THE MT. MITCHELL TRAIL 



By H. W. Plummer and N. Buckner 



IN STARTING from Asheville to 

 Mt. Mitchell over the trail which 

 has been completed under the super- 

 vision of the Good Roads Associa- 

 tion, one leaves by way of Merrimon 

 Avenue and the fine new sand-clay road, 

 up Beaverdam Creek to Craven Gap, 

 where he will strike the Howland trac- 

 tion road, following this about two and 

 three-fifths miles to Bull Gap. This is 

 as far as one can go by wagon, the trail 

 commencing at that point at the 

 boundary of Dr. Ambler's property. 



A ride of less than two miles along 

 the trail brings one to the doctor's 

 country home, Rattlesnake Lodge. 

 From there to the top of Lane's Pinnacle, 

 four miles, then on to Ivy Gap on the 

 side of Craggy, about three miles; 

 thence along the north side of Craggy 

 to the south side of Craggy Pinnacle; 

 around to the north of Craggy Dome, 

 to the north of Bull Head, thence to 

 Balsam Gap; through Balsam Gap to 

 the sides of old Blackstock, one of the 

 most attractive of the mountains; 

 possibly on account of its forbidding 

 aspect from a distance, being covered 

 as it is with the black balsam, but on 

 near approach furnishing a cooling and 

 grateful shade, the trail over this 

 mountain being cut out through the 

 balsam timber. The mountain is so 

 steep at this point that considerable 

 engineering work was necessary to 

 make the grade up the side of the 

 mountain, but finally its crest is reached 

 and followed for about half a mile. 

 Then conquering Blackstock, the next 

 hard climb is over Potato Top, then over 

 Mt. Gibbs to Stepp's Gap, where a 

 bold spring, the water as cold as ice, 

 furnishes plenty of water for both man 

 and beast; the last chance of watering 

 your horse before climbing Mitchell, 

 6,711 feet. The distance from Asheville, 

 32 miles; to the top of Mitchell from 

 Rattlesnake Lodge about 20 miles. 



One of the interesting features of 

 these mountains is that except in time 



94 



of extreme drouth, one finds plenty of 

 water along any of the trails; often on 

 the highest mountains and almost at 

 the very peaks fine springs are found. 



With comparatively little humidity in 

 the atmosphere, these towering peaks 

 act as condensers and consequently rain 

 is much more frequent than in the 

 plateaus of low altitudes. The leaves 

 and branches of the forest break the 

 force of the raindrops; the shrubs, ferns 

 and humus below catch the water and 

 pass it slowly downward into the soil 

 and rock crevices; and from this great 

 natural reservoir weeks and even 

 months later this water emerges into 

 the numberless springs about the lower 

 mountain slopes. 



In riding along this trail at different 

 points and especially through the Black 

 Mountain, the views obtained are 

 superb; without equal anywhere in the 

 United States. 



In some cases one's attention will be 

 attracted to a nearby peak to the 

 exclusion of everything else, while in 

 other instances, an immense panorama 

 will spread out, with a view of from 

 50 to 80 miles, according to atmospheric 

 conditions, and comprising within the 

 scope the Smokies, the Blue Ridge, the 

 Blacks and the Craggies. 



In making the trip the following 

 mountains are crossed, sometimes along 

 the side, sometimes over the very 

 summits : 



Altitude, 

 Feet 



Richland Knob 4,979 



Lane's Pinnacle 5,277 



Craggy Pinnacle, about 6,000 



Craggy Dome 6,105 



Bull Head 5,985 



Blackstock Knob 6,386 



Potato Knob 6,419 



Clingman's Peak 6,611 



And on to Mt. Mitchell 6,711 



Here we rest in a cabin now operated 

 during the summer season by J. W. 

 Dunne as Mt. Mitchell Inn. It is well, 



