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Wayah Bald NC via Appalachian Trail - Fitness Hike (Intermediate to Advanced Hikers)




The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Wayah Gap, near Franklin, NC
Date(s) & Time:Sun, Jun 8 2008  9:45 am >> N/A  (Carpool Departure: 7:15 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Thu, May 8 2008 12:00 am
Registration Cut Off: Sat, Jun 7 2008 11:59 pm
Event Duration:ten hours, total hiking and drive time
Difficulty Rating:D4: Moderate to Difficult
Trip Leader(s):
Tom
John Weatherman
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:20
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 13 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: Yes

Itinerary:

This is an in and out hike, for nine miles total, with about 1500 feet in elevation gain. We will go at an above average, deliberate hiking pace.

This hike on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina involves high elevation and features some outstanding views. This is one of the most beautiful sections of the trail in southern North Carolina. The drive from the park-and-ride to the trailhead is just over two hours.

This is a two bald hike, including Wine Spring Bald, and our destination, Wayah Bald. At Wayah Bald we will have a 360 degree view of the North Carolina mountains, including the Great Smokey Mountains. We will visit a two-story stone tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps there in the 30’s. The top of the tower has labeled etchings of the horizon that will show us the names of the mountains we are seeing.

As far as the hike itself, we will start at Wayah Gap at 4200 feet, and go about two and a half miles to the top of Wine Spring Bald at 5300 feet. Then we lose and gain about 400 feet over two more miles to Wayah Bald, also at around 5300 feet. Then we turn around and come back.

For those of you who have been to Siler Bald, this is a similar hike to that one, with a similar, if not better, view. In fact, Wine Spring Bald is the mountain with all the antennas on it that you see from Siler.

In case you are wondering what balds are, they are a feature unique to the Southern Appalachians. The early settlers found the mountaintops here free of trees and called them balds. To this day there is still no definitive explanation for this, and we don’t intend to come up with one. We are just going to hike. Please join us.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of the distance and above average hiking pace, you should be in excellent physical shape with recent experience hiking 9+ miles in the mountains, or have long distance running experience (e.g. Peachtree Road Race, 10Ks, half marathons, etc..).

Required Items to Bring:
water or trail beverage of choice (two liters)
sufficient lunch and high fuel trail snacks
rain gear if rain is possible
dress in layers
wind breaker or equivalent as outer layer		Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
-binoculars if you have them
-some people like those hiking poles
-a camera if you are into that

How to Get There:
Event Directions:From the Indian Trail park and ride, take I-85 North. After 11 miles bear left to take I-985 North. This road will change to GA 365, US 441, and US 23. Stay on it for 96 miles all the way to Franklin NC.
(However, we will make the traditional pit stop at the Burger King in Clayton GA at 75 miles. Burger King will be on the right. From there it is 21 miles to Franklin.)
Once outside of Franklin, make a left onto US 64 West. Go 3.7 miles on US 64 and make a right onto Patton Road, then an immediate left onto Wayah Road. (There should be signs for Wayah Bald.) From there it is 8.9 miles to the Appalachian Trail. All of it is paved. Look for the hikers crossing sign at the top of Wayah Gap and there will be a small parking lot on the left.
Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):242Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 7:15 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $96.80 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.