Hi!

It has been quite a while since I’ve posted here, but I am slowly starting to get back into the swing of things after a long while having a crazy-packed schedule and almost no time. Hopefully, I’ll be able to start updating my blog again, I have missed it.

On January second, I packed up the dogs and drove about 2 hours out to Canton, NC to hike my first of the (inaugural) Appalachian Six-Pack of Peaks challenge. I am excited to be able to participate in this again, after moving out to Tennessee I missed having a Six-Pack of Peaks challenge available close by! I also want to give a really big thanks to Benny Braden of Responsible Stewardship (check out his awesome nonprofit!) for helping us curate the peaks for this challenge!

I started out a little later than I wanted, but it was still a clear and beautiful day when I arrived at around 10 am. I wasn’t too worried about getting a late start for this one, since it is a shorter hike anyway. The weather was around 50 degrees F and it was windy! If you are planning to do this hike, be sure to check and see if the Blue Ridge Parkway is open. It closes at certain times of year and for other reasons as well! You’ll need to make sure that the parkway is open between about mile markers 408-423 if you’re coming in the way I did! Google maps should tell you if its closed, (for example, I am writing this on 2/6/23 and it says it is closed on the website and on Google maps) but be safe and check the forest service website to be sure!

As I said, this is a short hike but there is a bit of mildly challenging elevation gain. It starts out in a dense grove with lots of rocks and sand. After gaining a little elevation by winding up through the forest, you’ll get to the steeper section, which is full of large rocky outcroppings. As you near the top, it turns into more of a hilly grassland area and you’ll find yourself at the knob! I kept going after getting to the knob and added about half a mile to the hike, but I could’ve gone further if I started earlier!

The trail was muddy and wet from recent rains but still very hike-able. I hiked with my two dogs and only saw two other groups of hikers, one with a dog and one without. It seemed like the area was getting more crowded when I was heading down, so  I am glad I still started early enough to miss any crowds that were forming. I’ve never been to this section before but I have a feeling that it gets pretty crowded, especially when the weather is nice!

Altogether, It only took me about an hour to hike but I stopped at the top and ate a snack, and hung out for a bit enjoying the views. It was very windy up on the knob but the 360 views were beautiful, as many reviews of this trail will let you know!

There are a few campgrounds and standalone campsites in the area and I think if I do this again, I’ll camp overnight and catch the sunset from this peak then choose another peak nearby/on the way home to get two done in one trip! If you live more than an hour from this trailhead, I recommend you do the same! For me, it is a two-hour drive one way, so next time I’ll make a plan to hike more efficiently, but overall I have no complaints!

It’s pretty similar to this post, but you can check out my hike log on the Socialhiker website!  If anyone is in the region, I’d love for you to join in on this challenge!

Unfortunately, I am running out of storage space for this blog, (I didn’t realize I had a limit!) so I can’t upload too many more pictures without paying extra, and I’ve had to delete a bunch from old posts to make room. I’ll post them on my Instagram page, where its still free (for now…)! Maybe if I get more consistent with posting I’ll pay for more storage space, but at least for now its just not worth it for me.

That’s all I have for now! I’ll see you on the next one!

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