MST: HAYWOOD GAP TO MT. PISGAH

Come along for a 30 mile trek along the high peaks of the Mountains to Sea trail through the Middle Prong Wilderness and beyond.

I met my companion for this trip, Doug, at the Mt Pisgah parking area around 7:30AM to get started on our three day trip. We got a ride with Traveling Lite Shuttle and Resupply to our jumping off point at Haywood Gap. Nathan was super friendly and fun to talk to and I will absolutely be a repeat customer. Our short 30 minute drive started with an incredible sunrise with cloud inversions in the valleys far below and even a stunning rainbow that arched over the Blue Ridge Parkway ended along the Graveyard Ridge right as we were passing by.

We parted ways from the shuttle, and joined the MST at Haywood Gap as it crosses the Parkway in a light rain. After only 30 minutes or so the rain cleared up and we were on our way through the isolated and rugged Middle Prong Wilderness. After 3 miles, we left the MST and headed up a side trail to the summit of Mt Hardy. It was a good climb, with a flat forested top but didn’t offer much in the way of long range views. We headed the half mile back down to continue along the MST. A few miles later we met the west fork of the Pigeon River and headed down to cross over Highway 215 leaving the Middle Prong Wilderness and entering the Shining Rock Wilderness. We took a short break, refilled on water and had a snack and continued on the trail.

Our next stop was Devil’s Courthouse which is a very short quarter mile off the MST. This is an interesting spot where you cross over the parkway without noticing it most likely, as the trail goes over a long tunnel below. We joined the last section of the paved path to reach the summit overlook, and we were treated to clear skies and beautiful long range views. We continued up over Chestnut and Silvermine balds and again had dramatic views of the surrounding peaks and far beyond. We made our final push up to Black Balsam Road where the MST crosses, and set up camp in the dark and tried to gather up what firewood we could. We set in for a night of howling wind and temperatures that dropped below freezing.

The next morning greeted us with an amazing but still chilly sunrise, with frost on the ground around us. We crossed the road and headed down, filling up on water at the next stream we crossed. We continued descending, sometimes steeply for roughly five miles, enjoying the easier walk along the spine of the Graveyard Ridge which we saw splashed with a rainbow yesterday morning. At this point, we had to decide if we should reroute around the next section that crosses Skinny Dip Falls or continue on and cross the falls. For those who don’t know, Tropical Storm Fred did an immense amount of flood damage throughout the Pisgah National Forest and many of the surrounding towns and communities. The bridge over the falls was destroyed, there was a major landslide, and the river had changed dramatically from the idyllic swimming hole and waterfall it was just a few months ago. This would certainly be the most technical and consequential section of our hike. There was no official closure sign here so we decided to continue on without a detour.

The hike down from the trail juncture with Graveyard Fields to Skinny Dip Falls is an amazing and steep journey through laurel tunnels and steep slopes. You’ll curve around the mountain, roughly following Dark Prong which feeds the falls. Once we reached the edge of the falls, we surveyed the area and came up with a few ways to possibly cross. As someone who regularly crosses deep rivers and streams, it was still a little bit intimidating. The volume of water was impressive without much recent rain, and the far side was completely washed out in a major landslide, leaving a steep ascent if you can make it across. We ate lunch, refilled on water, and found a section that you couldn’t normally rock hop in higher water, but it was barely possible on our visit (and over a waterfall in to a deep pool). We made it across, scrambled up a good large rock ledge, up the muddy bank past a few scraps of the old bridge and we were at the top. Looking back over what is now a good sized gorge, it was a reminder of how powerful mother nature is. The entire look and terrain of this area had changed dramatically, but it was still intensely beautiful and powerful. We did see another group below us and they decided to just go waist deep and wade across in a calmer pool well below the falls.

We made it to camp on the peak just below Green Knob, making sure to go outside the Parkway Boundary to set up camp in the Shining Rock Wilderness high above the East Fork of the Pigeon River. We got to camp with plenty of light to spare, cooked dinner, talked about the woods and got a much warmer night of sleep than the previous night.

The climb up and down Green Knob was challenging, but nothing we couldn’t get done. We crossed Highway 276 that leads down to the Davidson River, and continued on a gentle and beautiful climb up the Pisgah Ledge. This section of the trail is flush with water sources, as is the rest of this entire segment. Even in drier weather, you can always find water every few miles here at a minimum. We crossed a half a dozen streams of various sizes, a few small waterfalls, and began climbing the switchback leading to the Pisgah Inn. We reached the grassy road, and walked in to the Inn viewing area. Lots of folks asked us where we had been and where we were headed. We took a few photos and continue on for the last mile or so, following the MST and Buck Spring trail to reach the parking area. We had great weather, finished an incredible 30.5 mile segment and had a lot of fun a long the way. This is a moderate trail through wilderness area, but it’s certainly doable for most people who want to put in a few hard days work for a very rewarding hike. I have a feeling I will be on this segment again very soon.