Here's a late September view from the mansion-sized "summit block" on MacRae Peak. You have to climb a 20 foot wooden ladder just to get on this block, so it's not for the faint of heart. This is an option on the Grandfather Trail, that crosses the summit spine of the Mountain. Note the Black Mountain range, home of Mount Mitcehll, the highest peak in eastern America, at 6, 684 feet. Also note the signature prominences of Tablerock Mountain (3,909') and Hawksbill (4,017'). Both these peaks stand tall on the East Rim of Linville Gorge Wilderness Area.
This trail is superb, a must-do for any hiker that loves the alpine experience. It is on private property (the Grandfather Mountain Preserve), so you must pay a user-fee, but this will keep away many who would just clutter up the landscape. Be prepared in winter for ice and high-winds, and changeable weather all year. The highest wind ever recorded in North Carolina occurred here a couple of winters ago (over 180 MPH---before the wind gauge broke!)
