All Day Saturday and Sunday Hikes
3rd Quarter 2005
Hike Ratings
First Letter Second Letter
Distance Elevation Gain
AA: Over 12 miles AA: Over 2,000 ft.
A: 9-12 miles A: 1,500-2,000 ft.
B: 6-9 miles B: 1,000-1,500 ft.
C: Under 6 miles C: Under 1,000 ft.
All-day hikes submitted by Bruce Bente 828-692-0116, 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. Some hikes will have second meeting places as described in hike listings.
ALL DAY No. A0503-095 July 10 Hemphill Bald from Polls Gap 8:00 AM Hike 9.5, Drive 95, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated A-B Bruce Bente, 828-692-0116, bbente@cytechusa.com After a stroll through open forests, the trail emerges into open fields stretching along the GSMNP boundary, with exceptional views all the way to our lunch stop at the big rock on Hemphill Bald. Second meeting place: Quality Inn (US 19 entrance) at jct. of US 19 and US 276 in Maggie Valley at 8:30 AM. Topos: Dellwood, Bunches Bald
ALL DAY No. A0503-246 July 17 Around Coffee Pot Mtn. 9:00 AM* Hike 7.5, Drive 50, 1400 ft. ascent, Rated B-B John Pawcio, 828-299-8126, jpawcio@tycovalves.com P400 *Note later start time. 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 Hendersonville Reservoir and dam. Second meeting place: North Mills River Recreation area parking lot at 9:30 AM, but must phone leader first. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map
ALL DAY No. A0503-469 July 24 MST: Craggy Gardens to Bull Gap 8:30 AM* Hike 8.7, Drive 40, 1650 ft. ascent, Rated B-A Jorge Munoz, 828-658-0606, jmunoz@buncombe,main,nc.us *Note later meet time. This pleasant hike on the MST will start at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and feature Lane Pinnacle and the Rattlesnake Lodge site. Car shuttle. Second meeting place: Craven Gap at 8:50 AM. Topos: Montreat, Craggy Pinnacle; also MST Trail Profiles, pg. 63-65
SATURDAY No. A0503-243 July 30 Forney Creek Circuit to Fontana Lake 8:00 AM Hike 10, Drive 145, 800 ft. ascent, Rated A-C Ray Sanow, 828-231-7669, raysray@charter.net 900M This is your chance to go hiking and swimming on the same day. This moderate hike begins at the end of the Road to Nowhere, through the tunnel, then continues along the Lakeshore Trail and along cascading Forney Creek to our lunch spot at the Fontana Lake shoreline. Second meeting place: Rest stop beyond Waynesville on US 23/74 at 8:30 AM. Topo: Noland Creek
ALL DAY No. A0503-357July 31 Pisgah Ridge Loop 8:30 AM* Hike 7.5, Drive 70, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Becky Smucker, 828-298-5013, bsmucker@charter.net P400 *Note later start time. We’ll do a scenic circle of the entire Graveyard Fields area, using the Pisgah Ridge Trail and MST to lunch at a beautiful overlook. Then we’ll follow the Graveyard Ridge Trail, with a side trip to one of the Yellowstone Falls. Second meeting place: BRP Cold Mtn. overlook (M.P. 412) at 9:10 AM. Topos: Shining Rock, Sam Knob; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map and USFS Shining Rock & Middle Prong Wild. map
ALL DAYNo. A0503-193 Aug. 7 MST: Bearpen Gap to NC 215 via Mt. Hardy (strenuous) 8:30 AM* Hike 9, Drive 85, 1400 ft. ascent, Rated A-B Carroll Koepplinger, 828-667-0723, carrollkoepp@bellsouth.net SB6K, P400 *Note later start time. This MST hike leads through a beautiful forest of spruce, birch, rhododendron and maple with mosses and ferns lining the forest floor. A special feature is a short side trip up 6110 Ft. Mt. Hardy, with first-rate views on its north side. Partly through the Middle Prong Wilderness, so limited to ten. Phone leader for reservation. Second meeting place: Cold Mtn. O/L on BRP (M.P. 412) at 9:10 AM. Topo: Sam Knob; also USFS Shining Rock & Middle Prong Wildernesses map and Nat’l. Geo. PRD map
ALL DAY No. A0503-470 Aug. 7 Fork Mtn. – Birdstand Mtn. 8:00 AM (moderate) Hike 9, Drive 85, 550 ft. ascent, Rated A-C Larry Modlin, 828-251-5092, lmodlin@warren-wilson.edu P400 For the P400 fans, here is a chance to bag a remote trail from the Black Balsam parking lot down to NC 215. Be prepared for a 3200 ft. descent, with only a short climb up Birdstand Mtn. There will be a wet-foot crossing of the West Prong of the Pigeon River at the end of the hike. Car shuttle. Topos: Shining Rock, Sam Knob; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map and USFS Shining Rock & Middle Prong Wild. map
ALL DAY No. A0503-471 Aug. 14 Wagon Rd. Gap - Bridges Camp Gap – Big East 8:00 AM Hike 11, Drive 70, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Tom Sanders, 828-252-6327, tomary@charter.net P400 We will hike from Cold Mtn. overlook up to Green Knob (Penny Rock) and to Bridges Camp Gap on the MST, then drop down to the Big East Fork Trail along the Pigeon River to Big East. Short car shuttle. Second meeting place: BRP Cold Mtn. overlook (M.P. 412) at 8:40 AM. Topo: Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map and MST Trail Profiles, pg. 50-51
ALL DAY No. A0503-044 Aug. 21 Lost Cove 8:00 AM Hike 7.5, Drive 140, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Les Love, 828-658-1489 lesrlove@aol.com This hike in the Wilson Creek area features spectacular waterfalls and the best swimming anywhere. Bring your bathing suit. Be prepared for several wet-foot stream crossings. Optional supper at Little Siena. Second meeting place: parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s at exit 64 of I-40 at 8:20 AM. Topo: Grandfather Mtn.; also USFS Wilson Creek map
SATURDAY No. A0503-462 Aug. 27 Buladean to Roan High Bluff Picnic Area 8:00 AM Hike 5.5, Drive 110, 3400 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA+ Dave Wetmore & Don Walton, 828-884-7296, dwetmore@citcom.net This key swap hike is a new one for the Club. We'll take the little-known Cloudlands Hotel service road between Buladean to the Cloudlands site near Roan High Bluff. Most of the hike follows old roads up Shell Ridge to the Cloudlands Hotel site on Roan Mtn. Topo: Bakersville
ALL DAY No. A0503-472 Aug. 28 Sam Knob – Little Sam Loop 8:00 AM* Hike 10, Drive 75, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Tom Bindrim & Joan Lemire, 828-273-3880 SB6K, P400. Everyone has been to Sam Knob. How many of you have been to Little Sam Knob? Today we do both, using some MST, Little Sam and Sam Knob trails, and some off-trail. Hopefully great scenery. *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leaders at Cold Mtn. O/L (BRP M.P. 412) at 8:40 AM. Topo: Sam Knob; also USFS Shining Rock & Middle Prong Wildernesses map and Nat’l. Geographic PRD map
ALL DAYNo. A0503-250 Sept. 4 Douglas Falls – Locust Ridge Circuit (strenuous) 8:00 AM Hike 11, Drive 60, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Mike Ellis, 828-658-1830, michael.f.ellis@gmail.com SB6K This popular diversified hike features beautiful Douglas (Carter Creek) Falls, a climb through a hemlock forest to the MST, and a scenic lunch stop at the BRP Greybeard overlook. Optional climb to Craggy Dome (6080 ft.) during lunch stop. After lunch, we’ll see great views from a high mountain meadow leaded with ripe blueberries, and then bushwhack down Locust Ridge. Topos: Montreat, Craggy Pinnacle
ALL DAY No. A0503-473 Sept. 4 Mt. Mitchell – Maple Camp Bald loop (strenuous) 8:30 AM Hike 8.5, Drive 70, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated B-A Ruth Hartzler, 828-251-0886, ruthmtn@aol.com SB6K Note later start time. We’ll do a strenuous loop with great views, starting at Mt. Mitchell, following the MST/Mt. Mitchell Trail and Buncombe Horse Range Trails, stopping at Maple Camp Bald, then taking the Big Tom Gap Trail 191-A up to the Crest Trail, and returning via Big Tom and Mt. Craig. Two steep ascents make this hike strenuous. Second meeting place: Craven Gap at 8:45 AM Topo: Mt. Mitchell; also PNF South Toe River, Mt. Mitchell & Big Ivy trail map.
ALL DAY No. A0503-337 Sept. 11 Shining Rock from Black Balsam 8:30 AM Hike 11, Drive 65, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Lenny Bernstein, 828-236-0192, lsberns@worldnet.att.net SB6K, P400 Note later starting time. This hike was cancelled twice in 2004--the third time’s the charm! We will take the Art Loeb Trail from FS 816 to Shining Rock (6040’), climbing Black Balsam (6214’), Tennent Mtn. (6040’) and Grassy Cove Top (6040’) along the way. This will be your chance to bag four SB6K peaks while enjoying beautiful views covering the area from Pilot Mtn. to Cold Mtn. We’ll return via the Ivestor Gap Trail to get a different perspective on the same area. Wilderness area hike limited to 10 people. Please contact hike leader to reserve your place. Second meeting place: BRP Cold Mtn. overlook at 9:10 AM. Topos: Shining Rock, Sam Knob; also Natl. Geographic map of Pisgah Ranger District
ALL DAY NO. No. A0503-474 Sept. 18 Porter Creek to Brushy Mtn. 7:30 AM* Hike 11.8, Drive 160, 2500 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA Danny Bernstein 828-236-0192 danny@hikertohiker.org 900M *Note earlier start time. The first mile of the hike is on the Porter Creek Trail, in the Greenbrier section of the Smokies where we will see a cemetery and a SMHC cabin, used until 1981. Then we veer west to start the climb on the Brushy Mountain Trail to Brushy Mountain. The trail, rocky in spots, goes through old growth hemlock forest. At the top, we can see Mt. LeConte and Gatlinburg below. Second meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop at exit 24 off I-40 at 8:00 AM. Topo: Mt. Le Conte; also Nat’l. Geographic GSMNP map
SATURDAY No. A0503-314 Sept. 24 MST: Double Top to Balsam Gap 8:00 AM* Hike 10, Drive 90, 500 ft. ascent, Rated A-C Marianne Newman, 828-454-1036, marianneln@msn.com Have you ever wanted to hike that long MST ridge down to Balsam Gap? Here is your chance in the downhill direction, enjoying the views along the way. Car shuttle. *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at rest stop beyond Waynesville on US 23/74 at 8:30 AM. Topo: Hazelwood
ALL DAY No. A0503-074 Sept. 25 Tanawha Trail 8:00 AM Hike 13.3, Drive 150, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated AA-B Don Gardner, 828-754-4067, gardog3@charter.net A fragile and ancient ecosystem, rhododendron and laurel tunnels, hardwood coves, boulder fields and great views make this a special trip. Optional supper stop at Little Siena. Second meeting place: parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s at exit 64 of I-40 at 8:20 AM. Topo: Grandfather Mtn.
Fontana Hiking Weekend Oct. 1-2 This weekend’s events will be based at Fontana Village Resort near Fontana Dam in the Smokies. We will schedule a variety of hikes of different lengths for Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2. Additional information will be posted on the CMC E-Newsletter, including descriptions of the planned hikes and Fontana Village information, including reduced room rates for this event. For those without access to the Internet who wish a paper copy of this information, please telephone Bruce Bente at 828-692-0116.