
Elk Mountain on the left.

Along the Charons Garden Backcountry Camping Trail




Charons Garden Backcountry Camping Trail gets a little bit hard to follow, but I left it soon anyway.

Really pretty fields with burnt trees. My first unnamed peak ahead.

I decided to ascend toward that orange splotch because it looked cool.

The orange splotch had a Class 3 move. There are other ways up if you're not feeling it.

Looking back toward the Charons Garden Backcountry Camping Trail, which you likely can't see from this photo because it's so faint.

Continuing up lots of Class 2 scrambling

Nearing the summit of the first peak, Mount Mitchell.

Crazy colors of granite.

Mount Mitchell summit.

Continuing southwest through a meadow on top of the peak.

Burnt trees and crazy colors.

Looking back toward the peak I just came down. At this point, I'm still pretty high up, despite how flat it seems.

Approaching a gully that I used to get down from Mount Mitchell, you can see the second mountain ahead, Charons Garden Mountain.

On the way down from first unnamed mountain, looking toward second unnamed mountain. There is a brushy canyon between the two, but an animal trail led me around it safely.

Heading up Charons Garden Mountain, an easy but fun scramble.

Summit of Charons Garden Mountain, looking back toward the brushy canyon and Mount Mitchell (the little nipple near the center).

Continuing toward Granite Mountain (center), the first named peak so far.

After descending a while, I started to realize it wasn't a straight shot toward Granite Mountain - lots of deep gullies in the way. So, I decided to head down one of them.

I entered a canyon to the west of Styx Canyon and followed it to where it merged with the Styx Canyon mouth.


At the mouth of Styx Canyon, a private property gate appeared.

Just past the private property gate, there's a pretty little waterfall.

From the top of the waterfall, looking into private property.

Continuing up Styx Canyon until I found a nice way to head up toward Granite Mountain.


Heading up Granite Mountain.

Looking back toward Styx Canyon (center) and my second unnamed peak (top right).


Summit of Granite Mountain.

Heading down Granite Mountain toward the opposite side of the Charons Garden Wilderness Trail.

Along the Charons Garden Wilderness Trail.


Charons Garden Wilderness Trail, left continues to the other end (my parking spot), right goes to Post Oak Falls.

Post Oak Falls.

Post Oak Falls.

Top of Post Oak Falls. I went a bit farther up the canyon, but there's not much to see.

Back on the Charons Garden Wilderness Trail.


Boulder field (right) along Charons Garden Wilderness Trail.

Charons Garden Wilderness Trail ends at the junction where I left it. Follow this back to the trailhead.
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