CMC Weekly Trail Maintenance  News

11/27/03

______________________________________________________________________

Looking Ahead.......

Trail Maintenance scheduled for this week

Bill Newton's Work Crew-Friday 

This Friday we are taking off to recover from all the turkey and such. Have a great Thanksgiving. I'll try to work out something to reduce our waistlines for Dec 5. Bill

Piet & Skip's Work Crew-Friday 

Folks, Because of all the hard work the Friday Crew has done all year, I am going to give you a Holiday. We will not work the Friday after Thanksgiving (11/28/03). I'll even make it a paid Holiday by giving you 100% of your normal pay for working on the trails. Seriously, I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and enjoys the days with their families and friends. See you on Friday December 5th. Skip

Have a great day, remember that every calorie you take in will come out next week on friday. A THANKSGIVING POEM . . . Author unknown 'TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING, I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP, I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS, I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP. THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -- THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE, BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT. TOSSING AND TURNING WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION, THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION. SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR, AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE. I GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES, PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES. I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND, 'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND. I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATED INTO THE SKY, WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE. BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES . . . HAPPY EATING TO ALL -- PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE. MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP, MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP. MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS, MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE, MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS. MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING BE BLESSED!! Have a SAFE and HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Piet 

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.

Nominate your “Volunteer of the Year” for 2004

Each year on National Trails Day, AHS honors a trail volunteer from every state. We need your nominations to find these highly motivated individuals who spend so much of their time ensuring trails are in good shape and accessible. Who in your organization deserves national recognition for trail maintenance? For more information visit our web site at: www.AmericanHiking.org or contact Shirley Hearn at 301-565-6704 x206 or Shirley@AmericanHiking.org 

Fall Section Maintainer Duties

It is time for all Section Maintainers to do their fall walk All waterbars need to be cleaned and reshaped, if necessary,  to make sure all the winter rains will do minimum damage to the trail. Trail Maintenance Guide
Thank you. 

Adopt-A-Trail (Section) Maintainers Needed!

We currently have several sections on the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) that would love to have a caring individual who can adopt a section of their very own. As a trail maintainer, you would be the MST's most important advocate and protector. In this role, you would become familiar with trail maintenance techniques so that you understand the big picture as you perform the simple, recurring maintenance and repairs necessary to keep the trail in good repair. One your most important duties would be the "eyes" and "ears" of your section. The section supervisors are responsible for all of the "heavy duty" work and should be contacted to perform trail work you would not feel comfortable doing. 

If you are interested please contact me or any of the following and we will explore finding just the right section of trail for you. Don Walton, walt7258@bellsouth.net , 828-298-5084, Stan Smith, ssmith111728@aol.com , 828-456-3042, D.R. Kulp, kulpdr@juno.com , 828-692-0783, Les Love, leslove@aol.com , 828-658-1489, Jorge Munoz, jmunoz@buncombe.main.nc.us , 828-658-0606.    

______________________________________________________________________

Looking Back....

Bill Newton's Work Crew-Friday

Ran into some family problems - sister in law died in Penn. and we have to run up there tomorrow (Sunday). I will be back for Friday, but have no time to make any plans so let's go back to Holmes this Friday and finish the shed and any trail work we can get done. Dale, I need you to call Ted at Holmes to set things up. I had told Ted we would not be back there until December. Neal - we will try for Horsepasture a little later. Meet at the Holmes Ranger Station at 8 and let me know if you will be out. Bill

Piet & Skip's Work Crew-Friday 

Folks, We will head back to the Balsam Gap section of the MST trail this week with repair work on the section going South from Grassy Ridge Mine overlook on the agenda. There was some great tread improvement done in this section a couple of weeks ago but more is needed. Plenty of rock tread work also, for those who enjoy that type of labor. Asheville folks meet at Home Depot at exit 44 of I-40 at 8:00. Hendersonville people at Ingles at 7:20. Howard please bring your saw to get the final trees in this section. Piet and Skip bring sledge hammers and rock bars. Others bring digging tools. Please let me know if you are coming. Skip

Jorge's Work Crew