After enduring 4-5 inches of snow in Charlotte ,it was time to head to the mountains and play in what was left while the temperatures were rising up through the 70s! The perfect choice was the Mount Mitchell Trail in Pisgah National Forest. True, the intent was to scale this eastern behemoth, which is the highest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet, but it just wasn’t in the cards this day.

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The trail starts just inside of the Black Mountain Campground about two and a half hours northwest of Charlotte and about 30-45 minutes east/northeast of Asheville. My partner in crime was Elizabeth.

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Just so you know, that trailhead says 5.6 miles, not 56. I’m not that insane yet—but I’m getting there! I’m hoping that the pictures I took can carry at least half of the beauty we saw in person. The amazing thing about this hike was the diversity of the areas of forest that we traveled within. Rhododendron fields, Red Spruces, Oaks, Maples; all with their own designated regions that flow from one to the next.

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The trails themselves were beautiful and quaint. They were often only 1-3 feet wide so that the vegetation was right on top of us. Because this is one of the most strenuously rated trails in the region, mostly because of the elevation gain, it’s not that well–traveled. I love the feeling of a trail closing in around me and the calm that comes in the “tunnels” of trees and plants. This one is going to be a blast to hike in the late spring when the leaves are new.

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About 1-2 miles into the hike there is a split in the trail. A left will add about a half mile to the hike but will take you to Higgins Bald for a good view of how high you’ve climbed and some pretty interesting Rhododendron fields. There’s also a beautiful creek. We took the path to the right on the way up and thus the Higgins path on the way back. Yeah, my physical therapist last week specifically told me no more climbing trees. I told him that his orders were unrealistic and he would have to settle for no more falling out of trees. This one was a blast!

Blue Steel!

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Below is the creek that we crossed on the Higgins Bald Trail. Also, an interesting, lone, stoic tree we stumbled upon. It was kind of like a fairy tale scene when we came upon it. I’m sure this tree has some stories to tell!

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As I mentioned, we were hiking through quite a bit of snow. At least 50% of the time we had our feet in the white stuff, and often from 6-12 inches of it, including plenty of melting slush underneath. Much of the trail felt like we were actually hiking in a small creek or brook. Don’t misunderstand—this made it really fun! It also made for some great ice sculptures at the higher elevations.

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Elizabeth didn’t have the luck with gear that I had. I’ve had a trusty pair of Asolo Fugitives for about five years now and I’ve never gotten a blister and have rarely ever taken on water. This trip was no different for me, and that was even with some 2-3″ submersions and a pretty significant plunge through the ice on a creek. Elizabeth ended up swimming in her boots as we neared the top of the trail, although I won’t say her casual footwork helped the situation much. I think she enjoyed playing in the puddles as much as hiking!

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The views were amazing from where we ended up. We only made it to about 5,500 feet since daylight was waning after having gotten a late start on the day. Although this was a bit frustrating, I’m taking it as a great opportunity to head back up in the next couple weeks to summit the mountain and enjoy all of the new sights that the spring thaw will bring.

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A good hike is never complete without some local eats afterward! We found “The Harbor Inn” after some searching. We were going to give in and eat at some commercial joint, but we’re glad we ended up here. Of course that could have been the high altitude and thin oxygen talking! We gorged on tons of deep-fried goodness and had a wicked friendly waitress to keep us laughing. Not the best eats in town, but combined with the atmosphere, friendly conversation, and memories from a great day, it was just right. And it was also cheap! Oh, and no after-hike beer for Elizabeth since this place was dry! Bummer!

See you out there!