MST Section Maintainers

We have a section available to adopt in the Pisgah Ranger District (PRD) on the Alternate MST from Buckhorn Gap to Buck spring Trail. (where the Alternate MST intersects the MST) This 5.1 mile long section is the longest one that we have but is in the beautiful Cradle of Forestry/Pink Beds area of the PRD. Please contact Don Walton, donwalton@bellsouth.net  if interested. 

We also have a section available to adopt in Asheville on the MST from BRP 386 to Highway 74A. This 1.7 mile section won't last long!. Please contact Don Walton if interested. 

 

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

 

CMC Email News Editor

A bi-weekly news editor is needed to produce this communication. Please contact Don Walton for information.

Call for 2005 CMC Nominating Committee Candidates and 2006 CMC Council nominations CMC WANTS YOU!!!!!!!

This is your opportunity to get involved in your club's leadership. Applications are now being accepted for the 2005 Nominating Committee, and for officer and council positions for the 2006 CMC Council. Serving on the Nominating Committee is one of the most important responsibilities within the club. You participate in a process that determines the next generation of leaders of your association. Serving as a member of the council is a commitment that yields countless rewards. If you consider yourself a strategic thinker with the executive ability to get things done, then CMC wants you! I strongly encourage you take this opportunity to become either a member of the Nominating Committee or, serve on the Council as a councilor or as an officer of the club. Don’t forget CMC WANTS YOU to get involved, and become a part of your club’s leadership. Applications are due to cmcinfo@carolinamtnclub.org  by April 30, 2005. Download the application and job description for the Nominating Committee. Download the application and job description for Councilor. For more information regarding CMC’s organization please refer to the Club Bylaws on the CMC web site, or contact Don Walton, donwalton@bellsouth.net Don’t be shy, get involved. Thank you. Don Walton Immediate Past President

 

Panthertown Valley Comments Needed!

CMC Work Crew Maintenance Reports (Past)

 

Leader: Les Love
Date: Saturday, May 21
Purpose: Construct New Trail
Location: MST, Cadcades Overlook
People: About 35
Summary: Many folks showed up again to extend the construction of the MST further near Balsam Gap. This will be the CMC's contribution to National Trails Day. Thank you to all who participated. 

Leader: John Soldati
Date: Wednesday, May 18
Purpose: Tread Work
Location: AT-Catpen Gap to Bluff Mtn.
People: 8
Summary: We were a nine ball game, less one, today. All heavy hitters. We finally got rid of Kale, Catpen and Bluff in one stroke of the cue stick. Over 325 feet of side hilling and cribbing; some major work on 18 water bars and one 10" tree removed. There could be a little more work done, but not for the time of travel and effort...we'll let someone else go in for a little while or take care of it this fall. A fine day for Barth, Don C., Charlie, Jorge, Bob, David (who did sawing and tread-work), and Don Walton (our Wednesday Crew "want-to-be"). We thank Mr. Poe for driving. We were out at 1:45 PM and then the long trip back out to civilization. Good day today.

Leader: Howard McDonald
Date: Tuesday, May 17
Purpose: Building Shelter
Location: AT-Max Patch-Lemon Gap new Roaring Fork Shelter
People: 5
Summary: Terry and Margot Eld, Alan Frank, Peter Litvinchyk, and I put more logs in place on Tuesday having been rained out on our planned Saturday trip. We notched the two side logs that were ready for marking, used expanding caulking between them and the lower logs, spiked them, and then put up a rear log and two short front logs. Two more side logs were then lifted on top of the front and rear logs, ready for notching at the next trip. When these two are put in place, the side walls will be about 2 1/2 feet above the platform with about 3 feet to go until we are at the rear roof line. It is starting to look like a shelter! The dirt fill in front of the platform was compacted to between 17 and 19 inches below the top of the platform to match the ADA requirements. This dirt will be sloped down toward the trail to prevent water from coming under the roof.

Leader: Barth Brooker
Date: Monday, May 16
Purpose: Tread Work
Location: AT-Camp Creek Bald
People: 5
Summary: There was not as much work as anticipated. It appears as if some work has been done on the trails by someone. In one spot on the blue blaze trail a slide has occurred which required some side hill tread work. A fair amount of lopping was done. We removed three trees, a couple of stumps, tripping roots, and branches from the trails. The trails showed little sign of boggy ground. The rocks on the white blaze trail seemed to be quite stable. The main problem on the white blaze trail is a number of small rocks scattered around that could cause hiker to slip. We ran into hikers from both directions none of which had any reports of trees down other than the ones we got.

Leader: Skip Shelton
Date: Friday, May 13
Purpose: Bridge Work
Location: Hwy 25 MST
People: 9
Summary: Finished cribs for new bridge and installed stringers, MST crew did tread improvement on trail West from Grassy Mine overlook. They completed 180 yards. of trail. Work Needed: Planking and hand rails on bridge, another 170 yards. of tread and tree removal on MST at Balsam gap.

Leader: Bill Newton
Date: Friday, May 13
Purpose: Downed Trees
Location: Hwy 215 to Heywood Gap
People:
Summary: We had a productive day working from hwy 215 to Heywood Gap today. There is still some bad erosion on this section that will require major work or relocation of the trail. Some sections I really think should be relocated. Some of the crew were temporarily misplaced (lost is another word for it) for some time because the trail is not blazed in the wilderness - a problem I have complained about for years. There are a couple of intersections that are confusing and should be clearly marked, but the Forest Service Rangers have forbid our blazing the MST in the wilderness - even at confusing intersections. This is going to cause more lost hikers, ranger search and rescue missions and perhaps even putting some hikers in danger. I have in the past, and again strongly urge the rangers give us permission to at least clearly mark the trail at intersections. Bill Newton