CMC Weekly Hike News
10/06/04
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Looking Ahead....
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0404-071 Oct. 10 Panthertown Prowl #3 (Revised Description) 8:00AM Hike 8 or 11, Drive 120, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B or A-B Joe Cirvello 828-627-1797 cirvello25@bellsouth.net This will be our second annual exploration of beautiful Panthertown, timed for the brightest leaf colors in this high elevation valley. After scouting the hike this week, the leader decided to do a loop hike similar to last year’s hike, with a few switches. We will enjoy the high water flow over Warden Falls, see the washed-out wooden walkway at Greenland Creek and will have lunch at a new location with a spectacular view of the valley. An option will be offered for either an 8 or a 11-mile hike by an optional climb up Big Green. Second meeting place at Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 8:30 AM. Topo: Big Ridge
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. H0404-319 Oct. 10 Holmes Educational Forest 1:00 PM Hike 6, Drive 55, 500 ft. ascent, Rated B-C Toni and Don Bellm, 828-687-1004 dgbamb@charter.net This is a pleasant loop hike with "talking trees" and a Forest Demonstration Trail explaining good forestry practices. Hikers to form carpools at Westgate and meet the hike leaders at Bi-Lo (side parking lot near Pizza Hut) at US 64 and 276, Pisgah Forest, at 1:30 PM.
Half Day hikes submitted by Paula Robbins 828-687-1651 paularww@bellsouth.net and Pat Elias 828-281-3253 peliasy@aol.com . Leaders: Mail please mail your sign-up sheets. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.
All Day Wednesday
WEDNESDAY No. W0404-277 Oct. 6 Crabtree Bald 8:30 AM Hike 7.4, Drive 65, 2355’ ascent, rated B-AA Jay Bretz 828-658-1220 Williambretz1220@msn.com This trail takes us through pasture and woods to the 5320’ summit of Crabtree Bald with views of all the 40 mountain peaks in WNC that are over 6000’. Fairly strenuous but gradual climb. Second meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop on NC 209, exit 24 off I 40 at 9:00 AM.
WEDNESDAY No. W0404-403 Oct. 13 DuPont Forest: Reasonover Creek Hike 8:30 AM Hike 6, Drive 90, Rated B-B Rusty Breeding 828-692-0359 bree@planetusa.com Hikers to form carpools at Westgate and meet leader at Buck Forest Parking lot, Dupont Rd. at 9:30 AM. Phone for directions if necessary. A moderate loop hike in Dupont Forest which will include one boots-off creek crossing. Bring water footwear. We’ll see Fawn Lake, Corn Mills Shoals, Bridal Veil Falls, Lake Julian, and the Reasonover Creek Trail. Pretty photo ops. Topo: Standingstone Mtn.; also Dupont Forest trails map
Wednesday Hikes are submitted by Paula McNabb, 828- 274-0057 gcmcnabb@charter.net and Ann Gleason, 828-859-9387, cowbonetail@yahoo.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.
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Looking Back......
ALL DAY No. A0403-134 Oct. 3 The Blacks Beyond 6000 7:30 AM (strenuous) Hike 13, Drive 123, 6000 ft. ascent, Rated AA-AA+ Don Gardner 828-754-4067 gardog3@charter.net SB6K Note earlier starting time. This is your chance to bag eight peaks over 6000 ft. in this very strenuous hike. The initial climb is 3100 ft., and there’s much more climbing in the ups and downs between peaks. The hike is great fun with incomparable views, but do not consider this unless you are in top shape. Bring extra water. Participants should phone the leader beforehand. Second meeting place: Ingles on Burnsville bypass at 8:15AM. Topos: Celo, Mt. Mitchell; also PNF South Toe River Trail Map
Post Hike Report: Group going South, This is the report of the hike which took in 7 peaks over 6000’ on the Black Mountain Crest trail. This hike is officially “The Blacks Beyond 6000” (Hike No.A0403-134). The hike is sometimes referred to as the Death March, due to its degree of difficulty. It is without a doubt a challenging and strenuous hike and likely the toughest or one of the toughest done by the Club. You should be aware that the hike almost was not possible due to the weather that had passed through several weeks before with Tropical Storm Francis and subsequent heavy rains. The Parkway to Mt. Mitchell was closed for about three weeks and only opened mid-week prior to the hike. Then we learned that the Bowlens Creek road had been washed out and was open only to local traffic. Special dispensation was obtained from the DOT to allow access to the trailhead which is approximate 2 miles onto Bowlens Creek road. The hike was done as a keyswap. We had 25 hearty hikers and one who joined us in Burnsville. We had 16 hikers start out at Bowlens Creek (the “Death March”) and 9 hikers start at Mt. Mitchell (the reverse “Death March”), parking 4 cars at each end. The weather was somewhat foggy and dampness hung in the air in the early stages. With a 5.5 mile uphill climb of 3100’ to reach Celo knob, the group got warm really quick. We had no idea what we would find in the way of blowdowns since I did the scouting of the hike about a week before the weather noted above. As it turned out, we did not encounter much in the way of obstacles from blowdowns on the entire hike. As to our hiking group, you should know that we had one from Erwin, TN and a member of the Eastman Tenn Hiking Club, two hikers from Greenville, SC, one from Charlotte, and a few others from other parts of the state (including me from Lenoir). Upon reaching Celo, we encountered a good deal of briars and vegetation, but thinned out a bit from the four weeks earlier when I scouted it. We bushwhacked up Celo knob (6,327’), stepped on the spike at the summit (one down and six to go) and then headed south to Mt Gibbs (6,224’). Another bushwhack to the top of Gibbs and a climb onto the large rock atop this peak, we had now conquered two of our seven peaks. Onward we trekked to Winterstar (6,212’). Just as we left Gibbs, the weather cleared and the sun came out. Views were in abundance for a good deal of the remainder of the hike, with patchy clouds. We found a small clearing just beyond Gibbs and ate lunch. After lunch we met our northbound group, swapped keys, had a picture and then headed to Winterstar. We stepped off trail and stood atop the geodetic marker embedded in the rock at the peak (3 down, 4 to go). The next was Potato Hill (6,475’), but not before we dipped down into Deep Gap. With a few off trail excursions by our hike leader, we ultimately reached Potato Hill (4 down, 3 to go). Beyond Potato Hill we encountered Cattail Peak, which while over 6,000’, does not count toward the SB6K. Don G.
Group going South: After Don Gardner carefully separated the two groups at Westgate to do the hike in both directions, 9 of us set off for Mt. Mitchell in four cars (four were needed since 15 people were doing the hike in the other direction.) We started hiking at 8:45 in cool foggy 49 degree weather. After the initial climb to Mt. Craig, the coats came off and we were properly warmed up. After lunch at Deep Gap, we climbed Winterstar and found the trail beyond to be full of blackberry and blueberry bushes. Somewhere before Mt. Gibbs, we met and exchanged keys with the other group. We gained another hiker from Spruce Pine who left his car at Bowlens Creek and hiked back with us. About the same time, the fog cleared and spectacular views of the mountains showed up. The SB6K seekers among us then did the two bushwhacks up Mt. Gibbs and Celo Knob, and started the long 3000' hike down on the old logging road. Bowlens Creek was beautiful to see and crossing the remains of the old bridge over the creek got everyone's attention. The last hikers finished the hike at 6:00. Driving back on Bowlens Creek Rd. was an amazing series of views of how the floods had damaged and washed out many sections of road. Some sections were only one lane wide and there was evidence of places where the entire road had been washed out and now repaired. Bruce Bente
ALL DAY No. A0403-339 Oct. 3 AT: Garenflo Gap – Hot Springs (moderate) 8:30 AM Hike 7, Drive 85, 1100 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Chip Miller 828-654-9331 backpacker54nc@bellsouth.net Note later starting time. This AT sequence hike offers nice variety, with a beautiful hardwood forest, Deer Park shelter and moderate climbs and descents. Short car shuttle. Topos: Lemon Gap, Spring Creek, Hot Springs
Post Hike Report: 10 hikers made the 6.9 hike on what started out as a foggy day later followed by sunshine. We ate lunch at the DeerPark Shelter. We had a four legged guest join us about a mile and half into our walk. A lost hunting dog with a very bad limp and very hungry was returned to the owner once the hike had ended. Everyone had a good time. Thanks, Chip
Half Day Sunday
HALF-DAY No. H0403-383 October 3 Dupont State Forest – Fawn Lake P.L. #2 11:30 AM Hike 6, Drive 25, Rated B-C Becky Elston, 828-749-1886, abbybail@tds.net Note early start time. We will hike the Reasonover Trail loop. CAUTION: There is one stream crossing requiring boots off, a towel and appropriate footwear, if desired. Hikers to form carpools at Westgate and meet hike leader at Cracker Barrel off exit 53 of I 26, NW corner of parking lot, at 12:30 PM.
Post Hike Report: Beautiful day for hiking in Dupont Forest. Reasonover is a seldom hiked trial because it's primarily used as a horse trail. Due to the storms and increased rains we had fun experiencing two stream crossings without boots. All had a good fall afternoon. Becky Elston
All Day Wednesday
ALL DAY No. W0403-242 Sept. 29 Sam Knob – Devils Courthouse Loop 9:15 AM Hike 9, Drive 75, ascend 800 ft., Rated A-B Ruth Hartzler 251-0886 ruthmtn@aol.com SB6K, P400 Note later starting time. Hike in the cool elevations. From FS 816 we will ascend Sam Knob (6040 ft.) with its 360 degree views, then hike through high meadows on the Flat Laurel and Little Sam Trails and the MST via Devils Courthouse (with its wonderful views). We then return via the MST across FS 816 and up to the summit of Black Balsam (6214 ft.), then down a short, steep manway to our cars. Meeting place: Cold Mtn. overlook on BRP. Asheville group may self-organize a car-pool at Westgate Shopping Center at 8:30. Topo: Sam Knob; also Nat’l. Geographic map of Pisgah Ranger District
Post Hike Report: Since the Parkway was closed at US276, we chose an alternate hike. This was fortunate, since the original hike had inadvertently gotten onto the schedule three times in one quarter! Eleven hikers walked from the Cold Mt. overlook, around the barricade and down the Parkway to the Wagon Road Gap overlook. Then we took a blue-blazed connector trail to the MST at Pigeon Gap. On the scouting trip, we saw several Pale Corydalis on the connector trail. We hiked the MST over Green Knob, stopping at the rock outcrop for a snack and a cloudy view of Looking Glass Rock. We continued through the woods, enjoying dappled sunshine through the tree leaves. We crossed the closed Parkway several times, quiet and eerie. Fallen leaves, gently blown by post-storm breezes, were the only travelers on this usually busy thoroughfare. Lunch was at the Cherry Cove overlook, with spectacular views to the north, and Looking Glass Rock the centerpiece of a panorama to the south. On the return trip, pale purple asters and white snakeroot were vibrant in the sunshine. The group split at Pigeon Gap. Many walked back down the Parkway about three-quarters of a mile to view the rock slide that had closed the Parkway. Bruce Bente’s photos of the rock slide are available at the CMC photo gallery link. We noted that the trail was in remarkably good condition, with about five blow-downs that were easy over or under. Ruth
HikingNews....
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CMC Wilderness First Aid Course
The CMC Education and Training committee is organizing a Wilderness First Aid Course on Nov. 13 and 14, 2004. This is a 16 hour course, led by professional trainers and held at Warren Wilson College. CMC offered it two years ago and it was a great success. To stay certified, you should take the course every two years. (Hopefully, you don't need to use the information too much. So they feel that the course needs to be taken every two years. This will be my 5th time taking it and I learn something new each time.) The cost to the participant is $75, which is not the full cost of the course. CMC is also contributing to the costs. **This is the last year, CMC will contribute to the costs.** All participants must be members, We only have room for 30 people. I know that the course is a long time from now. However I encourage you to sign up now with all your details (name, address, telephone number, email) *and* a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check for $75 made out to Carolina Mountain Club. Send it to me Danny Bernstein 36 Sunset Summit Asheville, NC 28804
HIKE SIGN-UP SHEET
An electronic version of the CMC hike sign-up sheet has now been added to the CMC website. To open it, click carolinamtnclub.com/data/CMC Sign-up Sheet.pdf This will be helpful to the hike schedulers, and also for the hike leaders if they don't receive the sheet mailed by the scheduler. (Recently, the mail got lost and one of the hike leaders did not receive his copy.)