Feb 2 Rocky Knob and Mt Graybeard

Today's hike will traverse trails I had hiked yesterday on the way to Walkers Knob. It would be a bit more adventurous since the plan was to hike trails to the vicinity of Rocky Knob, then scramble in the snow to the top of Rocky Knob and then offtrail to Graybeard and back to Montreat.

We started again at the Graybeard Trail parking area, up the Graybeard Trail, but after the 3rd rock hop, we crossed the creek a 4th time and continued to the Old Mitchell Toll Road. The road is passable with high clearance 4WD and is open one day during the year to vehicles. We walked the easy grade, stopping at a few overlooks. We also passed the former McPeterson home. Mr McPeterson had spent 40 years living here and passed away several years ago. His ramshackle place is an oddity in this wilderness. There is a nearby spring with a holding tank. It would have provided a good source of water for all those years on the mountain. 

With Pinnacle Mountain overlooking us, we stopped in a sunny spot out of the wind to eat lunch. Although, out of the wind, we could hear its roar nearby. 

After our break, we found the manway leading to Rocky Knob. The path was covered in snow and presented a challenging scramble. At the top, we had a small area to access the views. The wind kept our stay short. We were soon retracing our steps back through the snow.

About halfway back to the Toll Road, there was a a faint path marked intermittently with orange flagging. Our group tromped through here, trying not to slip in the snow. I had seen the route we might take from the top of Rocky Knob. It looked like a long climb up Graybeard. 

With only minor difficulty, we ascended the thick forest, sheltered from the wind, on a faint pathway, still marked with orange flagging. When we popped out at the top of Graybeard, the most ferocious wind of the day greeted us. After a short break, we vacated the summit and headed down on a real trail. As I began to leave, a gust of wind blew my hat off. I thought I might never see it again. About 50 feet down the trail, there it was, snagged in some Rhododendron. 

Quick stop atop Graybeard

On the route down, we stopped for another break at Walkers Knob. The view which was so fleeting the day before, was clear as could be today.

After another combination of trails, we ended up taking the Sanctuary and Harry Bryan Trails as we approached the developed area of Montreat. It was a tough 10 miles day but my rib managed fine.

Feb 1 Walkers Knob Hike

Above, the metal rungs of an old wooden water pipe lie beside the trail. I'm told this pipe transported water for a small hydro-electric plant in Montreat.

From the Graybread Trail parking area, we started up the Graybeard Trail through a very rocky area, steadily climbing alongside Flat Creek. After 3 rock hop crossings, we walked the gentle ascent on the old trestle. The switchbacks are quite long and add substantially to the length of the trail.  

Graybeard Falls adds a nice touch to our hike. Snow had accumulated from yesterday. As we hiked higher, it was a couple inches deep. However, with so many people hiking the trails, it made for a slippery mess, especially descending.

Just before reaching Walkers Knob, a red shelter appears. It is the only place in the Montreat Wilderness, camping is permitted. We had met three backpackers earlier on the hike. They had spent the night here. The two in hammocks said it was really cold. 

The walk out to Walkers Knob was short. We got a glimpse of the view below before low clouds blew through and obscured the landscape.

Our return rote was via a shortcut trail, eliminating the long switchbacks of the trestle. 

The retaining wall above, may have been a water stop for the train. It is located right next to a creek which could easily have provided gravity fed water. We also saw coal ash or cinders. Possibly, while trains were stopped, taking on water, coal ash could have been dumped here. 

The snow and ice made my descent slow and deliberate. My rib has been healing but a fall here would have been painful.