August is my least favorite month. It's such a relief to feel Autumn on the horizon, transitioning into my favorite time of year. Autumn is not here yet, but we got a healthy dose of it today. Our hike was a little under ten miles, but never got much below 5700'. Beginning at the parking area at the end of Black Balsam Knob Rd, we headed off on an old railroad grade, now known as Ivester Gap Trail. If you have a high clearance, 4 wheel drive vehicle, you can drive out this trail until you reach the wilderness area. We did see a couple such vehicles.
Our first target was Grassy Cove Top, a 6040' peak and one of forty 6000' plus peaks, part of the SB6000 challenge. The top is accessed on a spur trail off the Art Loeb Trail. It was overgrown but still manageable with relative ease. Will is standing on a rock just a few feet from the trail. We determined that it was the highest point. The top is covered in heath and it is difficult to get a view, but standing on that rock did provide a decent view.
Overgrown spur trail to top of Grassy Cove Top
Wildflowers were abundant. Golden Rod and Aster - both white and purple blue were the dominate ones. Occasionally, a Bottle Gentian and Dwarf Gentian made a cameo appearance.
Our next peak was Tennent, another 6040' peak. We ate lunch here with a great view in all directions. Black Balsam Knob 6214' was in full view and it was easy to see how how route might take us to the highest point.
Dried arrangement of Angelica
Looking toward Black Balsam Knob
We continued on the Art Loeb Trail over the top of Black Balsam Knob, wondering who Art Loeb was. And there is was, a plague dedicated to him. He died at a young age. The trail went on to the Black Balsam Parking area but we took a spur trail back to where we had started at a further parking area. After tossing a few things in the car, we hiked on to our next peak, Sams Knob at 6040'.
A fellow in the parking lot told us we'd go out to a boardwalk before starting the climb. I didn't pay much attention to that, thinking it would be a short board walk. Here it is. It looks like the yellow brick road.
What a grand view of Sans Knob. This field is just loaded with wildflowers. There are two peaks of Sams Knob. The SB6000 challenge says to do them both because it can't be determined which is higher. So that is what we did.
The top is a maze of overgrown trails with one main thoroughfare. Both peaks had nice views, in opposite directions. Some very minor scrambling was needed.
The trail has eroded. In places the erosion has reached to chest high. Nice displays of wildflowers and brilliant Mountain Ash made for a colorful scene.
The trail home
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