October 2008		www.tehcc.org

For an explanation of the ratings, see  Schedule

Mapping The Way - Two volunteers blaze a trail to the historic and remote Pinnacle Fire Tower

They crept up the mountain with spring on their heels. In the harder months, February and March, dry leaves lay thick on the ground. As the retired postal service worker and the former Eastman chemical engineer made their way up the mountain's side, they had to be careful not to slip. Soccer cleats kept them from sliding off the mountain.

In the middle of July, Ed Oliver and Jim Foster tied their last pink ribbon to the last tree branch. The five-month-long flagging of a trail leading through Unicoi County and up to the iconic Pinnacle Tower was finally complete.

The historic forest ranger tower, which sits on a ridge overlooking the town of Unicoi, was used for many years by the U.S. Forest Service to keep watch for forest fires.

"We worked our way up the mountain as spring worked its way up the mountain," Oliver, a Kingsport native and retired Eastman Kodak Co. employee, said.

And, it wasn't easy.

While they worked slowly, sometimes crawling on their hands and knees or stepping over "blow-downs" - fallen trees - they saw wildflowers bloom and aged trees burst into an emerald green.

The two 62-year-old retirees would rather map trails than golf or attend a local "bingo night."

"I think volunteerism is something that gets in your blood," Foster said.

Yet, they are sometimes still baffled by their own love of the strenuous work of flagging, "rehab-ing" and relocating trails.

"We still haven't figured out why we like doing this so much," said Foster.

Foster now lives in Johnson City, but he grew up on Parsley Street in Erwin. As an Erwin native, he said that he understands why this trail leading to the Pinnacle Tower will be so important to the community.

Normally, the two men work restoring sections of the Appalachian Trail from Damascus, Va. to Spivey Gap in Earnestville, Tenn. When Sam Brocata, executive director of the non-profit organization Partners of the Cherokee National Forest, asked the volunteers if they would take on the Pinnacle Tower project, they accepted.

"They've taken this on as a project because the U.S. Forest Service doesn't have the funds to renovate the tower," said Sam Bowerman, who has worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 31 years.

So far, the PCNF members have raised more than $20,000 to go towards the restoration of the Pinnacle Tower. The organization needs $100,000 to complete the project, Brocato said.

The trial's proximity to Johnson City, Erwin and Elizabethton, as well as its easy incline to walk - an average of a seven percent grade - should make it a popular outdoor experience, Brocato said.

When the trail is completed, it will total four miles in length and will be at least four feet wide. The wide trail and the long curves of the switchbacks will make it easier for mountain bikers to use the trail, Oliver said.

This is the first project that Oliver and Foster have ever taken on that has involved biking.

"It takes a lot of trail to get up a mountain at 6 percent (grade)," Oliver said.

Mapping out the trail was "slow going" for the men. The trail was completely flagged after 15 trips up the mountain. Another volunteer, Carl Fritz, helped to flag the trail on three trips while Foster was in Maine completing the Appalachian Trail.

On a map, the trail makes so many switch backs that it looks like a bear's claw. Although the hike is long and has multiple switchbacks, it should be fairly easy to hike due to the low grade.

Some days the volunteers would run into dead ends - private property lines, thick beds of rock, forest too dense to wade through. Those were the most frustrating days, Oliver said.

Most of the trail winds through forest, but there will be some openings on the trail with views of the mountains. Eventually those openings should have benches and bike racks for people to rest at, sit down and enjoy the view, Oliver said.

From the trail and from the Pinnacle Tower, hikers can see Unaka Mountain, Buffalo Mountain, Roan Mountain and on a clear day, mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. From the ridge where the tower sits, a view of I-26 and the town of Unicoi is crystal clear.

"I think it's nice to have those openings in the forest so you can get some views," Oliver said.

The trail will even cross through some small streams that run along the mountain. Part of the year, Oliver said, hikers will be able to hear the water against the rocks.

"The sound of water is so nice if you're hiking," he said.

The highlight of the hike is getting to the top and having a complete panoramic view of the mountains.

In order to make a donation to the Pinnacle Tower project, contact a Mountain Commerce Bank branch and ask to make a contribution to the Pinnacle Fire Tower Fund, Brocato said.

The PCNF awarded the volunteers with two gift cards to Mahoney's Outfitters in Johnson City on Aug. 14.

The cards were a way to say "thank you" for the work that was done, Brocato said.

However, the two volunteers look forward to the day that they will get a different kind of reward.

"Getting to walk that trail will be the best thanks," Foster said.

The Tennessee Appalachian Trail License Plate – What’s in It for Us, and What’s in It for You!

TEHCC volunteers and others across Tennessee continue to work hard to get the necessary 1000 license plates sold to ensure official adoption of the plate. At last count, we were close to but slightly behind the pace to sell 1000 plates within a year after passage of the legislation. Thus far, Sullivan County leads the State in sales by county – way to go TEHCC!  Knox and Washington counties (also with considerable TEHCC membership) aren’t far behind.  We’re encouraging our friends elsewhere in the State to push hard in their areas, but East Tennessee will ultimately determine whether this initiative succeeds or fails.

We need all the TEHCC member support we can get to enable official acceptance of the plate.  There is a strong promise of return for that support – funds to assist in our Appalachian Trail management.  We currently depend on funds from member and affiliate dues, grants from the North Carolina license plate program and from L. L. Bean’s Trail-wide grant program, and frequent and substantial contributions from the maintainers themselves to keep our 133 miles of the AT up to snuff.  The North Carolina license plate grant program has been a great blessing for us.  This year we were awarded a $1350 grant for a high quality trimmer that we use to maintain Trail sections having high annual growth, for instance in the Yellow Mountain Gap area.  We were also awarded $500 to feed the Damascus HardCore volunteers in May, an expense that Club members had previously paid from their own pockets.  Past grants have helped us purchase tools and materials for shelters and bridges. The North Carolina license plate grant program though is increasingly competitive, with no guarantees that our requests will always be awarded.  The project submissions also have to relate to projects in North Carolina, and less than 50% of our Trail section is in North Carolina or along the state line.  Finally, the grant funds have to be spent in North Carolina.  The groceries for the HardCore feed were purchased in Newland and the string trimmer was ordered from Linville, making for some hardship for our volunteers and sending sales tax dollars away from our home state.

So what’s in it for you? Besides the help you’ll provide in helping our Club with our AT responsibilities, if you’re not a current member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, you’ll become one!  ATC annual membership dues are normally $35, which just happens to be the cost of the plate.  ATC members receive the following benefits.

•  A.T. Journeys: The Magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, focusing on conservation efforts and celebrating the stories of our volunteers, hikers and Trail communities; published six times per year.
•  Discounts at the Ultimate Appalachian Trail Store.
•  An Appalachian Trail Conservancy decal and patch.
• An ATC Member card.  The 2009 ATC biennial conference in Vermont is already generating considerable interest within TEHCC; so sign up and join the fun!

One of the frequently asked questions is “what happens if we don’t reach the 1000 plates sold?” Please rest assured that your $35 will not be lost.  It will be refunded to you.

We greatly thank the TEHCC members who have signed up for a plate thus far. If you haven’t, we urge you to do so. We chart our progress with weekly sales, and while it’s very encouraging when we surpass those targets, it’s discouraging when we don’t. Please, please also tell your friends.  Finally, the holidays aren’t far away.  The plates look great and would make a nice present – for your friends, for ATC, and for us!!  To purchase a plate, please go to www.appalachiantrail.org/tnlicenseplate, or call ATC’s Asheville office at 828-254-3708 and ask for Leanna Joyner.   ,  ,  and from TEHCC also have forms and can address questions.

TEHCC Rental Equipment: HB-27
– Marmot Glissade women's internal frame backpack

HB-27 is the smallest (2600 cubic inches) backpack owned by the club, therefore our lightest at four pounds, six ounces. (Ultralight packs are half this weight.) With improvements downsizing camping gear, this pack would be adequate for a warm weather outing. Its features include a detachable rear pocket to carry essentials as a daypack, and two side pockets for water bottles. There are dual vertical daisy chains, which can be used to tote a few odd items. The suspension design covers a 16 to 18 inch torso range.

The pack manual recommends the following loading arrangement:

1.  Place a light-weight sleeping bag at the very bottom of the internal pocket.
2.  Next load the heaviest gear being taken, such as extra water or food. It’s important to have these heavy items near your center of gravity for load balance.
3.  Stuff clothes around the heavy gear to hold it in place.
4.  Place on top of the main pocket rain gear and other lightweight items for easier access.
5. In the top lid or the daypack, place small items, such as headlamp, first aid kit, etc. which need to be grabbed quickly.

One reviewer stated to not overstuff the daypack or you might be given the nickname "Ninja Turtle" for a shell-like hump. The recommendation for this pack is that it is good for a lightweight weekend trip.

This backpack was purchased in November 2000 for $189. Marmot appears to have replaced this model with their newer Diva line. Note the “Glissade” tradename is also used for a line of outdoor gloves by Black Diamond and outdoor jackets by Berghaus.

TEHCC Website Update

Many of you have given great feedback over the past few months about the work done to redesign TEHCC.org.  While much progress has been made, more is in store.

Many new tools were added to the web site including Google Maps, Google Calendar and Forums. The Google Maps are not perfectly accurate, but make for a very close representation of the actual locations.  They are especially handy for people not familiar with the area. If you see any discrepancies in these, let us know with details how to correct them!  The Google Calendar has been a big hit and makes for an easy way to maintain the club's schedule.  Check out the alternate views if that is what you are looking for.  The Forums have not been used as much, but can become a great communication tool. It is very easy to create an account and start chatting it up. Feel free to start new threads or discuss current topics.  Contact the webmasters if you have any questions about doing this.

Many new ideas are being looked at for the web site.  Those include creating more pages with photos.  We are currently compiling photos of the AT in our area.  We are also looking for submissions for the monthly desktop background.  If you have good photos, please send them to us! Also, we are looking at updates for the menu to better arrange our info.  Be on the lookout for those.  Other possible changes include an online method for renewing membership, updated banner photos, and more history.

Feedback is always welcome, so send it to the webmasters.

Help Wanted: Volunteer for Membership Coordinator

The club is seeking one or two individuals to maintain our membership database. Duties include adding the names and contact info of new members to an Excel database, sending out email notices, and printing and mailing newsletters to members without internet access.

If you are interested in helping the club by taking on any or all of these responsibilities, please contact any member of the Steering Committee.

TEHCC Welcomes New Members

Ross Hefta
David Norman
Frances Eldreth

Scheduled Hiking, Paddling, and Trail Maintenance Opportunities

For an explanation of the ratings, see Schedule.

Trail Relocation south of Damascus, October 4, 2008

Leader: , 423-477-4669

We will have about 100 ASU students from Watauga college digging the relocations just trail south of Damascus. We need at least ten Club members who can lead or co-lead a group of about 10 students each.

Everyone will meet in the long term parking lot just beside the park where the overhead sign welcomes the AT hikers. The students will arrive at Damascus after 10 AM, probably closer to 10:30 AM.  However, many of the club members need to arrive early to get prepared.

Planned meeting places are:

8:30 AM Colonial Heights in parking lot between State of Franklin Bank and McDonalds.
8:30 AM in south Johnson City at Parkway Discount Wine and Liquor
8:45 AM at Food City in Elizabethton

Please let me know if you plan to come so I know who the potential leaders might be and who we need to wait for at meeting places.

October Lunch & Learn: Fall Color Hiking,
Thursday October 9, 11:45-12:45, Toy Reid Employee Center Building 310 Room 219

Leader: , 423-239-6244
Rating: informative

For many people fall is the best time of the year to hike, with the leaves turning, clearer skies, and nice views.  The beautiful area we’re blessed to live in provides some great opportunities to enjoy the fall foliage.  Joe DeLoach will lead a talk about the turning of the leaves and about the trees that provide the most brilliant colors and where to find them.  We will then ask participants to share their favorite hikes, and mention a few places that are not recommended.  Finally we’ll review some of the Club hikes scheduled for the fall – and encourage people to lead others!

Flatwater Paddle / Camping Trip on the Clinch, October 10 – 12, 2008

Leader: , 423-357-3151

Join us for a 5-mile flatwater paddle up river on the Clinch followed by 5 miles downstream for a total of 10 miles. We'll camp on Friday and Saturday night at the Natural Tunnel State Park. Contact the leader for more info.

Fall Color Hike:  Rattlesnake Ridge Trail to Unaka Mountain, October 11, 2008

Leader: , 423-753-7263
Rating: B/2/B

First and foremost, this is not a snake hunting hike and we don’t expect to see any!  The Rattlesnake Ridge Trail has some very nice fall color and great views as far as the Smokies from the Pleasant Gardens Overlook on Unaka Mountain.  This out-and-back hike with a total length just short of 9 miles is a steady climb of around 2500’ starting from the Rock Creek Recreation Area near Erwin to the 4850’ overlook.  After walking past the campground we climb about a mile to Dick Creek Gap, a junction of several trails and old roads, and soon thereafter enter the Unaka Mountain Wilderness for the last 3 miles to the top.  Being in Wilderness and not heavily used, the trail may be a little overgrown even in mid-October but is well defined.  We pass through several forest types which should provide a good variety of fall foliage.  Wearing or bringing layers of clothing is strongly encouraged for this change in elevation.  The main meeting time and place is the parking lot between McDonald's and the bank in front of Ingles in Colonial Heights for an 8:30 AM departure.  A Johnson City meeting point can be arranged upon request.

Trail Relocation at Cherry Gap with ETSU Students, October 11 and November 22, 2008

Leader: , 423-477-4669

Saturday, Oct 11 and Saturday Nov. 22, we will have small ETSU groups working with us on a trail relocation at Cherry Gap, which is south of Iron Mt Gap. We have 4-wheel-drive access within a thousand feet or so of the trail, if we have enough 4-wheel-drive vehicles. These two trips may allow us to finish all the relocations in the Iron Mt Gap, Unaka area.

Fall Color Hike: Spivey Gap to High Rocks, October 18, 2008

Leader: , 423-367-0648
Rating: C/3/B

Make a run for the border (the North Carolina border that is) for a beautiful fall color hike on Saturday October 18th.  We’ll leave Kingsport from the B-310 parking lot at 9:00 a.m. (in an Eastman van if enough sign up for the hike) and can pick up Gray or Johnson City hikers along the way.

Our destination is a unique and picturesque rock outcropping known as ‘High Rocks’ – a natural stone platform with fantastic views of a maple rich forest for great fall color vistas.  Depending on the group preference, we may make a quick stop at one of the Coffee Ridge apple orchards for some fresh fruit along the way.  Our hike begins at Spivey Gap and heads approximately 2 miles trail south with an elevation change of 1,080 feet.  Kids are welcome on this hike (I plan to bring my 8, 9, and 12 year-olds) – just make sure they’ve got on their 4-mile-2000-foot-elevation legs for the journey!  For those curious about geocaching, we may also be bringing our GPS unit to look for a geocache hidden at the destination.

Pictures and trail description can be found on Mark Peacock’s blog/ hiking log – Appalachian Treks at http://appalachiantreks.blogspot.com/2008/08/high-rocks.html.

For planning purposes, please contact the leader to confirm your intention to hike with us.

Trail Relocation with ASU Trail Crew, October 25, 2008

Leader: , 423-477-4669

Saturday October 25th, we will have the ASU Trail Crew working on a relocation just south of Yellow Mt Gap. We will drive up to Overmountain Shelter. We could have 40 people at this event.

Smokies Dayhike (S900M):  Maddron Bald / Albright Cove

Leaders: Kent and Nancy Wilson, 423-239-7554
Rating: A/2/A

This hike will be out of Cosby campground, and will be about 12.5 miles along the Snake Den Ridge and Maddron Bald Trails with a side trip through Albright Grove. Rating: A/2/A. Contact Kent or Nancy Wilson at 423-239-7554 for more information.

Fall Dinner Meeting, November 15, 2008

Details forthcoming, but fun is sure to be had by all, so mark you calendars. Tentative speaker will be steering committee member Stuart Everett. He will tell us about his 200+ mile July paddling trip down the Colorado and side hikes in the Grand Canyon.

Bays Mt. Hike, November 15, 2008

Leader:  Ed Montgomery (chair@tehcc.org)

Ed Montgomery will lead a Fall Dinner Meeting prep hike from Bays Mountain Park to Laurel Park in Church Hill. Contact Ed if you are interested.

Panther Creek State Park, November 22, 2008

Leader: Vic Hasler, 423-239-0388
Rating: B/3/C

Panther Creek State Park is near Morristown on the shores of Cherokee Lake, and it has many relatively easy hiking trails.  For more information, contact Vic Hasler, at 423-239-0388.

Chimney Rock Hike and Shop, November 22, 2008

Leader: Jake Mitchell, 423-963-8654 (jake.mitchell@tehcc.org)
Rating: C/3/C

What are two things we all love to do? Hike and shop for hiking gear. Why not combine those into one event?  REI is opening a new store in Asheville in October and Jake MUST hither.  Join us on November 22nd for a trip to Chimney Rock Park and to the new REI in Asheville.  Plans are to meet in Colonial Heights at 8am.  We will try to arrive at Chimney Rock Park by 10am.  We will spend a few hours hiking around the park including eating our brown bag lunches and reenacting scenes from Last of the Mohicans.  After we are done hiking, we will drive to the new REI and blow our paychecks.  If we have any money left, we may stop and eat on the way home.  Contact Jake (423-963-8654 or jake.mitchell@tehcc.org) for more information.

For the Record, Activity and Trip Reports

Backpack: AT US19E to Dennis Cove, Sept 12-13, 2008

Jake Mitchell reporting

Unfortunately, the weather played a major factor in this hike.  It was excruciatingly humid and the effects were felt.  The trip started by arranging a shuttle by the ever accommodating Bob Peoples.  Bob took us from his Kincora Hikers Hostel at Dennis Cove to the intersection of the AT with US highway 19E between Roan Mountain, TN and Elk Park, NC.  The hike started off well by making the quick trip from 19E to Bear Branch Road, walking the recent relocation which is in great shape and then making our way up Bishop Hollow where we saw some fresh scat.  While huffing and puffing up the hill, we totally skipped the AT turn and walked all the way up to the saddle where it looked like 12 trails came together.  After some nifty topo map translation, we took the road-like trail up the hill and met the AT again.  We then made quick work of the final miles to Mountaineer Falls Shelter and enjoyed many apple trees, beautiful views back towards the Roan Highlands and peaceful walking along Elk River.  Upon reaching the shelter, we met 5 guys hiking south from Damascus to Hot Springs.  We chatted it up and then threatened the guys from Knoxville to buy AT license plates.  Typical dinner fare was had - dehydrated meals and beef jerky.  The evening was uneventful except for the incessant snoring of one of the other hikers - Jake nearly poked him with his hiking pole.  On Saturday morning after filtering water and packing up, the crew started along the Trail.  We passed many well-flowing water sources including Laurel Fork and Hard Core Cascades.  At Moreland Gap, we started to feel the effects of the heat and it went downhill from there (the day, not the Trail).  Jake admittedly had a major bonk and went into zombie state for the remainder of the hike.  After reaching the top of White Rocks what seemed like 7 times and many unpleasant breaks, the crew made the long descent to Dennis Cove.  Upon reaching the Dennis Cove parking area, we made the sunny road walk to Kincora and made quick work of finding beverages in Hampton.

Participants: Jake Mitchell (Cabin Fever), Johnny Jobe (Double J), Greg Drone (Stumbler), Chuck Mather (Chuckwagon)

A.T. Section Maintenance and Special Project Reports (Past)

Reporting: Bill Berry
Date: August 23, 2008
Purpose: Cut weeds and annual growth
Location: Section 20b, Flat Top Mt Road to No Business Shelter
People: Bill Berry
Summary: The Trail is in good shape.  Two small trees are down, but are passable.  I will remove them soon.

Reporting: Bill Berry
Date: August 24, 2008
Purpose: Cut weeds and annual growth
Location: Section 20b, Temple Hill Gap to No Business Shelter
People: Bill Berry
Summary: The Trail is now in good shape.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: August 29, 2008
Purpose: Install stiles
Location: Section 4b, Osborne Tract
People: Paul Benfield, Bill Elderbrock, Carl Fritz, Mike Hupko, Bob Peoples, Tim Stewart
Summary: We installed a new stepover stile just north of accessible trail and across the driveway.  We installed two log steps up the bank at the driveway for the approach to the stile. We modified the existing stile at the back of the  pasture so the new fence can be built several feet from the trees rather than against the trees.  We also installed a large rock step at this stile to make it easier to get over.  However, one of our members, who will remain nameless but not forgotten, drove over my pack and missed his.  These stiles are going to continue to look strange until the fence is built.

Reporting: Jim Foster
Date: August 29, 2008
Purpose: Clean waterbars and check trail
Location: Section 16a, Hughes Gap to Greasy Creek Gap
People: Jim Foster
Summary: I cleaned waterbars and removed seven obstructions (blowdowns) from the Trail.  I also redug Trail next to a fallen log that had been bugging me for some time. There's a large blowdown at Greasy Creek Gap with room to walk under it.  It's hanging by a thread, but I think that it would be too dangerous to cut it now.  Hopefully it will fall on its own and we can remove it then.  I ran into the Wright State group and told them I would see them on Tuesday.  They sounded anxious to build some trail.

Reporting: Bill Berry
Date: August 30, 2008
Purpose: Cut weeds and annual growth
Location: Section 20b, Spivey Gap to Flat Top Mt Road
People: Bill Berry
Summary: The Trail is clear, but with signs of horses and trail damage from Flat Top Mt Road to Devil Creek Gap.

Reporting: Scott VanDam
Date: August 31, 2008
Purpose: Maintain Trail
Location: Section 12a, Hostel to Hwy 19E
People: Scott VanDam
Summary: I hiked from the hostel south to 19E with a handsaw and took out about half-dozen smaller blowdowns.  I also picked up trash.  Hikers complimented the quality of the Trail in this section.

Reporting: Kim Peters
Date: September 1, 2008
Purpose: Cut weeds
Location: Section 7, Wilbur Dam Road to Vandeventer Shelter
People: Kat Johnson, Kim Peters, Joe DeLoach
Summary: We spent the day cutting weeds, rhododendron, and a few blowdowns.  I replaced the log book at the shelter.  The shelter was the cleanest I have ever seen it; we only removed one small bag of trash.  The spring on the way out was dry, but the spring near the shelter has water, not much but it is usable.  There is evidence of ATV use on the blueblaze trail.  It looks like they are coming in from the gap and riding up to the AT, then turning around on the AT and descending.  It is making this already-steep trail even more unpleasant to walk.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: September 2, 2008
Purpose: Prepare relocation for ASU and repair trail
Location: Section 14a, South of Yellow Mountain Gap
People: Paul Benfield, Jim Foster, Ed Oliver
Summary: Ed, Jim, and Paul put out pin flags and cut out about 1100 feet of trail to be ready for the upcoming ASU outings near Yellow Mt Gap.  They also stopped by Buck Mountain Road to repair a side log that a mower had torn up.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: September 2, 2008
Purpose: Dig Trail relocation and repair wet area
Location: Section 14a, Just Trail south of Bradley Gap
People: Ken Buchanan, Bill Elderbrock, Carl Fritz, Marsha Hupko, Mike Hupko, Bob Peoples, Tim Stewart, Wright State University students: Stephen Carbone, Allison Drieling, Keith Henderson, Kevin Kirke, Tyler Shepard, Chris Buck, Michelle Mason, Travis Ely, Jamie Plamondon, Lacey Zimmerman, Ryan Smith, Ben Oberholzer, Keegan Kallmyer, Greg Schmidt, Dylan Schober, Alex Niebeling, Max Helmsworth, Jessica Dungan, and Allison Condra, and HIKER Thumper
Summary: On a hot day, these 19 Wright State University students, some dedicated Club members, and one hiker passing by stepped up to accomplish these difficult tasks.  We have been waiting years to do this work because of the difficult 2.5-mile walk to get to this area.  First, we dug and opened a 330-foot northern-most relocation in Roan Highlands near Bradley Gap.  We also repaired a wet area near Bradley Gap.  This was accomplished by rebuilding an existing turnpike and installing 20 feet of drain pipe to handle the water.  Further down the trail we installed a major ditch to try to remove water from the trail.

Reporting: Bill Fuller
Date: September 7, 2008
Purpose: Clear brush, cut weeds, and scout Trail
Location: Section 9b, Pond Flats to Hampton trailhead
People: Bill Fuller
Summary: I cut weeds and brush using the swing blade and loppers from the Hampton blueblaze trail to Pond Flats.  I also cleared two small blowdowns.  I'll need to return soon to clear a very large blowdown on the blueblaze trail. The spring at Pond Flats was dry.

Reporting: Old Timers Hiking Club
Date: September 8, 2008
Purpose: To remove trail obstructions
Location: Section 18, Deep Gap to Beauty Spot Gap
People: Faye Guinn, Howard Guinn, Marsha Hupko, Mike Hupko
Summary: We removed three trees reported across the trail and lopped.  We mowed Deep Gap, the trail to the Deep Gap spring, and the open area at Beauty Spot Gap.  We tried out the new TEHCC string mower at Beauty Spot Gap; it did a great job.  Beauty Spot had been mowed by a bush hog.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: September 13, 2008
Purpose: Dig Trail relocation
Location: Section 14a, South of Yellow Mountain Gap
People: Paul Benfield, Carl Fritz, Marsha Hupko, Mike Hupko, Ed Oliver, Kim Peters, Bob Peoples, OTTO, Tim Stewart, Ben Trotter, ASU: Sarah Roland, Vanessa Clark, Emily Funk, Allison Speaks, Caylen Beaty, Molly Walters, Tony Huynh, Matt Verlague, Nick Merrill, Brian Saftcu.., Maura Weaver, Thomas Cooper, Jeremy Newsome, Andrew Bousget, Zach Nemeth, Sina Sagatchi, Tiana Perry, Emily Mason, Lizz Riggs, Evan Quirk-Garvan, Anthony Marino, Catherine Jones, Matt Parsons, Frank Parsons, David Collins, Mitch Buffington, and Jennifer Thomas, HIKERS Twisted, Joe Sommers
Summary: This was the ASU Trail Club's first outing of this school year and they picked up a surprising number of new members.  They made up for inexperience with enthusiasm.  We roughed in 600 to 800 feet of trail!  Ed and Kim reflagged the next relocation.  Someone intentionally removed most of the flags; they were laying in piles.  Also, we are getting a high amount of ATV traffic above the shelter.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: September 16, 2008
Purpose: Check shelter design and measurements
Location: Section 19, Curly Maple Shelter
People: Paul Benfield, Ed Oliver, Bob Peoples
Summary: Bob, Ed, and Paul took measurements of Curly Maple shelter for possible reroofing and redesign.  They did find some nearby locusts that can be used for posts.  The three musketeers decided that next time they should rope off to each other, because although they individually found the shelter, they could not find each other until the end of the day back at the vehicle.

Reporting: Scott VanDam
Date: September 18, 2008
Purpose: Maintain section; repaint blazes
Location: Section 12a, Hostel to Bitter End
People: Scott VanDam
Summary: I repainted faded blazes in this section and painted a few new blazes where needed; but I adhere to the philosophy that too many blazes impedes the wilderness experience.  I also cut back growth and picked up trash at the trailhead.

Reporting: Scott VanDam
Date: September 19, 2008
Purpose: Maintain section; repaint blazes
Location: Section 12a, Hostel to Walnut Mountain Road
People: Scott VanDam
Summary: I repainted numerous faded blazes between the hostel and Walnut Mtn Road.  I also picked up trash at the trailhead and cut back overgrowth.  This section is in good condition.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: September 23, 2008
Purpose: Cut out Trail relocation and blowdown
Location: Section 1, Trail south of Damascus
People: Paul Benfield, Ken Buchanan, Richard Carter, Bruce Cunningham, Carl Fritz, Ed Oliver, Bob Peoples, Tim Stewart
Summary: We cut out the trees and brush from about 1700 feet of the relocation in preparation for Watauga College.  Ken and Richard also walked in about 1.5 miles to remove a double blowdown that had been reported.