Grandfather Mountain

After a long week at work, Trev and I decided we needed a little slice of good ol' mother nature. We visited, and conquered, Grandfather Mountain - the highest point in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

At the entrance to the park we were told that the weather today included gusts of wind up to 80 miles an hour. The skies were clear and blue with temperatures of 38-40. However, the wind chill brought the temp down to a very brisk 10 degrees!! Buuurrrrr! The first thing on our agenda was to see the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The 228 ft suspension bridge spans the 80 ft chasm between the visitors center and Linville Peak. Due to the strong wind, the bridge did sway a bit but we had some great views on the other side!

After the bridge, we headed toward the trail heads to do some hiking. We opted for The Grandfather Trail. It's 2.4 miles of spruce and fir trees, jagged rocks, and ridiculously steep escarpments that take you to the top of Calloway Peak.

Along the way, there are ladders and cables in place to use to climb the rock faces. They are very helpful, but they certainly do not make the journey less scary!

The last two pictures are taken at the summit. As you can see, there are times when you literally have to hug the rocks to make it around the edge of the jutting cliffs. The wind was howling, the temperature was frigid and the view made it all worth while!