hike report:
We enjoyed a perfect day in the mountains on Saturday July 8. We parked at the end of route 816, and hiked the old fire road out about two miles to Ivestor Gap. Not withstanding the rocky road, we had a pleasant early morning temperatures, a full sun and some great conversation about past hikes in this area. The shrubs along the old fire access road had grown considerably since our first hike out 12 years ago on this trail. Once we reach Ivestor Gap, we ascended Tennent Mountain and took some time out to inspect the plaque and reflect on the history of CMC's 100 year anniversary. We continued back down along the Art Lobe Trail and back up to Black Balsam Knob for lunch and our group photo. After lunch we took the steep short trail back down to the road to complete our hike. Since it was a Saturday, we did encounter quite a few hikers coming and going on the Art Loeb trail.hike report:
There was a steady drizzle when we started the hike at Haywood Gap with eight hikers. The rain soon stopped and the sun stayed out the remainder of the hike. We had lunch near NC 215 on the Middle Prong Wilderness side. After lunch it was a steady uphill with a lot of rocks and roots. The views were clear though and the mountain ranges were lush because of recent rain. We didn't see any other hikers until lunch. We saw three groups after lunch. The pinkish white rhododendron were blooming and plentiful.scout report:
hike report:
Four Hikers set out the morning under threatening skies that very quickly turned sunny for the remainder of our outing. Gran sobrina Emilia (great niece) , Hikers Sue and Brian were also there. We forgoed the hike up Richland Balsam and headed down the Three Trees access to the MST. The access is not a bushwack but rather an old woods road , It begins with a short manway. On the hike we found recent work by the Friday Crew that was a great improvement to the treadway. We kept a steady 2 mph pace and finished by 3pm.hike report:
We had a great day hiking in Rocky Fork. Karen Lachow organized carpoolers in Asheville and met the rest of us a few minutes early at Rocky Fork State Park. We had 13 CMC members and 3 Guests. After brief introductions and hike information we got going quickly hoping to beat predicted afternoon thunderstorms. We climbed 1000' into Rocky Fork's backcountry then looped around for 5 miles before descending back to Rocky Fork Creek. Along the way we saw lush plant life, wildflowers, birds, tadpoles, bear tracks and 2 Copperhead snakes. A portion of the route was along a 1920's era logging railroad grade where we saw old iron rails and coal left over from logging operations. After 10 miles we arrived back at the trailhead just before 4:00 and before any thunderstorms materialized.scout report:
I scouted the trails we will use over the last few weeks and yesterday, most have received maintenance and weed-eating recently and the only one that hasn't (Blockstand) is scheduled for two days before our hike, so all should be well. Trails in the park are a bit wet from near daily rain lately so be ready for a few waterholes to negotiate, lots of bear tracks in the wet areas to see though.hike report:
Even with temps in the 80's plus, eight of us enjoyed a leisurely hike on an a well maintained and good tread section of the MST to Haw Creek O/L (Lunch Rock) and return. The hot and somewhat muggy weather slowed us down from any fast paced hike. Had a nice, leisurely lunch on "lunch rock" with the longest climb of the hike immediately after. With a couple of comments from other hikers seeing a bear - we did! As usual the bear just kept rambling along minding it's own pursuits. Carrollhike report:
Seven hikers joined me for a day of adventure on the Deep Gap Trail, also called the Black Mountain Crest Trail. Thankfully while temperatures soared in Asheville, we hiked in pleasant temperatures in the mid 60's. The day began with some fog and clouds, but we enjoyed great views at Mt. Craig and Big Tom. Everyone was a trooper through the ropes section, where new ropes had been installed recently. We admired some recent steps built by CMC trail maintainers. And everyone did well navigating the high step ups and down, tilted rock faces, and areas where some of us elected to slide down on our rear ends. We enjoyed a quiet lunch at Cattail Peak before heading back. We encountered many hikers on this Sunday hike including a boy scout troop that was finishing a 3 day camping/hiking trip in the area. We also spoke to a few hardy souls who had camped the night before, enduring the very windy thunderstorm that rolled through the area, complete with lightning. We were all thankful we missed that. We welcomed a new hiker who began with CMC doing some trail work and was interested in trying some hiking as well.scout report:
On my scout hike July 10 I was joined by 4 CMC friends: Kevin, Brian, Susan and Diane S. What an adventurous day we had! This hike offers lots of variety – technical hiking, rock scrambles, very high step ups/downs, two rope sections, beautiful forest and great views from 2 of the peaks (on a clear day). There are long stretches of large rocks, some are flat and some are tilted and can be slippery if wet. Some are also steep and these can be difficult for shorter hikers to get through. Be prepared to possibly slide down on your rear end. This is definitely NOT a beginner hike. Do not let the short mileage fool you. Although only 5 total miles, this hike is quite difficult. Expect total hiking time of at least 5 hours (yes that averages to one mph!) I was completely surprised by this hike. I knew there were several climbs up and descents, since we would cross four peaks all over 6000’ tall. I was not expecting to be encumbered in a forest with tree trunks so tall you had.to tip your head back to see the leaves in the upper branches. The shade is so dense that moss grows on the tree trunks. We began hiking at 9:30 when the temperature was about 57 (!) degrees. And while the day warmed up, it was still a comfortable mid 60’s by the time we finished. But the clouds were with us all morning so we had only views of fog/clouds from the two viewpoints. After lunch the clouds cleared enough that we enjoyed seeing Big Butt, Little Butt and Point Misery in the distance. A special surprise was finding a CMC trail maintenance crew working. They were weed whacking, lopping and even building new stairs! When I lead a group of CMC hikers in a few short weeks, all the trimmings will be dried out. But we will still enjoy the much more open trail. Some tips for this hike: Poles will be super helpful. Some hikers may like to wear gloves (fingerless biker gloves would work) to handle the rope section (totally optional). Expect the trail to be wet, as the Mt Mitchell area gets a lot of rain. Wet areas can be slippery. This is one of my favorite hikes. Join me to experience an enchanting day in the forest filled with so much variety that you will remember it for a long time.hike report:
Three hikers joined me on this classic Pisgah Forest Ramble. Tia, Jeff, Carroll and I set off about 10 AM from Yellow Gap Road on the 8 1/2mile hike to Turkey Pen. We negotiated the 26 stream crossing in fine fashion . One hiker showed us how to gracefully cool off on one crossing. The water was low making it all a lot easier. A highlight was a fiel od Yellow Cut Leaf Cone Flowers.scout report:
This 6-mile hike features good views and interesting, seldom-used trails. It was scouted on 8/8; the seldom-used trails and part of the MST segment were found to be very overgrown. Enough trail work was done today to make the hike passable. Hiking poles are strongly recommended and long pants will be more comfortable.hike report:
We had a great group of 10 hiking out 6 miles through Rocky Fork to remote, small, Birchfield Lake. Along the way we enjoyed Rocky Fork Creek and its numerous cascades which were rollicking with all the water flowing down after recent storms. Due to forecast afternoon thunderstorms we made good time going out, all uphill, and lunched at the lake just past noon. After lunch we circled the lake, noticing numerous fresh bear tracks, and headed in to beat the storms. The easy downhill grade going back made for a good pace again and we arrived back at the trailhead just past 4:00. The group was great to make this 12 hike in such good time and of course the storms never came.scout report:
I scouted this route Saturday, July 8 and found it all very nice. The trails used to reach the lake are all old logging roads, high and dry above the creeks, so no wet feet. The lake looks nice about 2/3 full and all lush and green surrounding it. Lots of bear tracks in the wet areas, plenty of wildflowers and birds calling. We left the parking lot at 9:00, ate lunch at the lake, and were back at 3:00.scout report:
Scouted on Aug. 12 with Vonnie, Beverly and Cheow. This is more like 8 miles in length with 5 stream crossings that you cannot rock hop. Plan on wearing shoes you can walk through the stream without taking your shoes off each time. Will be best to bring trekking poles. Muddy in places and some overgrown sections for some light bushwacking. Still some wildflowers and lots of mushrooms to see along the trail. Second Meeting Place: Ingles on NC 191/280 N end of parking lot in front of Pardee Urgent Care (Mills River) at 8:45 AM where the hike leader will be waiting.hike report:
We had a wonderful temperature day for a lot of water crossings! There were some twists and turns and non-marked trails...but we managed to get back to the cars around 3pm. Hike was around 8 miles in length. We saw a big group of boy scouts who had been out backpacking, and some tired looking leaders walking out when we started out in the morning. A couple of the cars had a little excitement trying to get down Turkey Pen drive due to some residents trying to get out. We were followed by a couple horse vans who were not going to back up. Thank you Dannie for trying to sort that out! A fun time was had by all. :-)scout report:
The first time I went to Green Knob was 7/29 when a workday was called by Paul Dickens. We had the Rovers and 9 college students from Florida for a day of work and a lot was accomplished. The second time, Adrianne went up with me from 215 and we did a little work on top. The third time on 8/17, I went back in with Bill Zimmerman, who is the trail maintainer for Green Mountain Trail, and Paul Dickens, who is the trail crew leader for the wilderness group, and we got it cleared for the hike. I am going in on the MST from Rough Butt Bald O/L, taking the Green Mountain Trail to Green Knob for lunch on one of the beautiful open areas on the Green Mountain. We will come back down and hike to 215 via the MST. This is all wilderness which means there are no blazes or trail signs. I won't go to Mt. Hardy as there are no views because of the overgrowth. The crews cannot work on the trail to Mt. Hardy because it is only a social trail. Should anyone in the group need Mt. Hardy for the 40/6000, I can take them back later. I have been there several times in the past, and there has never been much of a view. Wear long pants and long sleeve shirts. Poles are very helpful because some areas have rough footing.hike report:
Only two hikers came out of the eight I originally had on the list, but we had a nice hike. I changed it to a partial loop from a shuttle because there was only three of us. We saw no one all day. The views were outstanding and the weather nice and cool for an August day. Thanks to Paul Dickens, Trail Crew Leader of the Wilderness Crew, and Bill Zimmerman, who is the secondary trail manager for the Green Mountain Trail for all their work in clearing the Green Mountain Trail to Green Knob.hike report:
We registered 12 hikers and had 4 on a wait list when the Q3 schedule first came out. Several people dropped off the hike about a month before the hike and all 4 on the waitlist were able to be accommodated. Watching the Montreat forecast a couple days before the hike, we were facing rain and thunderstorms. Several more people dropped off the hike at that point. With three hikers and the 2 hike leaders remaining we planned to start the hike a little early to lessen the chance of getting caught in the rain. 2 of the 3 hikers dropped out at that point - so we were left with the 2 hike leaders and one hiker... we proceeded with the hike! There were no issues with storms, but there were significant issues with yellow jackets. We were not able to successfully navigate a nest about .8 miles from the start (ouch). About a mile later we encountered another large nest of yellow jackets swarming around shoulder level and decided not to risk going by the nest. Another group of hikers decided they were going to turn back and we did as well. We got about 2.5 miles done and after getting back to our cars, we explored Montreat. We walked around Lake Susan and up to the Assembly Center and around a lovely park on a creek. It was not the day we had planned, but it was pleasant wandering about.scout report:
Ken and I hiked the Graybeard Trail up to Walker's Knob and back on Friday 8/4/23. The 8.13 mile hike was a steady 1722 ft. climb with wonderful views of Montreat and Black Mountain Valley from Walker's Knob. We stoped and enjoyed lunch at the Walker's Knob shelter. We were reminded that this hike has some challenging terrain in several places. We strongly suggest hiking poles and sturdy hiking shoes/boots vs. trail runners. There are a number of rocky sections and many sections with exposed roots due to erosion. We counted 4 stream crossings, none were too terrible, but due to the amount of rain we had the day before the stream was high. There was also a lot of muddy sections and several portions of the trail had standing water. Two nice views attached from the Walker's Knob summit :)scout report:
This is a beautiful hike to Hemphill Bald. We had weather across the board from overcast to sunny and then a strong thunderstorm after lunch. There are several blowdowns that are easy to navigate. However, on the final climb, there are wildflowers that have overtaken the trail. We had to push through chest high overgrowth with lots of bees so if anyone is allergic, I would stay away. We decided to walk on Cataloochee property to avoid another round with the bees on the way back but will not be doing this on the group hike as we had to slide under a barb wire fence to return to the trail and signs warned of prosecution for trespassing. The parking lot is small but there is another lot less than 1/2 mile away so we can shuttle if needed. Thanks to Donna L. for scouting this with me.hike report:
Anyone who has hiked up to Hemphill Bald from either direction knows what a gem this is. We had four hikers who enjoyed this hike for the first time. We had a chilly start (how wonderful!) and beautiful weather for the day. Since the scout, a tree fell on the barbed wire fence and it was possible to climb over. However, the overgrown flowers started shrinking and retreating from the trail so we had no issues with bees. One hiker did get stung on his ankle by a yellow jacket. We had a leisurely lunch on the bald. Lots of conversation with a fun group!hike report:
Hike was cancelled due to weatherhike report:
We were a small group but totally enjoyed our hike which included some very interesting trees. And since September is the MST's birthday month we wished the trail a big Happy Birthday for 46 years of great hiking!scout report:
I scouted this hike with Vonnie and Cheow on 9/7. As you can see from the photos, we had a beautiful day. The trails were all in good condition. We enjoyed the wonderful panoramas at Devil’s Courthouse and had lunch on the rocks in the middle of Flat Laurel Creek. Overall, a really fun hike.scout report:
I took the opportunity to scout this hike 8/4/23 when it was being offered by CMC leaders Marie C. and Diane S. during the A.T. Vista on what turned out to be the most warm and humid day so far this summer. There are different routes to take up to Lovers Leap, this is the longest and steepest at 8-miles with 1800 ft. total ascent. We began on the Lover’s Leap Trail then turned onto the Pump Gap trail hiking clockwise with an almost constant climb of 1000 ft. over 3-miles. There were a few trees down, easy to step over, and lots of colorful fungi to admire. The trail turns sharply, then levels out while crossing the A.T. twice. At the second junction with the A.T. at Pump Gap, we followed the A.T. mostly down where we got some nice views of the French Broad, to Lover’s Leap. We returned to the cars on the Lover’s Leap Trail but I am considering returning on the A.T. which has good views of the river.