TRAILMARKER - Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club
Transcription
TRAILMARKER - Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club
TRAILMARKER The Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club Newsletter March-April 2016 Since 1982 Volume 34 Number 2 Photo courtesy of Rick Morris Pinnacles of Dan Scramble led by Will Truslow Visit us on the Web http://www.PiedmontHikingandOutingClub.org Page 4 March-AprilTrailmarker About our Hike Rating System Our rating system provides a useful, general gauge of a hike’s difficulty. It factors in distance and elevation gain and is intended to help you choose hikes that you will find most enjoyable. R0-R10 These are more walks than hikes. They’re usually close to home, the trails are flat, and distances are generally short. An after-dinner walk around the block would be rated R1 or R2. Our Wednesday Night Walks are R5. R10-R20 Most of these hikes will be in the lower mountains and foothills. Distances will be about 5-8 miles, with vertical ranging from 500-1000 feet...not easy if you’re new to hiking! Trails will be dirt and rock. As long as you’re in moderately good shape, you should be able to enjoy the outing. R20-R30 Hikes in the low end of this range will be too hard and overly stressful for many new members. Plan on an all-day trip, with at least 4 hours of continuous hiking in rugged and steep terrain. At a minimum, be sure to pack two quarts of water, lunch, a snack, and rain gear. R30-R40 These are strenuous hikes. They will usually be 10+ miles, with climbs of 2000+ feet. They’re appropriate only for those who have done a number of lower rated hikes. R40+ These hikes are usually 12 or more miles with 3000 feet or more of elevation gain. They’re appropriate only for fit, experienced hikers. Check with hike leader about the trip if you are wanting to do this trip for the first time. Outings Protocol • Inform the outing leader you are going to attend. Arrive early for the outing. • If you carpool, reimburse your driver for driving costs. A suggested amount is $4.00 for each hour of driving. • Always take snacks, lunch, water and rain gear. • Bring extra clothes to change into after the outing. • To keep vehicles clean and the air fresh, always carry something to hold muddy boots and sweaty clothes for the ride back from a hike. • Your participation is at your own risk. Piedmont Environmental Center Map Trailmarker March-April Outings Wednesday Night Walkers will meet every Wednesday evening in the parking lot beside Tex & Shirley’s at the Friendly Shopping Center at 6:30 pm for a brisk walk before dinner. The group will have rotating leaders. The leaders are Carol Hamley, John Hanson, Barbara Hanson and Lana Regan. The group will go to dinner after the walk. If bad weather cancels the walk, the group will still meet at 6:30 and go to dinner. March 2 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info above. March 5 Saturday Brinegar Cabin Doughton Park Let’s hike up the Cedar Ridge Trail in Blue Ridge Doughton Park to Brinegar Cabin, sit on or with our backs to the wall, or on the grass by the cabin, and talk, have a nice lunch, and then hike back down Cedar Ridge again to the cars. The trail up to Brinegar Cabin is a gentle, steady pull for 4 miles, but this is an out-and-back and all reasonable paces will be accommodated. Please call for time and place. [R-35, 9 miles] March 5 Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia Please join me hiking this club favorite in Virginia with beautiful panoramic views. We will begin at Massie Gap, follow the northbound Appalachian trail beyond Scales to the Page 5 Pine Mountain trail, through Rhododendron Gap before re-intersecting with the AT. At that point hikers can either scramble over Wilburn Ridge or continue on the AT back to Massie Gap. The popular supper stop on the way home is Mis Arados, an excellent family owned Mexican restaurant in Sparta. Bring plenty of water and lunch. Contact David for details. [12 miles, 2,000 feet of elevation; R-37]. March 6 Sunday @ 1:30 pm Greene-Palmetto Trails (Watershed hike) Join me for an early spring hike lakeside that will provide a good workout. Let’s meet a little before 1:30 PM at the Lake Brandt Marina on Lake Brandt Rd. We will hike 3.5 miles on the Nat Greene Trail, then merge onto Palmetto trail, and Greenway. We will return to the marina via the Nat Greene Trail. This hike is approximately 9 miles in length. About R-12. It is not necessary to call prior to the hike. March 9 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info above. March 10 Thursday @ 7pm Restaurant Outing Rearn Thai Restaurant 5120 W. Market St I think Jon Maxwell hosted a dinner here a couple of Trailmarkers ago and I was very disappointed to miss it, so I thought I would give it a go this time. Let’s get together for a great Thai dinner at a reasonable price. Let me know by noon Thursday if you can make it. Looking forward to seeing you! Page 6 March-AprilTrailmarker March 12 Saturday at 9 am Bald Eagle Trail March 12 Lake Higgins Saturday Watershed Trail This is a hike Mike Bianco often leads on Sundays, but since I can never get away on Sundays, I thought I would lead one on a Saturday. Let’s meet at 9:00 am at the Lake Higgins watershed trailhead for an out and back total of 8 easy miles. Proceed North on 220 (Battleground Ave), past the turnoff at Owls Roost Road to Bur-Mil Park, past the spillway at the bottom of the hill, and then left onto Hamburg Mill Road. Proceed past the Marina entrance gate at the top of the hill, and park in the gravel parking lot on the left just past the fence [R-7]. March 12 Saturday Guilford Courthouse National Military Park Greensboro This is an historical hike and lecture that reviews the events of March 15, 1781 when General Nathanael Greene’s revolutionary army was defeated by Lord Cornwallis’s British troops. This battle led directly to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia on October 19, just seven months later. We will view a film, a map lecture, the exhibits in the museum, and hike the military park to see the actual location of the events. This is an easy four mile hike. We will start at 8:30 AM. to finish in time to see the special reenactments offered. Meet at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park headquarters building front porch (not to be confused with the Tannenbaum Village) on New Garden Road at the corner of Old Battleground Road. 4 miles [R-4] Mountains-to-Sea Trail Jumping-Off-Rock to Jeffress Park Ashe/Wilkes counties This hike is 13 miles of rolling terrain, we will have panoramic views of the mountains in the northwest part of our state. We will keep a sustained pace over a series of longish up and down hills throughout the entire hike. This hike will suit those who like a good endurance workout without grueling unending steep climbs. The terrain alternates between open windy meadows and sheltered forests. We will go through a variety of micro-climates, so layered clothing is strongly recommended. Contact me for meeting time. [R-40] March 14 PHOC Membership Meeting Monday @ 7 pm Hiking in the Snow in Colorado The March meeting will be held at the New Garden Friends Meeting House located at the corner of West Friendly Ave. and New Garden Rd with the driveway across New Garden Rd from Guilford College. The address is 801 New Garden Rd. Greensboro, NC 27410. Refreshments and socializing will begin at 7 pm. There will be a short business meeting at 7:30 followed by a brief slide show and discussion of John Furnas’s and Gary Johnson’s recent hiking and snowshoeing trip to Colorado. March 16 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. Trailmarker March-April March 19 Greensboro Watershed Trails Saturday @ 8:30 am Bur-Mil Park Let’s meet at Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro near the nature center at 8.30 am and hike the Palmetto, Nat Greene and those who choose Owls Roost trails. Contact me for details. [8 or 11 miles, R-10 or R-15] March 19 Hanging Rock State Park Saturday @ 9 am Hanging Rock, Quarry, Moore’s Knob We’ll climb Hanging Rock, then hike along the ridge and down the nature trail to the lake, stop at the old quarry, then climb the steps to Moore’s Knob and complete the loop back to the Visitor’s Center. Bring water and snacks. [8 miles, R-25] March 19 & 20 Saturday & Sunday Sauratown Mountains MST - Hanging Rock to Pilot Mountain Hike and Camp Have you ever wanted to hike the Sauratown Mountains between Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain? Join us for that great opportunity. The total distance is 23+/– miles. It originally was developed and maintained by the Sauratown Trails Association, a horse club; check their website for the best information (sauratowntrails.org). Now that it is also a MST trail, both organizations are working together to benefit the trail. We will begin at Hanging Rock State Park Saturday morning and hike approximately 11 miles to Mountain Trails Stables (mtntrailstables.com) where we will camp for the night. Page 7 We will send our camping gear to the campsite so this hike is more car camping than backpacking. The campsite is an undeveloped meadow but the stable has 4 bathrooms with showers, a lounge area and kitchenette The fee for camping is $10 per person. On Sunday morning we will continue on the remaining 12 miles to our shuttle cars at Pilot Mountain State Park. Hoping for good weather, we will have a grand adventure exploring an area very few of us have seen. March 23 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. March 26 Saturday Eno River Western Trails Eno River State Park Durham, NC This will be a brisk paced hike of 12 miles covering the trails on both sides of the river in this scenic state park. We may need to wade across Buckquarter Creek so I would suggest bringing water sandals in your pack. We will hike 7 miles before lunch and 5 miles after lunch. Those wanting a short hike can leave the hike after the 7 miles. While the elevation gain is moderate, the pace and distance will allow for a good workout. Please contact me for meeting details. [12 miles, R-24] March 26 Saturday Doughton Park Cedar Ridge Trail to Brinegar Cabin This is a challenging but doable and pleasant up-and-back hike, up Brinegar (Cedar Ridge) trail, to the old Brinegar Cabin on Page 8 March-AprilTrailmarker the parkway. There we will have lunch, and return down the same trail. Early dinner after the hike near Elkin is an option for those who may be interested. Contact Jon for meeting times and places. [9.2 miles, R-31] March 27 Sunday at 1:30 pm Owls Roost Loop Bur-Mil Park Let’s meet at 1:30 PM at the Wildlife Center in Bur-Mil Park and hike the Owls Roost watershed trail to the Greenway, and then back again, using the fire lane trail for part of the return trip. Proceed North on 220, past Horse Pen Creek Rd (on the left), then right at the traffic light at Owls Roost, and then left into Bur-Mil Park. Bear right at the club house, park in the circular driveway at the bottom of the hill, just below the Wildlife Center. No need to call, but please do if you have questions. [7 mi, R-9]. March 27 Watershed Trails Sunday @ 10:30am Bald Eagle Trail Lake Higgins Let’s meet in the gravel parking lot just outside of Lake Higgins Marina on Hamburg Mill Road for an easy 8-mile out-and-back walk. Email or call if you have questions. [8 miles, R-8] March 29 Tuesday @ 7 pm Dinner at Rody’s Tavern Located at 5105 Michaux Road, Greensboro, in the shopping center at the northeast corner of Battleground Avenue and Horsepen Creek (on the right as you head north on Battleground/220) is family-owned Rody’s Tavern. The food and service are excellent, the facility is clean, and prices are fair. On Tuesday, all their wonderful burgers, plus a side of soup, salad, or fries, are only six bucks! Joel and Andy put me on to this place, and they were spot on. Please let me know by March 28 if I should reserve a spot for you to join us. March 30 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. March 31-April 3 Backpack Across Thursday-SundayMaryland We will hike the Appalachian Trail across the state of Maryland. We will drive to Harper’s Ferry on Thursday morning, leave our cars there and take a shuttle to Pen Mar, MD. Shuttle cost will be determined after we know number of hikers. From there, we will hike 5 miles to Raven Rock Shelter. On Friday, we will hike 13 miles to Pine Knob Shelter and on Saturday, 16.6 miles to Ed Garvey shelter. On Sunday, we will hike a short 8 miles to our cars and drive home. Strong hikers that are new to backpacking are welcome as long as they feel comfortable hiking 16+ miles in a day. The plan is for everyone to hike at their own pace, but to regroup each hour. Please let me know as soon is possible if you plan to hike, but no later than March 10. This is necessary so that I can arrange for the shuttle. [42 miles, 6538 feet gain, 6659 feet loss] Trailmarker March-April April 1-3 Black River - Eastern NC Friday-SundayPaddle/Camp This is a 3 day/2 night paddle/camp along the pristine Black River in Eastern NC. There are no rapids but might encounter trees to pull over. The first day’s paddle is about 13 miles to camp. This is primitive camping with no facilities. Next day we paddle about 9 miles to then go through the Three Sisters Swamp (3/4 mile) where the cypress trees are purported to be the oldest on the East Coast at 1,700 years old. Quite a mystical treat. After 3 more miles, we’ll camp. It’s about 5 miles more to the take-out and is 30 miles total. You’ll need a kayak or canoe, paddle, and life jacket. Boats 10-14 feet work well. 14-foot boats will have a bit more difficulty maneuvering amongst the trees in the swamp but otherwise do well. Dry bags are better than garbage bags for tents, sleeping bags, etc. Be sure your arms can carry you the distance without utter agony. I need to limit the trip to 10 people. More details to come once the group has formed. April 2 Saturday Tanawha Trail Grandfather Mountain Spring at Grandfather Mountain! Please join me in hiking the Tanawha Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is a shuttle hike starting at the Beacon Heights parking area and ending at Julian Price Park. The trail is long, Page 9 but moderate in difficulty. Great views and spring wildflowers are expected, so bring your camera if you like! Please email or call me by noon on Friday for meeting details. [14 miles, R-32] April 3 MST at Eno River State Park Sunday @ 10 am Cabe Lands Access – to Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve – Durham & Orange counties This is a variation of a shuttle hike that I led last November but this time beginning and ending at different points along the Mountains to Sea Trail. The hike will commence at Cabe Lands Access in the Eno River State Park and end at Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve − about 4-5 miles beyond West Point on the Eno City Park for a total of about 12 miles (cars will be left at either end). Initially we will meet at West Point on the Eno off Roxboro Road, Durham at 10 am, and then drive over to Pennys Bend, then proceed to Cabelands. From here, we will hike at a moderate pace along the MST and Eno River enjoying scenic views of the river, the many varieties of spring flowers (especially near Penny's Bend), long-abandoned homesteads and mill sites. While the elevation is minimal, the trail does have some hilly sections and is often rocky with exposed tree roots in places, so appropriate footwear is advised. Please email me in advance to let me know if you plan to participate. [About R-15] April 6 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. Page 10 March-AprilTrailmarker April 7 Restaurant Outing Thursday @ 7 pm Pho Hien Vuong 4109-A Spring Garden St. Let’s meet for dinner at 7 pm at the Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Hien Vuong on Spring Garden St., Greensboro. This is an informal, casual atmosphere restaurant with outstanding food. Please call or email me before Thursday so I can let them know how many will be attending. April 9 Doughton Park Loop Blue Ridge Parkway Please join me hiking in Doughton Park another club favorite, getting a good workout while enjoying beautiful views relatively close to home, added bonus as always is interesting conversation with fellow club members. Up Flat Rock Ridge, along Bluff Mountain and down Cedar Ridge trials. This is a strenuous hike completed by some at a fast pace, by others slightly slower but enjoyed by all. Bring plenty of water and lunch. Please contact David for details [16.5 miles, 3,500 feet elevation gain, R-52] April 9 Saturday Watershed Trails Nat Greene and Palmetto Greensboro Join me for an 8-mile hike on the Nat Greene and Palmetto trails. These are pretty trails with views of Lake Brandt. We will meet at the Lake Brandt Marina ̶ Nat Greene watershed trailhead (on the left as you enter the marina parking lot) at 9:00 am. Bring water and a snack. Call or email me if you have questions. [8 miles, R-12] April 9 Saturday Hanging Rock State Park Wolf Rock, Cook’s Wall, Moore’s Knob Join me for a nice workout at Hanging Rock State Park. We will begin at the Visitor Center and hike up the trail to Wolf Rock. From there we will continue onto Cook’s Wall, complete an out and back, and eventually make our way to the Moores Knob Trail, up to the fire tower, where, if the weather cooperates, the views will be magnificent. From Moore’s Knob, we will descend by the stairs to the campground and lake, eventually making our way back to the visitor center. Bring water, lunch, and rain gear. Call or email for meeting times and places. +/- 9 miles; 2000 ft. elevation gain; [R-29] April 10 Sunday @ 12:00 pm Pre-Spring Fling Hike Bur-Mil Park Owls Roost Loop Trail Greensboro Let’s meet at noon at the Wildlife Center in Bur-Mil Park and hike the Owls Roost watershed trail to the Greenway, then back again on the Greenway in time for the club Spring Fling. Proceed North on 220, past Horse Pen Creek on the left, then right at the traffic light at Owls Roost, and then left into Bur-Mil Park. Bear right at the club house, park in the circular drive way at the bottom of the hill. Email if you have questions; no need to call. [5 miles] Trailmarker March-April April 10 Sunday @ 2:00 pm Spring Fling Bur-Mil Park Shelter #2 Social@PiedmontHikingandOutingClub.org April 16 Saturday Page 11 Roan Mountain AT between Carvers Gap and Highway US 19E Join us at 2 pm for our annual celebration of spring with a good ‘ole American Cook Out! Bring your favorite side dish, appetizer or dessert to share and a serving utensil for your dish. The club will provide hot dogs, hamburgers (beef and veggie), plates, cups, silverware, tea and soda. Bur-Mil Park regulations allow beer and wine in all shelters, but no glass containers are allowed so attendees who want to bring their own adult beverages should bear this in mind. Enjoy fishing, hiking, biking, volleyball or visiting with friends. This challenging two-version hike will be on the Appalachian Trail between Carvers Gap and US 19E. Roan Mountain is an ecological wonder, and this is one of the AT’s most scenic stretches. We may even meet some AT thru hikers. One group will start from US 19E and hike the 15 miles to Carvers Gap climbing 5300 vertical feet. Another group will begin at Carvers Gap and cover the same 15 miles while climbing 2600 vertical feet, their end point will be at a lower elevation than their start. The groups will meet up on the trail and exchange car keys, eliminating the need for a long shuttle. Festivities and meal begin at 2:00 pm at Bur-Mil Park off of Owl’s Roost Road in Greensboro. Meet at shelter #2 on the left just past the swimming pool. Please RSVP via email so we know how many burgers and hot dogs to provide. This hike is for fit and experienced hikers only. Bring water, lunch and rain gear, as the weather is unpredictable. Please email or call me by noon on Friday for meeting details. [Uphill: 15 miles, 5300 feet, R-68; Downhill: 15 miles, 2600 feet, R-41] April 13 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. April 16 Saturday Tory’s Den and Falls Hanging Rock State Park We will hike to Tory’s Den and Falls from the visitor center at Hanging Rock State Park. This hike will be led at a moderate pace. Please contact leader for meeting details. [9 miles, R-18] April 17 Sunday @ 1:30 pm Watershed Trails Piedmont Trail at Lake Brandt Let's meet at 1:30 pm and hike the Piedmont watershed trail out and back for a total of 6 easy miles. Proceed north on Lake Brandt Road past the Marina on the left, cross over the bridge at the dam, and park in the gravel parking lot on the left. No need to call, but please do if you have questions. [6 miles, R-7] Page 12 March-AprilTrailmarker April 20 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. April 23 Rock Castle Gorge Woolwine, VA This hike is a club favorite because of the beauty and variety. We hike through dense woods, across open pastures, and along a rushing stream. The views from our lunch spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway are spectacular. At this time of year, an added bonus is the profusion of wildflowers, including native trillium. We will have 2-3 miles of steep, strenuous ascent, several miles along a ridge, and a gentle descent back to the trailhead. [11 miles, R-41] April 23 Saturday Virginia Creeper and AT at Taylors Valley This is one of my favorite hikes as it combines gentle walking on the Virginia Creeper trail along a beautiful babbling stream and hiking up and down in the deep woods with some open vistas from the Appalachian Trail. This is a relatively moderate hike and suitable for anybody with some experience walking in the mountains. We will start from the small Taylor’s Valley community, walk on the Creeper for about 3½ miles, and pick up the AT, which we will follow for about 6 miles, back to Taylors Valley. The plan is to stop at an eatery on the way back (Boone has lots of good options). Please email or call if you plan to join us. Contact info above. [10.5 miles/ 1500 ft, R-26] April 24 Sunday @ 1:30 pm Bald Eagle Trail Lake Higgins Watershed Trail Let’s meet at 1:30 pm at the Lake Higgins watershed trailhead for an out-and-back total of 8 easy miles. Proceed North on 220 (aka Battleground Ave), past the turnoff at Owls Roost Road to Bur-Mil Park, past the spillway at the bottom of the hill, and then left onto Hamburg Mill Road. Proceed past the Marina entrance gate at the top of the hill, and park in the gravel parking lot on the left just past the fence. [R-7] April 27 Wednesday Walk and Dinner See description and contact info on page 5. Saturday April 30 Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia This will be a brisk paced hike of 13 miles in the scenic Mt. Rogers area of Virginia. From Massie Gap in Grayson Highlands State Park we will hike on the AT (north) and then take the Pine Mountain Trail to Rhododendron Gap. From this point there will be an option to do a rock scramble on Wilburn Ridge or take the AT back to the cars. Following the hike and for those who are interested, there is an option to have supper at a Mexican restaurant in Sparta. Please contact me for meeting details. [13 miles, R-35]. April 30 Saturday Grandfather Mt. to the Swinging Bridge Profile Trail Join me for my favorite hike of all, Grandfather Mt. to the swinging bridge by Trailmarker March-April way of the Profile Trail. Yes, we will climb ladders, navigate the chute, scramble over large boulders, hang on to ropes, visit MacRaes Peak, and get tired. This is a demanding 10 miles that is very worth the effort. If interested, please contact me. [R-50ish, 10 miles] SAVE THE DATE E May 20, 21, 22, 2016 Weekend Trip Smoky Mountains National Park arly announcement to “save the date” for a Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee trip in May 2016. Fellow hikers and mountain lovers – this is a repeat of many fun trips to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. All levels of hikers are welcome. This trip usually includes wildflowers, ascent and descent from Mt. Leconte, and everything in between that Gatlinburg has to offer. The plan includes renting a very large cabin with many amenities including hot tubs, beds, and showers! There are rockers on the porches and funnel cakes in town if that is your preference. In the past we had one group meal and carpooling and thus were able to accomplish within a reasonable budget. Past capacity for this trip was approximately 12 participants. Please let me know your interest. There will be a deposit necessary at a later date when the house is rented. More precise details will be forthcoming closer to March or April 2016. Looking forward to enjoying this once again! Page 13 Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club recognized by the City of Greensboro PHOC’s participation in Greensboro’s One City, One Book project has been formally recognized by Library Director Brigitte H. Blanton of the Greensboro Public Library. Ms. Blanton stated in her acknowledgement letter that an estimated 7,000 people in the community participated in the event with two hundred thirty three librarysponsored, community-partner and book club programs, including nature hikes. Please join me in thanking Joyce Traver for coordinating PHOC’s participation in this event, and in thanking those of you who helped make this important community project a success by leading book discussions and hikes. Partnering with the city to share our passion for and expertise in hiking gave PHOC an opportunity to encourage others in the community to take many wonderful walks in the woods themselves. Mike Bianco, PHOC President