Mount Mitchell Trail - Pisgah National Forest, NC
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- Hike #1 for the Black Mountains Hiking Challenge
nchighpeaks.org/challenge
My first hike of 2019 on January 6, revisiting the Mount Mitchell Trail to begin my first of seven hikes for the Black Mountains Hiking Challenge. This relatively new challenge by the NC High Peaks Trail Association requires a hiker to complete all 23 official trail and trail segments in the Black Mountains for a total of 66.4 miles. As a miniature version of the Pisgah 400 or Smokies 900, I thought this would be a great challenge to tackle given my experience hiking in the Blacks and its closer proximity to my residence. To my dismay, the official challenge start date was January 1, 2018, and I had not hiked in the Blacks during all of 2018. That meant I needed to re-hike almost every trail on the challenge list which includes some of the toughest trails in North Carolina. My goal was to finish the challenge in 2019 and hike it efficiently. I mapped out 7 day hikes that only included one shuttle, and thought the best way to begin the challenge was starting with the Mount Mitchell Trail.
The Mount Mitchell Trail begins at the Black Mountain Campground hiker's parking lot, briefly following the River Loop Trail and Briar Bottom Bicycle Trail parallel to the South Toe River. Then the trail leaves the river and begins a continuous climb from the South Toe River to Mount Mitchell, climbing over 3,600 feet in 5.8 miles. Many books and websites claim this is one of the toughest trails in the Southeast, but this is not the case. The consistent elevation change per mile is moderately strenuous but never too steep for someone with average fitness levels. In the Black Mountains alone, I consider the Colbert Ridge, Woody Ridge, and Black Mountain Crest Trails more difficult.
The first mile had recent improvements with log steps and a bridge over Little Mountain Creek. Around the 2-mile mark I decided to check out the unofficial trail along Open Ridge, which was mistakenly referred to as Little Mountain in the video. This spur leads to an overlook with decent views of the valley and the central Blacks. I then climbed past Setrock Creek and the campsites near the microburst damage before encountering the first lingering snow/ice around 5,000 feet near the powerline section. On my previous hike I encountered ice monorail here, but it had been much warmer leading up to this hike. I only began to see long sections of monorail above 6,200 feet in the state park, and even then they were manageable without ice traction. The toughest section was arguably the north side of the Balsam Nature Loop Trail, which lies in the northern shadow of Commissary Ridge. The ice was slick here, and I had to do this section twice since I had to turn around at the parking lot in order to finish both sections of the loop trail.
I do not think I've ever had clearer views from the top of Mount Mitchell. In my estimation I had 100 miles of visibility. As you'll see in the video, I could see Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain in Virginia, the Sauratown Mountains in north central NC, possibly the Uwharrie Mountains in central NC, and the Charlotte skyline and Kings Mountain range in south central NC. The views were so phenomenal, I stayed at the summit for nearly an hour despite bitterly cold wind. Next I took the Old Mitchell Trail south from the summit to connect with the Camp Alice Trail. The ice covering these rocky, steep trails was the toughest hiking of the day. Then I followed the Commissary Trail and Buncombe Horse Range Trail back to the Mount Mitchell Trail. On the way down I took the alternate Higgins Bald Ground Trail even though it was not required for the challenge. Overall it was a fantastic return to the Black Mountains after more than a year away, and probably my favorite summit ever of Mount Mitchell.
Distance - 12.9 miles
Elevation gain - 3,980 feet
Time - 8 hours and 30 minutes
Trails completed:
Mount Mitchell Trail [190]
Balsam Nature Loop Trail [MMSP]
Camp Alice Trail [MMSP]
Higgins Bald Ground Trail [190A]
Mountains-to-Sea Trail [440], sections 440a & 440b
Hike location
goo.gl/maps/SETkzxX1kNKRpVJ67
Hike report
www.hikingupward.com/PNF/MtMi...
Maps for this hike:
U.S. Forest Service
store.usgs.gov/product/229515
Pisgah Map Company
www.pisgahmapcompany.com/shop...
National Geographic
www.natgeomaps.com/ti-779-lin...
Mount Mitchell weather station and webcams
nchighpeaks.org/Webcams
Mount Mitchell State Park website
www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchel...
Other hikes mentioned:
Woody Ridge Trail
• Woody Ridge and Colber...
Black Mountain Crest Trail
• Black Mountain Crest T...
Middle Creek Falls
• Middle Creek Falls - P...
Clingmans Dome
• Clingmans Dome - Great...
Thanks for sharing your hike with us!
No problem
Zachary you really know these trails-impressive!! Love your blog.Thank you for posting this valuable information
Thanks Katherine
I am inspired to do this!! Super job with peaks as I have been there before.
Thank you for this video. Beautiful trail, and I loved the part where you pointed out what all the peaks were at the top of Mt. Mitchell! Your knowledge is impressive, and not at all boring!
Thanks, some people just aren't interested in that stuff
Love how you know all the peaks, and love learning which is which. I've lived here all my life and don't know any of them except the Blacks lol
Thanks Ash
Thank you brother for this Video! I camped at Camp Alice before it was torn down,(‘83)10 man bunk house,4 table shelter, bbq fire pit,outhouse.blast from the past.thanks again
Thanks Chad, would've liked to see that structure. Too bad it wasn't preserved.
Insane views! I agree with your assessment of the Sauratown Mountains. That had to be it. The views have been so great lately. Mitchell has been visible from the Loop Trail at Stone nearly every time I’ve been on it lately. Hope you’re getting in more winter hiking this year.
Somewhat, the new dog and snow are limiting what I've been doing. Mostly checking off Piedmont hikes for the MST 40 Hike Challenge.
Your knowledge of all the peaks is encyclopedic!! I was lucky enough to spend some time on top last April 2019 on a fairly clear day. Living in VA I was excited to see you identified "the roof of VA" with Mt. Rogers and Whitetop. I may have seen them without even knowing. Well done!!
Thanks Brent. Typically you will not be able to see this far. With all of the haze most of the year you may get 20-40 miles. You need those perfect winter days to see further, and those are harder to come by.
What a great video Zach, one of your better ones. That campsite at 28:44 was awesome. As always very informative. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks a lot Bryan. I think I do a better job making videos when I've done the hike before or I pick a shorter hike. Commissary Hill is an excellent campsite, but it can get pretty busy in the summer. If you hike in the Black Mountains in the future my suggestion would be continuing a few miles north to Maple Camp Bald, which you'll likely have to yourself.
Thanks for all of the info on the maps and the links. We are heading down to NC this July and plan to hike Mt Mitchell.
Make sure you visit the park website for the map
Wow that's a beautiful Trail! Thanks for sharing
You can name as many peaks as you want man! That's my favorite part of your videos haha. Super interesting, because I never know what I'm looking at when I'm hiking.
Thanks, glad you appreciate that aspect.
@@bigzach322 Yeah man, would love to see another Mt. Leconte video where you point out the peaks. Was just there and had no idea what I was looking at.
@@gcharocks That would require me getting back there on a nice winter day, it's too crowded this year even during the week.
Love your video, burn the hat. Go HEELS lol
Another great hiking adventure. Some beautiful views at the top! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, it's not one of my favorite hikes but definitely one of my favorite peaks in NC.
@@bigzach322 Looking forward to checking the this place out. Cheers!
thanks for sharing and remain blessed.
Nice video. I was lucky enough to get Mount Mitchell all to myself for about 15-20 mins as well. It's stunning up there. Cheers
Yup it's great when you're not flanked by 50 tourists
Awesome. Thanks.
I love your video's, Dookie ;) ✌ James. West Jefferson, NC.
Thanks James
good travels, be safe
Thanks John
Your knowledge is outstanding! I thoroughly enjoyed this informative video, which is why I subscribed months ago. I live close to the Uwharries myself and am planning my second thru-hike of the UNRT this March or early April.
Question: What equipment did you use to record this video?
Thanks!
Thanks Brian. I'm not using anything fancy. I record with my phone, and I mount it with a Square Jellyfish phone mount attached to a StickPic #2. Sometimes I'll carry the JOBY GorillaPod 325, but I don't use it much.
@@bigzach322 Thanks. I figured it was done with your phone but it still looks pretty good and I'm in the market for a new phone. Hope to start vlogging soon myself, but my current phone just won't do (quality is fine but battery life is horrible). Anyway, thanks again.
@@brianmoore4616 Probably any phone you buy will be good, unless you go for the bargain basement smart phones. Mine is an LG G6 and almost 3 years old, similar quality to the Samsung Galaxy 8 when I purchased it but less expensive. With the phone a very important thing is to keep it steady, otherwise the motion blur feature will make it too choppy. This is why a lot of UA-cam hikers use gimbals or buy GoPro's.
@@bigzach322 Thanks for the tip! Upgraded yesterday to the Pixel 3a from an LG G5 myself. Like I said, good image and video quality but the battery just wouldn't last anymore, even after replacing it.
As I mentioned earlier, I plan on hiking the Uwharrie Trail towards the end of March and plan on vlogging it. I'll let you know when and if that happens in case you're interested.
Thanks again!
@@brianmoore4616 For that I'd be interested if you're doing it in a day.
Question…
Mount Mitchell is 6,684 ft.
Clingmans Dome is 6,643 ft.
41 foot difference. Mount Mitchell’s observation deck is about 10ish feet off the ground. Clingmans Dome observation tower is about 45 feet off the ground. If you’re standing at the top of Clingmans Dome observation tower, are you technically at the highest point east the Mississippi?
Are the observations points included in the elevations??
No, manmade structures are never included in geographical elevation. Then you would have to include skyscrapers as county and state high points.
Beautiful trail and views! I’m impressed that you know all the peaks! Are the trails still open with the recent health crisis and stay home / stay safe orders? Out here in Washington lots of trailheads are closed for the time being- good luck on the challenge! 🥾🥾
The state park is closed but the surrounding national forest is not. The rangers are being pretty vigilant stopping people from hiking into parks. I finished the challenge already, this hike was from over a year ago, very behind on making these.
@@bigzach322 That's great you finished the challenge! Really pretty area :)
@@JenniferLupine Thanks Jennifer, it's my favorite area in the state.
Hi Zach, really appreciate all of your great videos. Where do you get the forest service maps?
Sometimes you'll see them at outdoor stores but you can also buy them here store.usgs.gov/maps
Awesome video
Thanks Lee
We are an older couple, our daughter moved to North Carolina 9 years ago, so we explore as often as we can get out there from Dallas TX. Your videos are so great. We are discovering places we could never ever see. Thank you so much for sharing.
No problem, glad they're useful to you.
What are the purpose of the poles? I live in Michigan and see folks walking on flat ground with poles?
I mostly use them for downhill stability when it gets steep and slippery, and creek crossings. Maybe it's icy when you see people walking? They also help keep your hands high, if you walk for 8 hours your hands get really swollen. It happens to me every time I don't bring poles. Here are some articles.
www.outdoorgearlab.com/expert-advice/ten-reasons-for-trekking-poles
www.cleverhiker.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-hiking-with-trekking-poles
sectionhiker.com/trekking-poles-pros-and-cons/
I think you just memorized what you saw on the those plaques to look smart.
If you watch any of my other videos with views that don't have plaques you'll find out you're incorrect.
@@bigzach322 they probably had plaques in the others videos. Nobody can fool me.
@@bigzach322 every summit has plaques
@@ethanbean8784 You don't know what you're talking about.
Great video. Im planning to do Black mountain Crest trail soon. What kind of wireless phone charger do you use? Im looking to get one just wanted your advice.
I don't know if portable wireless phone chargers are a thing, maybe you are referring to USB chargers. I don't carry one on my day hikes, my phone never loses enough charge for it to be necessary. I do carry one while backpacking. It's an old Anker with high capacity and multiple ports. Most people would be fine with this version, which is slimmer and lighter www.amazon.com/dp/B072MH1434/?coliid=I1NR4VG6CCLAAX&colid=22VN5KYYIWZCY&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
@@bigzach322 thank you for the info.
@@jasonmears4393 Is that what you were looking for?
@@bigzach322 yes it is. Im just needing something to keep my phone charged especially on over nite hikes. My phone always dies by the next day.
How would you compare it to Grandfather Mountain Trail? (Swing bridge to Calloway peak trail)
They're completely different. Grandfather Mountain Trail is less than half the length and much less elevation gain, but rocky and steep. Mount Mitchell Trail is a much longer, consistent climb but doesn't feature any rocks like Grandfather. If you only do Grandfather Mountain Trail, it's much easier than Mount Mitchell Trail and much more scenic.
Looking to make a trip up to NC from South FL with my wife and 2 year old son mid December . Any scenic trails you can recommend would be appreciated . Little man gets strapped to my back. 1/4 day hike would our limit before the kiddo gets fidgety. Thanks for your videos!🦅
The only good option is probably to Mount Craig and back from the summit parking, that should take 90-120 min I think. Anything else in the park will be too long and rugged. There are nearby waterfalls such as Crabtree Falls, Roaring Fork Falls, and Setrock Creek Falls that are also quick hikes. Craggy Pinnacle and Craggy Gardens are nearby directly on the parkway and are both easy hikes.
@@bigzach322 Thanks so much for your time!!!
Great hike! Just curious...how many patches do you have? A lot, I'm guessing...
Do you mean challenge patches? I only have 3.
@@bigzach322 Yeah. I'm sure that's a lotta miles.
@@WayOffTheTrail The challenges I did are a minor portion of the miles I've hiked. The Black Mountains Hiking Challenge and Carolina Lookout Tower Challenge are both less than 100 miles.
@@bigzach322 Ah, well thanks for clearing that up...I was thinking there was a patch for every challenge.
@@WayOffTheTrail I do a lot of made up challenges. If a hiking club doesn't sponsor them then a patch likely doesn't exist.
Hey Zachary, Do you know anything about Burleson Bald toward over by Ingalls and Avery county airport
This was the elevation I was speaking of
No I don't, that's all private land. I don't know anyone who's ever been on that summit, it doesn't look like much on the satellite.
I'd have to tackle that with the jeep lol
4649 feet.
I'm not sure what this elevation refers to.
Zachary Robbins Burleson Bald