September 3, 2016 Ramona and I headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) on a wonderfully sunny Saturday morning. The drive from Balsam Gap was full of sunshine, while the clouds below us created a sea of white on the valley floors. At mile 417, we parked at the Looking Glass Overlook. From the … More Bridges Camp Gap Trail
July 17, 2016 I’m glad to be back in North Carolina, on the familiar trails that I know and love. Maybe everyone feels that way about home. But, there’s something special about having Shining Rock Wilderness and Pisgah Forest in your backyard. Those staggering peaks over 6,000 feet, the balds with views for miles in … More Art Loeb Spur
May 21, 2016 According to the U.S. Forest Service, Mount Pisgah’s name is derived from the late 18th century: “a minister climbed (or viewed, depending on the version one accepts) this mountain and, considering the fertile French Broad River Valley below it, named it after that from which Moses first viewed the Israelites’ Promised Land.” … More Mount Pisgah Trail
May 14, 2016 For years I have had my eye on the Green Mountain Trail. While some call it Green Knob Trail, all will agree that this is a hellacious traverse in the Middle Prong Wilderness. Luckily, I found someone who was as crazy as me to hike it. The weather Saturday morning was beautiful … More Green Mountain Trail, Buckeye Gap Trail
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