Camping on Grassy Ridge?

[MOWGLI]

I will be doing a small section with my wife and daughter this weekend and am torn between camping at Grassy Ridge (Roan Highlands) the first night, or hiking on to Yellow Mountain Gap or Bradley Gap.

Everything I've looked at indicates Grasy Ridge would be a great place to tent camp. Any thoughts? How are the ticks on these balds in June?

Thanks in advance...

[Moon Monster]

I don't think there's any water up there, so hump some up (not too far from the road anyway). It's a grand spot, though it can get windy at the summit. Do make sure you go up to the summit (a lot of AT hikers never take this side-trail, but it's one of only two naturally ocurring 360 deg. vistas above 6,000 feet in the East. (Black Balsam Knob is the other, someone correct me if there's a third). I think you can find some flat ground to set-up. I've been there in June and not gotten any ticks, but they do exist in the area and it is grassy, though diseases from ticks are rare in the south anyway. The Humps will look so small from the top, you'll think they'll be no big deal!

[oyvay]

I agree Grassy Ridge could get real windy, Overmountain shelter isn't to far past GR. About 1.8 miles past the first small shelter (Stan Murray) which is only about 2 miles or so past GR. It's a HUGE old barn overlooking a beautiful valley, tons of places to tent too. If the weather is too good you might be sluggish in the morning 'cause the sunrises there are excellent!
Happy Hiking!

[MOWGLI]

I agree Grassy Ridge could get real windy, Overmountain shelter isn't to far past GR. About 1.8 miles past the first small shelter (Stan Murray) which is only about 2 miles or so past GR. It's a HUGE old barn overlooking a beautiful valley, tons of places to tent too. If the weather is too good you might be sluggish in the morning 'cause the sunrises there are excellent!
Happy Hiking!

Thanks. I just spoke to photographer Jerry Greer in Johnson City. The weekend looks ripe for thunder boomers in the afternoon, and as a result, he suggested the Overmountain Shelter too. Last thing I want to do is get caught on a 6000' bald in a hellacious electrical storm. The older I get - the older I wanna get. Plus, there's the little matter of my wife and daughter along for the hike.

[NotYet]

but it's one of only two naturally ocurring 360 deg. vistas above 6,000 feet in the East. (Black Balsam Knob is the other, someone correct me if there's a third).

Tennent Mountain is just north of Black Balsam on the Art Loeb Trail, and it, too, is over 6000ft. I've always enjoyed the view from there even more than the one from Black Balsam. Another 360 degree view in the same area is Sam Knob which is just to the west of Black Balsam and a short hike from the Black Balsam parking lot. My map shows that this bald is also over 6000ft.

Grassy Ridge is really great...try to go there if you can!

[NotYet]

My husband just mentioned to me that there is a mountain on private land called Catawba Bald over in the Fines Creek, NC area...we don't know if it is currently a bald or if it has a view of any sort (as I said, it's private) but it's possible that is fits the criteria...it's over 6000ft.

Also, if the buildings weren't in the way, Mt. Washington would, of course, have a naturally occurring 360 view.

[Stoker53]

I don't think there's any water up there, so hump some up (not too far from the road anyway). It's a grand spot, though it can get windy at the summit. Do make sure you go up to the summit (a lot of AT hikers never take this side-trail, but it's one of only two naturally ocurring 360 deg. vistas above 6,000 feet in the East. (Black Balsam Knob is the other, someone correct me if there's a third). I think you can find some flat ground to set-up. I've been there in June and not gotten any ticks, but they do exist in the area and it is grassy, though diseases from ticks are rare in the south anyway. The Humps will look so small from the top, you'll think they'll be no big deal!

There is a good water source on the NE side of Grassy Ridge about 100 yds down a well worn side trail. Camping on the very top is dicey for sure in a storm. Besides that there are signs prohibiting camping in most of the old tent sites on top.

To get to great campsites and the water take the trail heading SE across the bald. In approx a 1/4 mi you will reach a small clearing in the saddle between the top and where the ridge drops sharply into NC. Several tent sites here and many others scattered in the rhody. To reach the trail to water turn L off the trail from the summit in the open saddle. Trail goes straight down the hill most of the way to water. Spring will be on your L. Good water.

Continuing on the trial away from the summit about a 1/4 mile there are very nice overlooks that have a great sunrise view.

Flower Gap at Shinning Rock this is my favorite place to tent camp......Grassy Ridge is a close 2nd.

[Moon Monster]

Tennent Mountain is just north of Black Balsam on the Art Loeb Trail, and it, too, is over 6000ft. I've always enjoyed the view from there even more than the one from Black Balsam. Another 360 degree view in the same area is Sam Knob which is just to the west of Black Balsam and a short hike from the Black Balsam parking lot. My map shows that this bald is also over 6000ft.

Grassy Ridge is really great...try to go there if you can!

Good calls. Honestly, I was never sure what criteria was pinned on the 2 natural 360 deg. vistas above 6,000'. I heard that figure from a Southeast Above 6000 coordinator from the Carolina Mountain Club. I figure that he qualified the views as having some air mile distance between them and the next higher point. So, Sam Knob would have its two summits interfering with each other. (I love this mountain for it's vantage between so many of the other peaks in the area). I don't know why Tennent would not count to him, maybe because it's too close to the higher BBK?

Good to know about Catawba Bald. It's not in the USGS GNIS, but I'll try to find it on the quads.

[MOWGLI]

Very interesting info. Great read - great thread. We'll at least give the summit of Grassy Ridge a try - unless its booming already or crashing in the distance.