On August 20, Friends of the Smokies' hiking guide Danny Bernstein will lead hikers through Mt. Sterling Gap up to the Mt. Sterling fire tower. This short but steep hike rewards hikers with 360 degree views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the top of Mt. Sterling!
On a personal note, this will be my last update to you all as the AmeriCorps Outreach Associate. Friends will be welcoming a new AmeriCorps member in September and he will continue to keep you updated and act as coordinator for the hikes. During my 11 months I hiked over 130 miles and coordinated over 143 hikers.
Thank you to all those who have hiked with us during my term, it's been a pleasure hiking with you and with Danny!
For our full list of hikes click here: 2013 Classic Hikes of the Smokies Series and feel free to share with friends. Contact Holly Demuth to register for the August 20 or any other hike. Keep an eye out on the Friends of the Smokies event page for updates on our hikes. See our press release below for more information about the Mt. Sterling hike.
Happy hiking,
Keith Hoffman
Join Friends of the Smokies and Take in the Views from Mt. Sterling
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| Come take in the 360 degree views from atop the Mt. Sterling fire tower! |
Waynesville, N.C. - Friends of the Smokies invites hikers to take in the views on a Classic Hike of the Smokies at the Mt. Sterling fire tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Hikers may join this guided hike up the Mt. Sterling Trail,exploring another entrance to the park along old NC 284. This hike celebrates Friends of the Smokies' support for airquality initiatives in GSMNP.
On Tuesday, August 20 hiking expert, author of two regional hiking guide books (plus new book on her hike of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail), and Friend of the Smokies volunteer Danny Bernstein returns to lead this 5.4-mile hike. The hike is strenuous, steep, but short and has a total ascent of 2,000 ft.
Mt. Sterling sits at around 5,800 ft., providing the perfect opportunity to celebrate Friends of the Smokies' contributions to air quality monitoring in the park. The park's highest elevations are impacted by acid deposition caused by pollutants released into the air outside the park. Partially supported by Friends, the park has several air quality monitoring stations as well as outreach programs to educate visitors about air quality and what they can do to help protect the park.
Mt. Sterling Gap is rich in history, as it was a main route from Cataloochee to Tennessee and Methodist Circuit rider Francis Asbury crossed here on his missions. Readers may remember the movie Cold Mountain and the scene where the fiddlers who were shot during the Civil War. This scene was taken from a true story, which occurred at the Gap on what is now NC 284.
Participants will gather for the all day excursion in Asheville at 8:30 a.m. or Waynesville at 9:00 a.m.. For those coming from Tennessee a meeting location will be given upon registration. In support of the Smokies Trails Forever program, a donation of $10 from current members and $35 from non-members is requested. Non-members receive a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Members who bring a friend hike for free.
To register for this hike or any Classic Hike held monthly on the third Tuesday, contact Friends of the Smokies at outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828-452-0720. For a complete list of the Classic Hikes, visit friendsofthesmokies.org. Information about support for trail improvements in GSMNP may be found at smokiestrailsforever.org.
