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SATURDAY No. A0501-425 Mar. 26 Mt. Cammerer via Low Gap Trail 8:00 AM Hike 11.2, Drive 135, 2300 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA Chip Miller 828-654-9331 backpacker54nc@bellsouth.net 900M From Cosby Campground, we will hike an in-and-out route, following the Low Gap trail to its end at the AT, and then following the AT and Mt. Cammerer side trail to the summit of Mt. Cammerer. Expect spectacular views from our lunch spot at the Mt. Cammerer lookout. Second meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop at exit 24 off I 40 at 8:30 AM. Topos: Hartford, Luftee Knob; also Nat’l. Geographic GSMNP map

ALL DAY No. A0501-426 Mar. 27Colbert Ridge, Crest, Horse Range Trails 7:30 AM Hike 12.7, Drive 120, 4000 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA+ Don Walton 828-654-9904 donwalton@bellsouth.net Note early start time. This strenuous hike will start in the Carolina Hemlocks Campground area and climb up Colbert Ridge Trail to Deep Gap. We’ll take the Black Mtns. Crest Trail via a short connector to the Buncombe Horse Range trail, and then do the long descent back to our cars. Be sure you are in good physical shape before attempting this hike. Short car shuttle. Second meeting place: Ingles on Burnsville bypass at 8:15 AM, but call leader first. Topos: Celo, Mt. Mitchell; also PNF South Toe River, Mt. Mitchell & Big Ivy trail map

Pre Hike Report: The hike was scouted last Sunday by Stuart Tauber, Joann Tulip and myself. Also please note that the hike leader will be Stuart Tauber. Due to the condition of the trails and up to 3 ft of snow on the Mt. Mitchell Crest, the hike will be changed to the following:

ALL DAY No. A0501-461 Mar. 27Colbert Ridge, Crest, Potato Hill 7:30 AM Hike 10.3, Drive 99, 4700 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA+ Stuart Tauber 828-254-0824 sdtauber@charter.net Note early start time. This strenuous hike will start in the Carolina Hemlocks Campground area and climb up Colbert Ridge Trail to Deep Gap. We’ll take the Black Mtns. Crest Trail to the top of Potato Hill. There are spectacular views of the Roans, Grandfather Mt., Bald Knob and other mountains. Be sure you are in good physical shape before attempting this hike. Short car shuttle. Second meeting place: Ingles on Burnsville bypass at 8:15 AM, but call leader first. Topos: Celo, Mt. Mitchell; also PNF South Toe River, Mt. Mitchell & Big Ivy trail map

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 No. H0501-437 March 27 Fletcher Creek-Spencer Branch 1:00 PM Hike 6, Drive 60, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Ruth Hartzler,828-251-0886 ruthmtn@aol.com P400 Note early start time. This is a moderate hike on the Fletcher Creek and Spencer Branch Trails starting from the Trace Ridge Trailhead. The trails follow gurgling streams through beautiful woods. We will enjoy an interesting beaver dam. There are several easy stream crossings. Second meeting place: Mills River Recreation Area 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 patelias@bellsouth.net . Leaders: Mail please mail your sign-up sheets. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.

ALL DAY No. W0502-454 Apr. 6 Porter’s Creek Trail (GSMNP) 8:30 AM Hike 4.5, Drive 164, 700 ft. ascent, Rated C-C Diane Hankins, 298-2870 (before 9 pm). 900M Note later start time. All day trip to one of the premier wildflower trails in the National Park. Very leisurely paced up and back. We’ll take time to identify the flowers we see along the way. Suitable for anyone over 10 years old (those under 18 MUST be accompanied by adult). Group Limited to first 15 who call beginning on March 24. Only meeting place is Westgate Shopping Center. Topo: Mt. Le Conte; also Nat’l. Geographic GSMNP map

ALL DAY No. W0501-375 March 30 AT: Sams Gap to Rice Gap 9:00 AM Hike 7.5, Drive 60, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B Pat Elias, 828-687-1651 patelias@bellsouth.net Note early start time. An in-and-out hike in the beautiful open forest from Sams Gap to Rice Gap. We'll lunch at the Hog Back Ridge shelter. Topo: Sams Gap

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.

Note that this hike has been changed because of heavy hurricane damage to the original route

ALL DAY NO. No. A0501-460 Mar. 20 Hospital Rock to Pretty Place and Falls Creek 8:30 AM Hike 9, Drive 80, 2500 ft. ascent, Rated B-A Note later start time. This is a challenging hike in Jones Gap State Park in S.C. We will place cars at the Falls Creek trailhead past the Palmetto Bible Camp, then drive to Jones Gap State Park. We will climb up the Hospital Rock Trail – very steep with great views, walk to a famous lookout at lunchtime from Pretty Place. After lunch we will return to the Hospital Rock Trail which connects with Falls Creek. The Falls on Falls Creek are outstanding. The hike will be taken at a comfortable pace for all. There is a two dollar entrance fee per person. Please have exact change. Second meeting place: Jones Gap State Park parking lot at 9:15am. Topos: Cleveland, Standingstone Mtn. Danny Bernstein 828-236-0192 danny@hikertohiker.org

Post Hike Report: On the first day of spring, the Hospital Rock/Falls Creek Trail hike was great. We had 13 people, 7 at Westgate and 6 at Jones Gap State Park, including two new members. The climb on the Hospital Rock Trail was very steep and rocky. We had to use our hands in some spots. We took it slowly to accommodate everyone who came and waited several times for the whole group to consolidate. Hospital Rock, itself, is a large cave halfway up the trail. Legend has it that wounded Confederate soldiers recuperated in the cave. We found that story hard to believe since the climb up or down would have been so difficult.

At the Cleveland Connector, we turned left and walked on a jeep road to our lunch spot at Symmes Chapel, also known as Pretty Place. Pretty Place is the chapel for the Greenville YMCA with a spectacular outdoor view. Two of our hikers had gotten married at Pretty Place 20 years ago. Obviously getting married there is a good omen for success.

We walked back to Hospital Rock Trail and down the Flat Creek Trail. We crossed under the Flat Creek Falls, a two-level waterfall, and back to the cars at the Palmetto Bible Camp.

Everyone agreed that we ought to have more hikes in this area as it attracts members living south of Asheville. As for the distance and altitude gain, we had official numbers and GPS numbers. According to the map, we walked about 9 miles but one GPS claimed 11 miles and the other 9.75. The altitude gain was 2,800 feet. Danny Bernstein

HALF DAY No. H0501-436 Mar. 20 Mt. Pisgah from Pisgah Inn 1:30 PM Hike 4.5, Drive 36, 700 ft. ascent, Rated C-C Elisabeth Feil 828-684-7819 hofeil@brinet.com P400 This is a moderate in-and-out hike. There will be a short car shuttle. If the Parkway is closed, we'll hike the MST from the French Broad River Bridge about two miles uphill and return via the Hard Times Trail.

Post Hike Report: The Parkway was closed. So I decided to hike in the Arboretum. We climbed up the Shtu-in Trail to the first turn-off to the right, went down Hardtimes Rd., then took the Owl Ridge Trail to the Rocky Cove Trail and to Bent Creek Rd., then CMC Trail to the main building and finally the ???? Trail to the gate and the road back to the cars on French Broad Overlook. This was close to six miles by my reconing. With all this zig-zagging we managed to "lose" four hikers (in the Arboretum!!), but a friendly biker kept the communication between the groups going and we all got back to the cars ok. The weather was great and everyone had a good time. Elisabeth Feil

ALL DAY No. W0501-442 March 23 Montreat Ramble #3 9:00 AM* Hike 5-5.5, Drive 25, Rated C-B Diane Hankins, 828-298-2870 (before 9pm) Very leisurely paced hike on Montreat trails. Suitable for anyone over 10 years old (those under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult.) *Only meeting place: Oteen Ingles parking lot at the post office flagpole near the VA hospital on Tunnel Road (unless other arrangements made with leader before March 22.)

The CMC is starting a Hike Information exchange system on www.Yahoo.com which can be used to exchange information relating to hiking. This group system is intended to help coordinate off schedule hiking activities that benefit the club and it's members. For example, a hike leader may need to scout a hike but cannot find anyone to go along or maybe someone needs directional help to adequately hike a trail.

The email address used to communicate is cmchikeinfo@yahoogroups.com . The address to use to join is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cmchikeinfo/ You have to be a yahoo member (free) to join. When you join you will need to provide your name in the setup in the "Real Name" field. This is desirable for people to know who you are. If you have any questions please contact me. Don Walton

Fans of the Mountains to Sea Trail are being asked to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and send a letter to Washington, D.C., in support of special funding for the trail that traverse the state from the mountains to the coast.

The groundwork was laid last week for Mountains to Seat Trail funding by hiking advocates who traveled to the capitol for the annual “Hike the Hill” lobbying blitz organized by the American Hiking Society. Each year, hundreds of hikers from across the country descend on D.C., get a crash course in lobbying and spend the week visiting Congress members.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr seemed supportive of Mountain to Sea Trail funding, according to participants in the Hike the Hill.

“The MST brings great recreation and economic benefits to North Carolina by the citizens hiking this trail,” according to the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail.

The MST passes through 37 North Carolina counties, including Swain, Jackson and Haywood. Of the 1,000-mile journey, only 450 miles of natural trail is in place, however. The remaining trail mostly follows bicycle routes and other temporary paths, including rural country and gravel roads. While most of the “missing sections” are in the eastern part of the state, a nearly 40-mile portion of the trail follows the Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee to Waynesville. The Carolina Mountain Club is currently working the National Park Service to get the trail off the parkway.

To get the address for North Carolina’s representatives in Congress and for sample support letters, go to www.ncmst.org/wdcaction.htm .

The annual Appalachian Mountains Photography Contest hosted by The Cradle of Forestry and Ball Photo Supply of Asheville is accepting entries through April 26.

The photos will be on display at the Cradle of Forestry historic site during their Appalachian Spring Celebration on June 4 and 5. Drawings will be made from all entries for the book Southern National Forests, family passes to the Cradle of Forestry and other gifts.

Photos will be judged on the Appalachian spring theme, technique, interest, value, and composition. First place is a $100 gift certificate to Ball Photo, $50 for second and $25 for third.

There were 126 entries last year, which was a record. There is no entry fee, but photographers are limited to no more than two entries. Photos must be color 8-inch by 10-inch prints that have been matted, mounted, and/or framed. Photos are returned.