Leisure Hike with Bruce Bente--Ferrin Knob
Details
3.0 miles, 600' elevation gain.
Long-time CMC hiker Bruce Bente will lead this week's CMC Leisure Hike around Ferrin Knob, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Please RSVP here on the Meetup page, but consider also emailing Bruce directly since he's not on Meetup (bcb28791@gmail.com) so he'll know to keep an eye out for you.
### Hike Description
After meeting at the French Broad Overlook (BRP MM 393.8), we'll take a short carpool to start at the BRP Beaverdam Gap Overlook and end at Bent Creek Gap. Instead of following the MST over Ferrin Knob, we will hike around it, hike to a nearby knob on the Boundary Trail and back, then join the MST down to Bent Creek Gap. This will be a pleasant walk through the woods with little elevation gain. Some rock reinforcements suggest that portions may have been the original route of the Shut-in Trail. Car shuttle.
### Scout Report
This is an easy hike with little elevation change through beautiful woods. The first mile is on a unlisted trail that has good treadway and appears to have been well-used sometime in the past. From some rockwork along the trail and the fact that it goes around Ferrin Knob instead of climbing over it, it might have been part of the original Shut-In Trail. Hikers will enjoy discussing the possibility during the hike. We will do a short in-and-out on the Boundary Trail up to an open knob, where we'll stop for a rest break. After returning to the junction point, we'll join the MST for a mile down to Bent Creek Gap.
CMC Meetup is sponsored by, but is separate from, the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC). You do not have to be a member of CMC to sign up for this hike, but if you are not a member you should think about joining. It’s a terrific all-volunteer organization that not only sponsors lots of hikes but engages in a significant amount of trail maintenance throughout Western North Carolina. Just follow the prompts from this link https://carolinamtnclub.org/enrollments/ or explore our webpage at https://www.carolinamountainclub.org/
If you sign up for the hike and then find that your plans have changed, please take the time to remove yourself from the hike to open a space for someone else (and so that we don’t unnecessarily wait for you at the meeting place).