Looking Ahead

All Day  Saturday & Sunday

SATURDAY NO. A0801-423 Mar. 29
Pilot Rock, Laurel Mtn., Slate Rock Creek Trails 8:00 AM
Hike 10, Drive 90, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Les and Catherine Love, 828-658-1489, lesrlove@charter.net
P400 We will hike up the Pilot Rock Trail, stopping to enjoy the views. Then we’ll turn downhill on the Laurel Mtn. Trail and a no-name trail to the Slate Rock Creek Trail, one of the gems of Pisgah Nat’l. Forest. Short car shuttle. Second meeting place: North Mills River Recreation Area parking lot at 8:30 AM, but call leader beforehand. Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map

#780ALL DAY NO. A0801-597 March 30
Heartbreak Ridge – Rocky Mtn. Loop 8:00 AM
Hike 13, Drive 70, 4600 ft. ascent, Rated AA-AA+
Stuart Tauber and Joanne Tulip, 828-254-0824, sdtauber@charter.net
This very strenuous hike will be limited to ten hikers, and hikers are required to contact the leader beforehand. The hike will start at Graphite, climbs to and up Heartbreak Ridge past Glass Rock Knob to the summit of Rocky Mtn. A spectacular view of nearby mountains appears here. From the ridgeline, hikers must be mentally and physically prepared for a dramatically steep and risky descent (1000 ft. in 1/3 mile) to Jarrett Creek Rd. near Star Gap. From here, the hike will follow the road to Heartbreak Ridge and retrace the route back to the trailhead. Second meeting place: parking lot adjacent to McDonalds at exit 64 of I-40 at 8:20 AM Topos: Old Fort, Montreat

ALL DAY NO. A0802-031 Apr. 6
South Mtns. Loop 8:00 AM
(strenuous)
Hike 9.3, Drive 170, 2350 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Danny Bernstein, 828-236-0192, danny@hikertohiker.com
South Mountains State Park south of Morganton has outstanding views, a beautiful waterfall, and a new visitor center. We’ll climb to Jacob Fork River Gorge Overlook and then continue to Chestnut Knob Overlook, a rocky outcropping with outstanding views toward the Kings Mountain Range and on a clear day, Charlotte’s skyline. Later after another climb, we’ll reach the top of High Shoals Waterfall – truly awesome. Awesome too is the wooden staircase and platform, which allows a close look at the falls and the jumble of rocks in Jacob Fork. Since this is a state park, the trails are meticulously maintained. Optional supper after the hike in Black Mountain. Second meeting place: Parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s at exit 64 of I-40 at 8:20 AM. Topo: Benn Knob

ALL DAY NO. A0802-604 Apr. 6
Splash Dam via Trace Ridge *8:30 AM
(moderate)
Hike 7.8, Drive 42, 1100 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Dave Wetmore, 828-884-7296, dwetmore@citcom.net
P400 *Note later start time. Meet at Westgate at 8:30 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Trace Ridge Trailhead at 9:00 AM. This will be a moderate hike mostly on old roadbeds up the Big Creek Trail, to what appears to the uninitiated as only a rocky place. If those rocks could talk, they would tell a tale of long arduous months of labor, the pitfalls of succession, the striving of man with nature and the consequences of that effort. Several wet but easy stream crossings. Come and learn the secrets of Big Creek! Topo: Dunsmore Mtn.; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY NO. H0801-319 March 30
Holmes Educational Forest 1:00 PM*
Hike 5, Drive 75, 500-ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Rusty Breeding, 828-692-0359, bree_lw@planetusa.net
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools, and meet leader at the Pisgah Forest Bi-Lo side parking lot at 1:30 PM. A good early spring hike with "talking trees" and a Forest Demonstration Trail explaining good forestry practices as well as some early wildflowers

HALF-DAY No. H0801-344 April 6
Pulliam Creek in the Green River Game Lands 12:30 PM*
Hike 6.5, Drive 60, 1000 ft ascent., Rated B-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Becky Elston, 828-749-1886, belston@cytechusa.com
*Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools and meet hike leader at NW corner of parking lot of Cracker Barrel off Exit 53 of I-26 at 1:00 PM. This pretty in-and-out hike goes along Pulliam Creek for part of the way, and our break might include viewing kayakers on the Green River and seeing trillium and other early spring wildflowers. Join leader for dinner at Cracker Barrel after the hike.

All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO W0801-439 Apr. 2
Pounding Mill Loop 8:00 AM*
Hike 8, Drive 55, 950 ft. ascent, Rated B-C
Greg Goodman, 828-684-9703
*Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Boyleston Baptist Church on NC 280 at 8:30 AM. This hike takes the South Mills River Trail to the Pounding Mill Trail and on to Squirrel Gap Trail. We’ll continue onto Pea Gap and then return on the Bradley Creek Trail. Topo: Pisgah Forest; also, Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

WEDNESDAY NO. W0802-200 April 9
Jones Gap State Park – Middle Saluda River *8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 96, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Becky Elston, 828-749-1886, belston@cytechusa.com
*Meet at Westgate at 8:30 AM to form car pools, and meet hike leader at NE corner of Cracker Barrel parking lot at Exit 53 of I-26 at 9:00 AM. An in-out hike. Follows the Jones Gap trail (part of the Foothills Trail) along the Middle Saluda River most of the way with lunch at a nice double waterfall. Elevation change is a very gradual 1200 feet. Remember SC Jones Gap State Park is a fee area with $2 per person for hiking. Topo: Standingstone Mtn.; also Mountain Bridge Wilderness trail map

Looking Back......

All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0801-596 March 16
Foothills Trail: Rocky Bottom Access to Lake Jocassee 8:00 AM
Hike 11.8, Drive 103, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated A-B
Paul Benson, 828-251-1909, pdbenson@charter.net
Come to hike in the warm weather at the lower elevations! We’ll do a hike new to CMC on the Foothills Trail in SC, from US 178 to Lake Jocassee. This in and out hike across Laurel Fork Gap and along Laurel Fork Creek features a scenic lakeside lunch spot. *Second Meeting Place: side parking lot of Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 8:30 AM. Topos: Eastatoe Gap, Reid; also Foothills Trail map

A great group of 19 people including a mix of veterans and newcomers enjoyed a first ever hike for CMC on the section of the Foothills Trail from Laurel Fork Gap to Lake Jocassee. We were rewarded with beautiful sunny skies, a beautiful trail, beautiful waterfalls, and beautiful lakeside lunch spot. This section of trail has more bridges than any I have ever hiked, including several interesting suspension bridges. A special treat was seeing the first few blooms on the rare Oconee Bells. Thanks to Angie Elkins for bringing refreshments that many of us enjoyed during an impromptu post-hike social at the trailhead. I think this is a hike we'll be coming back to many times. Paul. Photo on left by Paul Benson, photo on right (Oconee Bells) by Ted Connors.

ALL DAY March 23 - New hike description
Because the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, I had to substitute another hike with the same general challenge level and driving distance.
Graybeard Mountain - up and down
(moderate)
Hike 8 miles, Drive 40, 2,200 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Lenny Bernstein, 828-236-0192, lsberns@worldnet.att.net
From the top of the Graybeard road, we'll hike up to Pot Cove Gap. Then we'll take the Old Mt. Mitchell Toll Rd. to Old Trestle Trail to Graybeard Trail to the top of the mountain. On the way back, we'll see Walker Knob Shelter and an idyllic waterfall. Topo: Montreat; also Montreat trail map.

While there have been many CMC hike to Graybeard in the past, this was the first scheduled hike to use the Old Trestle Trail. Nine of us did the hike in reverse, going up the Old Trestle Trail, rather than down it. It is an old railroad bed which means that it ascends very gently. Hiking this trail gave Bruce Bente a chance to show off his railroading knowledge as he pointed out the tail traces at the end of each switchback that allowed the trains using this route to switch directions. Bruce also pointed out a waterfall on Graybeard Creek that we could reach with a short diversion off the Old Trestle Trail. The gentle ascent on the Old Trestle Trail and the gentle descent along the Old Mt. Mitchell Toll Road were more than made up for by steep ascents along the Graybeard Trail at the beginning of the hike and again for the final ascent of Graybeard. The reward for these climbs were great views at our 11:00 break at Walker Knob and at our lunch break on top of Graybeard. From Graybeard we could clearly see the Mt. Mitchell and Green Knob areas. With the aid of a panorama map that Ashok Kudva was carrying, and a cloudless sky, we could also identify the individual peaks. Ashok also GPS’ed the hike so it will now become part of the CMC hike data base. Lenny. Photos by Ted Connors.

Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY NO. H0801-587 March 16
Catawba Falls 1:00 PM*
Hike 4, Drive 40, 600 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Don Walton, 828-654-9904, donwalton@bellsouth.net
*Note early start time. Please call Don Walton in advance for reservations. This hike is the second for the CMC in at least 20 years, and will be conducted jointly by CMC and the Foothills Conservancy. The Foothills Conservancy (www.foothillsconservancy.org) has recently purchased a 23-acre property with loan funds to secure public access to the trail, and the USFS is working to acquire the property and add it to Pisgah National Forest. Since the 1870s when Rufus Morgan photographed the Catawba Falls, people have hiked along the Catawba River to view these spectacular waterfalls. After years of being off-limits, the falls are now on their way to becoming open to the public. The first falls is a moderate hike; however, the upper falls will be an optional hike because it is very difficult and should not be undertaken lightly. Second meeting place: Parking lot adjacent to McDonald's at Exit 73 (Old Fort) off I-40 at 1:30 PM. Topo: Black Mountain.

Thirty-four folks gathered for the Sunday afternoon Catawaba Falls hike. The sun was shinning and turned into a beautiful day in the woods. The guide dog “Spot” was not at the trailhead to guide us up to the Falls but we met him on the way bringing a group back down. I guess he can’t take care of everyone on a busy Sunday. 75% of the hikers elected to go the distance to the upper falls. It was more slippery than normal from the rain yesterday but everyone made it ok. We arrived back at Westgate about 6 pm a little later than normal but I think many will remember this hike fondly. More photos on http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562803126wBMDZF.
Don Walton. Photos by Don Walton.

HALF-DAY NO. H0801-170 March 23
Butter Gap Trail to Picklesheimer Fields 1:00 PM*
Hike 5, Drive 72, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Laura Stallard, 828-697-1579
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 1:00 PM to form carpools and meet hike leader at the Fish Hatchery parking lot, at the end of the paved portion of FS 475, off US 276 at 1:40 PM. From the Fish Hatchery parking lot, we will follow the Cat Gap Trail to its junction with the Butter Gap Trail for this in-and-out hike along Grogan Creek.

Twenty-two hikers showed up on Easter Sunday for this very moderate hike up Cat Gap Loop to Picklesheimer Fields and a little beyond. They obviously didn't know that the hike leader had changed. We visited two nice waterfalls, saw a beaver dam and a beaver lodge, and just had a great afternoon in the woods on a beautiful day. We thought about calling this the "hike to nowhere" since it ended at point on the Butter Gap Trail that was totally arbitrary. But really, when you are in the woods here, you are always actually somewhere as opposed to "nowhere". We reached the turning point of the hike in a little white pine grove with soft needles on the ground and green everywhere. Hike Leader Lie alert. We never actually reached the falls on Cedar Rock Creek. I think I saw the way down to it but didn't want to take that big a group not being sure. Stuart for Laura. Photo by Stuart English..

All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO W0801-600 Mar. 19
Pink Beds-Buckhorn Gap-South Mills River Loop 8:00 AM*
Hike 10, Drive 75, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated A-B
Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, suejackfitz@bellsouth.net
P400 *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form car pools, and meet leader at Pisgah Forest Ranger Station at 8:35 AM Hike starting on Pink Beds Loop to Barnett Branch (Art Loeb Trail), go up to Buckhorn Gap, then down to South Mills River. Hike to Gauging Station, then back to cars on the Pink Beds Loop trail. Lots of variety. Topo: Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map

The Wednesday March 19th hike was cancelled because of rain. Jack Fitzgerald

WEDNESDAY NO W0801-056 Mar. 26
Black Mountain Ramble 8:30 AM
Hike 9.4, Drive 60, 2600 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Bruce Bente, 828-692-0116, bbente@bellsouth.net
P400 *Meet at Westgate at 8:30 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Boyleston Baptist Church on NC 280 at 9:00 AM. This great hike starts at Turkey Pen parking area, goes over Sharpy Mtn. and around Black Mtn., and ends at the Pisgah Maintenance parking lot. A long uphill, but with good views from our lunch spot at Black Mtn. Car shuttle. Topo: Pisgah Forest; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

Considering that this hike is strenuous (9.4 miles, 2600' of steep climbing), I anticipated about 8-10 hikers. It was a surprise that 25 hikers showed up, including 11 who I had never met before. Everyone was ready for some warmer spring hiking.

The day started off with the group from Asheville not knowing where the second meeting place was. After a couple of gas station stops for directions, they arrived and we set up the somewhat complicated car shuttle, which was designed to minimize the number of car trips up rutted Turkey Pen Rd. After surviving the hike from Turkey Pen parking lot over (steep) Sharpy Mtn. and additional ridgeline ups-and-downs, we enjoyed sitting in the leaves at a sunny lunch spot on the slope of Black Mtn. Then it was down to Pressley Gap and the final climb over Hickory Knob (what? not another climb??) and down to many waiting cars at the Pisgah Maintenance yard parking lot. Unfortunately, Dolly's has not yet re-opened for the season in March.. Bruce.

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 and Lucy Prim 828-693-6580 lucette32@mchsi.com. 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.