Friends of Panthertown The Panther’s Roar June 8, 2015

National Tr

ails Day Success June 6, 2015 - National Trails Day in Panthertown participants had a great time hiking into Panthertown Valley, seeing overlooks and experiencing waterfalls. Highland Hiker Volunteer Trail Day. Our spring trail work days brought out 27 volunteers, about 10 miles of trails cleared out of 30, and 35 hours of trail work, so far. "

Panthertown. In July !!ww!In celebration of National py h"

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THE THE PANTHER’S ROAR PO BOX 51 CASHIERS, NC 28717 | WWW.PANTHERTOWN .ORG | (828) 269-HIKE

Summer 2015 Friends of Panthertown News

Friends of Panthertown hosted a hike in Panthertown Valley on National Trails Day

Picnic & Concert at Camp Merrie-Wood

on Fairfield Lake to benefit Friends

August 22 from 3 to 8 pm Music and food start at 5 pm

Join us for our annual family fun membership event. Free admission. Parking is $10 per vehicle, includes a prize ticket.

Bring your family and friends to enjoy a picnic and concert to b e n e f i t Fr i e n d s . Enjoy live music by

Strange Brew (featuring members of Hurricane Creek), kid’s activities, games, hike around the lake, and view a magnificent waterfall from the lakeside moss garden. Dinner prepared by a local chef (available for purchase) or bring your own. We hope to see you!

Camp Merrie-Woode is adjacent to Panthertown at 100 Merrie-Woode Rd in Sapphire, NC off US 64 about 5 miles between Cashiers and Toxaway.

Cashiers, NC - June 6th, in celebration of National Trails Day in Panthertown Valley, more than 20

h a p p y h i k e r s explored Panthertown, met up with equestrians and mounta in b iker s a long the way, and challenged themselves to a fun 5 mile guided hike led by Jason Kimenker, Friends of Panthertown

Executive Director. Hikers went up Blackrock Trail, over Overlook Trail, down Carlton’s Way to North Road, then across Panthertown Valley Trail to Mac’s Gap to view Granny Burrell Falls. We also hiked Great Wall Trail to the Shelter, Deep Gap to Frolictown Falls, then up Wilderness Falls, and back to Salt Rock. What a great way to share a beautiful day in Nantahala National Forest!

Tr a i l Wo r k T h a n k s

Thanks to Friends of Panthertown v o l u n t e e r s a n d s t a f f f r o m t h e Highland Hiker for h e l p i n g u s m a i n t a i n t r a i l s

during the month of June.

• Big thanks to Mike Purdy, Vice President and Trail Boss for his outstanding dedicat ion to Panthertown and years of work training and leading our trail volunteers on stewardship projects in Panthertown Valley.

• We want to recognize the late Carlton McNeill, whose spirit lives on in Panthertown, and who helped create many of the trails we still enjoy today in the valley. We follow in his footsteps and give thanks for his trail blazing work as an unofficial caretaker.

• We would also like to thank The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and the Wade Hampton Donor Advised Fund for a $2,500 grant awarded last fall in support of our trail work and conservation projects.

• Special thanks to Hazel B. Bundy Memorial Fund for a generous donation given in Hazel Bundy’s honor in support of our mission.

U.S. Forest Service: Cold Mountain Parking Lot Improvement Work Scheduled for Month of July!Toxaway, NC - After many years of planning, and with the help of funding from Friends of Panthertown and a 2012 RTP grant, the U.S. Forest Ser vice wil l s t a r t work in Ju l y on a parking lot improvement pro ject a t the Co ld Mounta in ent rance to Panthertown located at the end o f Co ld Mounta in Road, off NC 281 in Toxaway. Expect heavy equipment and temporary overnight parking restrictions over several days this summer. For updated info, visit our website, call (828) 269-HIKE (4453), or send us an e-mail to: friends@panthertown.org"

Be Safe In Panthertown This Summer!Waterfall safety tip: Avoid risk of injury or death from slips and falls by viewing waterfalls from below. Be aware that bears, snakes, and yellow jackets can be summer hazards to watch out for. They live here. Practice bear safety and hang your food in scent-proof bags to avoid encounters. Please see our website for more safety tips.

News & Happenings!Welcome to our summer 2015 ed i t ion o f T h e Panther’s Roar.

Please welcome Virginia Wi l l a rd , our ne west Trustee, a great volunteer, and a wonderful person."

In loving memory of our Friends and their loved ones who have recently passed: David R. Beard (1945 - 2015), and Friends co - founder Wi l l i a m McKee (1952 - 2014). They remain forever in our hearts.

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B o a r d o f T r u s t e e s

Margaret Carton, President "Mike Purdy, Vice President, Trail Boss"

Paul Johnson, Treasurer"Tom West, Governance Chair"

Tony Austin"Mike Kettles"

Burt Kornegay"Dan Pitillo"

Margo Purdy "Virginia Willard"

Jason Kimenker, Executive Director"Friends of Panthertown is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible."

Friends of Panthertown The Panther’s Roar June 8, 2015

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Adopt-A-Trail in Panthertown Valley!Sapphi re , NC - The most popu la r ac t i v i ty in Panthertown is hiking, followed by camping and backpacking along any of over 30 miles of trails. But did you know that equestrians and their horses also enjoy many of the trails in Panthertown Valley and have access to park their horse trailers at Salt Rock Gap and Flat Creek parking areas? Trail markers indicate designated uses for each trail. For safety and courtesy, hikers should always yield to horses when passing on designated trails. "

Special thanks to our generous equestrian friends in the Bald Rock community for adopting the multi-use Deep Gap Trail once again this year. Find out more about our Adopt-A-Trail program and how you and your group can adopt one or more of your favorite trails in Panthertown. For more deta i l s e -m a i l u s a t f r i ends@panther town.org or visit our web page:"

w w w . p a n t h e r t o w n . o r g / t r a i l s

Find out how you and your group can get involved, enjoy community service, and help us protect and maintain Panthertown for all to enjoy.

Friends of Panthertown The Panther’s Roar June 8, 2015

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Buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Big Green Egg Grill with proceeds to benefit

Friends of Panthertown

Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20.

Tickets available through August 22 event. You do not need to be present to win.

Contact us at: friends @ panthertown . org (828) 269-HIKE (4453)

J o i n o r r e n e w y o u r m e m b e r s h i p o n l i n e . Now is the time to renew your membership or join Friends as a new member. Become a supporter of your favorite national forest tra i l system. Each membership dol lar you i n v e s t t o d a y g o e s t o w a r d s n e c e s s a r y conservation and stewardship projects, and helps us to protect and maintain Panthertown for all to enjoy. Thank you for being involved!"Contact Jason Kimenker, Executive Director at (828) 269-4453 to discuss planned giving, in-kind donations, and employer matched contributions."w w w. p a n t h e r t o w n . o r g / j o i n

Month of July U.S. Forest Service will be working with Friends of

Panthertown on a parking lot improvement project at Cold Mountain entrance, expect overnight parking closures.

July 17 & 18 - Mountain Wildlife Days in Sapphire !Saturday, August 22

Family Fun Picnic & Concert at Camp Merrie-Woode Annual Gathering, Celebration, and Benefit !

Saturday, September 26 National Public Lands Day in Panthertown Valley

Friends of Panthertown PO Box 51 Cashiers, NC 28717

twitter @panthertown | instagram @panthertownvalley

U p c o m i n g E v e n t s C h e c k o u r w e b s i t e f o r u p d a t e s : www.panthertown.org/ca lendar-of -events

a n d o u r F a c e b o o k p a g e a t w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / p a n t h e r t o w n for invitations to upcoming guided hikes, member events, and volunteer opportunities. "

Friends of Panthertown The Panther’s Roar June 8, 2015

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