My initial plan for a hike to end the four-day holiday weekend was to head to South Carolina to see a couple of waterfalls I haven’t been to yet. However, projected temperatures in the 90s made me rethink that and head for the cooler environment of higher elevations.
The Mountains to Sea Trail runs a course of 1175 miles along the breadth of North Carolina from Clingman’s Dome in Great Smokey Mountain National Park in the west to the dunes of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. In Western North Carolina, it weaves a serpentine course that frequently intersects with the Blue Ridge Parkway, providing many access points and opportunities for section hikes. Along the way, it brings hikers to such well-known points as Waterrock Knob, Mount Pisgah, Mount Mitchell, Linville Gorge, the Linn Cove Viaduct, Skinny Dip Falls, and Craggy Gardens, amongst many others.
This hike began at Balsam Gap Overlook (MP 359.7). As I entered the woods from the parking area, I found myself in a forest predominated by pines with sections of hardwood such as maple, beech, and locust mixed in. The stillness was only broken by the songs of birds and buzz of insects. The morning was cool with dew still clinging to the ferns carpeting the ground. I did not feel the chill long as the trails gains 700 feet over the first ¾ mile. At that point, I came to the spine of a ridge that serves as the boundary for Mount Mitchell State Park. To the left, openings in the trees provided great views of Mitchell and the rest of the Black Mountain range.
After a welcome flat section, the trail makes a final small ascent to the top of Blackstock Knob then descends a quick 400 feet to the forested saddle of Rainbow gap. Another short climb towards Patton Knob enters an area of giant boulders, looming rocky cliffs and overhangs that is otherworldly. I would not have been surprised to encounter Gimli here. This was an area that was dominated by pines and smelled enchanting.
Another quick descent of 400 feet brings the trail to a series of rocky balds. At the beginning of summer, the rhododendron and laurel would provide beautiful blooms. At the end of summer, the myriad blueberry bushes will provide buckets of yummy pickings. I had missed both of those pleasures but was able to get out on rock pedestals to enjoy the lovely view of Asheville watershed area. After entering the forest again, a short distance further the trail reaches the entrance road to Mount Mitchell State Park.
