All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. W0903-214 Aug. 2
Kimsey Creek Trail – Standing Indian Circuit *8:00 AM
Hike 11, Drive 170, 2800 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Brent Martin, 828-369-7084, brent_martin@tws.org
*Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader in Franklin at the Roller Mill shopping center, in front of K-Mart, on US 64 at 9:30 AM. A stop will be made at the rest stop beyond Waynesville on US 23/74 at 8:30 AM. We’ll hike this great spring flower hike in the summer for a change. The Standing Indian area in the Nantahala National Forest is known for its beautiful forest, rushing streams and excellent vistas. We’ll hike up the Kimsey Creek Trail to the AT, and the AT to our lunch spot, Standing Indian. At 5498 ft., it is the highest mountain on the AT south of the Great Smoky Mountains, with outstanding views. Topo: Rainbow Springs

ALL DAY NO. A0903-652 Aug. 2
Devil Fork Gap to Rocky Fork Rd. *9:00 AM
(moderate)
Hike 7, Drive 80, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Don Walton, 828-654-9904, donwalton@bellsouth.net
*Note later start time. This new CMC hike ventures into the new Rocky Fork Tract purchase of 10,000 acres near Flag Pond, TN. The first three miles of this one way hike is on the AT to Flint Gap Shelter and on to Flint Gap and entry into the Rocky Fork Tract. This route is also the path of a surprise attack on an Indian Camp in the early 1800’s. Car shuttle. Topo: Flag Pond

ALL DAY NO. A0903-068 Aug. 9
Big Butt from BRP *9:00 AM
Hike 7, Drive 55, 2200 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Ruben Marshall, 828-299-1497
*Note later start time. Only meeting place is Folk Art Center, back parking lot. We will take the Big Butt trail from Balsam Gap on the BRP, following the ridgeline to Big Butt (Yeates Knob), a short bushwhack at just under 6000 ft., and return via the same route. We will stop at Point Misery for lunch and views of the Black Mtns. Topos: Montreat, Mt. Mitchell; also South Toe River PNF map

SATURDAY NO. A0903-369 Aug. 15
Buckeye Gap – Gage Bald – Bear pen Gap *10:00 AM
Hike 8, Drive 80, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Kathleen Hudson, 828-698-5208, mstish1325@gmail.com
P400 *Note later start time. Meet at Westgate to form carpools, and meet leader at Cold Mtn. Overlook (BRP M.P. 412) at 10:35 AM. We will start by hiking a section of the MST that leads through a lush forest of spruce and birch. The forest floor is covered with mosses and ferns. At Wet Camp Gap in a field of blooming phlox, a side trail will be followed to Gage Bald with its great views. We will hike through areas that in past years have yielded abundant blueberries and will stop to do some picking if we find them. Short car shuttle. Topo: Sam Knob; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

ALL DAY NO. A0903-267 Aug. 16
Horsepasture River 8:00 AM
Hike 8, Drive 105, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Kathleen Hannigan, 828-230-4883, kathleen.hannigan@pgnmail.com
Swimming hike! Come to see the newly re-opened Gorges State Park area. We’ll hike down alongside the Horsepasture River to see the waterfalls – Drift, Turtleback, Rainbow and Stairway, ending at Windy, the finale downstream near Lake Jocassee. One or more swimming breaks will be taken. Second meeting place: Bi-lo side parking lot in Pisgah Forest at 8:35 AM. Topo: Reid; Also Sierra Club guide to Jocassee Gorges.

--Back to Top

Half Day Sunday Hikes

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-573 Aug. 2
Devil’s Courthouse from FS 816 *12:00 PM
Hike 5, Drive 75, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Becky Elston, 828-749-1886, 828-606-0583, belston@cytechusa.com
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at 12:00 PM at Westgate to form carpools, and meet leader at Cold Mountain Overlook (BRP M.P. 412) at 12:35 PM. The hike will differ slightly from #573 but will be nice and cool at 5000 feet and afford great views from Devil’s Courthouse. Topo Sams Knob

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-436 Aug. 9
Mt. Pisgah from the Pisgah Inn *1:00 PM
Hike 4.5 miles, Drive 44, 700 ft ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Laura Frisbie, 828-545-2262, laurafrisbie@charter.net
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools and meet leader at Pisgah Inn parking lot at 1:30 PM. View beautiful scenery from the top of Mt. Pisgah on this in-and-out hike. Join leader for dinner at Pisgah Inn.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-602 Aug. 16
North Carolina Arboretum *12:30 PM
Hike 4, Drive 15, 300 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Non-members, call leader, Laura Stallard, 828-697-1579
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools, and meet leader at Ingles parking lot on NC 191 across from Biltmore Square Mall at 12:45 PM to carpool with those who have an Arboretum membership. This easy 4-mile hike will be mostly in the shade. Those who wish a longer hike can easily add extra loops from the 10 miles of Arboretum trails.

All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO. W0903-560 Aug. 5
Rube Rock/Groundhog Creek Loop 8:00 AM
Hike 9, Drive 100, 1900 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
A loop hike located in the Harmon Den area of Pisgah Nat’l. Forest. Start at Brown Gap, south on the AT to Rube Rock Trail; descend into the Pigeon River Gorge. Then climb the Groundhog Creek Trail to the AT and back to Brown Gap. Second meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop off I-40 at Exit 24 at 8:30 AM, but call leader first. Topo: Waterville, also USFS Harmon Den Map.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0903-475 Aug. 12
Hump Mountain/
Yellow Mountain Area *8:00 AM
Hike 9, Drive 140, 2400 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Adrian Lotherington, 828-484-9132, jaloth@charter.net
*ONLY MEETING PLACE: Rose’s car park, across from McDonald's at the US 25/70 Weaverville Exit #19 at 8:30 AM. We will hike from Roaring Creek Road to Yellow Mountain Gap, joining the AT, along an open ridge to Little Hump Mtn., and Hump Mtn. where we will have lunch on a grassy bald at 5587 ft. We will return to Yellow Mtn. Gap and take the Over Mountain Victory Loop back to the car park. Topos: Carvers Gap, White Rocks Mtn.; also NatGeo map #783

WEDNESDAY NO. W0903-142 Aug. 19
Jerry Miller Trail to AT
to Fork Ridge Trail *8:00 AM
Hike 10.5, Drive 92, 3300 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Barth Brooker, 828-299-0298, barthb@bellsouth.net
Up the Jerry Miller Trail to Bearwallow gap and right on the AT to Andrew Johnson Mountain. Right on the Fork Ridge Trail down to road 111 and a short walk to the cars. Second meeting place: Jerry Miller Trailhead near Carmen at 9:00 AM. Topo: Greystone; also Natl. Geo. map #782

--Back to Top

Hike Reports should be emailed to Dave Wetmore, dwetmore@citcom.net before the Wednesday preceeding an eNews issue. Reports for Wednesday hikes during the eNews publication week will appear in the following eNews

All-day hikes submitted by Bruce Bente 692-0116, bbente@bellsouth.net . Driving distance is round-trip from Asheville. All Saturday and Sunday hikes assemble at Westgate Shopping Center near I-240 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Half Day hikes submitted by Lucy Prim 828-693-6580 lucette32@mchsi.com. Wednesday Hikes are submitted by Charlie Ferguson, 828-398-0213 ccf108@gmail.com and Ann Gleason, 828-859-9387, gleason.ann@gmail.com .

The meeting place for each hike will be designated by the hike leader and will appear in the hike description. Driving mileage will be listed, round trip, from the first designated meeting place.
Leaders: Mail please mail your sign-up sheets. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.