Mount Mitchell plus several other 6000 ft peaks (overnight car camp)

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Mount Mitchell plus several other 6000 ft peaks (overnight car camp)

The Basics:

Event Type:

Hike

Event Location:

Mount Mitchell State Park near Ashville, NC

Hike: Mount Mitchell plus several other 6000 ft peaks (overnight car camp)

Date(s) & Time:

Sat, Sep 19 2015 6:00 am >> Sun, Sep 20 2015 11:00 pm (Carpool Departure: 6:00 am *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Wed, Sep 2 2015 9:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Wed, Sep 30 2015 12:23 am

Event Duration:

1 Days 17 Hours

Difficulty Rating:

D6: Advanced (Exploratory)

Distance:

26 Miles

Pace:

Moderate

Trip Leader(s):

Jared S
Aaron

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Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

4 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Note: This is an "EXPLORATORY" trip. This means that there are parts of this trip, or perhaps the whole trip, that is new to your Trip Leader(s). However, they are confident that this will not be an issue.
This note is here so that you can make an informed decision. When a Trip Leader isn't personally familiar with a trip, there is an increased chance of things not going as planned and you need to be prepared. The Trip Leader may have additional details in the itinerary.

Itinerary:

At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak this side of the Rocky Mountains. In addition to summiting this mountain, we will also hike a section of the Black Mountain Crest Trail. The Black Mountain Crest Trail is a ridge line that extends from Mount Mitchell to the north for about 7 miles. The ridge is home to 6 additional peaks over 6000+ feet. This ridge line affords spectacular views to the east and the west. We will not be backpacking, we will have two days of day hikes and car-camp one night.

On day one we will hike 12 miles and 3700 ft, a D5. On day two we will hike ~14 miles and 5000 ft of elevation at altitudes greater than 5000 feet -- well into the D6 category. If you do not have a history of D5s and D6s with the AOC, the trip leaders will be contacting you about your experiences outside of the club. The trip leaders reserve the right to remove anyone from the sign-up who they feel are not up to this trip.

Itinerary:

Heading out at 6 am, we will drive ~4 hours (plus pit stops) to our campsite Black Mountain Campground. This is also where we will begin our hike on day one.

We will arrive at Black Mountain Campground by 10:30am. Map. The camping sites are first come first serve (no reservations), $22 per site, 2 tents per site. Please bring cash for this expense. We can try to coordinate people who wish to share a tent to reduce cost -- no promises. Please indicate your tent sharing preference in the signup comments (prefer to share, indifferent, do not want to share). We will need to pay the fee within 30 minutes of setting up tents. Camp rules.

Upon arriving we will need to pay, setup tents, eat lunch, and get on the trail in about an hour so that we get back before dark.

Day 1 hike: Everyone should bring a headlamp/flashlight. On the trail by 11:30am. We will hike up Mount Mitchell Trail (trailhead is in the campground). 6 miles, 3684 ft elevation gain. We should arrive at the top of Mount Mitchell by 3:30pm at the latest. Drinks, snacks, and souvenirs should be available until 6:00pm. There is even a restaurant. We will begin the hike down via the same trail by 4:00pm. We should arrive back at campsite by 7:00pm. Sun sets at 7:30pm. Civil twilight ends at 8:00pm. Again, headlamps are required just in case.

Night 1: Modern bathrooms with hot showers. Campsites with river access. Picnic tables, tent pads & fire rings. Ice and firewood available for purchase. Get plenty to eat and get to bed early!

Day 2: Wake up, breakfast, pack up tents and everything. On the road by 7:30am. Drive up to Mount Mitchell parking lot. There is a good chance the peak will be fogged in. On the trail by 8:00am. We will hike north from Mount Mitchell on the Black Mountain Crest Trail. Trail reports indicate that this trail is very challenging in places so our pace may be slower than we hope. We will hike as far as we can or until we reach Celo Knob, the last peak of the ridge. We will then turn around and come back the way we came. Total distance round trip is 14 miles. If we do all 14 miles, elevation gain is on the order of 5000 feet. See the elevation profile below (note that we will be traversing that profile in both directions). The 6000+ foot peaks we will traverse are from south to north: Mount Craig, Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak, Winter Star Mountain, Gibbs Mountain, and Celo Knob. Cattail Peak, Gibbs and Celo require a little bushwhacking to get to the true peak. Depending on how the group is feeling, we may attempt to find the peaks. These might add about 1 extra mile and few hundred extra feet. Hopefully we at least can get to Celo Knob as it apparently has some great views. We should have 11 and a half hours of daylight and we will turn around early to avoid hiking in the dark. There are little to no water sources on this trail. Bring 3L minimum.

What we do after the hike depends on what time we get back and what the group consensus is. Options: watch the sunset from Mitchell, grab dinner in Ashville, drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while, or b-line back to Atlanta. It could be quite late getting back to Atlanta.

Weather:

On the ridge: highs in the 50s and 60s, lows in the 30s and 40s. Winds as high as 15-30 mph. Summer t-storms should be winding down.

At the campground: highs in the 60s and 70s, lows in the 40s and 50s.

Meals to bring:

Day 1: camp lunch & dinner. Trail snacks.

Day 2: camp breakfast and trail lunch. Trail snacks.

Money to bring:

$22 cash for campsite (should be much less).

Cash for carpool.

Money for day 1 breakfast and day 2 dinner (or bring your own food).

Day 2, Black Mountain Crest Trail Elevation Profile (only one direction shown).

Required Items to Bring:

Headlamp
Car camping gear for one night (temps possibly as low as 30F)
Food (see above)
Water (quality of water in bathroom is unknown)
3L water container (little to no water sources)
Cash (see above)

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Hiking poles
Camera
Campsite footwear
Water filter

How to Get There:

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

485Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

6:00 am

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $194.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.