CMC Weekly Hike News
10/22/03
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Looking Ahead....
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. W0304-267 Oct. 25 Horsepasture River 8:00 AM Hike 7.5, Drive 100, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Neal Andreae 828-698-2546 nandreae@gowebway.com See the waterfalls - Drift, Turtleback, Rainbow and Stairway, ending at Windy, the finale downstream near Lake Jocassee, if the weather is not rainy. Second meeting place at Bi-lo in Pisgah Forest at 8:40 AM. Topo: Reid. Also Sierra Club guide to Jocassee Gorges.
ALL DAY No. W0304-268 Oct. 26 Hospital Rock, Pretty Place, Rainbow Falls 8:00 AM Hike 8, Drive 80, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Hank Czubek 864-292-6212 hankczubek@charter.net This is a challenging hike in Jones Gap State Park. Hiking up and past Hospital Rock we will have a spectacular view during lunch at Pretty Place. In the early afternoon we will walk to Rainbow Falls and back to our cars via a little-used trail. Second Meeting place at Jones Gap State Park at 9:00 AM. Topo: Standingstone Mtn.
All-day hikes submitted by Bruce Bente 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.
Half Day Sunday
HALF DAY No. W0304-293 Oct. 26 Cane Creek Loop 1:30 PM Hike 4, Drive 80, Rated C-C Gerry McNabb 828-274-0057 gcmcnabb@charter.net We'll take a clockwise loop. There are several foot bridges, some without rails. Second Meeting Place: Pisgah Ranger Station new parking lot at 2:15 PM.
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 Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0304-285 October 29 Lane Pinnacle 9 am Hike 5-6, drive 60, rated B-B Paula McNabb, 828-274-0057, gcmcnabb@charter.net After a short climb of this high altitude ridge, we can enjoy 4 lovely viewpoints. We'll take the MST trail from Bee Tree Gap to Lane's and return. Meeting place: Folk Art Center lower parking lot.
ALL DAY No. W0304-284 October 22 Kitsuma Peak, Young's Ridge 8:30 am Hike 8.4, drive 8, rated B-AA Elizabeth Feil, 828-684-8719, hofeil@brinet.com We'll drive to Ridgecrest and park. Hike up Kitsuma Peak and over to Old Fort Picnic grounds, have lunch and hike back. Good scenic views from the peak. Once we've climbed Kitsuma, it's a pleasant moderate hike to the picnic grounds. After lunch we climb gradually back to Kitsuma Peak and from there return to the cars. Total climb: 2600 feet. Meeting place: Black Mountain McDonald's, exit 64, I-40 east.
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.
Adopt-A-Trail (Section) Maintainers Needed!
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.
If you are interested please contact me or any of the following and we will explore finding just the right section of trail for you. Don Walton, walt7258@bellsouth.net , 828-298-5084, Stan Smith, ssmith111728@aol.com , 828-456-3042, D.R. Kulp, kulpdr@juno.com , 828-692-0783, Les Love, leslove@aol.com , 828-658-1489, Jorge Munoz, jmunoz@buncombe.main.nc.us , 828-658-0606.
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Looking Back......
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. W0304-266 Oct. 19 MST Sequence Hike: NC 128 - Black Mtn. Campground 7:30 AM Hike 11, Drive 130, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated A-B Lenny and Danny Bernstein 828-236-0192 lsberns@worldnet.att.net Features one over-6000' peak. This dramatic section of the MST features outstanding views and beautiful woods. Hike up and over Mt. Mitchell, then a long 3600' downhill to Black Mtn. Campground and the eastern end of the MST maintained by CMC. A chance to bag Mt. Mitchell for your SB6K patch and good fall colors along the route. NOTE: Possible key swap hike; to be decided on day of hike. Topos: Montreat, Mt. Mitchell, Celo
Post Hike Report: we had the best weather we have had the whole season: clear, warm, no real wind and blue skies. We were hiking on the MST from the Mt. Mitchell road to Black Mountain Campground. Not much altitude gain. But we had promised a "possible keyswap". Tom Sanders, feeling strong and active from his recent WNC loop feat, wanted to hike from the Campgrounds to Mt. Mitchell and down: 3,700 ft. So he convinced two relatively new but strong hikers to join him. We swapped cars, we swapped keys and off they went. Bruce, Lenny and I went up the easy way. The views were outstanding and I slowed down the hike by stopping too often to take pictures. From the Mt. Mitchell tower, we could see Clingman's Dome and Cammerer on one side and Grandfather Mountain on the other. The tower was very crowded by lunch time and I hope the tourists appreciated what they saw. When we came down, we met the other group who had climbed most of the way. We were sure it would take them much longer to get up to the top and down. So we took our time and talked to several people on the way down and gave out a few membership forms. Well, we were wrong. The hardy climbers got to the Mt. Mitchell road and waited about a hour for us. Sorry about that. What a day! This is the end of our M-S-T section project that we started in June 2002 from Clingman's Dome. Eventually, we will hike the section through the Cherokee reservations. Right now, it is just a line on the map. Danny
Half Day Sunday
HALF DAY No. W0304-089 Oct. 19 Lemon Gap to Max Patch 12:30 PM Hike 5.5, Drive 140, Rated C-B Les Love 828-658-1489 lesrlove@aol.com Note the early start time. This AT hike highlights beautiful fall foliage & panoramic views from the top of Max patch. Suitable for anyone over 10 years old. (Those under 18 MUST be accompanied by adult.)
All Day Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0304-279 Oct. 15 Montreat Trestle Grade Trail 9 am Hike 5-6, drive 3, rated C-C Gerry McNabb, 828-274-0057, gcmcnabb@charter.net From the parking area up to and along the Trestle Grade Trail and return. Meeting place: Black Mountain McDonald's parking lot, exit 64, I-40 east.
Post Hike Report: Eleven of us headed out about 9:30 from the Lookout Parking area, taking the Rainbow Trail west. We followed that until it doubled back and met with the Trestle Rd. Trail which we took to the shelter. There we took a break and then headed up over the ridge to pickup the Old Toll Rd., following that to Long Gap for lunch. Our return route took us down to the Trestle Rd. Trail again which led us back to the parking area via the Lookout Trail. We got back to the cars about 1:30. Weather was crystal clear and very cold initially with high winds, but became more comfortable as the day progressed. The bottle gentian was still in bloom and fall color was nearing peak. -- Gerry McNabb