CMC Weekly News
12/22/04
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Greetings from the President
This is the last communication to you as president of the Carolina Mountain Club. We have made many changes together in the last three years. I thank each and every one of you for your individual contributions. Change is not easy. I will try to be calmer. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Don Walton More Walk Less Talk! Geo Masa
Happy Holidays from the Trail Maintenance Crews!
This is a picture of two CMC Friday crews working at Johnson
Farms on Dec 17. We cut many large oaks which were blown down by the storms of
September helping the Hendersonville School System restore their trail through
the wooded part of Johnson Farm. Pizza was served by the School Board marking
the first time the crew had their longstanding wish for pizza delivery
accomplished. This marks the last work day for 2004. We wish each and every one
of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Anyone have Gerry McNabb’s whistle?
He loaned it to a sweep this past quarter on either a half-day or Wednesday hike and forgot to retrieve it. Now he can’t remember who the sweep was. If you have his blue aluminum whistle on a pale blue lanyard, give him a call at 274-0057, It was a gift and he would like to have it back. Gerry
The North Carolina Parkway License Tag Continues to Enjoy Success
"The Blue Ridge Parkway license tag is our most popular selling special background tag," exclaims Shannon Perry in a local license tag agency office. "We took orders for ten tags, just today." The tag census is approaching three thousand. How these funds are being applied for Parkway projects will be detailed in the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's Annual Report, scheduled for publication in the spring. The Annual Report Issue of The Scenic is sent routinely to all Foundation contributors.
Slide Closes Another Section of the Parkway
A rockslide cascaded onto a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway last week at milepost 401, but Parkway officials said the slide should have only modest impact on parkway visitation and travel.
Superintendent Daniel W. Brown said the slide, which is mid-way between the French Broad River and Mt. Pisgah, occurred on a section of the scenic road that had been closed because of recent snows and ice accumulation around tunnels. "We often close this section because of wintry precipitation and ice, so this slide won't affect nearly as many visitors as do spring and summer slides." The contract for cleanup is expected to be awarded very soon.
Mt. Mitchell Web Camera
Many may not know that the web camera on the Mt Mitchell web site was funded by the Carolina Mountain Club Alan Barton Memorial Fund. It is satisfying to see that it is appreciated. Go to: Mount Mitchell Webcam
Thank you for providing the Live-Photo on top of Mt. Mitchell. I used to live in Asheville and loved to drive up to the Mt. Mitchell area and observe the wonderful views. Its so nice to check out the area as I now live in Ellijay, Ga. Thanks again for providing this experience on a daily basis. Sincerely, Mike Henderson
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the web cam that
you sponsor for Mt. Mitchell. My family has a summer cabin near Mt. Mitchell and
I love hiking in the Black Mountains. I love being able to view the changing
weather and seasons year-round in an area that I love and cherish. Thanks again.
David Hedberg
The 3rd Southeastern Foot Trails Conference April 28 thru May 1, 2005
Registration and accommodation information will be posted here in early January 2005. Be a part of the third Southeastern foot trails conference at beautiful Table Rock State Park in Pickens, South Carolina! This conference will gather the leadership of the hiking community in the southeast, along with representatives for a variety of government agencies for a weekend of learning, networking, and fun! Another option is to sign-up for the American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacation to be held at Table Rock State Park from April 24-29, 2005. Help rehabilitate the hiking trails in and around Table Rock State Park all week long. Learn, hike, and meet new friends all weekend. It's a great way to get involved! The Southeastern Foot Trails Conference will open Friday April 29, 2005 with several full day pre-conference workshops on the following topics:
Several full day hikes along the Palmetto Trail and the Foothills Trail will also be available on Friday. On Saturday April 30, 2005, the conference will kick into high gear with a variety of concurrent 90-minute educational sessions. These sessions will focus on the following topics:
In addition, up to eight 60-minute concurrent Share Fair sessions will take place Saturday afternoon. The topics of those sessions will be determined by the participants. Friday and Saturday evening there will be great entertainment and plenty of networking opportunities. On Saturday night there will also be a photo contest. More details about the contest will follow in January ‘05. Call for Proposals: Get information on how to
share
your expertise and experience. Submissions will be accepted online
through December 1, 2004. |
Map Reading Course-CMC Education Committee
In early April the CMC Education Committee plans to have a map-reading course. Right now the plan is to have breakfast some Saturday in southwest Asheville and then spend 4-5 hours on the trail, learning how to interpret and use topographic maps. We are hoping to have one instructor for each 4-5 participants.
This is just a heads-up, more specific information will be forthcoming. By the way, we need all the knowledgeable map readers we can get for instructors. If you’d like to help, let Dave Wetmore know at dwetmore@citcom.net . Dave
Smokies Sets Next Round of North Shore Road Meetings
Managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have set the next round of five meetings for February-March 2005 to discuss the future of the proposed North Shore Road through the Swain County, NC portion of the Park. The upcoming meetings are the next milestone in the Park's development of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement which is due out by the fall of 2005. Since the last series of public workshops in February and March 2004 a team of specialists have completed extensive surveys and studies to identify the natural or cultural resources that might be affected by one or more of the five alternative actions being considered. At the next meetings set for February/March 2005 the Park and its consultants will present an impact analysis of each alternative along with the estimated economic impacts and construction costs of each action.
Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said, "We are now at the point in the decision-making process where we can compare the pros and cons of each of various actions based upon concrete and factual information. So, we are looking forward to having an informed discussion of the action alternatives."The five alternatives which the Park is evaluating as possible resolutions of the 1943 Agreement include: 1) No Action (i.e., no road - no resolution), 2) a monetary settlement agreement to replace the 1943 Agreement, 3) construction of a picnic area and exhibits near the end of the current road at Laurel Branch, 4) constructing 7 miles of new road to terminate at a recreational and educational facility along Fontana Lake at Bushnell, and 5) building 29 to 38 miles of new road along a North Shore Corridor as called for by the 1943 Agreement. National Park Service will use a combination of the resource and cost information and public input to develop a preferred alternative which will be presented for public review in the form of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). A final series of public hearings will follow the release of the DEIS. Once the DEIS is released full completion of the decision process is expected to take an additional 12 to 16 months. The upcoming meetings will be held in Bryson City, Robbinsville, and Asheville, North Carolina and in Knoxville and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Information and comments on the North Shore Road decision process is available at: www.NorthShoreRoad.info . Written comments may be sent to: North Shore Road Project, PO Box 30185, Raleigh, NC 27622.
Smokies Issues Environmental Assessment of North Carolina Bridge Project
Managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) which describes the possible resource and visitor impacts of a proposed new bridge in the Park near Cherokee, NC. The new steel bridge would replace an existing low-water crossing that currently carries Balsam Mountain Road across Straight Fork. Park officials are considering installation of a bridge primarily for safety reasons. Currently motorists leaving Balsam Mountain enroute to Cherokee have no way of knowing if the water level at the Straight Fork crossing is too high to safely negotiate until they have driven 13 miles down a narrow one-way road. If they arrive at the crossing and the level looks high they have to make a choice between trying to cross anyway or risk returning 13 miles against possible on-coming traffic. On many occasions Rangers close the road at the Balsam Mountain end when high water threatens. A bridge at Straight Fork would also reduce the number of closures. Under requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Park and the Federal Highway Administration have released an EA that states the potential impacts of the proposed bridge on such Park resources as water quality, aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, vegetation and archeological resources. The EA also weighs aesthetics and visitor use and enjoyment. If the project is approved nearly all of the construction can be scheduled to avoid complete closures of the road. The EA is available for public review at the Park Headquarters in Gatlinburg as well as at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. The document is posted for review and comment on-line at: www.nps.gov/grsm/pphtml/documents.html . Comments may be submitted by mail to: Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 or electronically at: GRSM_Superintendent@nps.gov . Comments should be submitted by January 31, 2005.
