2011 4Th Quarter Lets Go

2011 4Th Quarter Lets Go

FOURTH QUARTER 2011 Quarterly News Bulletin and Hike Schedule P.O. Box 68, Asheville, NC 28802 • www.carolinamountainclub.org • e-mail: [email protected] ATC biennial conference During the first week in July, the College in Emory, VA. Appalachian Trail Conservancy held its This is a great gather- biennial meeting at Emory and Henry ing to meet with hikers from different parts of the country, hike near- 2011 Annual Dinner by sections of the AT, Fall is here and with it plans for the CMC attend workshops, and Annual Meeting and Dinner. This year the generally learn more dinner will be held in the Century Room about this very narrow at Pack Tavern in Asheville. Located just National Park. To get off Pack Place, this room offers views of a fresh perspective, the mountains and Pack Place Park. The we talked to several Exploring Virginia with hikers from all over the country. date is Saturday, November 5th, with the members who were “cocktail hour” to begin at 5 PM, dinner at relatively new to the conference. found to be full of open meadows, 6 and the annual meeting to begin at 7. So Paul Benson had spent a brief time at a spruce forests, and rocky outcroppings. mark your calendar and check the insert in previous conference and looked forward In between two Mt. Rogers hikes, Paul this quarter’s Let’s Go for information about to attending this one. He was eager to enjoyed biking on the Virginia Creeper reserving your place for dinner. explore the Mt. Rogers area, which he Trail and a wine tasting in Abingdon. This was the first ATC Conference for Michael and Kathy Cornn. They COUNCIL CORNER enjoyed hiking to waterfalls, lakes, and meadows with wild ponies grazing. I am a long- staff. I guess what I am trying to say is They enjoyed meeting new hikers and time member of that we, as volunteers, will be needed experienced a diversity of leaders. One the CMC’s Pisgah even more by all of the governmental leader was a trail runner who rarely Friday Crew. agencies to keep the trails open. stopped at intersections and knitted In the past five The CMC currently has maintenance during lunch breaks. One wore Chaco years, the Pisgah responsibility for well over 400 miles of sandals. Ranger District has trails: our trails include our portions of the Paul, Michael, and Kathy look for- lost the help of three AT and MST, a hundred plus miles in the ward to the next conference, to be held crews, including one Pisgah Ranger District and Appalachian in 2013 at WCU. from CMC. Pisgah Ranger District, and all the trails in the Forest Service positions have also been Green River Game Lands (also Carolina lost and the Forest Service has shifted the Mountain Land Conservancy land in the Change in weekend emphasis of the remaining personnel more Bat Cave area, Holmes State Ed. Forest to firefighting (and those rangers prefer and Connemara). All of these differ- hike meeting place firefighting obligations since they receive ent entities have slightly different rules, Due to weekend highway con- the bonus of hazard pay). At one time, which are another ongoing problem. struction near Westgate through we used to have rangers come out with us Luckily, what has happened in the October, Asheville hike meeting occasionally; now they don’t have time to Pisgah Ranger district has not happened locations for Saturday and Sunday answer their e-mails. to us: we currently have the Monday hikes have been changed. Please At a meeting at the Blue Ridge Parkway Crew, Waynesville West (new), Asheville check the hike schedule to verify Friday, Pisgah Friday, the Wilderness Office this month, there was talk about the new meeting locations. potentially shutting down some stations. If Crew, and an ad hoc MST Building Wednesday hike locations will the budget gets cut further, as anticipated, Crew that goes out quarterly. Of course, NOT be changed. there will be an even greater shortage in continued on page 8 1 A new hike series – North Carolina's Mountain Treasures The U.S. Forest Service will soon be starting the process of making a new Management Plan for the Nantahala/Pisgah National Forests. Anticipating that, The Wilderness Society has analyzed some 40 areas that should be given Wilderness designation or other special protection in the new Plan. The results of the work of The Wilderness Society are set out in a just-released revision of its North Carolina Mountain Treasures. The Carolina Mountain Club is initiating a new hike series that will send our members into each of these special places. This will help our members and citizens of Western North Carolina to contribute knowledgeable input as the Forest Management Plan is developed. The first hikes in this series are announced in the Fourth Quarter Schedule. The series will continue over the next 12-18 months. A main feature of the North Carolina’s Mountain Treasures series will be several car-camping weekend Wilderness Society’s North them stand up and speak for camporees, from which we will launch multiple hikes Carolina’s Mountain Treasures them. To speak for these places, to nearby treasures from one central location. campaign or a copy of the new we must first know them, experi- Jim Reel ([email protected]) and Ted Snyder book, please contact Jill Gottesman ence them, and enjoy them! We ([email protected]) are coordinating the effort. at [email protected]. hope you’ll join us for hikes and Please contact one of them if you would like to lead a The best of the Pisgah and camporees as we tour the unpro- hike within one of these special places. Nantahala National Forests will be tected wildland treasures within If you would like more information about The protected only if those who love our own backyard. The Bridge to English Chapel English Chapel is a Methodist put in place in the 1930s by the church conducting services within the Civilian Conservation Corps. boundaries of the Pisgah National The bridge was taken down Forest, on the banks of the Davidson for repairs and after several River in Transylvania County, near years it has been put back in Brevard. The church was founded in place, although it's not finished 1860 by Alexander English, a circuit- or open to car traffic yet. The riding Methodist minister, before the project is part of the American area was public land. The present Recovery and Reinvestment Act. church was rebuilt in 1941 using rocks So English Chapel will remain from the river. Some of our hikes go as a part of the history that lies Above, English Chapel, and below, the new bridge. by the chapel and it is a conversation within public land for all to see starter. and enjoy. The chapel has always been accessible by a bridge across Time to Renew Membership! Davidson River. Several years This is a gentle reminder that all CMC ago the bridge was condemned membership dues need to be in by Jan. 1, and relegated to foot traffic 2012. Please fill out the only. Normally such a bridge application in this issue of would be torn down and even- Let's Go and send it, with tually replaced by a new one. your dues, to: This bridge, however, is an Carolina Mountain Club historical artifact and cannot P.O. Box 68 be removed. The bridge was Asheville, NC 28802 2 TRAIL MAINTENANCE CHALLENGE PROGRAMS the Commissary Ridge Trail and right onto the All members are encouraged to participate SB6K For hiking all 40 peaks above 6000’. Buncombe Horse Range trail (MST) trailhead. in trail maintenance activities. Non-members Contact Peter Barr, [email protected] Topos: Montreat and Mt. Mitchell are invited to try it a few times before deciding P400 For hiking every trail in Pisgah Ranger WEDNESDAY NO. W1104-740 Oct. 19 if they want to join the Club and be a regular District. Contact Dave Wetmore, dwetmore@ Six Waterfalls near Brevard *8:30 AM part of a crew. We train and provide tools. citcom.net Hike 5.8, Drive 100, 900 ft. ascent, Rated C-C Below is a general schedule of work days. 900M For hiking every trail in GSMNP. Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, Exact plans often cannot be made until the last Contact Dave Wetmore, [email protected] [email protected] minute, so contact crew leaders for details. LTC For hiking all 24 lookout towers in WNC. WC100, P400 *Form carpools at Westgate and Crews marked with an * are currently seeking Contact Peter Barr, [email protected] meet leader at Pisgah Forest Bi-Lo at 9:00 AM. new members. MST and AT section maintain- WC100 For hiking to the 100 best waterfalls We will visit six waterfalls near Brevard, all on the ers work on their own schedule. in the mountains of WNC, SC and the Smokies. Waterfall 100 Challenge: Maidenhair (new to the Monday Contact Jack Fitzgerald, 828-685-2897, sue- list), Dill and Upper Dill, Courthouse, Bird Rock Barth Brooker, [email protected] [email protected] Wednesday* and Catheys Creek. All are in-and-out hikes of 2.5 miles or less for each waterfall. Topos: Rosman, Friday Asheville* WEDNESDAY HIKES Sam Knob; also NatGeo map #780 Skip Sheldon, [email protected] Wednesday hikes submitted by Ann Gleason, Friday Pisgah 828-859-9387, [email protected]. Driving WEDNESDAY NO. W1104-254 Oct. 26 Pete (R) Petersen, [email protected] distance is round-trip from Asheville. All hikes Green Knob via Snooks Nose *8:00 AM Saturday bimonthly* assemble at the far rear (north end) of Westgate Hike 9 Drive 65, 3500 ft.

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