Peak #1 in the bag. Peak attempt #2 was a strong failure.

It was time for Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi (I spelled that right without spell check) at 6,684 feet.

Since its North Carolina, and Asheville is in North Carolina, what better way to start the trip than with a visit to my favorite brewery in the world, Wicked Weed (Asheville). I snagged dinner there and made friends with a couple from NC that was visiting for the weekend. They had an affinity for hiking and we talked mountains and trails and high-pointing for a while. Then I headed off to my hotel just south of the mountains to prep for a summit Sunday AM.

Coming off the Colorado trip at 14k feet, I found the most difficult part of this trip to be 1) waking up in the morning in time to hit the trail and 2) finding the trail head. I drove a solid 45 minutes out of the way up a gravel mountain road – in the wrong direction – trying to find the trail.

This seems to be a theme. Getting lost in the woods… Maybe time for a new goal and new hobby? I think not.

I settled on approaching via the Mt. Mitchell trail, which I eventually found. The route starts at Black Mountain Campground (closed for the winter during my visit) and  gains 3600 feet in elevation over 5.5 miles, so it was supposed to be fairly challenging. Lots of elevation, 11 miles total.

I found the hike to be relatively easy with a total round trip time of around 3.5 hours, including a stop at the summit.

What I really wanted to do was approach from Deep Gap. Google images told me I would appreciate this route much more. Unfortunately, it would have required a backpacking approach. Time I did not have on this particular weekend.

The Mt. Mitchell trail mostly winds around the mountain through the forest along a series of switch backs. Views are occasional as you make your way up. There are some sections of the trail that are really neat, particularly about half way up where you cross through what I would describe as “perfect black bear habitat”. However, the trail follows a power line trajectory for a while which killed my feeling of isolation. And I was on the toes of some slower hikers for a significant portion of the trip (a few switchbacks behind).

That said, once you begin to approach the summit (1 mile out maybe) the trail became cool. Near the top of Mitchell there are some lodges where you can stay if you have the foresight to plan your trips 9 months in advance. They serve breakfast and apparently its a cool deal. No such luck here.

I proceeded to the summit which you see pictured below. It was beautiful, particularly in the direction of Deep Gap (where I wanted to come from). Once my high point journey is finished, or on a stray weekend, I will likely make that trek.

Once again, there is a road to the top of Mt. Mitchell, making it accessible to non-hikers. I understand it, but its always a little disappointing. So far, my high points are 2-for-2 with having roads that come within 1/4 mile of the summit.

Once I get out west more, those days will be over!

Since this was the North Carolina high point and I was in close proximity, I had my celebration beer(s) at Wicked Weed before returning back to Atlanta. Always a great atmosphere and great craft beer.

Cheers!