CMC Weekly Hike News
10/20/04
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Looking Ahead....
All Day Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0404-272 Oct. 24 Deep Creek – Kephart’s Last Stand 7:30 AM Hike 12.5, Drive 135, 2200 ft. ascent, Rated AA-AA Danny Bernstein, 828-236-0192 danny@hikertohiker.org 900M Note earlier starting time. This lovely hike starts at the Deep Creek entrance of GSMNP, outside Bryson City. The hike follows Indian Creek to the Sunkota Ridge Trail, in the heart of ancestral Cherokee country. We go down to Campsite #57, Horace Kephart’s last permanent campsite. We will look for a millstone placed by the Boy Scouts in 1931. Then we follow Deep Creek Trail back to the cars. Some rockhopping. After the hike, we will visit Kephart’s grave in Bryson City. This hike is the CMC contribution to the Buncombe County “Together We Read” program, which, this year, is reading “Our Southern Highlanders” by Horace Kephart. Second meeting place: Rest area on US 23/74 near Waynesville at 8:00 AM. Topos: Bryson City, Clingman’s Dome; 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. H0404-094 Oct. 24 Vineyard Gap Loop 1:00 PM Hike 6, Drive 55, Rated B-C Ruth Hartzler, 828-251-0886 ruthmtn@aol.com P400 Note early starting time. A loop hike from the Turkey Pen parking area following the Forge Mountain Ridge to Vineyard Gap, then along the bank of the South Mills River with several views of the river, and ending with a short, steep climb. Hoping for fall color. Second meeting place at Turkey Pen parking lot 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. W0404-404 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 No. W0404-405 Oct. 27 MST: Mills River Overlook to Pisgah Inn, and return 8:30 AM Hike 9.2, Drive 30, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Ken & Carol Deal 828-281-4530 KMCDeal@aol.com P400 We will start at the Mills River Overlook and follow the MST across Little Pisgah, past the site of the old Buck Spring Lodge, to the Pisgah Inn. We plan to eat lunch at the Pisgah Inn so lunch break will be longer than usual. There are 2 steep climbs, with switchbacks. We’ll retrace our steps back to the Mills River Overlook after lunch.
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. A0404-394 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
Post Hike Report: Eight club members and one guest enjoyed a beautiful fall day in the Smokies. Although subjected to “historical moments” (complete with pictures) by the leader, everyone seemed to enjoy the old trail, the Woody house ruins, the Cook cabin and the Little Cataloochee Church. There were unplanned stops at the Beech Grove school house, the Palmer House Museum and detour on the way home to drive up the Winding Stairs. As for wildlife; there were three turkeys, one elk and a privy mouse. Dave
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.
Post Hike Report: Knowing the condition of the Pump Gap trail I did advise the hikers to really tighten their shoe laces as the only protection of the ankles in a very rocky first part of the Hike. They did listened. From the junction up and on the two arms of the trail there are five down trees on each one. All passable. Jorge
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
Post Hike Report: The forecast was 60% chance for showers, but ten people turned up and were rewarded with blue skies and a temperature of 70 degrees. We swung by Fawn Lake where two kayakers were getting breakfast going. Autumn colors reflecting on the smooth lake made a photo-op. Then we retraced our steps to get a little workout on Mine Mountain. This led down to Corn Mill Shoals where we saw by the beaten down dog hobble how high Little River had risen in the hurricane floods. At the powerline we took the Bridal Veil Overlook trail and got a view of Agfa plant, Stone Mountain, the quarry at Penrose and Little River as it begins its slide to Bridal Veil Falls. Lunch was on the rock at Bridal Veil Falls. Here, too, we were amazed at how high the water had been. Lake Julia was the next photo-op, smooth as glass, ringed with changing colors. It was boots-off at Reasonover Creek., a short, below-the-knees foot refresher. Reasonover Creek trail takes you up on a deciduous ridge. A number of large poplars and Douglas magnolia had come down in the storms and been sawed by trail crews. We didn't stop to count the rings. The second crossing of Reasonover Creek can be made boots-on at low water, but not today. Boots-off again. Then it was ten minutes back to the cars at Fawn Lake parking lot. The hike was listed as 6 miles, but turned out to be a bit longer. We'll try to get a more accurate count before next time.
HikingNews....
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Hiking Survey!
Dear Alliance members,
As trails play an increasingly prominent role in the daily life of Americans, the connection between art and trails is growing. Art on trails is expressed in a multitude of forms and serves many functions: celebration, placemaking, interpretation and inspiration, just to name a few. Art can also be a catalyst for greater public involvement, resulting in new trail development, restoration, and improved trail stewardship.
Artful Ways is a national survey of art on trails of all kinds - walking, hiking, cycling, paddling, equestrian and off-road. The survey is being conducted by American Trails in cooperation with the National Park Service. We seek practical information about art on trails: what kind of art, how it is funded, how artists are selected, and what is the impact of art on the trail and community. The survey findings will be shared on the AmericanTrails website www.AmericanTrails.org and at the 2004 National Trails Symposium in Austin, Texas (October 21-24). They will also guide development of a new grants program supporting art on National Recreation Trails. Thank you for participating!
Fill Out the Survey! http://www.magnetmail.net/forms/display_form.cfm?fid=2679&rtype=nonmm