CMC Bi-Weekly Trail Maintenance News
10/12/05
Maintenance News....
MST Coordinator wanted!
The CMC position of Coordinator of
the Section Maintainer System for the Mountains to the Sea Trail is open.
This prestigious duty for the CMC includes supervising the 5 big sections of
the MST (160 miles) which includes 100 volunteer section maintainers. The
job is about 1/3rd recruiting of maintainers, 1/3rd communicating with all
of the various federal and state agencies and 1/3rd management including
recording and reporting all of the hours worked to various places. If
interested, please contact Don Walton
MST Section Maintainers wanted!
The CMC has a Alternate MST section open. It goes from Cat Gap to Neil Gap 3.0 miles. The trail is in good shape and are waiting to start a love affair with an affectionate maintainer! If interested please contact Jim Tanquary, jdtanquary@juno.com or Don Walton at donwalton@bellsouth.net
Looking Back....
Don't have a "Conditions List" number for this one but it was indeed a very high priority "fix" condition on the MST: Section Ox Creek Rd 8 minutes hike in south-bound. Trail fallen away in two sections and poor and dangerous trail in between covering a distance of 38 yards (144 ft.). Six big guys out today full of energy and liking the short travel distance to work near Asheville and Weaverville. We accepted the challenge and restored the trail with large cribbing, large stones, more rock and crush and widened the trail. Then we hiked out doing more sidehilling, removal of "strip" stones on tread, etc. We string trimmed from Ox Creek Rd. north-bound to Bull Gap on both sides of trail. Lots of work and this section is now ready to have hikers back. There is one very bad and dangerous rocky section just south of the second "short cut" in from the overlook, as Jorge was injured while slipping on this section. Rocks very unstable. Crew also removed one tree across trail.
Just before lunch break, our "very own" Mr. Roberts (absent due to out-patient surgery two days before today), met our Crew on this section with ice cream treats. This was the first time, possibly for any Crew, to have ice cream on the trail at lunch time. Eat your heart out Bill Newton (Bill's crew is usually served a hot lunch on the trail but certainly not ice cream).
A very good day, more cooler than in the past, the sour woods are beginning to turn and we had ice cream served to us. What could be better! This section is in very good shape now. We thank the Ice Cream Man for the treat and thanks to the Crew for a huge day in rebuilding a challenging trail disaster and string-trimming efforts. Official report follows. JS
CMC EASTERN TRAIL REPORT Monday Oct. 3
Check: AT _ MTS X Other _
SECTION ID: Big Ridge Overlook to Walnut Cove Overlook
Hours
Travel Work Total
Brooker, Barth 1 6 7
Poe, Bob 1 6 7
Greenawalt, Bruce 1 6 7
Munoz, Jorge 1 6 7
Merritt, Will 6 6 7
Item 553 - tread work
Item 520 - tree reported by Bob Poe
Item 554 - tree sticking out into trail
Item 515/552- Big blow down Looks like two reportings of same tree.
Item 539 - Tree poison ivyville
Item 538 - Two step overs on Chestnut Cove to Walnut Cove removed
Stoop under tree removed 10 min. South Big Ridge Overlook (reported by hiker
we met on trail)
Barth Brooker
barthb@bellsouth.net
Check: MST
SECTION ID: Balsam Gap to Hwy 191
Hours
Travel Work Total
Walton, Don 1 5 6
Poe, Bob 1 5 6
Garrick,
We installed 2 6x6 sign posts at Balsam Gap and Heywood Gap. We also enhanced all BRP sign posts on the BRP from Balsam Gap to Hwy 191.
Completed:
Item 494 – Removed tree near Bear Pen Gap Overlok.
Item 525 – Fixed signage at intersection near Bear Pen
Item 496 – Moved MST sign at Heywood Gap
Item 546 – Re Blazed entrance at Buck Spring Gap Overlook.
Don Walton