Looking Ahead

All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0703-473 Aug. 12
Mt. Mitchell – Maple Camp Bald loop 8:30 AM*
Hike 8.5, Drive 70, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Becky Smucker, 828-298-5013, bsmucker@charter.net
SB6K *Note later start time. We’ll do a moderate loop with great views, starting at Mt. Mitchell, following the MST, Mt. Mitchell and Buncombe Horse Range Trails. We’ll stop at Maple Camp Bald, then take the Big Tom Gap Trail 191-A up to the Crest Trail, and return via Big Tom and Mt. Craig. Second meeting place: Craven Gap at 8:45 AM Topo: Mt. Mitchell; also PNF South Toe River, Mt. Mitchell & Big Ivy trail map

ALL DAY NO. A0703-044 Aug. 19
Lost Cove 8:00 AM
Hike 7.5, Drive 150, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Les Love, 828-658-1489, lesrlove@charter.net
Everyone enjoyed this hike in the Wilson Creek area last year, so we’re offering it again. It features spectacular waterfalls and the best swimming anywhere. Bring your bathing suit. Be prepared for several wet-foot stream crossings. Optional supper afterwards at Little Siena. Second meeting place: parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s off I-40 at exit 64 at 8:20 AM. Topo: Grandfather Mtn.; also USFS Wilson Creek map

Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY No. H0703-002 Aug. 12
MST: NC 128 to Balsam Gap 12:30 PM*
Hike 5, Drive 60, 1500 ft. ascent, rated C-A
Nonmembers, call leader, Jim Reel, 828-738-0751, jimr57@yahoo.com
SB6K This beautiful and scenic portion of the MST features great views, rocky climbs, and hiking through a dark spruce forest as we climb Blackstock Knob (6320 ft.). Although only 5 miles long and on an established trail, this hike ascends a total of 1500 ft. and hikers must be capable of this amount of climbing. The hiking pace will be moderate. *Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM (note early start time) to form carpools, and meet hike leader at Balsam Gap parking area at BRP M.P. 360 at 1:15 PM. Topo: Montreat; also MST Profiles, pg. 67-69

HALF-DAY No. H0703-573 Aug. 19
Devil’s Courthouse from NC 215 1:00 PM*
Hike 6, Drive 75, 700-ft ascent, Rated B-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Ashok Kudva, 828-698-7119, ashok.kudva@mchsi.com
P400 We will hike east from the parking area off NC 215 through patches of mountain laurel and a dense pine cluster on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail connector crossing over the Blue Ridge Parkway tunnel to Devil's Courthouse, where we will pause for a snack to enjoy 360º mountain views before returning. *Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM (note early start time) to form carpools, and meet hike leader at the Cold Mountain Overlook at 1:35 PM.

All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO. W0703-459 Aug. 8
NC 128 to Greybeard overlook 8:30 AM
Hike 8.9, Drive 80, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Bruce Bente, 828-692-0116, bbente@bellsouth.net
We head up into old growth balsam - spruce forests south of Mt Mitchell for a scenic hike with dramatic views and several rocky climbs. Possible blueberry sightings. Hikers wishing a shorter trek can stop after 6.4 miles at Glassmine Falls overlook, if desired. Car shuttle. Second meeting place: Craven Gap on BRP at 8:45 AM. Topos: Mt. Mitchell, Montreat; also MST Profiles, pg. 66-69

WEDNESDAY NO W0703-475 Aug. 15
Hump Mountain/Yellow Mountain Area 8:30 AM*
Hike 9, Drive 140, 2400 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Adrian Lotherington, 828-484-9132, jaloth@charter.net
We will hike from Roaring Creek Road to Yellow Mountain Gap, at which point we join the AT along an open ridge to Little Hump Mt and on to Hump Mt where we will have lunch on a grassy bald at 5587 ft. We will return to Yellow Mt Gap and take the Overmountain Victory Loop back to the car park. The fabulous vistas and meadows full of flowers make the drive and moderately strenuous walk very much worthwhile. *ONLY MEETING PLACE: Rose's car park, across from McDonalds at the US 25/70 Weaverville exit #19 at 8:30AM. Topos: Carvers Gap, White Rocks Mtn.

WEDNESDAY NO W0703-247 Aug. 22
Ivestor Gap Blueberry Hike 8:00 AM*
Hike 7, Drive 76, Rated B-C
Ken & Carol Deal, 828-281-4530, cnkdeal@charter.net
P400 Our traditional hike to the picking fields of Grassy Cove Top in the Shining Rock *Wilderness. Limit 10 hikers, call leaders for reservation. Topos: Sam Knob, Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map

Looking Back......

All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0703-068 July 29
Big Butt from BRP 8:30 AM* (moderate)
Hike 7, Drive 55, 2200 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Ruth Hartzler, 828-251-0886, ruthmtn@charter.net
*Note later start time. We will take the Big Butt trail from Balsam Gap on the BRP, following the ridge crest to Big Butt (Yeates Knob), a short bushwhack at just under 6000 ft., and return via the same route. We will stop at Point Misery for lunch and views of the Black Mtns. Second meeting place: Craven Gap at 8:45 AM. Topos: Montreat, Mt. Mitchell; also South Toe River PNF map

Fortunately seven hikers ignored the forecast of rain, or as Joan commented, “We came to get wet with you!” It didn’t rain and we had a great time, mainly because the Monday trail crew had made a special trip to weed whack three miles of the Big Butt Trail from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Little Butt. This trail is not officially maintained by CMC, but Jorge, Barth and others on the Monday crew did not want to disappoint hikers.

We followed the Big Butt Trail from the MST as it undulates up and down, admiring the beautiful displays of Turks Cap lilies, Oswego Tea and green cone flowers. As we passed through an area that was especially thick with thorny blackberry branches near the trail, the leader overheard hikers expressing appreciation for the great trail maintenance done by the Monday crew. We stopped for a snack at Little Butt, almost engulfed in foggy clouds. Then we continued northward until the trail was closed-in with blueberry and rhododendron bushes. Many clusters of Clintonia Borealis with large blue seed pods, and several Rose Twisted Stalks with large red seed pods made this section of trail especially interesting. We returned to the rock overlook at Little Butt for a leisurely lunch, enjoying glimpses of the Mt. Mitchell ridgeline through the clouds. On the way back, we made a short detour at Point Misery, where there is a campsite, but no views. To make up for not going all the way to Big Butt, we added a mile or two at the end by hiking over Walker Knob on the MST. Ruth

ALL DAY NO. A0703-396 Aug. 5
Pilot Rock – Mt. Pisgah -Thompson Creek 8:00 AM (strenuous)
Hike 11, Drive 80, 3000 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Tom Sanders, 828-252-6327, tomary2@charter.net
P400 We will hike up the well-graded Pilot Rock and Mt. Pisgah trails to our lunch spot on the summit of Mt. Pisgah, and then down the Thompson Ridge trail. Expect great views along the way. Short car shuttle. Topos: Dunsmore Mtn., Cruso; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map

Ten of us participated in this hike on a somewhat overcast, hazy day. We took a somewhat different, but I think best route to the trailhead: up the BRP,down US 276, to Yellow Creek Road. Time was about an hour including 10 minutes drive on the gravel road rather than 30 minutes via N Mills River Campground. The hike began with an ascent of Pilot Rock, which had modest views to the South and then on up the ridge, a total climb of at least 1,500 ft. We then took the connector to the Laurel Mtn Trail and up to the MST.

When we came to the Buck Springs Overlook we encountered a large group of obvious Latinos, whom I greeted and welcomed to our region. They were associated with a Christian group from the Mexican state of Chiapas (where Asheville has a Sister City, San Cristobal de las Casas, which I have visited numerous times) and from Guatemala. On request the two musicians in the group sang a song for us, and with mutual well wishes and noting that in the mountains one feels closer to God, on we went toward Pisgah. Typical on a summer Sunday, lots of people were going up, and for a while we were mixed with some kids from Miami. At about 12:20 we reached the top, had lunch, but little to view because of haze. On the way back we took the Pilot Mtn trail again south to Thompson Creek Trail. As we started on the trail, ominous thunder sounded in the distance, but (note the leader) we totally avoided rain. We rarely hike the Thompson Creek Trail. It is very steep, but quite beautiful. On the hike we saw lots of flowers including the last of rhododendron and Turks-caps lilies. Tom. Photos by Ted Connors.

ALL DAY NO. A0703-571 Aug. 5
Smokemont Ramble 8:30 AM* (moderate)
Hike 9, Drive 108, 1400 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Ashok Kudva, 828-698-7119, ashok.kudva@mchsi.com
900M *Note later start time. This new CMC hike from a popular GSMNP campground includes an in-and-out stroll along the Bradley Fork Trail and a gradual ascent and descent on the Smokemont Loop Trail. We will cross the Bradley Fork on a long and narrow split log bridge with a steel cable hand rail, to complete the loop over Richland Mountain. Second Meeting Place: Maggie Valley Post Office at 9:00 AM, but contact leader first. Topo: Smokemont; also Nat’l. Geo. GSMNP map

i

Nine CMC members, assembled at Westgate, were joined by two non-member first time CMC hikers from Atlanta and Rutherfordton at the Maggy Valley Post Office. The non-members located and contacted the hike leader from the Mountain Xpress paper and from a former CMC hiking and trail maintainer father.
The hike started at the far end “D” of the popular Smoky campground (attached photo from Becky Smucker), named Bradleytown for the settlers who came to the area in early 1800s. In this area the Champion Fibre Company established logging activities and a sawmill in the early 1900s. Within a mile from the campground on a service road we stopped at the Bradley Cemetery featuring tombstones of the family of 1850-1920s. Becky identified Yellow Fringed Orchid in this area (photo attached). We returned on the service road to the Smokemont loop trail. After a 1,200 ft. climb on a gentle trail, we lunched at the summit. After descent and crossing the longest suspension log-bridge in the Smokys, we strolled along the flat, wide Bradley Fork Trail on a roadbed while listening to the enchanting sound of mountain whitewater stream. We paused to enjoy soaking our bare feet in the mountain stream. Then we walked back 3 miles to the cars on a triple-wide service road conversing louder than the mountain whitewaters! Other than a minor bee-sting through socks on the feet of one hiker, it was a safe hike. Seven hikers stopped for a post-hike dinner at the Stone Ridge Tavern. Ashok. Yellow fringed orchid by Ashok Kudva, group by Becky Smucker.

Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY No. H0703-043 July 29
Frying Pan Tower 1:30 PM*
Hike 4, Drive 50, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Lucy Prim, 828-693-6580, lucette32@mchsi.com
P400 This is an easy in-and-out hike through a spectacular display of wild flowers to good views from the tower. *Meet at Westgate at 1:30 PM to form carpools, and meet hike leader at north end of parking area of Pisgah Inn at 2:00 PM.

The half day hike on Sunday, July 29 2007, at Frying Pan Gap went very well. There were eight of us. We had a delightfully misty walk up the hill, seeing loads of wild flowers beside the path. It was much too foggy to see any view at the top, so nobody climbed the tower. We just sat on the grass and had our snacks and chatted. On the way down it began drizzling on us. Luckily we all had ponchos or rain jackets so nobody got too soaked. We got back to the cars with no mishaps. It was a very enjoyable, misty walk in the woods. Lucy Prim

HALF-DAY NO. H0703-347 Aug. 5
Twin Falls Loop 12:30 PM*
Hike 6, Drive 75, 1000-ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
P400 A moderate hike in the Pisgah National Forest, starting on the Buckhorn Gap Trail, taking the Twin Falls Bypass to view two nice waterfalls and completing the loop on a Forest Service road and the Clawhammer Cove Trail. *Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM (note early start time) to form carpools, and meet hike leader at the Pisgah Ranger Station at 1:10 PM.

18 people met at the Pisgah Ranger Station on a swelteringly hot afternoon. As we started on the loop following the Buckhorn Gap Trail down to Avery Creek, a storm was threatening. But only a gentle rain fell, cooling us off. We visited the two scenic waterfalls, continued up the Buckhorn Trail to a Forest Service Road. We then followed forest service roads until we reached the beginning of the Clawhammer Cove Trail, which led us to the lower Avery Creek Trail. Here we walked around an area flooded by beavers, back up the road and to our cars. There was distant thunder frequently during the hike. When we got back to the Ranger Station, we found it had rained heavily there. This hike leader continues to lead a charmed hiking life. Stuart

Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO W0703-569 July 25
Cold Spring Knob 8:00 AM
Hike 11, Drive 65, 2770 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Dave Wetmore, 828-884-7296, dwetmore@citcom.net
This hike is an interesting mix of old logging roads, cross-country, and surveyor's lines. We will start near Sunburst Campground and climb to Double Spring Gap along old roads, the abandoned Boomer Inn Branch trail and some short but steep off-trail climbs. From Double Spring Gap we'll take a surveyor's cut up the ridgeline to the summit of Cold Spring Knob. The return will be on old but open logging roads. This new hike is a chance to explore the rarely-visited Lickstone Ridge. Topos: Sam Knob, Waynesville; also Nat’l Geo. PRD map

The argument about 13 being an unlucky number remains unsettled. That's how many went on a hike up Boomer Inn Branch to Double Spring Gap on Lickstone Ridge. There was some bad luck near the Gap where we found some spruce blowdown in the middle of a large thriving field of blackberry and other unpleasantly aggressive plants. It took us about an hour to get through it all.

There was good luck in that it didn't start to rain until we had finished lunch and were about to begin our descent. There was more good luck in that the rain was intermittent and light until we got back to the cars. All in all, it was the kind of trip that hikers are glad to have done, but don't want to repeat. For those contemplating the same hike on 26 August, be assured that we will bypass the blackberry field. Dave.

WEDNESDAY NO W0703-385 Aug. 1
Upper Little East Fork - Fork Mt. Slow Loop phone leader
Hike 11-12, Drive 100, 2100 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Tom Bindrim, 828-273-3880, tjbindire@yahoo.com
P400 A moderately-paced Wilderness Area loop with upper elevation scenery, water and a workout. Expect a late return, bring extra food. This is a wilderness area limited to ten people. Call leaders for reservations, times and meeting particulars. Topo: Sam Knob & Shining Rock

An atypical CMC hike, we went from Black Balsam parking to Wedding Rock atop Black Balsam Knob (Jack & Ingrid, May 17, '95), over Tennent Mt. to Ivestor Gap, into Shining Rock, down Little East Fork to the river where we enjoyed a really nice waterside break, up Fork Mt., through Tom & Joan's Meadow, back to the cars, about 13 mi. & 2,200 ft. down & up. The atypical pace was very moderate (maybe even slow for some) with lots of stops and we took around an atypical half hour for both lunch and supper on trail (Supper on trail ?!?). After the peak bagging ups & downs at the beginning, we did the big descent in the middle and ended with the big ascent. The half-way point was also the lowest point - not too typical, and whereas many CMC hikes are over within six hours, we were on trail for around a very atypical ten.

When we got to Tom & Joan's Meadow for supper, with only three miles to go & 400 feet to ascend, I fully expected the call of the barn to take over, and someone, knowing exactly where he was now, would want to break ranks and finish the hike without eating supper there (Someone said it was around 5 PM.). But no. By this time we were all starting to tire, and everyone was all too happy to flop, eat, and six of the nine stretched out & took cat-naps. Supper & nap time was followed by a leisurely post-prandial stroll to the Ivestor Gap Rd.,where the call of the barn did take over. Almost everyone bolted up the homestretch, goaded perhaps by a few gathering thunder-boomers. The leader now led from the rear. The weather had been good, even atypically cool for an August day. Tom Bindrim

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.