July 5, 2006

        Please send me your hiking news, hike and maintenance reports by Monday evening before the newsletter comes out, that is, by Monday evening July 17 to Danny Bernstein danny@hikertohiker.org. Include your email address at the end of your story. Thank you.

What's Happening the Next Two Weeks

Linda Beja is moving to Alaska! Come and say goodbye - RSVP by Wednesday July 5

For all of those who would like to go with her but can’t and also those who would like to tell her goodbye, we are going to have a party to celebrate. The party will be at my house at 6pm on Saturday July 8th. Please bring a covered dish to share. Beer, wine, soft drinks and paper products will be provided. Please RSVP to: donwalton@bellsouth.net by July 5th. Driving directions will be provided.Don Walton

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NOC weekend Oct 6 to 8 

Look at the details. Time to make a reservation!

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National Fitness Expert to speak at the Arboretum

Summer’s longer days and active outdoor pursuits, make it a great time to start walking for better health! Join nationally-known fitness coach, speaker and author Roy Benson, for the lecture “Walking for Fitness,” on Tuesday, July 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The North Carolina Arboretum. This program is a wellness partnership between The North Carolina Arboretum and Diamond Brand Outdoors. See all the details.

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Other Important News

Interested in Backpacking?

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Slogan Contest

Write a slogan for our club that describes CMC and what our club is all about. We are a club that maintains trails, leads hikes and promotes conservation of the trails, National Forest and Parks in our area. A catchy one or two line phrase is what we are looking for. So get creative and submit your entry no later than September 30 !! Send your entry by e-mail to backpacker54nc@bellsouth.net or by mail to CMC, PO Box 68, Asheville, NC 28802, Attn: Chip Miller. The winning slogan writer will receive a $100 gift certificate to Diamond Brand.

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Adopt a piece of the MST

The following MST Sections are available for adoption:

NC 215 to Devil’s Courthouse Junction
Buckspring Tral Junction to Pisgah Inn
Glassmine Overlook to Balsam Gap Overlook
Rainbow Gap to NC 128

If you are interested contact donwalton@bellsouth.net

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Conservation

What can you see from the top of Looking Glass Rock? Right now, old growth forests and a variety of wildlife. But that could change.

The Forest Service has proposed to log Case Camp Ridge, in full view from the top of Looking Glass Rock. They routinely recommend logging near the Blue Ridge Parkway but they try to hide the cuts so that they are not visible from the Parkway. But if you hike up Looking Glass Rock, as we do regularly, you will see the damage.

For the full story, see this month's (July) Blue Ridge Outdoors (Pg. 46) and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project.

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Heard on the Trail

Someone from the ATC office sent me a trail incident report about a possible brown recluse spider bite at Davenport Gap.

A thru hiker, David Dayton, submitted an incident report to the ATC office that he was bitten by a spider on the AT at Davenport Gap, March 16, 2006. The incident was witnessed by three other hikers. David came off the trail to seek medical attention. A doctor cut the bite open, treated the wound and David was off trail for 10 days while recovering. He says he suspects the arachnid "to be a brown recluse; however, all signs didn't give conclusive evidence to be clear".

The report was filled out by the hiker at ATC headquarters and taken by L. Pottuger or Potgteiger (can't read signature clearly). It was forwarded to Morgan Sommerville's office here and then to me for possible publicity, I guess. I don't know that members could protect themselves from such a fate, but it at least serves to illustrate how we share the trails with sometimes dangerous creatures and should not view our encounters with nature too romantically or without a note of caution.

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