APRIL, 1997

Contents


• Next Two Months at a Glance
• Introductory Canoe School
• Scheduled Hikes/Activities
• TEHCC Recognizes Members
• Activity Reports

Introductory Canoe School 1997, May 15
Leader: Brad Dayvolt
The 25th annual School of River Canoeing, sponsored by the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club in association with the APEs (Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts), will be held May 15, 17, and 18. The school is targeted for beginner to intermediate solo and tandem whitewater canoeists and kayakers, and consists of an evening of lecture and videos plus two river trips. As in the past, there will continue to be a strong emphasis on river safety. Participants will be responsible for providing their own gear and transportation. Refreshments will be provided at the end of both river trips. The recommended reference book is BASIC RIVER CANOEING by McNair ($7.85 including tax). This is an excellent book and can be purchased at the school or in advance at the Eastman Employee Center.

Minimum required gear: whitewater canoe w/one paddle per paddler plus one spare per boat or a whitewater kayak w/paddle and sprayskirt, one life jacket per person. Canoes should have bow and stern lines. Individuals will need a rain jacket, knee pads, lunch, and change of clothes in a waterproof bag.

Cost: $4.00 per student plus cost of text.

Schedule:

• Day 1: May 15 (Thur) Lecture and films. 6:30 - 9:30 PM. Eastman Employee Center, room 115.
• Day 2: May 17 (Sat) River Trip, class I-II. 9:00AM, B215 parking lot.
• Day 3: May 18 (Sun) River Trip, class I-II. 9:00AM, B215 parking lot.

For additional information, contact Brad Dayvolt.  To register, complete the form below and mail it with your check to Brad Dayvolt: 4845 Edens View, Kingsport, Tennessee 37664. Make checks payable to Brad Dayvolt.

REGISTRATION FORM

Name:    ___________________________________

Date:    ___________________

Address: ___________________________________

Work Phone: _____________________
Home Phone: _____________________

Craft: Solo Canoe ____ Tandem Canoe ____
Kayak ____ None ____

Experience: Beginner ____ Intermediate ____
Tandem ____ Solo ____

My tandem partner's name: ____________________
I need a partner ____

I have a text ___ (send $4.00)
I need a text ___ (send $11.85)

Hike: Kimberling Creek to Pearisburg Backpack, April 4-6
Leader: Collins Chew, Rating: Moderate
We will travel to Pearisburg, Virginia on Friday evening after work and stay in a motel in order to get an early start on Saturday morning. Leaving a car in Pearisburg, we will drive on a dirt road to Sugar Run Gap and leave our water for camping. We will then drive to Kimberling Creek and hike 13.1 miles to our water and a camp site. This will leave a 10.2 mile hike to Pearisburg on Sunday. Except for a 1,500 foot climb up Sugar Run Mountain on Saturday and a steep descent from Angels Rest to Pearisburg, the hike is relatively level, and begins in an unhabitated valley on "Poor Valley-type" rock. The remainder of the hike is on "Clinch Mountain-type" sandstone along a "zee-shaped" ridge to Angels Rest, where we drop down to Pearisburg and the oldest valley in Eastern America, that of the New River. We should have nice wildflowers and be ahead of most of the through-hikers. Call Collins Chew for planning and details.

AT Hike: Sams Gap to Spivey Gap, April 12
Leader: Steve Wilson, Rating: Moderate
This trip is 13.6 miles and is part of the Carolina Mountain Club's Section. Contact the Trip Leader for more details.

Hike: Tanawha Trail on Grandfather Mtn., April 19
Leader: Rick Lott, Moderate
This hike can be either 6 or 8.5 miles, depending on the group's preference. The hike parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway on the side of Grandfather Mtn. The hike offers several creek crossings (bridges provided), interesting rock formations (stack rocks) and several great overlooks from Rough Ridge. Bring an extra layer of clothes, water and lunch. Please contact the hike leader for carpooling details or changes in plan. We will meet at the Pizza Hut parking lot on South Roan Street in Johnson City.

Third Saturday Maintenance: Special Projects, April 19
Leader: Ed Oliver
The special crew that will be repairing the treadway in Laurel Fork Gorge will be working in the gorge on Saturday, April 19. We will plan to work with them on trail repair. If you don't enjoy trail repair projects, let me know and we may schedule a second project. The second project would be blowdown removal or bridge construction. Contact Ed Oliver at 349-6668 for additional information and to let me know if you plan to help so I can plan the trip and have enough tools. Plan to meet at the parking area between McDonalds and Burger King in Colonial Heights at 8:00 a.m.

Trail Repair Trips in Laurel Fork Gorge, April 18-21 and April 25-28
Leader: Ed Oliver
The special trail crew will be repairing trail in Laurel Fork Gorge from Thursday, April 17 until Monday, April 21, and Thursday, April 24 until Monday, April 28, 1997. We are fortunate to be able to take advantage of the crew's rock work expertise to reset many of the rock steps down to the Gorge. We will most likely have people working with them on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Contact Ed Oliver if you are interested in helping. Anyone working three days or more with the crew will receive a special T-shirt. Plan to meet in the parking area between McDonalds and Burger King in Colonial Heights at 8:00 a.m.

Spring Wildflower Hike: AT from Sams Gap to Devils Fork Gap, April 26
Leader: Joe Deloach, Moderate
This hike of about eight miles combines some nice views with what should be a good wildflower display near Devils Fork Gap. We may get lucky and find morel mushrooms and ramps (some may not consider this lucky) along the way. We'll park cars at Devils Fork Gap and walk to them from Sams Gap, which is a net downhill of 700 feet. However, there are numerous knobs and gaps in between so you'll get your exercise. We'll meet in the parking lot between Burger King and McDonalds in Colonial Heights at 8:00 a.m. Bring water and lunch, a camera, and I'll have a wildflower book in the likely event that we find some flowers that stump the neophyte botanist hike leader.

Hike: Cove Mountain via Laurel Falls (Great Smoky Mountains National Park), May 3
Leader: Richard Colberg, Moderate (8 mi round trip, 1700 ft elevation gain)
Join us on a hike past one of the most popular waterfalls in the Smokies, through virgin forest, to the firetower at the top of Cove Mountain. We'll start at the Laurel Falls trail head, approximately 5 mi west of the Smokies visitor center, and hike in and out (no car shuttle). Bring appropriate clothing, lunch and water. Meet in the parking lot between McDonalds and Burger King in Colonial Heights at 7:45 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. departure. Approximately 120 mi drive (each way). Call the hike leader for more information.

Third Saturday Special Projects Work Trip, Feb. 15
Ed Oliver Reporting
Three groups worked from Damascus to McQueens Gap to remove blowdaowns on the AT. About 25-30 blowdowns were removed and one short section of trail that was damaged by an uprooted tree. A fourth team worked from Greasy Creek Gap towards Little Rock Knob. This team removed eight to ten blowdowns and trees that would be across the trail in the near future. We would have done more but the chain saw kept plugging up from wet sawdust from the semi-rotten logs. We encountered better weather than expected. It was on the cold side with up to three inches of snow. The snow did not pose much of a problem and added to the beauty of the surroundings. Those present for this work trip include: Bill and Derrick Stowell, Bruce and Mary Cunningham, Joe Deloach, Frank Oglesby, Steve Perri, and Ed Oliver.

AT Maintenance: Blowdown Clearing - Hughes Gap to Greasy Creek Gap, Feb. 22
Collins Chew Reporting
All blowdowns between Hughes Gap and Greasy Creek Gap were cleared on a chilly, foggy day. It was interesting to watch the rime ice forming on the bushes and twigs along the higher part of the Section. Our efforts were watched and appreciated by an early pair of through-hikers. One even helped us push up on an 18" cut-end as a heavy root-ball of dirt allowed the cut end of the log to be pushed above head height. Chainsaw team cutting South from Greasy Creek Gap: John Kiefer, Ray Hunt, and Chet Bruner. Chainsaw team cutting North from Iron Mountain Gap: Bruce Cunningham, David Green, and Collins Chew.

South Beyond 6000 Committee Meeting, Feb. 23
Garry Luttrell Reporting
We had a South Beyond 6000 committee meeting at Dr. Tom Sanders' home at 10 a.m. in Asheville. The purpose of the meeting was to update the South Beyond 6000 booklet, and we reviewed it page by page. Many changes were made and Dr. Sanders will have a rough draft for committee member review in about a month.

AT Maintenance - Picnic Table and Shelter Repair, Feb. 26
Ed Oliver Reporting
Bruce Cunningham, John Kiefer, Frank Williams, and Darrol Nickels repaired the picnic table at Abingdon Gap Shelter and then drove and walked to the Double Springs Shelter where they repaired the roof. The picnic table was damaged when the tree that was across the roof of the shelter was removed. The Double Springs Shelter roof had been damaged in early 1996 when a tree hit the edge of it. They also cut out all blowdowns between Double Springs Shelter and Tenn. 91.

AT Maintenance: Sierra Club Outing for Blowdown Removal, March 1
Bill Stowell Reporting
The Sierra Club met for an outing to clear blow downs on the section of trail they have adopted. They are maintaining from the Hampton parking lot to Pond Flats. This was a very successful trip. Being in wilderness area and using cross cuts and bow saws, we cleared 16 blow downs. Those attending were: Bill Stowell, Derrick Stowell, Jerry Stiles, Dana Eglington, Dean Whitworth, Brian Stubblefield, Roan Marion, and Brad Johnson. The Sierra Club will help with the maintaining load posed by the ban of the use of power tools in the wilderness. I hope this is the beginning of an alliance between them and TEHCC that will be beneficial to the AT. I was extremely pleased with the effort the Sierra Club put forth. I even had volunteers to help me with the other part of my section this year.

Laurel Falls Hike: March 1
Ed Oliver Reporting
Four hikers decided to try this hike inspite of the prediction of rain for the afternoon. We hiked from the parking area at Hampton, Tenn. to the falls and on to the bridge about a mile trail north of Dennis Cove. We returned by way of the blue blaze trail to the shelter. The weather turned out to be perfect with a high in the upper 70's and no rain. The stream was higher than normal and the water was really coming over the falls. Those participating in this hike were: Jack James, Stefan Setz, Neil Dotson, and Ed Oliver.

Trail Adopters Maintenance Reports

Jan 3, 97 - Sec 16: Iron Mtn Gap North

8 Hours each for Fred and Dixie Hoilman, Kathy Lewis (their daughter)
(Removed small blowdowns and picked up trash at shelter and trail heads)

Jan 30, 97 - Sec 11: Walnut Mtn to Dennis Cove

11 Hours each for Fred and Dixie Hoilman, Kathy Lewis, Pat Buchanan, Jerry and Angela Greer
(Some blowdowns remain, removed lots of small stuff)

Feb 1 & 2, 97 - Sec 1-3: McQueens Gap to Damascus

20 Hours each for Fred and Dixie Hoilman, Kathy Lewis, Pat Buchanan, Jerry and Angela Greer
(Cleared brush off shelter and put support under fallen tree)

Feb 8, 97 - Sec 10: Dennis Cove to Laurel Falls and Around the Laurel Fork Shelter

8 Hours each for Fred and Dixie Hoilmanm, Kathy Lewis, Pat Buchanan, Jerry and Angela Greer
(Trash cleared at falls, shelter and trail head)

Feb 9, 97 - Sec 9 and 10: Dennis Cove to Hwy 321

10 Hours each for Fred and Dixie Hoilman, Kathy Lewis, Pat Buchanan, Jerry and Angela Greer
(Cleared blowdowns over backside of Pond Mt.)

Feb 23, 97 - Sec 20: Temple Hill to No Business Knob (Adopted Section)

8 Hours each for Fred and Dixie Hoilman and Kathy Lewis
(Cleared all blowdowns, lopped and removed trash at shelter)

March 5, 97 - Sections: 17 & 18: Iron Mtn Gap to Indian Grave Gap

8 Hours each for Charlotte Anderson, Ruth Ketron, Jim Kevin, Sam Lloyd, Neil Ottenfeld, Sandra Perry, Ed Schell, Wayne Sparks, Bob Spencer, C B Willis, Malcolm Wolf, and Alex
(Split into three teams in order to work the entire trail responsibility and cleared many blowdowns, picked up litter, cleared winter trail debris, checked blazes, reported on signs, listed items for work later and in general got a good look at our trail)

AT Maintenance Trip, March 7
Dick Burrow Reporting
Suzanne and Dick Burow went to the AT via the 2 mile, 1,200 ft climb Backbone Rock side trail and finished clearing two blowdowns and repairing 2 root ball holes. We also cut 3 blowdowns on the Backbone Rock trail on the return trip. There are still about 7 blowdowns left on the side trail but they are no problem to get over or around. Most of these are very hard elm - I smoked a blade on one I cut. On the AT we went approx. 1 mile south of the BB Rock side trail and finished cutting and removing an approx. 24" tree from the trail. About 100 yards from this tree there was a large root ball hole on a hillside. We filled in a flat path with rock and dirt through this hole.

AT Maintenance Trip: March 8
Steve Banks Reporting
Years ago, there was a firetower on McQueens Knob; a power/telephone line served the firetower. On this trip, I cut down the last standing pole for this line, and took the guy wires and hardware from the pole to my truck for disposal. I also cut all the blowdowns between McQueens Gap and McQueens Knob - there were only a few minor ones. There is a LOT of trash at McQueens Gap, which I will remove on a future trip.