New Section of A.T. Opened At
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SECOND QUARTER 2004 Quarterly News Bulletin and Hike Schedule P.O. Box 68, Asheville, NC 28802 • www.carolinamtnclub.org • e-mail: [email protected] NEW SECTION OF A.T. OPENED AT SLAUGHTER CREEK On Saturday January 17, volunteers from the sate for the loss of the camping area in Georgia Appalachian Trail Club opened a Slaughter Gap, a camping area with eight new section of AT. near Slaughter Creek. The tent sites was constructed along the new sec- half mile of new Trail replaces the 0.9 mile of tion of AT. Each site will accommodate up to old AT. between Slaughter Creek and three backpacking tents. Water is available at Slaughter Gap in the Blood Mountain the Slaughter Creek Spring near the camping Wilderness. These changes will allow AT. area. With a little relief from human impact, hikers to completely by-pass the heavily the denuded area in Slaughter Gap should impacted area in Slaughter Gap. To compen- gradually re-vegetate. Additional informa- tion can be found on GATC’s web site at: Announcing a new book http://www.georgia-atclub.org/news.html A new book entitled The Hiker's Guide to Preparing Home-Cooked Meals on the Trail AT Meeting with Morgan explores the subject of dehydrating, pack- Sommerville aging, and rehydrating foods for use in the The CMC Council met with Morgan to give wilderness by any outdoor enthusiast wish- input and discuss the new plan the AT is Firefly Camping, History ing to carry lightweight, compact, and tasty implementing soon. We learned that the Appalachian Trail Park Office (ATPO) and and Hiking Weekend in the meals. Some one hundred recipes are pre- sented and one chapter explains how to the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) are Smokies—June 18 to 20, 2004 build a lightweight oven to be used with a restructuring and the Trail clubs along the camp-stove to bake things like biscuits and AT will be included and affected by this Enjoy a weekend CMC camping trip in the pizza. The recipes are easy to prepare and change. The Trail Conference Board of Smokies. See the unusual mating ritual of the Managers has adopted a bold and ambi- allow the hiker to carry meals like those synchronous fireflies. Hike in an area of the tious plan to restructure the organization cooked at home at a greatly reduced Smokies that is too far from Asheville for a to better protect and manage the weight. No longer will the hiker need to daytrip, offering both moderate and challeng- Appalachian Trail. The plan emphasizes rely on nutrition-deficient, freeze-dried ing hikes. Tour the Elkmont historic houses strategies to raise ATC's profile with the foods on the trail. Inquiries and orders can and learn the history of these houses and their hikers and the general public, better con- be placed at www.trafford.com. controversial future. nect it to the volunteers in the affiliated For details, see the schedule in this issue. clubs who handle most of the day-to-day, Register early as the number of campers is on-the-ground Trail work, and increase sta- limited to 27. ble sources of future income to support its The following activities are planned: mission. Please refer to this link for more Friday evening: See the synchronous fireflies information: http://www.appalachiantrail. after dark. As part of their mating ritual, groups org/strategic/index.html of fireflies flash on and off at the same time. Saturday 8:30 AM: 900M Two different levels of hikes in the area will be offered; a Saturday Workday May 29 moderate 6 to 9 mile hike and a challenging Here’s a great chance to learn what is involved 12-mile hike. in trail maintenance. We will meet on May 29 Sunday morning: A tour of the historic houses at the Moose Café on 191 at in Elkmont with a knowledgeable amateur 8:00 AM for breakfast. We will return to historian. Asheville around 4:00 PM. Come join the fun. Sunday afternoon: 900M An unusual Call Les Love, 658-1489, for more information. moderate half-day hike will be offered. 1 Walnut Mt. It really is all downhill from ALL DAY No. W0402-340 May 19 HIKE SCHEDULE there to Lemon Gap. Meeting place: 3 Best waterfalls in S. Carolina 8:30 AM Second Quarter 2004 Westgate Shopping Center. Hike 6, drive 160 (from exit 53), rated B-C Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, Hike Ratings ALL DAY No. W0402-289 April 21 [email protected] FIRST LETTER SECOND LETTER MST: Glassmine Falls Overlook Visit the 3 highest rated waterfalls in South Distance Cumulative to Stepps Gap 8:30 AM Carolina on 3 in-and-out hikes. Best: Yellow Elevation Gain Hike 7, Drive 70, 2000 ft. ascent, Rated B-A Branch Falls, 3 miles, beautiful setting & falls. AA: Over 12 miles AA: Over 2,000 ft. Tom Sanders 828-252-6327 Next best: Issaqueena Falls, great picnic A: 9-12 miles A: 1,500-2,000 ft. mel&[email protected] lunch. Add a visit inside Stumphouse Tunnel. B: 6-9 miles B: 1,000-1,500 ft. SB6K Features 2 peaks over 6000, Final best: Lee Falls, 3 miles, several stream C: Under 6 miles C: Under 1,000 ft. Blackstock Knob and Mt. Gibbes. This route crossings, final quarter mile very strenuous has been worked out by Cave Dog and Tom, rock hopping. Meeting place: Cracker Barrel P400: Indicates that this hike qualifies for with a shortcut bushwhack off the MST at exit 53 (old exit 22) of I 26 the P400 award. around the North of Potato Knob and on to SB6K: Indicates that this hike qualifies for Clingmans Peak and Gibbes. Car shuttle. ALL DAY No. WO402-359 May 26 the SB6K award. Topos: Mt.Mitchell and Montreat. Meeting MST - Balsam Gap to Bee Tree Gap, Also in the hike descriptions, the terms easy, place: Westgate Shopping Center WILDFLOWER HIKE. 8:30 AM moderate or strenuous reflect the overall trail Hike 8, Drive 46, Rated B-B. conditions, the physical challenge and other ALL DAY No. W0402-033 April 28 Brad & Bev Van Diver, 828-669-2740, factors influencing hike difficulty. If you Ramsey Cascades 8:00 AM [email protected] have questions, CONTACT THE LEADER. Hike 8, Drive 160, 2000 ft. ascent, Car shuttle. A beautiful, moderate hike Rated B-AA with Wonderful views. Meeting place: WEDNESDAY HIKES Tommie Boston 828-686-5029 lower lot at Folk Art Center. [email protected] Submitted by Paula McNabb, 828-274-0057, 900M This is one of the classic spring wild- ALL DAY No hike scheduled for June 2 [email protected]. flower hikes in the Smokies. Sixty-foot high The meeting place for each hike will be Ramsey Cascades is located in a rich forested ALL DAY No. W0402-172 June 9 designated by the hike leader and will appear glen with an amazing variety of wildflowers John Rock Loop 10:00 A.M. in the hike description. Driving mileage will and a grove of old-growth Tulip trees. The Drive 0, Hike 6.5, Rated B-B be listed, round trip, from the first designated drive and effort to reach this trail are a small Paula McNabb, 828-274-0057, meeting place. price to pay for the reward .First meeting [email protected] place: Westgate Shopping Center. Second P400 A repeat of the popular John Rock ALL DAY No. W0401-0315 April 7 meeting place: Pilot Truck Stop at exit 24 hike. Starting at the fish hatchery parking Black Mountain Bushwhack 8:30 AM off I 40 at 8:30 AM. Topo: Mt. Guyot lot, we follow the Cat Gap Loop Trail, to Hike 8, Drive 1, Rated B-A John Rock Trail, to the summit. Beautiful Larry Ballard, 828-891-4318 ALL DAY No. W0402-276 May 5 views. Return via the connector. A moder- [email protected] AT: Streets Gap to Big Bald 8:30 AM ate summer hike. Only meeting place: Fish Eileen McGill, 828-891-4409 Hike 9, Drive 75, 1500 ft. ascent, Rated A-A Hatchery Parking lot. Topo: Shining Rock. [email protected] Jay Bretz, 828-658-1220, P400 Starting on Yellow Gap Trail, we [email protected] ALL DAY No. W0402-341 June 16 hike up FS 5051, then bushwhack up Black Big Bald is one of the crown jewels of our MST: Buck Springs Trail Mountain, on to Rich Gap, down to FS section of the AT, with views of the Blacks, or Leaders Choice 9:00 AM 5055, and back to Yellow Gap Road. Topo: Smokies, and other ranges in WNC and Hike 6, Drive 40, Rated B-B Dunsmore Mountain; also Nat’l. Geographic Eastern Tennessee. This is an in-and-out Boyd Brasington 828-254-8675 Pisgah Ranger District map. Meeting Place: hike from the Tennessee side. Topos: Sams P400 We will walk from Pigeon Gap to North Mills River picnic area. Gap and Bald Creek. Meeting place: Pisgah Inn via the MST and the Buck Westgate Shopping Ctr. Springs Trail. This is a beautiful hike with ALL DAY No. W0402-339 April 14 several step over water crossings. Wear non AT Hike: Garenflo Gap ALL DAY No. W0402-060 May 12 slip shoes. Meeting place is Ingles across to Lemon Gap 8:30 AM Pilot Mtn. from Gloucester Gap 9:00 AM from Biltmore Square Mall at 9:00 AM. Hike 7.4, drive 125 (roundtrip), 3000 ft Hike 5-6, Drive 80, 2000 ft. ascent, Second meeting place is Cold Mountain cumulative climb, rated B-AA Rated C-A overlook where US 276 crosses the Blue Curt Holladay, 628-9477, Elisabeth and Heinz Feil 828-684-8719 Ridge Parkway (M.P.