May 8, 2016 The first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot described Pink Beds as a “great bowl with mountains for the rim.”[1] Indeed it is nestled in the basin between Rich Mountain, Black Mountain to the south and east and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Frying Pan Mountain to the north and … More Pink Beds Loop Trail, Pink Beds Connector Trail
April 23, 2016 There’s something about being in the woods, a salve for the weary urbanite’s soul. A relaxation only found amongst the trees. The mountain vistas are not always as spectacular off the beaten path, but the beauty of nature is apparent. If you find yourself walking the short trail to Devil’s Courthouse from the Blue … More Little Sam Trail
April 10, 2016 Black Mountain and Clawhammer Mountain have loomed over my hikes for the past two months. Black Mountain has that classic conical mountain feature, whereas Clawhammer is non-uniform, rugged. I would look up to these mountains as I made my way winding around the edges of their new spring skirts, their shadows over … More Black Mountain Trail
April 4, 2016 I am confronted by ethical dilemmas every day of the week. Rarely does that bleed into my private life, but such was the case on a casual, after work hike. Nestled in between Shining Rock Wilderness, Middle Prong Wilderness and Nantahala National Forest in the Pisgah Ranger District is a great family … More Flat Laurel Creek Trail, Sam Knob Trail, Sam Knob Summit Trail
April 2, 2016 Old Butt Knob Trail is the crown jewel of the Shining Rock Wilderness. Hiked east to west from Big East Fork Trailhead, it is unrelenting. It’s the kind of trail that never lets you forget you are climbing a mountain. Undulation and steepness greet you at every turn. It is one of … More Old Butt Knob Trail, Shining Creek Trail
March 26, 2016 If you are in the Brevard/Asheville area and have family in town that don’t hike, but you want them to be outside, this is the perfect set of trails. Easy, level, close to the car, Andy Cove and the Exercise Trail are located beside the Pisgah Ranger District Office. Andy Cove Trail … More Andy Cove Trail, Exercise Trail
March 26, 2016 As we raise children, so often we save and show things to instruct them: a favorite book, a movie that changed us, a song that moved us. We hope to impart some of knowledge to them, have them grow with wisdom. How important it is to save trails for our children as well. … More Moore Cove Trail
March 25, 2016 Club Gap Trail: the undulation, the mica-infused rocks, the three second rapid flapping of the cardinal’s wings. Avery Creek Trail is so lush with spring’s first signs. Butterflies were flocking above waterfalls; snails were slithering across mud, flowers starting to bloom. American sensibility dictates that I would map the quickest and fastest … More Club Gap Trail, Buckwheat Knob Trail, Avery Creek Trail
March 19, 2016 The trailhead for Buckhorn Gap is located off of F.S. 477 (2.6 miles from Hwy. 276). On the map, it’s just north of my previous hikes at Pressley Cove and Perry Cove. I created a quasi-loop, hiking the Buckhorn Gap Trail to Twin Falls Trail (very easy grade for 1.5 miles); then … More Buckhorn Gap Trail, Twin Falls Trail, Clawhammer Cove Trail
March 13, 2016 Pressley Cove Trail is steep hike, albeit, at 1.1 miles, it is short. The trailhead is located on F.S. 477, near Hwy. 276 outside Brevard. It’s sort of hidden, but it starts on the right hand side of the road, just past the Bennett Gap trailhead and a one-lane bridge. The trail … More Pressley Cove Trail