NBH Tip: Alum Cave Bluff Trail is one of the most popular routes to Mt LeConte Lodge, the only private lodge located within the park, so plan ahead if you want to stay in the rustic cabins.

Rainbow Falls: [May 1996] The 2.7 mile (5.4 miles round trip) trail to Rainbow Falls is a steady, gradual climb, which gains 1,750 feet, ending at the base of a water spill that plunges nearly 80 feet over the lip of a rocky outcrop. I must say, that Rainbow Falls is not one of the most impressive waterfalls, but the hike itself is scenic, and the falls are beautiful in their own way—the area also makes for a great picnic spot. As we set out on this moderately steep trail, I remember thinking that it would be a piece of cake, but I was pretty winded for most of the hike. The fact that the climb is rather rocky and relentless, combined with the altitude, can make this a very challenging trek. Along the way, you will be rewarded with the sights and sounds of the Leconte Creek, as the trail follows the stream for about one mile, allowing plenty of opportunities to walk down to the water. The stream, which flows beautifully over large moss covered boulders, is bordered by thick growth rhododendron and many hardwood species—you will see hemlock, mountain laurel, and buckeye, among others, on this hike through the forest. The last couple of miles to the falls afford a more gradual incline, as you walk along the shoulder of Mount LeConte, giving you more of an opportunity to enjoy your surroundings. On your way to the falls, you will cross LeConte Creek via footlogs three times, after the second crossing, the cliff where the falls is located will come into view. The third crossing brings you to a great view of Rainbow Falls, as it mistily plunges 80 feet from the cliff, sunlight refracting through this mist often creates a rainbow—hence the name of the falls. At this point, you can end your hike, or you can continue on to Mount LeConte.

Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail: [June 2003] This 2.6 mile roundtrip hike is located off Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail at stop #5. We began our hike on a misty/foggy morning in June of 2003, the fog adding a mystical appearance to the old-growth forest we were about to enter. Towering Hemlock, beech, and maple breathe life into the forest, while those that are dying get their trunk worked over by Pileated Woodpeckers—everything serves a purpose in nature. The trail rises steadily through a classic Smokies atmosphere—lush forest, trickling mountain streams strewn with boulders, and ridgeline views abound. When you come to the creek crossings be sure to look around for salamanders, if the weather is warm they can be spotted basking on the rocks. After about a mile, the trail rounds a ridge and the sound of the cascading water becomes persistently louder, this is the Roaring Fork living up to its name, as it makes its way down from Mt. LeConte to Gatlinburg. Soon a downhill section leads you to Grotto Falls, a graceful 20 foot plume in a wonderful setting of large boulders and rosebay rhododendron, take your time here and explore around the waterfall—you can even walk behind the falling water into the grotto.

NBH Tip: Remember to bring a tripod on your hike in order to take some slow shutter shots of the waterfall—cloudy days work best for these shots. Also, be careful of the stream crossings in rainy weather, because they can be difficult, especially if the water level is high. In order to avoid crowds start your hike early, this trail is popular and keep in mind that this is the route used by the llamas, twice weekly, to carry supplies to Mt. LeConte.

 

Juney Whank Falls Trail: [June 2003] This short trail, at just 0.6 miles roundtrip, leads to a nice waterfall—complete with a footbridge below the upper drop of this two-tiered falls. In order to get to the trailhead, head for Bryson City, NC and then follow the signs to the Deep Creek Campground. Immediately, the trail climbs steeply up a rocky slope, before descending to the waterfall. You can also continue up the trail where you will eventually link up to the Deep Creek Trail, we hiked a little ways in on this path but quickly became bored and turned around since there really wasn’t much to look at, plus, it was a horse trail and you know what that means…land mines. The day we hiked, there were several orange lilies blooming along the Juney Whank Falls Trail, which made it more scenic, but the waterfall itself is definitely the highlight.

NBH Tip: The trail follows the Juney Whank Branch upstream for a short ways, then it turns left away from the stream, climbs to an unmarked junction with a bridle path coming in from the left— stay to the right, and continue climbing up the old roadbed. You will soon pass another side-trail bearing off to your right, continue to stay left, heading uphill. Once you are at the top of the hill, Juney Whank Falls is clearly visible just ahead, now all that is left to do is hike down the path that leads to the footbridge and enjoy the waterfall.

 

Laurel Falls-Cove Mountain: [June 2003] There are two different destinations on this single out and back trail, you can choose to hike 2.6 miles roundtrip to Laurel Falls, or the full 8.2 miles roundtrip to the top of Cove Mountain. Most people who venture out on this trail make it only as far as the falls, but if you continue on, you will be rewarded with solitude and excellent views of an old-growth forest. The trail to the waterfall is so popular that the park has had to pave the trail, an unfortunate necessity, but just keep looking up and you won’t notice it too much. After hiking 1.3 miles along the paved trail, you will reach the 60 foot cascade of Laurel Falls, where you can stop and cool your feet if you wish. Past the falls, the trail returns to wilderness, leaving the pavement behind, and you will notice immediately that the trail is not used all that much—grasses and plants are getting eager to overtake the trail and they brush against your legs as you walk by. Don’t get me wrong, the trail is still very well maintained, you can just tell it is less traveled, making for a nice escape. The five of us had made great time hiking to the waterfall, where we paused for awhile to soak in the scenery and snap some photos, then we continued uphill towards Cove Mountain. Pacer and Berg led the way, with Pick and Dauster right on their heels, each of us pausing several times to get a closer look at some unique wildlife—snails, millipedes, red-spotted newts, butterflies, birds, and moths all make their home among the showy flame azalea, mountain laurel, and rhododendron. The air was humid and warm and a fog had set in near the top of the mountain adding an ethereal quality to the forest, in fact, petals of various colors had fallen from above to decorate the path with natural confetti that only added to the mystical quality. At the top of Cove Mountain you won’t find any spectacular views, but there is an old fire-tower at the summit that is worth a look (no climbing though), so don’t expect any great panoramic vistas. What you can expect, is a fun hike through a lovely forest, complete with a gorgeous waterfall.

NBH Tip: Like most trails in the Great Smoky Mountains, Laurel Falls/Cove Mountain Trail can get crowded, especially as far as the falls, so get up early and avoid the masses. In addition, the magical light of early morning will provide a better opportunity in which to see wildlife—two reasons to get out there early.

 

Andrews Bald via Forney Ridge Trail: [June 2003] The hike to Andrews Bald is 3.6 miles roundtrip from the Clingmans Dome parking area, via the Forney Ridge Trail. We first attempted to hike this trail on the afternoon of  June 28, 2003—arriving at the trailhead on a rainy, overcast day at which point we decided today was not the day for this hike. We headed back down the mountain to the valley, and better weather, and hiked Juney Whank Falls instead, but the next day we got up early, determined to try it again. The next day, June 29, turned out to be much more cooperative and the view from Clingmans was the clearest I have ever seen. The five of us (Pick, Dauster, Berg, Pacer, and Weisey) set off down the rocky trail at 9:00am—the trail was damp and slippery in spots, thanks to the rain the day before, but that did not slow us down. Although, you will find that it takes longer to hike the 1.8 miles out to the bald then you might expect, this is because you really have to choose your steps wisely, otherwise the rockiness of the trail could easily lead to a twisted ankle. It took us an hour to get out to Andrews, but along the way we were treated with insane displays of blooming Catawba rhododendron, flame azalea, and mountain laurel. At an elevation of almost 5,800 feet, Andrews is the highest grass bald in the park, and one of the easiest to get to, so don’t miss the opportunity. The trail also offers great views of the mountain range, and it can’t be beat for flower displays in late June. Our roundtrip hiking time was 2 hours, with a stop of about 20 minutes at Andrews Bald.

NBH Tip: Following the Forney Ridge Trail is rather straight forward, since there are only two intersections encountered on this trail and you take the left fork, on the way to the bald, at both junctions. Also, this is a great trail for bird watchers—the Winter Wren, warblers, Veery, and Dark-eyed Junco can all be seen along the trail.

 

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Skyline Trail: [August 1996] The Skyline Trail begins at the Paradise Visitor Center, climbing steeply to 6800 feet, an elevation gain of 1400 feet in 2.5 miles. This 5 mile loop will take the average hiker about 3 hours, providing along the way, excellent views of the Tatoosh Range and an up-close look at Mount Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier. The day we hiked the Skyline Trail, we had an awesome encounter with a brown bear, which crossed the trail about 30 feet in front of us. The bear was rather nonchalant about the whole thing, but we, on the other hand, were extremely excited! Thankfully, even amid all of the excitement, Pick managed to take a spectacular photo of our friend the bear—it really is nice to have a great wildlife photographer as a friend!

NBH Tip: If you are privileged enough to see animals on this, or any trail, please remember to keep your distance and respect the wildlife! That means don't chase them down in order to get a photo of them—good photographs can be taken from respectful distances with proper lenses, or you could get lucky and have the wildlife pass right in front of you!

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Whiteoak Canyon Falls Trail: [August 1986] Whiteoak Canyon Falls Trail was one of our first out-of-state hikes, completed back in 1986 when we were just young kids, and it was even strenuous with all of our youthful stamina. The trail is 6.0 miles roundtrip, starting at the trailhead located at mile marker 42.6 on Skyline Drive, across from the Skyland Lodge. Whiteoak Canyon has been called the "scenic gem" of Shenandoah, which is a drastic understatement. The canyon is a place of wild beauty, a shady refuge of boulders and tall trees, of cascades and pools and sheer rock walls, and a steep gorge with six waterfalls. The first of the six falls is Whiteoak Falls #1, which cascades nearly 86 feet down a rock face into the canyon, affording great views for the hiking enthusiast. The falls is reached after a 2.3 mile hike, and once you reach the first falls, you will notice that there are some great rock outcroppings, which are perfect for a picnic or just a rest. This rest will come in handy, because the hike out of the canyon takes some serious effort, climbing nearly 1,040 feet back to the road. Even though this trail can be strenuous, it will be well worth the effort, especially since there is beauty everywhere you look.

NBH Tip: The waterfalls along this trail are beautiful not because they are tall, but because they cascade down the rocky canyon for what seems like forever. In addition, the forest contains old growth Hemlock and ferns that cover the rocky ground, making for a wildly beautiful hike. Lastly, be sure to get a photo on one of the cliffs near the upper falls, which have a great backdrop of the Whiteoak Canyon Falls one way, and the Shenandoah forest in the other direction.

 

Iao Valley State Park, Maui, Hawaii

Iao Needle Overlook and Botanical Garden: [June 1999] Iao Valley, a spiritual center and sacred site, is home to Kukaemoku, commonly known as the Iao Needle—a moss covered 2,250-foot basalt pillar that rises 1,200 feet above the valley floor. The Needle towers over the Iao Stream, surrounded by the steep walls of the Pu'u Kukui Crater. The Iao Needle Overlook, the focal point of the trail, is a roofed pavilion with benches perched on a ridge-top overlooking the town of Wailuku and Kahului Harbor, the Iao Valley, the steep crater walls, and the Iao Needle. In order to reach the overlook, hike up the paved path past the restrooms towards the bridge crossing Iao Stream, but before crossing, hike the interpretive nature trail to the left, which leads through the botanical garden. After hiking through the gardens amid heliconia and birds of paradise, return to the paved trail near the bridge—cross the bridge and curve left until you reach a fork in the trail. Take the right fork, the left fork leads to the Streamside Trail, which leads up to the overlook. Ascend over a hundred steps until you reach the end of the trail and the Overlook Shelter—0.3 miles from the start of the hike. Once at the Overlook Shelter you can marvel at the views of the Iao Valley and the Iao Needle, take you time here and then return via the way you came for a roundtrip hike of 0.6 miles—making this one of the easier rewarding hikes on Maui.

NBH Tip: The Iao (ee-ow) Valley State Park can get very crowded, so to avoid the masses plan to visit early in the morning.