Back on July 16 of last year, I had a good start on visiting all of our state parks. I had heard from others that Stone Mountain State Park was one of the best, so I was looking forward to visiting there. It was two months after my broken back farm accident, and I was wearing a back brace full time. My walking was a struggle, but I wanted to help the recovery and strengthening process by challenging myself to hike at least one trail in every park. I stopped in the visitor center for a map of trails and waterfalls within the park, and to get my passport stamp on the way to complete all the N.C. state parks.

I asked the attendant last year about the most popular hiking trails in the park, and she mentioned the Stone Mountain Loop Trail. Listed at 4.5 miles, the trail goes up over 700 feet in elevation and over the top of the stone-faced mountain, peaking at the summit of 2,305 feet, and is marked strenuous. The distance was too long, and the climb was more than I could do on that day, so I chose to walk a one-mile trail to the middle falls/lower falls, listed as moderate. But I did walk a small part of the easier section of the Stone Mountain Loop Trail, enough to see a restored 1860s farm. I vowed to return and complete the trail within a year.

Wednesday, June 18, was the day I set aside to take on the mountain that was only growing higher and steeper in my imagination. The drive was about 80 minutes from home to near Roaring Gap and the park. I stopped at the visitor center again, got a new map and two choices from the attendant. About my age, she looked fit and energetic. She said, “You have two options, get the major climbing done first or go the other way and you’ll be gradually climbing most of the way. I like doing the steep part first.” I knew I would do the same.

At about 9:30 a.m. and at 71 degrees, I started an intense climb with lots of wooden steps, steep grades and even cables to hold onto while climbing. On and on, the climbing stayed intense while I was tracking the distance on my Garmin watch. I could see what looked like the summit ahead but some of the most intense climbing required the anchored cables to help me get there. About 300 wooden steps helped out, too. The sharp uphill side was .97 of a mile to the summit with mostly a decline or flat the rest of the way to what my Garmin registered as 4.41 miles total.

Nearly all those who hike the loop trail decide to take the easier but longer climb by choosing a right turn out of the park’s lower trailhead. I met more than 80 people coming from that direction. There are flat sections, but the ongoing grade is slightly upward. Of the 80 people, about 60 of them were a group of older teenage girls divided into three smaller groups of 20. The first group was intense and said little as I met them. The second group was more jovial and nearly all either spoke or waved. The third group was working hard to hike and said little as we passed. I met the same two women twice while they rested the second time after one of them had slipped on a wet rock face.

Stone Mountain State Park was started in 1969 and is listed as one of the 38 best places to visit in western North Carolina by the Bucket List Book. The park today boasts more than 14,000 acres and 10 other scenic trails of varying distances and difficulty. It also boasts the Hutchison homestead, a mid-1850s farm that has been restored and has lots of explanatory signage.

I did have other conversations, all brief ones, as we hiked in different directions. I finished about noon, especially enjoying the heavy shade cover. The temperature had risen to 80 at the trailhead as I left. If you go, I hope you will enjoy this spectacular trail as much as I did. By the way, you’ll walk downhill past the 200-foot Stone Mountain Falls on the loop if you choose the hard climb first. Consider stopping at the Stone Mountain Country Store on the way out of the park for the blackberry cobbler ice cream and peanut butter fudge like I did. This park ranks as one of my favorites in all of N.C.

Next up on the local race circuit is the July 19 Run for the Greenway 5K and Fun Run. Look for it and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.