Newcomers are welcome, but non-members MUST call the leader before the hike to determine the requirements. Half-day hikes submitted by Lucy Prim, lucette32@mchsi.com, 828-693-6580. Driving distance is round-trip from Asheville. All hikes assemble at the east end of the Westgate Shopping Center parking lot near CVS (Exit 3B off I-240) UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. Some hikes will have second meeting places as described in hike listings. Please phone the hike leader if you are not sure of the meeting location.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-173 July 5
Courthouse Falls via Summey Cove *12:30 PM
Hike 5.4, Drive 80, 1,143 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools, and meet hike leader at Pisgah Forest Bi-Lo at 1:10 PM. Hike starts at the Summey Cove trailhead on NC Route 215 above Balsam Grove and follows this trail 2.2 miles to its end at FS 140, with a side trip down and back to Courthouse Falls. Continue for 3.1 miles on FS140 to its termination at NC 215.

Scout Report: I scouted this hike today and two things stand out for half day hikers. This hike starts out with a steep 500-600 foot climb up to a ridge line and then descends steeply down the other side of the ridge. This is the big climb of this hike. The trail continues and ends at Forest Service Road 140. The side trip to the beautiful Courthouse Falls is not that steep down or up and the falls is one of Transylvania County’s best. The other thing that jumps out at me is the three mile road walk after the two mile trail walk. We will complete a semi loop on FS 140, an open, well traveled forest service road. On July 5 there will probably be some traffic on this road. The redeeming feature is that after a short hill climb, the road descends and levelly follows the beautiful Courthouse Creek back to highway 215 where we will shuttle back to the trail head. In the past, this hike has been done as a loop. I did this today since I was alone and I would not want to take a group for a mile walk on 215 with almost no shoulder. So we will do the shuttle. Stu

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-349 July12
Buck Spring Trail *1:00 PM
Hike 6.2, Drive 50, Rated B-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Lucy Prim, 828-693-6580, 32lucette@gmail.com
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools, and meet hike leader at second meeting place: Pisgah Inn parking lot near convenience store at 1:30 PM. This pleasant down-hill hike starts at the Pisgah Inn and ends at US. 276, with a car shuttle.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-463 July 19
Big Ridge Overlook to Elk Pasture Gap *1:30 PM
Hike 4.4, Drive 50, 600 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, please call leader, Paula Robbins, 828-281-3253, paularww@bellsouth.net
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:30 PM to form carpools, and meet leader at BRP French Broad River Overlook at M.P. 393 at 1:45 PM. See the Turk’s Cap Lilies in bloom.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-655 July 26
Looking Glass Overlook to Big East Fork Parking Lot on US 276 *12:15 PM
Hike 5.5, Drive 70, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, please call leader, Bobbi Powers, 828-667-5419, bobbip@netzero.net
*Note early start time to allow for car shuttle and swimming. All hikers must contact leader since there is a maximum of 10 hikers per group through Shining Rock Wilderness. Assistant hike leader(s) will be recruited depending on interest. We’ll shuttle cars down to the end of the hike at Big East Fork Parking Lot and then go to Looking Glass Falls Overlook (MP 417) to start the hike. This downhill-all-the-way (about 1000’ down) hike begins at the MST, then connects to the Big East Fork Trail via the Bridges Camp Gap Trail. The hike goes through Shining Rock Wilderness and along the East Fork of the Pigeon River with its awesome boulders and rapids and a special swimming hole where, weather permitting, we will stop for a swim. Second meeting place: Cold Mountain Overlook (BRP M.P. 412) at 12:50 PM. Car shuttle.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-573 Aug. 2
Devil’s Courthouse from FS 816 *12:00 PM
Hike 5, Drive 75, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Becky Elston, 828-749-1886, 828-606-0583, belston@cytechusa.com
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at 12:00 PM at Westgate to form carpools, and meet leader at Cold Mountain Overlook (BRP M.P. 412) at 12:35 PM. The hike will differ slightly from #573 but will be nice and cool at 5000 feet and afford great views from Devil’s Courthouse. Topo Sams Knob

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-436 Aug. 9
Mt. Pisgah from the Pisgah Inn *1:00 PM
Hike 4.5 miles, Drive 44, 700 ft ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Laura Frisbie, 828-545-2262, laurafrisbie@charter.net
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools and meet leader at Pisgah Inn parking lot at 1:30 PM. View beautiful scenery from the top of Mt. Pisgah on this in-and-out hike. Join leader for dinner at Pisgah Inn.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-602 Aug. 16
North Carolina Arboretum *12:30 PM
Hike 4, Drive 15, 300 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Non-members, call leader, Laura Stallard, 828-697-1579
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools, and meet leader at Ingles parking lot on NC 191 across from Biltmore Square Mall at 12:45 PM to carpool with those who have an Arboretum membership. This easy 4-mile hike will be mostly in the shade. Those who wish a longer hike can easily add extra loops from the 10 miles of Arboretum trails.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-070 Aug. 23
Mt. Mitchell Loop *12:30 PM
Hike 5, Drive 60, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Lee Belknap, 828-698-9394, rivergypsy@sprintmail.com
*Note early start time. Starting at Stepps Gap Ranger Station we will use the Camp Alice and Mt Mitchell Trails to create a scenic loop in this rugged high country.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-297 Aug. 30
Sams Gap South *1:00 PM
Hike 5, Drive 60, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call Gail Lamb, 828-350-0450, galmb46@bellsouth.net
*Note early start time. A moderate in-and-out hike from Sams Gap to the Hogback Ridge Shelter and return along the Appalachian Trail off the new portion of I-26.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-009 Sept. 6
Ox Creek Road to Rattlesnake Lodge *1:00 PM
Hike 4.4, Drive 30, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Jim Ariail, 828-505-0443, jimariail@yahoo.com
*Note early start time. This in-and-out hike along the MST will feature the historic Rattlesnake Lodge site. Hikers form carpools at Westgate, then drive to meet leader at the Second meeting place: Folk Art Center lower parking lot at 1:15 PM.

HALF-DAY No. H0903-533 Sept. 13
MST: Pisgah Ledges Section *12:30 PM
Hike 5.2, Drive 70, 1540 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Tom Joyce, 828-885-2152, tominbrevard@webtv.net
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools, and meet leader at Cold Mountain Overlook (BRP M.P. 412) at 1:05 PM. Car shuttle. This will be a pleasant fall ramble along the MST from Bridges Camp Gap to Pigeon Gap and the Cold Mountain Overlook. Highlight of the hike will be a fairly steep ascent to 5056 ft Green Knob, one of the best viewpoints on the MST.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-478 Sept. 20
Graveyard Ridge/MST Loop *12:30 PM
Hike 4.4, Drive 70, 875 ft ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Marcia Bromberg, 828-505-0471, mwbromberg@yahoo.com
P400 *Note early start time. Beginning at Graveyard Fields parking lot, we shall hike the loop counter-clockwise. We shall leave half an hour for blueberry picking as we work our way back down from the ridge. Second meeting place: Cold Mountain Overlook (BRP M.P. 412) at 1:05 PM.

HALF-DAY NO. H0903-656 Sept. 20
Mushrooms in Our Woods *1:00 PM
Renate Rikkers, 828-298-9988, rerikkers@aol.com
Theme Hike *Note early start time. Group limit of 20—Please E-mail leader to sign up. There is an amazing diversity of mushrooms and fungi in this Appalachian region, with several hundred species identified. As hikers, we may notice their many shapes and colors in passing but rarely stop to take a closer look. This walk will take us off the trail and into the woods to forage and identify some of what’s growing, which may range from good edibles to deadly poisonous. Since the appearance of mushrooms is totally weather dependent, Renate will scout out a good location for this outing close to the hike date.

HALF-DAY No. H0903-035 Sept. 27
Looking Glass Rock *12:30 PM
Hike 5.8, Drive 70, 1800 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Nonmembers call Kathleen Hudson, 828-698-5208, mstish1325@gmail.com
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools, and meet hike leader at the Pisgah Ranger Station on US 276 at 1:05 PM. A moderately difficult well-graded trail leads to the top of this mountain with beautiful views along the way. In-and-out hike.