This weekend, we will be visiting the Max Patch area of the Cherokee National Forest. The famed Max Patch is a 230 acre bald mountain, which was once part of a working farm. The mountain was once cleared of trees for pastureland, and now is covered by tall grasses and wildflowers. The Appalachian Trail crosses the summit, with views of Mt. Sterling and Mt. Cammerer in the Smokies, and Mt. Mitchell in the Black Mountains to the east. We will hike to the summit and spend some time enjoying the views, before hiking down from the summit and follow the Appalachian Trail for several miles to Lemon Gap, where we will be picked up by our bus. Along the way, we will see rhododendon "tunnels" and the Roaring Fork Shelter on the AT. This will be a day-hike only, so you do not need to carry your backpack, only a small drawstring pack to carry your water. Once we meet the bus, we will travel a few miles to Round Mountain Campground, a small US Forest Service campground in a quiet, woodsy area across the line in Tennessee. The next morning, we will pack up and travel to Marshall, NC, where we will meet our whitewater guides at Blue Heron Rafting. After receiving our instructions, we will board rafts and shoot the French Broad River, consisting of Class 2 and 3 rapids. Lunch will be provided by the rafting company. After our trip, we will change into dry clothes and return to Hickory. We anticipate returning to Hickory around 5:30. Scouts will call home for their rides as we approach Hickory.
What: Max Patch camping/ French Broad River Whitewater Rafting.
Where: Harmon Den/ Hot Springs, NC area. We will be camping at Round Mountain USFS Campground.
Cost: Rafting will be $52 for the trip and lunch. Camping fees are $3 per person. Food costs for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast will be determined and announced before the trip.
Equipment: Troop tents, sleeping bag/pad. Mess kits, water bottle. Drawstring pack or day pack for Max Patch hike. A change of clothes and swimming suit with water shoes or shoes that you can get wet. Please have a change of clothes available for after the rafting trip. Rain jacket.
Meals: Please eat breakfast Saturday morning and pack a sandwich lunch in a bag. We will eat our bag lunch at Max Patch. For dinner Saturday evening and breakfast Sunday morning, we will patrol cook. The meals have already been planned and will be cooked by scouts who have signed up already. Lunch Sunday will be provided by the rafting company. We may stop for a snack at a convenience store on the ride home to Hickory. Please bring money for this expense. Food costs will be determined and divided equally among all participants.
When: Meet at the church at 9am Saturday. The troop will meet at the rafting company at 11am for a noon rafting trip. The trip should last around 2 hrs, depending on the water flows in the river. We'll leave the Marshall, NC area around 3-3:30 and arrive back in Hickory around 5:30pm Sunday.
Weather: The forecast Saturday at Max Patch is for occasional clouds and a high of 70* with a low at night of 61*. Sunday is mostly sunny, with a high of 82*. Awesome!
Thanks and I look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!
No comments:
Post a Comment