by zippetydude » Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:07 pm
Hey, as an alternative, you might like the Black Mountain Trail, which is on your left as you're going up the 243 on the way to the Black Mountain Road. I did it last fall on a whim; it's a nice trail with great views, and it only takes a few minutes (say a half hour or so) more than that long, boring drive up the road. I had never seen the lookout tower before - didn't even know it was there. Anyway, it's a really nice hike, and crosses a stream, so it's got it's own water source (at least seasonally).
z