Looking Ahead

All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0702-333 Apr. 15
Bearwallow Mtn. 8:30 AM*
Hike 9.2, Drive 30, 2700 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Bruce Bente, 828-692-0116, bbente@bellsouth.net
*Note later start time. This hike is an old CMC favorite. From Hickory Nut Gap on US 74-A, we will hike over Ferguson Peak, then through undulating, open meadows before reaching our lunch spot on the summit of Bearwallow Mtn. Extraordinary views down towards the Lake Lure area. Topo: Bat Cave

ALL DAY NO. A0702-558 Apr. 22
Round Top Ridge Trail to Rich Mtn., AT to Hot Springs 8:00 AM
Hike 11.7, Drive 70, 3000 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Paul Benson, 828-251-1909, pdbenson@charter.net
From Hot Springs we climb to the lookout tower on the summit of Rich Mountain via the Round Top Ridge Trail, then descend on the AT through Tanyard Gap, Pump Gap and Lovers' Leap Ridge back to Hot Springs. An option to enjoy a relaxing post-hike soak in the natural hot spring waters is offered. If interested contact the leader by April 18 for reservations. Topo: Hot Springs

Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY NO. H0702-380 Apr. 15
Big Creek Trail 1:00 PM*
Nonmembers, call leader, Greg Goodman, 828-684-9703
Hike 5, Drive 50, Rated C-C
From the Trace Ridge Trailhead, we will walk along a gravel road next to the North Fork of the Mills River to the Hendersonville Reservoir. After crossing a log bridge we will hike along the Big Creek Trail to a meadow where, with luck, we will see showy orchis and other spring wildflowers in bloom. Then we will retrace our steps. *Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools and meet hike leader at parking area just before the North Mills River Recreation Area at 1:20 PM.

HALF-DAY NO. H0702-490 Apr. 22
Craven Gap to the Folk Art Center 1:30 PM
Nonmembers, call leaders, Ken and Carol Deal, 828-281-4530, cnkdeal@charter.net
Hike 5.4, Drive 11, Rated C-C
We will leave a few cars at the Folk Art Center and drive to the trailhead at Craven Gap to begin the hike. Spring wildflowers should be in bloom on this portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Second meeting place Folk Art Center Lower Parking Lot at 1:50 PM.

All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO. W0702-564 Apr. 11
Greybeard from Montreat 8:10 AM*
Hike 10, Drive 40, 2500 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Ames Tryon, 828-669-3805, tryonaf@charter.net
This new CMC hike will give a good workout with lots of views. We’ll ascend the Rocky Head Knob to the Old Trestle Road, and hike a newly-cleared trail past Graybeard Falls to connect to the Graybeard Trail to the summit of Graybeard. We’ll continue on the West Ridge Trail and descend on the Big Piney Ridge Trail to our cars. *Meet at Westgate at 8:10 AM to form carpools,and meet leader at parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s at exit 64 of I-40 at 8:30 AM. Topo: Montreat

WEDNESDAY NO. W0702-550 Apr. 18
Paris Mountain State Park 8:00 AM
Hike 9.9, Drive 130, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Danny Bernstein, 828-236-0192, danny@hikertohiker.org
Located between Traveler’s Rest and Greenville, Paris Mountain State Park is one of the oldest protected areas in South Carolina. Originally, the lakes were the source of Greenville’s water supply. We will walk on well-maintained trails, enjoying good views of Greenville, early spring flowers and historical artifacts. $2 a person entrance fee. Second meeting place: NE corner of Cracker Barrel parking lot at exit 53 of I-26 at 8:30 AM. Topo: Paris Mtn.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0702-565 Apr. 25
Chattooga River 8:00 AM*
Hike 9, Drive 180, 600 ft. ascent, Rated A-C
Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, suejackfitz@bellsouth.net
Hike down to the Chattooga River from Walhalla Fish Hatchery Road on the Foothills trial. Visit Spoon Auger Falls, then hike two miles along the beautiful Chattooga River, with lunch spot at pretty white beach. Hike back up East Fork Creek to Fish Hatchery. Short car shuttle. *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form car pools, and meet Leader at NE corner of Cracker Barrel parking lot at exit 53 of I-26 at 8:30 AM.

Looking Back......

All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0702-151 Apr. 1
Big East to Shining Rock via Old Butt 8:00 AM (strenuous)
Hike 8.5, Drive 60, 3100 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA+
Les Love, 828-658-1489, lesrlove@charter.net
SB6K, P400 We will hike from the Big East parking lot up the steep Chestnut Ridge trail over Dog Loser and Old Butt knobs to lunch at Shining Rock (6040 ft.) with its exceptional views. We’ll return via a steep descent to the North Fork of Shining Creek. Wilderness area hike limited to ten people; please contact leader for reservations. Topo: Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map

We had 10 people - one first time CMC hiker who found out about it in the Mountain Xpress. It was unusually warm in the morning - high 50's with showers at midday obscuring all but a couple of the great views. The group identified around 20 wildflowers, including several violets, Wake Robin Trilium and Bloodroot. As always in Shining Rock WA, we left the trail on the down hill side and bushwhacked around 100 yards before picking it back up again. We arrived back at the trailhead at 4:00 - 6.5 hours hiking with lunch, then a stop at Dolly's for ice cream on the way home. Les & Catherine.

Photo by Bruce Bente

ALL DAY HIKE NO. A0702-567 April 1
DuPont Forest - Guion Farm P. L. #2  8:00 AM* (moderate)
Hike 10.5 miles, Drive 70, 1850 ft ascent, Rated A-A
Ashok Kudva, 828-698-7119, ashok.kudva@mchsi.com
This moderate low elevation “double back in-and-out” hike starts ands ends at the Guion Farm Parking Lot in DuPont Forest. After a 1200 ft ascent and descent to enjoy the views from Stone Mountain, we will hike to scenic Wintergreen Falls on a flat trail and return to the cars. The hiking pace will be gentle. *Meeting Places: Self-organize carpools at Westgate at 8:00AM, and meet leader at Bi-Lo parking lot in Pisgah Forest at 8:30AM. Topo: Standingstone Mtn; also DuPont State Forest trail map, 6-7-05 revision

Stuart English was the only hiker who showed up at Westgate or Bi-Lo for the hike on a rainy day. I cancelled the scheduled hike. Instead, we went on another hike nearby to scout for a future all-day hike and test our raingear. We were successful on both counts. But highlight of the day was at Dolly's in Pisgah Forest: Stu and I met Les Love and the CMC hikers who just completed the wilderness hike in Shining Rock! See the photo! Ashok Kudva.

Photo by Ashok Kudva

ALL DAY NO. A0702-443 Apr. 8
Pine Mtn. Loop 8:00 AM*
Hike 9-10, Drive 50, 2380 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Tom Bindrim & Joan Lemire 828-273-3880, tjbindire@yahoo.com
P400 *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leaders at North Mills River parking lot at 8:30 AM. From North Mills River area, we’ll ascend Seniard Mtn. to Double Head and Pine Mtn. (the one with the BRP tunnel) and return through Bent Creek Gap, Bad Fork Hollow and Wash Creek. Some off-trail hiking. Expect late return. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geographic PRD map

It was a classic Dogwood Winter day. Morning broke around 20 degrees F., but stayed sunny and got very pleasant later - a great day for hiking! Nine of us started from Wash Creek Rd. a half mile above the N Mills River Rec. Area opposite campsite WC 1 and started up Seniard Mt. to a drop-dead-beautiful scenic lunch spot on Double Head. After a leisurely lunch and five naps, we continued up to a Blue Ridge Parkway crossing ( several hundred feet above the actual parkway ) on Pine Mt., the hike's highest point, on to Cold Knob, down Ruth's Ridge on the Bent Creek side to the MST, to Bent Creek Gap for tea, snacks and a couple more naps. Descending Bad Fork and Wash Creek, we ended at Trace Ridge Trailhead, obviating a walk on gravel Wash Creek Rd. The hike was written up as a loop, but had to be modified: The mouth of Wash Creek used to be a straightforward tributary-flowing-into-the-N Mills-River affair,with a logjam for a dry-foot crossing, but when scouted it was found to now be a very wet-footed wade-across overflowed creek, a pond, almost a small delta - thanks to: beavers! With a great supper at the new Carrabas restaurant, planned & arranged by Ashok, all nine of us, joined by Ashok's wife, Shanti, capped off a great day! Joan. Photos by Ashok Kudva

Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY NO. H0702-046 Apr. 1
Bent Creek Ramble 1:30 PM
Hike 5, Drive 20, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Tom Sanders, 828-252-6327, tomary2@charter.net
This loop hike will pass by Lake Powhatan and ascend to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail via the Sherman Stambaugh Trail. We will then descend on the Sleepy Gap Trail and wander along the Explorer and Pine Tree Trails.

Only 7 of us took this hike, undoubtedly because of the weather. As we gathered at Westgate in the rain, 3 who had already met decided to cancel. Bravely the leader insisted that the rain would blow over, and by the time we reached the trailhead 20 minutes later, lo and behold! it had. We began on the Beaverdam Gap Rd. across from Boyd's Branch Rd., passed Lake Powhatan (newly cleaned out ), ascended the Sherman Stambaugh unmarked but beautiful trail, followed the MST south to Sleepy Gap, descended the Sleepy Gap Trail, Explorer Loop, and finished up on the Pinetree Loop, all about 5 miles. Just before we reached our car it began to sprinkle, but note, no rain during the hike and also note, the leader. A few early spring flowers were out. Views were limited by overcast but ok. We met lots of bikers. We even got a little sun. Nice stroll in the woods. Tom.

HALF-DAY NO. H0702-556 Apr. 8
Beaver Dam Overlook to Mills River Overlook 1:15 PM*
Hike 5.6, Drive 40, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Pat Elias, 828-687-1651 or patelias@bellsouth.net
An easy, pleasant in/out hike along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, where we will see some rock work from the original Shut-In Trail and perhaps some early spring blooms. *Meet at Westgate at 1:15 PM to form carpools and meet hike leader at Beaverdam Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 1:40 PM.

My scheduled hike was changed due to the "snow storm," which closed the Parkway. To avoid confusion, I met hikers at Westgate (I was to meet the group at the Beaver Dam Overlook) and left a message on my answering machine that the second meeting place would be the French Broad Overlook (the BRP gate going west was closed at this point). Six hikers including a guest hiker left Westgate on time and met five other hikers at the French Broad Overlook. From there we traveled east on the BRP, spotted cars, and enjoyed the walk from Route 25 to Route 191, about five miles. My only regret is that the beautiful day deserved a much longer walk. Pat

Wednesday

WEDNESDAY No. W0701-280 March 28
Art Loeb Trail/North Slope Trail 8:30 AM*
Hike 7.5, Drive 60, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Ken and Carol Deal, 828-281-4530, cnkdeal@charter.net
P400 We start at the Davidson River Campground and ascend gradually on the Art Loeb Trail to the North Slope Connector. We'll eat lunch at the intersection before we start down the connector to the North Slope Trail. Then we have a lovely, easy stroll along the river to the cars. Leaders will be at the second meeting place. *Meet at Westgate at 8:30 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Pisgah Ranger Station at 9:10 AM. Topos: Pisgah Forest, Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map

eb Art Loeb Trail/North Slope Trail, Wednesday, March 28. It was a beautiful, sunny day and 21 hikers showed up for this hike. We
started at the Davidson River campground parking lot, crossed the campground bridge and hiked beside the river to our first climb. A new pedestrian bridge is almost finished to cross the river, probably the next time this hike is done. Many wildflowers were out, trout lilies, violets, chickweed, trailing arbutus, among others. We did all our altitude gain before lunch on this warm day and needed
many stops for water breaks. We had lunch at the junction with the North Slope connector, headed downhill and then finished the hike with a walk along the Davidson River. Stuart English gave us some information about the English Chapel, a lovely little church in the Davidson campground. Carol and Ken Deal. Photos by Charlie Ferguson. Photo on right of Trailing Arbutus

There was a somewhat lengthy car shuttle set up prior to actually getting on the trail which we hope to eliminate next fall when this hike will be offered again by setting this hike up as a key swap. Hikers starting at the Lake Lanier end will have a 2400 climb as opposed to those coming from the Saluda end of the hike(1200 ft and lots of down hill).
After dropping cars at the Blue Wall preserve end of the hike, the 16 hikers shuttled to the Orchard Lake Campground and got the hike going at 10:45 am. The Pointsett Passageis the newest section of the Palmetto trail, having just been opened in the fall of 2006. It follows Brushy Ridge which is the NC/SC state line, as well as the Greenville Watershedd line.The trail is beautifully constructed. Weather and skies cleared as the day progressed,with sun and 80 degrees by noon. We saw many wildflowers as we trekked up and down from 3000 feet to 1200 at trails end: Pinxter azalea, Carolina rododendrens, bellwort, every conceivable violet, wisteria, toad shade, katsby and large white trillium , and one jack in the pulpit, to name a few. From the higher ridges of the trail we could see west to Grandfather Mtn and Mt Mitchell and east to Mt Pisgah. After 5 miles on Brushy ridge, the trail turns onto a 2 mile section of gravel service road until reaching Vaughans Gap- the low saddle in the shadow of Hog Back Mtn. We then turns off this road onto the Blue Wall Passage trail and had 3.5 miles of mostly gradual descent to our cars, finishing out hike about 4:20 PM. Ann Gleason.
Photos by Ted Connors. Picture on the left of log sawing equipment, picture on the right of a Jack in the Pulpit.

All-day hikes submitted by Bruce Bente 692-0116, bbente@bellsouth.net . 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 hikes submitted by Paula Robbins 828-687-1651 paularww@bellsouth.net.

Wednesday Hikes are submitted by Charlie Ferguson, 828-398-0213 ccf108@gmail.com and Ann Gleason, 828-859-9387, gleason.ann@gmail.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.
Leaders: Mail please mail your sign-up sheets. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.