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Use the form below to reserve and pay for your dinner at the Annual Banquet and pay your dues for next year at the same time. Please consider donating an additional amount to be used for CMC worthwhile projects. I hope to see you at the Grove Park.

2004 Membership Application and Renewal

Reservation for Annual Meeting and Banquet

Name (s): ______________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________

Phone (s) Home: ( ) Cell: ( )

Work: ( )

E-mail (s) ______________________________________________________

Membership Status (check one)

Member (Individual or Family) - $12.00 _______

Silver - $25.00 _______

Gold - $50.00 _______

Other _______

The CMC is a non-profit organization. Contributions above the $12.00 member level are tax-deductible. Your dues and contributions support CMC programs to promote hiking and to build and maintain trails in Western North Carolina. Current members who have questions about their dues status can find that information on the CMC website (www.caarolinamtnclub.org). Log on to the membership listing and click on your name for details of when and for how long you have paid your dues. If you don’t have access to the web, call Lenny Bernstein, Membership Chair, (828-236-0192) for the information.

I will ____ (will not ____ ) attend the Annual Meeting and Banquet at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, November 1, 2003, at the Grove Park Inn Country Club, and enclose a check of $ ____________ for my dues and attendees at $22.00 per person.

Name (s) of Attendees (for name tag)_________________________________________

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Return this form to: Carolina Mountain Club, P.O. Box 68, Asheville, NC 28802

Previous issues of Let’s Go, dating back to 1998, are available for any CMC member who wants to fill in his/her collection. Old issues can be useful for researching previous CMC hikes. Anyone wanting any of these old issues should contact Bruce Bente at bbente@cytechusa.com , or phone 692-0116, and make arrangements to pick them up on a future hike.

ASHEVILLE - At age 70, the mind slows down, the joints stiffen, the pot belly plumps and the love handles thicken. For suckers.

But not for Tom Sanders. Thinking he would succumb to the impediments of old age at 70, he found it's amazing what some time in the woods can do for the mind and the body.

On Sept. 8, Sanders emerged from the forest, a little stinky, slimmed down by 15 pounds and sporting a shaggy beard after one month and 470 miles of walking a loop through the woods and peaks of Western North Carolina. Along the way, he climbed every one of the region's mountaintops over 6,000 feet high. And on top of it all, Sanders isn't even 70, he's 71.

"I hiked about 20 miles a day," said Sanders, a retired university professor of religious and international studies who now teaches seniors courses around WNC and leads hikes for the Carolina Mountain Club. "It surprised me. I just assumed that getting into my 70s I wouldn't be able to hike as much. I get up early, get out, travel light and get up those hills. I let the poles determine the pace."

"I think it's remarkable," said Don Walton, president of the 600-member Carolina Mountain Club. "He averaged almost 20 miles a day - that's high mileage - by himself, which is dangerous. Bushwhacking, especially, you can fall, twist an ankle, hit your head on a rock. It was risky and dangerous and a great accomplishment for anyone, much less a 70-year- old."

And as far as anyone in the CMC can tell, Walton said, Sanders is the only person to have accomplished such a feat. The club is the oldest and largest hiking club in WNC, and if there's a patch of land in the mountains with even the faintest trail running through it, chances are a CMC member has hiked it. Except for the Western North Carolina Loop, as members are starting to call this "new" trail.

One of the CMC's "challenge programs" is the "South Beyond 6,000" - a challenge to hike all of WNC's 40 mountains that rise over 6,000 feet in elevation. Only about 100 people have completed the challenge, and most take years to do it. But Sanders is the first to conceive of a loop linking all the peaks to create a new hiking challenge on a par with the mighty Appalachian Trail that connects Georgia to Maine, or the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which links the North Carolina mountains to its coast.

"I always envisioned it as a loop," Sanders said. "My idea originally was, what would be a great hiking route that will include the best trails and scenery in WNC, plus climbing all 40 peaks over 6,000 feet? About a year and-a-half ago I started writing it up, or no one would take it seriously. The exciting thing was that `Cave Dog' came along."

Cave Dog, otherwise known as Ted E. Keizer, a 31-year-old speed hiker from Oregon, came to WNC in the spring looking to set a world speed record for climbing the South Beyond 6,000. He did, in June, covering 300 miles in four days, 23 hours and 28 minutes.

To prepare, Keizer spent a couple of months mapping the way with the help of Sanders and many other CMC hikers. Sanders decided to expand on what Cave Dog started by making the route a full circle, so that hikers could pick it up at any point, with no need of doing it in a hurry. He did Keizer's original route of 303 miles, then closed the loop by walking 170 miles back on the Appalachian Trail from the Roan Highlands to Clingmans Dome, for a total of 470 miles.

Starting on Aug. 6, Sanders' soul mate and biggest supporter, Mary Lasher, drove him to the Mount Pisgah parking lot off the Blue Ridge Parkway. She set him loose with a 1-pound pack, a 1-pound tent, a sleeping pad, 2-pound sleeping bag, freeze-dried food and some Snickers bars. Sanders ate meals in the towns where he could and came back home every so often. The longest he stayed outdoors was six days in the Smoky Mountains.

His biggest challenge on the trail was the heat and humidity. Looking back, he said, August wasn't the best time to attempt an arduous trek. And if the heat didn't kill him, the rain tried. Sanders often walked through downpours, trying to keep his feet dry to avoid blisters - the dreaded scourge of hikers.

Another plague was the bushwhacking. Sanders estimates that a third of the 6,000-foot peaks are bushwhacks - they are in remote wilderness areas without defined trails, requiring hikers to forge their own.

"I took gloves and fought my way through," he said. "I wore my rain gear - long pants and shirt. I encountered a lot of briars and blow-downs and thickets of rhododendron, birch and spruce. It's dangerous to bushwhack up a mountain by yourself. It's steep, and if you're off the trail and fall, nobody's going to find you."

He did have some falls but pulled himself up, and he did get some blisters, but came out of the woods near Mount Pisgah for the most part, leaner, sturdier and ready for a champagne toast with Lasher.

"I think Sanders did an amazing thing," said Danielle "Danny" Bernstein, 57, a member of the Carolina Mountain Club who until recently ran her own hiking guide service. "Not only is he 71, but he came up with the idea, and it's quite challenging, more than the Appalachian Trail. No. 1, it's a lot of bushwhacking, and second, where do you stay? It's not like the AT, which is so well-documented. Finding a place to spend the night is a struggle."

Sanders got around the WNC Loop's lack of continuous shelters, campgrounds and towns that can be found along the AT by going home every few days. He and Lasher arranged meeting places where she would pick him up and take him home to Asheville for refueling and rest in a real bed.

He said someone from the "outside," who doesn't live in WNC, can get by staying in towns such as Burnsville, Waynesville, Hot Springs and Asheville.

"I love to hike," Sanders said. "You're paying attention to the trail and the trees and the views. It's a kind of meditative experience, walking in the woods. I've thought of this as my pilgrimage for the year."

In 2000 and 2001, Sanders took pilgrimages on the Road to Santiago, a road in northern Spain traveled by Christians each spring to the burial site of St. James the Apostle. In 2000, he did the 430-mile Spanish route, and in 2001, the 360-mile French route. But his hiking resume is much longer.

Growing up in Asheville, Sanders was a long-distance runner. He ran track and cross country at Duke University and ran the Boston Marathon twice.

After getting "banged up" in his 50s, Sanders geared down from running to hiking and hasn't stopped.

He hiked all 2,167 miles of the Appalachian Trail, all 900 miles of trails snaking through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and had previously climbed all the 40 peaks over 6,000 feet, though not continuously.

"The chief reason I like to hike is I enjoy being in the woods," he said. "The Blue Ridge Parkway is a wonderful thing; it's the best thing in WNC. But hiking is different (than driving). It's good exercise, but the bottom line is I enjoy being in the woods. That's my world and I feel very comfortable in that world."

The CMC will meet later this month to discuss adopting the WNC Loop as one of its challenge programs. If that were to happen, Walton said, then the club would monitor people's progress and issue patches once they completed hiking the Loop.

"I think it would be a significant accomplishment for our club and our area," Walton said. "I think it would be another jewel in the crown for people of the mind to do that kind of challenge."

For more information on the Western North Carolina Loop Trail, visit the Carolina Mountain Club Web site at www.carolinamtnclub.org.

Day 1 - Aug. 6, 2003: Began around 8 a.m. at the Mount Pisgah parking lot and followed the Mountains-to-Sea Trail 17 miles to the French Broad River Bridge. I finished around 3:30 p.m. and went home. For future hikers not from Asheville, there is a camping area on N.C. 191 a short distance from the bridge.

Aug. 10: I was met by four CMC (Carolina Mountain Club) members wanting to climb the peaks north of Mitchell: Alan Franks and wife, Angie Buie and Janet Martin. At 8:30 set off and reached Deep Gap in about 2 1/2 hours, crossing Mt. Craig, Balsam Cone and Potato Hill. Then up Winterstar where the toughness really began. The trail beyond there is terribly overgrown and difficult to follow. I must have fallen 10 times on rocks or roots that I couldn't see, but no fall serious.

Aug. 15: I know what you're thinking - 80 miles in four days is too much for an old man, and you're right. When I restart Monday, I'll reduce the pace a bit and maybe come home more often than I had originally planned. I'm in good spirits and enjoying the challenge and pleasure of the trail. My chief problems are tiredness late in the afternoon and a blister on my little toe that just isn't healing because it keeps getting bumped. At this stage, the Loop looks for real, and I hope I can finish it.

Aug. 25: Most on the AT. Left Tricorner, stepping on Sequoyah on the way. At Pecks corner stopped to get some water and talked to a nice couple from Slovakia (people from everywhere now hike our mountains!). From there to Charlies Bunion is one of the most beautiful sections of the AT, an area called the Sawteeth . Reached Boulevard Trail, climbed Kephart (tripped on a root and banged my knee on the way up), then back along the Boulevard to LeConte . As I came up to the Shelter, there was a gorgeous male deer with horns. Touched the cairn at the top of LeConte.

Sept. 8: Up, as usual, at 6:30. Climbed Shining Rock right after breakfast and getting packed up. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Shining Rock, No. 40 on the Loop for me, was the first peak over 6,000 that I ever did (several times as Boy Scout). Set off on Art Loeb Trail, getting drenched from rain on brush from previous night . When I got to Buck Spring, facing 5 miles up to Pisgah Inn, tired, but then that burst of energy. Did it in 1 hour, 40 minutes, and finally another mile to where I began. Wow, what an experience! I feel so privileged that I've been able to put this thing together, to hike these wonderful trails with their views, flowers, woods and just the pleasure of being out there. The last three days have been torrid, but fantastic.

When Congress created many of the famous national parks in the West, they did so simply by drawing lines on a map of mostly uninhabited land owned by the government or railroads. Creating Great Smoky Mountains National Park was nowhere near as easy. Over 5,000 people lived on the land that would become the largest and most visited national park in the East. They owned white-washed two-story homes, grist mills, fruit orchards, barns, country stores, hotels, guest cottages, and much more. Dozens of schools and churches dotted the valleys. Timber companies owned hundreds of miles of railway, sprawling lumber mills, and whole "company towns" with commissaries, barber shops, pool halls, and movie theaters.

All of it had to be purchased and either removed or abandoned. These "lost" farms and communities are the focus of History Hikes of the Smokies, the newest book published by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association. Within its 352 pages, History Hikes provides in-depth narratives of 20 historically significant trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Featured hikes include Hazel Creek, Boogerman, Little Cataloochee, Old Settlers, Old Sugarlands, Cooper Road, and Jakes Creek, among others. The narratives for the longer, most historically-rich trails are practically short books in themselves-Old Settlers, for example, runs 38 fact-filled pages.

Michal Strutin of Johnson City, Tennessee is the book's author. She has a long and impressive resume of books and periodicals in the vein of history and the out of doors. She has done editing stints for Outside and National Parks magazines and is the author of Grist Mills of the Smokies, two Smithsonian Guides to Natural America, Chaco: A Cultural Legacy, and A Guide to Northern Plains Indians. Besides wearing down a lot of boot leather on Smoky Mountain trails, Strutin conducted exhaustive research in libraries and archives that revealed a wealth of new historical anecdotes and gems not found in other popular publications. Her narratives relate the importance of each route in Great Smoky Mountains history as they proceed farm by farm and hamlet by hamlet up the narrow valleys. Quotations, snippets of poetry, and tall tales bring to life the mountain families, both rugged and genteel. Complementing the text is a treasure trove of historic photographs showing the people and buildings that populated the Great Smoky Mountains prior to park establishment. Some, like the seldom-seen panoramic photo of Ritter Mill on Hazel Creek, or the snapshot of the Messer "big house" on Little Cataloochee Trail, will startle anyone who has only known the Smokies in their current incarnation.

Other valuable features of the book are profile charts showing each trail's steepness, easy to read individual trail maps, and detailed directions to trailheads. The cost of History Hikes of the Smokies is $12.95 and proceeds go toward educational, historical, and scientific projects in the park. The books are available at park visitor centers and area bookstores or by contacting (865) 436-0120 or www.SmokiesStore.org Great Smoky Mountains Association is also the publisher of Hiking Trails of the Smokies (the little brown book) and Day Hikes of the Smokies. The organization is currently celebrating its fiftieth year of providing support to the national park.

I have recently purchased this book and recommend it highly. There are many Smokies hikes listed with in depth history on each. Don Walton

The friends of Wilson Creek who are committed to protecting, preserving and promoting "Wilson Creek" a Wild and Scenic River are seeking members who share these same values. Please see www.friendsofwilsoncreek.org for more details.

Once the Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River was designated, Caldwell County began work on the creation of a visitor/education center to promote the outstanding values of Wilson Creek. Led by efforts of Caldwell County Commissioners, the County purchased 6.4 acres along Wilson Creek using grants from the NC Natural Heritage Trust and the NC Clean Water Management Trust in January 2001. Later that year, funds for the construction of the visitor center were received from the NC Dept. of Transportation’s Enhancement Funds. Construction of the visitor center began in May 2002.

On October 14, 2002, the visitor center officially opened its doors to the public. Many dignitaries were on hand to celebrate this occasion. Wilson Creek Fun Fact Wilson Creek begins on the upper slopes of Calloway Peak (elevation 5920 feet) on Grandfather Mountain in Avery County and flows in a southerly direction for 23.3 miles where it joins Johns River (elevation 1020 feet) in Caldwell County. Although virtually surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest, Wilson Creek only flows through the Forest for nine miles. The Wilson Creek corridor lies within two physiographic provinces – the Southern Piedmont and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

As I am writing this message, Jeff is approaching New Bern (Friday, October 3). He started at the Falls Lake Dam in Wake County Monday morning and has hiked 140 miles (an average of 28 miles per day)! He followed bike route 2 to Wilson County, and then picked up bike route 7 which will take him to the beach. The terrain has certainly flattened as compared to the first few weeks of his trip, although the roads are still curvy to keep the trail interesting. Jeff said the weather has been awesome this week - cool temperatures, a slight breeze, and no rain. The bike routes he is following pass through rural areas of eastern North Carolina; thus, Jeff has seen many historic homes and churches as well as small towns that he normally would not visit. A few such towns had interesting names such as Eureka, Shine, LaGrange, and Daddysville. In the town of Eureka, Jeff noticed that the post office and town hall were all in one building.

Also, he has seen acres and acres of farms that are harvesting cotton and tobacco. Jeff hiked through a wetlands area one day and spotted several blue heron. Other animals prevalent on this portion of the MST are horses and dogs. On Thursday, Jeff was fortunate to have another hiking partner - Terry Wolford, the Goldsboro area task force leader for the FMST.

Jeff has found that his hiking poles are always a source of curiosity for people he encounters along the trail. What do they do? (They help absorb shock and keep his balance.) Where is he going? (To the beach) Why is he hiking that far? The answer to this question usually varies depending on the conversation, but generally has something to do with his passion for hiking and his dedication to the MST.

After taking the weekend off, Jeff will hike from New Bern through the Croatan National Forest and then northeast to Cedar Island next week. He hopes to finish Cedar Island by Friday, October 10. The trail then crosses the Pamlico Sound by ferry to Ocracoke Island. Unfortunately, the ferry is not running and the island is virtually closed due to Hurricane Isabel. Jeff is making inquiries into the situation and will do whatever he can when he gets to Cedar Island.

There is one other side note I want to share with you. The MST received some good press in the October issue of Our State magazine. There is a 3-page article about the trail, where it goes, the history, and several Jeff Brewer quotes. The article is not available online, although many bookstores and newsstands carry the magazine. Check it out, if you have the opportunity.

The Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere program is a consortium of numerous federal and state agencies interested in the conservation and sustainable development of the Southern Appalachians. Where: Renaissance Hotel, Asheville, NC When: Nov. 4,5,6, 2003 The Southern Appalachian region faces a host of interrelated issues, from air quality to invasive species to planning for growth. The Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Fall Conference brings together professionals and concerned citizens from across the region in a forum that facilitates the learning, networking, and brainstorming needed to address these issues. The conference features workshops, presentations, posters, and field trips about the most pressing issues in our region, and agency and community actions that address these challenges. Sessions in this year's conference include: Facing the Threat of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Managing Growth Around Protected Areas Proetecting and Restoring Southern Appalachian Streams and Rivers Mapping and GIS for Planning and Protection Dealing With Invasive Plants and Insects Environmental Monitoring by Communities and Citizens: The Public's Role in Research and Management Traversing the Landscape Air Quality Improvement for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Hiker Health, Air Quality and Traffic Congestion Air Quality: Understanding the Issues Ecosystem Restoration Appalachian Heritage as an Economic Opportunity For more information about SAMAB or the conference, please visit www.samab.org , or e-mail gary_peeples@fws.gov .

Greetings fellow AHS hiking enthusiasts! As we draw nearer to the Fall Conference taking place October 17-19 in Monteagle, Tennessee

I wanted to make you aware that the conference registration materials are being mailed out today. They are also available online for download at the following web address. http://www.americanhiking.org/alliance/registration.html The web site also contains a partial listing of the scheduled educational sessions, along with the speakers. This information is not in the registration materials that are being mailed out today. Additionally, an electronic newsletter has been created, and there is a subscription form at the following web address; http://www.americanhiking.org/alliance/newsletter.html This is modeled after what Don Walton of Carolina Mountain Club has for their organization. Now that the monthly E-Newsletter has been setup, we need more subscribers! Please share this information with your fellow club members. It is a great mechanism for your club to get an announcement out to a broader audience. I’ll be sending out the first E-Newsletter on August 11. If you have any announcements that you’d like included in that mailing, please get them to me by August 8. Happy Hiking!

Bringing the proper equipment will add greatly to your enjoyment, your safety, and the enjoyment and safety of the group. This stuff is essential if you are going out in the woods for more than a couple of hours. Make sure that you are comfortable with your equipment and you know where it all fits in. Do not carry anything in your hands; do not tie a jacket around your waist. Everything should fit in your daypack. Carry your wallet and keys in your daypack, at all times. In your daypack: Two quarts of water in plastic water bottles (not soda bottles) Lunch and snacks Rain jacket (no matter what the forecast) Long sleeve shirt (no matter what the forecast) Sunglasses Wool or fleece hat and gloves Insect repellent Sunscreen Tissues Personal first aid kit Small flashlight Plastic bag for trash If it is not the height of a warm summer, add: Warm fleece hiking sweater or jacket Rain pants How to dress: Shorts and a short-sleeve T-shirt as the bottom layer. Hiking boots that are well broken-in and that go over the ankles Good hiking socks (not sports socks). Sunhat with a wide brim Bandanna which you need to keep handy Dress in layers: Your first layer should be a short-sleeve t-shirt (synthetic, not cotton) even if it seems cool in the morning. You will warm up. Your second layer should be a long-sleeve shirt (also synthetic). If you need extra layers, you will have your warm hiking sweater and rain jacket. Shorts give you more mobility and keep you cooler; pants give you more protection from insects and brush. Questions, comments, additions to the list? Send to danny@hikertohiker.org