All Day  Saturday & Sunday

ALL DAY NO. A0901-634 Feb. 22
High Top Tower Site 8:00 AM
Hike 10, Drive 65, 1900 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Tom Sanders, 828-252-6327, tomary.avl@gmail.com
P400 This hike was a longtime favorite of the scouts at Camp Daniel Boone years ago when this leader was on the camp staff. From the camp we will ascend to High Top with its excellent views, and then follow the Fork Mtn. ridge before descending to the rushing Little East Fork of the Pigeon River. Car shuttle. Topo: Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

SATURDAY NO. A0901-019 Feb. 28
Winter Plant ID hike *8:30 AM
Hike 8, Drive 20, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Becky Smucker, 828-298-5013, bsmucker@charter.net
P400 *Note later start time. This moderate-paced hike is designed for identification of plants in the winter. Bring magnifying glasses if you have them. We’ll hike the MST between the French Broad River Overlook and a little beyond Walnut Cove, stopping often to look at various plants along the way. Limited to 15 people; contact leader for reservation. Topo: Skyland also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780 and MST Profiles book, pg. 57

ALL DAY NO. A0901-635 March 1
Deep Creek – Pole Rd. Creek – Noland Divide *7:30 AM
(strenuous)
Hike 17, Drive 136, 3200 ft. ascent, Rated AA+-AA+
Don Gardner, 828-754-4067, gardog3@bellsouth.net
900M *Note early start time. This very strenuous hike is designed to get some of those difficult 900M miles. Plan on a long day of hiking and bring a headlamp or flashlight in case we return later than expected. We will go up beautiful Deep Creek trail and turn steeply uphill on the Pole Road Creek trail to Upper Sassafras Gap. From here we’ll hike mostly downhill on the Noland Divide trail to Deep Creek Campground. Short car shuttle. Second meeting place: Rest area on US 23/74 beyond Waynesville at 8:00 AM. Topos: Bryson City, Clingman’s Dome; also Nat’l. Geo. GSMNBP map #229

ALL DAY NO. A0901-236 March 1
Dupont Forest –Fawn Lake P.L. #1 *8:30 AM
(moderate)
Hike 8, Drive 95, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Jay Bretz, 828-658-1220, williambretz1220@msn.com
*Note later start time. A moderate hike featuring beautiful waterfalls and lakes. We’ll see Corn Mill Shoals, Bridal Veil Falls, Lake Julia and Fawn Lake at an easy pace. The last time we did this hike, we saw an otter at the lunch spot. Second meeting place: Bi-Lo parking lot in Pisgah Forest at 9:05 AM. Topo: Standingstone Mtn.; also Dupont Forest trail map

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Half Day Sunday Hikes

HALF-DAY NO. H0901-431 Feb. 22
Chestnut Cove to MST to Sleepy Gap to Explorer Trail *1:00 PM
Hike 5, Drive 20, 900 ft. ascent, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Joe Burchfield, 828-398-8413, burchfield@niu.edu
*Note early start time. This loop hike begins with a moderately steep climb from the Bent Creek Gap Road to the MST, but is otherwise an easy walk. Second Meeting Place: Ingles parking lot across from Biltmore Square Mall on NC 191 at 1:15 P.M.

HALF-DAY NO. H0901-283 Mar. 1
Montreat Ramble #2 - Lookout Mtn. *12:30 PM
Hike 6, Drive 40, 1400 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Marcia Bromberg, 828-505-0471, mwbromberg@yahoo.com
*Note early start time. We begin by hiking up Lookout Mountain, enjoying the views at Lookout Rock, then picking up the East Ridge Trail to Sourwood Gap. This will take us over Boggs Bunion and Brushy Mountain (our high points). From Sourwood we'll take the Old Mitchell Toll Road, then switch to the Old Trestle Road at Long Gap. The last leg of the hike is downhill on the Graybeard Trail to the trailend where cars will be parked to shuttle us back to the trailhead. Second meeting place: Parking lot adjacent to McDonald’s at Exit 64 of I-40 at 12:50 PM.

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All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO. W0901-278 Feb. 25
Kitsuma Peak *9:00 AM
Hike 8, Drive 60, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Joe Burchfield, 828-298-8413, Burchfield@niu.edu
*Meet at Westgate at 9:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at parking lot next to McDonalds at Exit 64 of I-40 at 9:20 AM. Our hike up Young’s Ridge offers great views of Greybeard, Green Knob and the Mt. Mitchell area. We will start from the picnic area near Old Fort. Also we’ll enjoy a grandstand view of the Swannanoa valley from our lunch spot. Topo: Old Fort, Black Mtn.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0901-560 Mar. 4
Rube Rock/Groundhog Creek Loop 8:00 AM
Hike 9, Drive 100, 1900 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
A beautiful loop hike located in the Harmon Den area of Pisgah Nat'l. Forest. We'll start at Brown Gap, southbound on the AT to Rube Rock Trail which descends into the Pigeon River Gorge. Then we'll climb the Groundhog Creek Trail to the AT and back to Brown Gap. Second meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop off I-40 at Exit 24 at 8:30 AM. Topo: Waterville, also USFS Harmon Den & Hot Springs Area Trail Map.

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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 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.