You Think It's Cold at Your House ...

The winter caretaker at Great Smoky Mountains National Park's 6,593' high Mt LeConte Lodge reported a low last night of -22 degrees - the coldest since 1886 and the 4th coldest day since they started keeping records in 1978. The last time it was this cold was 1986 Besides being 22 below the Park's closest weather station with wind measuring equipment - Cove Mtn in Sevier Couty, TN - reported gusts up to 45 mph last night. That works out to a wind chill of -60 degrees. At 60 below exposed flesh will be frostbitten in 4 minutes. The coldest reading on record was -32 degrees on Jan 21, 1985 but we have no wind speeds to correlate that with should it might not have been as brutal as last night if the wind was calm. From Bob Miller, Public Affairs Officer in the Smokies

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Lost and Found

Two red hiking poles left in driver's car in the fall. jan 25th, sun 1/2 day hike. I picked up wrong poles & left my bright blue ones in bev's car. pls call Jan Thorsen, day 258-0670, eve 299-3944.

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Conservation

Bicycle Use in National Parks

The National Park Service is asking for your input on a proposal they have made to relax the regulations for designating bicycle use on trails in national parks. The proposed rule would circumvent the normal public process, in some cases, and limit the opportunity for full public discussion of the use of mountain bikes on individual existing trails. The proposed speeded-up process would likely result in a loss of transparency. The change would allow Park Superintendents, at the level of individual parks, to discriminately designate existing trails for bicycle use.

Currently, approval by the Park Service is needed at the national level. Also, the rule change could open up to bicycling millions of acres now designated as potential wilderness. Changes in usage of potential wilderness areas, such as allowing bicycle use, could jeopardize whether those lands are eventually given permanent wilderness protections by Congress. The current ban on bicycles in existing wilderness areas would not change. The considerable safety, environmental and management issues involved in bicycle use in national parks deserve the careful study and stakeholder participation required in the current regulation.

CMC Council has voted to support the current regulation [36 CFR 4.30]. Read CMC’s Position on Bicycle Use in National Parks. Let the National Park Service know what you think.

Comments must be received by February 17, 2009. --Online: Go to federal comment website . Type or paste RIN 1024-AD72 and National Park Service into your comment. --Mail: National Park Service, Attn. Regulations Program Manager, 1849 C St., NW., MS-3122, Washington, DC 20240. All submissions must include the agency name, National Park Service, and RIN 1024-AD72.

See the current regulation [36 CFR 4.30] and the proposed modified regulation. Also, see the full notice in the Federal Register. These regulations apply to national parks, not to national forests. If you have questions, contact Ruth Hartzler.

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Heard on the Ground

Adopt a Section of the Appalachian Trail

Spring Mountain Shelter to Allen Gap, 3.7 miles

Adopt a Section of the MST

Devil’s Courthouse Jct. to FS Road 816, 2.4 miles

If you're interested in either the A.T. or MST, email Don Walton.

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Maintenance Reports created by Don Walton

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Heard on the Trail

We are Family!

Breaking a leg during a CMC hike was both very bad news (who wants to break a leg?!) and very good news. The good news was discovering how wonderful it is to be a member of a group of capable, supportive, and caring individuals. As soon as it became clear that I had seriously injured myself, members of the hiking group began working on ways to help and comfort me. I think everyone on the hike would have stayed with me to help, but I shooed most away. But that was just the beginning of CMC support. Initial concern has been followed by calls, cards, emails, visits, meals, and chocolate. I have a long road to recovery, but that road has been made easier by the outreach of a group that I now consider family. Thanks to all my CMC friends and fellow hikers! Marcia Bromberg

Jean Gard had sent out an email alert that Marcia could use some company. So I planned to visit Marcia in the hospital the next day. I never made it. A woman hospital employee in a large SUV came speeding into the Mission Memorial Hospital lot and ran over my feet. I was thrown backward and hit my back and head on the concrete. I was taken to the ER where I found out I had a concussion, a fractured vertebrae and a few other problems. After a day of tests, I walked out of the ER – some will say that it could have been worse. Now I'm engaged in the hard work of recovery to get back on the trail. I'm walking, stretching, and doing physical therapy.

One of the benefits of being part of a hiking family is knowing others who have had similar problems and worse. Accidents, illnesses, operations – other CMC hikers have temporarily shelved their boots but came back to the trail. I take great comfort in these role models who are now hiking and backpacking as well as they were before. We’re a large family and we learn from each other. Hope to see you on the trail soon. Danny Bernstein

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The Small Print

Hiker leaders, please send all your eNews hike reports and photos to Dave Wetmore at dwetmore@citcom.net

So send me your news and maintenance reports by Tuesday evening at 9 P.M. before the newsletter comes out, that is, by Tuesday evening February 17, 2009 to Danny Bernstein at 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 Marcia Bromberg at mwbromberg@yahoo.com. Do not resubscribe yourself to the eNews. That will be done automatically.
If you are a non-member subscriber, you need to go back to the CMC home page > News >Subscribe and change it there yourself.

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