Carolina Mountain Club

Hike - Save trails - Make friends

March 14, 2008

Beware the Ides of March but

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Hiking News | CMC Calendar

What's Happening in the Next Two Weeks

First Chance this Spring to extend the MST south. Join Us !!!

When: March 22, 2008
This is your first opportunity to give something back for all the fun and enjoyment you have had on the trails the past year. We hope to have a large group help us complete another piece of the MST going south to the Sctt Creek over look, south of Balsam Gap, BRP mile 449

Meeting Place: Moose Café at 9:00 AM for car pooling.
Parkway Maintenance Office, Balsam Gap intersection with Rt. 74/23 south of Waynesville or BRP Mile 447 Overlook @ 9:30

Tools will be available but if you have digging tools of your own, please bring them. Please call all your friends and acquaintances and invite them. The bigger the group, the more the fun!!! Piet Bodenhorst

---------------------- Back to Top

Thank you for Supporting the CMC Hike Leaders Dinner

The following companies donated door prizes for the Hike Leaders Dinner. Thank you!

Applied Innovative Technologies, Inc.
Chocolate Gems, Black Mountain
Diamond Brand Outdoors, Asheville & Arden
Mast General Store, Asheville and Hendersonville
Outdoor Paths Map Store, Black Mountain
Take a Hike mountain Outfitters, Black Mountain

---------------------- Back to Top

Hike Change

Because the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, I had to substitute another hike with the same general challenge level and driving distance for March 23. Please look at the hiking page for all details. Lenny

---------------------- Back to Top

Other Important News

Public Forum on Wind Energy

On March 7, Lenny Bernstein and Don Walton attended a public forum of wind energy organized by the NC Wind Energy Group and hosted by the NC Arboretum. The forum did not specifically address questions about the impact of wind energy development on hiking areas, but recognized that the recreational and scenic values had to be taken into account when developing wind energy facilities. For Lenny’s full report on the forum, go to Public Forum report.

---------------------- Back to Top

Spring Hiking and Spring Wildflowers at Diamond Brand - April 8

On Tuesday, April 8 at 7 pm, Danny Bernstein will present a slide show Spring Hiking and Spring Wildflowers at Diamond Brand Outdoors, 2623 Hendersonville Rd., Arden, 828-209-1501.

Danny is a long time hiker and an Appalachian Trail end-to-ender. She is author of Hiking the Carolina Mountains. She leads hikes, writes an outdoor column for the Mountain Xpress and edits this newsletter.

---------------------- Back to Top

Requests for Trail-related Activities

Periodically CMC gets requests from outside groups for our club to help them with a trail related activity. For example, a college outdoor group may want to spend a day hiking or maintaining a trail. We would like to be able to respond and help when appropriate, so we have decided to appoint someone to coordinate this decision making. I've agreed to be our first Outside Request Coordinator. If you get a request, please pass it to me, Jim Reel, and I'll investigate and facilitate the process. Thanks, Jim Reel!

---------------------- Back to Top

Spring Barbeque - Saturday April 19

The third annual Spring Barbeque will be held at the beautiful NC Arboretum on Saturday April 19 from 2:00 - 8:30. CMC members, their families and friends are welcome. You do not have to be a member to attend.

There will be two hikes in the Arboretum, both ending at the new Baker Visitor Center. Paula Robbins will lead the first at 2:30, taking time to identify spring wild flowers. At 3:00, Sherman Stambaugh will lead a leisurely hike starting on the Carolina Mountain Trail. Both are easy loop hikes of about 5 miles. We will return with plenty of time to enjoy the Arboretum, the Bonsai exhibit, and visit with friends.

At 6:00, Bubba Q will again serve barbeque pork and chicken, sides and dessert. The program will be an "Old Timers" event. A special invitation is issued to current members or past members of 25 years or longer. Bring your old timey gear, old documents, old pictures and old stories to share with the group.

The price is still $13 per person (no gate entry charged). Please send checks, made out to CMC, by April 12 to Les Love 25 Scenic View Dr. Weaverville 28787. Questions? Call Les at 658-1489 or lesrlove@charter.net.

Oh yeah, you'll be able to see what this picture is all about.

---------------------- Back to Top

Trailfest in Hot Springs

Save the date - Saturday April 25th brings music, dancing, and the world famous duck race to town to celebrate the Appalachian Trail.

For more information, music lineup and agenda: http://www.hotspringsnc.org/

Please email with any questions! Many thanks, Julie Judkins (828-254-3708)

---------------------- Back to Top

Walking for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Beginning in March 2008, my dog, Buddy, and I will start the 2,174 mile journey along the Appalachian Trail collecting pledges for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Our hike is expected to take six to nine months and we will be collecting pledges until it is complete.
Currently, we are trying to spread the word of this event to as many people as possible. All of the proceeds raised will go to these charities and are tax deductible. We are also offering the opportunity for all organizations that choose to make a pledge of $250 to be added to our donor's lists and have a link added to their website from ours. Please visit our website at www.2000milescloser.com for more information or to make a pledge.
Thank you very much for your time. Sincerely, Judy Hepner.

---------------------- Back to Top

Heard on the Ground

Proposed Saturday Crew

We currently have a Saturday crew which works once a quarter. The proposed crew is not intended to replace or supplement that crew, but instead to form a new crew of members who cannot work during the week, or just prefer to work on Saturdays.

Several thoughts have been floated about the duties of this proposed crew. One would have primary responsibility for insuring that the trail to be used in the upcoming hike is clear and safe to hike. The hike leader, after scouting the trail, would contact the Saturday Crew leader telling of any problems so they could be corrected before the hike. Another idea is that the Saturday crew would work with special requests, which may be from outside the club. We have had several requests from various groups that want to spend one or more days maintaining trails. Or they could work on special needs such as a major project that the weekly crews cannot get to. And there is always a need for more of the regular trail maintenance.

The responsibilities of the crew can be determined if and when the crew is formed. The club is responsible for maintaining some 400 miles of trails, so there are plenty of maintenance needs to justify another crew.

If you would be interested in joining a Saturday crew notify Bill Newton, councilor for trail maintenance, at bnewton34@earthlink.net or any council member.

---------------------- Back to Top

Attention Interested Sawyers!

March 14th and 15th- Cross Cut at GSMNP –Ridgerunners, SMHC, and AT Clubs-overnight accommodations available.

March 21st- Class room component for all chain saw participants at GSMNP visitor’s center

March 22nd- Field portion I for Chainsaw certification: GSMNP location-Smoky Mountain Trail Riders have registration priority

April 5th- Field Portion II for Chainsaw certification: Haywood County Location TBA-Backcountry Horsemen of NC have registration priority

Please instruct your club members and participants to download and send in the course application at the link below. www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.851183/k.6196/Become_a_Certified_Sawyer.htm

Let me know if you have concerns or comments, and thanks everyone for taking the time to get certified. -Andrew, ATC

---------------------- Back to Top

Adopt a Section of the Appalachian Trail

No sections are available now. If you want to be on a waiting list, email Don Walton.

---------------------- Back to Top

Adopt a Section of the MST

Richland Balsam Access(3 Trees) to Cowee Overlook Access, 1.8 miles

NC128 to Buncombe Horse Range Trail Head (BHRT) at Camp Alice, 3.0 miles

If you're interested, email Don Walton.

---------------------- Back to Top

Maintenance Reports created by Don Walton

 ---------------------- Back to Top

Heard on the Trail

Getting Paid to Hike

A outdoor adventure company that I've worked for last year is looking for a few more hike leaders for fairly easy going hikes ( usually the DuPont Falls area) for this next season. There isn't a lot of hikes and the pay is around
$ 80 - $100. You need to have Wilderness First Aid certification to lead at your own expense. The Red Cross offers this for $75 and there will be a two day class in early May. Call me (Ray Sanow) for info at 828 484 9495. Ray.

Hiking in Sweden and Norway

A friend, a professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, and several colleagues are leading a hiking trip in Sweden and Norway to follow the route that Carl Linnaeus took in the 18th century. I have seen slides of their previous trip, and it looks magnificent. Date: July 20 – August 3. For more information, folks can contact me at 828-281-3253. Paula Robbins.

 ---------------------- Back to Top

The eNews comes out on Fridays. So ... The next issue will come out on Friday, March 28 . This will allow the Sunday and Saturday hike leaders a little more time to send in their report; Wednesday hike reports for the hike just before the eNews comes out will be published in the next eNews.

So send me your hiking news, hike and maintenance reports by Wednesday evening at 9 P.M. before the newsletter comes out, that is, by Wednesday evening March 26, 2008 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.

---------------------- Back to Top