CMC Weekly Hike News
03/09/05
__________________________________________________________________________________
Looking Ahead....
All Day Saturday & Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0501-423 Mar. 13 Pilot Rock, Laurel Mtn., Slate Rock Creek Trails 8:00 AM Hike 10, Drive 90, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Ruth Hartzler 828-251-0886 ruthmtn@aol.com P400 We will hike up the Pilot Rock Trail, stopping to enjoy the views. Then we’ll turn downhill on the Laurel Mtn. Trail and a no-name trail to the Slate Rock Creek Trail, one of the gems of Pisgah Nat’l. Forest. Short car shuttle. Second meeting place: North Mills River Recreation Area parking lot at 8:30 AM, but call leader beforehand. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geographic Pisgah Ranger District map.
ALL DAY Mar. 13 Note change due to road closure. Pilot Rock, Laurel Mtn., Thompson Ridge Trails 8:00 AM Hike 8-10, Drive 90, 1600-2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Ruth Hartzler 828-251-0886 ruthmtn@aol.com P400 We will hike up the Pilot Rock Trail, stopping to enjoy the views. Then we’ll return on the Thompson Ridge Trail. If the snow is not too deep, we will also do the Laurel Mt. - MST loop at the top. We will NOT go to the North Mills River Recreation Area parking lot. Call leader for second meeting place. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geographic Pisgah Ranger District map.
All-day hikes submitted by Bruce Bente 692-0116, bbente@cytechusa.com . 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 Sunday
HALF DAY No. H0501-435 March 13 Turkey Pen – Pea Gap ramble 1:30 PM* Hike 5-6, Drive 50, 700 ft. ascent, rated C-C Bruce Bente, 828-692-0116 bbente@cytechusa.com P400 This will be a moderate hike in the Turkey Pen area. We'll cross the S. Mills River pedestrian bridge, and hike up the beautiful Pounding Mill trail and return on the Mullinax Trail. No river crossings and we may see some early flowers. *Meet at Westgate to form carpools at 1:30 PM, and meet leader at Turkey Pen parking lot at 2:00 PM. Topo: Pisgah Forest; also National Geographic Pisgah Ranger District map.
Half Day hikes submitted by Paula Robbins 828-687-1651 paularww@bellsouth.net and Pat Elias 828-281-3253 patelias@bellsouth.net . Leaders: Mail please mail your sign-up sheets. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.
All Day Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0501-441 March 16 AT: Up and Down Snowbird 8:30 AM Hike 9.4, Drive 100, 2700 ft ascent, Rated A-AA Curt Holladay, 628-9477, caholady@bellsouth.net Start at the Waterville School Rd, hike northbound on the AT up a pretty well graded slope 4263 ft elevation to the to top of Snowbird Mt. We will have lunch, rest and hopefully have a relaxed descent back down. Nothing like a stiff hike to welcome in the Spring!
ALL DAY No. W0501-442 March 23 Montreat Ramble #3 9:00 AM* Hike 5-5.5, Drive 25, Rated C-B Diane Hankins, 828-298-2870 (before 9pm) Very leisurely paced hike on Montreat trails. Suitable for anyone over 10 years old (those under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult.) *Only meeting place: Oteen Ingles parking lot at the post office flagpole near the VA hospital on Tunnel Road (unless other arrangements made with leader before March 22.)
Wednesday Hikes are submitted by Paula McNabb, 828- 274-0057 gcmcnabb@charter.net and Ann Gleason, 828-859-9387, cowbonetail@yahoo.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.
_________________________________________________________________________
Looking Back......
All Day Saturday & Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0501-421 Mar. 6 Canebrake Trail (strenuous) 8:00 AM* Hike 10, Drive 95, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA Bruce Bente 828-692-0116 bbente@cytechusa.com We’ll start the hike at the Frozen Creek Rd. parking lot in Gorges State Park, and hike down the Canebrake Trail to our lunch spot at the Foothills Trail pedestrian bridge where the Toxaway River enters Lake Jocassee. *Meeting places: Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Bi-Lo parking lot in Pisgah Forest at 8:30 AM. Topo: Reid; also Gorges State Park map
Post Hike Report: Ten hikers, including a hiker new to CMC from Brevard who decided to try this nearby hike, enjoyed the 10 mile hike starting at Frozen Creek parking lot of Gorges State Park. The weather was gereat with clear skies and 50s temperatures. We hiked in on old roads, now identified as Auger Hole Trail and the Canebrake trail, down, down, down to the intersection with the Foothills Trail. The general feeling that this hike is sorta boring on the old roads, but the beautiful lunch spot on rocks where the Toxaway River flows into Lake Jocassee makes it all worthwhile. The 225 foot long pedestrian footbridge over the Toxaway River is an impressive construction to see, and gives a good ride when a number of people are crossing the bridge. Becky was lucky enough to find a couple of yellow and purple halberd-leafed violets in bloom too.
ALL DAY No. A0501-422 Mar. 6 Big Laurel–Pump Gap 9:00 AM (moderate) Hike 7, Drive 70, 2400 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA Amy Treverton 828-298-1882 athikerbabe@yahoo.com Paul Benson 828-251-1909 pdbenson@charter.net Note later start time. This will be a new hike for CMC. Starting at Hurricane, we’ll hike the Big Laurel Creek trail down to the French Broad River, then up Pump Branch to Pump Gap, and the AT past Lover’s Leap before ending at the hot tubs in Hot Springs. Nice scenery along the creeks and river. Bring your swimsuit and plan on stopping at either the hot tubs and/or supper. Car shuttle. Topo: Hot Springs
Post Hike Report: Nine hikers had a beautiful day for this beautiful trail. This hike has it all: a beautiful river walk, interesting ruins at Runion, and beautiful views of the French Broad and Hot Springs from Lover's Leap. Fortunately, everyone on the hike must have a good love life, there were no leapers. A perfect hike was followed for some of us by refreshments in Hot Springs and a relaxing soak at the hot springs. Paul
Half Day Sunday
HALF DAY No. H0501-040 Mar. 6 Mountains-to-the-Sea Trail in Marion 1:00 PM Hike 4.8, Drive 60, 1500 ft ascent, Rated C-B Don Walton, 828-654-9904 DonWalton@bellsouth.net Note early start time. We will spot cars, then hike along the MST from Woodlawn Picnic Area down to the North Fork of the Catawba River, where we will see the recently completed footbridge spanning the river. This bridge cost about $200,000 and is the largest foot bridge on the MST. If we are lucky the rare Turkey Beard flower will be out. We will go out on the Forest Service road to Creek Road. Second meeting place: McDonalds at exit 64 of I-40 at 1:20 PM. Topo: Little Switzerland
Post Hike Report: There were 19 people who decided to see where the new bridge is located. THe bridge was to be done by now but due to the hurricanes etc it is scheduled for completion this week. We did get to see where the 250 ft span is going to be lifted in on helicopters. The cement footings are poured and 3 pre assembled sections of the bridge are waiting to arrive. It is costing $225,000 to build. A mere foot bridge 5 ft wide and safe from all future floods. We did not get to see the Turkey Beard in bloom but did see the pre blooming stage of the plant.
Turkey
Beard
(Xerophyllum asphodelioides)
Grows in dry, open woods (frequently among red rhododendron). The flower stalks are sometimes chewed off by deer.
All Day Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0501-290 March 9 Shut-In – (MTS) and Bent Creek 8:30 AM* Hike 7-8, Drive 0, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Siro Del Favero, 828-277-2546 From the French Broad Overlook we will embark on a brisk hike through Bent Creek via Shut-In, Cascades, CMC extension, CMC, Wesley Branch, and Old Mill Trails back to the overlook. *Only meeting place: Ingles parking lot on NC 191, across from Biltmore Square.
HikingNews....
_____________________________________________________________
Join New CMC Hike Information Message Center!
The CMC is starting a Hike Information exchange system on www.Yahoo.com which can be used to exchange information relating to hiking. This group system is intended to help coordinate off schedule hiking activities that benefit the club and it's members. For example, a hike leader may need to scout a hike but cannot find anyone to go along or maybe someone needs directional help to adequately hike a trail.
The email address used to communicate is cmchikeinfo@yahoogroups.com . The address to use to join is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cmchikeinfo/ You have to be a yahoo member (free) to join. When you join you will need to provide your name in the setup in the "Real Name" field. This is desirable for people to know who you are. If you have any questions please contact me. Don Walton