HIKING & PADDLING NEWS

Contents

• Next Two Months
• Hiking
• Paddling
• For The Record

HIKING

CHIMNEY TOP MOUNTAIN
(Scheduled for Saturday, 8 Jan 94)
**NOTE CHANGE OF DATE**
Leader: Don Baker (615.245.9813)
Rating: Easy
We will meet at the Eastman parking lot in front of Bldg 215 (Personnel) for a 9:00 AM departure. Driving distance is short and the hike will total approx. 2 miles.   Bring food and appropriate cold/wet weather clothing.  If the day is clear, views as far as the Smokies are possible.

HOLSTON MOUNTAIN LOOP HIKE
(Scheduled for Sat, 15 Jan 94)
Leader: Rick Lott (615.282.5404)
Rating: Moderate-Difficult
This hike will start about 3/4 mile from Holston High Knob.  We will first hike to the fire tower and those willing to brave the elements and heights can go up for some great views.  The hike will then follow the Holston Mountain Trail along the ridge for about 2.5 miles, drop down the Flint Mountain Trail (fairly steep descent of 1-1.5 miles), hike back to the west on the Flatwoods trail (about 3 miles), then climb back up the mountain to the cars on the Short Spur trail (fairly steep ascent 1-1.5 mile).   Total distance should be 8-9 miles.  We will meet between Burger King and McDonald's in Colonial Heights at 8:00 am.  Contact the hike leader for additional details.

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN BACKPACK
(Scheduled for 15-16 Jan 94)
Leader: Dewey Fuller (615.764.7340)
The hike up to Balsam Shelter from highway 105 is only 3.6 miles, but the elevation gain is over 2,000 feet.  Although crowding will probably not be a problem this time of year, in addition to the shelter, there are campsites on the crest where we can stay if the shelter is occupied.  After setting up camp, there should be plenty of time for several interesting side hikes to points of interest on the mountain.  The elevation of the shelter and most of the campsites is close to 6,000 feet so be prepared for very cold, windy, icy, and snowy conditions.  Since this area is privately owned and maintained a permit fee of $4 per person per day is required.  Contact Dewey Fuller (615.764.7340) for trip details.

1994 TRAIL MAINTAINER'S DINNER
(Scheduled for 6 PM, 29 Jan 94 at the Eastman Cabin)
Leader: Ted Malone (615.477.2222)
(Everyone's Invited)
First of all, we will celebrate over 7,000 hours of volunteer trail maintenance for 1993 (3,000 more than in '92).  We'll show slides of what we accomplished in '93 and discuss our goals for '94.  We'll introduce our Trail Team Leaders and Trail Adopters, talk about new regulations imposed by the Forest Service and other topics.   Our goal for January is to have someone from each Maintenance Team to hike their section and do a trail assessment.  The ideal time would be on the morning of the 29th just before the dinner.  If anyone wants to go along for the hike contact me and I will pass along the date from the Maintenance Leader.  Dinner will be something like a salad, baked potato, steak or chicken, dessert and drinks.  Price should be in the $5-7.00 range depending on the number of participants.  If you are going to eat with us I need to know in advance so please contact me by mail or phone NLT 1/26/94.   We'll start dinner preparations around 4:00 so if you want to help come on out and we'll provide the aprons.

MAIL TO: Ted Malone, 117 Lakeside Dr, Gray, Tennessee 37615 (Phone: 615.477.2222)

RED CROSS ADULT CPR CLASS
(To be Rescheduled)
Leader: Steve Gubser (615.245.8849)
The Red Cross Adult CPR class that was scheduled for 15 December 93 is to be rescheduled for a weeknight in mid-January 94.  Contact Steve Gubser for details.

A.T. - YELLOW MOUNTAIN GAP TO U.S. 19E
(Scheduled for Saturday, 5 Feb 94)
Leader: Rick Culbertson (615.239.9795)
Difficulty: Moderate
This is a scenic hike over bald mountains (Yellow Mountain and Hump Mountain) which offers 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains.  The hike is approximately 7-8 miles and has two uphill climbs and a long descent from Hump Mountain to U.S. 19E.   We will meet at 8:15 AM at the Colonial Heights Burger King.  We should be back in Kingsport by 5:00 PM.  I can also meet others on the way (i.e., Johnson City).  Call 239.9795 for further details or if you have an alternate meeting location.

94 STEERING COMMITTEE ELECTION RESULTS
(Joe DeLoach reporting)
The results of the Steering Committee elections for 1994 are in!  The winners are Collins Chew, Bob Tonnies, and Elizabeth West.  A total of 99 votes were cast which is up over 50% from last year but is still a pretty meager turnout.   Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all the candidates for volunteering to participate as a Club officer.  Thanks also to the three 1993 Steering Committee members who are rotating off - Mary Mathis, Ed Montgomery, and Dan Sand - for all of their contributions.

WINTER DINNER MEETING
(Scheduled for Saturday, 26 Feb 94)
Leader: Steve Perri (615.349.5091)
The 1994 Winter Dinner Meeting will be held at the Eastman Recreation Area Cabin on February 26, 1994.  The meeting will provide an opportunity to break the winter doldrums and socialize with friends.  The program will be of interest to both paddlers and hikers alike in that an emphasis of safety in outdoor recreation will be presented.  A video stressing safety called "Cold, Wet and Alive" will be presented followed by another for entertainment called "Steep Creeks."   Awards will also presented for the Hiker, Paddler, and Maintainer of the Year.   Mountain Sports will be present to display a number of recreational items beginning at 5:30PM.  A social hour will begin at 6:00 PM followed by dinner at 6:30PM.   Dinner this year will be catered by Wright's of Kingsport.  The dinner menu consists of: ham and roast beef, new potatoes, green beans, cooked apples, rolls, tossed salad, iced tea, and an assortment of pies for dessert for $8.00/person.  A child's plate is available for children under the age of 10 yrs old for $4.00 each.  Please list the names of everyone in your party along with the request for the number of dinner plates for adults and child's plates on the reservation form so we will know how many dinners to order.  Door prizes will also be awarded from this list.

Please return your reservation form to Steve Perri, 180 Peppertree Drive, Kingsport, Tennessee 37664.  I will need to receive your forms and checks no later than Tuesday, February 22.  Please call 615.349.5091 for more information.

LECONTE CREEK TRIP
(Scheduled for 9-10 Jul 94)
Leader: D. Fuller (615.764.7340)
If you are one who prefers getting off the beaten track, or for that matter off any track or trail whether it be beaten or not so beaten, the LeConte Creek Trip is for you.   This is an off-trail hike, or bushwhack, up one of the creeks flowing off of Mount LeConte.  The trip is very difficult and involves a long steep climb with very little time for resting.  If this sounds like your kind of trip, send your confirmation check ($63.47) to Dewey Fuller, 608 Vance Drive, Bristol, Tennessee 37620.  This price covers overnight accommodations at LeConte Lodge including dinner and breakfast.  In the event that not enough creek climbers sign up to fill all reservation slots, the trip will be open to those who prefer to make the ascent via one of LeConte's trails.  Let me know, no check is necessary, if you would like to be placed on the standby list to go up a trail.

RECREATION BUILDING TO CLOSE ON WEEKENDS
(Joe DeLoach reporting)
Effective 1 January 94, B-310 will be closed on weekends, due to low utilization of the building. Please remember to pick up any maintenance tools or supplies from our room in B-310 during the week.

PADDLING

CATAWBA OR SOUTH TOE
(Scheduled for Sat, 8 Jan 94)
Leader: D. Ingram (615.282.5856)
Rating: II-III
Contact trip leader for details.

WATAUGA OR DOE RIVER GORGE
(Scheduled for Sat, 29 Jan 94)
Leader: D. Fuller (615.764.7340)
Rating: IV-V
By the end of January the East Tennessee rainy season should be in full swing and smaller streams like the Watauga above the dam and the Doe should have plenty of water.   Both these "creek" runs are rated IV-V.  If flow conditions are too high/low for these streams, an alternate will be chosen - probably the Nolichucky if water is scarce and some other "creek" run if we have too much water. Contact Dewey Fuller (615.764.7340) to preregister and for trip details.

YMCA POOL ROLL PRACTICE
(Scheduled for Jan - Mar, 1994)
Leader: Dewey Fuller (615.764.7340)
The Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts and the Erwin Family YMCA will sponsor roll practice sessions at the Erwin YMCA (new building) every Tuesday from 6:p to 9:00pm starting January 4, 1994 and continuing through March 29.  To cover costs to the YMCA, there is a charge of $2 for A.P.E. members and $3 for nonmembers.  The plan is to have at least one instructor present at each session.  Since this person will be able to assist only a limited number of pupils, if possible, team up with another person so you can assist each other in practice.  The buddy system also helps reduce the problem of having too many boats in the pool at one time.  There will be a water hose hooked up to the right of the main YMCA entrance which should be used to clean your boat before bringing it into the pool area.

FOR THE RECORD

CHERRY GAP SHELTER REPAIR
16 Oct 93
(Ed Oliver reporting)
Three members with four wheel drive vehicles were enticed to try their hand at getting the materials for this shelter repair up the mountain on an old road that was described by one person as requiring a tank to negotiate.  The drivers said that the need for a tank was a slight exaggeration.  However, at the end of the day one vehicle had a slightly bent rear bumper and another vehicle was missing a wheel cover.   The trip up and down the mountain was interesting.  We were able to get the materials to the Cherry Gap Shelter.  We removed the old roof, installed new supports on the front of the roof, and cut and installed rafters and a new metal roof.  A tree had fallen on the roof and broken the front support.  The spring near the shelter was cleaned out.  The old roofing was loaded in the trucks and delivered to the Forest Service work center at Unicoi for disposal.  The new roof made a major improvement to this shelter.  The rain that threatened all day held off and we had an enjoyable trip on a fall day.  The fall colors were near their peak.  Those who enjoyed this busy but interesting day included C. Moorehouse, A. Crain, S. Wilson, C. Fritz, J. DeLoach, S. Banks, D. Nickels, M. Cunningham, B. Cunningham, F. Williams, and E. Oliver.

ROAN HIGHLANDS SHELTER REPAIR
30 Nov 93
(Ed Oliver reporting)
On this rather cold Saturday, nine members who later questioned their judgment drove to the Yellow Mountain Barn and carried two pieces of plywood, a bundle of shingles, numerous 2X4's and 2X6's, and a ladder about 1.5 miles to the Roan Highlands Shelter.   The temperature which never got above the freezing point and a brisk breeze provided more than enough incentive to keep working.  We installed a two foot extension to the front of the roof and a triangular panel to each side at the front of the shelter to reduce the probability of rain blowing into the shelter.  The shingles were installed on the roof extension and guttering was installed on the front and back of the shelter. A hole in the floor was repaired by installing a patch.  When this shelter is given a new coat of paint next spring it will be in very good condition.   Even with the colder than expected temperatures and the brisk breeze, everyone seemed to enjoy the trip.  The trees near the tops of the mountains were covered with rime ice.  The leaves on the ground had a coat of white from the heavy frost from the trees.  The sky was clear - a rather beautiful, if cold, early winter day.  We met at least thirty hikers during the day - many more than we expected.  Those who helped with this project included T. Malone, J. Eggars, J. DeLoach, S. Banks, R. Lott, F. Williams, D. Nickels, B. Cook, and E. Oliver.

GILLEYS CAVE HIKE
20 Nov 93
(Greg Kramer reporting)
Twenty two people ventured underground, some for their first time.  Because of the number of people we split into two groups.  I took the group that contained the small folk and Tim Frederick and Bob Whittemore led the group of teenagers and adults.   My group made slow and steady progress to the Devils Pit where we met up with the other group.  We took a break together.  Then they took off to the stream while we turned around and started out.  We were back to the last long slope up when the other group caught up and we all left the cave together.  Some of the group left for home while 16 of us went to Pizza Hut and ate pizza.  Attending were B. Cook, J. Zwada, D. Hagerty, R. Fisher, K. Normet, C., B., and A. Whittemore, B., G., G., and C. Kramer, B. Bunns, K. Harris, T. Frederick, T., M., and S. Haynes, L. and K. Barham, Z. Zimet, and K. Repass.

NANTAHALA RIVER CANOE TRIP
29-30 Oct 93
(Ed Montgomery reporting)
Charlie called and asked me to be the substitute trip leader for the annual NOC Appreciation Festival/Paddling Trip on the Nantahala river trip at the end of October.   I thought it would be a warm weekend with a large group of paddlers making the trip down.  It turned out to be just the opposite with extremely cold temperatures, rain, snow and a small group of almost "hard core" boaters making the run.

We arrived at Nantahala Village on Friday afternoon (10/29) with rainy weather not far behind us.  It rained that night and most of the weekend.  We inspected the large quantities of used NOC gear at the fort and decided that we would skip spending the morning in line since most of us owned enough boats to run a small livery.  The old store has been torn down and the new one is under construction and the place is a mess.   The River's End restaurant was still intact and we enjoyed the Serpa rice and spinach sandwiches.  Only Brad Dayvolt and my family made it down on Friday evening and we both went "SOFT" and avoided camping in the rain and mud.  This was not optimal camping weather and we were happy to be inside during the Friday night downpours.  Saturday also started out with rain and cold temps, but it did not stop the large crowd of river runners from making it out to the sale.  The NOC folks said this was the largest crowd ever and probably the worst weather.  NOC provided an excellent shuttle service from several locations which made access very nice.  It helped with the traffic problems, but several people still received tickets and were towed during the day.

The river was packed with freshly procured pointy boats.  The eddies were filled and looked like schools of Japanese carp crowded waiting around for their feeding.   It was surprisingly warm on the river with a wetsuit and spray jacket.  We enjoyed a fairly clean run down the river until I had to take-out due to previous rib injury.  Mollie rescued me above the Falls and loaded my boat, she was GREAT!   We then proceed to pick up Snake and Brad where Mollie picked up a parking ticket for parking on the wrong side of the road.  Snake and I kept quiet while the trooper worked Mollie over.  It was only a warning, but it made for great conversation during our evening group meal.  We decided to nurse our wounds and stay dry on Sunday and leave the river to the real "hard core" boaters.  Those paddlers enjoying a crowded, cold, wet, but fun weekend of paddling included B. Dayvolt, M. Munn, K. Swift, M. Teilhet, and E. Montgomery (substitute trip leader).

TEHCC NEWSLETTER MISSION AND INFO
(Bob Tonnies reporting)
I've been asked recently by several people about the process used to select material for the newsletter.  To give some insight into how the newsletter is prepared, here is the newsletter mission and a brief explanation of the guidelines used to prepare the newsletter.

Newsletter Mission: Inform TEHCC members of upcoming and past events to increase awareness of and encourage participation in club activities.  Encourage participation in outdoor activities as a way of increasing appreciation and commitment to our natural resources.

Unfortunately, the newsletter is limited to four pages of copy and we frequently have a lot more good material than can fit in that space, so it becomes necessary to be selective in the material that is used.  If something doesn't make it into a given month because of space limitations, I'll try to get it into a subsequent issue.  The following guidelines are used to select material each month:

Newsletter Material Selection Priorities:
1. Trips/events scheduled for the next month.
2. Club business (Event notices, ballots, trip leader solicitations, liability releases, etc.)
3. "Keeping the Trail Open" reports.
4. Event reports submitted for TEHCC events.
5. Long reports (over 50 lines of newsletter copy) submitted for TEHCC events.
6. Reports submitted by TEHCC participants for non-Eastman events.

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION WORK TRIP
11 Dec 93
(Ed Oliver reporting)
When Saturday morning arrived with the snow, several of us began to wonder whether or not we would be able to install two of the bridges on Jones Branch near Nolichucky Expeditions.  Since at least two club members had already gone ahead to cut out two trees, we decided to meet at Burger King and see who showed up.  When ten people showed up at Burger King, we decided that the trip was definitely on.  We met five more people at Gray and one more at Johnson City.  Three other members showed up at the work site.  That brought the total to twenty-one people who showed up on a cold snowy morning determined to install two bridges.  Club members (Darrol, Bruce, Frank, Jack, and others) had already spent several days sorting the timbers, cutting them to length, and drilling the holes for the bolts.  Four members (Bruce, Darrol, John Keifer, and John Thompson) had gone with the Forest Service people to deliver the materials on a rainy Friday.  Those of us who helped on Saturday had to carry some of the materials from where they had been stored at the second bridge site to the upper bridge site.  Those who had gone on earlier had already cut two trees which were leaning across the bridge location.  They had managed to get one of the trees hung in other trees.  After using a grip hoist to pull the tree to the ground, Ted Malone cut the final tree which fell perfectly.  After giving Ted a standing ovation, we set to work to build two piers, one using rock cribbing and one using 6X6 timbers.  We then filled the timber built pier with wire and rocks and installed 8X8 timbers on each pier.   The push was then on to install the stringers, about a "million" bolts, the hand rail, and the decking.  With so much excellent help, the work went smoothly and we were able to complete the upper bridge.  We also installed rock cribbing to get the trail to the top of the timber pier and piled additional rock at the base of each pier to help insure that the creek does not undermine them.  While the majority of us were working on the upper bridge, three talented bridge builders constructed the lower bridge.  Both bridges looked great as we crossed them on our way out late Saturday evening.  All who helped agreed that they enjoyed helping with this project.   The materials for these bridges were part of a cost sharing grant from the Forest Service.  They provided the materials and we provided the labor.  So far we have provided approximately 300 hours of volunteer labor to construct and install these two bridges.  Those who helped to set this record for the most people to show up on a work trip included J. Kiefer, B. Cunningham, F. Williams, S. Banks, J. DeLoach, B. Sherrill, T. Malone, S. Perri, L. Newman, M. Newman, R. Lott, J. Young, W. Hannold, J. Mann, D. Nickels, and E. Oliver from TEHC and T. Mowery, C.l Mowery, T. Laws, J. Laws, and A. McGhee from Scout Troop 135 from Sulfur Springs.  Everyone's help was greatly appreciated.  It took the effort of the entire group to be able to complete these two bridges in one Saturday.