North Carolina High Peaks Trail Association & Friends of Mount Mitchell State Park

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!  NC High Peaks has partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Mount Mitchell State Park to plant 250 small red spruce saplings near Camp Alice on Wednesday, May 17.  To accomplish this, all three organizations are recruiting volunteers.  NC High Peaks would like to provide 15 volunteers to this effort.  Please volunteer if you can… many hands make less work!

The N.C. High Peaks Trail Association will lead hikers into the historic abandoned community of
Lost Cove on Friday, May 5. Settled during or shortly after the Civil War, Lost Cove is nestled
above the Nolichucky River, and can only be reached on foot.

This very strenuous hike of about 7.5 miles will descend about 1,200 feet in elevation to visit the
Lost Cove ruins, buildings and cemetery, followed by a 1,200-foot climb back to our starting
point.  Only experienced hikers in good condition should attempt this hike.

Join the NC High Peaks Trail Association on Thursday, May 4 for a fun and educational trip to the Ray Mine, an outing that will be led by retired Geology Professor Bill Miller. The mica mine was operated on-and-off from 1867 until the 1940s.

Join Southeastern Trust for Parks & Land Board Director Aimee Tomcho for an easy Earth Day Sunday stroll to identify spring’s earliest songbirds. We will visit the Golden-winged Warbler habitat restoration area to learn about the work the Trust is doing to help save this imperiled species. We are sure to see a diversity of wildflowers too. Binoculars nor expertise required to attend! The walk will have a slow pace on a wooded trail with relatively flat terrain and will last approximately 2 hours.

Join the NC High Peaks Trail Association for a moderate hike of about 2 miles on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail on Saturday, April 15. The jaunt will go from the Singecat Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway over the top of the Twin Tunnels, ending at Buck Creek Gap and Highway 80.

This hike features nice views and perhaps some early-blooming Spring flowers. There are no severe climbs and the elevation change is just a few hundred feet, so the outing is rated as moderate.

POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER UNTIL A LATER DATE

Experienced, fit hikers are invited to join the NC High Peaks Trail Association for a rigorous, 9-mile hike on the flanks of the Black Mountains on Saturday, April 8.

Join the NC High Peaks Trail Association for a moderate, fun hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail on Saturday, March 25. Hikers may see a few early wildflowers as this section traverses a rich cove mountainside near the Blue Ridge Parkway between Buck Creek Gap and Neals Creek Road.

The 4-mile hike is rated as moderate, with a steady climb of a few hundred feet to get started, then a long stretch on a contour leading down to Neals Creek.

Join the High Peaks Birders for a birding stroll at Cane River Park near Burnsville on Thursday, March 16 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. 

The outing is open to everybody and will be led by experienced birders who will be happy to help any novices that want to give it a try. The group will be listening especially for woodcocks, a species that courts this time of year.

Join the NC High Peaks Trail Association for a challenging hike on the Black Mountains on Saturday, March 11th.

The 8-mile hike is rated as strenuous and will only be open to fit, experienced hikers. The trek will include some bushwhacking over tough terrain and an elevation change of 1,500 feet.

The group should get treated to excellent views to the east and north as they make their way from the Black Mountain Crest Trail along a north-facing ridgeline.

Bring lunch, snacks, plenty of water, rain gear and hiking poles in you use them.

It’s Spring and the High Peaks Birders are ramping for a full schedule of monthly birding strolls that should offer fun for both experienced birders and novices.

“We’re excited to have the High Peaks Birders heading out into the field again,” said High Peaks President Dennis Smith. “Whether you’ve been birding for years or simply want to learn more, the group has something to offer.”