My bike is still down but I made the best of it and finally hiked some of the Black Mountain Crest Trail # 179 hike. It is sweeeet! I'm tempted to say as good or better than the Table Rock to Shortoff - I'm not saying that it is, I'm just tempted to...
I got up early and was at the Mt Mitchell parking lot at 8:00. Wasn't quite sure where the hike started but thought it was at the summit of Mt Mitchell. The trail to the summit was closed due to some improvement they are making. I knew I had plenty of time, a lunch meat sandwich, a PB&J, plenty of water, assorted snacks, etc. so I decided to try a loop starting on something I was a little familiar with. I started out going down Commissary Ridge and dropped down the Mt Mitchell trail # 440 to Commissary Hill, hit the Buncombe Horse Range trail # 191 there and hiked a couple of miles in to the Big Tom Gap trail head # 191A.
I got up early and was at the Mt Mitchell parking lot at 8:00. Wasn't quite sure where the hike started but thought it was at the summit of Mt Mitchell. The trail to the summit was closed due to some improvement they are making. I knew I had plenty of time, a lunch meat sandwich, a PB&J, plenty of water, assorted snacks, etc. so I decided to try a loop starting on something I was a little familiar with. I started out going down Commissary Ridge and dropped down the Mt Mitchell trail # 440 to Commissary Hill, hit the Buncombe Horse Range trail # 191 there and hiked a couple of miles in to the Big Tom Gap trail head # 191A.
Following the Big Tom Gap trail was a little tricky for the first couple hundred yards but once I got in the "groove", literally, I couldn't lose the trail. Big Tom Gap was short, steep, and scenic. The Big Tom Gap trail t-bones into the Black Mountain Crest Trail right between Big Tom to the south and Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak and Potato Hill to the North. I decided to fire it up to the North and come back to check out Big Tom 6580' and Mount Craig 6663' on the way to the Mt Mitchell parking lot. I think I got up on top of 6 different 6000+ footers: Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak, Potato Hill, Big Tom, Mount Craig, and Mt Mitchell. It was an awesome day. I essentially got in a loop with an extension. There is no Chimneys section but it does have it's own unique character with some incredible views.
So many views.
Heading towards the parking lot.
