Backpacking in NC: Flat Laurel Creek to Cold Mountain
Two years ago my buddy, Coop, and I met a backpacker named Chris at the base of Shining Rock while backpacking in NC. Chris had just turned back due to extreme conditions, and we were looking for a place to camp before the sun went down. Before parting ways, the three of us exchanged contact information and have kept in touch since.
This past weekend, the three of us met up at Sam Knob via the Flat Laurel Creek trail off of NC Highway 215 (Lake Logan Road) to hike our way to the top of Cold Mountain. Coop and I took Friday to get an extra day of camping and an Anywhere5K to the top of Sam Knob’s 6,055′ peak, and Chris joined us on Saturday morning at the Black Balsam Road parking lot.
