Bear Creek Hikers on the Move This Month

December is still hiking time in Robbins, and the Bear Creek Hiking Club has a full schedule of outings ranging in difficulty from easy stroll to strenuous struggle, according to Linda Koonce.

Hikers walked the Bear Creek Trail around the reservoir on the first day of the month.

Hubert Lathan plans to lead a longer hike Saturday. That one is a 17-mile loop hike in the Blue Ridge in Doughton Park, near Sparta, N.C. Hiking along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, which celebrates its 75th year in 2010, will have breathtaking views to see. This trail has a gain in elevation of 2,950 feet. Hikers will meet at Shoney's (Exit 210 on Interstate 40 and N.C. 68) west of Greensboro at 7:30 a.m.

"Bring plenty of water, lunch and a snack," Koonce said.

A later hike that same morning is closer to home, with a walk in the Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve, taking off from the ranger office at 10 o'clock to hike four miles along the outermost trails.

"If you choose to hike it twice, the distance will be eight miles," Koonce said. "Return to the preserve office and visit the Natural History Museum at your leisure. Take your time and enjoy the hike. Bring a bag lunch and beverage. A group of club members visited Weymouth Woods this summer and spotted a pair of pileated woodpeckers among the pines. We may see them again."

Hikers do not need to register, but they can call Koonce at (910) 986-2076 for more information. She will be leading the hike.

On Sunday, Lathan will lead a a moderately paced hike at Northeast Park, in Guilford County. It's 4.9 miles, but not a hard trail, so the hike is just a pleasant walk of a little more than two hours.

Hikers will meet at the Hicone Shopping Center in front of Food Lion near the bank at 2 p.m. To find it, take the Hicone Road east exit from N.C. 29 North. The shopping center will be on the right about a mile from the highway. The group will then drive to Northeast Park and park cars there, Lathan said.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, "Hike, Dine and Shop!" take places. It follows the New Hope Overlook Trail around Jordan Lake from the recreation area off Pea Ridge Road. Hikers will meet at the trail head parking lot to begin this 5.4-mile trail.

"We will hike the blue loop to its intersection with the red loop trail and continue on the red loop trail and back to the parking lot along the blue loop," said hike leader Cathy Hussey. "There are some challenging hills, sweeping views of the lake, hardwood forests and some creek crossings.

"We will change clothes at the bathhouse by the marina and drive to The Streets at Southpoint Mall, eat lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and do some holiday shopping before returning home."

This is a strenuous hike, and Hussey wants anybody interested to call (910) 464-3679) to register.

Another Blue Ridge hiking day will be Saturday, Dec. 12, with two short hikes for a total of 6.3 miles. The group will hike down Gulley Creek and back, then drive a few miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway and do a hike behind the Blue Ridge Music Center. This is a hike that people with limited hiking experience can enjoy and is moderate in miles, with an elevation gain of 870 feet.

Hikers will meet Lathan at the same Shoney's at Exit 210 on I-40 and N.C. 68 west of Greensboro at 7:30 a.m.

Later, in Robbins, it's another trailathon event, this time walking or running the trails from noon to midnight helping Foothills Outdoors raise money for needy families during the holidays and to help develop outdoor trails in northern Moore County.

More information is available on the Web at www.foothillsoutdoors.org along with sign-up forms. Foothills Outdoors is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, so all donations are tax deductible. This one is hosted by Middleton Mercantile in downtown Robbins.

At the club meeting at 2 p.m. Dec. 13, Laura Gingerich will give a presentation about her experience hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. She will discuss the terrain, logistics and gear.

There is no charge to attend, but folks are asked to call Hussey at (910) 464-3679 to pre-register for this event , which will be held at the Robbins Rescue Squad Building, 141 Horner St.

The next hike will be Dec. 17 in Troy, for six miles along Denson Creek. It's an easy hike with views of the creek, an old train trestle and several stream crossings on footbridges. This is a one-way hike, so cars will need to be coordinated at each end.

Neil Johnson is the leader, and he can be reached at (910) 585-1052 to register and arrange carpooling from Robbins. Hikers will meet at the Fidelity Bank parking lot in Robbins at noon.

Another Bear Creek Trail hike will be on Sunday, Dec. 27. Hikers can also register for this one by calling Johnson. He will meet the group at the Elise School bus parking lot at 1:30 p.m.

The club's Christmas gathering is a Dutch treat holiday party and meal at Westmoore Family Restaurant (across from the school on N.C. 705). The last hike of the year takes place Dec. 31 under a blue moon, as a second full moon in a single month is called. Hikers will meet at the Fidelity Bank parking lot at 8 p.m.

"The blue moon hike will include a celebration of the eve of the New Year," Koonce said. "We will hike over to the Robbins Reservoir. Bring your flashlights, warm jackets, sparklers and noise makers. The moonlit reservoir should give us spectacular views. It'll be an easy, slow paced hike."

Contact John Chappell at (910) 783-5841 or by e-mail at jchappell@thepilot.com.