The Profile Trail An Appalachian Adventure By Juan Sebastian Restrepo (Lees-McRae College graduate, Class of 2021)
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itting at the edge of Calloway Peak, with one’s feet hanging over the rock outcrop, it is hard to believe that Lees-McRae College is less than nine miles away down the mountain. “This is gorgeous,” commented Laura Ocampo, a freshman Biology and Athletic Coaching student from Bogota, Colombia. Back in May, Ocampo joined me on a hike along the Profile Trail to Calloway Peak. That evening, when we reached the peak, it felt as if we had been teleported to a dreamlike world out of a movie. An evergreen tapestry of spruces covered the mountain ridge as far as the eyes could see. At nearly 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) of altitude, a dense silence dominated over Grandfather Mountain, only interrupted by the song of robins, blue warblers, and wrens hidden in the thick forest. This hiking trip was Ocampo’s first visit to the Profile Trail. The Colombian, who had enrolled in Lees-McRae in spring 2021, had few opportunities to discover the different outdoor experiences around the college during the academic semester. “I never imagined that a place like this existed in the middle of these mountains,” said Ocampo, who throughout the twohour hike to Calloway Peak continued to express amazement at the scenery.
76 — Summer 2017 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Making the Trip to the Profile Trail The head of the Profile Trail is just a 10-minute drive from Banner Elk. Taking NC-184 S / Shawneehaw Avenue S towards Grandfather Mountain and turning left onto NC-105 N, the entrance is located half a mile away on the right-hand side. There is no entry fee for hiking the Profile Trail. However, hikers must fill out a permit form found at the front building and carry the permit with them. At the entrance building, hikers can also find maps and pamphlets with other helpful information. Once we completed our permit form, we were ready to start our adventure. We had 3.8 miles (6.1 kilometers) and 2,300 feet (701 meters) of climbing ahead of us to reach Calloway Peak. From the parking lot, Ocampo and I descended to the old trail. In less than one mile, we arrived at the bank of Watauga Creek. The shallow, crystalline stream induces visitors to remove their shoes and step into its cold waters. Leaving the rocky shores of Watauga Creek behind, we began to ascend Grandfather Mountain. Mud and ankle-twisting tree roots covered this section of the trail. A kaleidoscope of colorful wildflowers
decorated the surrounding hardwood forest. As we advanced, we encountered large as tall as 16 feet (5 meters). Profile Trail has never stopped amazing me. Since the first time I hiked the trail with the cycling team at Lees-McRae back in fall 2019, no two visits have been alike. Either in the green summer or the yellow mid-fall, Grandfather Mountain will always find a way to surprise visitors with its scenery. Ocampo could not refrain from stopping every few hundred feet to take a picture of the surrounding wildflowers and the tall beech trees. “I love this; I love breathing the forest and the flowers and walking along the creek bank,” said Ocampo. Halfway to Calloway Peak, we reached Foscoe View. From this overlook, we had a panoramic view of the valley below to the northeast. Despite the thin fog mantle covering the mountain that evening, the Amphibolite Mountains were clearly visible on the far horizon. We could observe Snake Mountain, Elk Knob, The Peak, Whitetop Mountain, and even see as far as Mount Rogers, the highest peak in Virginia, located more than 60 miles away. From this point, the trail turns rocky. The upper side of the Profile Trail is outlined by hundreds of large flat stones
