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Snorkeling with the Watauga Riverkeeper

The Valle Crucis Community Park 2892 Broadstone Road, Valle Crucis, NC, United States

Join MountainTrue’s Watauga Riverkeeper, Andy Hill, and take the plunge to explore the unique ecosystems of the Watauga River. Much like ocean reef snorkeling, river snorkeling allows you an unparalleled viewpoint to explore all the nooks and crannies of your local river. By peeking under the water, you can find yourself swimming alongside darting fish or face-to-face with the tiny insect larvae that feed them. After years of fishing and protecting this river, no one is more qualified to show you the best places to look for underwater marvels than Andy. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a Hellbender.

$10 – $20

French Broad Float

Experience one of the most remote and scenic stretches the French Broad has to offer over this three day/two night trip from Hot Springs, NC to Bridgeport, TN.

$550

Asheville Urban Tour

Vance Memorial

Join MountainTrue’s own Chris Joyell, Director of the Asheville Design Center, on a walk through downtown Asheville. While winding through the streets of downtown, Chris will recount stories from Asheville’s history that shaped the city and turned it into the beautiful, quirky place we love today. Much of the city’s unique history is unknown to most Ashevillians, but it spans everything from citizen protests to decades of crushing debt to policies that moved whole communities. While we walk, Chris will also discuss some of the changes Asheville is experiencing today and where this growth could lead us in the future.

$5 – $15

Guided Fall Day Hike

Pilot Cove Loop Trail

Join MountainTrue's Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, for a gorgeous and educational hike through Pisgah National Forest. This hike offers breaktaking views of the fall foliage, and if we are lucky, we will catch glimpses of the Monarch Butterfly migration. We will be hiking the Pilot Cove Loop Trail in Pisgah, which is approximately 4 miles long. The trail starts in a lesser known part of Pisgah National Forest and winds upward amongst the brightly colored sourwood and black gum trees. After opening up onto a beautiful rocky outcrop, the trails travels through recently logged forested as well as much older sections of forest. There are some steep inclines on this trail, but Bob will be making frequent stops to rest and interpret the flora and fauna.

$5 – $15

Timber Sale Project Hike

Join us for a a hike to the part of Nantahala National Forest that will be impacted by the Buck Creek Timber Sale. Our Public Lands Biologist, Josh Kelly, will explain how timber sales work, what makes for a good timber project, and show us what areas will be impacted by the Buck Creek Project. We'll hike through a less frequented part of the National Forest on an out-and-back section of the Chunky Gal Trail. This hike is considered difficult: this section is 5 miles long and includes substantial elevation gain.

$5 – $15

Winter Tree ID Workshop

Join us for a Winter Tree ID workshop on Saturday, February 1st. This workshop is aimed at beginners, so we'll start by covering basic vocabulary used in tree ID and various ID techniques with a workshop from Carrie Blair of Carrie's Tree School. Assuming good weather, we will move outside for the second half lead by MountainTrue's Public Lands Biologist, Josh Kelly, where we'll put what we've learned to the test. No materials are necessary, but please bring water, snacks, close-toed shoes and weather appropriate clothing.

$5 – $15

Winter Bird Watch

Hintor Rural Life Center 2330 Hinton Center Rd, Hayesville, NC

MountainTrue's Western Regional Office will host its 14th annual Winter Bird Watch. Retired Young Harris College professor and former board member, Brenda Hull will share her bird expertise with us as we observe birds around Lake Chatuge. In past years, we've seen over 20 different species of birds, ranging from small songbirds to larger birds of prey and wintering waterfowl typically associated with more northern climes.

Apalachia Lake Paddle

Hiwassee Dam Recreational Facility HIWASSEE DAM ACCESS Rd, Murphy, NC

What better way to spend a hot Friday afternoon than paddling on a beautiful mountain lake? For this 2-hour lake canoe outing, we will paddle Apalachia Lake which has very little private shoreline development and no commercial recreation facilities, making it very peaceful and perfect for paddling. Fishing and swimming are both options along the way, so bring your line if you'd like.

$10 – $25

E-bike Tour of Downtown Asheville

The Flying Bike Tours 1 River Arts Pl, Asheville, NC

Last year, our own Chris Joyell, Director of the Asheville Design Center guided us on a walking tour of downtown Asheville. This year, we're touring Asheville on bikes. We're teaming up with Flying Bikes Tours to take out a fleet of electric bikes. We will still pass through downtown, where Chris will share his extensive knowledge about Asheville's urban core, including stories of how redlining has shaped our city and what the future could hold for Asheville. With the bikes, we will expand our range, pedaling through the River Arts District and the Southside, experiencing the highlights (and lowlights) of Asheville's bike infrastructure. We will stop frequently to hear from Chris about the history of development in these areas and what the future might look like in these places. 

$20 – $40

Fall Scenic Hike

Pilot Cove Loop Trail

Join MountainTrue's Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, for a gorgeous and educational hike through Pisgah National Forest. This hike offers breathtaking views of the fall foliage, and if we are lucky, we will catch glimpses of the Monarch Butterfly migration. Due to the pandemic, we are restricting group size for outings to 10 participants. Sign up today!
We will be hiking the Pilot Cove Loop Trail in Pisgah, which is approximately 4 miles long. The trail starts in a lesser known part of Pisgah National Forest and winds upward among the brightly colored sourwood and black gum trees. After opening up onto a beautiful rocky outcrop, the trails travels through recently logged forested as well as much older sections of forest. There are some steep inclines on this trail, but Bob will be making frequent stops to rest and interpret the flora and fauna.

$5 – $15