Took This As I Entered the Trail

This Is Where Betty Decided to Turn Back

Look Familiar?

On and On It Went

A wedding party was headed up the trail with a photographer and assistant to take wedding photos up there. The bride was wearing her wedding dress and the groom held his tux in a coat case as they strode by me. I figured the view up there must really be great, and the hike must get better for them to continue up there dressed like that.

Some Parts Not As Bad As Others

I Could See Hikers Returning From the Hike Up There

Everyone of the returning hikers said just a little bit farther, and of course it would be worth it. How familiar that sounded.

Scenes Like This Made Me Think I Must Almost Be There

And On I Went ...

No Cavemen Home As I Passed

I Could Hear Voices Ahead As I Came to A Fork in the Path

The trail then split into a fork. The sign offered no help, and the path to the right looked simpler, so I decided to try that. Just then someone I met coming back a while ago was returning up the trail behind me. I recognized him and knew he had been to the end of the trail. I asked him which path I should take. Darn it! He said the one on the left that looked pretty bad.

My apologies to Robert Frost, but I was not able to take "the road less traveled by..."

After some more trudging along, lifting my feet high to reach over boulders, I finally came to the top. There is a lookout area provided up there. As I stepped into the entryway, a park ranger was leaving looking flustered. He said a bad storm was headed that way, and he was leaving with his weather radio.