Hiking Machines and Drinking Fiends

By Ian Guevara

The kudzu creeps quietly up the trees along the busy byways near Bryson City, North Carolina, the Gateway to the Smokies. I am in the middle of my journey of tasting beers and experiencing what Western North Carolina has to offer.

It’s a sunny day when we arrive. Almost as hot as New Orleans, the area is experiencing an historic heat wave… so is the whole world. I’m joined by some new faces on this journey. Travelers as far as New Orleans and Washington DC. They came out here to be with me and to partake in the experience of breweries, beers, and the outdoors. Scott arrived from DC just a day ago, pushing through an eight hour drive. This kid is a warrior.

Last summer he made the pilgrimage to the Gateway to the Smokies with me as well. When I tell you that this kid is a warrior, I don't say it lightly. I’ve known Scott since he was a youngin, he and his three older brothers, Edward, Alex, and Michael, all grew up in my Boy Scout Troop. Furthermore, three out of four of these brothers worked under me in three different areas at the summer camp we all served for a better part of 15 years.

Scott was the last of the brothers to work under me. He was my assistant director on the waterfront, and I could not have done the job nearly as well as I think I did without him. I’m sure his colleagues and managers at the newspaper company he works for feel the same.

Easily the largest of the three brothers, towering well over six feet, four inches, and 240 lbs, Scott is a machine. I’ve always known this. He’d consistently volunteered for the most difficult assignments, particularly the grueling free-boating patrol requiring the guard on duty to perpetually row a boat for an hour in the oppressive Mississippi sun. He saw it as exercise.

Last summer Scott, Daniel, and myself decided to visit Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Smokies. 12 miles, all uphill, with a 4,800ft ascent. Scott would start walking at six am, I would drive to the top and hike around by myself for a while, and Daniel planned on running up the trail, leaving only a couple hours after us.

I reached the Clingmans Dome parking lot around 7:30am and began my hike. Such a beautiful sight to witness. The mountain rises over 6,643ft above sea level. The sun was barely peeking over the clouds, painting the sky in a pastel pink aura, enveloping the panorama. The valleys shrouded in mist and fog, those poor souls under those clouds are deprived of the magnificent color palette provided by nature. I’ve seen scenic overlooks a lot in my years of travel. This is among the best.

I took a nice little six mile look around the mountain and up the Appalachian Trail, finishing in a little under two hours. After taking a detour up to the observation tower that rests like a monument to 1950s modernist architecture, I returned to the truck to remove my knee braces and hiking boots. Looking up through the searing morning sun I see a tower figure, a giant, lumbering up the road, trees shaking and the mountain itself trembling. It was 9:30am, only three and a half hours after Scott began his climb into the heavens. He conquered the 12 mile, all uphill, 4,800ft ascent in three and a half hours. I told you this dude was a machine.

Scott and I waited for a number of hours until Daniel’s arrival. Detained by the presence of our beautiful campsite neighbor, Katie, Daniel did not start his run up the trail until much later than his intended time.

11:00am saw a text message flutter across my phone screen. Sorry for the late start. I’ve reached Lonesome Pines Overlook. Phone is dying.

Lonesome Pine Overlook is only eight miles or so from the top. For a skilled runner like Daniel, we should expect him close to noon, Scott and I reasoned. Noon past and no Daniel.

It was the 4th of July weekend and the parking lot to the biggest attraction in the most popular National Park in the United States was overflowing with tourists from around the world. Children cried in a dozen different languages languishing in their parent’s determination to provide them with memories they will cherish in the future. Scott and I opened up lawn chairs, cracked open beers, and treated our wait like an afternoon tailgate outside the Superdome.

1:00pm passed and still no Daniel in sight. No answers to text messages. All calls were going straight to voicemail. We began to worry. By 1:30pm I decided it was time to go confer with a forest ranger on what we should do. Should we wait longer? Should we try to look for him? Who should we alert if he doesn't arrive by sundown?

With two people in front of me to speak to the Forest Ranger, I peeked over in the direction of my truck to see the waving arms of Scott, a sure signal that Daniel had returned.

“Yeah, sorry guys, I must have gotten turned around when I stopped to get water,” Daniel explained, clearly exhausted from his detour. “I must have run an extra eight or so miles.”

Daniel is a machine too, one with faulty navigation, but still a machine nonetheless.

On our return from the top of Clingmans Dome we ran into the Bryson City 4th of July festivities. Seeing it as a sign, we parked the truck, and traversed over to Mountain Layers Brewing Company for a late afternoon break.

Along with Jonathan, whom you all should know by now if you’ve been paying attention, Daniel and Scott make great company to visit the breweries that surround the Bryson City area. On today’s menu is Mountain Layers Brewing Company.

Opened in 2016, Mountain Layers Brewing Company rests on Everett St in downtown Bryson City. Boasting a stunning lineup for a micro-brewery of nearly 19 different beers, the brewery provides a beer for any season, situation, and taste. A second-story balcony looks over the lovely Tuckasegee River and allows all patrons to enjoy a scenic sunset over the Smoky Mountains while sipping craft beer.

Unfortunately due to archaic laws that still plague Swain County, Mountain Layers does not provide flights. They do however provide five ounce pours of any beverage you wish. God I love a good loophole… Don't let the IRS know I said that.

My first set of pours flowed with “Berliner Baby Cherry Sour”, “Prickly Pear Gose”, “The Helles You Say”, and “Whaddayear Whit”. Berliner Baby is a cherry Sour showcasing a squash color with a scant sour sent. A tasty sour beer, It’s light, tart, and slightly sweet to start with a cherry pop and finishing with a sour note. Prickly Pear is a Gose displaying a lovely peach color wtih a strong malty smell. A confusing Gose, its malty flavor is strong from beginning to end and masks the peach sweetness and gose saltiness.

The Helles You Say is my star of the beers tasted! Delightfully butterscotch in color, this Helles has you running back for another sip. A perfect summer beer it’s light, crispy, and bready with a great balance of hop and malt. Whaddayear Whit is a well-made Belgian Wit exhibiting a canary color with a light malty aroma. A tasty Wit that would benefit a slice of orange, it’s smooth and light with slight citrus pop and a subtle maltiness.

My second set of pours consisted of “Dragon Tamer”, “Nydee Effret”, “1887”, and “Tale of the Dunkel”. Dragon Tamer is a New England-style IPA boasting the classic hazy IPA mellow yellow color with a citrus and hoppy fragrance…

“Dude… I think I like IPAs now,” I abruptly interrupted the tasting, looking over at Jonathan. It’s beginning to rain, a reflection of my dreaded revelation. The balcony roof protects us from the elements, but this realization bounces in my brain relentlessly, assaulting my whole ethos of beer tasting.

“Yeah dude, just accept it, you like IPAs,” Jonathan tells me with a flat, matter-of-fact face, as if to say shut up, I get it, you never thought you’d like IPAs, stop acting amazed by this...

Oh yeah… the review… Dragon Tamer starts with a glorious citrus taste followed by a balanced bitterness. Nydee Effret elicits a marmalade color with a strong hoppy perfume. My acceptance of IPA appreciation continues as Nydee is juicy and sweet to start with a lovely balanced hoppiness. 1887, a beverage named in honor of the year Bryson City was founded, is an Amber Ale revealing a rust color with a smoky and malty scent. A reliable Dad Beer every dad would line up for in perpetuity, 1887 starts sweet with a caramel sweetness followed by a touch of maltiness. Tale of the Dunkel is a Lager-Munich Dunkel parading a caramel color with a sweet whiff. It’s toffee forward with a muted maltiness that follows, a tasty addition of the Dunkle logs.

Mountain Layers Brewing Company is open Monday through Saturday from 12pm to 9pm and Sundays from 12pm to 8pm. The venue offers a wonderful second story balcony that looks over the Tuckasegee River, downtown Bryson City, and the Smoky Mountains. The Rice Wagon food truck is stationed outside the brewery offering an intriguing menu for Hawaiian Fusion dishes. The brewery entertains with live music on the weekends from the balcony, a cherry on top of what could be a perfect afternoon.