Trace is a mess right now, that upper section is very washed out and eroded. It's still fun, but the top is a bit rougher than it was in previous years. I've known some folks that went up there recently and had more trouble than in previous years.
Here is the progression I usually recommend (from easiest to hardest):
Cove Creek - watch for the two sections at the top, one is at a 3 way intersection and the next isn't much further beyond the creek crossing. After those, it opens up a fair bit and is great for getting used to riding in Pisgah.
Sycamore Cove - two techie bits, both are after switchbacks, Lower is more technical after the 3 way intersection than upper is. Helps with riding narrower, rooty stuff without being super high consequence or awkward.
Lower Black Mountain - most folks seem to have trouble with the rock garden in the middle, but fairly easy, it is fairly easy doesn't represent the rest of Pisgah. I mainly put it after Sycamores because it's usually pretty high traffic, the rock garden in the middle, and because some of the rock sections and bridges can be slippery when wet.
Spencer Branch / Fletcher Creek - you've ridden this one already
Daniel's Ridge (Descending CW) - Has a few awkward spots after you cross Lanning Bridge Rd, slower technical stuff, but nothing really high consequence. It's pretty chunky, but fast before the road crossing.
Butter Gap - Mainly just during the season you can ride Cat Gap, but it's a good experience in off camber roots and wet technical sections, the top is really rooty and fairly fast, there are a few awkward creek crossings, then it opens up a fair bit. Once the Cat Gap season opens (Oct15-Apr15), you get some stairs and slow technical stuff, just watch for hikers.
Trace Ridge - Good experience riding eroded stuff and rocky stuff, the top third is really eroded, followed by a short climb that drops you down into some loose, rocky bits with a lot of babyheads, followed by a flowier, but chunkier downhill back to the parking lot.
Daniel's Ridge (descending CCW) - Lots of chunky rooty bits, I mainly find it difficult due to a few really off camber root sections and an awkward switchback. There are some very narrow sections. After the Farlow intersection, it turns pretty rocky. It's a good exercise is riding narrow technical stuff, but be careful when it's wet or leafy esp. near the bottom where it narrows.
Middle Black Mountain - Starts to combine the erodedness of Trace with narrower, tighter lines and rootiness of other trails. Nothing really big in terms of features, just a few awkward lines and eroded sections.
Bennett Gap - Steeper than the others, more rooted, and with a few awkward rock sections at the top (mainly the steep rolldown very near the peak and the staircase -> big-ish drop a little further down than that. It eases up a lot the further down you get. It's hard to place this one, because I think it's mostly easier than Middle Black, aside from a few sections, but those few section are pretty difficult.
Pilot - I actually don't think Pilot is that difficult outside of the switchbacks, I can see where the rock garden may not be for everyone, but it's not as bad as I thought it was hyped up to be, either. More rideable than Bennett is for me, just harder to get to and chunkier
Farlow - I haven't ridden Farlow yet (soon...)
The new Avery will sit somewhere in there. I usually don't include Squirrel, because it's so different from the rest of Pisgah and mainly either ridden as a bigger day to the stables stuff or as an out/back. It is great, though, especially if you want to get some technical climbing in. The difficulty of Squirrel depends how far up you go, I find it pretty approachable until you reach the saddle, then it starts to get more difficult. The main issue is it's narrow and Mullinax, if you do the out/back, changes a lot when it rains and is pretty eroded.
