Pre Reverse Pitchell 3 Stage - 95.6 Miles

Ok, so I'm still on a natural high from Colorado and it’s amazing peaks! I'm channeling that energy into some more Hardrock training. My goal is to travel any distance and have a minimum net elevation gain of 20,000 feet. There you go, figure that one out!

Here is what I came up with. 95 miles on the Mountains to Sea Trail from Marion, NC to Mt. Pisgah and summiting Mt. Mitchell along the way. It’s hard to say what the exact net elevation gain is, but my estimates are around 23,000 feet. This will only be two thirds of what I should expect on Hardrock minus the altitude in less time (brings back memories of Coyote 2 Moon action). But what the hell, I’ll take what I can get.

I’ll start in Marion at the Woodlawn Center and run up Woods Mountain, past Hwy 80, thru the Black Mountain Campgrounds, swim thru the South Toe River, and up Commissary Ridge to the summit of Mt. Mitchell. There I will bust out a mountain dance and enjoy some of the fine dining that mountain has to offer before I bivouac on the summit in my bivy. Ill will hit the trail at sunrise with 26.6 miles on my odometer the next day and run down the mountain to Balsam Gap, past Bullhead Mountain, into Craggy Gardens, thru Beetree Gap, Wolfden Knob, past the Folk Arts Center, and into Ashevegas! Ill crash in Asheville for the night, clean up, refuel, and with 64.6 miles on my odometer I’ll need the rest. At sunrise again I’ll be out the door with the sights of Pisgah’s summit in focus. Ill run thru the rest of Asheville, run over 26, swim across the French Broad, summit Lance Mountain, thru Grassy and Cold knobs, trot thru the Beaver Damn Gap and Shell Knob, cross over Elk Pasture Gap, Overlook wave at Little Pisgah and head for the summit of Mt. Pisgah! Odometer will finally read 95.6 miles.