Carolina Mountain Club

Hike - Save trails - Make friends

August 22, 2007

Hiking News | CMC Calendar

        Please send me your hiking news, hike and maintenance reports by Monday evening at 9 P.M. before the newsletter comes out, that is, by Monday evening September 10, 2007 to Danny Bernstein danny@hikertohiker.com. Include your email address at the end of your story. Thank you.

       The CMC Calendar is meant to answer the perennial question "When is this happening again?" It is also meant to prevent conflicts between competing CMC events. Please check it often.

How to join the Carolina Mountain Club
1. Go to www.carolinamtnclub.org
2. Click on “How to Join” (upper-left on web page)
3. Print out the “CMC Application Form”
4. Fill it Out, write a check for your dues and ...5. Mail to CMC, PO Box 68, Asheville NC 28802

       For CMC members only - Send all address and email changes to Jean Gard at jeangard@charter.net. If you are a non-member subscriber, you need to go back into "subscribe" and change it there yourself.

What's Happening in the Next Three Weeks

Exotic Invasive Plants in Western North Carolina Conference on Saturday Sept. 8

A conference will be held at AB Tech on Exotic and Invasive Plants on Saturday Sept. See the brochure for all the details.

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Hiking the Blue Ridge Heritage

Basin Creek Trail

Where is this cabin?

Basin Creek Cove was once home to over 50 families and is now part of Doughton Park, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, MP 238.5 – 244.7. If you take a solitary ten-mile walk (round-trip), you’ll find many artifacts but few people. You’ll cross Basin Creek over 16 times, without bridges, passing elaborate rock formations, cascades and several waterfalls. The trail leads deep in the cove and ends at Caudill Cabin, the only remaining cabin.

When I reached to the cabin, my first thought was “This family didn’t get out very much”. The cabin, a 14 ft. by 16 ft. room with two doors but no window, is propped up by columns of flat stones. It was the home of Martin Caudill who had 14 children. The cabin was restored in 2001 by the National Park Service and the descendants of the Caudill family. Two books on the mantelpiece explain the Caudill genealogy and include photographs of the cabin restoration. When I signed in, I noted that the last person visited here over three weeks ago. Look up toward the Parkway. The trail does not connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway so you need to go back the way you came. In July, 1916, a flood devastated the community and washed almost everything away. Somehow the Caudill Cabin survived.

To get another perspective on Basin Cove, look down from Basin Cove Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, MP 244.7. To see the cabin from above, go to Wildcat Rocks, which begins at the far end of Bluff Lodge at MP 241. From the left side of the overlook, you can see the cabin down in the clearing. Danny. Photo by Danny Bernstein

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Other Important News

CMC Will Take Part in Brevard Outdoor Festival

On Saturday, September 29, the Brevard Outdoor Festival will be held in the in the areas around Poppies Market. Poppies is located on Market Street in Straus Park, Hwy 64, and 1.5 miles east of Pisgah Forest.
7 A.M. -12 P.M. - Great Gear Swap & Sell. Businesses, Camps and individuals set up to sell outdoor gear and apparel.
10 A.M. - 5 P.M. Speakers, Demos, Exhibits and music at Poppies Market.
Activities in the Forest or nearby: Group road cycling ride, walk/ride on the new bike trail across from Market Street, Beginner climbing trip, Waterfall Hike, and a CMC led hike that will begin at one PM. (More about the hike will be announced in the ENews at a later date.
7 P.M.: Dinner & entertainment in support of the Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Assoc. Shannon Whitworth and her Band performing. (Shannon is the former lead singer/songwriter for the Biscuit Burners)

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Scorpions in Western North Carolina

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Conservation

North Shore Road

There is more good news concerning the settlement of the North Shore Road issue. Senator Elizabeth Dole, with Senator Lamar Alexander (TN), is drafting a bill for a full monetary settlement with Swain County. However, she is receiving a lot of mail from supporters of the North Shore Road asking her to reverse her position. She needs to receive an offsetting number of letters supporting her work on the monetary settlement.

It’s been a long haul on this issue. CMC members and Council members have attended hearings and written letters. Our participation is important. We’ve asked for your help before and we are asking again. Please write to Graham Fields, Senator Dole’s Field Representative.

The address is: Senator Elizabeth Dole
c/o Graham R. Fields
401 N. Main Street, Suite 200
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Write what you think and feel. Points you might consider:

1. Thanks for supporting a cash settlement for Swain County.
2. Appreciate her stand to protect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park unimpaired for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
3. Agree that the settlement funds should be safeguarded. (That means the funds must be held in a trust, with the interest only to be spent, unless spending of principal is approved by a vote of 2/3 of the registered voters of Swain County. None of the settlement money should be paid to any agent or attorney for helping obtain the settlement.)

Congressman Heath Shuler also has worked toward the monetary settlement. The address of his district office is: 356 Biltmore Ave., suite 400, Asheville, NC 28801.

Ruth Hartzler, for the Conservation Committee

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Heard on the Ground

Adopt an MST Section

The following sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail are available for adoption:
1. Haywood Gap to green Mountain Trail Junction (3 miles)
2. Green Mountain Trail Junction to NC 215 (4 miles)
3. BRP Headquarters (Trail Spur) to I-40 (one mile)

These are all beautiful sections that provide great personal satisfaction in caring for them. Contact Don Walton at donwalton@bellsouth.net or 654-9904.

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Maintenance Reports created by Don Walton

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Heard on the Trail

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