CMC Weekly Trail Maintenance  News

12/31/03

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Looking Ahead.......

Trail Maintenance scheduled for this week

Bill Newton's Work Crew-Friday 

Piet & Skip's Work Crew-Friday 

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

ATC Workshops Available in 2004

Each year ATC helps sponsor workshops to assist clubs with training to carry out their management activities on the AT. We currently have a list of courses that will be available for AT maintaining club members to take as needed or desired based on the published workshop schedule. If you are interested in any workshop training, please contact Matthew Davis at ATC in Asheville, NC at mdavis@atconf.org.

It looks like there will be no recertification training for chainsaws this year. ATC changed the curriculum and they want everyone to start off with the new version of the chainsaw course. The two courses most convenient for us will be at Sugar Grove (Mar 6-7 and Apr 24-25).

Most courses are free with the exception of those courses where a special outside instructor will be required (First Aid, CPR & Wilderness Medicine). The locations of the training courses are different for most of the workshops, please see the ATC brochure (Adobe Acrobat document) for specific details. The published dates of these workshops are as follows:

** Be sure to check the web site or call ATC to check up on workshops with dates listed as TBA**

Areas Needing Trail Maintenance

Here is your list of places needing work. Be your own judge of the accessibility and safety of travel before scheduling. I am convinced that these winter months will have selected beautiful clear days for productive work.

SMALL CREW.- 1.- MST, Haw Creek O\L going north. Step over trees, treadwork, Reported by Mon. Crew. 2.- MST, Folk Art Center going north. Many roots in trail that need covering. Trail over Riceville Rd. is narrow and side hill. 3.- MST, Craven Gap north to Ox Creek. Several step over trees. 4.- AT, Brown Gap north to Max Patch. Tree 15 min. north of Brown Trees 30 min south of Max Patch. Side Hill 10 min. North of Brown Gap 5.-Arboretum, New trail along Bent Creek. 6.-AT, Spivey Gap South (below High Rocks) Treadwork, side hill, silt bars. &.- MST, Balsam Gap south. New trail. see info. under Large crew.

LARGE CREW- 1.-MST, Mile 397- Grassy Knoll Tunnel. go south. Side hill, steps, cribbing. 2.- MST, Mile 398.3- Chestnut Cove O\L (entrance to trail is 400 yds. south) go south 15 min Side hill, cribbing, roots. 3.- AT, Tanyard Gap south to Hot Springs. A. Replace 7 Th. step at Tanyard entrance. B. Mill ridge Pond south, 10 min. Leaner and install cribbing. C. At the junction of Silver Mine AT and Lover Leap trails Need Steps. D. A rock crib is needed 25 min. North bound from NOC Parking Lot going towards Lovers Leap Switchbacks. 4.- MST. Mile 436.8 Balsam Rehabilitation.- Park at Grassy Mine Ridge O\L and go South. Need rock work and tread work Narrow trail and some trees. Bring saw ,rock bars and sledges. 5.- MST. Mile 444, Balsam Gap South New trail Section. A. Finish section # 1 to entrance Ramp. B. Build 100 ft. of trail @ Old Orchard O\L, beginning of section # 2. C. Build Section # 4 off Hood Rd 6.- Arboretum. New Bent Creek Trail. (need hoist and saw) 7.- AT Walnut Shelter. Move Privy. 8.- AT, Roaring Fork Shelter Relocation. A. Build access trail. B. Build Tent sight. C. Prepare Shelter sight. D. Dig new privy hole. Any questions or suggestions please call me. Piet

NEW ROARING FORK SHELTER

Most of you are aware that we are going to build a new shelter to replace the one at Roaring Fork. The present shelter was built too close to Lemon Gap and has been abused by non-hikers for many years. The new shelter will be more than two miles south of the present one, as is shown on the topo map. The specific layout of the site shows how we were able to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the access trail and the trails to the privy and the first tent pad. The eight person log shelter, as shown below, and the privy are designed to meet the same ADA requirements. The shelter will face uphill to the south to catch the sun.

We need a number of people to volunteer to work on this project starting this coming Spring. The first major job is getting the purchased logs and other materials moved from the Forest Service road 3535 (see topo) down to the site. Then the fun really starts with the actual construction of the shelter. We will probably camp at the site for a number of days at a time during construction. We would also like to have someone there with a camcorder to record the process for the benefit of CMC and the ATC. Also, we can present it as a workshop at the 2005 biennual meeting of the ATC at Johnson City, TN, to show others the kind of good work that we do!

For further information on this, please contact me, Howard McDonald at 828-693-8258 or hamcdonald@cytechcis.net  or Piet Bodenhorst at 828-298-8371 or pietboden@aol.com .

FMST Patron Members

Dear FMST Task Forces: A message from our Recognitions Chairman for our January 31, 2004 meeting. Also keep in mind that if you are a patron member, you are eligible to receive trail crew t-shirts or hats as a thank you for you're trail work. If you can account for over 75 hours between January 2001 and Jan 2004, send me a note and we'll get you added to this years Trail Crew Award Recipient List. Enjoy your holidays. Ray Benedicktus  raybene@msn.com 

Help design the 2004 Appalachian Trail Volunteer Trail Crew T-shirt!

Here's your chance to design the 2004 Volunteer Trail Crew T-shirt! We have a few ideas that we're throwing around here in the office, but we thought we would give you all a chance to come up with something as well. Basically, all we need are your designs by Jan 20th. The front is standard with the year and trail crew, so you'll be designing for the back of the t-shirt only. Be creative and have fun with it!! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, Sarah Ashton, in the Central and Southwestern Virginia Regional Office. Sarah Ashton Regional Program Assistant Virginia Regional Office 1280 North Main Street Blacksburg, VA 24060 Phone: 540-961-5551 Fax: 540-961-5554

MST Work Day

December 20, 2003 - The Central Blue Ridge Task Force will host a workday on the Woods Mt. Trail/MST near Marion. Meet at the K-mart in Morganton at 8:30 AM sharp. All tools are provided. Camping is available on the Woods Mt. Trail as well. You MUST RSVP to Bob Benner at (828) 437-6635.

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.    

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Looking Back....

Bill Newton's Work Crew-Friday

Piet & Skip's Work Crew-Friday 

Contrary to Skips Memo. I hope to have a group of volunteers on this date!!! Join Me.!! My Special Gift for X-mas to each of you is: Eat all the calories you want over the next three days! The come out on the 26 th. and burn it all up. We plan to work on the new trail at the Arboretum. Meet at 9:00 AM at the main parking lot. Plan to be done by 1:00 PM. If you are questioned at the gate just tell them you are a volunteer to work on the trail. Please let me know that you are coming. Merry X-mas to all. Piet

Folks, I only had one positive response to my question about working on the day after Christmas, so I am not scheduling a work day for this week. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas (or a Happy Holiday if you don't celibate Christmas) and a great new year. I am planning on scheduling a work day for Jan 2nd, so don't party too ha