Weekend In Black Mountain

I’m in the home stretch of preparation for the TransRockies Run in August (I leave in 2.5 weeks!!!) so I spent this past weekend in the North Carolina mountains logging some training miles on the trails. Lucky for me, I was able to make this weekend a little more vaction-esque thanks to a very cute VRBO and some good downtime in Asheville and Black Mountain. It was a quick Friday-Sunday trip and here’s what it looked like!

ARRIVAL IN BLACK MOUNTAIN 

My friend and I left Charlotte around 2p on Friday afternoon and it was an easy two-hour drive to Black Mountain where we checked into our VRBO.

I found the cutest studio apartment on VRBO that was over someone’s garage in a nice neighborhood development. It was located less than a mile off of I-40 and a little over a mile away from downtown Black Mountain. It was walkable to a YMCA and a little village with a few restaurants.

The community was so homey and the studio apartment had all the good energy and vibes. We also had private access to the deck in the photo above and it did have a mountain view. The hosts lived in the main house and were available if we needed them but they’d left us everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The linens were premium, the bed was comfortable and I truly felt like I was staying in a family member’s guest suite. I absolutely loved it and plan to visit again this fall.

FRIDAY NIGHT IN ASHEVILLE 

Since we weren’t doing any mileage on Friday afternoon, we were able to spend Friday evening in Asheville. I used to visit Asheville very frequently but it’s been a few years since I’ve wandered around downtown. This area took quite the hit during Hurricane Helene and has been recovering both structurally and economically. It was great to see the city full of life! We stopped to take in the iconic drum circle at Pritchard Park.

(outfit linked here)

I popped into a gem and rock store to get Finn a little surprise and into a boutique where I got a necklace, some earrings and the best hair clips ever.

Dinner was at Zambra which is a tapas institution in Asheville. The last time I was here was on a girl’s trip 10+ years ago! We shared…

• pomegranate braised pork spring rolls with avocado, cashew chili crisp and mango mojo
• patatas braves with roasted garlic aioli, salsa brava and chives
• arugula and burrata salad with strawberries, basil, shaved fennel, pomegranate molasses, toasted almonds, strawberry-white balsamic vinaigrette (my fave dish!)
• harissa roasted baby carrots with whipped goat cheese, roasted pistachio and spiced honey
• grilled hanger steak with grilled cippolini onions, grilled zucchini, blistered cherry tomatoes

Dessert was at French Broad Chocolate Lounge. It’s been years and years since I had their carrot cake and it was just as delicious as I remembered. I devoured the whole slice and then rolled myself back to our place for a nine-hour deep slumber!

SATURDAY HIKING AT MONTREAT 

I didn’t wake up until almost 8a on Saturday but since getting trail miles done was literally the only thing on the agenda, there was no stress about the late start. We popped into Beradu for breakfast. It’s in the Village of Cheshire which was right across from our VRBO. Beradu has a specialty market and also serves food and drinks. I had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a locally baked English muffin. It was a hearty breakfast to prepare me for the five hours of suffering I unknowingly had in front of me.

It was a 15 minute drive over to Montreat where we planned to do a 20-miler that was recommended by a few different trail friends. Here’s the route on Strava. Montreat is the sweetest little town adjacent to Black Mountain that is home to Montreat College. They have  a robust trail system where you can get a lot of good climb and elevation done. There are over 20 trails covering over 30 miles. I actually hiked at Montreat once before years ago!

Well friends…it was a rouuuuugggghhhh day out there. Truly all about the mental effort far more than the physical. Here are a few obstacles we faced:

• It was in the 80s and very humid.
• We climbed almost 3,000 feet in the first four miles. Miles 2-4 were bananas steep.
• Once we got to the top of the ridge line and were above 5,000 feet a thunderstorm rolled in that had us sheltering under a rock to protect ourselves from lightening.
• When the thunder and lightening passed, we started hiking again in the rain and were absolutely soaked from head to toe. My feet felt like I was walking through a stream.
• We hit a section of the trail that was extremely overgrown (just summer overgrowth on a not oft traversed trail) and we bushwhacked a couple of miles emerging with scratched up arms and legs.
• There were a couple of 30 and 40 minute miles in there as we tried to navigate these various obstacles.

We laughed to see this sign posted from the Black Mountain Fire and Rescue as we emerged from the trail. Can definitely co-sign that this trail is “most difficult, rugged and remote.”

We continued on towards the summit of Graybeard Mountain and then hopped on the Graybeard trail to get back down the mountain which was MUCH kinder and well-maintained. Next time I hike/trail run at Montreat, I will opt to go up and down Graybeard via the Graybeard Trail and skip the West Ridge unless it’s winter and the overgrowth has died back.

The view in the photo above was taken from Walker’s Knob which in my opinion offers the best view on Graybeard. You hit this off-shoot trail before you reach the summit. We were about six miles in at this point and ended up running about 80% of the remaining miles as they were mostly downhill and the trail was in great shape. We opted to scrap 20 and call it a day at 13. Physically, I could have kept going but mentally I was DONE.

Back at the car, we changed out of our wet clothes and shoes and loaded up to hit my favorite coffee shop, The Dripolator. I’ve been coming here since high school with my parents! I had a whole milk latte that brought me back to life.

Back at our VRBO, showers were the first order of business and then a little bed rotting. We watched The Intern on Netflix with Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro and it was so good. I somehow missed it when it came out in 2015 and if you did too – watch it now!

SATURDAY DINNER AT THE BUSH FARMHOUSE

Dinner was an absolute delight!!!!!!! I had been hearing a lot of good things about The Bush Farmhouse in Black Mountain from a few Asheville Foodie groups that I follow. They serve South African-inspired food using local ingredients. They source quality meat and prepare it with fresh and organic produce from their on-site garden and greenhouse.

The ambiance was fun, warm and inviting and the food was fresh and flavorful. We shared sausage rolls (to die for – the puff pastry omg), salmon cakes, a perfect salad, a chicken curry with saffron rice and smashed potatoes.

We were so fortunate to snag a table outside on such a beautiful night. We even partook in a post-dinner game of badminton. 10/10 recommend if you’re in the area and I will be back.

Quick stop into The Hop for ice cream on the way back to our place.

SUNDAY HIKING ON THE MST 

Sunday morning we found ourselves back at Beradu for breakfast. This time I opted for a French pressed coffee and an açaí bowl.

We drove about 15 minutes down the road towards Asheville to pick up the Mountains to Sea Trail at the Folk Art Center off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The MST in this area took quite a beating from Helene and recovery efforts are still ongoing. Reports from All Trails said a big portion of it was clear and open so we decided to try to get from the Folk Art Center to Bull Gap for a 15 mile round trip.

The theme of Sunday was HOT HOT HOT. Mostly due to full sun from tons of blowdown trees and being at lower elevation. The max elevation we reached on Sunday was only about 3,300 feet. The good? We were able to run the first five in and the last five out. The not so good? Everything between Tanabark Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Bull Gap. This section of the MST was in rough shape and completely impassable due to downed trees. We did a lot of backtracking and some running on the Parkway (the MST runs right alongside the Parkway). We were able to make it to Bull Gap but not before making our way through a trail full of stinging nettles. I am still itching from those days later!

We clocked in right at 16 miles for the day and were so happy to be D-O-N-E. To be honest, this hike was not particularly scenic or enjoyable and I wouldn’t put it at the top of my list for recommended hikes in WNC. But the miles got done and it’s good “suffering” training to have in the bank.

I am saying sayonara to the trails until TransRockies. It’s trippy to think that even with all of my long runs and trail weekends in the last month, I still haven’t totaled the number of miles I’ll do in six days in Colorado. At this point, I am trusting the preparation that I have done and my overall fitness and we’ll get through it somehow/someway! The most helpful part of my training has been doing back to back long effort days. They’ve been huge for building strength and confidence that I can go on tired legs and even have solid, strong days when I’m tired!

I woke up on Monday morning after this training weekend and honestly felt pretty fresh in my legs and not sore at all – pretty awesome after a 30 mile training weekend! Also, funny story…I have brainwashed my grandmother. I was chatting with her on the drive home and she said, “you shouldn’t be sore after that little amount of walking you did this weekend.” I guess I’ve really set the bar high with some of my 30 mile days lol.

TRAVELING HOME 

A big rainbow across I-40 as we drove home.

And picked up pizza on the way in.

What a weekend! The end.

QUESTIONS 

Favorite Asheville-area restaurants? 

Do you like summer hiking or prefer other seasons? 

Do you prefer to stay in VRBO/Airbnbs or hotels?