The following is from the most recent Swannanoa Valley Museum newsletter:

An orientation for the 2011 Swannanoa Rim Hike Series will be held on Thursday, January 6 at 7 pm in the Community Room at Black Mountain Savings Bank, 200 E. State St., Black Mountain.
This year’s series will feature 11 hikes which will be outlined in detail at the orientation. Participants from last year’s events will also be on hand to talk about their experiences on the hikes.
The Swannanoa Rim is the approximately 31-mile stretch of ridgeline that encircles the upper Swannanoa Valley—“Eastern America’s Highest and Most Historic Skyline.”
Participants in the Rim Hike Series, which is a signature program of the Swannanoa Valley Museum, receive a “Passport to the Swannanoa Rim” in which to record experiences.  Each hike is described on a separate page in the Passport, which is stamped at the conclusion of each hike.  Those who complete the entire rim receive an award at a celebration banquet. (See story below.)
Cost for the Rim Hikes is $25 per hike for Museum members, $45 for non-members.  Those choosing to pay in advance for all 11 hikes will receive one hike free.  Please call Wendell Begley, 828-669-7991, for reservations and more information.