This PHOC hike led by Gary Johnson, took us up one of my favorite trails. The seven mile route up is a very steady climb, referred to as "conversational uphill" by one of our members. When the trail makes a sharp left at about the 5.5 mile spot, the trail becomes an old rutted two track, then joins the old toll road, the original access road to Mt Mitchell. Here we walk a short way on a road which can accommodate 4-wheel drive vehicles. The road is open one day of the year as we found out a few years back. One of our members was taking a nature break alongside the old road when a car drove by her.
The final ascent up Pinnacle is a steep crude trail. There are blazes but it is often difficult to follow. This is a real huff and puff to the top where you are rewarded with views as seen in the first two photos. Today is was so windy we could only stay out on the rocks for about a minute or two. Just below the rocks was shelter where we ate our lunch. Just as I unveiled my turkey burger sandwich a huge dog came sniffing around. We all quickly stashed our food. Eventually the dog keeper came along and hooked him up. She was part of a group of a dozen or more Asheville folks, all in designer hiking attire. They had walked about a mile from the parkway and couldn't understand why we were so tired. They promptly popped open a bottle of wine, then cut their plastic water bottles in half, put the caps back on and drank wine from upside down, cut in half, water bottles. Out came the chips and left over Halloween candy. And thus they dined.
It began as a gorgeous day. During our return, clouds overtook the sky and eventually unleashed what began as sleet and ended as hail. Not long afterward, the sun returned, then vanished. We finished with the sun playing hide and seek. Only one bicycle on the trail today and he wasn't going far. The leaves made it a more risky ride than it already is. Everyone made it down in fine shape. There were a few falls in the slick leaves. Then it was on to Yanni's.
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