Into the Clouds
Christy, Saucony, Bob, Laura, and I decided to return to the Black Mountains for a backpacking trip last weekend. We had hiked the Black Mountain Crest a year before, but were washed out with 3 days of rain. This time though, the weather forecast looked favorable. We had high hopes that we would be able to enjoy the stunning views from the peaks.
We got off to a rough start Saturday. We had just made it to the far side of Charlotte when we got a flat tire. Just in case you’re keeping track, this is our 3rd flat tire in the last 6 months. After a fun experience changing the tire on the side of I-85, we returned home and switched cars. We left again, this time 90 minutes late. However, 85 mph helped us make record time to Marion. We met Bob and Laura there and drove on to the trailhead near Carolina Hemlocks. Bob and I then drove another hour to drop a car off at the ending point at Bowlens Creek. After all of that, it felt great to be out of the car, even though we were hiking uphill.
After all of the day’s difficulties, we didn’t start the hike until the crack of noon. We climbed up the Colbert Ridge trail, which was sometimes gradual, and sometimes steep, but always uphill. Although it was a beautiful, sunny day in the valley, we could see that the peaks were obscured by clouds. After a quick lunch in the woods, we climbed another 100 yards to an ideal lunch spot on a rock outcrop. We were still far enough below the clouds that we had nice views to the east and north. After some further climbing, we arrived at another overlook with an even better view along the crest to the south. Despite the clouds, we could see as far as the Blue Ridge.
We eventually dropped off the ridge, hugging the north side of the mountain. Pretty soon, we reached a good spring not far below Deep Gap. Since our intended campsite didn’t have a water source, we filled everything we had. When we resumed the hike, the extra weight was a burden. To add to the challenge, we reached a stretch of trail that was covered with fallen trees. We crawled over and under several huge trunks, before finally arriving at one that required removing our packs. A few more minutes of difficult climbing brought us to Deep Gap. After a brief break, we climbed out of the gap, heading south on the Black Mountain Crest Trail. We passed through some rocky places, and fought through an overgrown area. We reached outcrops, but there were no views because we were in the clouds. We climbed still further, finally reaching the summit of Winter Star Mountain. We set up camp here in a pleasant balsam grove.
The site was a little cramped, but it was appealing for it’s isolation. We were well above the usual crowds camping in Deep Gap. Although 2 groups of backpackers did pass by, we enjoyed the silence and solitude. To top it off, it was a unique experience to camp at 6200’ feet in North Carolina. On that evening, we were the highest people in North Carolina (except for some of Christy’s students). It was the highest place that any of us had spent the night, outside of our travels out west.
That evening, we enjoyed a nice fire to ward off the chill. Just before sunset the clouds lifted, giving us a lovely view of a bright red sky. After a filling pasta dinner, we enjoyed a spectacular display of stars. Overhead, we had a breathtaking view of the milky way. From an outcrop next to our tent, we could look down on the lights of Burnsville, thousands of feet below. Burnsville was probably only a few miles away as the crow flies, but it may as well have been on another planet. That night we all slept well, although Bob and Laura were awakened by heavy footsteps near their tent. They never found out what it was, but it was enough to keep them awake for a while.
Island in the Sky
Christy and I got up Sunday morning in time for sunrise. It was cold that morning, but not as cold as I had feared. It was probably still above freezing as we hiked back down the trail toward Deep Gap. After 15 minutes, we reached a meadow with rock outcrops that we had passed the day before. Today though, there weren’t any clouds to obstruct our view. Instead, a low fog was lying in the valleys. We were literally surrounded by a sea of clouds. This gave us the impression of being an island in the sky. Looking out to the east and west, we could see smaller mountains poking up out of the fog.
We returned to camp for a pleasant breakfast. We broke camp by 10AM, and began the most rugged stretch of our hike. We descended steeply from Winter Star Mountain, passing through a ghostly forest of spruce and fir. After a few minutes of hiking, we reached a cliff top with outstanding views east, north, and west. We gawked for a few minutes, before tackling the most demanding part of the trail. We eased our way down a nasty rock chute. We moved very slowly to keep from falling off the ledge. We all made it down with some drama, though no injuries. From there, we began a stretch of hiking that alternated between crossing rock outcrops and hacking through overgrown meadows.
By late morning, we approached Gibbs Mountain, a South Beyond 6000 peak. However, the trail didn’t quite reach the summit. We bushwhacked our way up, fighting through a thick stand of Laurel. Afterward, we continued our hike along the crest. We crossed another high point, with truly amazing views back to the south along the spine of the range. In the farthest distance, we could even see Mt. Pisgah looming. Despite the clear day though, Mt. Mitchell itself was still hidden in its own cloud.
We crossed another minor summit, and saw a much larger peak ahead. Behind it were two more, Horse Rock and Celo Knob. It was then that it dawned on me – Gibbs Mountain was still ahead of us. Our wicked bushwhack through the Laurel had been a waste. We stopped at the base of the mountain for lunch and pondered what we wanted to do.
There was no clear path to the summit, so we continued on the trail, hoping to find another route to the top. Unfortunately, we never found a clear route up. We reached the north side of the peak, but it was very overgrown. We decided to hike on and save Gibbs Mountain for another day.
From Gibbs Mountain, we hiked through a series of lovely meadows near Horse Rock. The narrow ridge broadened, making the terrain easier. Soon, we found ourselves at the base of Celo Knob. Christy had never been up Celo, so I climbed up with her. Bob and Laura decided to hike on. Christy and I made it up in only a few minutes without packs. The old trail to the top had all but disappeared, but we didn’t have any trouble getting through. At the summit we enjoyed a nice view to the east, and even found the USGS marker.
We reluctantly returned to our packs and began the final miles of the trip. Before we left the high country, we enjoyed the best view of the day, looking back south through the meadows along the crest of the ridge. We could see all of the Black Mountain peaks, the Bald Mountains to the west, and the Blue Ridge to the east. It was hard to leave it behind, but we forced ourselves to hike on. We descended an old jeep road towards Bowlens Creek. We stopped at a small spring just below Celo Knob, and later passed a nice campsite in a meadow. Near the bottom we passed the Chanukah Tree. It is a very unique tree, with 4 trunks all sweeping upward from a central base. Eventually we reached the creek after a 4 mile descent on a steep, rocky road. Once at the car, we enjoyed a cold beverage before heading home. It had been an outstanding hike across the highest mountains in the eastern U.S. Afterwards though, we all agreed. The next time, we’re going to hike the entire range.
Back to North Carolina's Black Mountains
Back to North Carolina
Back to Hiking and Backpacking Trip Reports
Please remember to Leave No Trace!