Asheville,NC

Birdman · Mar 1st 2014, 8:28pm

I live in the Catskills of NY state. I will be visiting Asheville,NC sometime this spring. Are there any nice moderate hikes close by? Thanks.

Traffic Jam · Mar 1st 2014, 8:47pm

Hi Birdman! Asheville has a ton of hiking trails close by. You won't have any trouble finding something. I think there are a few cafe members who know the area and can give you more specific advice.

Mountain-Mike · Mar 1st 2014, 9:50pm

Camerer Fire Tower in the Smokies. Or some of the waterfalls. Max Patch. Short hike but great spot.

Rasty · Mar 2nd 2014, 12:12pm

Birdman wrote:

I live in the Catskills of NY state. I will be visiting Asheville,NC sometime this spring. Are there any nice moderate hikes close by? Thanks.

What kind of distance? Quick question to determine what moderate is to you. Is the trail that goes up to the top of Hunter Mountain that isn't the ski resort an easy, moderate or difficult trail?

AnotherKevin · Mar 2nd 2014, 7:12pm

Rasty wrote:

Birdman wrote:

I live in the Catskills of NY state. I will be visiting Asheville,NC sometime this spring. Are there any nice moderate hikes close by? Thanks.

What kind of distance? Quick question to determine what moderate is to you. Is the trail that goes up to the top of Hunter Mountain that isn't the ski resort an easy, moderate or difficult trail?

OK, I'm confused. You're talking about my home ground here, and I don't know which route you have in mind. As I see it, there are five popular blazed routes up Hunter Mountain. One comes from the ski area, two from the Spruceton trailhead, and two from Stony Clove. In order of diificulty, easiest first:

[ol]
[li]The Colonel's Chair trail from the ski lifts, then the Spruceton bridle path to the summit.[/li]
[li]The Spruceton bridle path from the Spruceton trailhead.[/li]
[li]The Devil's Path from the Spruceton trailhead, then the Hunter Mountain trail to the summit.[/li]
[li]The Devil's Path from the campground at Devils' Tombstone, Hunter Mountain trail to the summit.[/li]
[li]The Becker Hollow trail from Route 214.[/li]
[/ol]

You should be able to find them all at http://kbk.is-a-geek.net/catskills/test2.html

For what it's worth, my personal assessment of the degree of difficulty:

Display Spoiler

Rasty · Mar 2nd 2014, 7:35pm

AnotherKevin wrote:

Rasty wrote:

Birdman wrote:

I live in the Catskills of NY state. I will be visiting Asheville,NC sometime this spring. Are there any nice moderate hikes close by? Thanks.

What kind of distance? Quick question to determine what moderate is to you. Is the trail that goes up to the top of Hunter Mountain that isn't the ski resort an easy, moderate or difficult trail?

OK, I'm confused. You're talking about my home ground here, and I don't know which route you have in mind. As I see it, there are five popular blazed routes up Hunter Mountain. One comes from the ski area, two from the Spruceton trailhead, and two from Stony Clove. In order of diificulty, easiest first:

[ol]
[li]The Colonel's Chair trail from the ski lifts, then the Spruceton bridle path to the summit.[/li]
[li]The Spruceton bridle path from the Spruceton trailhead.[/li]
[li]The Devil's Path from the Spruceton trailhead, then the Hunter Mountain trail to the summit.[/li]
[li]The Devil's Path from the campground at Devils' Tombstone, Hunter Mountain trail to the summit.[/li]
[li]The Becker Hollow trail from Route 214.[/li]
[/ol]

You should be able to find them all at http://kbk.is-a-geek.net/catskills/test2.html

For what it's worth, my personal assessment of the degree of difficulty:

Display Spoiler

[ol]
[li]So easy it's cheating. Catskill 3500 Club specifically states this route does not count as climbing Hunter.[/li]
[li]Easy.[/li]
[li]Easy to moderate.[/li]
[li]Strenuous.[/li]
[li]Strenuous.[/li]
[/ol]
None reaches the 'difficult' level. (If you want to say that Becker Hollow is difficult, I won't argue.)

Examples of 'difficult' trails in the Cats:
[ul]
[li]The eastern Devil's Path over Indian Head, Twin and Sugarloaf.[/li]
[li]The Burroughs Range trail on the east slopes of Cornell and Slide (The west side of Slide is a cakewalk.)[/li]
[li]The trail up to Balsam from McKenley Hollow[/li]
[li]The Escarpment Trail on the north side of Blackhead.[/li]
[li]The Hurricane Ledges on Kaaterskill High Peak.[/li]
[/ul]

Devils Path from the Campground. It's been about 20 years so I could not remember until the moment I saw the map.

AnotherKevin · Mar 2nd 2014, 10:55pm

I'm wondering, since I'm not familiar with GSMNP myself, how my assessment of trail difficulty compares with people's descriptions of the stuff down South. I'm never sure when I describe a route as 'easy', 'moderate', 'strenuous' or 'difficult' whether I'm being a hard-ass, a namby-pamby or something in between.

I'm thinking of last summer, on Windham High Peak, running into a couple of day-hikers from NJ, with one saying to my daughter and me, "The guidebook said this was an easy three-mile hike!"
"Yeah, my GPS says it was 3.2."
"But it was supposed to be easy!"
Daughter and I looked at each other.
"Well, there are no fords, the ascent is pretty steady, there wasn't anywhere you had to use your hands to get up, the one really muddy place had bog bridges, the footing is all solid, it seemed pretty easy to me!"
"What?"
"This is an easy hike!"
"You guys are nuts!"

So I'm with you that standards vary.

Rasty · Mar 2nd 2014, 11:05pm

GSMNP isn't steep like the Adirondack or White mountains. The hills are moderate but long. Fontana Dam going north is about 12 miles of almost continuous incline.

Traffic Jam · Mar 2nd 2014, 11:18pm

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

Rasty · Mar 2nd 2014, 11:21pm

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Traffic Jam · Mar 2nd 2014, 11:27pm

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

I like trees.

Astro · Mar 6th 2014, 11:41pm

TrafficJam wrote:

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

I like trees.

Now we know why God gave us different types of terrain. Some like vanilla, some like chocolate.

grayblazer · Mar 7th 2014, 12:12pm

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Cuz you're not stopping every minute and hugging a tree?

Rasty · Mar 7th 2014, 12:43pm

grayblazer wrote:

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Cuz you're not stopping every minute and hugging a tree?

I only hug trees when I've been drinking

BirdBrain · Mar 7th 2014, 12:54pm

Rasty wrote:

grayblazer wrote:

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Cuz you're not stopping every minute and hugging a tree?

I only hug trees when I've been drinking

So... you are saying that your affection for wood is directly proportionate to the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream? :whistle:

Rasty · Mar 7th 2014, 12:57pm

BirdBrain wrote:

Rasty wrote:

grayblazer wrote:

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Cuz you're not stopping every minute and hugging a tree?

I only hug trees when I've been drinking

So... you are saying that your affection for wood is directly proportionate to the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream? :whistle:

I'm not going to respond to that loaded question

BirdBrain · Mar 7th 2014, 1:00pm

Rasty wrote:

BirdBrain wrote:

Rasty wrote:

grayblazer wrote:

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Cuz you're not stopping every minute and hugging a tree?

I only hug trees when I've been drinking

So... you are saying that your affection for wood is directly proportionate to the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream? :whistle:

I'm not going to respond to that loaded question

I only ask because I am concerned for my 10" spoon if I was ever in your company and alcohol was present.

Feel free to clean up this aisle if you so desire. I have made my point. gif.014

Rasty · Mar 7th 2014, 1:24pm

BirdBrain wrote:

Rasty wrote:

BirdBrain wrote:

Rasty wrote:

grayblazer wrote:

Rasty wrote:

TrafficJam wrote:

It's all based on your frame of reference. If I only hike in the Smokies, what I consider difficult isn't going to be the same as someone who hikes in the Adirondacks and the Whites.

I actually find it easier to stay motivated above tree line.

Cuz you're not stopping every minute and hugging a tree?

I only hug trees when I've been drinking

So... you are saying that your affection for wood is directly proportionate to the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream? :whistle:

I'm not going to respond to that loaded question

I only ask because I am concerned for my 10" spoon if I was ever in your company and alcohol was present.

Feel free to clean up this aisle if you so desire. I have made my point. gif.014

I think I'll leave this one on your permanent record

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