CMC Bi-Weekly Hike Reports
Looking Back - December 5, 2008
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| All Day Saturday and Sunday Hikes |
| Half Day Sunday Hikes |
| Wednesday Hikes |
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ALL DAY No. A0804-397 Nov. 23
We hiked this one as it was scouted - about 10.5 miles. The weather started out chilly but warmed up in the sun nicely. The Bad Fork trail itself is a very nice trail - even grade, not much erosion, easy on the feet. The MST was partly in the shade and had a light dusting of snow. The ten of us had lunch at the Chestnut Cove Overlook on the Parkway. The parkway was closed due to recent snow in places so we had it all to ourselves on our walk back to the Bad Fork trail. On our walk through the tunnel there was one bicyclist who thought that he owned the parkway and the tunnel. We let each other pass amicably. On the way back we looked for the old Bad Fork trail, shown on the USGS and National Geographic maps. We thought we might have found it but it is heavily overgrown. The trails were so easy that the hike didn't feel like 10.5 miles. Charlie. Photos by Ted Connors. ALL DAY No. A0804-328 Nov. 30 With the temperature 35, a steady rain, and no one showing up at Westgate except me (and I didn't really want to hike under these conditions), the scheduled hike was cancelled. Tom HALF-DAY No. H0804-062 Nov. 23 Twenty-two people met at the Pisgah Fish Hatchery for this hike on what turned out to be a beautiful late fall day.
HALF-DAY No. H0804-102 Nov. 30 Nobody came to the hike! I waited at the Pisgah Ranger Station until 1:35 and then went home. It was really for the best, considering how cold and rainy it was. I was relieved to just go home and have a hot cup of tea! Lucy. WEDNESDAY No. W0804-460 Nov. 19 Fifteen hikers met to hike FS 140A and FS 140 to Courthouse Falls from a trail near Deep Gap shelter at Pilot Mountain. Getting down to FS 140A required using a steep, short, slippery trail from Deep Gap area. Hikers commented that the least the leader could have done was used a leaf blower to clear the path ahead of time. Since the auto industry crisis had been resolved in the drive over to the hike from Westgate, the leader considered this criticism minor. Back at the parking area, Ashok passed out CMC car decals to members and CMC applications to non-members. Conversation on the return car trip was lively in at least one car. Topics included: ideal starting times for ½ day Sunday hikes; adventures with aging parents; the benefits of establishing a CMC dress code for (presumably) women hikers which recommends mini-skirts and full make-up; and Charlie’s achievement of buckling his seat belt single handedly. Many thanks to the fourteen hikers who made this hike leader’s first hike such a pleasure! Mary Beth Gwynn. Photo by Ted Connors. WEDNESDAY No. W0804-519 Nov 26
It was a pleasure to lead the November 27, 2008 hike for Ann Gleason. It was also a pleasure to meet Ann when we scouted the hike. The hike was full of firsts: first time I led a hike, first time I made it to the top of the mountain before everyone, and finally the first time a 9.5 mile hike was completed in 7.7 miles. Kidding aside, Charlie is going to fix the mileage issue and the hike went smooth (except I forgot to have introductions before we embarked). We had sun on the way down the mountain and shade on the way up the other side. No one fell off of the cable crossing and we had a chilly lunch at the top of the falls. Finally a leisurely 3.3 mile hike back to our cars. I can't wait to lead another hike on December 7, 2008 also at Caesar's Head. Thanks to Ted for running sweep. Jeff. 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. |
It warmed up to about 50 degrees and that is perfect hiking weather. The hike started about two miles from the new fish hatchery and passed what was once the old fish hatchery on Daniel Ridge Creek. We hiked up Daniel Ridge Creek and Right Fork (two beautiful streams) then crossed over a ridge back into the warmth of the sun and eventually down to the base of Toms Spring Falls. There was only a trickly of water going over this lovely 150' tall waterfall. We were very fortunate to have on the hike Dwight McCarter from Gatlinburg. Dwight is a retired Back Country Forest Ranger who worked in the Smoky Mountains National Park. He entertained and educated us on flora and fauna and added another much needed Southern accent to the hike. We look forward to seeing Dwight on many more hikes. Stuart. Photo by Stuart English 
It was a beautiful day for walking in the woods. Icicles sparkled in the sun. The relatively wide trail allowed for conversation. One group considered the pros and cons of deep-frying turkeys. Hikers arrived famished at Courthouse Falls after the hike leader missed the trail down to the Falls and had to be called back by a whistle. The Falls were lovely and encrusted with ice. Spirits were high after lunch. The return hike was idyllic for the most part. More complaints about the leader not having properly prepared the steep trail to the Deep Gap area were heard as hikers climbed back up the hill at the end of the hike. The driver of the car the leader traveled in said the leader would be charged twice the gas money as her other occupants for just this reason. (The driver relented at the end.) 
