Black Dome’s Asheville Outdoors Guide

The sun sets
behind Cold Mountain, a prominent peak that can be seen from Mt. Pisgah.

Mt. Pisgah might be one of the most discernible peaks that can be seen from Asheville. For that reason, the mountain has influenced everything from Pisgah National Forest to Pisgah Brewing Company. The name comes from the mountain on which Moses stood after leading his people to Israel. Ol’ Moses looked out upon his beautiful new home, chatted with God for a bit, then died there on the spot.

No surprise, then, that locals and visitors alike would want to make the trip to survey Asheville from high atop a lofty peak.

Before heading there, hikers should be forewarned about the giant transmission and relay tower on top. The presence of this giant, whirring metal beast can be a little disheartening.

Fortunately, the tower has been located so it doesn’t intrude on the best views. Cold Mountain stands to the west, with a procession of ridges fading behind toward the Smoky Mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains march away to the south. To the west, the Black Mountains stand guard over Asheville.

The astounding vistas almost compensate for the intrusion. Thanks to the relative shortness of the access trail, this spot creates a great opportunity for a quick hike with a big payoff.

The hike can be steep in sections. A chilly wind often blows up here, too, so bring some extra clothes. While it may be tempting, Mt. Pisgah is not an ideal spot for storm watching – all that metal up there can attract lightning.

On the trail: This is a straightforward, out-and-back trail with no spurs or intersections.

Driving directions: From Asheville, head south on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Just past mile 407 and the Buck Springs Tunnel, take a left in to the trailhead parking lot. The Mt. Pisgah trail is located at the far end of the parking lot and crosses the parkway over the tunnel.

Maps: Trails Illustrated #780, Pisgah Ranger District (Visit our online store).

Stare into the Looking Glass. Be mesmerized by one of the most beautiful granite domes in the South. This massive formation can be seen from points all over the Pisgah National Forest south of Asheville, especially along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

But you don’t have to be a rock climber to conquer this icon, thanks to a hiking trail that leads to the top.

The name comes from the effect created when sheets of rainwater drain down the face and glisten in the sun. Where did those huge rock faces come from?
The geology lesson begins 390 million years ago, according to “A Geologic Adventure Along the Blue Ridge Parkway In North Carolina,” by North Carolina Geological Survey. Magma deep within the Earth cooled and crystallized to form several different types of granite. This granite has been uplifted through the earth’s crust, weathered and eroded over the past 90 million years.
As the top layers of rock weathered away, the removal their weight allowed the granite below to rise. The granite fractured along concentric lines, similar to the layers of an onion. Additional fractures perpendicular to those layers create individual plates or flakes. Those plates wore off in a process called exfoliation, which continues to this day.

Use caution on Looking Glass. The lack of guardrails makes this a special place, but numerous hikers have died from getting too close to the edge.
On the trail: Yellow blazes mark the main path, which strikes out from the trailhead along a creek. The trail leaves the creek and follows steep switchbacks up to the 2-mile mark, then eases up for the last mile.

Directions: From Asheville, head south on NC 191, also known as Brevard Road. Continue for 7 miles past the Blue Ridge Parkway. As NC 191 veers off to the left, stay straight onto NC 280 west. Continue for 11.3 miles to the intersection with US 64 and US 276. Turn right on US 276. After passing several picnic areas, look for Forest Service Road 475 on the left. The turnoff will be well marked with signs for Looking Glass. If you pass Looking Glass Falls, you went to far.

This trailhead can also be accessed by coming down US 276 from the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 412.

Maps: Trails Illustrated #780, Pisgah Ranger District (Visit our online store).

8.8 miles
Moderate
Great views, variety of scenery

Visitors to this area often flock to the Black Balsam Knob to have a seat on the rocks and soak in the scenery, but this loop offers a much more gratifying experience. By connecting the Ivestor Gap Trail with a section of the Art Loeb Trail, hikers get to sample grand views, Appalachian “balds” and spruce fir forests, and the namesake of the Shining Rock Wilderness.

The isolated stands of spruce and fir trees, a relic from the last ice age, aren’t normally found in the Southeast, although they dominates Canada and parts of the Northeast. They rely on the high altitude to mimic the conditions of their homeland. Acid rain and exotic insects threaten to make these treasures even more rare.

The actual Shining Rock consists of massive outcroppings of white quartzite. The milky white stone can be seen from many points in the area, especially later in the day when the sun sits in the southwestern sky. These rocks gave name to the Shining Rock Wilderness, one of three wilderness areas created in the Eastern United States when Congress first passed the Wilderness Act of 1964. This land was once heavily logged, but is now protected.

The return from Shining Rock traverses some balds, or mountain ridges that lack trees. Without the dense forest, visitors can see for miles. The wildflowers and blooming shrubs complement the grand views. Sometimes, the trails get a little overgrown, so visitors might want to wear long pants.

We labeled this trail moderate because of the distance and a few small hills.
On the trail: From the trailhead at the end of Forest Service Road 816, follow the Ivestor Gap Trail north for 4.3 miles as it skirts the ridgeline. Some official and unofficial trails come in and out, but just remember to continue along straight beneath the ridgeline.

Ivestor Gap Trail ends at Shining Rock Gap. Shining Rock sits to the north (in other words, to the left). Explore the white quartzite rocks via some unofficial trails that wind through the area.

To return, head south again. This time, take the Art Loeb Trail along the ridgetop for 3.9 miles. A plethora of unofficial trails might throw some people off once or twice – just remember to follow the white blazes that mark the Art Loeb Trail. If you find yourself traveling down the mountain for a long time – as opposed to along it –and you’ve lost the white blazes, just return to the ridgetop to reconnect with the Art Loeb Trail.

Instead of walking back to the car on the road, take the Art Loeb Spur Trail, which parallels Forest Service Road 816 for 0.6 miles. The spur heads off to the right just past Black Balsam Knob.

Driving directions: From Asheville, take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Milepost 420. Take a right on Forest Service Road 816. Drive 0.8 miles to the trailhead at the end of the road.

Maps: Trails Illustrated #780, Pisgah Ranger District (visit our Black Dome online store).

By Matt Gentling

Here in Western North Carolina, we’re blessed with an incredible variety of excellent cragging. We’re surrounded by more fine routes than one can shake a stick at. I know –I’ve tried. My arms wore out, the stick broke, and I’m quite sure I missed a route or two, because it felt like nothing had changed.

We also have a lot of rainy days. So, how do you reconcile such as vast plethora of stunning climbs with such a lamentable paucity of sunny days? You must be selective. You must aim for just the right crag, the crag that will separate a day of climbing from just another swampy hike. Therefore, strike like a sniper! One shot, one kill!

Here are some tips to help you squeeze tens – if not hundreds – of glorious feet of dry stone out of your soggy summer season.

1-3: Location, location, location.

This is the important one. Duh. By location, I don’t just mean a spot on the map. Which way does the route face? Is it exposed to wind? What type of rock is the crag composed of?

Some suggestions: Hawksbill Mountain is always a first choice. You can go about anywhere on Hawksbill and have equal luck. It’s composed of well fractured rock, which drains faster and more completely than solid granite domes. Also, it has less soil and vegetation on top, so there will be less drainage anyway – soil collects rainwater like a sponge and democratically disperses it all over the underlying rock in a time-release manner. Like my grandpa, Hawksbill tends to be windy, which dries the rock very nicely. Lastly, the crag tends to be overhanging and sheltered, with positive edges you can reef on in desperation, even when wet.

Rumbling Bald is another possibility, as it features heavily fractured rock and catches its share of sunshine. But rein in that optimism! The bald is exfoliating granitic rock – it’s peeling layers like an onion, and each layer becomes its own little aquifer, anointing the lowest 80-or-so feet of rock with a rippling sheen of fresh rainwater. If you go here post-monsoon, aim for the sunny, thin face climbs, or pick out a couple of dry boulders. If nothing else, the area becomes a sauna after the rain, and you can sweat yourself down to the next weight class in wrestling.

If you must go to Looking Glass, you have two options: the Nose area or the North Side. Forget about the South Face, as it will seep for days after a storm. The Nose tends to run about midway up the first pitch, and again about midway up the second. Better yet, climb nearby Sundial Crack or Peregrine, as they dry faster. If all this sounds way too easy and you’re the type of person who tightens lug nuts with your fingers, go to the North Side. The first pitch of Invisible Airwaves (direct start, 5.11+/5.12-) and Waste Not, Want Not (5.18c/d+) stay dry in all but the most pounding drenching cataracts, and you can run a toprope on both with just one rope. Or…

4: Learn to climb wet rock; it’s more fun than it seems. First, pick an easy rock. Then learn Fats Domino’s “The Twist” to remove slime from footholds – to get the idea, watch someone grind out a cigarette butt with their foot. And don’t forget to sew it up on lead. You’ll feel like a hardperson! Or a mountaineer! Or an idiot. Regardless, it’s a good time, and it’s less crazy than going paddling. And finally…

5: Got to store. Buy beer. Go to Black Dome. Tell elaborate lies to make your sopping hike sound like an epic mountain conquest. We’ll more than sympathize – we’ll empathize. As long as you share your beer.

Black Dome employees often hit the trails for a quick run. In fact, the race director of the Black Mountain Marathon is none other than our general manager, Jay Curwen. Former Black Dome employee Adam Pinkston is also the Shut-In race director. Black Dome sponsors both races.

One of our new guys, Nodin, is writing up a few of his favorites right now.

Check back� later this� month� for his recommendations.