Hiking Venture from
Max Patch to Lemon Gap
Madison County, NC
August 26, 2020
Register by clicking the ‘book now’ button above, or by contacting the Ventures office. We accept credit cards for an additional fee (2.9% for MC, Visa, Discover; 3.9% for AmEx), but you may also pay by bank transfer, cash, check, or money order. This Venture is limited to 12 participants
Departure: We will meet at 7 AM at the Pilot Truck Stop, which is adjacent to Exit 24 off I-40 West. To reach this spot, head west from Asheville on I-40 for 15.4 miles to Exit 24 and turn north onto NC 209. Drivers will be given directions from here to Max Patch. Price: $55 Unfortunately, our picnic lunches are not currently included in our day trips (until further notice)
Venture Description: An easy walk mostly downhill for about 4 miles. We will walk through a range of open and shaded habitats- woodland and meadows. Please remember to wear comfortable shoes such as good sneakers or other walking shoes.
Summer is a wonderful time to walk in the southern Appalachian Mountains. While most of the spring wildflowers have long gone, the summer blooms of asters and golden-rods can carpet the roadsides. The heavy leaf cover does make the birds more challenging to find, but many should have well-grown chicks by this stage. We should see such high-elevation species as Dark-eyed Junco, Blue-headed Vireo, Chestnut-sided and Canada Warblers and many more. Butterflies will also be obvious as we walk the trail so those interested in learning a little more can stop to identify some of them. Join us for this glimpse into the natural world as we hike (mostly downhill) on a lovely section of the Appalachian Trail. There will be a pause for a picnic lunch along the way during our approximately 4-mile hike.
We will leave some of our cars at the Lemon Gap parking area and drive to Max Patch before we start the walk. We can drive back up to Max Patch when we finish our walk to pick up the other vehicles.