Friends of the Smokies is now offering regular monthly hikes in the North Carolina part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hikes started small - maybe five or six people - but now we are generating a waiting list.

When Friends announced the Road to Nowhere hike from the Lake View Tunnel, they were mobbed by members who want to go. Where is this place? I've heard so much about it.

It was the longest hike we had planned, almost 10 miles, but obviously members thought it was worth the effort.

We started at the end of Lake View Road out of Bryson City on the Lake Shore Trail and followed the hike, as described in Hiking the Carolina Mountains, pg. 247.

It was a beautiful, sunny day. We had lunch on a bridge above Forney Creek. I explained the North Shore Road issue, as we went along. At each stop, I fed hikers a little more of the story.

But mostly we enjoyed each other's company and the last of the tree color.

Then we turned off Lake Shore Trail to go up to the Woody Cemetery. (That's not in my book.) The picture of the group is at the cemetery. There's only one Woody buried in the cemetery so why is it called, the Woody Cemetery?

Steve Woody, a descendant of a family who lived in the park, was with us but he had no idea. His family came from Cataloochee. We got out of the woods at about 4 P.M. and stopped in Bryson City for a hot drink.

The next Friends of the Smokies hike will be on Tuesday December 6. It will be the shortest hike that I've led so far. So call the North Carolina Friends office and sign up - 828-452-0720. I hope to see you on the trail.

More details on the hike later but it will be good.