Rock Knob, Shope Creek

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
2/25/2024	3.6 miles	3 hours 18 minutes	1,263'	1.4 mph	102.2 miles

Parking: 

• End of Shope Creek Road

Map:

• Note that the trails are not blazed/marked.
• Gai GPS app
• Hiking in Shope Creek (hikewnc.info)

Directions:

• Pass through gate and make an immediate right. Cross Shope Creek and continue. At first intersection, keep right. At second intersection, keep right. At third intersection, keep left and hike up to Rock Knob (3,934'). There is a great view a little below the summit. Turn around and head back down. This time, at first intersection keep left and hike on a less well-maintained trail. We hiked until the end of the trail as shown by Gaia. There were "No Trespassing" signs and purple blazes to the left of the trail. The trail actually continues past where Gaia shows, but we turned around. I noticed afterwords, that we were beyond the boundaries of Shope Creek. On the way back, we tried to find a trail to the left that would make a loop. It showed up on Gaia, but there was no visible trail. Glen thought he saw a faint overgrown trail - he tried to follow it, but it faded to nothing. He ended up bushwhacking steeply down. Not recommended! Anyways, I continued back to the main trail and turned left. I kept left at all intersections and continued back down to the trailhead. 

I went to the gym this morning for personal training and for some reason was feeling very weak/unenergetic. It didn't go well. Glen, Krumm, and I still wanted to hike, and for some reason I chose a very challenging trail. We had never hiked to Rock Knob - only have hiked partway there. This is a very steep trail. It's a workout. I was not feeling it. We stopped several times to rest. However, I was stubborn and managed to persist to make it up to the summit. I highly recommend bringing trekking poles to help with the way down, which I didn't have because I was hiking with Krumm. On the way down, we saw more people than expected going up. Even when the parking lot is full at Shope Creek, it seems like we rarely see people there when we hike. We decided to take another side trail - I wouldn't recommend it though, as it doesn't lead to anything, and appears to cross private property. We stopped and let Krumm wade in the creek before finishing our hike.

Winter views on this hike

Summit of Rock Knob, no view 

Just below the summit

Trying to look happy but he's tired too.

Chilling

On the way down, we stopped at a rock face with a great view of Warren Wilson College.

Stopping where the less maintained side trail ends.
Probably on private property. Or at least one side is?

On one side of the trail were purple blazes, meaning private property.

Also, on the same side of the trail. 

Still on the same trail, back on Shope Creek property.
Glen is bushwhacking, looking for a trail that shows up in Gaia.

I was not interested in bushwhacking.
Krumm and I waiting to see if Glen comes back. 

Wading at Shope Creek, near the trailhead.