Mount Mitchell
| North Carolina |
Elevation: 6,684'
Vertical Gain: 3,550'
Vertical Gain: 3,550'
Date: April 19, 2011
Time: 9:30 AM
Time: 9:30 AM
Weather: Cool, windy, sunny
Party: Bob, Kevin
Party: Bob, Kevin
Black Mountain Campground was a good choice for a place to stay for this hike. It is a nice
little campground along a trout stream and is right at the beginning of the Mount Mitchell Trail.
The woman attendant told us that some people can do the hike in six hours but didn't want us
to worry about being out of the site by 2:00 since it wasn't that busy. This prevented the need
for us to pack up the tent early which allowed us to get on the trail just before 7:00. What I
should have realized is that this would be interpreted as a bit of a challenge to Kevin. Indeed, it
was a pretty good non-stop pace on a nice trail with only one direction - up - and we were at
the summit by 9:30. The views were great and the first people we saw had ambled up from the
parking lot just as we were leaving the summit observation tower. The concession was not yet
open so we were glad to have our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a sunny spot out of
the wind in front of the visitor building down by the parking lot.
At 10:00 we left the parking lot for the 5.8 mile return trip the same way we came up. This
direction, all down, was covered in only two hours and was capped with ice cream at the
campground office where the attendant was surprised to see us already. We had another
friendly conversation where we learned that descendants of Both Robert E. Lee and the
mountain's namesake, Dr. Elisha Mitchell, were staying at this campground. In 1857, Dr.
Mitchell suspiciously fell to his death on the mountain while trying to prove that he was first to
measure the highest peak in the Black Mountains, a point contested by Thomas Clingman who
was a former student of Mitchell's and a North Carolina senator.
It felt good to climb the highest mountain east of the Mississippi without much trouble. After
relaxing a short time at the campsite and getting in a nice shower, Kevin and I packed up and
headed for South Carolina.
little campground along a trout stream and is right at the beginning of the Mount Mitchell Trail.
The woman attendant told us that some people can do the hike in six hours but didn't want us
to worry about being out of the site by 2:00 since it wasn't that busy. This prevented the need
for us to pack up the tent early which allowed us to get on the trail just before 7:00. What I
should have realized is that this would be interpreted as a bit of a challenge to Kevin. Indeed, it
was a pretty good non-stop pace on a nice trail with only one direction - up - and we were at
the summit by 9:30. The views were great and the first people we saw had ambled up from the
parking lot just as we were leaving the summit observation tower. The concession was not yet
open so we were glad to have our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a sunny spot out of
the wind in front of the visitor building down by the parking lot.
At 10:00 we left the parking lot for the 5.8 mile return trip the same way we came up. This
direction, all down, was covered in only two hours and was capped with ice cream at the
campground office where the attendant was surprised to see us already. We had another
friendly conversation where we learned that descendants of Both Robert E. Lee and the
mountain's namesake, Dr. Elisha Mitchell, were staying at this campground. In 1857, Dr.
Mitchell suspiciously fell to his death on the mountain while trying to prove that he was first to
measure the highest peak in the Black Mountains, a point contested by Thomas Clingman who
was a former student of Mitchell's and a North Carolina senator.
It felt good to climb the highest mountain east of the Mississippi without much trouble. After
relaxing a short time at the campsite and getting in a nice shower, Kevin and I packed up and
headed for South Carolina.
No hot food but otherwise not
bad accommodations.
bad accommodations.
Kevin hoping for a shot of Bob
falling in at a stream crossing.
The trail started along a larger,
picturesque stream.
falling in at a stream crossing.
The trail started along a larger,
picturesque stream.
In front of the two year old observation
deck which replaced a higher tower. Dr.
Mitchell was re-buried behind us.
deck which replaced a higher tower. Dr.
Mitchell was re-buried behind us.
The almost empty parking lot can
be seen below behind Kevin.
be seen below behind Kevin.