TRAILMARKER The Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club Newsletter Since 1982 July-August 2019 Volume 37 - Number 4 Photo courtesy of Jon Maxwell Cooling Off at Window Falls, Indian Creek Trail, Hanging Rock State Park • May 2019 Visit us on the Web – https://PiedmontHikingandOutingClub.org Trailmarker July-August Page 5 July 6 Five Peaks Outings Saturday Hanging Rock State Park Wednesday Night Walkers will meet every Wednesday evening in the parking lot between Qdoba Mexican Grill and Chuck E From the Visitor Center we will hike up to Cheese at Friendly Shopping Center at 6:30 Hanging Rock, and then continue on to Wolf pm for a moderate walk before dinner. The Rock, House Rock, Cooks Wall and then to group will have rotating leaders. The leaders Moore's Knob. We will hike down the steps are Carol Parks, John Hanson, Barbara Hanson from Moore’s Knob and then around the and Joe Regan. The group will go to dinner lake. Expect good views and a good workout. after the walk. If bad weather cancels the Please contact me by noon on Friday for the walk, the group will still meet at 6:30 and go meeting details. 11 miles [R-33] to dinner. July 6 Moses Cone Manor Carriage Trails Saturday @ 9 am Blowing Rock, NC Dates for Wednesday Night Many club members enjoy this hike with its Walks & Dinner wide, gently graded carriage trails. Half of the hike circles the Cone Manor and Bass Lake, July 3 August 7 and the other half is an up and back trail to the July 10 August 14 fire tower (panoramic views). Each section is July 17 August 21 approximately five miles. If you don’t want to do all ten miles, you can visit the Manor house July 24 August 28 and shop at the Craft Center. For those who July 31 want to do the entire hike, there will still be an opportunity for a brief tour of the Manor and visit to the Craft Center after the hike. New July 4-7 Appalachian Trail Backpacking Hikers are welcome to do part or all of this Thursday-Sunday Standing Indian to hike! There will also be an optional ice cream Unicoi Gap stop at Kilwin’s (in Blowing Rock) on the way home. Send me an email by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 5 if you plan to come. Specify distance. This is a car shuttle backpacking trip on the 5 miles, approx. 500 feet [R-10] or 10 miles, Appalachian Trail starting at Standing Indian 1,000 feet. [R-20]. Campground in Southwestern North Carolina and finishing at Unicoi Gap in Georgia. I July 7 Osprey Trail have not hiked this section of the AT but Sunday @ 8:30 am Yanceyville Rd understand the views are scenic — especially in the Standing Indian Mountain area. 39 miles. Strenuous [R-55]. This lovely Mountains-to-the-Sea portion of Page 6 July-August Trailmarker the trail is short (5.2) miles with lots of views in Sparta. Bring water, lunch, and rain gear. of Lake Townsend. It meanders between Individuals interested in this outing should Yanceyville Rd and N. Church St. Meet at contact me, preferably by noon on Friday a good sized parking lot on the left side of before the hike. 13 miles, 1800 feet. [R-35] Yanceyville Rd just before crossing Lake Townsend. For those who want to add some July 13 Piedmont Trail more hiking miles, Osprey connects with Saturday @ 9 am Greensboro Watershed the Lake Townsend Trail for an additional 8.5 miles. Osprey Trail is easy, peaceful, and maybe we will even see some actual ospreys. Let’s do an out and back on the Piedmont Trail @ 9:00 AM. The Piedmont Trail parking July 13 Hanging Rock State Park lot will be on your left going north on Lake Saturday Cook’s Wall and Moore’s Wall Brandt Road approximately 0.3 of a mile from the Lake Brandt Marina entrance. No need Less than 50 miles from Greensboro and to call but please do call or email if you have Winston Salem, this park offers wonderful questions. 5.3 miles. hiking. Let’s meet at the park visitor’s center at 9:30 am. We will go up to Cook’s Wall, July 14 New Member Orientation down to Magnolia Springs, up to Moore’s Sunday at 1:30 and Walk Wall fire tower, and back to the cars, for a Lake Higgins Marina loop hike of 9-10 miles. Please email if you Greensboro plan to participate or have questions. [R-30] July 13 Grayson Highlands State Park Thinking about joining but wondering what it Saturday AT North, Scales, Pine Mt Trail, is all about, new member and not sure how & Wilburn Ridge/AT loop to get started or recent member needing a refresher course? Meet with us at 1:30 p.m. Join me on a favorite hike at higher in the small education room at Lake Higgins elevations, hopefully cooler, at Grayson Marina on Hamburg Mill Road in Greensboro. Highlands in Virginia. The hike will begin Participants will hear about the PHOC , its at Massie Gap, follow the northbound opportunities, appropriate gear for PHOC Appalachian Trail beyond Scales to the hikes, what to expect and how to stay safe Pine Mountain trail, and pass through on the trail. The orientation will take about Rhododendron Gap before again intersecting 45 minutes. Afterward we hope you will join with the Appalachian Trail. Near that point, us for a short walk in the woods – of course hikers will be able to choose between all members are welcome! Those interested scrambling on the rocky Wilburn Ridge trail in the walk should bring plenty of water, a or skirting the ridge via the Appalachian Trail snack, and wear appropriate clothing to be on the way back to Massie Gap. There is an outside. The orientation and walk should optional stop for supper following this hike wrap up no later than 5:00 p.m. If you need Trailmarker July-August Page 7 additional information please contact Butch northwest of Asheville but Hot Springs was or Terri. We look forward to seeing you in voted #1 best small mountain town and it has the conference room and/or on the trail! been “discovered”! This is a 14 mile paddle, on the French Broad River, Saturday, July July 15 PHOC Monthly Meeting 20th, with class I and II+ rapids. This paddle Monday @ 7 pm Power Point Presentation is NOT for beginners. Some experience is necessary. You will be responsible for your “El Camino de Santiago” own lodging accommodations. There are a Presentation by variety of cabins, B&B’s, Tent/RV camping, Lynne Mitchell and Nichole Taylor houses, etc. New Garden Friends Meeting 801 New Garden Rd., Greensboro Lodging information can be found at the following websites www.hotspringsnc.org Active travel is important to many club and www.nchotsprings.com. Please let us members. Lynne and Nichole each walked the know if you are interested or if you have any “Camino Frances” route in Spring 2019. In this questions. photo-filled presentation they will describe the Camino routes and share their preparations, July 20 Mountain-To-Sea Trail challenges, experiences and lessons learned. Saturday, Jumping Off Rock Meeting will commence at 7 pm. Slide Show to Jeffress Park and Program will follow at 7:30 pm. July 18 Tre Nonne Italian Restaurant This longish hike, over 13 miles of gently Thursday @ 6:15 pm 177 Jonestown Road, rolling terrain along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Winston-Salem provides long stretches of wood walking, ideal on a hot July day. The trailhead is less than two hours from the Triad and easily Join me for delicious Italian food and accessed from both NC 16 and 421, and the conversation at Tre Nonne. This restaurant terrain is user friendly. This hike will suit was recommended as an outing location by those who like a good workout based on PHOC members so let’s give it a try! Please endurance without prolonged steep climbing RSVP no later than Tuesday, July 16 if you but some longish up and down bumps. The plan to attend. terrain alternates between open meadows, sheltered rhododendron groves, and soft-to- July 19-21 Hot Springs River Run the-feet stretches of evergreen copses. We will start the hike at Jumping Off Rock and walk south toward Jeffress Park, cumulatively gaining 2,700 feet of elevation. I find the last Hot Springs River Run! Get away from stretch along a lovely stream, as we approach “it” all! Plan to spend the weekend in Hot Jeffress Park, particularly appealing. Contact Springs, NC. It used to be the best kept secret me for meeting times and places. [R-40] Page 8 July-August Trailmarker July 20 Bald Eagle Trail Brinegar's Cabin and hike to the old AT Saturday @ 9 am Lake Higgins shelter on Bluff Mountain for lunch. After Watershed Trail lunch, we'll head back to Brinegar's Cabin all the while getting to enjoy the views a second Let’s meet at 9:00 am at the Lake Higgins time around. Please email me by Friday noon watershed trailhead for an out and back for further information and meeting details. total of 8 easy miles. Proceed North on 220 Approximately 8 miles and 1,800 feet. (Battleground Ave), past the turnoff at Owls [R-26] Roost Road to Bur-Mil Park, past the spillway July 27 Mt Mitchell State Park at the bottom of the hill, and then left onto Saturday Mt.