Snow Hike Up Looking Glass Rock Trail

Last Friday (1/10/2025), the Western North Carolina mountains received anywhere from 1-3 inches. At our house, we put a time-lapse camera up and recorded just less than 2 inches as it piled up on the ground and banister rails. With the bad road conditions, few businesses opened up Friday or Saturday night. In fact, on Saturday night, the only place open in Franklin was Currahee Brewery.

So we headed to Currahee to hang out and order Papa John’s Pizza for some take-out pizzas. We enjoyed a two-person band that filled the brewery with music until about 10 pm. We chilled out with friends we had done a short, easy, flat hike down a snowy road earlier that day.

But Debra and I wanted to get in a nice, challenging snow hike before any of it really started to melt off. With temperatures in the teens to high twenties, the snow easily stuck around through Sunday, so I started investigating our next move.

ALSO READ: Winter Hiking Tips for Families and Couples in the North Carolina Mountains

I picked Looking Glass Rock Trail near Brevard, which is less than 2 hours away from our base camp in Franklin. We knew by noon the temps in the region would get up to 41 degrees, so we planned our travel time accordingly.

Looking Glass Rock Trail is considered moderately difficult 6.2-mile out-and-back trail in the Pisgah Forest. The first three miles from the trailhead to the spectacular view at the end was 3.1 miles straight up elevation gain of 1,683 feet. Add the snow to the trail switchbacks and steep inclines, and it felt like you were walking on a soft sandy beach at times, trying to lift your feet while slipping and sliding on the packed crunchy ice and softer snow.

When reviewing the trail, we saw that the average time for the round trip was 3.5 hours. Taking the challenge to beat that, Debra and I pushed past the trailhead sign and started the uphill climb. As much as we hike and are both similar in leg length, I find that following Debra up a trail, moving at what I see as the same pace, Debra will drag me/you up a trail on a hike.

ALSO READ: Winter Hiking Tips for Families and Couples in the North Carolina Mountains

My heartbeat stayed steady at 160, and we shed most of our cold weather gear headed up. It was the day before my 55th birthday, and we were killing it in time, passing a few people along the path to the top.

At the 3.1 mile point, we reached the end of the uphill section and turn-around point. We had a snack and enjoyed the gorgeous view looking back toward the Blue Ridge Parkway and Black Balsam Knob mountain, which stands at 6,000+ feet elevation. A huge raven hopped around the rocky cliff before us waiting for some scrap to be dropped and left behind.

When we finished catching our breath and our sandwich, we headed back down the remaining 3.1 miles on the snow trails. Our final time of the full 6+ miles was 2 hrs and 44 minutes. Not bad for a guy who was turning 55 then next day.

Get out and explore the Western North Carolina mountains in all seasons!

Here’s to keeping the old man out. See you out there.

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