Hike the Roan Mountain area's purple rhododendron trails [FULL]

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(IMPORTANT: Please RSVP but note that you are NOT confirmed until you email the co-leaders. Details follow.)

If Thomas Jefferson had hiked amidst the orange flame azaleas and fiery purple rhododendron at the Roan Highlands on the TN/NC border, he would have declared that area -- and not Harpers Ferry -- "Jefferson Rock, a view worth crossing the Atlantic Ocean." Okay, maybe that's a bit of hyperbole -- but no more than flower-loving Jefferson himself might have uttered. So come along with us to trek the Appalachian Trail's famous balds and gawk at a huge natural Rhododendron garden nearby that could melt a photographer's heart.

PEAK FLOWERS: Alas, we must warn you that we may not find absolute peak colors. Though there is some overlap, the rhodo peak is typically around June 16 and the azaleas peak a skosh earlier. Like trying to pinpoint DC's exact cherry blossom peak in advance, the flowers can be fickle depending on the winter and spring temperatures, which might speed up or delay the peak. But we can promise it will be memorable and beautiful, if not jaw-dropping.
MEETING PLACE/DRIVE: We'll meet at 5 pm on Friday, June 9 at Tennessee's Roan Mountain State Park, which is roughly 6 hours from DC. (Email co-leaders for the exact meeting place.) There is an optional concert at 7:30 pm. We'll hike together on Saturday and Sunday and possibly get in a quick hike on Monday, June 12, the day we return to DC, individually or in your own carpools.
HIKES: Two moderately strenuous (but not very long) hikes are planned so far. While these are not "conservation hikes," since the views are drawing us here, we will stop several times for photo ops and to soak in the ambiance. The number of stops and the amount of time we dally will depend on the stage of the blooms.

*Hike 1: Carver's Gap to Stan Murray Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. 7ish miles.

*Hike 2: Carver's Gap to Roan High Knob Shelter on the A.T. (with side trails through the Rhododendron Garden) 5ish miles.

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Not enough hiking for you? You can drive back to the Rhododendron Garden for some more photo ops and light hiking. Also, there are 12 miles of easy to strenuous hiking trails and 4.5 miles of mountain biking trails at our home base, Roan Mountain State Park. IMPORTANT NOTE: Bring a jacket, hat, etc. because the weather can turn frigid fast since these hikes are in the high Canadian temperate zone. This is about two dozen aerial miles from Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, at 6,684 feet.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Hikers are responsible for their own accommodations. They can reserve camp sites at Roan Mountain State Park for about $25 per night or reserve other nearby accommodations. However, we have reserved a few cabins, which cost about $460 for 3 nights and can sleep up to four people. If you are interested in coming, and especially if you are interested in one of the cabins or if you want to discuss camping -- and you have recently completed moderately strenuous hikes -- please contact co-leaders (email Bob Mathis talibob@starpower.net and/or send a Meetup message to Barb) ASAP. (Also, we hope to plan some joint meals around the campfire. Details to come.)

For more info, visit:

http://www.hikingupward.com/PNF/RoanHighlands/ (http://www.hikingupward.com/PNF/RoanHighlands/)

https://www.romanticasheville.com/roan.htm

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recreation/recarea/?recid=48626&actid=63

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5366102.pdf

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