The Hike and Me
The Art loeb Trail
The Art Loeb Trail is a 30.1 mile hiking trail located in Pisgah National Forest, in western North Carolina. It crosses four 6,000-foot mountains, including Black Balsam Knob (6,214 ft) near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Tennent Mountain (6,040 ft).
the challenge
The Art Loeb is one of North Carolina’s most well-known trails. While frequented by weekend campers and hikers over multiple days, many opt out of tackling its entirety in one shot. This isn’t a walk in the park. This is 30+ miles of coniferous forests, large elevation swings, coupled with balds, ridgelines, and gaps. It is known for some of the most amazing views of any trail throughout North Carolina.
For this attempt, I’ve opted to hike Southbound, which should lessen a little bit of the ascent and elevation gain. Northbound would see an immediate 1,300ft elevation gain, whereas Southbound is a little more gradual. I will need to average around 3 miles an hour at my slowest pace in order to get up and down this trail before dark. With that said, I plan on heading to the trailhead for a 5:45am start. Headlamps will definitely be needed for the first portion of this, but should allow for amazing sunrise views over the first approached bald sections. This will be a lightweight hike to maximize speed and pace, so only essentials will be taken in a light pack.
Lastly, joining me on this endeavor is my good friend, Eric Helms. His knowledge and expertise hiking will be an asset, allowing us to help push each other to this awesome goal.
