2nd Quarter Newsletter
Smoky Park License Plates
The Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will soon have a special license plate for NC at an extra fee of $30. The Friends receive $20 of this and part of the rest goes to highway beautification in NC. If interested, I can give you more information. – Howard
Mailing Committee
We now have a hard working group that has taken over the job of assembling, folding and mailing the "Let's Go." This is getting to be a bigger job all the time, so we thank the following: Kathyrn Giddings, Penny Grayson, Jane Helms, Joyce Leard, and Donna Van Campen. The mailing list is still in the hands of Elisabeth Feil, on her new computer.
In Remembrance
David M. Robinson, 69, of Raleigh died January 7,1999. He was a native of Asheville and had retired from IBM Corp. He was a lifelong member of the Carolina Mountain Club and spent many hours exploring the mountains of Western NC. He was the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Robinson of Asheville.
Council Meeting
The next council meeting is May 10 at the Mills River Restaurant. Dinner at 6:00 PM, Meeting at 7:00 PM. Open to all members, but please call Howard 693-8258 or Ellie Thrush 697-9743 for dinner reservations.
Sam Waddle Honored
Sam Waddle was honored by the state of Tennessee late last year for his many years of maintenance of Jerry Cabin Shelter and the 2.9 miles of the AT between Round Knob Springs Road and Big Butt. Sam has maintained the shelter for over 25 years and has been a member of CMC since 1987. Congratulations, Sam!
Wednesday Hike Scheduling
Marietta Morgan has now taken over the scheduling of 2nd and 4th quarter all day Wednesday hikes. Ken and Carol Deal will continue to schedule the 1st and 3rd quarters. Thank you, Marietta! Please send them lots of proposed hikes well before the quarter starts so that they can include them in the schedule. Ken and Carol, 281-4530 and Marietta, 253-8685.
Signs And Blazes
If you know of any trail within the Pisgah National Forest that is in need of a new sign or blazing, please call Ranger Pat Lancaster (877-3350) or Dale Vogel (891-4774)
Hike Leader’s Workshop
We will again hold a hike leaders workshop at the Mills River Restaurant (junction of NC 280 and NC 191) April 26. We urge all hike leaders and would-be hike leaders to attend this meeting because we want your opinion on the new hike leader guidelines in order to make them as useful as is possible. Come with your thoughts to make it easier for new hike leaders.
Dinner will be at 6:00 p.m. with the meeting starting about 7:00 p.m. Bring your thoughts and gripes so we can do a better job in the future. For dinner, please call Howard McDonald (693-8258), John Pawcio (299-8126) or Dick Johnson (884-3685) by Wednesday, April 21 to reserve a spot.
Weekend Trail Maintenance
Ever wonder how much work and attention goes into keeping our trails here in WNC in such great shape? Now comes an opportunity to learn trail-building skills firsthand. Some of you
have expressed an interest in contributing to the maintenance effort. However work commitments kept you from participating. For that reason, we are organizing a Saturday work crew May 15.
We will be utilizing the invaluable experiences of a few of our very knowledgeable and hard working trail maintainers who will act as instructors and demonstrators.
Bring work gloves, appropriate clothing and your lunch and plan on being out for the day. Call Les Love at 658-1489 to sign up and for details on where to meet.
New Members
Sue Barnett, Tom & Carol Beyer, Ken Black, Joseph Cirvello, Ken & Lynn Corbett, Claude Duchon, Juanita Emmett, George & Tere Finch, Herbert Gallinger, Diane Hankins, Dottie Hays, Richard Jenkins, Denise Lilly, Tracy Mandel, Megan McDonald, Margaret Polchow, Tim Putnam, Dewey Sides, Stacy Small, Brida Smith, Yvonne Smith, Peter Stanz, Beverly Tucker, Barbara Welch
Mountaineering Information
To lovers of mountain trails - both visitors and local residents - the Carolina Mountain Club dedicates this quarterly bulletin in the hope that it will open the way for new pleasures from the outdoors.
Western North Carolina is blessed with places of rare beauty, yet they are denied to many people because a practical means of visiting them is lacking. The Carolina Mountain Club exists to fill this need. Views, forests, rock formations, wild flowers, streams, and waterfalls are incorporated in the club's year-round hiking program.
Special information on hiking and equipment is given below. The inside pages present a schedule of outings taking place every weekend and every Wednesday. Consult the trip leader or hike chairman for additional information regarding any particular hike. Trips are made regardless of weather.
Visitors are cordially welcome but should select trips within their endurance. When reservations are necessary, mention will be made in hike description. In this case, the leader will have to be called to reserve a space. Hikers usually carpool from the meeting places to trailheads and back. Passengers are expected to share operating expenses with the driver.
Clothing & Equipment, Etc.
Footwear comes first. Never start a mountain trip in brand new footwear. Lightweight hiking boots are recommended. Clothing of any substantial type will do. Carry a sweater, even in summer, and some kind of rain wear.
Equipment for all-daytrips should be a lunch, plenty of water, compass, first aid kit, matches in waterproof case, and flashlight. On overnight trips, carry tent, sleeping bag, foam pad, extra clothing, stove, fuel, mess kit, eating utensils, and food in addition to the above.
Maps are helpful when hiking on your own. U.S. Geological Survey and T.V.A. topographic quadrangle maps are for sale at $4.00 per sheet at local outfitting stores or by mail from Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25286, Denver, CO 80255. State index maps for selecting quadrangles are free from the Denver office. U.S. Forest Service topographic maps (based on U.S. Geological Survey quadrangles) and maps of selected areas in Western North Carolina are available at the National Forest Service Office, 160 Zillicoa St., P.O. Box 2750, Asheville, NC 28802. Call (704) 275-4200 for further information.
Club Trip Regulations: From the start of the trip, both members and visitors are expected to abide absolutely by club regulations and by instructions of the leader. Visitors should make themselves known to the leader on arrival at assembly place announced for the trip. No one is to start ahead of the leader without definite permission, or lag unreasonably far behind the group. The party is pledged not to pick shrubs or wild flowers, damage property in any way, or endanger forests and property by smoking while walking.
Membership: Any person is eligible for membership by completing a Membership Application form and paying dues. Individual and Family memberships are $12.00 per year. Frequent non-member participants in club hikes are expected to join the Carolina Mountain Club. All members are encouraged to participate in one of the club’s many maintenance efforts. Contact a club officer for details.
Carolina Mountain Club Officers
Howard McDonald 693-8258 President
John Pawcio 299-8126 Vice President
Ellie Thrush 697-9743 Secretary
Greta Merrick 299-7113 Treasurer
Council Members: Nancy Hawley - 456-6657, Don Walton - 298-5084, Neal Andreae - 883-3098, Jan Lounsbury - 689-5006, George Munoz -658-0606, Thomas Sanders - 252-6327.
Quarterly Council meetings are open to all Club members. Call any Council member for date, time and place.
Morgan Sommerville 254-3708 ATC Field Rep
THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: The Carolina Mountain Club is a member of the Appalachian Trail Conference, PO. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25245 Telephone (304) 535-6331. This association is made up of hiking clubs which laid out and now maintain the Appalachian Trail, a 2,160 mile footpath following the mountain crests from Mt. Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mtn., Georgia. The association has assigned the Carolina Mountain Club the maintenance of some 92 miles along the North Carolina-Tennessee line of Spivey Gap to Davenport Gap. The National Scneic Trails Act was passed in 1968, which is when the A.T. was designated a National Scneic Trail. Guide books are available from A.T.C.: A.T. Guide to North Carolina-Georgia and A.T. Guide to Tennessee-North Carolina.
Responsibility For Safety
There are certain risks which are inherent in any hike or other Club activity. Each CMC member, guest or non-member hiker agrees to accept personal responsibility for his or her safety and the safety of minors accompanying such persons. The Club cannot ensure the safety of any participant on hikes. In participating in Club hikes, each such person agrees to hold harmless and free from blame the hike leaders, and the CMC, its officers and members, for any accident, injury or illness which might be sustained from participating in hikes or other Club activities.