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The Hilltop Reviews a Ramble up Big Bald
By Chad Schroeder
Big Bald from the south - Scronce Creed Rd.
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High atop Wolf Laurel sits a piece of the Appalachian Trail that nearly touches the sky.
Extending for around 900 miles in each direction, the entire length of the trail reaches from Maine to Georgia without break. The three or so miles over Big Bald are breathtaking and dreamlike, as clouds can engulf a backpacker at any moment's notice.
Engulfed in a musty aroma of dampness and surrounded by a sea of rhododendron, my feet begin pounding. The trail meanders through the wood, eventually vanishing into the trees about 200 feet in front of me.
Surveying my step, I traverse a rocky trail crossing and make my way up. Gray Squirrels scamper around the side of the trail, and a Red-Tail Hawk circles overhead.
I pass a fellow hiker who warmly greets me and comments on the trail condition. "Pretty sludgy huh?" he pants. I must agree. It is quite wet following the rainy week. After the short conversation, we part directions to trek our respective paths.
Alone again, I realize the beautiful simplicity I possess among the endless intricacies of the world. I am at peace. Listening to God, praising Him and His incredible creation called Earth, I gaze across Big Bald. With joy coursing through my veins, I realize that I am only 25 minutes from campus.
Although it may seem that this type of experience is available only to those lucky enough to travel, really it can happen to any student at Mars Hill.
The only quick way to get to this exotic locale is with the permission of the security director of the Wolf Laurel Mountain Resort. Once inside, a four-mile drive up a winding country club road precedes a hike to a treeless windy bald that on a clear day offers an unrivaled vista of the surrounding area.
For those not blessed with four-wheel drive, any hiker can park at the top of the dirt road and trek the rest of the way to the trail. Once at the trail, a decision must occur. You can go right and over "Little Bald" to a rhododendron forest where the trail takes a steep descent; or you can go left, up to Big Bald.
After a grueling climb up to Big Bald, the trail levels off and the view is incredible. On a clear day you can see Asheville, the Mitchell Range, Roan Mountain, Max Patch, and all of Tennessee that the powerplant smoke does not hide.
On top of Big bald itself, beside a weather station and a geodetic survey pin, a fire ring beckons. Fresh wood is stacked up as needed, so there is no reason to leave the peak.
If a longer hike is desired, going down the bald south, an adventure-seeking individual can take the two-day hike all the way to Hot Springs. Those tubs would feel incredible then!
A trail between the two peaks, Big and Little Bald, is thin, steep, and rocky in places. Any hiker could do it, however; it is not so difficult that it takes a trained foot.
Possibly the most exciting part of the trip is the drive up. A backcountry four-wheeler can make it all the way to the top of the ridge, though that takes away from the feeling of accomplishment.
Across Little Bald reside a large boulder and a campsite. Beyond the end of the rock, a small fireplace sits adjacent to a table partially protected by the expanse of rock face.
Only 25 minutes from campus, this open stretch of the Appalachian Trail is one of the most talked about places outside of Clingman's Dome. The winter tends to show its brutality on the bald, but any time of year it is worth the walk.
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