All Day  Saturday & Sunday

SATURDAY NO. 1002-008 May 22
Bee Tree Gap to Tanbark Tunnel 10:00 AM
Hike 6.2, Drive 40, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Kathleen Hannigan, 828-230-4883, kathleen.hannigan@pgnmail.,com
A pleasant spring hike on the MST over Lane Pinnacle and through the Rattlesnake Lodge site, featuring excellent views, interesting rock formations and many wildflowers. There are several steep but short ups and downs and a long, well-graded descent. 6-mile car shuttle. Second meeting place: Craven Gap at 10:20 AM. Topo: Craggy Pinnacle

ALL DAY NO. A1002-151 May 23
Big East to Shining Rock via Old Butt 8:00 AM
(strenuous)
Hike 8.5, Drive 60, 3100 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA+
Les Love, 828-658-1489, lesrlove@charter.net
SB6K, P400 We will hike from the Big East parking lot up the steep Chestnut Ridge trail over Dog Loser and Old Butt knobs to lunch at Shining Rock (6040 ft.) with its exceptional views. We’ll return via a steep descent to the North Fork of Shining Creek. Wilderness area hike limited to ten people; please contact leader for reservations. Topo: Shining Rock; also NatGeo. PRD map #780

ALL DAY NO. A1002-470 May 30
Fork Mtn. – Birdstand Mtn. 8:00 AM
Hike 9, Drive 85, 600 ft. ascent, Rated A-C
Charlie Ferguson, 828-625-2677, ccf108@gmail.com
P400 For the P400 fans, here is a chance to bag a remote trail from the Black Balsam parking lot down to NC 215. Be prepared for a 3200 ft. descent, with only a short climb up Birdstand Mtn There will be a wet-foot crossing of the West Prong of the Pigeon River at the end of the hike. Wilderness area, limit 10, so contact leader for reservation. Car shuttle. Topos: Shining Rock, Sam Knob; also NatGeo. map #780 and USFS Shining Rock & Middle Prong Wilderness map

MEMORIAL DAY NO. A1002-237 May 31
Plott Balsams 8:00 AM
Hike 9, Drive 90, 3400 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA+
Bercky Smucker, 828-231-2198, bjsmucker@gmail.com
SB6K Our annual joint hike with the Smoky Mtns. Hiking Club this year takes us to the Plott Balsams. We’ll climb four SB6K peaks while enjoying spectacular views and May flowers. From Waterrock Knob (6292 ft.), we’ll follow a very rough, steep trail to Lyn Lowry (6240 ft.) and Plott Balsam (6088 ft.), then retrace our steps to the trailhead and hike to Yellowface (6032 ft.) and back. Expect a rough, uneven trail and climbing over and under blowdowns on steep slopes. Wear long sleeve shirt and pants. Second meeting place: Rest area beyond Waynesville on US 23/74 at 8:30 AM. Topos: Hazelwood, Sylva North

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Half Day Sunday

HALF-DAY NO. H1002-403 May 23
DuPont Forest – Reasonover Trail *12:15 PM
Hike 6, Drive 80, Rated B-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Kathleen Hudson, 828-698-5208, kathudson47@gmail.com
*Form carpools at Westgate, and meet leader at Hooker Falls Parking Lot in DuPont Forest at 1:00 PM. This pleasant loop hike in the DuPont Forest includes the Fawn Lake, Corn Mills Shoals, Bridal Veil Falls, Lake Julia and Reasonover Creek Trails and features views of waterfalls.

HALF-DAY NO. H1002-009 May 30
Ox Creek Road to Rattlesnake Lodge *1:00 PM
Hike 4.4, Drive 30, Rated C-C
Nonmembers, call leader, Jim Ariail, 828-505-0443, jimariail@yahoo.com
P400 *Note that the only meeting place is the back parking lot of the Folk Art Center. This in-and-out hike along the MST will feature the historic Rattlesnake Lodge site.

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All Day Wednesday

WEDNESDAY NO. W1002-113 May 26
Cold Mountain 8:00 AM
Janet Martin, 502 494 9309, jaykaymartin@msn.com
Hike 10.4, Drive 70, 3400 ft ascent, Rated A-AA
SB6K, P400 From the BSA Daniel Boone Camp, we will climb and climb past laurel and rhododendron to Deep Gap, and then continue to the top of the mountain for great views of the BRP and Mt. Hardy. Wilderness area, limit 10, so contact leader for reservation. Topos: Waynesville, Cruso; also NatGeo. map #780

WEDNESDAY NO. W1002-104 June 2
Wolfe Ford and High Falls *9:00 AM
Hike 7.3, Drive 80, 900 ft. ascent, Rated B-C
Laura Frisbie, 828-337-5845, laurafrisbie@charter.net
P400 *Form carpools at Westgate, and meet leader at Bi-Lo in Pisgah Forest at 9:30 AM. From the gauging station on the South Mills River, we'll hike this mostly level trail to High Falls, then cross the footbridge at Wolfe Ford and loop back to the trailhead. One possibly wet stream crossing. Topo: Pisgah Forest; also NatGeo map #780

Email your hike reports to Dave Wetmore.The deadline for reports is 9:00 p.m. on the Tuesdays before an eNews comes out. 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.