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DIANE DANIELCold Mountain is real. But for a view, don't look to the movie (it was filmed in Romania). Look to North Carolina.
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. - In Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier's 1997 novel and the current movie, Cold Mountain looms tall, mythical. It does in real life, too.
As the story goes, Cold Mountain, in western North Carolina, is where Civil War deserter Inman (Jude Law in the movie) heads on foot from Virginia, and it's where he and Ada (Nicole Kidman) rekindle their passion.
When Inman, wounded and exhausted, finally reaches the spot where he can first see the mountain, author Frazier, who grew up in the region, writes:
"He rose and took a wide stance on the rock and stood and pinched down his eyes to sharpen the view across the vast prospect to one far mountain. It stood apart from the sky only as the stroke of a poorly inked pen, a line thin and quick and gestural. But the shape slowly grew plain and unmistakable. It was to Cold Mountain he looked. He had achieved a vista of what for him was homeland."
Modern visitors can see a similar vista. Cold Mountain, at 6,030 feet, is the tallest peak in the Shining Rock Wilderness, part of the Pisgah National Forest. But don't look to the movie for views of it. The movie was filmed almost entirely in Romania, where production costs were lower and signs of modern civilization were fewer.
That was bad news for the state officials who scouted locations and courted Hollywood, but maybe it was okay for the area's ecology.
"The consensus is the movie's going to be good for the region," said Mark Owen, spokesman for the economic development group AdvantageWest North Carolina.
In the film, "they talk about North Carolina, the mountains, Haywood County. . . . People will tell you that the book was huge for tourism," Owen said. "But there's also a lot of people out there who still don't know that it's a real place."
Area tourism boards are working to change that.
Some locals say that keeping Hollywood off Cold Mountain wasn't such a bad thing. "We're very excited over the attention," Bob Hill, executive director of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce for four years, said before his scheduled departure last month. "However, the area is environmentally fragile, and it's remote. We're a little concerned that if a lot of people decide to go, will that be environmentally detrimental?"
Cold Mountain, referred to reverentially throughout the book, is one of the area's remaining pockets of wilderness. Save for damage from air pollution, it probably hasn't changed much since the Civil War.
The road-tripper can get outstanding views from several spots, including along the southern part of the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. In winter, the highest portion of the 469-mile parkway often is closed to vehicles, but one prime viewing spot can still be accessed.
The summit of Cold Mountain is accessible by foot as well, but only experienced, fit hikers should attempt the 10.6-mile round trip. Part of the heavily wooded trail is rocky, and part has a dirt surface. It is said the trail doesn't get really steep until a mile or so from the top, a summit that can be hard to notice because there's no clearing, just more trees. The trail has an altitude gain of 2,800 feet and no markings, which is why it's the wilderness area's least-visited peak.
"The inclination might be, it's a great movie, a bestselling book, you, too, can find yourself on Cold Mountain. But that's not necessarily true," said Randy Johnson, author of the 2003 guidebook Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway. "People might think, "Oh, that's the South. You can just walk on up to Cold Mountain.' Well, it got its name for a reason. It's a rugged, difficult hike with a lot of elevation gain. Even in an average winter, you can find yourself needing snowshoes to get to the top."
Though Cold Mountain remains remote, the towns around it have grown considerably. But Waynesville (population about 10,000), where we stayed in December, and Brevard (population about 7,000) retain their quaint mountain-town feel, as has the larger city of Asheville (population about 70,000), about 30 miles northeast. All make excellent starting points.
We chose Waynesville, about 30 miles southwest of Asheville, because of its size and location on U.S. 276. The two-lane road taken southeast to Brevard follows the base of Cold Mountain and, after a series of hairpin turns, crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway just at the turnoff for the official Cold Mountain overlook at Milepost 411.8.
Though the parkway was closed because of ice, we could still drive from 276 up to the overlook parking area. It was cloudy, and on the ridge the weather turned wintry, with blasting wind, a layer of frozen snow and ice-covered trees. It was beautiful, but we couldn't see a thing.
Driving south, we made our way to Brevard, passing the seasonal Cradle of Forestry Forest Discovery Center and stopping along the way at Sliding Rock, a natural 60-foot smooth rock water slide that plops you into a deep pool of frigid mountain runoff; it's open in the summer. Brevard was readying for its annual Christmas parade, so we hurried through, looking in its old-timey shops.
On the way back to Waynesville, the setting sun peered through the sky, so we went back to the Cold Mountain overlook and were granted a partial view of the mountain under a stunning pink and gray sky.
That evening, we walked the block from our bed and breakfast, the Herren House, to Waynesville's Main Street, where a Christmas celebration was going on. On Main Street the shops and restaurants are contemporary and upscale but still down-home friendly.
The next day dawned clear and bright, so we heeded the viewing suggestion of Kent Stewart of Waynesville Book Co. and drove back out 276 about 6 miles to the hamlet of Bethel. We took a left onto Highway 215 toward Canton, went about a mile, and yes, there it was, off to the right: the entirety of Cold Mountain, from base to highest peak, looking every bit as majestic as Inman had promised.
Mission accomplished, we headed to Asheville for lunch, which included a Cold Mountain Winter Ale on tap, made by Asheville's Highland Brewing Co. Like the mountain it's named for, you won't find it outside of North Carolina, so savor it while you can.
- Diane Daniel is a freelance writer living in Durham, N.C.
If you go
Where to get information
Haywood County Tourism Development Authority includes Waynesville, 1233 N Main St., Waynesville; call toll-free 1-800-334-9036, (828) 452-0152; www.smokeymountains.net www.haywood-nc.com
Asheville Visitor Center, 151 Haywood St., Asheville; toll-free 1-800-280-0005; www.exploreasheville.com
Brevard/Transylvania Tourism Development Authority, 35 W Main St., Brevard; toll-free 1-800-648-4523; www.brevard-nc.com www.visitwaterfalls.com
Blue Ridge Parkway, 828 298-0398, includes daily taped information on road closures; www.nps.gov/blri
Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway by Randy Johnson (Falcon, $16.95). Detailed hikes include one to the summit of Cold Mountain, in the Shining Rock Wilderness.
Where to see Cold Mountain
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Milepost 431: From the Haywood-Jackson Parking Overlook, take in a sweeping view of the Shining Rock Wilderness, including Cold Mountain, its highest peak.
Milepost 411.8: From the official "Cold Mountain Overlook" near the intersection of Highway 276 and the parkway, you will get a great photo opportunity and one of the best offseason roadside views (trees may block the view in the summer). It remains accessible when the parkway is closed.
Milepost 408.6: Enjoy the bounties of the Mount Pisgah Inn while you view Cold Mountain.
Milepost 407.4: Take the quick but strenuous hike to the top of Mount Pisgah, and Cold Mountain will be one of the most prominent peaks in the distance.
Off the parkway
From Waynesville, drive south 6 miles to Bethel and take Highway 215 toward Canton. In about a mile, the mountain looms to the right just as you see Cathey Cove Road on the left. The best viewing area is between Cathey Cove and Wilmoore roads.
Where to stay
Herren House, 94 East St., Waynesville; toll-free 1-800-284-1932; www.herrenhouse.com Rooms are $105 to $140. This lovely Victorian bed and breakfast is a block from downtown stores and restaurants, and a gorgeous 40-minute drive around the base of Cold Mountain to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, 290 Macon Ave., Asheville; toll-free 1-800-438-5800; www.groveparkinn.com Rooms are $110-$999. Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier, in an article on Salon.com, wrote about staying "in the old section" of this grand mountain resort during his book tour in 1997.
Where to eat
Herren House, Saturday night only $37.50 prix fix five-course gourmet meal.
Lomo Grill, 44 Church St., Waynesville; 828 452-5222; www.lomogrill.com entrees $18 to $25. Mediterranean-inspired upscale dining. For a zing, start with the (very) garlic bread ($5) and move on to the trout with capers and artichokes ($22). The restaurant is closed through Thursday.
Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria, 42 Biltmore Ave., Asheville; 828 255-0504; www.barleystaproom.com Appetizers to pizza cost $3.50 to $15 in this cozy regional chain. Sandwiches, salads and pizza are served, and many beers are on tap, including Cold Mountain Winter Ale, if you're there at the right time.