Category: Hiking

Snowshoe Guided Tours at Sugar Mountain

While in most parts of the South, autumn solely means a slightly cooler weather change, in the Boone area, it also means we are nearing the season for winter activities on the nearby ski mountains!

On many of the ski resorts, they offer more than just skiing, for instance on Sugar Mountain, they offer snowshoe guided tours. Starting on December 1, tours are offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3pm. And on Saturday at 9am and 3pm. There is both an adults and children’s tour for those between the ages of 8-11. The tours are 1 hour.

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Grandfather Mountain Birdwatching!

In addition to its wonderful scenery and trails, Grandfather Mountain is also home to a large variety of birds to enjoy watching!

Because of the many different microclimates on Grandfather Mountain, over 200 species of birds can be found here! And 100 of those have documented breeding colonies.

One of the surprisingly effective places to watch birds is at the Nature Museum Restaurant. There are many bird feeders outside which the birds enjoy. Some of the birds which can be spotted include Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, and Juncos.

For woodland birds, the Profile Trail offers many opportunities to spot species such as Warblers, Louisiana Water Thrushes, and Scarlet Tangers.

On Black Rock Trail, there are plenty of birds which prefer high elevations. Some of these include Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, and Magnolia Warblers.

A special event in September is the annual southern migration of a variety of raptor species. Throughout the month, visitors can join trained staff to watch the migration and learn more about the passing eagles, peregrine falcons, and more raptor species.

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The Autumn Air in Boone and Blowing Rock

Despite approaching the end of October, it is still very much autumn here in the Boone area. The fall leaves on the trees are still very much a wonder to behold. It is a wonderful activity to do while we still need to keep our social distance. 

In the Boone and Blowing Rock area, there are plenty of places to view the fall colors on the mountain. In addition to being able to view the mountainside forest from the town of Blowing Rock, on the roads entering and exiting the town there are beautiful overlooks to take pictures from them. 

Grandfather Mountain is another wonderful place to view the fall colors. You do need to make an appointment ahead of time to visit due to the pandemic

Beech Mountain, while well known as a ski resort, also has trails to walk to enjoy the scenery throughout October, and guided tours on Wednesday and Fridays. The ski resort itself is scheduled to open November 21.

William Kradel Leave a comment on The Autumn Air in Boone and Blowing Rock Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Outdoor Fun Tags , , ,

Fishing in the Boone Area 2020

For fishing enthusiasts, the Boone area is rich in a wide variety of places to fish. You can visit https://www.ncwildlife.org/ to get info on regulations for fishing in the area. 

Just outside the pristine town of Blowing Rock is Bass Lake. Lined with rhododendron and mountain laurel, the lake offers a 1.7 mile loop which is great for fishing and hiking.

Another fishing spot which is located off the Blue Ridge Parkway is Price Lake. In addition to its plentiful fishing spots, they also offer fishing tackle rentals and sell bait. You can also rent canoes and kayaks to take out onto the lake when you want to take a break.

Also near the Blue Ridge Parkway is Trout Lake. In addition to fishing, Trout Lake also has a 1 mile  pathway with plenty of wildlife. The lake is set in a hemlock-dominated cove forest with ancient conifers and thickets of rhododendron which makes it a wonderful place to enjoy a day of fishing. 

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Black Bears on Grandfather Mountain

Bear Photo Trail
Hopefully this is the only bear you’ll encounter along a trail!

There’s more to do on Grandfather Mountain than hike the trails. One of the most enjoyable activities on Grandfather Mountain is visiting the environmental habitats. Environmental habitats are large enclosures built around the natural habitat which enable visitors to view animals in natural settings. 

One of the most impressive animals found in one of the habitats, and all throughout the mountain, are black bears.

Black bears are the smallest, and most common bears in North America. They have better sight and hearing than humans. And their sense of smell is seven times greater than that of a dog.

Their diet primarily consists of various kinds of vegetation. Their animal diet normally consists of  insects such as birds and ants. They do in fact like to eat honey. On the pacific coast where salmon are abundant, they will fish for them at night as the salmon are able to see them otherwise.

Enjoyably on Grandfather Mountain, there is a wildlife habitat just for Black Bears so you can view them safely in their natural environment. So next time you’re visiting Grandfather Mountain take some time to visit the bear habitat!

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