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Reflections: Looking Back on Two Years of Top Shop Construction

Years ago when preparation started for a new Top Shop to be built near the Mile High Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain, not many people in the meeting room knew exactly what constructing a facility on the top of Grandfather would entail.

Of course those at Greene Construction and Appalachian Architecture, both located in Boone, NC, were experts in their fields. The group was ready to tackle the functional and structural questions, the visual impact of the building and utility issues; but would the tireless amount of research and preparation they put into the project truly prepare them for the infamous Grandfather winds, the tough winters and quick-changing weather?

"I have lived in this area for most of my life and have never experienced the weather extremes like I did on top of the Mountain," said Bill Dixon of Appalachian Architecture. "We were all shocked by the severity of the weather. There is no question in my mind that nature rules. You work at Grandfather for any amount of time and you will learn that nature has the upper hand."

One person who understands the contrariness of Grandfather's highest peaks is Maintenance Supervisor John Church. With many stories from his 34 years of working on the Mountain, John knew it was going to take longer than the contractors expected.

"You gotta pick your days if you have a job to do," said Church. "You can't expect to get two pretty days in a row."

Church also says that you can't depend on the weather being the same when you leave as it was when you arrived. Church said, "you have to watch the temperature and the forecast because it might freeze over and you'll end up having to walk back down."

No winter on Grandfather brings desirable conditions for construction, but the winter of 2009-2010 was particularly rough on everyone. Grandfather Mountain had a total of 94.5 inches of snow, up 84 percent from the norm of 51.38 inches for the winter season. Employees were not able to make it to the top of the Mountain to record weather for 31 days, so the actual snowfall total is believed to be three to five feet more than the 94.5 recorded inches. The coldest temperature recorded during the winter was minus seven degrees and the highest three-second wind gust was 96 mph.

According to Skip Greene of Greene Construction, the crews were only able to access the top of the Mountain eight days in January 2010 and only a few more than that in February. While the winter was a frustration to all involved, it was a great test to the facility. The few weaknesses that were exposed by the harsh conditions were remedied.

After just over two years of hard work, the new Top Shop opened to the public Thursday, June 10. The building has three floors and houses merchandise space and a snack bar. Plans are underway for exhibits that focus on relevant subjects such as the Swinging Bridge and Grandfather's extreme weather.

"Grandfather Mountain has been a part of my heritage for as long as I can remember," said Greene. "There are photos of me at the Bridge as a youngster when there was a gravel road to the top. It has really been a thrill to see the old come down and the new going back in its place."

The new facility replaced a previous building that was in operation from 1961 until 2008. While most thoughts of the completion of the new building are joyful ones, there are a few bittersweet feelings as well.

One of the most exciting new aspects about the new Top Shop is an elevator that will give the attraction's wheelchair-bound visitors access to the Mile High Swinging Bridge for the first time. An elevated walkway, or "bridge to the Bridge," has been constructed and links the new building to the Swinging Bridge area.

"About midway through construction there was a woman in a wheelchair sitting on the far side of the parking lot, staring up at her family on the Swinging Bridge," said Dixon. "That image will always stick with me as something that provided a lot of poignancy to finishing the project."

The Top Shop is open year-round from 9 am until one hour before closing, weather permitting in the winter. For more information on Grandfather Mountain please visit www.grandfather.com or call 800-468-7325.

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