Ascent of Dark Mountain on 2017-07-19| Other People: | Solo Ascent
| | Date: | Wednesday, July 19, 2017 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Car | | Peak: | Dark Mountain | | Location: | USA-North Carolina | | Elevation: | 953 ft / 290 m |
Ascent Trip ReportMontgomery County HP.
From NC 24/27 west of Albemarle, take a left on River Road after crossing the bridge at Lake Tillery. In the hamlet of Uwharrie, NC, cross over NC 109 and take a quick right on Ophir Road and follow it north to Flint Road (turn right). The road passes a low lying bridge over the Uwharrie River. From that point look for the Uwharrie Trail parking lot on the right. If you pass Jumping Off Rock, you have gone too far. Find the trail head at the back of the lot. Now the fun begins.
As much as I read online and actually hiked it myself, there is no direct route to the peak. If you don't mind a bit of bushwhacking, walk past the summit on your left and catch the end of the ridge line. Turn north and cross through fairly thick rhododendrons and underbrush to more open woods near the summit. I topped out at the HP near a pile of broken rocks. No views in summer, but may be some to east in winter.
From this point you can find a steep old logging road that follow a creek bed NE and eventually makes its way back to the Uwharrie Trail.
Dark Mountain lies deep within the cenral Uwharries and allows you to bag any number of nearby peaks to make a decent day hike.
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| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 555 ft / 168 m | | Total Elevation Loss: | 515 ft / 156 m | | Round-Trip Distance: | 2.1 mi / 3.4 km | | Grade/Class: | Class 1 | | Quality: | 5 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | | Route Conditions: | Maintained Trail, Unmaintained Trail, Bushwhack | | Gear Used: | Ski Poles | | Weather: | Hot, Calm, Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy and Humid Day | | Ascent Statistics | | Gain on way in: | 540 ft / 164 m | | Gain Breakdown: | Net: 525 ft / 160 m; Extra: 15 ft / 4m | | Loss on way in: | 15 ft / 4 m | | Distance: | 1.2 mi / 1.9 km | | Route: | Maintained trail and Bushwhack | | Start Trailhead: | Parking lot at Trailhead 428 ft / 130 m | | Time: | 55 Minutes | | Descent Statistics | | Loss on way out: | 500 ft / 152 m | | Loss Breakdown: | Net: 485 ft / 148 m; Extra: 15 ft / 4m | | Gain on way out: | 15 ft / 4 m | | Distance: | 0.9 mi / 1.4 km | | Route: | Unmaintained Trail and Maintained trail | | End Trailhead: | Parking Lot at Trailhead 468 ft / 142 m | | Time: | 35 Minutes |
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