All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY No. A0804-589 Dec. 21
Shut-in Trail & Lake Powhatan loop 8:30 AM*
Hike 9.6, Drive 15, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Tom Sanders, 828-252-6327, tomary.avl@gmail.com
P400 *Note later start time. This loop follows the Shut-In Trail south, then descends Sleepy Gap Trail, skirts Lake Powhatan and finishes with three miles on the Bent Creek Trail with a dirt road connecting parts of the trail. Second meeting place: BRP French Broad Overlook at 8:45 AM. Topos: Asheville, Dunsmore Mtn., also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

SATURDAY No. A0804-246 Dec. 27
Around Coffee Pot Mtn. 9:00 AM*
Hike 7.5, Drive 50, 1400 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Michael and Kathy Cornn, 828-698-3672, knkyle@yahoo.com
P400 *This moderate after-Christmas hike will start a bit later. Meet at Westgate at 9:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leaders at Trace Ridge parking area at 9:30 AM. We’ll circle Coffee Pot Mtn. by hiking up Trace Ridge Trail to Beaver Dam Gap on the BRP and returning on the Spencer Branch Trail, with a stop to see the freshly-dredged Hendersonville Reservoir and dam. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

ALL DAY No. A0804-406 Dec. 28
Pink Beds to Clawhammer and Return *8:30 AM
Hike 8, Drive 86, 2300 ft ascent, Rated B-AA
Michael Cornn, 828-698-3672, mcornn@aol.com
P400 *Note later start time. We will climb from the Pink Beds (FS 477) to Club Gap. Then we take the Black Mt. Trail, climbing through Buckhorn Gap and along the ridge to the overlook at Clawhammer Mtn. for lunch and 180 degree views. Second meeting place: Side parking lot of Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 9:00 AM. Topos: Shining Rock, Pisgah Forest; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

NEW YEARS DAY NO. A0901-281 Jan. 1
Green River Gamelands *8:00 AM breakfast, 9:15 AM hike
Hike 6.5 or 8, Drive 70, 1300 or 1500 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Bruce Bente, 828-692-0116, bbente@bellsouth.net
*Meet at Westgate at 7:30 AM to form carpools and meet leader at times above at the NE corner of the Cracker Barrel parking lot in Hendersonville (exit 53 on I-26). After breakfast, we’ll do our traditional New Year’s Day hike on a series of trails around the Green River Gamelands. We’ll hike down to and along the Green River, with a late lunch at the big rocks on the Green River, and then hike up and out on the Pulliam Creek trail. Short car shuttle. Topo: Cliffield Mtn.; also Map of the Green River Gamelands Trails

ALL DAY NO. A0901-564 Jan. 4
Greybeard and Rocky Knob 8:00 AM
(strenuous)
Hike 9, Drive 40, 3400 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA+
Paul Benson, 828-251-1909, pdbenson@charter.net
Come along for a good workout above Montreat, which will be even more challenging if there is snow at the higher elevations. We’ll climb up the Big Piney Ridge and West Ridge trails to Greybeard, then take the manway over to Rocky Knob for lunch. We’ll return via the Rocky Knob Trail to the Old Toll Rd. to Greybeard Trail.
Topo: Montreat

ALL DAY NO. A0901-631 Jan. 4
Dupont Forest Hooker Falls P.L. #3 (3 Falls & 2 Lakes) *8:30 AM
(moderate)
Hike 9, Drive 80, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Jay Bretz, 828-658-1220, williambretz1220@msn.com
WC100 *Note later start time. This hike goes to three of the best waterfalls and two lakes in the Dupont State Forest. We will be going to Triple and High Falls and then to Lake Dense. We will use the newly opened Conservation Road to get to the south part of the Little River, across the dam to Lake Julia. After lunch at Lake Julia we hike to the old airstrip, horse barn and then the beautiful cascade of water over Bridal Veil Falls. Second meeting place: Bi-Lo at Pisgah Forest at 9:05 AM. Topo: Standingstone Mtn.; also DuPont State Forest Map

Half Day Sunday Hikes

HALF-DAY No. H0804-429 Dec. 21
Hard Times Road to Rocky Cove Road to Bent Creek Road *12:30 PM
Hike 5, Drive 20, 500 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Laura Stallard, 828-697-1579
*Note early start time. We will hike in the Bent Creek area from the Arboretum recreation parking lot in an easy loop including the Hard Times Road to Rocky Cove Rd to Bent Creek Road. Second meeting place: Ingles parking lot across from Biltmore Square Mall on NC 191 at 1:15 PM; from there we will carpool with drivers who have Arboretum member parking privileges.

HALF-DAY No. H0804-500 Dec. 28
French Broad River to US 25 *1:00 PM
Hike 5.4, Drive 15, 900 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Paula Robbins, 828-281-3253, paularww@bellsouth.net
Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools, and meet hike leader at Ingles parking lot across from Biltmore Square Mall on NC 191 south of I-26 at 1:15 PM. A pleasant winter hike through the woods, parallel to the Blue Ridge Parkway between I-26 and US 25. Short car shuttle.

HALF-DAY NO. H0901-295 Jan. 4
Pump Gap, AT Loop *12:30 PM
Hike 5, Drive 70, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Tom Sanders, 828-252-6327, tomary.avl@gmail.com
*Note early start time. From Hot Springs we will ascend on the Pump Gap Trail to the AT. We will then go south on the AT via Lovers Leap with outstanding views of the French Broad River, then hike back to Hot Springs.

All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY No. W0804-493 Dec. 17
Pine Mt. Loop II 9:00 AM
Hike 9, Drive 20, 1850 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Barbara Morgan, 828-738-3395, bcmorg@hughes.net
P400 Hike up to Pine Mtn. from the Bent Creek side via Explorer loop, Chestnut Cove Trail and MST. Bushwhack up to Pine Mtn from BRP, then down other side to MST, down Ruth’s Ridge and the Lower Sidehill Trail to cars. Second meeting place: Ingles Parking lot across from Biltmore Sq. on NC 191 at 9:15 AM. Topos: Enka, Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

Scouting Report: It was a beautiful fall day for hiking from the Bent Creek Road area. Charlie Ferguson and Bruce Bente combined their knowledge of the previously used route with GPS technology, and our group of seven hiked the route as it had been done a couple of years ago. The trail starts off through the lower woods of Bent Creek, FS 479 and winds onto and off various trails and bushwhacks up to the top of Pine Mountain, about 800’ above the BRP tunnel of the same name. We then hiked out to a wonderful lunch spot on Double Top, with tremendous views. We completed the loop, bushwhacking, on the MST, and other trails and eventually completed the loop to the cars. It is a beautiful hike with lots of variety.

Through the scouting trip, we realized that the hike, which had been listed as 9 miles and 1850 feet elevation gain, was more like 10.7 miles and 2500 feet elevation gain. The start and end of the hike have since been altered to start at F479H (Cold Knob Road) and end where 145A (Sidehill Connector) comes back into FS479. This will make the hike very close to the 9 miles in the hike listing in Let’s Go.

Note: The portions of the hike going up the last 800’ of elevation gain to the summit and back down the other side are quite strenuous and are not on established trail. On the good side though, the gun season for deer (Nov 24-Dec 13) will be over, although bear season starts up again on December 15, for two weeks.

WEDNESDAY No. W0804-545 Dec.24
Bent Creek #11 - Boundary Trail 8:30 AM
Hike 8.5, Drive 25, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
P400 From Bent Creek Gap we will follow the MST to the Bent Creek Boundary Trail, on to Ingles Field Gap, to Ledford Branch Rd and down to Deer lake Lodge Trail and the Rice Pinnacle parking lot. Great winter views. Car shuttle. Second meeting place: Ingles parking lot across from Biltmore Sq. Mall on NC 191 at 8:45 AM. Topo: Dunsmore Mt., Skyland; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780 and Bent Creek Trail map.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0901-631 Jan. 7
DuPont Forest Hooker Falls P.L. #3 (3 Falls & 2 Lakes) 8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 80, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Jay Bretz, 828-658-1220, williambretz1220@msn.com
WC100 This hike goes to 3 of the best waterfalls and 2 lakes in the DuPont State Forest. We will be going to Triple and High Falls, and then to Lake Dense We will use the newly opened Conservation Road to get to the south part of the Little River, across the dam to Lake Julia. After lunch at Lake Julia, we’ll hike to the old airstrip, horse barn, and then beautiful Bridal Veil Falls. Second meeting place: Bi-Lo at Pisgah Forest at 9:05 AM. Topo: Standingstone Mtn.; also DuPont State Forest Map

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.