Thursday, April 2, 2015

Winding Stair Gap to Wayah Bald shelter

3/31/15 - The MCT shuttle picked me up at the Microtel at 9:15, I was on trail again by 10am.  Surprisingly, I made the first turn off to Silar Bald shelter by 11:30. I met Tank and her boyfriend Matt, Cain and his dad Wild Man.  Beautiful day, cloudless sky, 60s temps with a light breeze. Also caught up with Anchor and his wife Ms Cattywampus.

We came across a fair number of section/day hikers who were exploring the area around Wayah Bald.  Someone left Trail Magic at one of the road crossings, 8oz Mountain Dew sodas on ice.  So nice!

I got to the old fire tower about 3:30.  Must've been 35 people there.  Mostly hikers, but a couple of families.  The tower is CCC construction from the 1930s.  Since the weather was nice, the view towards Franklin was great.  Up in the top, the Park Service has posted profile  displays showing what mountains are off in the distance.  It seems so far back to Albert Mountain, and looking forward into the Smokies it seems we'll never get there.  Yet, they're only four or five days away.

Wayah Bald shelter is full tonight, and I'm tenting nearby as usual.  Tucson and Mr Don (a schoolteacher from Harpswell, Maine) got in, as did Beerman.  Mr Don teaches swimming during the summer and, since he will be gone, has about 400 families following his progress on Facebook.  What a great teacher!


Who comes up with these names?

A little bird called a junco 

Standard trail 'bridge'

Wayah Bald fire tower
Read more here: http://www.romanticasheville.com/wayah_bald.htm

Hikers Anchor, his wife Ms Cattywampus, and Out On A Limb

I sat in almost this exact spot in 2007

Panorama looking South East from the fire tower


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