Crowning the Mount Sterling Ridge, 5842 foot Mount Sterling is another of the tall peaks that give the Great Smoky Mountains their character. Located in the far eastern area of the national park in North Carolina, the 7-mile Mount Sterling Ridge rims the scenic Cataloochee Valley to the southeast. There are trails to the summit of Mount Sterling from every direction, but the shortest and steepest begins at Mt. Sterling Gap on the east side. This six mile round trip climbs nearly 2000 feet through the type of dense mixed forest that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for. Awaiting you at the summit is a 60′ fire tower that enables panoramic views of other great mountains and valleys in the Smokies. This hike occurred on Wednesday, August 22, 2012 from 9:00am to 12:40pm. My plan was to tackle Mt. Sterling from the east at Mt. Sterling Gap. The Mt. Sterling Trail meets the Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail one half mile from the summit. I would return the same way, then explore some of Cataloochee on the Mt. Sterling Road.

When you get to the Mt. Sterling Road intersection you may be tempted to go straight ahead into the Big Creek area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are several great trails to hike in there. But, if you want to climb Mt. Sterling you need to turn left. It is then 6.8 miles to the trailhead at Mt. Sterling Gap. All but the first half mile is gravel forest road. Note that Mt. Sterling Road is frequently closed by snow in winter, so it is advisable to call ahead.

There’s enough room for 4-5 cars at Mt. Sterling Gap, so don’t worry about finding a place to park. There were a couple National Park Service vehicles there when I arrived at 9AM, but I didn’t see a single person out on the trail. Mt. Sterling Road continues on southward to the Cataloochee Valley and campground. When I finished hiking I went down there a way to take a look. More about that later.

The Mt. Sterling Trail is wide and easily identifiable. At least the first mile or so was probably a road at one time. There are no blaze markers, but none are needed. The trail is easy to follow. You better get used to climbing because that’s what you’ll do all the way to Mt. Sterling Ridge. With the exception of a short couple hundred yards of flat terrain at the junction with Long Bunk Trail, you will climb at a moderately difficult grade of 700 feet per mile throughout.

The lower 1/2 mile goes through an area of old growth hardwoods that looked to include hickory and poplar. I’m far from a tree expert. At the half mile mark is that Long Bunk Trail junction. It connects with the Little Cataloochee Trail, known for a number of historic buildings and for elk sightings. But that’s a hike for another day. Mt. Sterling Trail resumes its climb soon after the junction.

The next two miles is a tiring, relentlessly uphill trudge through a series of three very long switchbacks. I’ve climbed another of the Smokies famous peaks, Mt. LeConte, a number of times. Even though Alum Cave Trail at LeConte gains more elevation, I found the Mt. Sterling Trail to be more difficult because the gain/mile is greater. I was alone on this hike because my usual companions were still out of town, so I didn’t feel bad stopping frequently to suck air for 30 seconds or so.

The higher I got, the rockier the trail got. The Mt. Sterling Trail is shared with equestrians, so I’m not sure if the rock was moved here to fortify the trail bed, or if this is natural breakdown. The stones start out as pebbles, then become fist size about half way up, finally becoming more like softballs and volleyballs near the top. There was one particular site that caught my attention, a tree hugging the side of the trail with a number or rocks wedged within the root system. More of the rocks were spilling onto the trail in a pattern that looked as if the tree has been ejecting them over time.

At the 2nd switchback is the first view of the outside world. There’s just enough of a clearing through the woods to be able to see the northern end of Mt. Sterling Ridge. This trail probably offers more to see in winter when the trees are leafless, but mid-summer hiking is not conducive to long distance viewing. The next stretch of the climb, between the 2nd and 3rd switchbacks, was the most interesting in terms of foliage and views.

The forest itself changes considerably, switching from predominantly hardwoods at the lower level, to a timberland of spruce and fir up high. There appears to be more water at the higher elevation because the ground cover is richer, more fertile. The ferns and moss are thicker and greener. I found it to be a verdant delight. There are also a number of metamorphic sandstone outcroppings along the trail. The breakdown is almost shale-like.

And finally, there are a few views to the south of the Cataloochee Valley. One is man made. Believe it or not, they ran power to the summit of Mt. Sterling, so there is a transmission line cut on the east side of the Mt. Sterling Ridge. It opens a window for observing Cataloochee Ridge on the other side of the valley. It was quite a surprise when I walked upon a 15 foot power pole along the side of the trail in the middle of the forest.

The rudbeckia coneflowers were blooming along the trail. I was treated to one especially scenic grouping with another narrow view of Cataloochee Valley in the background. There was even the occasional swatch of Spanish moss hanging down from the spruce branches. It seemed every 100 yards or so was another sensory memory. Then, there’s the final switchback, and the remaining quarter mile to Mt. Sterling Ridge.

To go to the summit, you want to turn right on the Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail. This is also called the Benton MacKaye Trail, named for one of the original founders of the Appalachian Trail. After the arduous climb, the ridge trail is quite a relief. It’s a relatively flat, but muddy last half mile to the summit through a deep spruce forest. You’re almost there when you reach the hitching posts for the horses. Take a little turn around the corner and there’s the 60 foot fire tower to your right.

Mt. Sterling was where the park service first documented the arrival of the woolly adelgid in 1963. Half a century later, this non-native insect has destroyed an estimated 95 percent of the park’s Fraser firs and has now infested the hemlocks as well, leaving dead groves called “ghost forests” at the higher elevations.

Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935, the Mt. Sterling fire tower is one of four still remaining in the national park. It has the highest elevation of any true fire tower left in the eastern U.S. Until the 1960s, when aerial surveillance made most fire towers obsolete, this tower was manned five months out of the year by crews that worked in rotating shifts and lived in a nearby cabin. At the base of the tower is a backcountry campsite.

I’ve wrestled with acrophobia all my life. The nearly 80 year old tower, while not rickety, did not leave me with a comfortably safe feeling. Despite this, I gave it a go, figuring if I could get at least half way up I could see most of the surrounding countryside. The wooden plank steps are extremely steep, almost ladderesque, reaching increasingly small platforms every 10 feet. The third platform, at 30′, faced primarily southward toward Cataloochee Valley and east to the Blue Ridge in North Carolina. I snapped a few pictures then summoned enough courage to go up one more level.

About half way up the next flight of stairs I began to feel that very familiar light headed queasiness, but managed to keep going to the 4th platform. It couldn’t have been much more than about five square feet, just barely large enough to stand on. I took several deep breaths and convinced myself I could hang for a few minutes. This platform looks mostly northward toward Mt. Cammerer and Mt. Guyot, and to the west where Balsam Mountain stretches on the horizon.

If you are interested, the park service still leaves the trap door to the tower open so you can go all the way to the top. I was doing well to go as far as I did, so I didn’t press my luck. Believe me when I tell you that I took my time going back down, but obviously I’m still here to relay my experiences.

Before heading back down the trail, I pulled up a log at the campsite for a sandwich and an apple. I watched a number of swallowtail butterflies fluttering by on the gentle breeze. I noticed one of those pulley contraptions that are used to raise your food into the trees overnight for bear prevention. At the northeastern end of the summit the Benton MacKaye Trail continues toward Big Creek as the Baxter Creek Trail. Perhaps some day I will return to Mt. Sterling that way.

To give you an idea of the exertion required to climb the Mt. Sterling Trail, it took me two hours to get up, but only an hour and 15 to get back down. As I passed each landmark that I remembered, it was surprising how quickly I got there. The breeze came up as I was walking down and was a perfect comfort. I’ve always liked the sound of the wind rustling the trees. It’s especially pleasant in our national forests and parks. The wild places are national treasures that have been passed along to us by those foresighted thinkers who protected these lands for the future. It is our job to take care of them the best we can so the many generations that follow can enjoy them as much as us. Just being there helps me remember.

The tough part about the descent is all the rocks on the trail. They tend to want to move and shift so I had to step carefully. Fortunately it doesn’t last. The last mile is quite easy as it’s mostly a dirt trail bed.

When I reached the car it was still relatively early, so I continued south on Mt. Sterling Road to explore Cataloochee Creek. After about three miles I passed the northern trailhead for Little Cataloochee Creek. Another mile after that I reached a bridge over Little Cataloochee where it met Cataloochee Creek.

Around a few more bends was the water gaging station and a larger bridge over Cataloochee Creek. They use the stream flow and other hydrologic data collected here to make possible the assessment of natural hydrologic changes and trends that are not significantly influenced by man. Nearly 50 square miles are drained by the Cataloochee Creek basin.

Looking around at the surrounding terrain and forest it was apparent that I wasn’t getting near any grassy meadow areas that might be prime for elk viewing, so I decided to turn around and head back. During the 11 miles back on Mt. Sterling Road I encountered three other vehicles, the first I had seen of other people all day.

That surprised me. The other mountain peaks that I’ve visited in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are apparently more popular. To me though, Mt. Sterling doesn’t play 2nd fiddle to Mt. LeConte or Mt. Cammerer. The views are just as sterling, so to speak. I really enjoyed the trails and the vistas and would recommend the hike to friends, and to you. Be sure to take plenty of water and food. It isn’t long but it is strenuous. Just stay nourished and hydrated and you’ll be fine.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

The southeast corner of Shining Rock Wilderness is filled with rivers, creeks and streams tumbling down from the mountains that rise above 6000 feet in the high country. Included among these waterways is the East Fork of the Pigeon River, otherwise known as Big East Fork. A trail follows the river from Hwy 276 to the confluence with Greasy Cove Prong and beyond. This Big East Fork Trail passes several coves and small waterfalls as it climbs nearly a thousand feet through dark and deep forest. The final push is a climb out of the wilderness from Bridges Camp Gap up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is one of those great wild places that Shining Rock is known for. Our hike occurred on Thursday, July 26, 2012 from 8:15am to 11:15am. The plan was to take the Big East Fork Trail along the Pigeon River to Greasy Cove, then join the Bridges Camp Gap Trail up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Even though this is doable as an up and back hike, we chose to use two cars, one at each end of the trail. We started by taking my car to the Looking Glass Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 417. Then we took my companion’s vehicle off the parkway and down Hwy 276 to the lower trailhead. We would be hiking from lower to upper, or top to bottom on the map above.

The easiest place to get lost on this hike is before you even start. It’s where you park your car and look for the trailhead. There are two distinct parking areas within a few hundred feet of each other on the left side of Hwy 276. One is on the east side of the river, the other on the west. The larger of the two parking areas, and one marked with a large national forest sign as Big East Fork, is not the one you want. That goes to Old Butt Knob and Shining Creek Trails. For this hike, you want the smaller, unmarked parking area that is a tenth of a mile before the highway bridge on the east side of the river. If you see the highway bridge and the Big East Fork sign, you’ve gone too far.

WARNING This is a wilderness trail! There are no blaze marks to identify your path, so you should definitely have a compass and a map with you. You can get lost. The trail itself is very rocky and rooty. It is quite easy to stumble and fall, or twist an ankle, or worse. The rocks on the river bank and in the river are treacherous and slippery. They may look completely safe to walk on, but they may tip or teeter from your weight. There is a thin coating of moisture and moss on the rocks that make them extremely slick. Even with the best gripping shoes, you are very likely to slip and fall. You don’t want to hit your head, so trekking poles or a hiking stick would be useful for support. Having said all that, this is a beautiful hike along a wild river. Just be careful.

When you plunge into the forest, it’s like that old game from decades ago, Colossal Cave Adventure. You’ve entered a maze of twisty little passages, dark and deep. The forest is very dark. It’s made up of red and striped maple, hemlock, yellow birch, dog-hobble, and thick, thick rhododendron. The trail passes through occasional bogs and springs, so mud will cling to the grid on your shoes. It isn’t long before you hear the rush of the East Fork of the Pigeon River as you reach Rocky Cove.

On this lower section, the river is rather benign. There are lots of bowling ball and beach ball sized boulders in the river, but not much water in mid-summer. I began to notice the tulip poplars, their large elephant ear leaves reaching full size this time of year. I also noticed how tricky those river rocks were going to be. With the mud on my shoes and the slick surface of the rocks, I could see that taking photos was going to be a slow and careful process.

About three-quarters mile upriver from the trailhead, Shining Creek flows into the river from the west. That’s the picture at the top of this post. Click it for a larger image. There’s a pretty good campsite there. In fact we saw a makeshift lean-to that someone had probably put together quickly in one of the nasty thunderstorms we’ve had here recently. We also noticed the first of what would be many great swimming holes. Oh, to be young and carefree again.

The next stream is Bennett Branch, this one coming down from the east. There’s a switchback in the trail as it climbs away from the river for the first time. This gets you around where Bennett Branch spills into the river. The crossing is not a problem. Just plant your feet squarely on the rocks and logs that cross the creek.

What’s that? Suddenly we could see light, quite unusual in this thick forest. For the first time, we got a view of something above the tree canopy. To the southwest is Raven Cliff Ridge, a large rocky cliff that stands several hundred feet above the river level. This ridge splits the drainage from Shining Creek on its north side and East Fork.

The trail continues following the river and crosses areas of exposed bedrock that have been carved over the ages. My friend has a 10-day backcountry adventure coming soon in King’s Canyon, so he was practicing by carrying his fully loaded backpack. These granite slabs make great spots to rest and take a load off. On a cool spring morning I could see myself sitting on these rocks for hours, lost in my surroundings.

Next is another series of coves, these known as Little Buckeye and Big Buckeye. The forest floor is covered with fern and galax. There are campsites here, and more of the inviting swimming holes. We passed a group of junior high type teens, loaded down with full packs, and smelling of a few days in the wilderness. It was a relief when we also passed their chaperones about 100 yards behind.

As the river and the trail take a southeasterly turn, it gets a little steeper. From here the river begins to rage with whitewater as there are small waterfalls seemingly every couple hundred yards. The river has to carve its way through narrow channels in the bedrock, making for beautiful sights and sounds. With all this allure also comes danger. The terrain is quite rugged. The river banks are much steeper and trickier to navigate. It takes some careful scrambling to get in position for photographs.

The river then makes a big sweeping curve so that we were now heading pretty much due west. Looking at the topo map I could see why. It’s flowing around Nobreeches Ridge. There’s bound to be a story there, one of those the old-timers tell so well. If there are any locals out there who know the naming etymology of Nobreeches Ridge, please use the comments below and share the tale.

After about 3.5 miles on the trail, it suddenly becomes Bridges Camp Gap Trail. This is the boundary of the Shining Rock Wilderness, as the river is now in Pisgah National Forest and the trail has a different name. You’ll also notice the yellow blaze marks on trees now that you’re out of the wilderness. Not much further and the trail comes to the confluence of Greasy Cove Prong with East Fork. The Prong comes down from the west and there are several campsites. There is a rocky crossing here that I have written about before in the Greasy Cove trail report. That hike was a fond memory, the creek crossing not so much.

The trail takes a decided southerly turn and begins another steep uphill climb. There is one of those Forest Service trail markers here to point the way. Good thing, because otherwise the trail is kinda hard to notice because of all the campsites.

There is one more area of campsites along the East Fork and then the trail leaves the river for good. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is the crossing for Greasy Cove Trail. My companion tells the story about doing so the first time he came here and spending an hour on the other side of the river looking for a nonexistent trail. So if you’re coming down the trail from above, go past this spot and cross at the next series of campsites.

The final quarter mile is a climb away from the river and toward the Blue Ridge Parkway. You will notice the sound changing from rushing water to roaring Harley-Davidson engines. The trail spills onto the Parkway just a couple hundred yards from the overlook where we parked my car. We were the 2nd car there early in the morning. Now, just over three hours later, the pullout was packed with teens heading to nearby Skinny Dip Falls. It’s probably odd to the Parkway tourists who try to pull into this overlook to peer at Looking Glass Rock that there’s nowhere to park.

We finished off the day by driving back down to Big East Fork to pick up my friend’s pickup and conclude another successful hike. Ah, such a life!

I truly enjoyed this hike. The river is beautiful, and rugged, and exciting. The hike is not particularly difficult, as the climbing is relatively steady. There aren’t any really strenuous stretches. This is another trail I will relish exploring seasonally. I look forward to the beautiful colors of the hardwoods in the fall, and I’d like to try this hike in winter just to be able to peer through the trees at the surrounding wilderness. We took our time and were very careful on the slippery rocks and roots, and made it through without incident. That would be my warning for you. Be aware of the potential for slips and falls and you too will appreciate Big East Fork in this little corner of Shining Rock Wilderness.

Update July 10, 2015: Made another trip along this beautiful river with Griztrax. The rosebay rhododendron was in full bloom, the fresh mountain water was flowing well, even the humidity was tolerable. We also found fresh monarda and honeysuckle along the way, and the occasional snail or mushroom to pique our curiosity. We did a shuttle hike top to bottom choosing the nice easy relaxing route so we had plenty of time for pictures… and reflection.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

This a continuation beyond the hike described in the Black Balsam Knob and Tennent Mountain trail report. The Art Loeb Trail continues down the north side of Tennent Mountain to Grassy Cove. There it meets the Ivestor Gap Trail for a lengthy hike into Shining Rock Wilderness. The area was named by the Cherokee for the large deposits of quartz found along what has become known as the Shining Rock Ledge. The Ivestor Gap Trail avoids having to cross up and over Grassy Cove Top, Flower Gap, and Flower Knob. Ivestor Gap reattaches with Art Loeb at Shining Rock Gap and goes through The Narrows and on to Cold Mountain and eventually the Daniel Boone Scout Camp. This hike occurred on Thursday, June 2, 2011. We started at 10:05AM and finished a few minutes before 5:00PM. The plan was to start at the Black Balsam Road parking area and take the Ivestor Gap Trail 3.7 miles to where it meets the Art Loeb Trail at Shining Rock Gap. From there we would cross as much of The Narrows as our stamina would allow, knowing we had to return the equal distance. The entire round trip was 13 miles.

View Ivestor Gap and Art Loeb Trails to The Narrows, Shining Rock Wilderness in a larger map

Even last year I wouldn’t have tried this hike. I simply didn’t have the strength yet to do these half marathon day hikes. I think what really encouraged me was continuing a regular hiking regimen even through the winter months. And you know what? I found that I really enjoyed winter hiking. Well, because I kept my fitness up, I felt ready to give this one a go and talked the other Meanderthals into it. One of our trio had already done this hike twice before, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into. It is long… as long as you want to make it… and we weren’t even going all the way to Cold Mountain. The good news is that 2/3 of the hike is flat. The bad news is the part that isn’t flat is very strenuous rocky ridge terrain.

The Ivestor Gap Trailhead shares the parking area with the Sam Knob Trailhead. The first 50-55 minutes of the trail follows an old logging road that winds around Black Balsam Knob on the right, and offers a great view of the twin peaks of Sam Knob on the left, as well as the Middle Prong Wilderness further into the distance. Right away we got a charge — we hit the rhododendron in full bloom. Yay timing! The photo at the top of this post is an example. Click on it for a larger view.

We sure knew when we reached Grassy Cove. This is a trail junction for four different trails. The Art Loeb and Ivestor Gap head north, the Greasy Ridge Trail heads east, and the Graveyard Ridge Trail goes south to Graveyard Fields. Other times I have been to Grassy Cove there were tents setup in the cove, but there weren’t any on this day.

As mentioned above, the Ivestor Gap Trail is a great alternative for avoiding a lot of unnecessary climbing. Some people like to hike the Art Loeb Trail just to say they’ve done it. However, over the next two miles the Art Loeb climbs over 5800′ Grassy Cove Top, then drops down into Flower Gap, then goes back up again to Flower Knob, then back down and back up to Shining Rock. Sure, there are some nice views of the eastern portion of the Shining Rock Wilderness from up top, but the simple fact is the Ivestor Gap Trail is totally flat until it gets to Shining Rock Gap. Yes, I felt I was in good enough shape to hike 13 miles, but why do unnecessary climbing when you don’t have to. Besides, the Ivestor Gap Trail turned out to be quite lovely too. Much of the trail was in a canopy — either thick rhododendron groves that were in full bloom, or a hardwood and balsam mix that filled the air with delightful aromas. Occasionally, we would get a peek through the trees to the west and down the Little East Fork of the Pigeon River drainage.

The Ivestor Gap Trail rejoins the Art Loeb at Shining Rock. It is a short, but steep 1/4 mile climb to the pinnacle of Shining Rock on a spur trail, a must see. Don’t miss this. The quartz is paper white, and slick, very slick because it is so smooth. It is absolutely appropriate to have hiking shoes with a good grip. There is a beautiful 180° westerly view of the black balsam forest that surrounds the rock. For the first time, our destination came into view. We could see the seemingly endless ridge of the Shining Rock Ledge and The Narrows sprawling across the horizon. It looked to be a series of ups and downs, but none more than 150 feet or so elevation change. Little did we know how steep those ups and downs would be. We enjoyed our lunch will sitting on this fabulous pristine wilderness pinnacle.

The easy part was over. As we continued northward on the Art Loeb now, the terrain became more rugged and less flat. We continued to see the white stones and boulders jutting out from the earth that gave this wilderness its name. After about 3/4 mile we reached Stairs Mountain on our right and the Shining Rock Ledge. The trail was a lot more narrow, and curvy, and we began to see that we were on a narrow ridge as the ground dropped down on both sides. Another nice surprise greeted us on this ridge as we were treated to lots of flaming azalea in full bloom. This native azalea tree has a blaze-like bright orange color to its blossoms. Beautiful! The trail kept getting rockier and rockier, and then the serious ups and downs started. This was hands and feet climbing, and sliding down on our backside. The trail itself became less obvious — except that it had to be on the ridge — everything else was down, down, down. I don’t mind telling you it was very fatiguing. We reached a point with a small overlook and stopped to suck some air. We all came to a consensus that we had probably gone far enough. After all, we still had to go the same distance back.

We took off our packs and sat down to rest. Our partner who had been here before thought he remembered another overlook that was not too much farther up the ridge. After a breather, he and I decided to push on. Our third stayed behind to keep an eye on the packs. In about 200 yards we were rewarded with a hazy westerly view. We could see the Daniel Boone Scout Camp in the East Fork Pigeon River valley below and Cold Mountain to our right. Straight ahead was ridge after ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We pulled out our topo map to survey the terrain, and picked out some trails for future Meanderthals meandering. We didn’t stay long, then headed back to pick up our gear and begin the tortuous return back up, down, and over The Narrows.

When I got back to my pack, I changed into a dry shirt. I sure was thinking ahead when I packed that the night before. It was pretty hot and humid and even the moisture wicking material was saturated. The dry shirt gave me 10 more horsepower. It took us about an hour to get back through all the rough and tumble up and down terrain of The Narrows and The Ledge. About 2/3 of the way back up there was a strategically placed log that became home for a very welcome breather. Finally as we once again approached Shining Rock, the trail flattened out, and even though there were still four miles to go, we knew the worst was over.

Or so we thought. The farther we went, the more threatening the skies became. We began to hear thunder rumbling in the distance. Fortunately we were no longer on the ledge, but it’s never a good idea to be in the forest in a thunderstorm. We began to pick up our pace, and took turns leading. We could hear the thunder getting louder and closer from the east, and the wind began to pick up some. We reached Grassy Cove and knew we were now less than an hour away. There was another hiker laying on the grass looking at his trail guide book and his eyes sure lit up when he heard our voices. He was lost. He wanted to go to Cold Mountain to camp. His map was junk, so we pulled out our map and showed him how to get there. He was very grateful, but I just knew he was going to get nailed by this incoming storm later on.

Well, we almost made it. We were about 1/2 mile from the car when it began to rain. It was signaled by a thunder clap on top of Black Balsam Knob that made us all jump. We quickly pulled out the rain gear and then the hail started. As we were scurrying down the trail, we kept one eye peeled for any kind of shelter in case the hail stones got any bigger. Fortunately we made it back to the car without getting pummeled.

I’m happy I have now done this hike. Occasionally we like to test our limits, and this was probably just about right for mine in the physical condition I am at this stage of my life. Shining Rock is definitely a place worth seeing. It is beautiful. And The Narrows, if nothing else, is certainly exciting. Maybe some day I will really push myself and go all the way to Cold Mountain, but I’ve been there via the other end of the Art Loeb Trail. For now, I am content with what I accomplished.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.