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

All are invited to join the High Peaks Birders for a birding stroll at Ridge Junction on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Wednesday, September 20th at 7:30 a.m.  The outing is open to anyone interested in learning about birds and especially bird migration.

Ridge Junction is a well-known birding hotspot, especially for fall migrants.  The configuration of the mountain ridges serves to funnel migrating birds, especially early in the morning after a night of flight.

Early in August members should have received an e-mail from the Nominating Committee soliciting names of potential candidates for the NCHPTA Board of Directors. Nominations are now closed. We have five seats open on the Board, and five names to be placed in nomination.

Fit, experienced hikers are invited to join the NC High Peaks Trail Association for a very strenuous hike over scenic Roan Mountain on Friday, Sept. 1.

The 5-mile jaunt will include an elevation change of 1,500 feet over very steep terrain and is not for novices. The outing will follow the Appalachian Trail between Hughes and Carver’s Gaps and will include a visit to the Roan summit and the site where the Cloudland Hotel once stood 100 years ago.

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Join the NC High Peaks Trail Association for a moderate, 3-mile hike along the spine of the Black Mountains from Mt. Mitchell to Big Tom and return on Friday, Aug. 25.

The hike will offer stunning views and perhaps some hints of early fall from the tallest mountain chain in the Eastern U.S. Although rated as moderate because there is little elevation change, the trail is rugged, with a long, stone staircase and several scrambles over steep rock faces that can be very slick when wet.

Fit, experienced hikers are invited to join N.C. High Peaks for a very strenuous hike on the Big Butt Trail on Friday, Aug. 11. The group will cover 5.6-miles from the Walker Knob Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cane River Gap, a route that includes a few steep climbs but overall descends about 1,500 feet.

An enthusiastic crew of teens from Camp Celo recently volunteered a long, hard day of trail work, joining a Carolina Mountain Club/NC High Peaks crew of adults to do major rehabilitation work on the Colbert Ridge Trail.

The group installed more than 50 water diversions and steps on a badly-eroded stretch of the popular trail, which leads from the South Toe Valley up to Deep Gap and the Black Mountain Crest Trail.

Join High Peaks for a fun but challenging hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail from Walker Knob Overlook to Graybeard Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Saturday, July 15. The 4-mile hike will offer cool, high-elevation temperatures and great views at several spots, but includes some rough footing and an 800-foot elevation change.

All are invited to join the High Peaks Birders for a birding stroll at Crabtree Falls on Wednesday, July 12th at 8:30 am.  The outing is open to anyone interested in learning about birds and will be led by experienced birders who will be happy to help any novices that want to give it a try.   A nice diversity of birds occur here and we will be identifying birds by their visual characteristics and their diagnostic songs.

Experienced, fit hikers are invited to join N.C. High Peaks for a challenging hike over Blackstock Knob near Mt. Mitchell on Friday, July 7. This high-elevation jaunt should provide an escape from hot summer temperatures, along with wonderful views.

The 5-mile hike will start at NC 128 and end at Walker Knob Overlook, traveling along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. It includes a climb and descent of about 1,000 feet over a rough trail with challenging stone steps.