Carolina Mountain Club

Hike - Save trails - Make friends

January 1, 2010

CMC Calendar

BEAR Hunting Season
Dec. 14 – Jan. 1

Happy New Year!

What's Happening Right Now

Carolina Mountain Club is on Facebook!

So far CMC "fans" have uploaded a video on snake bites, discussed hikes and uploaded hiking photos. But my favorite is Stuart English's first entry.

Dr. Seuss talked about the "...the places you will go." He was talking about us. You will go to the Smokies. You will go to the Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness Areas. You will go to the edge of the WNC escarpment in South Carolina, a spectacular area to hike. You will follow the Appalachian Trail over the several peaks of Roan Mountain, Little Hump, and Big Hump. You will go into the Linville Gorge, and much more. But what is most imortant, you will meet lifetime friends. Believe me, I have.

How to get on Facebook.

First, you must join Facebook as an individual. You don't need to spend any time on Facebook as an individual, if you don't want to.

Then, at the upper right hand corner, search for Carolina Mountain Club. Add yourself as a fan when asked. You'll see other club members who are fans there as well. That's all there's to it. Join in the conversation.

All the other CMC communication vehicles will remain the same for now - the website, Let's Go and the eNews.

Other organizations that CMC interacts with are also on Facebook - A.T.C., Friends of the MST, Great Smoky Mountains Association and many more. Danny Bernstein and Stuart English, Facebook Administrators.

Other Important News

What Outdoor Events Happened in 2009?

A short list of outdoor happenings in 2009 - not all of them good

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrated its 75th anniversary.
2. A rock slide on I-40 closed the interstate from exit 20 in North Carolina to the Tennessee border.
3. A potential problem closed the Blue Ridge Parkway from MP 393.5 to MP 405.5.
4. CMC installed bear cables at the A.T. shelters on the section that we maintain.
5. The western entrance of Gorges State Park reopened.
6. Concealed weapons will now be allowed in national parks starting next month (February, 2010)..
7. Sarah Davis was honored for 25 years of maintenance work on the A.T.
8. Walt Weber published a new MST guide.
9. CMC was chosen as the host club for the 2013 A.T.C. Biennual Meeting.
10. CMC now has over 1,000 members.

I'm sure I forgot a lot of important outdoor events. Let me know and I'll add them to the list. Danny

From Stuart English, To me, the biggest story of 2009 is the fact that this was a record year for the Challenge Program in our club. More people than ever completed challenges. This shows enthusiasm for our club as well as for hiking and the outdoors.

Friends of the MST Annual Meeting

Attend the annual meeting of the Friends of the MST on Saturday, February 6 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Haw River State Park north of Greensboro.

E-mail Kate Dixon, executive director of FMST for more information or to RSVP and get directions.

CMC Members Active in other Outdoor Organizations

Several CMC members work on boards and commissions of outdoor organizations. They bring a broader perspective back to CMC.

Don Walton was appointed to the board of Friends of the MST in 2010.

Lenny Bernstein and Don Walton represent CMC on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Deep South Regional Partnership Committee. This committees advises Morgan Sommerville, our ATC Regional Director, and provides a link between the five ATC Clubs in the Deep South Region and ATC’s Regional Office, the Stewardship Council and the ATC Board of Directors.

Jack Fitzgerald represents CMC on the A.T.C. Trails Book Committee.

Lenny Bernstein is on the ATC's Stewartship Council, which oversees ATC policy development and programs related to stewardship of the Appalachian Trail and surrounding lands. It is the key body that advises the ATC’s conservation program on overall strategic direction.

Lenny Bernstein, Bruce Bente and Les Love represent CMC on the 2013 ATC Biennial Conference Steering Committee.

Danny Bernstein was elected to the board of the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Marsha Bromberg is on the Asheville Greenway Commission.

I'm sure there are other members on boards and commissions of outdoor organization. Let me know. Danny.

Hike the Swannanoa Rim Circuit

A series of monthly guided hikes in 2010 will chip away at different sections of the Swannanoa Rim that encircles the Black Mountain area, taking in the southern slopes of Mount Mitchell and the Craggy mountains. It's sponsored by the Swannanoa Valley Museum. Look at the details.

Conservation Matters

Another Step in Resolving the North Shore Road Issue

Congressman Heath Shuler successfully obtained $13 million for Swain County as a down payment on an eventual North Shore Road settlement in a House vote on Dec. 16, 2009. The funds for the initial North Shore Road payment was passed as a provision attached to a spending bill.

The president signed the Defense Appropriations bill last Monday, Dec. 21st. That gets the first installment done. As of this writing, the first $4 million had not been delivered.

For background information on this long-standing issue, look at this article. Photo of the tunnel on the "Road to Nowhere" by Danny Bernstein

Heard on the Ground

Adopt a Section of the A.T.

None at this time.

Adopt a Section of the MST

Old Bald Access to Richland Balsam Access, 4.4 miles, section maintainer needs an assistant.

Richland Gap Access to Richland Balsam Access (3 Trees) 1.2 miles.

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

Maintenance Reports created by Don Walton

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 January 12, 2010 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.