Woody Ridge Trail and Isom Mine - Pisgah National Forest, NC

Hike #5 for the Black Mountains Hiking Challenge
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This hike took place on Saturday, August 10, 2019 in the Appalachian Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest, NC.
I met Jeff, a new peakbagging friend, for a hike up the Woody Ridge Trail. Although both of us had already hiked this trail and bagged Celo Knob, our goal on this trip was to see the abandoned Isom Mine far below the west side of Celo Knob. The climb up Woody Ridge was as relentless as I remembered. The Woody Ridge Trail begins at 3,170 feet and ends at 6,140 feet, an elevation change of 2,970 feet over 2.6 miles. That is a grueling 1,140 feet/mile climb and it ranks amongst the steepest long trails in North Carolina. I've seen multiple publications and websites say it is 2.2 miles long. Ignore this, I've tracked it multiple times and so has Jeff, we both get around 2.5-2.6 miles in all of our tracks. Still, it is very steep. Initially the trail parallels Shuford Creek then leaves the basin on a series of switchbacks. After two forest road junctions the graded switchbacks end as you plow directly up Woody Ridge. I should clarify, you are actually following really short and steep switchbacks that are very annoying until you reach the lower rock outcrop. This outcrop provides decent views, but Horse Rock 150 feet above provides outstanding views east of the South Toe River valley. Unfortunately, the clouds were thicker than the forecast.
Beyond Horse Rock the trail climbs another 500 feet ending at the Black Mountain Crest Trail. Here we turned north towards Celo Knob with the goal of having lunch at my favorite viewpoint in the Black Mountains. The weather had other ideas as thunderstorms rolled in over the Black Mountains. I did not bring any rain gear because I relied too heavily on the forecast, but fortunately two backpackers showed up right as the rain started. We helped them put up a large tarp and huddled under it for 45 minutes as it poured all around us. After the rain stopped, we bushwhacked up to the summit of Celo Knob. The wooden sign was still there, a welcome sign when many of them are stolen. We then followed the manway south that ends at a campsite beside the BMCT.
Very close to this campsite a forest road dives southwest off of the crest. We used this forest road to connect with Winter Star Rd 600 feet below. When we reached Winter Star Rd we turned north and followed the rim around North Fork Cattail Creek. The forest road then switchbacks downhill near "Aerial Tramway" and a mining symbol on USGS topographic maps. A spur at 5,250 feet leads to the top of Isom Mine. This cavernous, abandoned mica mine is treacherous to explore without climbing gear. We were satisfied with the view from the rim. There is also a scree clearing south of the mine with a bench and a view south of the Cane River valley. We then continued down the forest road to find the lower entrance to the mine. The entrance was a small opening and flooded with more than a foot of nasty-looking water, so we didn't go inside. There was a strong, cool breeze coming out of the mine. Natural air conditioning that felt amazing on a humid August day. Based on our tracks the Isom Mine is approximately 230 feet deep and 470 feet long.
The climb back up the the Black Mountain Crest Trail was tiring with 1,100 feet of elevation change over 2 miles. When we reached the crest the sun was out and we finally got some great views of the Black Mountains. We also tagged Percys Peak, an unranked 6,000-foot peak that is mistakenly labeled as Horse Rock. The descent on the Woody Ridge Trail was maddening as everything was wet. Every step was potentially hazardous, so it took a long time to finish. With over 4,500 feet elevation gain in 10.5 miles, this might be one of the toughest day hikes I've ever done in North Carolina.
Distance - 10.5 miles
Elevation gain - 4,565 feet
Time - 10 hours and 15 minutes
Trails completed:
Woody Ridge Trail [177]
Hike location
goo.gl/maps/D3...
Hike report
www.hikingupwa...
Maps for this hike:
U.S. Forest Service
store.usgs.gov...
Pisgah Map Company
www.pisgahmapc...
National Geographic 779
www.natgeomaps...
Mount Mitchell weather station and webcams
nchighpeaks.or...
Mount Mitchell State Park website
www.ncparks.go...
Other hikes mentioned:
Woody Ridge Trail and Colbert Ridge Trail loop
• Woody Ridge and Colber...