Every Monday Night Power Walk
It is time to bring back the Monday night power walks! Our objective is a good cardiovascular
workout. We will walk 7 miles on the
city greenway maintaining at least a 4.5 mph pace. If you are working up to this pace, we will catch you on the way
back since it is an out and back. We
meet in the parking lot behind Belk's at Friendly (corner of Friendly and Green
Valley) at 6:00 pm. Please call if you
plan to attend as we sometimes vary our route. Hope to see you there!
The
Wednesday walkers will meet every Wednesday evening in the parking lot of The
Piedmont Environmental Center at 6:30 pm for brisk walk before dinner.
Rain or shine. The group will go
to dinner after the walk.
May 1-3 Merchants Millpond State Park
Friday–Sunday Canoe/Kayak/Camping
Join us for a canoe camping trip to Merchants Millpond, NC's most unique state
park. The 760-acre lake has ancient moss draped cypress trees and areas covered
in sunburst water lilies. Yes, we hope to see some water snakes and alligators
in very comfortable non-intimidating encounters. At this date, the serious bugs have not emerged but to see a tick
would not be unexpected. We will leave Friday morning for the 4.5 hour drive to
the NE corner of NC and then boat a mile to a beautiful hardwood island
campground. Saturday we will explore the lake and creeks by boat. Joel will fill the boat needs for the first
16 who pay the $2 campsite fee.
Additional participants will need to provide their own or rent boats.
Call or email for more details.
May 2 Bluff Ridge / Flat Rock Ridge
Trails
Saturday Doughton Park
This hike includes the
demands of the steep Bluff Ridge primitive trail but also the viewing rewards
of a portion of the Bluff Mountain trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway and of
the Flat Rock Ridge trail. A dinner
stop at one of Elkin’s renowned eating establishments (Le Chef Rapide?) can be a reward for the day’s physical exertion.
[13 miles, +/-2800 feet,
R41]
May 3 Owls Roost
Sunday Geensboro Watershed Trails
Meet at the Wildlife Center
in Bur-Mil Park at 1:30 pm. Go North on
220 then turn right at the traffic light at Owls Roost, and then left into
Bur-Mil Park. Go right at the club
house, park in the circular driveway at the bottom of the hill. Call if you
have any questions.
[6 Miles, R9]
May 4 Monday night power walk.
May 6 Wednesday Night Walk and Dinner
Friday West Market Street,
Greensboro
Almost everyone agrees that
Rearn Thai has the best Thai food in town.
Please join us for this reasonably priced cuisine. We usually have a large group for this
outing and get the room upstairs. Call
by Wednesday May 6 if you plan to attend.
Location: 5120 W Market St.,
Greensboro. Hope to see you there at
7:00 pm!
May 9 Colbert Ridge to Winterstar
Saturday Black Mountains
Colbert Ridge is one of the
ascents to the Black Mountain Crest Trail.
We’ll climb it, take a right turn on the crest trail to Winterstar (and
maybe a bit beyond), and then come back out.
(An alternate route with a descent on the Buncombe Horse Trail is
possible if it can be scouted prior to the hike.) This is a rugged trail, but the Black Mountain Crest trail is one
of those special places. Afterwards,
we’ll stop for dinner in a fine little café in Marion. Call or email for details.
[9 miles, +/- 3200 ft, R44]
May 9 Breakfast, Triad Park Walk, and
Farmers Market
Saturday Colfax / Kernersville
Begin a Spring weekend
exploring territory in your back yard.
Triad Park...about 400 acres jointly owned by Forsyth and Guilford
counties... is a gem. Meet at 8:00 am
for a hearty breakfast at the Olympic Family Restaurant at 8900 West Market
Street (old U.S. 421) in Colfax (between Greensboro and Kernersville...1/2 mile
east of the Sandy Ridge Road intersection)
(Note: don't go to the original Olympic in Kernersville). After breakfast, we will drive about two
miles to Triad Park and take an easy 3-4 mile walk there.Then we will go to the nearby (2 miles) Triad Farmers
Market and check out fresh vegetables and other healthy goodies. We'll be done by noon. Call or email Jon by Friday, May 8 so he can
get a good head count estimate.
May 9 Stone Mountain Hike
Saturday Stone Mountain State Park
Today we will take a
leisurely 7.5-mile hike in Stone Mountain State Park. Please bring a picnic lunch and water. No need to call to go on this hike. We will have several creek
crossings, a hiking pole and a change of socks could be useful. This is a good hike for members with limited
hiking experience. Meet at Shoney’s
(I-40 and NC-68) at 8:00 am.
[7.5 miles, +/- 1400 feet, R22]
May 10 West End of Lake Townsend
Sunday Greensboro Watershed Trails
Join Nicole for a gentle 8
to 9-mile hike along Lake Townsend on a lazy Sunday afternoon. We will meet at 1:00 pm at the Church Street
trailhead (on the left-hand side of the road after you cross Air Harbor Road
and before you cross the lake a second time).
We will hike the Peninsula, West House, and Osprey Trails. I promise good weather, but bring rain gear
just in case, as well as a snack and plenty of water. Please call Nicole to let her know you're coming.
May
11
May Meeting
Monday
Piedmont Environmental Center
Meet for refreshments and fellowship at 7:00 pm at the Piedmont
Environmental Center on Penny Road in Jamestown. The business portion and
program will begin at 7:30. Club member Sue Kanoy, will give a
presentation on the recent trip she and Bucky made to South Africa. This will
include pictures of their safari in Kruger National Park, visit and
hike in Capetown area, and travel along The Garden Route.
May 11 Monday night power walk
May 13 Wednesday Night Walk and Dinner
May 16 South Mountains State Park
Saturday Morganton
We haven't been to the South
Mountains for awhile, so we shall return to this rugged and lovely state
park. Meet at Shoney's (N.C. 68 and
I-40) at 7:30 am, or El Jinette (Lewisville Clemmons exit off I-40) at 8:00 am.
We'll carpool a little over 2 hours to the trailhead, with a quick breakfast at
McDonald's near Morganton.This 10-11 mile hike has some elevation changes, but
is not one of the hardest we do. We
will have dinner after the hike at a good nearby restaurant. Call Jon if you have questions.
[10 mi, +-2200 feet, R34]
May 17 PiedmontWatershed Trail
Sunday Lake Brandt Road
Lets meet at 1 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.
[6 mi, R6]
May 17 Indian
Creek Trail
Sunday Hanging Rock State Park
This hike will start at the
Dan River trail head and hike beside Indian Creek up to Hanging Rock, and then
back out. It’s a scenic trail with easy
stream crossings and waterfalls. The hike will start at the trailhead at 10:00
am. Greensboro hikers who want to meet
at Shoney’s should be there by 9:15, but will have to move themselves out to
the trailhead. Please call if you need directions to the trailhead.
Sunday New
River Trail State Park
This will be a 35-mile, out-and-back ride from
Galax to the small settlement of Fries on one of the southeast’s best
rails-to-trails conversions. Our
journey will take us across 12 railroad trestles, including the 1089-foot Fries
Junction Trestle. We will also pedal
through the 193-foot Chestnut Creek Tunnel, the longest tunnel on the
trail. Options for the noon meal will
include a small café in Fries or a packed lunch along the river. There is a nominal parking fee at Galax. The trail will require a mountain or hybrid
bike. While on our bicycles, riders
will maintain a 10- or 11-mile-per-hour pace.
May 18 Monday
night power walk
May 20 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner
May 23 Profile
Trail to Swinging Bridge
Saturday Grandfather
Mountain
Up the strenuous Profile Trail to the top of
Grandfather Mountain. Then the fun begins!!!
Across the Grandfather Trail up and down chutes, ladders and cables to
the Swinging Bridge, enjoying the best 360 degree view of the mountains
available in North Carolina. This group will be limited to twelve hikers.
Anyone on this hike has to be experienced.
[9 miles, +/-3500 feet, R46]
May 23 Gulley
Creek
Saturday Blue
Ridge Music Center
Today we will do two short hikes and visit the Blue
Ridge Music Center museum. Maybe there
will be some local folks that are playing and singing while we are there. The
Blue Ridge Park Ranger has assured me that we should see many wild flowers and
the mountain laurel should be in bloom at this time. The drive time from Shoney’s
is around 1.5 hours each way.
The hike pace will be moderate and we will take time to enjoy the
beauty. This is a good hike for people
with limited hiking experience in the mountains. Feel free to call or e-mail if you have questions. We will leave Shoney’s at 8:00 am and drive
to a meeting place on HWY 52 in Winston Salem (would like a suggestion for a
place to meet) by 8:30.
[6.3 miles, +-870 feet, R15}
May 24 Northeast
Park
Sunday Guilford
County
In late May the weather should be warm, so let’s
take a moderate paced hike at Northeast Park.
This is not a hard trail and the hike should be a pleasant walk of less
than 2 hours. We should be able to see
wildflowers in bloom this time of year.
Please meet in the Hicone Shopping Center parking lot in front of Food
Lion near the bank at 2 pm. From HWY 29 take Hicone Road east and the shopping
center will be on your right approximately 1 mile from HWY 29. We will then drive to Northeast Park and
park our cars. Call or e-mail me if
you have questions.
[4.9 miles,
R7]
May
24 Salem
Lake Bike Ride
Sunday Winston-Salem
Area
Lets try a bike ride in Winston on this hopefully beautiful May day.
We'll meet at the Old Salem Tavern in Winston-Salem for brunch at 12:45.
From there, we will ride our bikes over to the Greenway and around Salem
Lake to return. Total distance is about 15 miles. Helmets are required.
Bring your own water for the ride. Deadline for signing up for this trip is
Friday May 22, so that Salem Tavern can have an accurate count for brunch. The
Tavern is located near downtown Winston in Old Salem. All participants
must bring enough cash to pay their portion of the check.
May 25 Monday
night power walk
May 27 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner
May 30 Scott Ridge /
Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Saturday Stone
Mountain State Park
This primarily ridge-based hike requires no rock
hopping across creeks but does include some relatively steep climbs. The route is through the backpack campsites
on the Widow’s Creek Trail, up Scott Ridge to the abandoned aerial tramway
site, and back down the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Views of the ridges of Stone Mountain State Park, of Stone
Mountain itself from above, and of the valley beyond the Blue Ridge Parkway are
excellent. Hikers can be home for
supper at a normal time.
[11 miles, 2800 feet, R39]
May 30 Staunton
River Paddle Trip
Saturday Southside,
Virginia
Join me and my friend Terry Painter for a 12-mile
float down the Staunton River. Painter,
a history buff, can tell stories of the area’s early settlement and river
traffic. In the nineteenth century,
flat-bottomed batteaux navigated the river through wing dams and sluices built
to deepen and channel the water. Some
of these navigational structures as well as tow paths for mules and human
beings can still be seen on the Staunton.
This section is described in guide books as Class 1-2 in difficulty,
suitable for novice paddlers accompanied by experienced river leaders. It provides steady rapids, flat crystal
clear water, beautiful scenery and is Southside Virginia’s most celebrated
river trip. Recreational kayaks and canoes will do nicely. Bring life jacket, canoe or kayak, paddles,
sunscreen, water, lunch, snacks, and be
ready for a great day. The put-in will be in Long Island, Va. and the take-out
will be in Brookneal, Va. This will be an all day adventure. Please call, but
preferably email for details.
May 31 Salem Lake
Sunday Winston-Salem
Area
Join me for a relatively flat, 7-mile hike around
Salem Lake. Meet at Shoney's at 1:00 pm
or at the Salem Lake Marina parking lot at 1:30. No need to call unless you have questions.
[7 miles, R8]
June 1 Monday
night power walk
June 3 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner
June 6 Mt
Mitchell to Celo Knob
Saturday Black
Mountain Crest Trail
This is an out-and-back hike on the Black Mountain
Crest Trail from Mt Mitchell to Celo Knob.
This trail has the reputation of being the most rugged in the southeast
with ups and downs all day across multiple 6000-foot peaks.
In addition to Mt Mitchell, we will cross Mt Craig,
Big Tom, Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak,
Potato Hill, Winterstar, Gibbs, and Celo Knob. The trail from Winterstar to Celo Knob may not be well maintained
and the hiker should expect shoulder-high growth and a hard-to-follow trail in
some sections.
This is an extremely
difficult hike with a lot of elevation gain, rocky terrain, some potential
bushwhacking, and is for strong experienced hikers only. Weather is extremely variable at this
altitude, so bring rain gear and plenty of water. Please email or call for
meeting time and place. Expect to leave
early, hike a minimum of ten hours, and return late.
[14 miles, +/- 4400 feet, R58]
June 6 National Trails
Day
Saturday Greensboro
In conjunction with the Greensboro Parks and
Recreation Department, PHOC club
members will lead a long hike and a short hike on National Trails Day. The plans are not complete at this time,
there will be a broadcast message sent to all members as Trails Day
approaches. The PHOC will also have a
picture display and members will be available to answer questions.
June
6
Indian Creek/Hanging Rock Trails
Saturday Hanging
Rock State Park
We will start at the Dan River and hike beside Indian Creek up to the visitor
center at Hanging Rock State Park. This is a scenic trek with many easy stream
crossings and two lovely waterfalls. Once at the parking lot, those who still
have "gas in their tank" will continue on up to the Hanging Rock. We
will then retrace our steps downhill and reunite with any who chose to wait at
the visitor center. Estimated total time on trail including lunch is 5
1/2 hours. Estimated time back at Shoney's is 4:00 pm. Bring
adequate water and a lunch. Please call or email for meeting time and place if
planning to hike.
[10 miles, R26]
June 7 Reedy
Creek / Laurel Bluff
Sunday Greensboro
Watershed
Go past the entrance to the Lake Brandt Marina and
go across the dam. Meet at the parking
area on the right at the Reedy Creek trailhead off Lake Brandt Road at 1:30
pm. Call if you have any questions.
[ 7.5 miles, R9]
June 7 Kayak
Training and Safety Course
Sunday Belews
Lake
This course is for everyone; beginners and experienced who may want to paddle
kayaks on waters excluding higher-level whitewater. The course will be
conducted by the staff of GET:OUTDOORS and will cover kayak knowledge, basic
strokes, safety, rescue and recovery. This class has space for 20 who want to
cover the basics and 10 who want to progress further and build on last
September's beginner class.It will be conducted on the water at Belews Lake.
There is a $10 fee if you provide your own boat and $20 if a kayak is provided
for you on site. The total class is limited to 30 participants and 16 kayaks
are available for rent. The course begins at 3:00 pm, and afterwards we will
share a potluck picnic on the lake. Due
to the full moon on that date, a night paddle will be held after dinner for
those who want to participate. Folks
renting boats for the full moon paddle will have an additional charge. Contact Joel for more specifics and to get
your fee in to reserve your spot for the course. Last year's clinic was sold out!
June 7 Foster
Falls to Draper Bike Ride
Sunday New
River Trail State Park
This will be a 36-mile, out-and-back ride at one of
the southeast’s best rails-to-trails conversions. The relatively flat and car-traffic-free ride begins at the historical village of Foster
Falls, just over an hour north of Winston-Salem by way of US 52 and I-77.
In addition to the cliffs on the south side of the
river, known as the Palisades of the New River, a highlight of the ride is the
951-foot Hiwassee Trestle. After
viewing several miles of Claytor Lake, the group will reach the turnaround
point and lunch spot at the small town of Draper. There is a nominal parking fee at Foster Falls. The trail requires a mountain or hybrid
bike. While on our bicycles, riders
will maintain a 10- or 11-mile-per-hour pace.
June
8 June
Meeting
Monday Piedmont
Environmental Center
Meet for refreshments and fellowship at 7:00 pm at the Piedmont Environmental
Center on Penny Road in Jamestown. The business portion and program will begin
at 7:30. This is the opportunity for members to learn about the
PHOC's Canoe/Kayak/Camping adventures. We have wonderful outings that do
not require a long hike. Club member Joel Deaton will make a presentation
(pictures, comments and discussion) on PHOC's May weekend trip to Merchant's
Mill Pond. He will be assisted by Ken Yates, who will present on Club
canoe/kayak "daytrip" outings.
June 8 Monday
night power walk
June 10 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner
June 13 Grayson
Highlands / Wilson Creek
Saturday Virginia
This strenuous 10.4 mile loop hike includes four
different wilderness environments; meadows, rocky peaks, wooded mountain sides,
and the Wilson Creek area that’s full of rhododendrons plus we will hike
through Rhododendron Gap. The rhododendrons should be in full bloom if the
season is normal. Eight miles of this
hike will be on the AT. Meet at
Shoney’s I-40 & NC-68 and be ready to leave at 7:00 am.
[10.4 miles, +- 1700 feet, R28]
June 14 Pilot
Mountain Hike and Cookout
Sunday Highway
52
Let’s switch things up a bit. Our hike will start at the top of Pilot
Mountain. We will meet at the
overlook on the end of the top parking lot.
We will start by going down Grindstone.
After a brief stop at the bottom, we will hike up Grassy Ridge Trail and
continue on to the Mountain Trail, Ledge Spring Trail, and Jameokee Trail
around the knob. We will end in the
upper parking lot near the picnic tables.
This hike is a good one for Sunday hikers who want a bit more challenge.
THIS IS NOT A HIKE FOR BEGINNERS since Ledge Spring and Mountain trails
are considered strenuous by some.
Beginning hikers could choose to hike back up Grindstone for an easier
version. I will bring hot dogs, buns,
charcoal, and paper supplies. Hikers
can chip in for costs and bring a side dish as well as your own drinks. Meet at Shoney's on 68 at 10:00 am or at the
overlook at the end of the top parking lot at 11:00. Please RSVP by Wednesday, June 3 so that I can purchase supplies.
[8.5 miles, +/-1570 feet, R25]
June 15 Monday
night power walk
June 17 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner
June 20 Roan
Mountain
Saturday Tennessee
Enjoy the rhododendrons and
flame azaleas in their full glory on this strenuous hike on renowned Roan
Mountain. At Carver Gap we will follow
the AT trekking through high meadows with incredible views. After passing over three balds, we will
descend through a beautiful mountain valley to the trailhead at Rt. 19E. There is lots of exposure and the weather
can be unpredictable, so bring warm clothes and rain gear even if you think you
won’t need it! Call for details and meeting time. Group size will be limited to 20.
[13.5 miles, +2150 feet,
-4650 feet, R40]
June
20 Hanging
Rock
Saturday Hanging
Rock State Park
We will start at the Visitor Center and hike to Hanging Rock, then take the
Wolf Rock trail to Cooke's Wall. We then will hike down and join the Moore's
Wall Loop trail up to the Firetower and back down to the Visitor Center. This
is a good, moderate difficulty hike with great views. Estimated time on
trail is 6 Hrs. Estimated arrival back at Shoney's is 4:30. Bring
adequate water and lunch. Please call or email for meeting time and
place.
[11 miles, R30]
June 21 Salem
Lake
Sunday Winston-Salem
Area
This is a 7-mile hike around Salem Lake. Meet at the Salem Lake Marina parking lot at
1:00 pm. Call or email if you have
questions. I’ll try to link GSBO people
up so that you can share a ride over.
Call or email if you have questions.
[7 miles, R8]
June 22 Monday
night power walk
June 24 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner
June 27 Caudill
Cabin
Saturday Doughton
Park
Caudill Cabin should be a good hike as the summer
starts to heat up since most of it is in shade. The hike goes along side of and back and forth across Basin Creek
for a little under 5 miles to a one room cabin in a valley at the end. There is a waterfall and lots of other nice
scenery on this moderate hike. Please
call or email for meeting time and place, and remember to bring raingear,
water, and lunch. A walking stick or
pole may help with the stream crossings.
[10 miles, +/- 1425 feet, R24]
June
27 Canoe
the New River
Saturday
North Carolina
Time for the annual canoe trip on the south fork of the New River (North
Carolina). We will leave Shoneys ( I 40 & NC 68) at 7:30 am. As in
the past our 10 mile paddle starts at Zaloo's Canoes. Midways we
will stop for lunch at New River State Park. There you will find restrooms and
drink machines. Zaloo's will bus us back to our carswhere we
can change clothes before heading to Mountain Air Steak and Seafood for
dinner. Please e-mail me if you are going to paddle and or eat with us. For
those who wish to rent a canoe, call Zaloo's at 1-800-535-4027 ($46.00 per boat
w/ paddles and life jackets, or $43 for a one man kayak). If you
have your own boat, we
will work out a shuttle or pay Zaloo's for theservice. We will not be stopping along the way to Zaloo's to insure we are there at 10:00 and on the water at 10:30. Bring water, drinks, food, and sunscreen and or rain gear to carry on the river. Remember to have dry clothes to leave in the car.
June 28 Eat,
Shop, Walk
Sunday Chapel
Hill, NC
Meet at Harper's Restaurant in Friendly Shopping
Center in Greensboro at 11:00 am. We will
carpool from there via the famous and scenic-designated Football Highway to
Chapel Hill. We will (1) stop en route
at Ye Olde Country Kitchen in Snow Camp for a country buffet (come hungry) at
noon, (2) visit Chapel Hill's world famous Southern Seasons gourmet emporium,
(3) visit Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill
for a unique and cost-friendly food (and wine) shopping opportunity, and
(4) stroll for about an hour through the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, home of the
first state university (paying respects along the way Silent Sam, arboretum,
the Old Well, Belltower, Morehead Planetarium, Franklin Street, other hallowed
ground). We should get back to
Greensboro by 6:00 pm. Call or email
Jon by Thursday, June 4 if you are coming so he can get a good head count estimate.
June 28 Bluff
and Reedy Fork
Sunday Lake
Brandt Road
Lets meet at 1:00 pm and hike the Laurel Bluff and
Reedy Fork watershed trails for an easy 7 miles. Proceed north on Lake Brandt Road, past Marina on the left, cross
over the bridge at the dam, and park in the gravel parking lot on the right.
[7 miles, R7]
Sunday New
River Trail State Park
This will be a 43-mile, out-and-back ride from
Foster Falls, a village that dates from the mid-1800s, to the small settlement
of Fries. Our trip will take us through
the 135-foot New River train tunnel and over the 670-foot Ivanhoe Trestle,
which is a great place to stop for water and enjoy the panorama of the river
valley. Options for the noon meal will
include a small café in Fries or a packed lunch along the river. There is a nominal parking fee at Foster
Falls. The trail will require a
mountain or hybrid bike. While on our
bicycles, riders will maintain a 10- or 11-mile-per-hour pace.
June 29 Monday
night power walk
July 1 Wednesday
Night Walk and Dinner