Scenic AVL #2 - Smoky Mtn Christmas - Waynesville Way

Carpooling: Please leave a comment below if you would like to carpool. I recommend 8:15 from 16 Regent Park Blvd, Asheville (near Sam's Club).

Rating: Strenuous for Distance
Distance: 9 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000 feet, in small chunks
Features: Fall color, Rural farm views, neighborhood charm, nice downtown. Saturday, Dec 13, is the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival. We will linger a bit in the Market, and also stop for coffee at Panacea.
Wildlife: No bears, but there are lots of birds and a few cows.
Pace: 3.2 mph when moving, but we will stop here and there.
Surface: Road
Dogs: On leash
Route: Waynesville Way
Running Late? If you are running late, or just want to spend more time shopping, meet us at Panacea coffee, 66 Commerce St, Waynesville, NC 28786. There is a public parking lot downtown, near the public bathrooms, at 88 Montgomery Street. We will arrive at Panacea at about 1 hour after the start time, maybe a little longer due to the Christmas market. If you plan to meet at Panacea, please put a note in the comments.
Coffee Break: We will stop for coffee after the first hour, so bring some form of payment if you are interested.
Weekend? If you want to make a weekend of it, there will be candlelight tours of the Shelton House, too. https://www.facebook.com/share/1DM76SoMoS/

Special Instructions:

• Mountain Research Station: We are walking down Test Farm Road across the NC Agricultural Extension Mountain Research Station. Please sign in using the Visitor Registration website.

Scenic Asheville Series: This hike has replaced the Owen Park Warren Wilson Farm hike, which is closed due to Helene. There are 10 hikes in the series; hike 9 of them and receive an attractive badge for your pack.

RSVP and On-Time Start:

• Call (do not text) the hike leader on the day of the hike if you can't find the start 828-290-0886
• If you decide you cannot come, please change your RSVP
• If you must cancel, please change your status to "Not Going" as soon as possible so wait-listers can have sufficient notice.
  There are generally 1 or 2 no-shows on my hikes, so we don't wait for people to arrive. If you are late, you'll be left behind.

No Guests: Please ask guests to sign up for the hike themselves.

Disclaimer and Release of Liability:
This activity involves hiking on city streets that may have traffic. Participants are responsible for their safety on streets and trails. The organizer of this trip is a volunteer and not a professional guide. The function of the organizer is only to organize this trip. If you sign up or participate in this event you acknowledge that you freely and voluntarily agree to assume all risks of injuries, illnesses, and damages arising from, as a result of, and associated with this event. In addition, you acknowledge that you agree to the Meetup terms: https://www.meetup.com/terms