__________________________________________________________________________________

ALL DAY No. A0303-233 Sept. 21 Linville Gorge: Sandy Flats 8:00 AM to Brushy Ridge Hike 7.3, Drive 100, 3500 ft. ascent Rated B-AA+ Don Walton 298-5084 walt7258@bellsouth.net We'll descend on the Sandy Flats trail to the river, then hike up steam 2 miles on a rocky, up-and-down trail in the depths of the gorge. One of the great streams of WNC. Then we'll cross the river and ascend the steep Brushy Ridge trail. If the river level is too high, we'll climb out of the gorge via the Pine Gap trail. Map: Linville Gorge Wilderness; Topos: Ashford and Linville Falls

All-day hikes submitted by Bruce Bente 692-0116, bbente@cytechusa.com , with the assistance of Tom Sanders. 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 No. 8081 Sept. 21 John Rock 1:30 PM Hike 4, Drive 65, Rated C-C Laura and Ned Stallard - 697-1579 This in-and-out hike goes up the Old Horse Cove Trail to the top of John Rock. At the top there is a great view of Looking Glass Rock and the Fish Hatchery. Second meeting place: Fish Hatchery parking lot.

Half Day hikes submitted by Elisabeth Feil, 684-8719. For the next schedule, please call Anita and Richard Walkey, 681-2967, with suggestions. Leaders: Mail sign-up sheets to this quarter's scheduler. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.

ALL DAY No. 8069 September 24 Bill Kimball Trail 8:00 A.M. Hike 6, Drive 45, Rated B-B Ned Stallard, 697-1579 Starting at Raven Cliff parking lot we hike down to and along the scenic Saluda River, and return with a strenuous climb around "El Lieutenant". First meeting place: Fresh Market, Hendersonville.Second meeting place: Raven Cliff parking lot at 8:30.

Wednesday Hikes are submitted by Kenneth & Carol Deal, 281-4530, KMCDeal@aol.com . Next schedule: Paula McNabb, 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.

National Public Lands Day - Sept. 20th - Check the FMST website at www.ncmst.org for locations, call the contact person prior to attending due to the weather.

Blue Ridge Parkway - As many of you know the National Park Service is in the final stages of approving the MST from Blowing Rock (HW-321) to HW-18 - a total of about 55 miles. The flag line has been up and studied for quite some time now. The National Park Service is now conducting an archaeology study on this 55 miles and should be the final study before we move in and build the trail if approved. They have asked for volunteers to assist in this archaeology study from October 6-17. This is a great opportunity to learn and have a hands on experience working with these professionals. If you interested please contact Wendell Burton at (336) 765-5003 or at (336) 766-1895 ext. 112 for details. See you on the MST! Jeff Brewer

We currently have several sections on the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) that would love to have a caring individual who can adopt a section of their very own. As a trail maintainer, you would be the MST's most important advocate and protector. In this role, you would become familiar with trail maintenance techniques so that you understand the big picture as you perform the simple, recurring maintenance and repairs necessary to keep the trail in good repair. One your most important duties would be the "eyes" and "ears" of your section. The section supervisors are responsible for all of the "heavy duty" work and should be contacted to perform trail work you would not feel comfortable doing.

CMC HIKING WEEKEND

Sept. 9, 2003 UPDATE

Note: Changes to the last revision are highlited in gray.

For the last weekend of September (Sept. 27-28), CMC has scheduled a weekend hiking trip to the Lake Fontana area.

We will stay in the Fontana Village or nearby campgrounds on Friday and/or Saturday nights, on the south side of Fontana Lake, and will hike some of the trails on the north shore of Fontana Lake in the Great Smoky Mtns. Natl. Park.

As of 9/9 48 people have made room/cabin reservations, or are planning to camp.

Details of the trip are:

Check-in at Fontana Village:

We will have a CMC table set up in back of the Fontana Village registration counter. This table will have sign-in sheets for each of the planned hikes, and color topo maps of Fontana Village hiking trails. Hikes will be scheduled in accordance with which ones people sign up for.

A number of people are going over earlier on Friday to do some early hiking and to explore the area. We will get together for supper Friday somewhere in the area, and would like everyone else who will be there by that time to join us. Our meeting place will be 6 pm Friday in front of the Fontana Village Recreation Center.

Our central “Information Center” will be Bruce Bente’s cabin. The cabin number will be posted at the CMC table by the registration counter.

Hiking:

The third quarter issue of Lets Go lists the moderate/strenuous hikes that Dave Wetmore will lead on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to these hikes, the following hikes are planned:

Saturday 9/27 Hazel Creek Adventure

Diane Hankins will lead a hike that will also take the ferry over to Hazel Creek, but will go about 6 miles total at a leisurely pace. Depending on how many people sign up for this hike, it could either go over from the Marina at 8:30am or 9:00am and return on the 3:30pm pickup, or go over at 8:00am with the all-day group & wait for them to return for the later pick-up. This trip will include the abandoned town of Proctor and its interesting artifacts, including one remaining home and the town cemetery.

Saturday 9/27 If enough people sign up, Bruce Bente will lead one of the other potential short hikes as listed in Lets Go. The hike to be hiked will be the most popular one on the sign-in sheets.

Sunday 9/28 Lakeshore Trail

Diane Hankins will lead a hike that will go after we check out of Fontana Village Sunday morning. We’ll either walk across the dam or drive across it to the Lakeshore Trail trailhead. This section is well above the lake and is a nice walk through the woods, past homesteaders’ artifacts including abandoned 1030s cars, to a nice overlook down to the lakeshore.

Sunday 9/28 If enough people sign up, Bruce Bente will lead one of the other potential short hikes as listed in Lets Go. The hike to be hiked will be the most popular one on the sign-in sheets.

In addition, Fontana Village has 20 miles of trails around the village for those who want to hike nearby.

Entertainment:

The Mountain Memories group will conduct a square dance Saturday night in the Fontana Village Recreation Hall from 7:30 – 11:00 PM. We will have the option of dancing for $8, or watching for free.

Lodging:

Fontana Village will give discounted rates for CMC attendees.

Attendees should make their reservations directly with Fontana Village

(1-800-849-2258), and ask for the CMC rate.

Fontana Village offers a range of accommodations. They have quoted the following rates for CMC attendees:

•hostel-type beds: (bare bed frames, no mattress, with kitchen) (approx. $15/night—

A rate was not negotiated for this.)

•Camp Cabins: 2BR, 1BA, with kitchen (without bed linens or kitchen utensils) ($43/night/cottage)

•Dogwood Cottage: 2BR, 1BA with kitchen (with bed linens and kitchen utensils) ($58/night/cottage)

•Laurel Cottage: 2BR, 1BA with kitchen, with bed linens, utensils, TV, air cond.)

($75/night/cottage)

Azalea Cottage: 2 or 3 BR, 2BA with kitchen, bed linens, utensils, TV/VCR, air cond. ($145/night/cottage for 3BR)

•Fontana Inn: 2 double beds ($58/night/room)

•Campground with hookup ($18/night/campsite)

•Campground w/o hookup ($13/night/campsite)

There are also campgrounds as follows:

•Campground next to Little Tennessee River (See quoted rate above)

•Cable Cove Campground five miles from Fontana Village ($8/night/campsite)

CMC will have use of the outdoor swimming pool and other Fontana Village facilities. Mountain bikes and horses are available for rental.

Please look at their website www.fontanavillage.com for more information.

Meals:

Meals are available at Fontana Village at either the restaurant in the Lodge (breakfast approx. $7.50; supper $9.50/person buffet), or the Fontana Village Cafe. They will prepare trail lunches for $6 if requested.

We plan to make reservations at the restaurant in the Lodge for 7pm Saturday night, so CMCers can eat together and exchange stories about the day’s hikes. (See note above under “check in” about Friday night supper.)

For a nice Sunday night supper on the way home, we recommend the Jarrett House in Dillsboro. Exit US74 north to the right on US23 south, then turn left at the first traffic light.

Transportation:

The driving time to Fontana from Asheville is about 2 hours via I 40 – US 23/74 – NC 28.

Ferry service across Lake Fontana is available from the Marina, near Fontana Dam. The 20-minute ride across to the hike trailhead will cost about $12-20 per person (round trip), depending on the number of passengers and the time of return.

The Marina opens at 8:00AM, and the last scheduled pickup for return is 3:30pm. However, they will pickup as late as 5:30pm, for an extra charge of $40/boat for overtime. (for example, if the Saturday Hazel Creek hike has 15 people, the round trip returning at 5:30pm, would cost about $14/person.)

The Saturday all-day hike is scheduled to return by boat at 5:30pm, and the Sunday all-day hike will hike back to the trailhead at the end of the road on the north side of the dam.

Misc :

For anyone wishing to learn more about the history and hiking of the Fontana area, look at www.appalachian history.com

ALL DAY No. A0303-251 Sept. 14 Douglas Falls— 8:00 AMLocust Ridge Circuit Hike 11, Drive 60, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Bruce Bente 692-0116 bbente@cytechusa.com Features one over-6000 peak. This popular diversified CMC hike features beautiful Douglas (Carter Creek) Falls, a climb through a hemlock forest to the Mountains-to-Sea trail, with an option to climb 6080' Craggy Dome (an over-6000' peak) during our lunch stop. After lunch, we'll see great views from a high mountain meadow loaded with blueberries, and then bushwhack down the manway on Locust Ridge. Topos: Montreat, Craggy Pinnacle

Post Hike Report: Seven hikers, including two hikers who are new to CMC hikes, enjoyed nice cool weather and a scenic hike. We left one car 1 mile before the end of gravel forest service road 74, and hiked from the end of the road at 4400'. The hike first went through an area of old-growth hemlock trees to Douglas Falls. We then climbed up on the Douglas Falls trail to the MST, then turned north to the lunch spot at the Greybeard overlook of the BRP at 5600'. Scenery from this overlook was great as usual, with clouds occasionally blowing across and obscuring the higher peaks.

After lunch, we proceeded north on a really interesting portion of the MST. The trail here follows the ridgeline, going through spooky tall stands of rhododendrons, gnarled old trees, occasional open meadows that still had some blueberries to pick and eat, and bare rock places where the mountains could be seen all around in the swirling mists. There were unusual types of mosses and unknown types of short parasitic (?) yellowish leafless plants to be seen.

When we reached Locust Ridge, we turned and bushwhacked down over the BRP and down the ridge on a faint old trail--we discussed whether this was an old hiking trail or an actively used bear/deer trail (no one knew for certain). This is an easy bushwhack, and 1200' down, it intersects an old overgrown gated forest service road, which we followed back to the waiting car. Bruce

HALF DAY No. 8080 Sept. 14 Rocky Point from Hickory 1:30 PM Nut Gap (other name: Ferguson Peak) Hike 4, Drive 30, Rated C-B Pete Steurer - 891-9802 Ridge walking with open meadows and fine views are part of this moderate in-and-out hike. Second meeting place: parking area at Hickory Nut Gap, US 74-A, 5 miles north of Bat Cave.

Post Hike Report: We had 17 folks on the hike to Rocky Face from Hickory Nut Gap. The weather was perfect; in the 70s with lots of sun. After we rested and took in the view from Rocky Face, the group took an extra 30 minute excursion up to a grassy meadow for a view of Bearwallow and Hickory Nut Gorge/ Lake Lure. The meadow is no longer mowed so the grass was a few feet tall. Also, the trail to the meadow was overgrown in places. There was also a tremendous amount of poison ivy in places along the trail. It was an excellent hike on an excellent day. This is normally a wintertime hike and we should probably continue that tradition since the views would be better and we would not have the poison ivy problem. Pete

ALL DAY No. 8068 September 17 Pisgah Ridge Loop 9:00 A.M. Hike 7.5, Drive 15, Rated B-B Kathie Giddings, 696-9808 kmgiddings@juno.com This is a rescheduling of a recent hike that was re-routed because of a Parkway closing. Starting at the Graveyard Fields parking lot, we will follow the Pisgah Ridge Trail to the MST, and lunch at a beautiful overlook. Then we’ll proceed on the Graveyard Ridge Trail to the parking lot. This hike has nice views along the way. Meeting place: Cold Mountain Overlook at Wagon Road Gap parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Hwy. 276. Topo: Sam Knob/Shining Rock.

Post Hike Report: Twenty hikers enjoyed perfect cool sunny weather on a beautiful 7-8 mile hike. We started at Graveyard Fields Overlook, crossed the BRP and followed the ridgeline trail, with great views into the foggy valleys. We then crossed the BRP two more times, the last time next to the intersection with FS 816, and followed the trail to its intersection with the MST. We crossed FS 816 and followed the MST to our lunch spot on a rocky outcrop with more great views. We followed the old rail road grade and the connector trail down to the middle and lower Yellowstone falls, then returned to our cars. Lots of flowering asters, goldenrod, two kinds of Purple Gentian and many other late summer flowers, plus bunches of bright red berries on the Mountain Ash trees. We had a number of hikers new to CMC, and passed out copies of Let's Go and CMC membership applications. This hike will be put on the schedule for a Sunday next Spring or summer, so that Sunday hikers can enjoy its beauty too.

ALL DAY No. 8067 September 10 MST-Forest Service 9:00 A.M. Road 316, Black Balsam to Skinny Dip Falls Hike 6-7, Drive 7, Rated B-B Siro A. DelFavero, 277-2546 Starting at Black Balsam, we’ll hike to the lower falls at Graveyard Fields for lunch. Then we’ll go on to Skinny Dip Falls and end at the Looking Glass Rock Overlook. Car shuttle. Meeting place: Looking Glass Rock Overlook at Milepost 417.

Post Hike Report: Over hill, over dale, over the Mountains to Sea Trail, we hiked for about 7 miles beginning at Black Balsam Knob (FS 816) to the Blur Ridge Parkway-Looking Glass Overlook (MP 417) viewing Dark Prong Lower Graveyard Fields and Skinny Dip Falls with 18 hardy hikers trekking the awesome North Carolina mountain ridges on a beautiful sunny day. Siro A Del Favero