Pisgah+Running+and+Camping+Weekend

Come one, come all. Bring your family and friends to the **White Pine __NORTH__ Group Campsite** in the beautiful Pisgah National Forest, near Brevard. We have reserved a group camp site for Friday and Saturday (March 25th and 26th) night for a weekend of campfires, running, biking and fishing.The campground is a 50 yd walk from the parking and has the cleanest pit toilets I have seen in these parts. (hopefully they stay that way) It has several large picnic tables, Tent Sites, a charcoal grill, and a large fire pit to sit around and tell stories.

If you are not sure about camping before running, stay tuned for some updates about camping tips to maximize your comfort before and after the run. ( Hayley and I have camped in the snow before some trail races in Colorado)

If you are not interested in camping, come for the day to run and hang out! If you are planning to do this, Please don't park at the campground parking, as we have limited parking at the site. There are plenty of pull outs near the campground.

Both days' runs are on ridges with incredible views. If we get thunderstorms, we may have to adapt the runs and the camping.



This area is used extensively by mountain bikers. Please keep your ears and eyes peeled for your safety and theirs. They will yield to us when they can, but sometimes they are moving so fast it will be easier for us to move, than them to stop. Please be a cooperative trail user, and make it fun for everyone. Besides, it is amazing to watch some of these guys and gals, and what they can ride down!

Directions to the **White Pine __NORTH__ Group Campsite**: At the intersection of HWY 64 and 276 near Brevard, go up HWY 276 following the Davidson River. After you pass the ranger station on the right, look for the signs to turn right to the Horse Stables.Turn up this road (quickly turns to dirt) and follow it until you see the campground on your right. Remember it is the __**NORTH campground.**__

Set up camp any time after 2:00 pm. If you get there before Hayley and Damian, and someone asks, the reservation is under the name Hayley Roper.
 * __Friday March 24:__**

7:00 Pasta Dinner - pasta and red sauce provided. Bring any extras you want to throw in to make yours special! Dark - Campfire conversation and S'MORES???


 * __Saturday March 25:__**

Wake up, as you please, to the sounds of nature and the eventual smell of COFFEE!!!

Breakfast - what ever it is that gets you fueled for a great run! I have a two burner camp stove that all are welcome to use. You can even use my pans and utensils, if you clean them.

8:45 - Verbal run description and last minute Q&A about the course. The course will not be marked at all, but detailed descriptions are listed below for printing out and if you have a trails illustrated map #780 of the Pisgah ranger district, all routes will be on there.

9:00 - Let the fun begin -Let the run begin: This days course will be about 16.9 miles (20.6 with extension at the end) . It climbs from 2200 ft to 4100ft in the first 7 or so miles, and then rolls up and down between 3700' - 4000' until about 13 miles, and then descends back to camp.

__**Basic course description :**__ Campground to Stables 1.2 right onto Clawhammer Road 1.1 Right on Maxwell Cove Road 2.6 Left on Black Mountain Trail White Blazes until it ends at intersection with Buck Wheat Trail 6.8 Straight on Buck Wheat(knob) Trail Yellow Blazes until it hits a road 1.5 Go Across road and UP! gated road onto Bennet Gap Red Blazes and eventually down ridge to road 2.9 Right on road back to Camp ground .8 TOTAL = 16.9 miles

Extension (down 2nd Coontree to intersection, turn right up Coontree, reconnect withe Bennet Gap and go down to main road) 3.7

__**Detailed Description:**__ Leave camp and go up the road for 1.2 miles and turn right into the parking for the horse stables. Look for a gate and road above the stables themselves, labeled Clawhammer Road. Follow Clawhammer road for approximately 1.1 miles until you see another well defined road on your right. This is Maxwell Cove Road but is not labeled as such until later up the road. This road will slowly lose it's road appearance and turn more into 2 track. Enjoy this series of climbs and flats for 2.6 miles. You will go past a historic chimney ruin if you want to stop and take in some history. At the saddle, you will be taking a hard left up the stairs onto the Black Mountain Trail (BMT) marked with white blazes. You will follow this trail for the next 6.8 miles until it ends. The first mile or so of this trail is a technical steep climb. You will know you are close to end of the big climb when you pass the intersection with the Turkey Pen Gap Trail (do not take it. keep going up!). Enjoy the incredible views as you roll along. Looking Glass rock will be off to your left. The main ridge between you and Looking Glass, will be the ridge you will be running down at the end. Also keep you eyes up and to the right and see if you can see the Pisgah Inn and the Blue Ridge Parkway. After a good sized descent, you will come to an intersection. Stay on the BMT directly across the intersection, going toward the shelter. This will be the last sustained climb, but not the last climb. After the climb, you will enjoy a fun winding trail. Stay on the BMT on the top of the ridge. After a descent down a horribly eroded sectioin of trail, you will come to an intersection and the end of the BMT. Go straight across the intersection heading up the BuckWheat Trail (map says Buckwheat Knob, but the sign at the intersection says Buckwheat trail), crossing under the power lines. I told you it was not the last uphill. Follow this roller coaster until it descends to a road. Look down and across the road and you will see a road with a gate. Go past this gate and climb up the road. This is the Bennet Gap trail (Red Blazes) and will lead you all the way down the ridge to the road we started the run on. Bennet Gap Trial will turn to 2 track and then to an incredible single track. Be sure to stop and check out the views. As you descend you will pass a few other trails. Be sure to stay with the red blazes and stay on the ridge until you go past the second Coon Tree trail intersection (see below for possible extension here). Then you will follow the trail down to the left, off the ridge and come out on the road we ran up first thing in the morning. Turn right on the road and run about .8 of a mile back to the campsite.

Extension: At the SECOND CoonTree (Blue Blazes) intersection, take it down and to the right, follow this fun single track until it comes to a fork. Turn right and go back up this side of the Coon Tree Loop until it intersects back with the Bennet Gap trail and rerun this section back down and follow the Red Blazes back out. Adds about 3.7 miles. A good way to get some extra miles and run in with some of us slower folks.

__**Saturday Afternoon:**__ Enjoy food and friends at the camp site! Be sure to bring some comfortable chairs, food, and tasty cold beverages for your enjoyment. There are grills at the campground, and Hayley and I are thinking of Grilling! Brevard is only minutes away, for those who planned poorly, or can't bare the thought of cooking after running.

Damian will be doing some flyfishing and maybe some mtn. biking that afternoon. I will be glad to teach the basics of flyfishing to anyone interested in learning to flyfish. All you need is a current fishing license.

Saturday night - more food and fun around the campfire!

Sunday: details soon!

__**Confirmed:**__ Matt Kirk (C) Lily Kirk (C) Sara Sibley (?) Joe Sibley (?) Damian (C) Hayley (C) Jeremy Hargroves (C) Terry Foxwoth (C) Nicole Foxforth (C) Little Foxworths (C) Anderson Harp (C)- Saturday only Brian Morrison (C)- Saturday only Sultan (?) Brandon (C) Hannah (C)
 * C= camping
 * R= run only



__**Sunday March 26 - 10:00 am -**__ __**Art Loeb out and back**__ __**to Chestnut Knob (10-12 miles?)**__

Sunday will be another faboulous day for running ridges!

If you didn't come camp or run on Saturday, join us for an out and back on the famous Art Loeb Trail.

We will meet at the Art Loeb Trailhead located on the near side of the river closest to the Davidson River Campground.

__If you are coming for the day__, after making the turn up HWY 276 toward the Parkway, look for the signs after after about 1/2 mile. You will see signs for the Davidson River Campground and the Art Loeb. Turn left toward the campground, and when you see the bridge to cross the river, take a left into the parking area. This is the trails head for this side of the Art Loeb. We will meet here and run out the back of the parking lot by the gate.

__If you are coming from the camping area__ Go back down the dirt road to HWY 276. Turn left and go past the range station. Look for the signs for the Davidson River Campground. Turn right like you are going to the campground, but before you cross the river, turn left into the parking area for the Art Loeb Trail.

The Run: We will meet at 10:00 for a little more discussion about the run. If people want too run longer or shorter, I can give you some landmarks to look for so you can get the distances you would like.

__10:15 start running:__

We will go out the back of the parking lot and parallel the river downstream for a while. We will be following the trail signs and the white blazes. This first part of the trail is a maintained "bike path" type trail. Be on the lookout for a pedestrian bridge to your right after about 1/2 mile. It is well marked but if you are gabbing with friends you may miss it and run right into Brevard. AFter making this right and going across the pedestrian bridge, the trail will turn with the river to the right and head toward a ridge. When you get to the base of the ridge, you will see a small creek, the single track starts here for the Art Loeb. Turn onto the marked single track and start you uphill. This is about 1 mile of steady uphill. After the climb you will start a series of ups and downs until you come to a road crossing. at this road crossing __turn right and look left. The trail will be immediately on your left going uphill the trail has a sign.__ Follow this and look for the white blazes. After climbing up the ridge for a while the trail will turn right off the ridge and contour around Stony Knob. This is about the only part of the trail where you won;t be on the ridge. Contour around and up going past a trail going down and eventually meeting back up with what loooks like an old road bed at a camping spot. Turn right and run along this great section of old road bed until it changes back to single track and meets up with another road crossing. At this road crossing, __turn left and look right__ looking for the uphill trail marked Art Loeb. here you will climb with the climb gradually getting steeper. Tis is Chestnut Knob. As you climb the final bit to the summit, look left at teh prominent rock outcroppings on Cedar Rock to the west. At the summit you will be treated to 360 degrees views including a look at Looking Glass Rock. Turn around and run back the way you came.

When we all return we will go into Brevard for some Food!!!!