CMC Weekly Trail Maintenance  News

09/24/03

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Looking Ahead.......

Trail Maintenance scheduled for this week

Bill Newton's Work Crew-Friday 

It is the beginning of fall, and the weather looks good for Friday. So let's head for the parkway and work the MST again, this time maybe finishing up the section from hwy 215 to Buckeye Gap, and maybe even on over to Heywood Gap if we have enough workers. Should be a good day for operating swing blades and loppers, and maybe we will get to use the one man crosscut saw if we are lucky. A wilderness excursion this week. If enough are out, we can use weed eaters from Buckeye to Heywood. As ever, please let me know if you will be working so I can arrange tools and transportation. Meet in the new parking lot at the ranger station - not the work center - at 8. Bill

Piet & Skip's Work Crew-Friday 

Folks, This is the week we wait for all year. Sam Samuals has invited us to his house again for ice cream following our work day so plan on coming if you can. We will go into the Groundhog Creek shelter, and work out both ways from there. We have a report of a big tree down just up the trail towards Brown Gap from the shelter, but otherwise the trails are suppose to be in fairly good shape. Any trail can use some improvement, however, so come prepared to look for narrow tread, water problems, lopping, and any other general "fix-up" type work. We will knock off early (around 1:00 ) to give us plenty of time to get to Sam's and enjoy his hospitality. Piet please bring your saw and plan on getting the tree mentioned above, Others bring digging tools. Asheville folks meet at Home Depot at exit 44 of I-40 at 8:00. Hendersonville people at Ingles at 7:20. Please get back to me if you are coming on Friday because Sam wants a count, so he can prepare enough goodies. Skip

Anyone interested in joining the trail crews contact: Hendersonville area-Bill Newton, 828-693-4033, Brevard area-Dick Johnson, 828-884-3685, Asheville area-Skip Shelton, 828-891-3264 or Piet Bodenhorst, 828-298-8371. 

Thank you all trail maintainers that worked on this section

Hello: This past Thursday, Sept. 17, a small group of hikers led by Peter Margolin hiked the section of the Mountains to Sea Trail that extends from NC128 to Balsam Gap. Peter explained to us that your club was responsible for blazing this most wonderful trail and I just wanted to write and thank you for making our hike possible. Being a new hiker, each trail opens for me a new realm of beauty as I am sure it does for each of you...what a great adventure! Sincerely, Jane Sullivan

Annual Blue Ridge Parkway Fish Fry

The annual Blue Ridge Parkway appreciation fish fry lunch is scheduled for Friday, October 17 at noon. The location is in the auditorium at the Folk Art Center same place as last year.

This is the Blue Ridge Parkway's way of thanking the Carolina Mountain Club trail maintainers for all of the work we do on the Mountains to Sea Trail and the other trails on Blue Ridge Parkway land.

If you have worked on the Mountains to Sea Trail or other Blue Ridge Parkway trails in the past year contact your trails supervisor and get on the reservation list. Please make your reservation by October 7.  Thank you for all you do! Don Walton

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Looking Back....

Bill Newton's Work Crew-Friday

This Friday we will be off to the Green River Game lands. John has lined up a good days work for us, so let's all give him a helping hand to get these trails in shape. We will meet at the Cracker Barrel on Upward Road at 8. Try for parking spots near Upward Road. As ever, please let me know if you will be out so we can plan the tools. Bill

Piet & Skip's Work Crew-Friday 

Folks, It's back to the AT this week. We will go to Allen Gap (where the AT crosses NC Rt. 208), where there is work going in both directions. Howard McDonald will take a helper and go to the Log Cabin Road end of his section and come back to Allen Gap cutting trees (22 or 23 reported down). There is tread work and possibly some water bars needed going North from Allen gap and lots of narrow sloped tread and water problems going up the hill heading South. We will work one or both sides depending on how many folks show up for the day. The weatherman is forecasting lots of sun for Friday, so plan on coming out and getting in on some great trail work. Bring your digging tools. Asheville Folks meet at Forest Service headquarters at 8;00, Hendersonville people at Ingles at 7:20. I appreciate return E-Mails to let me know if you are coming, because it helps me plan the day. Mark you calendars for next Friday September 26th. Sam Samuals has invite us to his mountain resort for another ice cream feast. You don't want to miss this one. We will be working on the AT from Brown Gap to Groundhog Creek shelter and perhaps another crew going up Snowbird Mountain from the shelter if we have enough folks. Skip