I spent last weekend visiting Johnson City, Tennessee where I was a guest instructor at Real Hot Yoga.
I taught two power flow classes, a flow + lift class, a power flow and yin class, an advanced postures workshop and a slow flow into yoga nidra class. This was my first visit to Real Hot and it won’t be my last! I absolutely loved meeting and working with this community and being back in East Tennessee!
And let me tell you…the name of the studio properly describes the amount of sweating that happens in this room – holy moly! I went through four outfit changes and as many showers!
SAMS GAP TO BIG BALD ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Since I made the three hour trek to the mountains and was done teaching at 11:30a on Sunday, I knew I had to get a hike/trail run in on the way home. After spending some time browsing the map feature on my All Trails app, I settled on a section of the Appalachian Trail that went from Sams Gap to Big Bald. Here’s why!
- I am super comfortable on the Appalachian Trail. It is well-trafficked and well-marked. I did this hike solo and wanted to make sure I felt confident about the trail. I knew that I’d see plenty of other people and that I wouldn’t have a problem staying on-trail.
- The distance was 13 miles, which is exactly what I was looking for. There was also 3,346 feet of climb and I love getting 3K + when I’m out there!
- It’s an out and back so I liked that I could cut the distance once I got out there if I felt I needed to.
- The trailhead was just a few miles off Interstate 26 and very easy to access so it didn’t add a lot of travel time onto my return journey.
- Amazing views at the turnaround point at Big Bald.
I arrived at the trailhead right around 1p. It’s literally right off the side of I-26 but there is no exit at this overpass so you have to drive to the trailhead from the exit before or after. It’s right at the Tennessee/North Carolina border and in the Pisgah National Forest. There was plenty of parking at the trailhead.
You start out hiking through maple and oak forest with a good amount of rolling climb and descent. At approximately 1 mile, you’ll hit the steepest portion of the hike that is 0.9 miles in length and 600 feet to the summit of West Street Gap Peak at 4,440 feet.
You’ll see this sign right before you reach a beautiful meadow. Love seeing that the AT started 320 miles before in Georgia and ended 1,869 miles away in Maine.
After hitting West Street Gap Peak, the trail opens up to a large, grassy meadow with pretty mountain views. You can see Big Bald in the distance and I think it’s fun to see your destination point!
You’re just about 2 miles into the hike at the meadow and it’s a great spot to catch your breath after the climb up, hydrate, eat a snack and take a moment to appreciate nature.
This trail is full of stunning flora and I snapped many photos of the wildflowers, plants and trees. There were also a ton of butterflies at the time of my hike, including monarchs.
Once you leave the meadow, the trail continues for a couple more miles through the forest.
The Appalachian Trail is so well-maintained and cared for. I came across the sweetest bench with a slab of polished natural edge wood.
FYI: there are water sources on this section of the trail about a mile in and four miles in. Although I have trail friends who will drink water unfiltered if they are above 4,000 feet, I would feel safer using a filter bottle. What I did to was run my hands under this fresh ice cold water and splashed it on my face.
At this point there is a little more than two miles to Big Bald. I gained 851 feet in about 2.5 miles – a lot of moderate climbing.
And then you come to another grassy meadow that you traverse until you arrive at the Big Bald Summit at 5,516 feet! It’s the tallest peak in the Bald Mountains that straddle the North Carolina/Tennessee border – and the tallest peak for 148 miles of the Appalachian Trail between the Great Smoky Mountains to the southwest and the Roan Highlands to the northeast! (source)
The summit of Big Bald offers 360 degree panoramic views of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. You can see the Black Mountains to the southeast and the Great Smoky Mountains to the southwest. You also have views of the Roan Highlands, Great Craggy Mountains, Bald Mountains and Newfound Mountains.
I was SO fortunate to visit Big Bald on a clear day (it can be quite foggy) AND to have the summit completely to myself! It was so quiet and peaceful.
After spending plenty of time appreciating the beautiful views, I turned around to make the return trip to Sams Gap.
Here are the final stats for the day!
- 13.1 miles
- 3,346 feet of climb
- 3,222 feet of downhill
- 3:41:27
- 16:54 pace
- Run time – 1:38:15
- Walk time – 1:58:15
- 5,516 max elevation
- 3,715 min elevation
I arrived back at my car drenched in sweat and smiling from ear to ear. This was my first time out on the trails since Colorado and boy did I ever love and appreciate every single second of it.
I highly, highly recommend this hike! It’s so accessible, the trail is so easy to navigate and follow and the views are gorgeous from Big Bald. Let me know if you have any questions!
