Friday, August 17, 2012

Friends of Panthertown Volunteer Opportunity

Summer is almost over and students are heading back to school. Your next volunteer opportunity with Friends of Panthertown will be on Saturday, August 25. Volunteers will come in from the western entrance to Panthertown Valley at the Salt Rock Gap trail-head at the end of Breedlove Road in Cashiers. Volunteering is a lot of fun and all are welcome to participate. The day will  be spent maintaining the Blackrock Trail (#447) and Overlook Trail (#491). The group will hike down Carlton's Way, North Road Trail (#453), and Panthertown Valley Trail (#474) with a stop at the Salt Rock Gap overlook. 

Overlook Trail Volunteers
Volunteers enjoying lunch on the Overlook Trail.
Volunteers come from throughout the region to enjoy a day in the backcountry working with other hikers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, scouts, equestrians, and nature lovers. New volunteers are always welcome. Tools are provided and the trail days are a great way to give back to Panthertown. REI Asheville is providing store discount coupons for those who show up, plus each volunteer gets entered into a drawing to win some awesome REI gear!
Friends of Panthertown volunteers will meet at the Salt Rock Gap trail-head at 9:30 AM. and the group will then hike in to help maintain and prune nearby trails on the eastern side of Panthertown Valley.  There will be plenty of summer wildflowers in bloom and this will be a great opportunity to enjoy Panthertown with other Friends. Trail volunteers are asked to pack a lunch, bring plenty of water, wear good shoes, and bring a pair of work gloves and pruners if you have them (we’ll also have some to loan out). The hike will be less than 5 miles on easy to moderate trails and will conclude by 3 PM.

The Friends of Panthertown is  an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to work in partnership with the USDA Forest Service to conserve this outstanding natural resource while improving the quality and experience of recreational opportunities in Panthertown Valley.

Panthertown Valley is one of the most spectacular areas in the southeast with cascading waterfalls, trout streams, panoramic views, sheer granite cliffs, the headwaters of the Tuckaseegee River and the east fork of Little Tennessee River. This 6,300 acre backcountry area in Nantahala National Forest offers visitors a wide variety of places to explore and has become a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, rock climbers, anglers, school groups, summer camps, scout troops, ornithologists, etc.

Get a link for more details about Panthertown Valley on the Sapphire Valley NC Visitor Guide.

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