NC-215 - 2,750'

The view of Cold Mountain from along NC-215 south of Canton

Camp Daniel Boone Rd - 3,100'

Cold Mountain rises beyond this old barn along Little East Fork Rd not far from Camp Daniel Boone - 3100'

Art Loeb Trail - 3,200'

The Art Loeb Trailhead is located on the property of Camp Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp

Cold Mountain Hike Route Map

The approximate track of my hike up Cold Mountain...

Art Loeb Trail - 3,240'

Parking for the Art Loeb Trail is along the rocky shoulder between the road and the river

Art Loeb Trail - 3,240'

The rushing Little East Fork, adjacent to the Art Loeb Parking Area

Art Loeb Trail - 3,500'

With the leaves off the trees you are treated to views all the way up, albeit through the trees. For the first mile the views are across to 5200' Fork Mountain

Art Loeb Trail - 3,250'

Within 50 yards of the road you enter Shining Rock Wilderness. This means the trails you will be following from here will be unblazed and rugged. Take a map and BE PREPARED! - 3250'

Art Loeb Trail - 3,240'

The Art Loeb Trail begins beyond this information kiosk and quickly heads uphill

Art Loeb Trail - 3,540'

Nothing special here, just thought this vine was interesting. This is a typical view of the forest at the lower elevations of this hike

Art Loeb Trail - 3,600'

About a mile up the Art Loeb the trail very briefly follows an old logging road

Art Loeb Trail - 4,020'

One of numerous blowdowns I encountered between the camp and Deep Gap

Art Loeb Trail - 3,920'

About a mile and a half into the hike I rounded a ridge and got my first view through the trees of my destination...still 2000' above me

Art Loeb Trail - 3,920'

This stream, a branch of Sorrell Creek, marks the approximate halfway point between Camp Daniel Boone and Deep Gap

Art Loeb Trail - 4,100'

About a half mile above the first old logging road you again breifly follows another road before again heading uphill

Art Loeb Trail - 4,000'

A closeup of a pretty cascade you pass as you cross another branch of Sorrell Creek

Art Loeb Trail - 4,120'

As you gain elevation the forest begins to alternate between open hardwoods and thick tangles of Rhododendron

Art Loeb Trail - 4,120'

The higher you go the more narrow the Art Loeb gets at times. This made getting around blowdowns a little more tricky

Art Loeb Trail - 4,200'

You cross 3 or 4 of these pretty little streams as you climb the Art Loeb. The amount of debris surrounding them tells you these streams are not always so tame

Art Loeb Trail - 4,420'

The summit of Cold Mountain was looking closer but still a long ways off. Only another 2.5 miles and 1600 vertical feet to go!

Art Loeb Trail - 4,420'

According to the map Deep Gap was less than a mile off...it looked further than that to me

Art Loeb Trail - 4,420'

As you get higher the 5800' Lickstone Ridge is visible through the trees to the west

Art Loeb Trail - 4,550'

There was more ice along the streams higher up. I just thought this leaf encased in ice was interesting

Art Loeb Trail - 4,880'

The trail was grinding on me and I had to take a breather less than a quarter mile from Deep Gap. If I read my topo map correctly I think this is a view of Cold Spring Knob(5930') and the Lickstone Ridge

Art Loeb Trail - 4,650'

The Art Loeb as it approaches Deep Gap does get quite rocky but this section was especially rough

Deep Gap - 5,020'

The Art Loeb Trail finally gains the ridge at Deep Gap. Here the Art Loeb turns right(south) and the Cold Mountain Trail heads left(north)

Deep Gap - 5,040'

At Deep Gap the Art Loeb Trail heads south beyond the downed tree in the center of the photo - 5040'

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,040'

The start of the Cold Mountain Trail as it heads north from Deep Gap

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,280'

Once on the ridge you get views to the east. Mt. Pisgah(5721') is the pointed peak in the center

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,300'

In Shining Rock Wilderness you are hard pressed to find a blaze on a tree or a trail sign but here, near the summit of Cold Mountain, a piece of PVC has been installed in the rock to assist in getting water from a small spring

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,300'

As you ascend the ridge you get glimpses through the trees up to the rocky summit ridge

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,500'

This interesting rock formation towers at least 25' high above the trail not far from the summit ridge

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,680'

The view west across West Fork Pigeon River valley to Lickstone Ridge

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,850'

As you climb higher along the summit ridge the views behind you open up. The high ridge in the distance is the Lickstone Ridge, the westernmost extension of the Great Balsam Mountains. I believe the highest peak center is Richland Balsam(6410')

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,900'

Countless peaks and ridges stretch out to the western horizon. Not far from the summit of Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,940'

Early in the 20th century Cold Mountain was a grassy bald. The animals that kept the mountain cleared are gone and, as you can see, the forest has reclaimed the upper reaches of the mountain

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,940'

The town of Canton and its disgusting, polluting paper mill are clearly visible through the trees to the north as you approach the summit

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,950'

As you top out near the summit the foliage closes in

Cold Mountain Trail - 5,900'

As I near it, the summit appears above the brush

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

SUMMIT - The USGS benchmark is on a large rock on the right of the trail. Its easily visible as seen here

Cold Mountain Trail - 6,000'

Within a few hundred yards of the summit the trail breaks into the open as it skirts the south edge of the summit ridge - 6000'

Cold Mountain Trail - 6,010'

Looking out over Deep Gap to the Great Balsams beyond - 6010'

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

Looking south and slightly east across the East Fork Pigeon River Valley. The Blue Ridge is the ridgline farther away

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

This photo shows the route I followed up. Camp Daniel Boone is located in the valley behind the first ridge. The numerous "creases" in the mountain slope mark the streams crossed on the way up and Deep Gap is just visible in the lower left corner

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

This is the view to the east of Frying Pan Mountain(5320') on the Blue Ridge

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

The view looking west across the West Fork Pigeon River Valley to the Great Balsam Mountains

Cold Mountain Summit - 6,030'

Looking down the ridge climbed by the Cold Mountain Trail from Deep Gap, which from here is 1000' below