HIKING & PADDLING NEWS

Contents

• Next Two Months at a Glance
• Hiking
• Paddling
• For The Record

HIKING

SOUTH BEYOND 6000 HIKE - MOUNT MITCHELL
(Scheduled for Saturday, 3 Sept 94)
Leader: Joe DeLoach (615.753.7903)
Rating: Difficult
See August Newsletter for details.  NOTE: Date has been changed from the schedule.

GREAT MOOSE EXPEDITION, MAINE/NEW HAMPSHIRE
(Scheduled for 2-11 Sept 94)
Leader: G. Luttrell (615.239.9854)
Rating: Moderate
Our objective will be to shoot moose (photo shoot, that is).  We'll hike to some sites where moose are likely to venture; set up camp for a few days, shoot moose and other wildlife that might pass by, and explore some side trails.  At night, expect to be serenaded by the northern loon.  Some of the spots being considered for wildlife observation: Horn's Pond, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Umbagog Lake, Moosehead Lake, Gulf Hagas, Gentian Pond, Dream Lake, and Baxter State Park.  Contact the trip leader for details.

A.T. HIKING - GORHAM, N.H. TO RANGELEY, MAINE
(Scheduled for 3-10 Sept 94)
Leader: Kevin Edgar (615.239.5742)
Rating: Difficult
We will do a combination of a 3-day backpack and several day hikes covering the northernmost section of the A.T. in New Hampshire and the southernmost section in Maine.   The hiking will cover approximately 93 miles of some of the most rugged and spectacular terrain east of the Rockies.  The backpack will take us through the Mahoosucs, including the infamous Mahoosuc Notch; if scrambling over, under, and around slippery, Volkswagen-size boulders is your cup of tea, this is the trip for you!  On a TEHCC trip several years ago one club member discovered an icy cold brew, unopened, as they were panting though the Notch.  Who knows what we might find!  On our last day we may day-hike the Bigelow range, if weather and bodies permit.  It should be a great and challenging trip in a magnificent part of the country, at a time of year when pleasant weather is a possibility.  Call Kevin at 615.239.5742 for more information; preregistration is required.

A.T. DOLL FLATS
(Scheduled for Saturday, 17 Sept 94)
Leader: Frank Williams (615.245.8414)
Rating: Moderate
The purpose of this hike is to visit the relocations done by Club members and the Konnarock Crew this year and last.  Word is that this year's work may not be complete, but we can probably find our way through.  Anyway, we can see last year's work which is spectacular.  It is 2.6 miles from Route 19E to Doll Flats and we will come out the same way we went in, unless we follow the old trail part of the way.  It is an additional 1.7 miles to the eastern ridge crest of Hump Mountain and we could add this if we are all feeling energetic.  This would make the total distance 5.2 or 8.6 miles, depending on our decision.  We will meet in the Building 215 parking lot at 8 AM.  Bring lunch and water.

THIRD SATURDAY MAINTENANCE
(Scheduled 3rd Saturday in each month)
Leaders: Ed Oliver (615.349.6668) & Ted Malone (615.477.2222)
The September Third Saturday (the 17th) maintenance trip is undecided at the time of this writing.  It could possibly be an overnight trip to No Business Knob where we will continue our rehab work on the A.T. in that area.  Konnarock helped us with almost a thousand feet and we really want to knock out the rest of it by next season.   If we spend the night at the shelter, Ed and I will have a chef's surprise for dinner.  Call later for details and dinner reservations.

SOUTHERN REGIONAL MULTI-CLUB MEET
(Scheduled: 2-5 September 94)
Leader: Joe DeLoach (615.753.7903)
Rating: FUN
The annual Southern Regional Multi-Club Meet for A.T.-maintaining clubs in the Southern Region is being hosted by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club this year.   The meeting will be held at The Campground at Natural Bridge, near Exit #175 off I-81.  Tent and RV camping is available, and many hikes and other activities are planned.  For more information please call Joe DeLoach at 615.753.7903.

PADDLING

HIWASSEE RIVER, TENNESSEE
(Scheduled Saturday & Sunday, 3-4 Sept 94)
Leader: Ed Montgomery (615.357.8721)
Rating: II
This scenic river offers excellent class II whitewater and great family camping at Gee Creek Campground.  We will meet at Gee Creek Campground on Sept. 3 at 11:00am, combine boats and head for the put-in below the dam.  We will play hard on the river, stop for lunch at Stairstep, and take-out at Reliance.  The water is cold and standard safety equipment is recommended.  We usually run the river on Sunday depending on the generating schedule and the group's interest.  I will be camping (with familia) on both Friday and Saturday at Gee Creek.  Please preregister -- 615.357.8721.

FOR THE RECORD

KEEPING THE TRAIL OPEN
(Ted Malone reporting -- 615.477.2222)
1993 total hours: 7400 (Best Year Ever!!)
1994 hours to Aug 15: 4398 (includes 751 hours from Our Trail Adopters)
I think the hot weather has kept us from going out since our last report.  My last trip out was with Konnarock and I thought the no-see-ems were going to devour us.   Anyway, cooler weather is on the way and this is my time of the year for trail maintenance.  We have some good projects we have been saving for the fall which include trail rehab near No Business Knob and a new roof for the Laurel Fork Shelter.   Watch the newsletters or call me because most of the time we have more going on then just the Third Saturday.

A.T. WORK TRIP - TURKEY PEN GAP TO VANDERVENTER SHELTER
18 July 94
(Steve Banks reporting)
This has to be one of the most unusual maintenance trips on record.  After gathering at the Colonial Heights Burger King, we drove to Elizabethton and met Mary Ann Monk, the USFS Wilderness Ranger, at the USFS Work Center there.  We drove to Hurley Hollow and proceeded up the TVA access road in three 4WD vehicles.  Before long, we came to a LARGE tree blocking the road.  None of us had the foresight to bring a chainsaw - so we spent the next THREE hours removing this tree from the road with an 18" bow saw and two small hatchets.  After finally removing the tree, we successfully negotiated several slick and steep spots in the road and FINALLY made it to the top of Iron Mountain where we ate lunch.

As we were eating, Mary Ann heard on her radio that there was an injured hiker in the area.  After a short wait, we learned the hiker was on the A.T., about a mile south of Turkey Pen Gap.  Mary Ann drove to the trail on the TVA access road, while some of us headed towards the hiker on the A.T. and others started weeding.

While Steve Perri and I were weeding, about a half-mile south of Turkey Pen Gap, we saw two jeeps come up the mountain from the west and turn onto the A.T. south-bound.   When we saw Mary Ann a few moments later, we told her about the jeeps, and she radioed the Watauga Ranger District Office for assistance.  (Kimberly Coleman, a USFS Law Enforcement Officer, caught the two jeeps leaving Forest Service land later in the day based on our description, and issued tickets at the scene.)  Back to the injured hiker - Mary Ann determined she had a twisted ankle.  The rest of us arrived soon afterwards.  Mary Ann radioed for assistance, and the Forest Service sent two ATV's to the scene.  After applying first aid, they transported the victim down to Hurley Hollow.  We followed and met the Carter County Rescue Squad and a host of USFS law enforcement and rescue personnel.

With all the excitement, we cleared only 1.5 miles of the A.T.  But we all felt good about participating in the rescue, and in apprehending the drivers of two jeeps making illegal use of the A.T.  It all made for a very exciting and interesting trip !!

(Webmaster's note: the Hurley Hollow access point has been CLOSED.  DO NOT use this access point.)

LITTLE STONEY CREEK TRAIL
31 July 1994
(G. S. Luttrell reporting)
The drive to Fort Blackmore is much improved with the opening of the new section of Highway 72 on the Gate City end, and allows easier access to Hanging Rock from Kingsport.   We spotted one car at the lower end of the trail, then drove to the upper end to begin the hike.  A couple of us swam in the pool under the upper falls, and the remaining two of us waded in the cool water.  This was a popular site on this warm Sunday afternoon: several people, besides our group, were enjoying this scenic area.   The trail was in great shape, and easy to walk with the improvements such as the new bridges.  Participants in this hike were Vic Hassler, Kara Hassler (4 yrs. old), Billy Luttrell, and Garry Luttrell.

FRENCH BROAD - BARNARD TO STACKHOUSE
6 August 94
(Bob Tonnies reporting)
A good sized group turned out at the Johnson City Burger King for paddling this Saturday.  This worked out well, since it allowed two trips to happen: we went to the French and another group ran the North Toe Gorge.  There had been some rain over the last several days, so the French Broad readings were being watched carefully.   Luckily, the levels were down to a reasonable level by Saturday, although the river was carrying some mud from the runoff when we paddled it.  The river was run without incident, although, the water level made Big Pillow Rapid more technical than usual.   Shawn showed off here by taking the hero route (although we suspect it was not entirely intentional).  All in all, it was a great day to be on the river.   Those paddling on the French were Michael Bullard, Shawn Dougherty, Dane Faulkner, Wayne Lemmon, Randy Vanderaa and myself.

DEVIL'S BACKBONE HIKE
13 August 94
(Collins Chew reporting)
Seven hikers followed the trail over the Devil's Backbone in Warrior's Path State Park with its spectacular views of the lake and pleasant countryside.  We also explored the new loop which extends the trail through old farms.  Weather was beautiful but overly warm.  Hikers were Birthe Borup, Virginia and Jim Austin, Eleanor Ford, Suzanne Berry, Celia Cox, and Collins Chew.

KINGSPORT GREENBELT ADOPT-A-TRAIL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
(Steve Perri reporting)
The Greenbelt Association has asked the Club if our members would be interested in adopting a section of the trail located adjacent to River Front Park from the Ridgefields Bridge downstream to the fork of the river.  The commitment would be for 2 yrs with about a once a month maintenance of picking up trash and reporting of necessary work required for keeping the trail in condition.  Some months may require more than one outing, but generally one trip will suffice.  Currently we have about ten people interested and need about 30-40.  To make this as pleasant as possible for all participants, a request for an adoption per month would allow more flexibility with about 4-5 participants per outing.  To volunteer or for more information call Steve Perri at 615.349.5091.

STANDARD FIRST AID CLASS FOR CLUB MEMEBERS
(Steve Perri reporting)
The Club has recently scheduled a standard first aid class that was attended by many individuals from the Club's maintenance teams.  We are again scheduling another class for members on September 27 and 29 through the Red Cross of Kingsport.  The class is $21.00/person and includes a manual and class instruction.  The course is divided in two parts, the first evening (6:00-10:00PM) covers CPR emergency response and the second evening (6:00-8:30PM) covers first aid.  The course is very comprehensive and is usually a lot of fun with other club members in attendance.  The class is held at the Kingsport Red Cross at 501 S. Wilcox (Across from the Eastman Employee Center).   Please sign up if you are interested in the class by Sept. 15th.  If you would be interested in taking the class at another time, we could schedule another class at a later date.  To sign up for the class or for more information, contact Liz West at 615.378.5560.

HIKE LEADER GUIDELINES
(Steve Banks reporting)
A set of Hike Leader Guidelines is now available.  They will be sent to leaders of hikes in the January-June 1995 schedule, but if you would like a set now, contact Steve Banks at 615.288.2646.

TEHCC LIBRARY
(Don Kreh reporting)
The Club maintains over 400 topographic maps (7.5 minute series) of much of the A.T. corridor plus other favorite hiking and canoeing locations.  A number of other special maps are also available.  We stock a complete set of A.T. Trail Guides covering the entire trail from Maine to Georgia.  We also have a few other trail guides and books including the popular Sierra Club Totebook "Hiker's Guide To The Smokies".

Don Kreh has recently volunteered to maintain and check these out.  NEED A MAP OR GUIDE?  Contact Don at 229.5100, via plant mail at FANB or send him an Office Vision note.  A special thanks to Ralph Young who has performed this service for nearly the past 10 years!

ERC HIKING/CANOEING CLUB RENTAL EQUIPMENT
(G. S. Luttrell reporting)
The Hiking Club rental equipment is available to Eastman Employees, HDC Employees, and Retirees, and is located in B-89 Recreation Store.  The new equipment for '94 includes:
- HB-4, Therm-A-Rest, 1 1/2 inch thick sleeping pad
- HT-17, 5-person Quest Conquest V tent with vestibule
- HT-18, 1-person Slumberjack Bivy tent, 2 lb. 4 oz. (side entry)
Also, some worn out and lost rental equipment items have been repaired or replaced.   An updated listing of all the equipment guidelines has been mailed, and is available in Recreation Stores.