FAMILY TIME
One
of the best things about the holidays is spending time with family and
friends. Last weekend Christy and I
(along with the dogs) were able to spend the whole weekend together without the
usual distractions of home. We started
out by driving up to Boone early on Saturday for Appalachian State’s playoff
game against Illinois State. Unusually
warm December weather made for some nice tailgating, and the game was great –
until the very end. The game went to
overtime – the first overtime game in Boone in almost 20 years. Illinois State scored on their first
possession and kicked the extra point for a 7-point lead. We responded with a touchdown, but our extra
point attempt was blocked, ending the game, and the season, with a 1-point
loss. It was more than just the end of
the season, too. The next day we found
out that our legendary coach, Jerry Moore, was retiring after 24 years at ASU.
After
the game we had dinner at Mellow Mushroom with our friend, Eric. From there, we headed out in search of a
campsite. Somehow I’d managed to talk
Christy into spending the rest of the weekend camping and hiking. Most, if not all, of the public campgrounds
near Boone were closed for the winter. My
first thought was to find a site along the Kistler
Highway on the west rim of Linville Gorge.
However, Christy’s knee doesn’t do well with steep, rocky trails. That is an apt description of most of the
trails in the gorge, so I contemplated other options. Eventually I decided to hit a nice campsite
in the Black Mountains, not far from Mount Mitchell. It’s on a dirt forest road that stays open
through the end of December for hunting season.
That required a longer drive from Boone, but it was worth it. It’s a nice, private spot on a low-traffic
road, with lots of hiking options nearby.
It
was long after dark when we arrived. We
set up camp while the dogs explored the area.
They were enthusiastic for a couple of reasons. First, they’d been cooped up in the car for
most of the day. Also, I’d camped at
this site with them once before, and they clearly remembered it. It didn’t take them long to find their way
down to the creek below camp.
The
dogs eventually settled down and we went to bed. The sleeping temperature was ideal, and
although the dogs were a bit restless, we slept well. It was delightful getting 9-hours of sleep
for a change.
The
next morning I made coffee and cheesy egg sandwiches using some leftover French
bread. I would’ve used bagel thins, but
the dogs ate the whole pack (along with half a bag of tortilla chips) while
Christy and I were at the football game.
After breakfast we packed up and made the short drive up to Steppes Gap
in Mount Mitchell State Park to use the bathroom and change clothes. Then we drove back down towards the Parkway,
but pulled off in a small parking area where the Mountains to Sea Trail crosses the road to Mount Mitchell. We started our hike there, bound for Rainbow
Gap and Blackstack Knob.
The
stretch of the MST from Craggy Gardens to Mount Mitchell Road features some of
the trail’s most spectacular scenery.
The only drawback is that this stretch stays close to the Blue Ridge
Parkway much of the time, even crossing it twice. I frequently hike in this area in the winter,
when the Parkway is closed. Currently
the stretch of the Parkway south of Mount Mitchell Road is closed due to
construction. This meant that we could
enjoy the trail without hearing the distant hum of traffic.
The
other reason I picked this hike is that it is fairly easy. Although there is some climbing, most of it
is on reasonable grades with good footing.
There is one rough, rocky stretch east of Rainbow Gap (that I’d
forgotten about), but it was nothing compared to the trails in Linville Gorge.
We
started with a short, steep climb up from the road. After that initial grunt, we enjoyed gentle
strolling through a dark forest of spruce and fir. Despite the shade and high elevation (over
5,000’), it was surprisingly warm for early December. In fact, we had to stop to shed clothing less
than 10 minutes into the hike. I spent
the rest of the day walking in shorts and a t-shirt. This was stunning, considering that I’ve
needed long pants and a jacket while hiking in this area in the summer in the
past.
After
a mile we reached a spectacular overlook below Potato Knob. The cliffs feature one of the best views in
the state. It encompasses the Craggy
Mountains, The Pinnacle and Seven Sisters Ridge, and Burnette
Reservoir in the Asheville watershed. We
loitered there for a while and took some family photos.
Eventually
we hiked on. We returned to the deep,
dark spruce fir forest, and climbed through the previously mentioned area of
boulders. Eventually we reached the ridgecrest between Potato Knob and
Blackstack Knob.
We descended briefly to Rainbow Gap, and stopped in an overgrown meadow
for lunch. The meadow was sunny and dry,
and offered up a nice view of Blackstack Knob
ahead. While we were there the dogs
found a dead animal carcass to roll in.
It was nice of them to do that while we were trying to eat lunch. It also meant that we had to add bathing the
dogs to our list of chores for the evening.
First
we had to finish the hike. Christy
wasn’t too enthusiastic about climbing Blackstack
Knob, but I wanted to do it. The dogs
and I continued ahead to the summit while Christy relaxed in the meadow. She planned to start the return hike before
we got back, knowing that the rocky descent beyond Rainbow Gap would be slow
going for her.
I
enjoyed a well-graded ascent to the peak.
There are a couple of viewpoints along the way of Mount Mitchell and the
rest of the Black Mountain crest, but they are partially obscured by
trees. However, the highlight of Blackstack Knob was actually along the narrow ridgeline
beyond the summit. I followed this ridge
all the way to an unnamed sub-peak above Balsam Gap. It was a delightful, easy walk despite the
lack of views.
I
hiked back to Rainbow Gap quickly. The
dogs were distraught when they discovered that Christy was missing from the
meadow where we had lunch. They spent
the next hour or so racing along the trail between us, charging ahead after her
scent and doubling-back to check on me.
I kept an aggressive pace, but we didn’t catch up to her until we
reached the overlook where we’d stopped that morning. She’d been waiting there for a while, so
apparently the rocky trail hadn’t slowed her down too much.
The
final mile back to the car went fast. I
ended up hiking 8 miles or so. The round
trip hike to the summit of Blackstack Knob is 7
miles, but I ended up hiking at least an extra ˝ mile along the ridge beyond
the peak. Incredibly, despite the
wonderful weekend weather, we had the entire trail to ourselves the whole
day. The Parkway closure probably has a
lot to do with that, as the area is currently difficult to access from
Asheville.
It
was a great hike, but the best part was spending the day with my wife and my
favorite dogs. Hopefully I can talk her
into more hiking this winter.
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