THE ONLY BLACKBERRY I'LL EVER NEED
Christy and I fought off a vicious case of post-Hawaii malaise with a hike in early August. Our 7-year old nephew, Nathan, convinced us to take him hiking. We brought Saucony, and met Myron and Dorcas and Izzak near Hickory. They followed us towards Asheville, where we planned to hike part of the mountains to sea trail. Our goal was to take advantage of some unusually clear weather (for August) and search for ripe blueberries.
We got a bit lost on the way, because the navigator (that's me) was reading a magazine and wasn't paying attention. Eventually we found our way to the Graybeard Mountain overlook near Craggy Gardens. We left Dorcas' car there, and everyone piled into Christy's new Nissan Xterra. We headed up towards Mt. Mitchell, but pulled off where the MST crosses the road to the summit.
We started the hike there, following the MST back to the south. The first mile of trail passed through a lovely forest. Then we entered a brushy but open area full of ripe blackberries. I nearly forgot all about blueberries as I indulged in a blackberry appetizer. We emerged in an open area of rock outcrops with fantastic views. The parkway w
ound along the side of the mountain far below. In the distance, the Burnette Reservoir looked like a Scottish Loch, wedged between the high peaks of the Craggy Mountains and Seven Sisters Ridge. This was a perfect lunch spot. After eating, I gathered blueberries from the surrounding bushes. Most weren't ripe yet, but I still found enough to fill a zip lock bag.
After lunch, we followed a beautiful stretch of trail through a mossy boulder garden shaded by spruce and fir trees. Temperatures were in the 50's all day, and it felt even colder in the forest. After weeks of sweaty hiking in Hawaii, it felt like heaven. A fair climb to the top of a ridge kept us warm though. Once on top, we had easy walking for another mile before climbing to the summit of Blackstack Knob. Just before the top, there was a small clearing with views of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountain Crest.
We descended from Blackstack on an endless series of switchbacks. Eventually we reached Balsam Gap, where we paused for a brief rest. The Big Butt Trail junction is here, and Nathan was quite amused by the trail sign. After our break, we climbed a small hill before descending to the Parkway again. This isn't my favorite section of the MST, as it stays close to the road and traffic is always audible. This part of the trail is best hiked in winter, if the road is open far enough to allow access to the trailhead.
We arrived at the Glassmine Falls overlook, which provides views of what might be considered the highest waterfall in the eastern U.S., if there was any actual water flowing over it. Even after a rainy spell, it's a tiny creek cascading down a tall cliff. We had covered 7 or 8 miles already, but Nathan's feet were bothering him. Christy, Nathan, and Saucony waited there, while the rest of us finished the hike.
The next stretch of trail is spectacular. We climbed to a Heath Bald, where numerous rock outcrops provided views of the Craggy Mountains, Burnette Reservoir, and the Black Mountain peaks. Late summer wildflowers filled the meadows, and blueberries were everywhere. Unfortunately, we were running behind schedule, due to a late start. We didn't have time to pick any more berries as we hustled down the trail. We hiked through another section of spruce forest, followed by a grove of Beech trees, before reaching the parking area. Myron, Izaak, and I waited there, while Dorcas went back to pick up Christy, Nathan, Saucony, and the other car. We endured an unending procession of traffic and tourists before they returned. From there, it was back to Black Mountain and some hot food from My Father's Pizza.
It was a good hike, as we covered 10 of the most scenic miles on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The middle part of the trail was a bit tedious though, as it stayed close to the road. Oddly, despite heavy traffic on the Parkway, we saw very few hikers. Despite its scenery and easy access, this remains a lightly hiked trail.
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