Scenes from the Roan Highlands

Posted on by Jake Frankel

As the snow melted in Asheville this weekend, the higher mountain ranges outside of town remained winter wonderlands. On Saturday, Jan. 15, a group of friends and I packed up our snowboards and sleds and trekked to the Roan Highlands in search of adventure.

The ridges are home to the world’s largest natural rhododendron garden and the longest stretch of grassy balds in the Appalachians. On this day, the open meadows were buried under deep snow – waist deep drifts in some spots – and made ideal grounds for backcountry snowboarding, skiing and snow play. The area also serves as a hub for cross country skiing, and a group of devoted folks were out taking advantage of the fresh powder and sunny skies. Late in the afternoon, those skies burst into stunning rays of yellow and gold as we made our way down from Round Bald (elevation 5,826 feet). Here’s a slide show of some of our photos from the day:

Photos by Jake Frankel and Maggie Ullman

We want to hear from you! Email us photos, videos and stories from your outdoor adventures: jfrankel@mountainx.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.
View all posts by Jake Frankel →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Scenes from the Roan Highlands”

  1. maggie7

    Great shots. So beautiful! It’s so great that you explore and share some of the beautiful places for winter fun and recreation around these mountains.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.