Trek for Connectivity: Segment 6 ~ Stone Mountain and the completion of the Piedmont!

After I made it through the challenge of Hanging Rock to Pilot Mountain, I hiked through the Elkin Valley community and towards Stone Mountain. This would be my final trek of the Piedmont region and prove to be a challenging end of my time time hiking through the Great Connector. While I was eager to begin the mountainous region, the last several miles left of Stone Mountain would give me great insight into the physical demands of mountainous terrain!

I began hiking through the valley towards the 600 foot granite dome that is Stone Mountain here in North Carolina. Once I neared the top, the trail took me out onto a giant, flat-surfaced rock face that pointed toward the large, granite dome. I was the only soul standing on this other worldly ground and took my time to soak in the beauty of my surroundings.

The trail then led me across the rock face to tuck back into the forest, underneath the thick tree canopy that would protect me from the sun while hiking several miles of over 2,500 ft in elevation gain to complete the Piedmont region in my Trek for Connectivity expedition. Thanks to a Mountains-to-Sea trail angel who gave me a lift to begin my day, I would end this segment at my car parked right by the Devils Garden Overlook trail just as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Physically exhausted, I was never more grateful that my campground was in close proximity to where I finished.

Hiking through the Piedmont has given me incredible insight into how critical it is to continue the work to restore, protect, and connect the central portion of our state. Successful wildlife movement hinges on whether or not we can answer the call to protect our green spaces in the face of rapid growth and development here. For example, Raleigh metro was rated within the top 10 highest growing metro areas in America by the U.S. Census Bureau. Just outside of the city lies the ecosystems of Falls Lake which connects to the Eno River watershed. This is just one example of why it's so important we not only meet the challenge of increasing habitat connectivity throughout the Piedmont now, but that we also increase our collaborative communities who can prioritize this work in their own backyards.