All Day Saturday & Sunday
SATURDAY NO. A1001-172 Jan. 16
John Rock Loop 10:00 AM
Hike 6, Drive 72, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Victoria Tripp, 828-348-4505, torrose@gmail.com
P400 A moderate loop hike starting at the Fish Hatchery and hiking via Picklesimer Fields and Cat Gap, with good views from John Rock. Second meeting place: Fish Hatchery parking lot, off FS 475 at 10:40 AM. Topo: Pisgah Forest; also NatGeo map #780
 
Photos by Victoria Tripp and Bruce Bente
Saturday the 16th, a warm day for 2010, fourteen people started the hike up John Rock. There was still ice on the trail which made it challenging. Two people decided to turn back about a quarter of the way. The views were worth the challenge. As everyone enjoyed lunch on John Rock a three legged dog showed up, having followed another group up the trail. A few people compared crampons, a desirable equipment for the conditions. The twelve who completed the trail succeeded in staying upright for the entire hike.--Victoria Tripp
SUNDAY NO. A1001-678 Jan. 17
An Edge of Panthertown *8:00 AM
Hike 8, Drive 110, 2300 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Dave Wetmore, 828-884-7296, dwetmore@citcom.net
*Form carpools at Westgate, and meet leader at Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 8:30 AM. This new hike for the Club begins with a long gradual ascent on an old road to a gap followed by an equally gradual ascent to the viewpoint near the bottom of the Devil’s Elbow Ridge. We’ll climb the old trail up the ridge to our second viewpoint. From there a short cross-country descent to another old road will take us back to our gap and from there back to the trailhead. Time permitting, there will be a short detour to Aunt Sally’s falls. The old roads are all open and have foot trails on them. There are a couple of easy rock hops near the trailhead and a tricky one later on. Topo: Lake Toxaway
One other hiker decided that it wasn't too wet and gloomy for hiking, so off we went. There were a few new blow downs, and the recent rains and melting made the usual stream fords a little tricky and presented us with fords where there are none in dry weather. An especially interesting one was about four feet wide, with a gushing stream of water flowing over a bottom of solid ice. The rain had thawed the crust on the snow, so instep crampons (which we both had) were unnecessary. I am beginning to think that if clouds and rain are ever needed, all I need do is lead a hike that features views!--Dave Wetmore
ALL DAY NO. A1001-532 Jan. 24
Sassafras Mtn. 8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 140, 2400 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Lenny Bernstein, 828-236-0192, lsberns@worldnet.att.net
This is a pleasant hike from US 178 up to the highest peak in South Carolina, following the Foothills Trail. Second meeting place: NE corner of Cracker Barrel parking lot at Exit 53 of I-26 at 9:00 AM. Topo: Eastatoe Gap; also Guide to Foothills Trail, sections A4 to A2.
The hike was cancelled because of rainy, cold weather. CMC hikers showed great intelligence – none of them showed up at either meeting point. Your hike leader now has the dubious distinction of being the first person to announce a cancelled hike on Facebook.--Lenny Bernstein
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Half Day Sunday
HALF-DAY NO. H1001-052 Jan. 17
Warren Wilson College *12:30 PM
Hike 5, Drive 6, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Bobbi Powers, 828-667-5419, bobbip@netzero.net
*Only meeting place: Folk Art Center back parking lot at 12:30 PM. We’ll do two in-and-out strolls, each beginning and ending at the Swannanoa River Bridge on the Warren Wilson Campus. We’ll hike both the River Trail to Old Farm School Road and the Upper River Trail, ending at the Charles D. Owen Park meander along the Swannanoa River. We’ll see a grove of giant bamboo and the College farm, as well as enjoy the scenic river.
Photo by Bobbi Powers
On a dank and drizzly afternoon, four hardy women who were totally unconcerned about the football play-offs met at Folk Art Center. Because of the heavy rain Saturday night, we decided against the Warren Wilson hike along the Swannanoa River, fearing it would be a swamp, and instead we hiked up to Lunch Rock from the FAC along the MST - relatively dry and no ice or snow. Sawyers had obviously been working hard; the trail was clear of quite a few downed trees. A hike that began with a little rain ended with a little sunshine.--Bobbi Powers
HALF-DAY NO. H1001-347 Jan. 24
Twin Falls *12:30 PM
Hike 6, Drive 80, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Nonmembers, call leader, Lee Belknap, 828-698-9394, rivergypsy@sprintmail.com
P400 *Form carpools at Westgate and meet leader at Pisgah Ranger Station at 1:10 PM. This is 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 a loop on a Forest Service road and the Clawhammer Cove Trail with its beaver dam.
This hike was originally scheduled to be to Twin Falls. However, since Avery Creek Road is currently closed, the hike was moved to the Falls of Grogan Creek. This 4 mile in and out hike is not specifically in the hike database, but follows part of hike # 170, Butter Gap Trail.
Two of us hiked on a very rainy day. We started from the Fish Hatchery, stopped at the waterfall on Cedar Rock Creek (included in the WC100 challenge), detoured at Picklesimer Fields to view the beaver dams, visited the high and dry beaver lodge (a flood had washed out the dam, leaving it high and dry and very approachable) and finally reached the Falls on Grogan Creek where we turned around. The trail conditions were very wet, but regular hiking boots were adequate for the conditions.--Lee Belknap
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WEDNESDAY NO. W1001-677 Jan. 13
Swannanoa River/Warren Wilson College 8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 27, 100 ft. ascent, Rated B-C
Mary Beth Gwynn, 828-254-2042, Cell: 828-545-6487, mbgcmc@gmail.com
We hike along the Swannanoa River and on Dams Pasture trails passing through a bamboo grove and by the old dam. From the old dam we take Anthony’s Loop and return back to Owen Park where the hike began. Second meeting place: Owen Park at 8:50 AM. Topo: Oteen; also Warren Wilson College Trails Map
Photo by Mary Beth Gwynn
Fifteen of us took a walk along the Swannanoa River on Warren Wilson College trails on the warmest day in 2010 to date. We were 7 men, 8 women, recent college graduates to 80-somethings. Early in the hike we met by pre-arrangement with David Ellum, Professor of Forestry and College Forest Director at WWC. He talked with us about the ecosystems in the forests, specific trees along the riverbanks and the goals of the forest program at WWC. He also passed out much appreciated maps of the WWC trails. Neither this map nor another map of the trails found online is in anyway complete however so a certain amount of exploring was needed. (This is spite of three scouts prior to the hike.)
The hike was in the best sense a collaborative affair. It was also lovely; the river was rimmed in ice and flowed clear and cold. The old dam was examined, large draft horses admired, pigs, chickens and cows noted and a sunny spot found for lunch. Spirits were generally high as few had been out of doors much for weeks. We started out at 9:15 a.m. and returned by 1:30 p.m. Keiko calculated 8 miles for the hike (not including a certain amount of exploring) and an altitude gain of 120 feet.--Mary Beth Gwynn
WEDNESDAY NO. W1001-399 Jan. 20
Loop around John Rock and Cedar Rock Mtn. 8:30 AM
Hike 9, Drive 70, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Sawako Jager, 828-687-2547, Baiko70@aol.com
P400 Follow Horse Cove Trail around John Rock to Cat Gap, then follow the Art Loeb Trail through Sandy Gap and circle around Cedar Rock Mtn. to Butter Gap. Return to the Fish Hatchery via Grogan Creek and Picklesimer Fields. Possible side trip to the summit of John Rock or Cedar Rock. Second meeting place: Pisgah Forest Bi-Lo at 9:00 AM. Topo: Shining Rock; also NatGeo map # 780
Photo by Sawako Jager
Eight hikers started hiking from the Fish Hatchery on the Cat Gap trail to Cat Gap then west on the Art Loeb Trail. At Sandy Gap we climbed an extra 400ft to the summit of Cedar Rock Mtn. After lunch and enjoying the beautiful views we bushwhacked down the south ridge of Cedar Rock to the Art Loeb which we took to the Butter Gap trail, which we hiked back to the Fish Hatchery. On the way back we visited two waterfalls. A light sprinkle started at the end of the hike but we saw a rainbow afterwards! We are happy to report that the trail conditions were much better than last week's snow and ice.--Sawako Jager
WEDNESDAY NO. W1001-599 Jan. 27
Daniel Ridge-Caney Bottom Cove Creek Falls Loop *8:30 AM
Hike 10, Drive 80, 1800 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
P400, WC100 *Form car pools at Westgate, and meet leader at Pisgah Forest Ranger Station at 9:05 AM. We’ll start with the 4-mile Daniel Ridge Loop, ending at Toms Springs Falls, a 100 foot falls. From these falls, we’ll follow an old FS road, go down an unmapped trail to Caney Bottom Trail. Here we’ll loop around to Cove Creek Trail and 60 foot Cove Creek Falls, then back to Caney Bottom Loop and eventually back to our cars on Davidson River Road (FS 475). Topo: Shining Rock; also NatGeo map #780
Reports for Wednesday hikes during the eNews publication week will appear in the following eNews--The Editor.
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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 appears in the hike description.
Driving mileage is round trip, based on the first designated meeting place. Meet at Westgate unless otherwise noted.
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