HIKING & PADDLING NEWS

Contents

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

HIKING

OVERNIGHT BACKPACK
(Scheduled: Sat, 4-5 Feb 95)
Leader: Ted Malone (615.477.2222)
Rating: Moderate +
For those that have been wanting to adventure into the world of winter/cold weather backpacking, this is your chance.  It will be a group choice on where we go depending on the abilities of the group and how far we want to travel to get to the trailhead.   Car camping or tailgating is a possibility with a good day hike thrown in.   Call for details.

TEHCC 95 ANNUAL TRAIL MAINTAINERS DINNER
(Scheduled: Sat, 11 Feb 95)
Leader: Ted Malone (615.477.2222)
Participants: All that are interested
Dinner will start at 5:00 sharp at the Eastman Cabin but come early to socialize and get in the cook's way.  Dinner will be a hearty bowl of vegetable soup and/or chili with make your own sandwiches and some kind of dessert.  Let Ed Oliver (349-6668) or me know by Feb 9 if you are even thinking about attending.  After dinner Dr Gary Bush, a local doctor of Internal Medicine, hiker, backpacker and diver, will give a program on Backcountry Medicine.  We'll then look at our '94 accomplishments (another great year), discuss things that worked well and see if we can improve on some others.   We need to also look at the list of '95 projects which includes another heavy Konnarock proposal.  If you are not already on a yearly maintenance team then come on out and meet the Team Leaders, they're really a nice bunch of guys and they don't use whips and chains.

WINTER DINNER MEETING
(Scheduled: Sat, 25 Mar 95)
Leader: S.. Perri (615.349.5091)
Rating: FUN
This year's winter dinner meeting at the Eastman Cabin will feature a slide presentation of a canoe trip on Utah's San Juan River by Brad Dayvolt.  Social hour will be at 5:30 PM, dinner will be at 6:30 PM, with the program to be presented at 7:30.   The vendor for the dinner meeting will be Mahoney's of Johnson City.   Mahoney's will also be arranging an introduction to orienteering to be held during the afternoon before the dinner, if there enough people are interesting in participating.

A.T. - MASSACHUSETTS, INN-TO-INN
(Scheduled: 1-9 July 95)
(FIRST NOTICE)
Leader: Kevin Edgar (615.239.5742)
Rating: Moderate-Difficult
The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts are an attractive combination; moderately high mountains, forests, rivers, beautiful New England countryside, and towns which have some very comfortable amenities.  We'll take a summer walk from the last major road crossing in Connecticut to the first one in Vermont, stopping each night in a country inn.   We'll most likely spend a couple of nights each in Great Barrington, Dalton, and Williamstown Massachusetts.  Those who choose to hike the whole distance every day will cover 110 miles of the Appalachian Trail; however, for saner souls it should be possible to lay out and do other things on days when you so prefer, and also there are sufficient road crossings that we should be able to accommodate those who wish to hike shorter distances each day.  We'll be up there at prime time, so will need to make reservations by April 1.  Please contact me by March 1 if you're interested; a meeting of those who wish to go will be scheduled for that time and we'll go over the details.  Because of the limited capacity of the places we'll be staying (and the limited capacity of the leader) the group will be held to about 8.  Call Kevin Edgar at 615.239.5742 to register your interest.

PADDLING

UPPER/LOWER TELLICO
(Scheduled: Sat, 4 Feb 95)
Leader: Michael Bullard (615.246.6798)
Rating: III/IV - II/III
Upper (The Ledges) and Lower Tellico weather and water conditions permitting.   Call Michael Bullard (246-6798) for additional details.  The Upper is Class III-IV and consists of several large ledges culminating in Baby Falls (15-ft) and the technical Jared's Knee.  The Lower is mostly Class III drops of moderate complexity.   Cold weather and water should be factored into your decision on making this trip.

NOLICHUCKY GORGE
(Scheduled: Sat, 11 Feb 95)
Leader: Mike Morrow (615.245.1201)
Rating: III/IV
We will paddle the Nolichucky Gorge(Class III-IV).  We will meet at the campground next to USA Raft at 10:30 AM - the usual take out for the trip.  Please let me know if you plan to go on the trip.  I may change rivers due to possible high water levels at this time of year.  Call me at 245-1201.

WATAUGA GORGE OR DOE GORGE
(Scheduled: Sat, 18 Feb 95)
Leader: Dewey Fuller (615.764.7340)
Rating: IV/V
By the end of January the rainy season in East Tennessee should be in full swing (maybe the rains are late this year?) and smaller streams like the Watauga above the lake and the Doe River should have plenty of water.  Often if the Watauga is too high to run the Doe will have enough water.  Both these "creek" runs are rated IV-V.  If flows are too high or too 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) for trip details.

FOR THE RECORD

1994 APPALACHIAN TRAIL MAINTENANCE SUMMARY
(Joe DeLoach reporting)
Much was accomplished in 1994 thanks to the efforts of our Appalachian Trail maintainers.  The Doll Flats relocation, part of which was opened in 1993, was completed with the help of the Konnarock Crew and students from Appalachian State.   This relocation makes the hike from 19E to Hump Mountain much safer and more pleasant.  Konnarock also helped us open a relocation near Spivey Gap, and rehabilitate the worst remaining sections of the Trail around No Business Knob.  Club members also completed a Trail relocation near Watauga Dam, averting a steep and meaningless climb on an eroding Trail, and another relocation in the Spivey Gap area (Oglesby Branch) will be opened in early spring.  The Laurel Fork and Moreland Gap shelters were repaired, and a picnic table was installed at Watauga Lake Shelter.  A total of 6700 volunteer hours were spent on Appalachian Trail maintenance, making a total of over 14,000 hours the last two years!  By comparison in our best previous year, 1992, we spent 4000 hours on the A.T.  There were around 200 different events involving almost 250 different participants.  These totals include close to 1500 hours by Trail adopters, with more than 40 maintenance trips from this dedicated group.   Six of our members (Steve Banks, Bill Berry, Joe DeLoach, Ted Malone, Ed Oliver, and Frank Williams) worked at least five days with the Konnarock Crew and thus earned a free year's membership in ATC along with the coveted Konnarock T-shirt.  Our section of the Appalachian Trail definitely shows the results of these efforts.  Of course our work is never done, and there will be some challenging new projects coming up in 1995, so help is always appreciated.  Thanks to all those who helped maintain the A.T. in 1994!!

TRAIL RELOCATION COMPLETED
(Ed Oliver reporting)
The first of three relocations planned for the Appalachian Trail south from Watauga Dam Road was completed on January 2, 1995.  This relocation of about 0.3 miles was started early in 1994.  It replaces a steep section of trail.  Most of the work on this relocation was done after work during the summer.  Four work trips in December of 1994 and early January of 1995 were required to complete the work.  The relocation is sidehill trail with an average grade of about 10%.  Two additional relocations are targeted for this section between Watauga Dam Road and Watauga Dam.   Thanks to all the club members who helped on this relocation.