Less than two months after hiking the Appalachian Trail I returned to the woods of North Carolina to backpack the Art Loeb Trail.

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Three days in the Pisgah National Forest on the Art Loeb Trail:

DAY 1

This Labor Day weekend I decided to drive down to Asheville, North Carolina, to see my friends, Lindsey and Michael. Michael hiked the first two weeks of the AT with me and also picked me up from Maine where we road tripped home together. Lindsey drove both of us to the AT trailhead and picked me up from the trail many times for a day off. It was good to see them both again and they’re now roommates! I just bring people together I guess!

Michael and his boyfriend, Caleb, had planned to backpack the Art Loeb Trail. It’s a 30.1-mile trail in the Pisgah National Forest outside of Asheville. It’s been rated one of the top 30 hikes in North America and has been said to be the AT condensed into 30 miles. They invited me to tag along. It was Caleb’s first time backpacking. I suppose, in a way, this was only my third backpacking trip. I’d previously hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim and the Appalachian Trail, so I wasn’t that experienced, haha.

Lindsey drove us three guys to the trailhead. We decided to hike southbound since there was less elevation gain in that direction. It was 3pm when we started and the temperature was in the high 70s. The trail started off easy enough for me. It was a modest incline for the first mile and gradually gained elevation for a few more. The trail consisted of rhododendrons and tall, thin deciduous trees. Caleb did a good job keeping up. Our packs were about 25-27 pounds; much lighter than mine on the AT. I was only carrying food for two nights, not five to six!

There was no guidebook for the trail; we had a map but it didn’t help much. I was pleased to find the Big Hike app I used on the AT had the Art Loeb Trail as well. The GPS on my phone tracked our course. The only problem was it didn’t tell us where water sources were. This was the only thing that made me a bit anxious. After the AT I felt like a seasoned backpacker who could easily hold my own. However, I was not used to hiking in the heat without knowing when the next water source would be. I erred on the cautious side and guzzled two liters when we reached a source and carried three liters with me; three liters of water weighs over six and a half pounds!

After the AT, I felt the trail was easy. Michael exclaimed that there were a few steep spots for him but I hadn’t noticed. After 3.5 miles we reached the spur trail for Cold Mountain, the same mountain that the book and movie are named after. We took the spur but ditched our packs. It was an easy climb to the summit; only 1.5 miles and 1,250 feet of elevation gain. The view was gorgeous of the valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We returned to our packs and made camp at the base of the spur trail. Michael and Caleb slept in their hammock tents and I busted out my little red tent from the AT. It felt like the gang was back together, me and all my hiking gear. I’d relied on these few pieces of equipment to survive in the wilderness for over four months. It was good to be back in the saddle…Crazy Horse’s saddle.

I also took what I’d learned from the AT and used it whilst packing for this trip. Instead of dehydrated food for dinner, I’d packed out Jimmy Johns and a donut: pro tip!

Days Mileage: 6.4

Total Miles Hiked: 6.4

Miles Remaining: 25.2

DAY 2

I slept in and woke up around 7:30 to Michael and Caleb having breakfast. I ate a Clif bar and packed up. We were on the trail by 8 or so. The trail didn’t seem difficult to me. Compared to the AT, nothing seemed very steep. The trail was not well maintained with rhododendrons, azaleas, and mountain laurel growing seven feet tall and had not been trimmed back from the trail. It was like walking through a narrow hedge maze. We were constantly being scraped and scratched by plants. Michael got stung by several bees; he’s allergic but he didn’t react. I had a fuzzy caterpillar try to crawl up my leg. We took the wrong trail at one point so Michael and I bushwhacked our way up a steep slope to the trail. Caleb backtracked and met us.

Further on we reached some grassy areas with great views of the Blue Ridge mountains. There were a lot of people out for Labor Day weekend. We hiked to Black Balsam Knob and onward with constant views of the mountains.

It was a hot day but not unbearable. The AT put me through so much that my mental game was on point. The overgrown trails, hot temperatures, and hoards of people were minor obstacles. I could handle it. Michael and Caleb were a bit bogged down by the heat.

Our pace was much slower than I was used to but it was Caleb’s first backpacking trip so it was understandable. I was slightly surprised I still had the stamina and endurance I’d gained hiking the AT. My feet didn’t get tired until the end of the day. My knees gave me some pain; I don’t ever think they’ll be the same again, but it wasn’t bad. I still got it!

We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway and it looked like rain might come our way. We hiked downward through several gaps. Caleb and Michael were exhausted as we hiked up Chestnut Mountain. They wanted to stop before the next shelter but I wanted us to at least reach the shelter. In the end I won out since there were no places to camp before the shelter.

We were the only ones there as we made camp and ate dinner. Another couple showed up at dark. The shelter was falling apart but there was a piped water source and bear cables. The trail required that we bring bear canisters to store our food. We were not abiding by that rule with our food bags. All in all it was a long but successful day. Caleb hiked over 16 miles on his second day of backpacking which is more than Michael and I can say for our second day back on the AT!

Days Mileage: 16.7

Total Miles Hiked: 23.1

Miles Remaining: 8.5

DAY 3

We awoke fairly early and packed up. It was already hot and humid. Michael and Caleb had been woken in the middle of the night by a bear. It was trying to get at Michael’s pack which was tied to a tree a few feet off the ground. No damage was done but everyone was running on little sleep.

The remaining miles were rather boring. It was mostly dark, shady sections of woods with a slow descent. There was a large, smooth rock face we rested on for a bit.

Soon, Michael’s dog Bridger and Lindsey showed up on the trail and walked the last mile with us. We ended along the Davidson River where I went for a dip to cool off.

We’d survived the Art Loeb Trail and treated ourselves to Chipotle and Dairy Queen. My legs were definitely sore for a few days after the trail. Though I still had the stamina from my AT hike, I was not immune to the general wear and tear on my body. All in all the hike was a success but my favorite part was the view from Cold Mountain.

Days Mileage: 8.5

Total Miles Hiked: 31.6

Miles Remaining: 0.0

If you enjoyed this hike, be sure to check out my other adventures on the Appalachian Trail, New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail, and many more!

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