CMC Weekly Hike News
07/07/04
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Looking Ahead....
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0403-363 July 11 Three Forks (Big Pool) via Breakneck Ridge 7:30 AM Hike 10, Drive 160, 10,200 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA+ Dave Wetmore 828-884-7296 dwetmore@citcom.net 900M Note earlier starting time. Come and go where George Masa went and few have gone since! Three Forks is a well-known but little-visited beauty spot in the Smokies where Left, Middle and Right Forks come together to form Raven Fork. From the trailhead at Round Bottom, we’ll hike a combination of trail and ridgeline manway, then down a steep manway (2000 ft. drop in 1.3 mile). Be prepared for some blowdown and briars. Bring spare socks, as we’ll get our feet wet crossing Raven Fork to the flats at Three Forks. NOTE: This hike is more strenuous that its rating indicates. Topos: Mt. Guyot, Luftee Knob, Bunches Bald
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. H0403-285 July 11 Lane Pinnacle from Bee Tree Gap 1:30 PM Hike 5, Drive 60, 1000 ft. Ascent, Rated C-B Elisabeth Feil, 828-684-8719, hofeil@brinet.com This is a great in-and-out and up-and-down hike on a high ridge with excellent views. The climbs are short but quite steep. Moderate pace. Second meeting place: Folk Art Center lower parking lot at 1:45 PM.
Half Day hikes submitted by Paula Robbins 828-687-1651 paularww@bellsouth.net and Pat Elias 828-281-3253 peliasy@aol.com . Leaders: Mail please mail your sign-up sheets. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.
All Day Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0403-064 July 7 Fletcher Fields & Spencer Branch Trail 9 AM Hike 7–8.5, drive 6, rated B-C Greg Goodman, 684-9703 This will be a woods hike, crossing small creeks, using log bridges. Only meeting place: N. Mills River Picnic Parking.
ALL DAY No. W0403-384 July 14 MST Big Sam Road to Looking Glass Overlook 9:30 AM Hike 6, Drive 50, rated B-C Gerry & Paula McNabb, 274-0057, gcmcnabb@charter.net , cell phone 231-8274. Hike from Big Sam Road via Graveyard Fields & Skinny Dip Falls to Looking Glass Overlook. Topo: Shining Rock. Reference “Trail Profiles – MST”, page 49. Car shuttle required. Meeting place: Cold Mountain Overlook, 9:30. Asheville group may self-organize at Westgate Shopping Center at 8:30 A
ALL DAY No. W0403-242 July 21 Sam Knob – Devils Courthouse Loop 8:30 AM Hike 9, Drive 50, ascend 1200 ft., Rated A-B Bruce Bente 828-692-0116 bbente@cytechusa.com SB6K From FS 816 we will ascend Sam Knob (6040 ft.) with its 360 degree views, then follow the Flat Laurel, Little Sam and MST, via Devils Courthouse. We then return via the MST across FS 816 and up to the summit of Black Balsam (6214 ft.), then down a short, steep manway to our cars. Only meeting place: Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at intersection of US 64 and US 276. Topo: Sam Knob
Wednesday Hikes are submitted by Paula McNabb, 828- 274-0057 gcmcnabb@charter.net. 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.
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Looking Back......
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0402-115 July 4 Penny Rock (Green Knob) – Chestnut Ridge – Big East 8:00 AM Hike 9-10, Drive 60, 2400 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA Carroll Koepplinger 828-667-0723 carrollkoepp@cs.com P400 A Shining Rock Wilderness area hike, last led by Tom Bindrim in 1998. This diversified hike features some off-trail, MST, scenery, and riverside hiking. Wilderness area hike limited to ten people. Please contact hike leader to reserve your place. Topo: Shining Rock
Post Hike Report: What a great group of eight
hikers that joined me in a hike that was somewhat of an unexpected long
bushwack(I didn't want to reveal the extent of the bushwhacking to those
unsuspecting souls)! We left the trail head just south of the Big East Parking
Lot at 9:00 AM with a short stroll along the East Fork Trail. Then the fun
began! A strenuous 345 ft. uphill bushwhack to the Chestnut Ridge. At that point
everyone thought that was the extent of the bushwhacking. I then pointed the way
following the ridge line to Green Knob for the rest of the bushwhack which
although a lot longer it was quite a bit easier. When we reached Green Knob we
had gained approximately 1,700 ft total elevation climb. No serious moans or
groans were heard.
We then proceeded along the MST over Green Knob through Bennett Gap & Cherry Gap
and Chestnut Ridge to the Bridges Camp Gap Trail which took us to the East Fork
Trail returning to the trail head at 4:15 PM.
Weather was warm and humid with occasional breezes. We encountered rain, both
light and somewhat heavy, for about 30 - 40 minutes, after that mostly sunny. We
took a well deserved break in the sun on the rocks by the river which is always
quite dynamic and beautiful.
We encountered a verity of floral such as, Bee balm, White Bee balm, Black-eyed
Susan, Flame Azalea, Fly Poison, Fire Pink, Indian Pipe, Indian Paint Brush,
Whoried Loosestrife, Saint John's Wort & Spider Wort. Also one snake.
One new first time hiker, Marina who drove all the way up from Charleston to
hike with us. Welcome Marina and hope to see you on more of our hikes.
Thanks guys(3) and gals(6) for making the hike leaders day!
Carroll
Half Day Sunday
HALF-DAY No. H0402-350 July 4 DuPont State Forest Guion Farm P.L. #1 1:30 PM Hike 4-5, Drive 70+, Rated CC. Anita and Richard Walkey, 828-681-2967, Walkey@juno.com A leisurely paced walk down old logging roads through some beautiful forest. We'll stop at an old cemetery, and if we have time we'll take a side trail down to a beautiful waterfall. SECOND MEETING PLACE IS INGLES ON US 176 & HIGHLAND LAKE ROAD IN HENDERSONVILLE AT 2:15 PM.
All Day Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0402-343 June 30 Mount Mitchell Loop via Commissary Ridge 9:00 AM Hike 7, drive 60, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated C-B Gerry McNabb, 828-274-0057, gcmcnabb@charter.net We will hike from the ranger station to the summit, returning via the Camp Alice Road to the ranger station. Ample bathrooms. Cell phone will be on after 8 a.m. (828-231-8274) Topo: Mt. Mitchell. Meeting Place: Folk Art Center off Blue Ridge Parkway, lower parking lot.
Post Hike Report: I was really glad to see your 5 cent a mile message in the eLets Go. I announced that to my riders on my last two hikes and got no complaints from any. Got money instead. Better. Thanks.
15 hikers went on the climb to Mt. Mitchell Wednesday, June 30 -- 2 from upstate NY, 3 from PA, and 2 from Charleston. The New York couple had even emailed me several weeks in advance to make their plans and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the hike despite the rain. Maybe it was the hot chocolate we could order at the summit snack bar that did the trick. The man in the NY group was a professor at Skidmore College there. We ran into Jorge Munoz on the Commissary Ridge section where they had been improving the rocky trail-- Gerry
HikingNews....
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Greetings to All !!
Since I made several public proclamations about hiking 75 miles to commemorate the upcoming 75th birthday - I had to....and did it ! A feat on my feet ! Started on Sunday, June 27, going up and down the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) more or less along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a goal of 76.3 miles* and finished Thursday, July 1st at the Folk Art Center. Folks from the High Country Hikers and fellow trail maintainers from the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) joined me on one of the five days helping with transport and most important - companionship and encouragement.
Further motivation was the intent to dramatize - as a four time cancer survivor - the values of ego. Exercise - Good nutrition - Optimism !!! Taking care of our bodies and a positive mental attitude.
The hike had a variety of terrain, events and weather. Came home every night wet - each day from perspiration and the first three days also from afternoon rain. Started walking at 7AM and finished mid afternoon----except for the first day. This was planned to be the longest hike ( 16.3 mi.) but due to trail conditions and a couple of backtracks was a bit more than 20 miles. Followed by 15.8, 15.0, 15.3 and 13.4 for a reality check of eighty miles.* Hey ! Guess that covers my 80th in 2009 !?!
Nancy greeted me at the Folk Art Center with some bubbly, snacks, fruit and hugs. A couple from our church also were there and took some videos and photos.
The trek was terrific, the trail was good (very good in the CMC sections), this ole bod stayed together and I am fortunate in being able to have done it, to have yet another adventure and wonderful family and friends.
Love, Hugs and Happy Trails,
Neal aka Big Smokey
MST Thru Hiker Report
Hi Don, Ron Underwood started at Jockey Ridge SP on June 25. Ron is experienced as an AT through hiker. He is about 52 years old and is hiking alone. He expects to reach Winston Salem area about July 16. He can be reached through his friend, Marty, who is in contact about every 2-3 days. Email is GentleTouch815@aol.com Also by telephone at 865-670-9665. Ron will probably move pretty fast, 25 miles a day would not surprise me. If there is anyone in his line of march who would like to meet up, Ron would like that. Thanks for your interest. David Scanlon,
Ron Underwood took the ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar Island late this Wednesday afternoon. So now starts the hot buggy stretch. David Scanlon--
Higher Gasoline Prices
As we ride in cars on hikes, I am sure we all are reminded of the higher cost for gasoline. An average car today cost 10 cents per mile JUST for fuel. If the average drive is 100 miles that means the driver has cash out of pocket that day for $10 without considering all of the other 28 cents per mile indirect costs. So a 100 mile trip really cost the driver about $38.
We need all hike leaders, drivers and hikers to be respectful of the financial commitment that each driver is making by driving on hikes. We all know that there are people who consistently take advantage of this and we know who those people are. We also have new hikers that just do not know the ropes. We also have folks who have not kept up with the financial times by using the same rule of payment used many years ago.
The CMC has not in the past endorsed a rigid mileage policy such as exact rates for exact miles driven. It has been considered a unwritten policy for the parties involved to work it out and it has worked out for all of these years pretty well.
I ask the hike leaders at the beginning of each hike to remind everyone that each person has the responsibility to reimburse the driver a fair rate. I also ask each driver to remind and discuss with the passengers the fair rate for that day. I also ask each rider to be aware that with the recent raise in gas prices that each driver IS thinking about the cost of that days drive. Some drivers and leaders do not feel comfortable discussing this with their riders so many times there is uncomfortable feelings created that either are misunderstood or unfair. Please think about this the next time you ride or drive or lead a hike. Don Walton.
It has been suggested that 5 cents a mile be used to compute each riders fair amount. If the hike drive is 100 miles, each passenger should pay the driver about $5.00. This computation should be communicated by the Hike Leader and drivers at the beginning of each hike.
HIKE SIGN-UP SHEET
An electronic version of the CMC hike sign-up sheet has now been added to the CMC website. To open it, click carolinamtnclub.com/data/CMC Sign-up Sheet.pdf This will be helpful to the hike schedulers, and also for the hike leaders if they don't receive the sheet mailed by the scheduler. (Recently, the mail got lost and one of the hike leaders did not receive his copy.)