wanderer COMING HOME TO A NEW PLACE H H H H H H H H

WHITESIDE MOUNTAIN. NC

Written and Photographed by Jennifer Kornegay A ROAD LESS TRAVELED

wanderer

IT WAS A BRAND NEW SPOT TO ME, BUT MY CONNECTION, THOUGH INSTANT, FELT ANCIENT, LIKE THE MOUNTAIN ITSELF.

Once shrouded in the cover of primeval forest and barely touched by man, Wh- part of the Nation, and it holds a dark spot in that culture’s lore. Photograph by emranashraf iteside Mountain in western is today more comparable to the According to one Cherokee story, Whiteside was home to Spearfinger, a female Disney World of hiking. The panoramic views of the Blue Ridge range’s sharper monster who preyed on children. In the mid-1800s, when the Cherokee were peaks transitioning to the soft, rounded hills of South Carolina’s Piedmont visi- forcibly removed from these lands with so many others, it was rumored that ble from its 4,900-foot-high summit draw throngs of people each summer and several families took refuge on the mountain, alluding detection for decades. up to 100,000 over the course of Somewhere on its slopes is a cave used any year. as a hideout by Confederate deserters. I am frequently part of the con- The mysteries and secrets tucked into the gestion. Anytime I’m in the area, mountain’s multi-layered past are numer- I make the trek too. And yet, even ous. But I think it also contains deeply when crowds surround me on the personal histories for people who, like me, two-mile-loop trail, I can feel the have fallen under its spell. rest of the world fall away. On my Many consider the jaw-dropping views first hike, I felt something I can’t from the top the true reward for their even put into my own words (an em- effort, but I find equal beauty on the barrassing admission for a writer), journey. All along the path, there’s a sig- but one I can express by cribbing nificant swing in scale: massive rocks tow- John Denver; his ode to mountain ering and minuscule wildflowers poking “Rocky Mountain High” through patches of moss; majestic pere- sums up my initial sentiment best: grine falcons air-surfing overhead and an “Coming home to a place I’ve never inches-long neon orange salamander scur- been before.” rying under a log. I’ve now made the hike It was a brand new spot to me, multiple times in the last few years, and but my connection, though instant, Photograph by Jill Lang every ascent does the same thing: puts a felt ancient, like the mountain it- knot of warm joy in my center that unrav- self. A high point in the Cowee Range, it rises like a bear waking from slumber els and spreads with every foot of altitude gained. (its silhouette inspired one of its Cherokee names, unega yanu, meaning white It starts at the trailhead, where on most days, cars and SUVs line both sides of bear), along the eastern continental divide, almost directly between the towns of a gravel parking lot. U.S. Forest Service signs include instructions on payment Highlands and Cashiers, and with an estimated age of 400 million years, is con- ($3 per car) and a map of the route to the top. The trail forms a loop; you can Photograph by ps50ace sidered one of the oldest mountains in the world. It is essentially a giant hunk of choose which way you go, but I prefer to go up the wider and gentler path and granite, technically a pluton, formed by molten rock far below the earth’s surface come back on the narrow, wilder one. That means a few hundred yards into the pushing up and out eons ago when the world was still quite new. It boasts other hike, I veer left to follow the remains of an old road. distinctions too: its exposed cliff with a span of 750 feet up from the tree line is I’m continually struck by the paradox: My easy access to this lovely place the tallest bare rock face east of the Rockies. comes from activity that threated to obliterate it. Whiteside Mountain was once It’s also got a rich and tumultuous history. Prior to 1819, the mountain was owned by a single family, who then sold it and the centuries-old timber covering

Above: The mountain’s cliffs look like sheets of ice draped across the mountain from Little Mountain Lake. Top left: A patch of Coreopsis, or Star Tickseed, grows with a beautiful view along the trail. Top right: From January until summer, peregrine falcons—one of the world’s fastest birds— return annually to nest on rock ledges. Center top right: The last 1/2-mile of the trail is a steep downhill section that leads you back to the logging road near the parking area. Center bottom right: Cerulean Warblers are a species of high conservation concern because of their significant declines and have been considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Bottom right: Fiery orange speckled wood lilly, or Turk’s cap. Bottom left: Top of Whiteside Mountain at “Fool’s Rock.

110 okramagazine.com ISSUE NO. 10

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with glimpses of the reward ahead. reward the of glimpses with

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(828) 524-6441 (828)

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cashiersfarmersmarket.com Cashiers, NC 28717 NC Cashiers, Franklin, NC 28734 NC Franklin, Opposite right: right: Opposite Scenic view over the valley from from valley the over view Scenic Appalachians

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include great laurel, great rhododendron, rosebay rhododendron, and and rhododendron, rosebay rhododendron, great laurel, great include

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Highlands, NC 28741 NC Highlands, Highlands Visitors Center Visitors Highlands

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828-526-5841 1680 and follow signs. follow and 1680

cashiershistoricalsociety.org Highlands, NC 28741 NC Highlands, shiers. From Highlands, take US 64E approximately 5 miles. Turn right on SR SR on right Turn miles. 5 approximately 64E US take Highlands, From shiers.

The Zachary-Tolbert House Zachary-Tolbert The Highlands Chamber of Commerce of Chamber Highlands - Whiteside Mountain is located south of US 64 between Highlands and Ca and Highlands between 64 US of south located is Mountain Whiteside

NOT MY LAST TIME. LAST MY NOT

SAD TO LEAVE IT. BECAUSE I KNOW IT’S IT’S KNOW I BECAUSE IT. LEAVE TO SAD

ROOTS AND REFRESHES ME, I’M NEVER NEVER “ I’M ME, REFRESHES AND ROOTS AS MUCH AS THE MOUNTAIN BOTH BOTH MOUNTAIN THE AS MUCH AS

“

mountains, down into Whiteside Cove below, its carpet of trees resembling resembling trees of carpet its below, Cove Whiteside into down mountains,

I’m always on my way back to Whiteside. to back way my on always I’m it will do the same for decades to come. I gaze across to the peaks of other other of peaks the to across gaze I come. to decades for same the do will it

refreshes me, I’m never sad to leave it. Because I know it’s not my last time. time. last my not it’s know I Because it. leave to sad never I’m me, refreshes I’m at the top. The first overlook steals my breath every time, and I imagine imagine I and time, every breath my steals overlook first The top. the at I’m

Market that’s in my near future. And as much as the mountain both roots and and roots both mountain the as much as And future. near my in that’s Market About one mile in, and I spy a break in the thick cover of leaves, signaling signaling leaves, of cover thick the in break a spy I and in, mile one About

in a runny, tangy vinegar sauce from a small stand by the Cashiers Farm Farm Cashiers the by stand small a from sauce vinegar tangy runny, a in feeding the Chattooga and Savannah rivers before emptying into the Atlantic. the into emptying before rivers Savannah and Chattooga the feeding

getting back in my car. As I leave, my thoughts turn to pulled pork swimming swimming pork pulled to turn thoughts my leave, I As car. my in back getting , which makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico, and on the other, other, the on and Mexico, of Gulf the to way its makes which River, Cullasaja

I’d hoped, I’m back at the parking lot, kicking dirt off my hiking shoes before before shoes hiking my off dirt kicking lot, parking the at back I’m hoped, I’d ter rushes over Whiteside mountain, on one side forming the headwaters of the the of headwaters the forming side one on mountain, Whiteside over rushes ter

over bumps of gnarled tree roots and sharp juts of stone. Usually sooner than than sooner Usually stone. of juts sharp and roots tree gnarled of bumps over - area has some of the highest annual rainfall totals in the country, and this wa this and country, the in totals rainfall annual highest the of some has area

ible klutz, I have to give my feet a bit more attention, ensuring I avoid a trip trip a avoid I ensuring attention, more bit a feet my give to have I klutz, ible and later forms area rivers. Classified as a temperate rainforest, the Highlands Highlands the rainforest, temperate a as Classified rivers. area forms later and

- of the trail. Here, I can’t get quite as lost in my surroundings; being an incred an being surroundings; my in lost as quite get can’t I Here, trail. the of ping off rocks to my right, part of the flow that creates the mountain’s lush life life lush mountain’s the creates that flow the of part right, my to rocks off ping

Once I cross the crest, I begin my return journey, via a much steeper portion portion steeper much a via journey, return my begin I crest, the cross I Once - drip and over sliding rivulets of tinkling the by soothed I’m woodpecker. ated

pings and float in the sky overhead. overhead. sky the in float and pings - wood thrush and the blue warbler — and the machine-gun knocking of a pile a of knocking machine-gun the and — warbler blue the and thrush wood

side in the mid-1980s, they build nests and raise their young on cliff outcrop cliff on young their raise and nests build they mid-1980s, the in side - orange trumpets of Turk’s cap lilies. I listen for the trills of song birds — the the — birds song of trills the for listen I lilies. cap Turk’s of trumpets orange

- winged splendor of the mountain’s peregrine falcons. Re-introduced to White to Re-introduced falcons. peregrine mountain’s the of splendor winged blooms, dwarf dandelion, the pale pink bells of mountain laurel or the fiery fiery the or laurel mountain of bells pink pale the dandelion, dwarf blooms,

stop for a snack and water break. It’s also the spot I most often witness the the witness often most I spot the also It’s break. water and snack a for stop As I keep heading up, I stop frequently to examine delicate snakeroot snakeroot delicate examine to frequently stop I up, heading keep I As

bluish-gray haze. One, with its levels of nature-made bare-rock seats, is my my is seats, bare-rock nature-made of levels its with One, haze. bluish-gray Forest in 1975. in Forest

and to take in every new view, sometimes through the Blue Ridge’s namesake namesake Ridge’s Blue the through sometimes view, new every in take to and destruction. The mountain was included in the protected Nantahala National National Nantahala protected the in included was mountain The destruction.

ing to drink in air that’s sweeter and fresher than several hundred feet below below feet hundred several than fresher and sweeter that’s air in drink to ing shrubs, flowers and abundant wildlife they shelter are safe from any such such any from safe are shelter they wildlife abundant and flowers shrubs,

- I continue along the top of the mountain, pausing at every additional clear additional every at pausing mountain, the of top the along continue I cades-long lobbying efforts of concerned citizens, today’s trees and the myriad myriad the and trees today’s citizens, concerned of efforts lobbying cades-long

for comfort. comfort. for - some of the same species and others, all now long gone. Thanks to the de the to Thanks gone. long now all others, and species same the of some

butterflies, and avoid, with a twitch of fear, the yellowjackets buzzing too close close too buzzing yellowjackets the fear, of twitch a with avoid, and butterflies, ago, I’d have stared up into the canopy of enormous old-growth specimens of of specimens old-growth enormous of canopy the into up stared have I’d ago,

at the edge, just to get a few feet higher. I smile at flitting yellow swallowtail swallowtail yellow flitting at smile I higher. feet few a get to just edge, the at hemlocks, yellow and black birch, red oak and Fraser magnolia. But 70 years years 70 But magnolia. Fraser and oak red birch, black and yellow hemlocks,

broccoli from my lofty perspective. Sometimes I step up on the gray boulder boulder gray the on up step I Sometimes perspective. lofty my from broccoli its slopes, to a logging company in the 1940s. I walk under the branches of of branches the under walk I 1940s. the in company logging a to slopes, its A ROAD LESS TRAVELED LESS ROAD A