Pisgah’s Coyote

After head cold forced downtime, crisp frosty weather delayed a short hike until later morning. Around 10:45, I landed at the North Pisgah TH with the sun shining but frost lingering in the shadows.

Water streamed out of sources I do not know. Does the hill just absorb water like a sponge and then it seeps out in these seasonal creeks – flows were high given no rain for several days.

Early in the hike, I saw one of Pisgah’s coyotes off down the hill. It was quite far (~150 yards), so the photo is rough. I spoke to another hiker right after this and she said the coyote was on the trail yesterday very close to them. As I watched, its movements seemed very lethargic – sick maybe? This was my first Pisgah coyote sighting.

The Route

Started at North TH and took Tr #3 around the hill and then straight up to summit, then back down to Tr #3 and around East TH on Tr #2 and 4. I went as far as the sun did around the north side of the hill and then returned via the Quarry Road.

Human traffic was pretty light given the weather, but I stayed off the main up / down trail. All along the hill, horse prints caught my attention. If I was slipping around like that, I’d worry about injury – maybe horses are better?

Trail conditions were perfect for humans – just a tad sloppy, but not muddy, so soft on the feet!

Data Geek Cellar

• Shoes: Altra Lone Peek Mesh
• Pack: REI Flast 18 (minimal kit: jacket, emergency & first aid)
• Upper Layers: base layer, mid-weight Calpine and SkyGOAT fleece
• Upper shell: none
• Trekking Poles: Gossamer Gear
• Approximate Times: 10:45 – 2:15
• Carbon ratio: 1 hours (1.5 hours driving: 3.5 hours hiking); YTD = 2 hours banked
• Miles hiked YTD: 11.1
• Notes:
  • Photos: medium
  • Speed: fast
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Weather: 40-50 sunny

All Trails was again different