This is part of a series introducing student writers from Tri County Community College
While on top of Buck Bald, 360 degrees of a beautiful landscape, that seems to never end, surrounds you. It feels like you can reach up and touch the clouds while you are staring off the edge of the Earth. It is thrilling and spiritual at the same time. Buck Bald is a natural mountain that has a great location with trails to hike and history to back it all up. It is also located on an amazing ride.
Buck Bald is located in the authentic Cherohala Skyway on Highway Sixty Eight. Right outside of Monroe County, Tennessee there is a marker on the side of the highway pointing out the entrance to Buck Bald. It is not very far from Tellico Plains, Tennessee, the beginning of the Cherohala Skyway. It is a famous ride that is over forty miles long connecting Robbinsville, North Carolina to Tellico Plains, Tennessee. It is known for is swift curves and gorgeous views. Cherohala Skyway got it’s name because it crosses threw both the Cherokee National Forest and the Nantahala National Forest (Morgan). This famous road attracts many motorcyclist and brings tourist to Buck Bald. They come to see the exquisite site this mountain has to offer.
2,110 feet above sea level, you can see North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee (“Bucks”). This view is a wonder. It is speechless to see the shadows of the clouds rest on top of the mountains. You can smell the forest full of pines and oaks, and you can hear the birds chirping around. It is like you can almost touch the clouds that lie directly ahead of you. You can see as far as the eye will let you. This is why Buck Bald was once home to a fire tower.
In concrete, C-15 marks the name of the old fire tower that once stood. It was one of eighteen towers that watched over the area, until it was replaced by aerial surveillance (“Bucks Bald”). I believe a tower was placed here because there are naturally no trees to block the view. Balds are described as “meadow-like treeless openings within otherwise forested areas” (Wuerthner 48). In place of the tower, there is picnic table to sit and enjoy the view.
While sitting at the table, you can see all that your eyes will allow you. Buck Bald is a perfect place for a picnic because it has an amazing view, and it is right next to the sun. Along with the picnic table, there is a trail to hike. The trail that circles around the mountain is somewhat challenging, but it offers even more beautiful sites to see.
Buck Bald is a wonder for it’s amazing sites and the history you can sense while there. Buck Bald brings a sense of spiritual connection to the Earth.
Danielle Bryer
TCCC Scribes
Enjoy More of Danielle's work - WALK THE LINE
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