Mashed or Baked?
Kevin had wanted to go to Mt. Mitchell for some time, so Christy, Saucony, and I joined him up there last weekend. After some debate we ended up hiking on the mountains-to-sea trail a little short of the summit. We parked on the summit road, and hiked the MST west towards Balsam Gap. The trail took us through a beautiful forest of spruce and fir and into meadows on the south side of Potato Knob. As we hiked, Christy asked me what mountain was just above us. "Potato Knob", I replied. "Is that mashed or baked?", was her next question. "What?" "Mashed or Baked?" This brought some jovial laughter from Kevin and I, which Christy didn’t initially understand. If you don’t, try this simple exercise at home:
Say "Mashed or Baked" very fast 5 times. "MashedorBaked." "MashedorBaked." "MashedorBaked." "MashedorBaked." "MashedorBaked."
So this brought us all a great deal of amusement for the rest of the day. We spent most of the hike devising creative ways to use our new expression. For example, at a restaurant, if the waitress asks how you’d like your potatoes, just say "mashed or baked". The potential for humor is unlimited. Well, I guess you had to be there. Back to the trip report.
We reached an outcrop on the south side of Potato Knob with a spectacular view. The Craggy Mountains, the Blue Ridge, Greybeard, and the Pinnacle surrounded us. Far below were the ice blue waters of Burnette Reservoir. Temperatures were right at freezing, but it was a sunny day with no wind. It was only 11:30, but we decided to stop for an early lunch anyway. Christy and I enjoyed some hot gumbo from the thermos. Afterwards it was tough getting going again.
We continued on the MST and climbed into a beautiful dark forest of balsams. Although there were a few areas with dead trees, for the most part the forest appeared to be healthy. The woods were dark and utterly peaceful. Boulders were everywhere, with moss and icicles on nearly every surface. One section of moss was covered with ice, which looked like crystals. Later we passed a dead tree, with a young tree growing out of it 10 feet up. It was truly an enchanted forest.
We hiked for a couple of hours through the woods. We climbed Blackstack Knob, which qualifies as a south beyond 6000 peak. The peak was completely wooded, but there was one nice view on the east side looking back at Mt. Mitchell, Clingman’s Peak, Gibbes Mountain, and Potato Knob. We crossed the summit and began a long descent on switchbacks to Balsam Gap, the Big Butt Trail, and the Parkway.
I wanted to hike the Big Butt Trail, but we didn’t have time. Instead, we headed back on the Parkway. This section of the road is currently closed due to ice, so the walk wasn’t bad at all. We had great views to the south and west. The clear weather made it possible to see all the way to the Smokies. We also got a good look at several flood and landslide areas above us on Blackstack Knob.
The biggest excitement of the day came from the icicles lining the rock walls above us. The sun was bright, and whole sections of icicles would come crashing down as we passed. It’s hard to beat that for a thrill
We were almost to Black Mountain Gap when we saw the first people of the day. 3 mountain bikers raced by, on their way down from Mt. Mitchell. Shortly afterwards we made the turn onto the summit road and quickly reached the car. We covered 10 miles in about 6 hours, and allowed plenty of time to relax and take photos. It was a peaceful, scenic hike for a winter afternoon. I’m looking forward to heading back that way and hiking the Big Butt Trail. Perhaps we’ll get back up that way before the road opens.
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