All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0904-563 Dec. 6
Palmetto Trail: Poinsett Passage and Blue Wall Preserve. *8:30 AM
(strenuous)
Hike 10, Drive 100, 1200 ft. or 2400 ascent, Rated A-B or A-AA
Charlie Ferguson, 828-625-2677, ccf108@gmail.com / Ann Gleason, 828-859-9387, gleason.ann@gmail.com
*Note later start time. Come hike the Poinsett Passage of the Palmetto Trail. This stretch climbs along the NC / SC border and NW ridge of the Greenville water shed. The trail travels up and down the ridge through wilderness that had been closed to the public for decades, then descends to the Vaughn’s Gap parking area behind Lake Lanier. Key swap. Second meeting place: Saluda Truck Stop, Texaco station at Exit 59 off I-26 at 9:10 AM. Topo: Saluda

ALL DAY NO. A0904-278 Dec. 6
Kitsuma Peak *8:30 AM
(moderate)
Hike 9, Drive 60, 1700 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Danny Bernstein, 828-236-0192, danny@hikertohiker.com
*Note later start time. This joint hike with the Carolina Berg Wanderers (Charlotte) will ascend Young’s Ridge and offers great views of Greybeard, Green Knob and the Mt. Mitchell area. We will return on old US 70, now blocked off to traffic, where we will see the railroad and numerous tunnel portals. The hike is limited to 10 CMC and 10 Carolina Berg Wanderer hikers, so please contact leader to reserve your space. Second meeting place: McDonald’s parking lot at Exit 73 (NOT Exit 64) of I-40 at 9:00 AM. Topos: Old Fort, Black Mtn.

SATURDAY NO. A0904-423 Dec. 12
Pilot Rock, Laurel Mtn., Slate Rock Creek Trails *10:00 AM
Hike 7, Drive 90, 1450 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Dave Wetmore, 828-884-7296, dwetmore@citcom.net
P400 *Note later start time. Meet at Westgate at 10:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Pisgah Ranger Station at 10:35 AM. We’ll hike up the Slate Rock Creek Trail, one of the gems of Pisgah Nat’l. Forest., and then a connector up to the Laurel Mtn. Trail, which we’ll follow for a while. We’ll turn downhill on the Pilot Rock Trail, stopping to enjoy the views along the way. Short car shuttle. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also NatGeo map #780 Deer hunting season - hike in groups and wear bright orange.

ALL DAY NO. A0904-671 Dec. 13
Raven Cliff Falls – Naturaland Trust *8:00 AM
Hike 12, Drive 100, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Jeff McGurk, 864-801-1314, jbsbestfan@hotmail.com
*Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, stop at Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 8:35 AM to meet more hikers, and meet leader at Caesar’s Head S.P. visitor Center at 9:00 AM. This new hike in Caesar’s Head State Park will go from US 276 to Raven Cliff Falls, then double back and follow the Foothills and Naturaland Trust trails back to US 276. There will be a cable crossing of Matthews Creek. Short car shuttle. Topos: Table Rock, Cleveland; also Mtn. Bridge Wilderness Area map

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Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY NO. H0904-525 Dec. 6
DuPont Forest: Corn Mill Shoals Parking Lot #2 *12:00 PM
Hike 4, Drive 94, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Becky Elston, 828-749-1886, belston@cytechusa.com
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:00 PM to form carpools. Meet leader at Hooker Falls parking lot at 12:45 PM. A pleasant hike over several trails up and over the granite slabs of Cedar Mountain with a break at the top of Bridal Veil Falls.

HALF-DAY No. H0904-295 Dec. 13
Pump Gap Loop *12:30 PM
Hike 5.5, Drive 80, 1200 ft. Ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Jorge Munoz, 828-658-0606, jmunoz@buncombe.main.nc.us
*Note early start time. From Silvermine trailhead in Hot Springs we will have a good climb to the ridge. We will visit an old mountain cemetery, cross the AT and return on Pump Gap Trail.

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All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO. W0904-492 Dec. 9
Cookie Hike, Bent Creek Ramble *8:30 AM
Hike 7, Drive 10, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Ken and Carol Deal, 828-281-4530, cnkdeal@charter.net
P400 *ONLY MEETING PLACE: Ingles parking lot on NC 191 across from Biltmore Square Mall. Moderate loop hike in the Bent Creek area. We will start from the parking area for Cold Knob Road (479H off Bent Creek Road beyond Lake Powhatan). Using a variety of short sections of trails, we will hike up to the MST, follow it past Sleepy Gap, and descend by the Stambaugh Trail to the Lake Powhatan picnic area for lunch and a cookie feast. Bring cookies to share with lunch. The afternoon walk back to the cars is approximately 2 miles. Topo: Asheville; also NatGeo map #780 and Bent Creek Trail Map. Deer hunting season - hike in groups and wear bright orange.

ALTERNATE HIKE
WEDNESDAY NO. W0904-i Dec. 9
Cookie Hike, shorter version *10:00 AM
Hike 4, Drive 10, Rated C-C
Sherman Stambaugh, 828-254-1736
*ONLY MEETING PLACE: Ingles parking lot on NC 191 across from Biltmore Square Mall. Starting from the Rice Pinnacle parking area, we will take the Hard Times Connector to the Lake Powhatan picnic area to meet the other group for lunch and to share cookies. After lunch we will return to the cars.  Deer hunting season - hike in groups and wear bright orange.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0904-479 Dec. 16
Kagel Mtn. *8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 80, 1100 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Charlie Ferguson, 828-625-2677, ccf108@gmail.com
P400 *Meet at Westgate at 8:30 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 9:05 AM. This loop hike will start from Catheys Creek Rd. and follow an overgrown forest road to the Art Loeb Trail, with lunch at the Butter Gap shelter. We’ll return on another trail for variety. Nice winter views. Topos: Rosman, Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. map #780  Deer hunting season - hike in groups and wear bright orange.

Reports for Wednesday hikes during the eNews publication week will appear in the following eNews--The Editor.

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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 appears in the hike description. Driving mileage is round trip, based on the first designated meeting place. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.