CMC Weekly Hike News
10/13/04
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Looking Ahead....
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0404-394 Oct. 17 Cataloochee and Little Cataloochee 8:00 AM Hike 8, Drive 95, 2350’ ascent, Rated B-AA Dave Wetmore 828-884-7296 dwetmore@citcom.net 900M Walk the “Dug Road”, originally built in the 1850s. See an unrestored farm site, a restored log cabin, the old apple house, an old church and tourists looking for elk. It’s a mostly open easy 2.7-mile bushwhack on an abandoned trail. The rest of the trip is on maintained trails. Topo: Cove Creek Gap; also Nat’l. Geographic map of GSMNP
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. H0404-295 Oct. 17 Pump Gap Loop 1:00 PM Hike 5.5, Drive 80, Rated A-B 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. There is beautiful vegetation and scenery to enjoy beside good company.
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. W0404-403 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 No. W0404-404 Oct. 20 AT: Lemon Gap to Garenflo Gap 8:30 AM Hike 7.4, drive 125, 1720’ ascent, rated B-A Curt Holladay, 828-692-9477 caholady@bellsouth.net We will start the hike northbound on the AT at Lemon Gap and climb about 700’ up to the Walnut Mt. Shelter. The trail descends 600’ to Kale Gap through open forests and begins to ascend through Catpen Gap to the summit of Bluff Mt. (4686’). It is all downhill from Bluff Mt. to Garenflo Gap about three miles. Car shuttle.
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. A0404-265 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
Post Hike Report: One of the nicest things about starting from the West Entrance to Panthertown is that almost immediately you are rewarded with a spectacular view looking down into the valley and across to Big Green and Little Green mountains from an elevation of about 4000 ft.. We then hiked down into the valley and over to Warden's Falls on the Tuckasegee River; there was plenty of water flowing and the falls were great. Next we went to Schoolhouse Falls, another beauty on Greenland Creek. From there we hiked up to the top of Little Green Mtn. (4080 ft.) where we had lunch while soaking up lovely views of the valley below. The weather was clear and sunny with temp. about 70 degrees. Although we did not see much leaf color this year, the views were wonderful. After lunch, we hiked down the other side of Little Green, along the valley floor and thru a nice pine forest that was formerly a Christmas tree plantation, and then up to the top of Big Green (about 4200 ft.) This is where I was nervous about getting us lost because the trails are a little tricky, but we made it to a rocky overlook and enjoyed more great views, then found our way down the other side of Big Green to Panthertown Creek. We checked out the big A-frame shelter, went to a smaller falls named Granny Burrell, and then paid our dues with the ascent back up the cars. There were 10 hikers, our total mileage was about 9.8 miles, and total ascent was about 1800 feet. Panthertown is similar to a Wilderness Area in that there are no signs or trail markers, but plenty of opportunities for confusion. However, we had a wonderful hike and I look forward to leading this hike again next Fall. Joe
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.
Post Hike Report: Nine people attended this hike on a moderately up-down, loop trail of under 5 miles. We stopped several times to listen to messages from "talking trees", and read signs on the Demonstration Trail explaining forestry practices. Hikers found this interesting. The Lake and a wooden-deck overlook made two good rest stops. There was some storm damage (downed trees), but all trails were "walkable", and very well maintained by the Holmes Forest Rangers. Weather couldn't have been better. Only a few trees had turned color, but there was a "fallish" feel to this hike. Tom & Toni
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.
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.)