Ramblin' With Dan Blog Post #1: Isle of Skye, Whistler, Great Smokies, and Yellowstone
ADG is proud to include regular posts by our buddy Daniel S. Pierce. Here is the first in our new series... enjoy!
“I have never been lost but I was bewildered once for three days.”
― Daniel Boone
I’ve been thinking about a project to keep me occupied in retirement and exercise my writing chops (such as they are). In thinking about a topic, I considered things I know a little about and hit on one of the things I enjoy the most, pointing folks toward great hikes. I’m fortunate to live in a veritable mecca of hiking in Western North Carolina and can walk out my door and hit the trail to a dozen great excursions. I’ve also been privileged to travel pretty extensively in the U.S. and abroad and have hiked some incredible trails along the way.
The quote I opened this blog article with comes from one of my favorite historical figures. It's one of my favorite quotes, one I’ve frequently used. Those who know me know that, well, my hikes, like those of Daniel Boone, often turn into adventures. I’ve been bewildered more than once, for sure, and have often found myself in the thick of a rhododendron “hell,” trying to figure out how to negotiate a steep cliff or extremely tight slot canyon, or in the midst of a hailstorm with no cover in sight. As I frequently tell my wife Lydia—my favorite and most frequent hiking companion—a little blood is just a sign that you’re having a good time.
I’m especially excited to collaborate once again with ADG on this blog. A number of the hikes I will highlight are ones done with ADG folks, especially Joel Anderson. Joel and I have collaborated on two books—Illustrated Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Illustrated Guide to the Grand Circle. In addition, our family loves ADG products. Our homes are full of their artwork and I, and members of my family, appear in several of their national park posters, especially ones related to the Great Smokies. We’ve also got plenty of books, hats, socks, puzzles and other ADG products that we enjoy.
Here's hoping that this blog inspires you to head out on a trail and that you experience some of the fun and adventure I have experienced, and little or none of the misadventure. And I hope you are occasionally bewildered, but never lost.
My Favorite Hikes...
The Quiraing Walk – Isle of Skye, Scotland
While the movies were not filmed here, if you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you’ll love this place. There have been a number of other movies filmed here, including one of the Transformer offerings. Quiraing is a magical place on a peninsula on the Isle of Skye that juts out into the Sea of the Hebrides. Wikipedia describes it as: “. . . a craterous hollow surrounded by a high rampart of rock.[2] Within the hollow is a raised plateau the size of a football field, known as the Table. Other distinctive features of the landscape are the Needle, a jagged pinnacle rising to 120 feet (37 m), and the Prison, a mass of rock resembling a medieval keep.”
The best way to hike this is as a loop of about 4 miles. You can either start to the right and go through the hollow first or go to the left and climb up to the plateau. The hollow puts you into this ethereal landscape that just reminds you of something ancient. The plateau gives you spectacular 360 degree views of the sea, the coastline, and of Skye itself. Do stay back from the edge as it’s a 500’ drop down into the hollow. I got yelled at by both my wife and daughter, Anna Clare, for getting too close. It’s an unforgettable place and I can’t wait to get back. Check out ADG's Scotland poster art and vintage travel art for travel inspiration.
High Note Trail – Whistler, British Columbia
I did this trail two years ago in July with my family and I've been raving about it ever since. On a clear summer’s day the views from the High Note redefine the meaning of “spectacular.” The first part of the trail features views down into the Whistler Valley and the Whistler ski slopes. As you wind around the top of the mountain, however, you get views of Cheakamus Lake and the surrounding mountains that literally take your breath away. I’ll never forget stopping along the trail and lunching while enveloped in such a spectacular environment. The wildflowers that surrounded us made the experience even better.
In order to access the High Note you need to take a couple of gondola rides from Whistler Village. The rides are a bit pricey, but the payoff makes it worth it. The trail is only open from late June/early July to late September. The trail is challenging, but doesn’t really involve a lot of climbing. We hiked the trail counter-clockwise and locals say that’s the best way to do it and maximize your viewing pleasure. ADG has lots of Canada poster art and travel art to get you excited about a trip of your own!
Raven Fork – Great Smoky Mountains National Park
I have to include at least one hike in the Great Smoky Mountains in this first batch of “favorites” as I’ve spent so much time here and written four books on the Smokies. The first two hikes I covered in this article are ridge-top, open hikes with nary a tree on either, but each featuring spectacular views. Conversely, there are no sweeping vistas on the Raven Fork hike and you are literally enveloped in big trees. The hike itself originates on the Straight Fork Road, which starts at the end of Big Cove Road in the Qualla Boundary, the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The trail immediately climbs two miles through a beautiful cove hardwood forest, littered with rushing streams. It then descends one mile down through an old-growth forest of giant tulip (poplar) trees, oaks, maples, beeches, and silver bells. One of the unique aspects of this trail, especially near the bottom, are the little gardens of epiphytes (mosses, algae, lichens, and ferns) growing on branch junctions of many of the big trees. It’s what one would expect in a rainforest, and technically the Raven Fork Gorge would qualify as such.
I love the hike in, but the big attraction on this trail is Raven Fork itself. You hear this stream long before you see it and when you finally do see it you know why it is so loud. This stretch of Raven Fork is composed of huge boulders creating plunge pool after plunge pool. You’ve probably never seen anything like it. There are innumerable great swimming holes here and the fishing for native speckled trout is excellent. It’s a great place to put up a hammock and let the sound of the stream lull you to sleep.
There’s a suspension bridge over Raven Fork and a small backcountry campsite on the other side, but perhaps the greatest part of a visit to Raven Fork is that, unlike the previous two hikes, you probably won’t see another soul. In fact, I’m hesitant to tell folks about it so as to keep the place to myself!
It’s not a hard day hike and going back out you get to head downhill for the last two miles. I can’t recommend this trail enough. It’s ideal on a hot summer’s day. And I’d recommend starting the day off early with breakfast at Peter’s Pancakes and Waffles in Cherokee, one of my favorite breakfast spots.
(Note: This version of the trail description adds about three miles to the trip.)
ADG has produced over 30 original posters and vintage art designs of the Smokies, so check out the collection to find inspiration for your own trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
Pebble Creek – Yellowstone National Park
This is probably my wife Lydia’s favorite hike. In this section I describe an 8-mile, out-and-back hike, but you can also do it as a 12-mile shuttle hike. This is another hike that does not feature lofty, panoramic views but rather a vast, high mountain meadow. The hike is great any time the trail is not snowbound, but if you really want the best experience, July/August plus this trail has to equal one of the most beautiful places on Earth. After a two-mile climb the trail emerges into Pebble Creek Valley, a place that is literally covered with an incredible variety of wildflowers. It’s a sight you won't soon forget.
The trail begins at the Warm Creek Trailhead one mile from the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park near Cooke City, Montana. The trail climbs fairly steeply for two miles through a spruce/fir forest. Near the top you do have some limited views of mountains and cliffs. After two miles the trail tops out and begins a one-mile descent to Pebble Creek. You’ll cross Pebble Creek at least a couple of times on this hike, so you might bring some sandals or wading shoes for the crossing. On the other side of Pebble Creek you enter the meadows and, again, if you’re there in late summer, you enter one of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the world.
I’d recommend hiking on through the meadow for another mile or so to the next crossing of Pebble Creek, a great spot for a picnic. If you’re so inclined, I’d recommend fishing Pebble Creek. It’s a great place for catching native cutthroat trout. In fact, it was a desire to put my brother David onto a great cutthroat stream that got me to Pebble Creek in the first place. At certain times of the year, you can run into mule deer, elk, bison, moose, grizzlies, and even wolves, although not in the numbers you’ll see from the road in the nearby Lamar Valley.
I should offer one warning (other than the standard Yellowstone “hiking in grizzly country” warning that folks should always be mindful of). This other warning is particularly relevant if you’re hiking in late summer. I got caught in hail storms both times I hiked this trail. The first time my two brothers and I got caught in the meadow, far away from any cover with lightning all around. Scary. The second time Lydia and I got caught in the forest on the way down, equally scary with the winds blowing down trees around us. So be aware of storms rolling in and take appropriate precautions.
This is another great hike you can combine with some memorable dining. Another favorite breakfast spot of mine is the Log Cabin Café in Cooke City. Start early with breakfast there and definitely try their legendary hashbrowns and grab a loaf of their equally legendary pumpkin bread for the trail. If you’re heading back into Yellowstone after your hike, stop by Roosevelt Lodge Dining Room at Tower Junction for dinner. I love this place.
ADG has been inspired to make beautiful Yellowstone poster art and original national park art of Yellowstone. Be sure to check out their Yellowstone art for inspiration when planning your trip!
Until Next Time...
I’m breaking this series on my favorite hikes up into several blog entries so look for the next four trails coming soon. So long for now!
Ramblin' Dan
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