Jennifer Heaslip, Times-News
Ten years ago, Conserving Carolina Trails Specialist Peter Barr was crawling hand-over-hand up boulders and rock faces and navigating steep cliffs to reach some of the most spectacular views the veteran hiker has seen in the region.
Struck by the beauty of the massive viewshed overlooking Lake Lure, Rumbling Bald and the Hickory Nut Gorge, Barr left with a mission - to preserve the private property and open it to the public.
Wednesday morning, Barr and Conserving Carolina celebrated the culmination of the first phase of his mission with the grand opening of the 2.1-mile Youngs Mountain Trail near Lake Lure, which takes hikers to the summit of its namesake.