It's been just over a year since my wife's career took us from Portland to Johnson City, TN. I knew nothing about this part of the country but quickly discovered I could get to multiple Appalachian Trail trailheads in less than 30 minutes. What follows is a smattering of the hikes I've done through the past year. Nearly all of these are on the AT. While I miss the taller peaks and the winter snowpack; I appreciate uncrowded trails and plenty of parking spots at trailheads. I won't mention "humidity" in case it's listening and becomes angered. It's about a 2 hour drive to Smoky Mountains National Park where some of these photos are from, the rest are all less than an hours drive, some are right on the edge of town.
Reading trip reports has really helped me adjust to living out of the PNW for the first time at nearly age 40. Your posts are appreciated!
AT at Roan Mountain over 6,000 ft. in elevation.
AT south of the Nolichuky in July.
Same place as the above photo, but in March.
A CCC built fire tower in the city owned park at Bay's Mountain.
Laurel Falls, on the AT.
Rocky ridge near the AT above Erwin.
We spent a couple days in Smoky Mountain National Park in early November.
Overmountain Shelter on the AT. Sadly no longer safe for hikers to camp in.
Beauty Spot on at the AT
Pinnacle Mountain Lookout. Very close to town.
CCC Built Mount Cammerer Lookout in the Smokey Mountains.
Big Bald on the AT, early June.
Portland Hiker Moved East
Portland Hiker Moved East
"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe."
Re: Portland Hiker Moved East
Hey Danny, cool to see what it looks like over there. Very different from the PNW but very beautiful.
#pnw #bestlife #bitingflies #favoriteyellowcap #neverdispleased
Re: Portland Hiker Moved East
This is great to see. I did some backpacking in North Carolina about 10 years ago and it was WAY cooler than I expected. The hardwood forest and the exquisite sculpted rock formations and streams really impressed me. I was wondering if hiking was catching on out there, so cool you confirmed the trailheads are empty. I’ve thought about moving over there honestly. Affordable housing and no hiking crowds sounds pretty good. I just wonder about the ticks.
Re: Portland Hiker Moved East
Thanks for your post. Having grown up in New England, I enjoyed your photos of the Appalachians. There's a subtle beauty in the well-worn landscape that is quite different from the young and raw Cascades.
This is quite different from New England, at least northern NE. In central NH there's a small rocky peak overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee called Mt. Major. It's similar to Angel's Rest in length and character, and local popularity. It has a huge parking lot -- probably 3 times larger than the Angel's Rest lots (main and overflow) combined, and on summer weekends it's completely full. I'm sure there are trails you can choose to find solitude, but hiking is definitely pretty popular out there.I appreciate uncrowded trails and plenty of parking spots at trailheads
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Re: Portland Hiker Moved East
I’m a native Oregonian who moved to Tennessee awhile back. I’m not as far as East as you, rather in middle Tennessee, south of Nashville . Anyway, looks like you found some of the good spots! Be sure to check out the Mt. Rogers area also if you haven’t already.