Magical Mystical Mountain

Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: Winter 2024 | Photograph By: Chris Tranchina

While hiking in winter requires a bit more preparation in terms of checking weather conditions, making sure enough – and the right – clothing is layered, and food for fuel and water for hydration are packed, stunning sights can be expected. Especially when hiking to summits and balds, conditions are known to be completely different than on the ascent.

Such was the case recently when a group achieved Cheoah Bald as the last in a 12-month hiking challenge dubbed “Walking with Bartram.” Cheoah Bald, just outside Macon County in Swain County, is considered the northern terminus of the Bartram Trail, which begins on the South Carolina/N. Georgia state line and continues 110 miles over Rabun Bald, Scaly Mountain, and White Rock – to name a few – and finishes at Cheoah Bald above the Nantahala River.

It’s a mountain that’s also traversed by the Appalachian Trail; thus, thousands of thru-hikers (Georgia to Maine) annually stand and marvel at what seem like endless views.

And, on a manageably clear cold day just before Christmas, a group of a dozen hikers enjoyed not only those astound-ingly beautiful vistas, but also a Narnia-like crystal wonderland section – just before the precipice. Indeed, the hikers approached a switchback and gasped as hoarfrost covered trees and native plants. The icy, white casing caused by the phenomenon provided a visual treat perhaps even more magical than a blanket of snow – due to the bright sunlight reflecting off the small but erect crystals.

And then, to add to the experience, shavings of the crystals detached from the trees and floated and swirled around us to present the allusion of snow. The slight crystals caught the sun’s rays as they glided slowly. Topping that experience was viewing the completely hoarfrost-covered peaks surrounding Cheoah Bald.

“Hoar,” pronounced like another word with ugly connotations, originated as an old English word that describes the appearance of the frost, which, when viewed up close, resembles stiff, white hair – as in an elderly man’s beard. The frost forms as a result of specific climatic conditions, primarily when moisture near the ground rises on cold, clear nights and settles on trees and vegetation.

Winter hikers can expect to find not only hoarfrost, but snow-covered settings when they explore the accessible moun-taintops over the next few months.

But Cheoah Bald is bucket-list worthy for hikers for a number of reasons. Not only can hikers imagine what it must have been like for famed 18th century explorer and botanist William Bartram to end his many-months mountainous journey in this area, but they can also imagine all the American Indian (mostly Cherokee) activity that took place here. Natives gravitated to the area due to available fishing in the Nantahala River (fly fisherman were out in droves on a Monday that cold hiking morning), but also because of available hunting opportunities in these Smoky Mountains.

Most importantly, the view from over 5,000-feet elevation is worth the climb.

There are a few options to reach Cheoah Bald. One is the way the Walking with Bartram group chose; it is listed on AllTrails as “Bartram Trail: Beechertown to Cheoah Bald.” This is a 12.6-mile hike, out and back. Another way listed on AllTrails is “Cheoah Bald via Appalachian Trail,” which picks up near Robbinsville.” This is 10.7-mile hike, out and back. Simply follow the directions and download the map on AllTrails and Gaia GPS. And leave plenty of time to complete these long hikes, especially with the winter days being shorter.

However, a connection with a forest service employee may garner an op-portunity for the gate to be unlocked on the forest road that leads closer to the Cheoah Bald peak. Thus, the climb from the end of the forest service road is only about a mile and a half to the top of Cheoah Bald.

Although the full hike is challenging, it is doable for anyone who is at least some-what fit. Hikers in the before-Christmas hike ranged in age from 40s to 70s.

For individuals who desire to experience Cheoah Bald, as well as many other amazing hiking opportunities on the Bartram Trail, they can reserve a spot for the monthly Walking with Bartram hikes that begin again this month (January 2024) and continue through the end of the year. Each hike is broken up into generally five to 10-mile sections, with hikes primarily led by outdoor enthusiast and Alarka Expedition co-founder Brent Martin, who is also the director of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy. Sign up for hikes by visiting blueridge-bartram.org/events.

Happy winter hiking!