RATtreks

Pinnacle Mountain Lookout Tower – 7-17-2011

It has been a while since the renovations to the old fire tower on Pinnacle Mountain have been completed along with the new trail that was constructed coming up from Unicoi, Tennessee. I have been wanting to hike the new trail and I finally got around to it on Sunday July 17, 2011. It was a warm and very hazy day when I left the trail-head located at the Unicoi exit off I – 26 so it felt good to be in the shade of the dense woods. Knowing it was not more than a mile to the top as the power lines go and as the crow flies, but I had already been told that the trail was some 4.5 miles one way to the top ! This I could not imagine but I was about to find out ! The trail is very wide but obviously machine made and there are several places where there was a trail made and then discontinued and started again going slightly different. I learned later that the trail builders were told it had to be a certain length so they had to keep changing it until it came out long enough ?? This is in part to it being a mountain bicycle trail as well as a hiking trail. I did pass two coming down on my way up. I would be wishing I had brought mine by the time I came back !

Pinnacle Mountain Lookout Tower

After about a mile there was enough elevation gained and a small clearing to allow a decent view over Unicoi and over to Unaka Mountain. There was also some cool fungi growing along the way.

View looking towards Unaka Mountain

It seemed endless, but after about 3 or more hours of climbing I could finally see what I knew was the top of the ridge where the old fire tower road comes up to the tower. It wasn’t long before the trail came out on that gravel road on top. There were some miniature construction machines parked there where the ATV trail parallels the road as it seems work was being done on it. The strange thing about the trail to the lookout tower is that there was not a single sign there directing you to go left up the gravel road to the tower but instead the green blazed trail continued across the road and into the woods on the other side and started going down which would lead you nowhere near the tower but instead would take you away from it going down into Briar Creek where it would eventually come out on the other part of fire tower road ! This was definitely not the way to go. Of course I knew this but I had to wonder how many went that way by mistake trying to get to the tower.

Place where the trail meets the gravel road

As I turned back and started walking up the gravel road to where I knew the tower was, my mind was flooded with memories of the many trips I made up this road when I was a youth as I rode many different motocross bikes here nearly every weekend. I even rode a mini-bike here before I had a motorcycle ! I also did my share of coon, squirrel and deer hunting along with some hiking here so I know the area very well. There were many times when we would ride all the way to the tower and the fire warden would be there and would let us come up into the room with him and look through the telescope he had and study his maps and tell us all kinds of interesting things. Those were the days but they did come to an end and the tower was not used as much in the latter years and was eventually repeatedly vandalized and they had to fence it in and not allow any vehicles up there. I assume they no longer need fire towers since they can watch for fires using satellites. I am happy that it is now an observation tower as the views are really good from there although due to the cloudy overcast conditions they would not be good for this trip.

View from tower (looking towards Unicoi/Unaka mtn)

View from tower (looking towards Erwin)

View from tower (looking towards Johnson City)

View from tower (looking towards Holston Mtn./Elizabethton)

View from tower (looking towards the Iron Mtn. Range)

View from tower (view of Unicoi with Unaka in distance)

It did not take long to climb the hill up to the tower, cross under the power lines and soon I was standing underneath it looking up at the new steps I now had to climb to get to the top. I had to rest first as it had after all been a long 4.5 miles ! After a short break and a snack I proceeded to the top where I spent quite a while checking out the views and taking pics but it was cloudy and very hazy from the heat so I did not get any good ones. I will be coming back under better conditions but I will not be walking that long pointless trail to get here !

Yellow Fungi

Yellow Fungi

It eventually came time to head back down and begin the long, arduous journey back to the car. Of course it was much easier going down than it was coming up but by the time I got back I was definitely tired and my feet were hurting from the 9 mile round trip. I could not wait to get home to a shower and a hot meal. It would be an 8 hour work shift right after that though. It was great exercise and any day in the woods is a good day.

Happy Green Blaze !

For more photo`s  from the tower, please visit our Gallery here.