Wednesday hikes submitted by Charlie Ferguson 828-333-5165, ccf108@gmail.com and Ann Gleason 828-859-9387, gleason.ann@gmail.com . Driving distance is round-trip from Asheville. All Wednesday hikes assemble at Westgate Shopping Center parking lot near CVS (Exit 3B off I-240) UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. Some hikes will have second meeting places as described in hike listings. Please contact the hike leader if you are not sure of the meeting location. Meeting times vary.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-545 Apr. 1
Bent Creek #11-Boundary Trail 8:30 AM
Hike 8.5, Drive 25, 1700 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Stuart English, 828-883-2447, stuengo@citcom.net
P400 From Bent Creek Gap we will follow the MST to the Bent Creek boundary trail, on to Ingles Field Gap, to Ledford branch Rd and down to Deer Lake Lodge trail and the Rice Pinnacle parking lot. Great views. Car shuttle. Second meeting place: Ingles parking lot across from Biltmore Sq. Mall on NC 191 at 8:45 AM. Topos: Dunsmore Mt., Skyland; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780 and Bent Creek Trail map.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-647 Apr. 8
Albright Grove Loop Trail 8:30 AM
Hike 6.7, Drive 150, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Janet Martin, 502-494-9309, jaykaymartin@msn.com
900M Hike the Maddron Bald Trail in the GSMNP for nearly 3 miles to the Albright Grove Loop trail and return on the Maddron Bald Trail. The trail first passes through 19th C. homestead sites and then passes alternately through hemlock/rosebay rhododendron and open deciduous, second growth, woods primarily of beech and tulip poplar. Fallen trees and creek beds provide a rich environment for spring wildflowers. The silverbells may be in bloom. The loop provides views of massive trunks including a tulip poplar reportedly with a 25 ft. circumference. Second meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop at Exit 24 off I-40 at 9:00 AM but call leader first. Topos: Jones Cove, Mt. Guyot; also Nat’l. Geo. GSMNP map #229

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-518 Apr. 15
Five Waterfalls in SC *8:00 AM
Hike 8, Drive 200, 500 ft. ascent, Rated B-C
Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, suejackfitz@bellsouth.net
WC100 * Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Cracker Barrel, Exit 53 on I-26 at 8:30 AM. Visit five great waterfalls in South Carolina, all on the Waterfall 100 Challenge: Spoonauger, King Creek, Yellow Branch, Issaqueena and Station Cove. All are in-and-out hikes, with 1-2 miles round trip each. Long drive and long day, but well worth it with waterfalls and spring flowers.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-089 Apr. 22
Max Patch to Lemon Gap 8:30 AM
Hike 11, Drive 75, 1800 ft. ascent, Rated A-A
Mary Beth Gywnn, 828-545-6487 mbgcmc@gmail.com
We’ll start at the Max Patch summit to take in the panoramic views at that bald, then hike to Lemon Gap to see the trilliums which should be spectacular along this section of the AT. We’ll hike back along the same route and stop to see the new AT shelter that CMC built a couple of years ago. If it hasn’t clouded over in the afternoon, we will go back up to Max Patch for one last knock-out 360° view at hike’s end. Second meeting place: 9:00 am. Pilot Truck Stop, I-40 at Exit 24. Topo: Hot Springs

Scout Report: Bruce Bente and Barbara Morgan bravely scouted this hike with me on Friday, April 10. We hiked through snow, ankle deep mud, high winds and freezing rain. Fortunately it cleared in the afternoon and we ate lunch at the old AT shelter near Lemon Gap in shirt-sleeve weather, noted a dozen kinds of wildflowers, and chatted with AT thru-hikers on the way back. We stopped at the new CMC designed and built AT shelter, read backpackers’ notes and Barbara and Mary Beth took a brief yoga break. At the end of the hike we enjoyed that gorgeous view from the top of Max Patch.

Notes to prospective hikers on 4/22: 1) There are several stream crossings. If it has been raining, poles may be helpful. 2) Wildflower lovers! We saw trout lilies, a few early trilliums - white and magenta - (should be out in force by 4/22), spring beauties, purple violets, two kinds of yellow violets, louse wart, and many other wildflowers Bruce will remember but I don’t at the moment! You may want to bring your cameras for the flowers as well as the view from Max Patch. 3) The hike is a well-graded gentle decline on the first half and a correspondingly gentle incline on the way back, so the ~ 12 miles doesn’t feel overly strenuous. Many thanks to Bruce and Barbara for venturing out with me in inclement weather to scout this hike!

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-643 Apr. 29
Woods Mtn. Natural History hike *10:00 AM
Hike 6, Drive 80, 1400 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
William Grow, 828-756-4070, waxwing4@verizon.net
Theme hike *Note later start time. Meet at Westgate at 10:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at McDonald’s at Exit 73 (Old Fort) at 10:30 AM. Starting at the Woodlawn USFS Work Center on US 221 north of Marion, we will hike on the MST going west. We first will go along an old logging road but soon the trail turns off and slants down to Tom's Creek and then starts up toward the summit of Wood's Mountain along Betsy's Ridge. We will go part way up and then return by the same route. Since this is a natural history hike, how far we get depends upon how many wildflowers/birds/whatever we stop to look at. Anyone having them should bring magnifying glasses and/or binoculars. The number of hikers is limited to 15. Please contact the leader to reserve your space. Topos: Marion West, Little Switzerland

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-060 May 6
Pilot Mtn. – Farlow Gap 8:30 AM
Hike 8, Drive 80, 2300 ft. ascent, Rated B-AA
Ashok Kudva, 828-698-7119, ashok.kudva@mchsi.com
P400 This hike is timed for what we hope will be the bloom of rare pink-shell azaleas and trout lilies. It starts with a steep climb to the summit of Pilot Mtn. with good views, then down to Deep Gap and a short climb over Sassafras Knob. It's nearly all downhill or level as we continue to Farlow Gap with its trout lily flower display. We'll return on a pleasant seldom-used graveled forest road. There will be several stops for photography along the way. Second meeting place: Pisgah Ranger Station at 9:10 AM. Topo: Shining Rock; also Nat'l. Geo. PRD map #780

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-257 May 13
Hemphill Bald - Rough Fork Loop *8:00 AM
Hike 13.7, Drive 96, 3200 ft. ascent, Rated A-AA
Brenda Worley, 828-684-8656, clworley@bellsouth.net.
900M *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM (No second meeting place). Spectacular views at Hemphill Bald, good lunch spot in open meadow with stone table, record-size trees near junction of Hemphill Bald and Caldwell Fork Trails. We expect to see many spring wildflowers along the trail. The pace will be moderate. Topos: Bunches Bald, Dellwood; also Nat’l. Geo. GSMNP map #229  Note: There will be no second meeting place as described in the paper Let's Go newsletter schedule.

WEDNESDAY NO W0902-648 May 20
Seven Waterfalls in Pisgah Nat’l. Forest *8:00 AM
Hike 6, Drive 100, Rated C-C
Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, suejackfitz@bellsouth.net
WC100 *Meet at Westgate at 8:00 AM to form carpools, and meet leader at Pisgah Forest Ranger Station at 8:35 AM. Visit seven waterfalls in Pisgah Nat’l. Forest, all on the Waterfall 100 Challenge: Looking Glass, Moore Cove, Skinny Dip, Dill, Courthouse, Bird Rock and Cathey's Creek. All are in and out hikes of 2 miles or less for each waterfall.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-636 May 27
Coontree-Bennett Gap-Pressley Cove Lollipop *9:00 AM
Hike 8.4, Drive 75, 1900 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Ashok Kudva, 828-698-7119, ashok.kudva@mchsi.com
P400 * Note later start time. Meet at Westgate at 9:00 AM to form carpools, and meet the leader at Pisgah Ranger Station at 9:35 AM. This hike is an extension of the popular half-day Coontree Loop hike. We start ascending the left branch of Coontree trail, proceed in and out on Bennett Gap and Pressley Cove trails and descend on the right branch of Coontree trail to the cars. We will visit an old homestead chimney, a remnant of the farming community between Pressley Cove and Maxwell Cove. Topo: Pisgah Forest; also Nat’l. Geo. PRD map #780

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY HIKE: WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-394 June 3
Cataloochee and Little Cataloochee 8:00 AM
Hike 7.2, Drive 90, 2028 ft. ascent, Rated B-A
Barbara Morgan, 828-738-3395, bcmorg@hughes.net
900M Walk the "Dug Road," originally built in the 1850s. See an unrestored farm site, a restored log cabin, the old apple house, an old church, and possibly, elk. The Dug Road is mostly a 2.7 mile bushwhack on an abandoned trail with obstructions making it more challenging! The hike is not that many miles, but fairly steep - we'll take our time. Participants may be interested in a dinner stop on the way back to Asheville. Second Meeting place: Pilot truck stop, I-40 Exit 24 at 8:30 am. Topo: Cove Creek Gap; also Nat’l. Geo. GSMNP map #229.  See the American Hiking Society site for other Trails Day events.

Scout Report:  Six intrepid hikers (Barbara Morgan, Charlie Ferguson, Mike Knies, Stuart English, Lee Silver, and Ted Connors) scouted this hike to be led June 3, 2009 by Barbara Morgan. Despite frequent periods of rain and the expected many limbs and deadfall to navigate, we thoroughly enjoyed this rare chance to explore an area of the Smokies not known to the average hiker.

Hike time was approximately 6 hours, hiking distance 7.2 miles, and elevation gain 2,028 feet. This is considered a difficult hike due to the time spent continually bushwacking.

We first hiked the centerpiece of this hike is the “dug road,” a track built by hand in the 1850’s to enable horse-drawn sledges to pull produce between settlements. Though visible, it is not maintained by the park, and it has numerous fallen trees, rhododendron branches, and other obstacles along its 2.7 mile length that make passage a challenge. Be warned – this is not a hike for wearing shorts. When the “dug road” became too difficult to follow, we bushwacked to the well-maintained trail that would be our return route. We lunched at the Little Cataloochee Churchl and explored the graveyard there. On the way back we checked out the well-restored Cook’s cabin; then we enjoyed a much easier (and drier) return via Davidson Gap to Palmer Creek and our cars.

The hike also passes numerous remnants of early settlement – stack rock walls, hewn logs from a structure, and even an intact chimney that make one muse at the life of those residents. Numerous wildflowers were present. It is possible to see elk or bears in this area, although we did not. We did talk with a very friendly and knowledgeable park volunteer who showed us antlers, pelts, and other items to help us understand the elk reintroduction program.

 

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-008 June 10
Bee Tree Gap to Tanbark Tunnel *9:00 AM
Hike 6.2, Drive 30, 1300 ft. ascent, Rated C-B
Joe Burchfield, 828-298-8413, burchfield@niu.edu
*Only meeting place: lower parking lot of Folk Art Center on BRP. A moderate hike on the MST over Lane Pinnacle. Good mountain views and, with luck, the rhododendrons will be in bloom. There are several steep but short ups and downs and a long descent. Car shuttle. Topo: Craggy Pinnacle; also MST Profiles, pg. 63-65

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-566 June 17
The Roans *8:30 AM
Hike 8, Drive130, 1000 ft. ascent, Rated B-C
Adrian Lotherington, 828-484-9132, jaloth@charter.net
SB6K *Only meeting place: Rose’s car park (opposite McDonald’s), Exit 19B off I-26, in Weaverville. This in-and-out hike features superb views. From Carver’s Gap we go over Jane Bald and Round Bald, to 6160 ft. Grassy Ridge Bald. These balds are rare and beautiful ecosystems. Hopefully we will hit the time when we will walk among the magnificent mounds of Rhododendrons. If time allows we will drive to the gardens (small fee) and walk ½ mile to see the great view from 6267 ft. Roan High Bluff.

WEDNESDAY NO. W0902-375 June 24
AT: Sams Gap to Rice Gap 9:00 AM
Hike 7.5, Drive 60, 1200 ft. ascent, Rated B-B
Charlie Ferguson, 828-625-2677, ccf108@gmail.com
An in-and-out hike, on the AT, in the beautiful open forest from Sams Gap to Rice Gap. We'll lunch at the Hog Back Ridge shelter. Topo: Sams Gap