Colbert Ridge Trail to Winter Star Mountain | Brutal Hike to Frozen Wonderland with Epic Views

Our next 6000-foot summit in 2022 found us back at the rugged Black Mountains. We chose to tackle the epic yet grueling Colbert Ridge to reach the Black Mountain Crest at Deep Gap. From here we could ascend Winter Star, a 6200-foot peak that lies down the ridgeline from Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain in the east.
CONTENTS
00:00 Intro Teaser
00:49 Map & Overview
02:30 Trailhead
04:19 First Views
06:13 Signs of Snow
08:18 Winter Wonderland
09:37 Winterstar
11:22 Heading Down
12:21 Overlook
13:33 Getting Dark
Our journey started on I-40 as we ventured through the town of Marion to join highway 80, lovingly known as the devil’s whip. This windy road took us under the Blue Ridge Parkway to Colberts Creek Road and eventually to the origin of our trek.
This would be no typical hike as the ascent is one of the most brutal in the eastern United States. There are few places that you can climb 3,400 feet in less than 5 miles. For us, the modest weather at the bottom would transition to a much colder atmosphere and create a frozen wonderland with picturesque scenes out of a fairy tale. Despite the stunning views and beautiful landscape, this ultra-tough trail is definitely a road less traveled with tremendous opportunity for solitude.

[@americafirst5453]

Thank you for another great video

[@criscale3667]

Thank you for taking the time to watch it!