Calendar of Events

Noland Creek 
8.2 miles | Moderate
Forest Walk, North Shore History

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

Anthony Mikolojeski resides in Asheville, NC area and is known as the Asheville Medium. He is a professional member of Best American Psychics which every member sustains high ethical standards and are throughly tested. Anthony has studied at the prestigious Arthur Findlay College in Stansted, England to further his mediumship. Anthony delivers  loving, evidential and guiding, healing messages from your loved ones in heaven.  The proof that love never dies and that our souls do live and continue on in the afterlife.

Jackie Korth is an accomplished evidential medium, public speaker, energy medicine practitioner, and teacher.  Having been blessed with the god-given ability to provide others with messages, insight, and guidance that life is a gift ,and our loved ones continue to love us and be a part of our life just in a different way.  Jackie has studied extensively with great mediums from Arthur Findlay College and Omega Institute in NY.   Jackie is also the founder  of Fox Cities Act of Kindness.

Elissa Wilds is a psychic medium, coach, author, and teacher with over 25 years of professional experience. She has trained extensively with the top mediums in the world and has also completed platform mediumship training at the Arthur Findlay College in Stansted, England. She has been teaching others how to tap into their own innate intuition for well over a decade. Her soul purpose is to bring healing and hope to others through intuitive guidance and by connecting them with their loved ones on the Other Side. She is known for her psychic accuracy and her warm, down-to-earth style.

This hike is contingent on good weather.

Park at Craven Gap, this is an in & out hike. – 8.8 miles, 1345′ elevation gain

We will begin hiking at 10:00am, so please give yourself time to get there on time.

We will move at a moderate pace – 2.2 – 2.5 miles an hour or around 24-27 minutes per mile. There are a few vistas so we can stop momentarily to take in views, or snap photos. We’ll also stop for a snack at the lodge ruins.

This will be a “No Political” hike. Please keep your Red/Blue views at home and enjoy the views that the trail offers.

• Wear closed-toed footwear appropriate for hiking. The trail will consist of dirt, rocks, roots, and mud.

• Trekking poles are recommended.

• Well behaved leashed dogs are welcome.

Feel free to post questions not covered in this description in the comments section.

Cell phone service is pretty good along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! From April — October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 10 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online, using the the link below.
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! From April — October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 10 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online, using the the link below.
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! From April — October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 10 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online, using the the link below.
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Boogerman Loop 
7.4 miles | Difficult
Cataloochee Valley History, Old Growth Poplars, Elk

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

We meet at the parking area of the French Broad River. We leave for the hike no later than 9:10 a.m. and hike 2.5 miles on the MTS trail and back for a total 5 miles hike. We walk at a pretty swift pace (2.7 to 3 mph). Hike is designed for fitness and conversation. We don’t take a break until we reach the turn around point, then we stop for brief water break. We repeat this hike on Friday. Then move on with our regular rotation of hikes.

Hikers who are new to hiking will likely be more comfortable on another meet up hike designed for people who are just beginning hiking or trying to get into shape for hiking. You might consider “WNC Easy Hikers Group,” for instance.

We meet at the parking area of the French Broad River off of Brevard Road. Coming from Asheville, go through the light at the arboretum intersection and you will see the parking area almost immediately on your left. We leave no later than 9:10 a.m. I think this is called the Brent Creek River Park.

Wells Funeral Home is presenting a starlight luminary display around the grounds of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Candler, NC on Monday, December 6 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. (Inclement weather make-up date is Wednesday, December 8). This drive-through event will feature approximately 2,000 luminaries as well as seasonal music.

The luminary experience is free with donations accepted to support DayStay Adult Day Services. Based in Candler, DayStay is a non-profit adult day care providing daytime, weekday care for elderly and impaired adults.

DayStay fosters socialization to support the dignity and self-esteem of each participant and provides an affordable alternative to institutionalism. Through respite care and resource information, the program seeks to support family caregivers in their efforts to provide care to the aging or impaired adult in the home for as long as possible. Center participants include adults who experience a lack of socialization, depression, Alzheimer’s, dementia, are at risk of falling, or who need limited assistance with daily personal care.

DayStay participants take part in diverse programs including arts and crafts, music, chair exercise, games, trivia, gardening, and more. Activities are adapted to meet the individual needs of each participant. All activities are conducted in such a manner that each participant can succeed without shame or risk of failure.

DayStay is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. DayStay’s daily rate is intentionally kept low so that families can take advantage of this cost-effective service. Financial assistance is provided through grants and scholarships. For more information on DayStay Adult Day Services, visit www.daystayasheville.com or call (828) 665-1575.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park is located at 1 Chapel of Faith Drive, Candler. Additional event information can be found on the Wells Funeral Home website, www.wellsfuneralhome.com.

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You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh was published in 2010. This book has a 5 star rating with 1560 reviews. We will discuss this book during an online zoom call. This book is available in print, audio, and Kindle formats. Use this link to purchase https://tinyurl.com/brubf48j

Description of the book: Cut through the busyness and anxieties of daily life to discover the simple happiness of living in the present moment, as taught by a world-renowned Zen monk

In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh—Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free.

Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, You Are Here offers a range of effective practices for cultivating mindfulness and staying in the present moment—including awareness of breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. These teachings will empower you to witness the wonder of life and transform your suffering, both within and outside you, into compassion, tenderness, and peace. As Thich Nhat Hanh declares, “the energy of mindfulness is the energy of the Buddha, and it can be produced by anybody.” It is as simple as breathing in and breathing out.

7 miles | Moderate Forest Walk, Holiday Celebration

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m