Done this trail a couple times in my younger days. It is challenging but well worth doing. The elevation makes it much cooler in the summer than a lot of Pisgah National Forest trails around. I’m sure you have done your research on the trail just be ready for the elevation change.
The hike from Hurricane Gap to Max Patch is about 30 miles and a nice hike also. Not an extreme elevation change like the Art Leob trail also.
Done this trail a couple times in my younger days. It is challenging but well worth doing. The elevation makes it much cooler in the summer than a lot of Pisgah National Forest trails around. I’m sure you have done your research on the trail just be ready for the elevation change.
The hike from Hurricane Gap to Max Patch is about 30 miles and a nice hike also. Not an extreme elevation change like the Art Leob trail also.
I remember backpacking up Wilson creek as a kid. We had a lot of fun up there. Shining Rock Wilderness area is another place we went backpacking as a kid.
Scouted the Art Leob trail head at the Brevard side today.
Spoke to some Rangers and met some folks and discussed a shuttle.
Things look good. I gave my son the choice of a multinight backpacking trip or canoe camping......he wants to walk.
No permits required but mandentory use of a bear canister.....hanging a bag doesn't cut it any longer. The fine alone is steep enough for me to take notice.
Arrived at Daniel Boone Scout Camp at 12:30.
We used a very good Rock climbing, river guide, mountain biking anything Pisgah or Dupont outdoor company for a shuttle....Pura-Vida Adventures.
We where loaded for bear!
Some where in here was the beginning of the narliest trail I've ever walked point to point.
We went prepared....didn't go hungry and was ready for three and a half days. Two foot long subs and two liters of water each. We both weighed in packing 38lbs.
Up we went. Headed to the Cold Mountain summit trail for our first turn.
I had read and discovered for sure this end of the trail is poorly marked.
We felt super and we where climbing great for in the woods for what we perceived as a good distance and came our Right turn.
Wrong! We hiked down a well used path crossed a camp sight and in a few hundred more yards everything became Bush wacking. We were now on a game trail! Damn, not Art Leob. The ALT was blazed with rectangle white and coincides with some plain white dots latter.....but this end through a good portion is lacking anything.
I had heard voices of other hikers when we turned. Just as we arrived back to our missed step we found two men....hehe scout leaders making the same wrong turn. After a quick left handed hand shake and greetings we went on now a party of four.
Now we where clipping, our new companions: a newer leader and lifer scout, whom as we discovered was the son in law of another lifer scout. The older lifer had set the pace and we where clicking it away.....something about being a 26 year Marine maybe?
We was Rollin climbing and feeling great. Pura Vida indeed. Simple Life.
Numerous places to rehydrate where available and I was sweating like a strapped mule. I pour water at 75 degrees and it was early afternoon and humping it.
After getting on for a bit and acclimating to real trail distance to perceived accomplishment in the climbing we stopped at the last water supply for what would be about 3 more miles. Now mind you I dehydrate easily and that lunch samich was in my ear....well right behind my head.
Time to eat half a sub and part ways with our companions. They where climbing Cold Mountain on a recon.
In my head we where killing it.
Mile 3.1. Really? No way?
After fueling up we set out again. Shortly we found our true turn. At 3.9.
We had climbed roughly 1,588 ft.
After our turn the terrain and vegetation reflected our elevation gain. We actually turned down hill for a spurt and then made a greater climb jumping from 4,974 feet to 5,328 feet in less than half a mile. We were in the Narrows. It lived up to the name going across the ridge lines with lural and bolders to keep you in line with the climb. This we discovered was ALTs style. Up and over....not around.
At around 4.5 we got some views for the first time and a breeze.
After bolder hoping and running across the ridge we must have hiked the switch backs at 5.4......if they was there we couldn't tell it.
At 5.8 We got another view and leveled of at 5, 854 feet.
Now we had leveled a bit felt good and kept pushing. The tree line and vegetation covered a big portion of this trail end to end. We had some great peeks at good views but we had leveled out some and was on what was clearly an old logging road.
No pic but bam....right in the trail almost tripping me was a corrugated pipe. Mile 6.5.
Me and my son laughed about a pipe on a road way the crap up on a mountain. He at least didn't know I bout busted it.
Wasn't going to be the last....as we wore on both of us stumbled a few times. Neither of us never fell and all we got was sore muscles and a couple blisters for the kiddo...Pura Vida.
Now all around this area was pure quarts bolders...not just footballs, voltswagon size stuff. We didn't know it but it was the shinning rock. This area got it name from the quartz visible from a good distance. Our guide map proved we where here but not until later when I chanced to look back I could see the side of the mountain gleaming proudly with its quartz jewel. Sadly I didn't think to photogragh it.
Just after the pipe and just in time the spring at 6.6. As a note I consumed an average of 4 liters a day. This was liters 2 and 4 and a 5 while resupping. Thank God for water and not busting my butt.
Then wrong turns can be hazadarous. Glad ya had a good hike.
Some folks dont know that when there is a double blaze marking that that is a hard right/left turn and not an intersection. Screws up a lot of people and this makes a trampled wrong way path...leading others to follow it
