All Day Saturday & Sunday
ALL DAY No. A0904-589 Dec. 20
Shut-in Trail & Lake Powhatan loop *8:30 AM
Hike 9.6, Drive 15, 1600 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Bob Hysko, 828-645-4626, rhysko@yahoo.com
P400 *Note later start time. This loop follows the Shut-In Trail south, then descends Sleepy Gap Trail, skirts Lake Powhatan and finishes with three miles on the Bent Creek Trail with a dirt road connecting parts of the trail. Second meeting place: BRP French Broad Overlook at 8:45 AM. Topos: Asheville, Dunsmore Mtn., also NatGeo map #780 and Bent Creek Trail Map
 
Photos by Bob Hysko
Only three people showed for the Sunday all day hike suggesting that close to 1,000 CMC members might have missed one of the best winter hiking days of the decade. As we starting up the shut-in trail at the French Board River, conditions did not look promising. The trail was littered with blow downs, mostly rhododendron and white pine. It was one of the hardest bushwhacks I have ever done. (Note to all trail maintainers: if your section is at a relatively low altitude, you have a lot of work to do.) After about a half mile we climbed into a winter wonderland of light power, sunshine, great views and a well maintained trail. With 12 to 18 inches of snow and being the first hikers to come through after the storm, we needed to take turns breaking trail. Compared to the fallen leaves I encountered on my scout, dry snow makes for much surer footing but much slower going.
By the time we reached the Hard Times Trail it was decided to shorten the hike by staying on the gravel road and loop around to the Arboretum and return by way of the Bent Creek trail. This proved to be a bad idea. The Arboretum was closed and its back gate locked. After retracing our steps back up the hill for over a mile, one of the hikers commented that he could not think of a more enjoyable way to spend his 80th birthday and another said he felt the same way about spending the day after his birthday. With happy birthday wishes all around, we started down the closed Blue Ridge Parkway to our cars.--Bob Hysko
SATURDAY NO. A0904-053 Dec. 26
East Fork Pigeon River *8:30 AM
Hike 7.5, Drive 74, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Barbara Morgan, 828-738-3395, bcmorg@hughes.net
P400 Wilderness area, limit 10, so contact leader for reservation. A stroll along one of WNC's most beautiful streams, the East Fork of the Pigeon River, which is often spectacular in the winter. We will ascend to Dark Prong for lunch and then return. Second meeting place: Big East parking area on US 276, north of BRP at 9:15 AM Topo: Shining Rock; also NatGeo map #780
 
Photos by Elaine Pearsons
Due to probable snow and ice from the December 18 blizzard, the East Fork hike was changed to a ramble in the Bent Creek area. Five hikers joined me for a loop from 497 E to Little Hickory Top via Ledford Branch and Sidehill trail. We returned by Wolf Branch Trail and Deer Creek Trail to the parking area, where we were finally able to sit down in a dry spot (the asphalt) and have lunch. After lunch, we decided we hadn't had enough hiking yet, so we struck off for an additional loop up Boyd Branch Trail and returned by 497 F and back to our cars. We started about 9:30 and finished about 3:00. Total hiking distance estimated to be about 10 miles.
It was great fun, and the snow on the ground wasn't hard to walk in. There were downed pines, especially at the lower elevations, but these didn't cause problems in getting past them. It felt good to be moving again the day after Christmas - wherever we went.--Barbara Morgan
--Back to Top
Half Day Sunday
HALF-DAY NO. H0904-102 Dec. 20
Coontree Loop *12:30 PM
Hike 3.7, Drive 65, 1200 ft ascent, Rated C-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Lee Belknap, 828-698-9394, rivergypsy@sprintmail.com
P400 *Note early start time. Meet at Westgate at 12:30 PM to form carpools, and meet leader at Pisgah Ranger Station on US 276 at 1:10 PM. This loop hike is partially along a lovely creek, with views on Coontree Mountain ridge. Some steep areas.
HALF-DAY No. H0904-499 Dec. 27
French Broad River Greenway 1:30 PM
Hike 3.5, Drive 5, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Paula Robbins, 828-281-3253, paularww@bellsouth.net
Get a little exercise and work off those holiday treats while viewing Asheville’s newest greenway. We will walk 3.5 miles from the Hominy Creek Park to the old French Broad River Park. Short car shuttle.
--Back to Top
WEDNESDAY NO. W0904-479 Dec. 16
Kagel Mtn. *8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 80, 1100 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Charlie Ferguson, 828-625-2677, ccf108@gmail.com
P400 *Meet at Westgate at 8:30 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 9:05 AM. This loop hike will start from Catheys Creek Rd. and follow an overgrown forest road to the Art Loeb Trail, with lunch at the Butter Gap shelter. We’ll return on another trail for variety. Nice winter views. Topos: Rosman, Shining Rock; also Nat’l. Geo. map #780 Deer hunting season - hike in groups and wear bright orange.
 
Photos by Ted Connors
Twenty people went on the hike. This hike takes us around the base of Kagel Mountain, but not to the top. We started on an overgrown, but still passable, forest service road. The road had a steady gentle slope that took us up about 700 feet over 4 miles. At that point the leader explained an option to hike off trail up to the top of Kagel Mountain, a 500 foot half-mile climb. No one was excited about it so we continued on the road which turned into a footpath that took us close to the Art Loeb trail. Here we saw some great views of the south face of Cedar Rock.
To honor Tom Bindrim, we took a 100 foot bushwhack and we were on the Art Loeb Trail, a 30 mile long maintained trail, less than a mile to the Butter Gap Shelter where we had lunch. The air temperatures had risen nicely and there were patches of sun shining through the trees. After lunch we took another no-name trail, parts of which were an old road, back to a junction with the first road that we walked on. This trail, although unmaintained, was open and a pleasure to walk on. A short walk back to the cars and a few miles driving on the gravel road and we were on our way home. People liked the hike and thought it should be scheduled again.--Charlie Ferguson
WEDNESDAY NO. W0904-345 Dec. 23
Seven Gaps and Seven Knobs *9:30 AM
Hike 6.5, Drive 25, 1100 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Marcia Bromberg, 828-505-0471, mwbromberg@yahoo.com
P400 *The only meeting place will be the Ingles parking lot on NC 191 across from Biltmore Shopping Center. A gentle winter hike along the “rim” of Bent Creek over seven knobs and seven gaps. Car shuttle.
Even though the sun was out and there was a promise of afternoon warmth, the results of the snowstorm (downed trees and unplowed roads) kept us from getting even close to the planned hike. Instead the 7 brave souls who showed up hiked the MST from near the (closed) Arboretum entrance to an intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway and then back down the snow covered parkway. Luckily the trail had been well "tramped" so our only challenge was ducking under, climbing over and skirting around downed trees and shrubs. Everyone agreed that the challenges were well worth to enjoy the beautiful snow and lovely weather.--Marcia Bromberg
WEDNESDAY NO. W0904-652 Dec. 30
Devil Fork Gap to Rocky Fork Rd. *9:00 AM
Hike 7, Drive 80, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Don Walton, 828-654-9904, donwalton@bellsouth.net
*Be prepared for possible wet stream crossings. This hike ventures into the new Rocky Fork Tract purchase of 10,000 acres near Flag Pond, TN. The first three miles of this hike is on the AT to Flint Gap Shelter and on to Flint Gap and the entry into the Rocky Fork Tract. This route is also the path of a surprise attack on an Indian Camp in the early 1800’s. Car shuttle. Topo: Flag Pond
Reports for Wednesday hikes during the eNews publication week will appear in the following eNews--The Editor.
--Back to Top
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 appears in the hike description.
Driving mileage is round trip, based on the first designated meeting place. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.
|
