Rich Mountain / Appalachian Trail
Hiking to Rich Mountain Fire Tower on the Appalachian Trail | Hiking Lover’s Leap Loop Trail | Hot Springs, NC | January 2023
Our fourth day in Asheville was warm and sunny just like the last two, which meant it was another great day to hike to a peak. We chose a couple hikes Northwest of the city just so that we could explore a new area (and maybe get a new county). We started heading West on I-26, North on US-25, then took forest roads up into the mountains until we reached the Appalachian Trail on the NC/TN state line. There we began our first hike of the day, following the Appalachian Trail up to Rich Mountain.
Rich Mountain isn’t on Curtis’ prominent peak list — if we had gone the opposite direction, we would’ve eventually reached one. However, that one was tree covered and a significantly further away, so the cost vs. reward didn’t seem worth it to us. Instead, we hiked to Rich Mountain because it had a fire tower which would give us great views on this clear, bluebird sky day. We took the Appalachian Trail around a contour, up and down for a little over a mile before we parted ways and followed the side trail to Rich Mountain. The tower at the top wasn’t too tall, but the steps were too steep for Charlotte’s liking, so Curtis and I took turns walking up to admire the view. The wind at the top was brutal, but worth enduring to see the surrounding ridges all around, layers of blue mountains as far as the eye could see. We almost assuredly could see the Smoky Mountains to the East and Mt. Mitchell to the South, but we’re not that familiar with the area to be able to pick out those types of details.
(A rant from Curtis) One disappointing factor we noticed was that the peak was littered with cans and trash. The Appalachian Trail was nice and clean, but as soon as we were in site of the access road, it was beer cans galore. We’re positive that the people who came up to drink all those beers were stone cold sober before driving back down (/sarcasm). We didn’t have any trash bags this time, but this unfortunate reality prompted me to start bringing them with us and doing our best to recycle properly. And as an aside, if you also think beverage containers on trails and in the forest is trashy, write your State Senators and Representatives and ask that they pass Bottle Redemption Laws – they work.
We took a service road back down to our car because there was no one else up here and to make a loop out of the hike, our walk totaling about 3 miles long. While driving back down the mountain towards US-25, we passed by a hunter who waved us down. He noticed our Nebraska license plates and told us that he was from Omaha. When we told him we had just moved away and were there with the military, we found out that he was also once a submariner! What a small world.
Back on US-25, we drove a little further North to Hot Springs, NC. After eating sandwiches in the car, we set off on our second hike for the day, another short one called Lover’s Leap Loop Trail which also crossed paths with the Appalachian Trail. We went clockwise around the loop, this trail proving to be steeper than the last, but worth it for the view at the lookout. We enjoyed the views of the French Broad River, the town of Hot Springs, and surrounding mountain ridges. On our way back to the car, we followed the river and admired its rapids.
Satisfied with the day’s adventures, we made our way back to Asheville so that Curtis could be back for his afternoon online training…only to realize that it was actually scheduled for next week. Whoops! Still, another successful day spent in the mountains!
