Ascent of Cottrell Knob Northeast on 2017-10-19| Other People: | Solo Ascent
| | Date: | Thursday, October 19, 2017 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Car | | Peak: | Cottrell Knob Northeast | | Location: | USA-North Carolina | | Elevation: | 2666 ft / 812 m |
Ascent Trip ReportFirst of 3 peaks climbed in the Buffalo Cove section of the Brushy Mountains.
The Brushy Mountains (lying between the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers from Wilkesboro to Lenoir) often get short shrift from the alpine climbers and also a bit of shaking heads from people like me and others who would love to conquer these mid-elevation peaks that have mostly been sold to private owners.
However, on this day I decided to take a trip to the Buffalo Cove Gamelands located there and protected (at least from developers) by the State.
I arrived at Buffalo Cove and took the Forest Road up to Durham Gap which is central to this peak and others nearby. I had to wait for first light to find my way. Following the forest road NW, I bent off after several hundred yards and trudged up the old abandoned roadbed to the summit, which it turned out was an amazing grass filled bald. To the east the sun was rising and to the west and north the Linville Gorge and the Blue Ridge Mountains shown prominently in the early morning sun. After just forgetting that the dew would make my shoes and pants wet, I found the HP and sat down and watched the birds fly over me to their destinations far from here.
Cottrell Mountain is an unnamed and unranked pek, but I trudged through the 3 foot greasses, woods and creek to there to claim it anyway. Lying to the west and some eighty feet below the NE summit, there is not much to speak of there except bugs and brush and treelines all around.
Headed back to the car for the climb to Licklog Mountain and Gill Knob. |
| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 255 ft / 77 m | | Total Elevation Loss: | 255 ft / 77 m | | Round-Trip Distance: | 1.1 mi / 1.8 km | | Grade/Class: | Class 1 | | Quality: | 2 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | | Route Conditions: | Road Hike, Unmaintained Trail, Open Country, Bushwhack | | Gear Used: | Ski Poles | | Weather: | Pleasant, Breezy, Partly Cloudy | | Ascent Statistics | | Gain on way in: | 255 ft / 77 m | | Distance: | 0.5 mi / 0.8 km | | Route: | Maintained Trail and Bushwhack | | Start Trailhead: | Pull off on Maintained Road 2411 ft / 734 m | | Time: | 20 Minutes | | Descent Statistics | | Loss on way out: | 255 ft / 77 m | | Distance: | 0.6 mi / 1 km | | Route: | Bushwack to Road | | End Trailhead: | Pull off on Maintained Road 2411 ft / 734 m | | Time: | 20 Minutes |
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