Experience North Carolina's Mountains
Late winter/early spring in the mountains is a wildly varying time of year with highs in the 80s and freak snowstorms. One pleasantly warm day we went for a hike with my mom up in Panthertown. Panthertown is a lovely piece of National Forest land straddling the border of Jackson and Transylvania counties. Called by…
The closest hike to the cabins is High Falls on the north side of Lake Glenville. It is also my favorite hike in the Cashiers / Glenville area, taking you down to a stunning box canyon with a double drop waterfall. The lakeside entrance to the waterfall was put in only a few years ago…
While the NC mountains are colder than most of the south, the weather is still pretty mild in comparison with the rest of the country. So when temps drop to the single digits, we hunker down, let our faucets drip, and dream of summer. But there is one perk to the extreme cold: frozen waterfalls….
The end of fall in the mountains spells an end to the tourist season. But what the average visitor doesn’t realize are the many spectacular secrets that the cooler weather reveals. Crystal clear vistas and hidden views, fall and winter around Lake Glenville are a reward for the off season traveler. Once such stunning cold…
We have had an interesting start to Fall at Lake Glenville. Duke Energy has lowered the lake extra low this year (a planned 16 feet) in order to fix up the Pines Recreation Area at the northern end near the dam. Lake Glenville is always lowered after Labor Day, but this is the lowest the…
Grouse are remarkable at camouflage. This NC spring they are quite plentiful if you know where to look. I have a friend who works for the Forestry service who says he has seen at least 20 this spring. My Dear Husband was out and about this week around Lake Glenville and found a grouse waiting…
Although the Glenville and Cashiers, NC areas are a tourist destination, some local residents still farm and raise cattle. Today I photographed some of the barns (mostly abandoned) on Cullowhee Mountain Road. This road goes from Lake Glenville down to Speedwell and Cullowhee, home of Western Carolina University. NC barn architecture is quite varied. Some…
River otters are elusive creatures, but they do live at Lake Glenville. I took a short walk to the dam in 8 inches of snow, quite difficult without snowshoes! After admiring the snow covered hills and mountains as well as the lake shore I started trudging back home through the snow. I decided to walk…
After a spate of freezing weather, it finally warmed up for a nice long hike. Mike and I hiked in Panthertown, next to Glenville and Cashiers, NC, for the afternoon. Panthertown is a gorgeous and huge valley full of trails and views very popular with hikers and mountain bikers alike. I have hiked here a…