Cody Lutz
A great, quick hike for such a great, 360 degree view! I've hiked this several times. It was the first "Mountain" I hiked and where I caught the mountain-hiking bug, so it has a special place in my heart. I still haven't recovered from that bug. ;)
5.0
Thanks for creating this! I've done this loop and it affords some of the best views in the gorge! I set up a hammock on top of Cloud Splitter for the night this fall.
5.0
We hiked this trail in the beginning of August. I would definitely recommend hiking it South to North. Some people do it the other way, but saving the best part (Shining Rock Wilderness) for last makes your hiking the most rewarding, and the signs are very clear in Shining Rock that direction. (One pointing to Flower Gap, and one pointing to Cold Mountain.) We started in the afternoon of our first day and made it to Butter Gap, where there is a shelter, bear hangs, and a nice spring. Day two we made it to the summit of Black Balsam and camped there. Incredible 360-degree views of the sunset, stars, and sunrise over the mountains are incredible! Some folks in our group had a tough time and didn't want to hike up cold mountain the last night, which is unfortunate. Bear canisters are REQUIRED for camping in Shining Rock, and there's good reason. A newbie camper on Black Balsam had disregarded the posted signs about bear canisters - he came up to us the next morning while we were eating breakfast with the shredded remains of a nylon stuff sack and food packaging. One of our party said that the bear had come up to him and sniffed at him in his tarp-tent during the night. Keep a clean camp, and use bearproof canisters. The Ranger Station at the South trailhead sells a good topo map of Shining Rock Wilderness for $6. Carry plenty of water since sources are scarce. Deep Gap after Pilot Mt. was dried up, but there was a good spring not far to the east on the road at Farlow Gap.
5.0
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