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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB PO Box 68 Asheville, NC 28802 |
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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB PO Box 68 Asheville, NC 28802 |
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Trail Work and Volunteer Opportunities Trail building and maintenance is the second major activity of the CMC. The trail maintenance crew works each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, twelve months a year, weather permitting. Males and females of all age groups are invited to participate. |
Individuals, couples, or groups are responsible for routine trail maintenance, including installing and maintaining water and silt bars; clearing debris from the trail; keeping the grass, weeds, and blackberry vines cut; providing proper stream crossings; and reporting to the trail supervisor work that requires the regular trail crew (blowdowns, washouts, etc.).
The regular CMC trail crew is responsible for the more rigorous and physically demanding trail work. There are four major types of activities: (1) building new trails, (2) major renovations of existing trails, (3) clearing trails after major storms and (4) restoring or reclaiming outstanding trails which have been abandoned or neglected. A variety of tools including chain saws, light and heavy winches, weedeaters, Hazel Hoes, Paluskis, bow saws, and snappers are routinely used. Building bridges, repairing shelters, and putting in stone or log steps are a few of the more interesting tasks involved in trail work.
Trail maintenance is a good way to stay physically and mentally healthy. Hiking into the site with equipment, doing the trail work, and walking out help keep the maintainers in good condition. Some maintainers have been working for over 20 years. A big part of the enjoyment of trail building is the comradery and friendships that develop within the group.
Persons can volunteer by calling the person in charge of scheduling the trail maintenance at the telephone number listed on the Membership and Officers page.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Since the club is a non-profit organization and has no paid officers or directors, members donate hundreds of hours each month for a variety of activities. In addition to trail work, examples of opportunities for volunteering include the following:
1. Serving as hike coordinators
2. Planning and serving as hike leaders.
3. Producing the quarterly newsletter, Let's Go!
4. Serving as an officer or director.
5. Planning and coordinating events, such as the annual meeting and the Fourth of July weekend all-member camp out.
6. Serving as trail section maintainers for the CMC's sections of the AT and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Members interested in volunteering should call one of the officers or directors and discuss their interests.
Other Activities
The Carolina Mountain Club allows persons who are interested in the out-of-doors and conservation of nature to meet, to form friendships and to engage in a variety of meaningful activities. A banquet and business meeting is held each year. Short programs of interest to hikers and environmentalists are featured. An all-member weekend of hiking, camping and cooking out is offered during most Fourth of July weekends. Whenever work on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and the Appalachian Trail is current, the maintenance crews of the club seek out neglected trails of exceptional potential for reconstruction or reclamation. Due to the large number of hikes conducted each year, the club actively recruits and trains members as hike leaders.