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tndude
06-11-2015, 15:54
I’m doing a hike next week from Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge Bald while the rhododendrons are blooming. I thought about continuing past the summit to the cliffs and hike all the way to Big Yellow Mountain and back. I’ve have looked all over online to see if there is a trail and/or old road to follow but I can’t find anything. I’m pretty sure there is a manway down to the saddle before the climb to Big Yellow but not too sure after that. Does anybody know if this is possible or is this a bushwhack?

Pete
Kingsport TN

Tennessee Viking
06-11-2015, 16:20
Grassy Ridge Bald and its cliffs are easy to get to. Walk past the marker to the sandle. Then you kind of have to push through heavy rodo growth to reach the cliffs. I have eaten lunch there and took some pano pics.

For Big Yellow, there is an old trail/road that leads to the top in the fields before Little Hump. Its hard to find if the grass is up. But SAHC highly discourages unguided traffic to the top. But they offer guided hikes

tndude
06-11-2015, 16:30
I just realized I got my Yellow Mountains confused. :-) I meant "Little" Yellow Mountain. Once past the cliffs at the end of Grassy Ridge, is it possible to make it to Little Yellow Mountain?


Grassy Ridge Bald and its cliffs are easy to get to. The cliffs you kind of have to push through heavy rodo growth to reach it. At lunch there and took some pano pics.

For Big Yellow, there is an old trail/road that leads to the top in the fields before Little Hump. But SAHC highly discourages unguided traffic to the top. They offer guided hikes to the top.

The Solemates
06-11-2015, 16:34
it aint hard. theres a trail. heck theres a house basically on the summit

The Solemates
06-11-2015, 16:36
little yellow is even easier to get to than big yellow

The Solemates
06-11-2015, 16:37
http://amongnature.blogspot.com/2013/01/roan-highlands-tn.html

tndude
06-11-2015, 16:42
This is the summit I'm talking about. Not sure if there is a trail connecting this and Grassy Ridge.

http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=18556



little yellow is even easier to get to than big yellow

tndude
06-11-2015, 16:43
That was an awesome trip report!!


http://amongnature.blogspot.com/2013/01/roan-highlands-tn.html

Tennessee Viking
06-12-2015, 07:47
Here is a couple pics. The cliffs are on the very left.

https://goo.gl/photos/QxQ1H8U8E1uQbu9M7
https://goo.gl/photos/5JifK71LLUzvVkos5

As I recall the Grassy Ridge path ends at the cliffs. Its essentially a steep drop from there. Little Yellow should be the next high ridge to the south of Grassy Ridge across the valley floor.

From what I have heard SAHC has bought Little Yellow Mountain with the intention of donating to the NC Park system as a nature preserve. From Google Earth, there looks to be an old road up to the top.

tndude
06-12-2015, 16:19
Thanks. I hiked to those cliffs with my daughter in 2013 and I remember running into a hiking group along the way. They said they were hiking pass those cliffs on Grassy Ridge and make the steep descent down to the saddle below Little Yellow Mountain. From there the were taking an old road to connect with Roaring Creek Road where they had a car waiting to shuttle them back to Carvers Gap.

I'm attempting and out and back hike from Carvers Gap all the way to Little Yellow Mountain on Monday (10 miles round trip). I'll post back with a report for future reference.

Pete


Here is a couple pics. The cliffs are on the very left.

https://goo.gl/photos/QxQ1H8U8E1uQbu9M7
https://goo.gl/photos/5JifK71LLUzvVkos5

As I recall the Grassy Ridge path ends at the cliffs. Its essentially a steep drop from there. Little Yellow should be the next high ridge to the south of Grassy Ridge across the valley floor.

From what I have heard SAHC has bought Little Yellow Mountain with the intention of donating to the NC Park system as a nature preserve. From Google Earth, there looks to be an old road up to the top.

The Solemates
06-12-2015, 21:57
This is the summit I'm talking about. Not sure if there is a trail connecting this and Grassy Ridge.

http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=18556

yea i guess i was thinking of the cliffs at grassy ridge. i'm sure what you are proposing is doable with a little effort. would love to hear your trip report!

tndude
06-30-2015, 14:33
I realized I forgot to follow up on this. I was unable to do the complete hike but got most of it done in pieces.

I’ve got my trip reports posted online at Ramblr. http://user.ramblr.com/tndude I did two hikes on the 15th and one on the 18th.

Basically I started down after the cliffs on Grassy Ridge but the trail died out and I wasn’t prepared for a bushwhack so I turned around and headed back.

Later that day I drove up to the end of Jerry’s Creek Road which branches off Roaring Creek Road. This is SAHC land. From there I was able to make the ridge line at Grassy Gap. The view here was incredible with Roan and Grassy Ridge towering over me.

There is a fence at the gap marked private property. All those nice trails you see on Google Earth is on private property unfortunately but as long as you stay on the east side of you the fence your fine.

From Grassy Gap if you head south following the fence, there is an extremely rough overgrown path that in a little less than a mile, leads to the top of Little Yellow Mountain and I was able to make that summit. If you head north, you can also follow a rough path along the fence to the base of Grassy Ridge. This path has terrific views of Big Yellow Mountain and Grandfather Mountain along the way. I followed this trail and made it about half a mile below the cliffs on Grassy Ridge where I was earlier that morning.

The missing link on trying to hike from Carver’s Gap to Little Yellow Mountain is a half gap on the side of Grassy Ridge. There might be a path there and I missed it somehow. Who knows.

The Solemates
06-30-2015, 16:54
nice...enjoyed your site!

Dogwood
06-30-2015, 17:48
http://amongnature.blogspot.com/2013/01/roan-highlands-tn.html


Postcard - The Fence to nowhere pic.

Liked the caption 'This was not a black and white photo by the way. It was fairly grey to put it mildly.'

rocketsocks
06-30-2015, 17:58
Postcard - The Fence to nowhere pic.

Liked the caption 'This was not a black and white photo by the way. It was fairly grey to put it mildly.'
Beautiful pictures.

The Solemates
06-30-2015, 21:12
Hey thanks guys!