Road from Carver’s Gap up to Cloudland/ Rhododendron Gardens REOPENED

Sometimes things happen faster than expected. Reports are in that this road has been repaired and the gate is open. Please remember to bring your $3 day use fee to drop into metal tube at parking area entrance.

Rhododendron is shared to be in very early bloom.

Original post: US Forest Service announced that the paved road from Carver’s Gap up to the Cloudland parking lot and Rhododendron Gardens and Roan High Knob overlook is temporarily closed to the public due to having a big hole. The access gate will be locked, although walking or cycling up the road is allowed. USFS does not expect the road will be repaired in time for the big Rhododendron Festival later in June so please adjust your plans.

Current impact of COVID-19 on TEHCC and regional activities

Aligning with guidance from our partner organizations and employer regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the following is our evolving information.  With increasing levels of vaccination (get yours!), the risk of contracting COVID-19 is diminishing in our region. Otherwise, please recognize the hazards of the outdoors which existing before the pandemic.

TEHCC Hiking Program

  • Our club newsletter announces the weekend hikes as they are planned and posted.
  • Important: The club asks that you do not come to any hike or event if you are showing any signs of illness, have had contact with anyone with COVID-19, or have any concerns with your own risk factors. We are NOT organizing carpooling, but meeting at the trailheads – while the Steering Committee considers the guidance being received.

TEHCC Dinner

  • Steering Committee has decided to hopefully celebrate our club’s 75th Anniversary with a Fall Dinner. Details will be shared later in the newsletters.

Appalachian Trail

  • 5/12: Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) now states long-distance hiking on the A.T. to be an acceptable activity, especially for those who have been vaccinated.
  • 4/21: Shelters along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia are now available for use. Hikers are encouraged to bring their own personal tent and face coverings. Earlier in the pandemic these shelters were shut down, along with trailheads.
  • Overmountain Shelter remains closed due to structural damage, but adjacent camping area and privy are open.
  • Roan Naturalist, Joshua Lyon, can now be encountered in the field – typically around Carvers Gap, but also between Doll Flats to Hughes Gap.
  • Pisgah (NC) and Cherokee (TN) National Forests are now allowing volunteers with restrictions to complete maintenance and repair.  TEHCC has interpreted these conditions include limiting crew size, only travel with immediate family, wash hands or use sanitizer frequently especially before eating, and maintaining 6′ social distancing in the field.  
  • Regular Thursday maintenance crew is operating but with just 8-10 crew members arranged by the A.T. Projects Coordinators (Kramer and Morris).
  • Hiking with Tools! has restarted on second Saturdays. See the club newsletter for details.
  • Overall, the A.T. section managed by TEHCC is clear and open. The 2020 calendar year saw our regular maintenance hours only down 6% as basic tasks were performed by a core group of 131 volunteers. Many, many thanks for keeping the simple footpath open.

Other Trails

  • Present understanding is that day hikers are allowed on area trails but keeping group size to a minimum with less carpooling. 
    • Bays Mountain Park (Kingsport) is open along with Nature Center and programming.   A Third Saturday trail maintenance group (“The Gorillas”) has formed if you are interested in volunteering.
    • Trails in Cherokee National Forest are open for use.
    • East Tennessee Trails Association is now maintaining many CNF trails in the region.
    • Trails in TN state parks are open for use.
    • Virginia State Parks opened for day-use activities, including trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use. Campgrounds, restrooms, and picnic shelters are open. Face coverings are required in all park facilities. Bring cash for entrance fees which are being collected.

Rental Equipment

  • Eastman Recreation says club rental backpacking and camping equipment may be checked out from Building 310. Their open hours are 7:30am to 4pm weekdays. Good use has been reported, thus recommend making reservations at (423) 229-3771.

Area Events

  • Sunday Afternoons: Johnson City Roll Practice at Freedom Hall Pool is back! New time is 1-3PM Sundays for $2. Must exit building with all gear by 3PM.
  • River launch sites are open in the region. 

Bear Activity at Iron Mountain Shelter – July 2020

A hiker who stayed at the shelter on July 6th said a large black bear came
four times during the night. A temporary sign has been posted to say to not camp at Iron Mountain Shelter. This encounter has been reported to ATC.

Please take necessary precautions to limit risk of encountering a bear,  Hikers should camp 200 feet away from where their food and “smellables” are stored for their own safety. For most adults, 200 feet is about 80 steps.  Bear canisters should be sealed correctly and not stored in shelters. (Certified list)  Proper use for Ursacks are to tie securely to the trunk of a tree.  (Link to their How to Use page) For more information about bear safety, scroll down ATC’s safety page. Video for PCT Method for hanging your food.

High Water at Watauga Lake and Laurel Fork Gorge – February 2020

March 13 Update:  Lake and river levels have returned to normal thus reroutes no longer required.  Signs have been taken down.

Two sections of the Appalachian Trail have been temporarily rerouted due to the recent heavy rains.

First, Watauga Lake (TVA level info) is 1965′ on 2/14 morning which is above 1961′ trigger for rerouting. Trail bridges are flooded so the trail will temporarily follow the blue blaze path along US 321 and Oliver Hollow Road. If heading trail north on Shook Branch Road, cross US 321 and walk left or west along US 321 for about a quarter mile and then go right along Oliver Hollow Rd. Follow the road for a third of a mile and take the short woods path to the right back to the A.T. If lake level continues to rise, some sections of the trail north of Oliver Hollow Road will also be under water.

Second is for Laurel Fork Gorge as the ledge along the stream is fully under water, so the A.T. will follow the High Water Trail. Signs have been posted.

1964 ft lake level later in year

Overmountain Shelter closed until further notice due to structural concerns

US Forest Service announced (News Release) that for public safety, the Overmountain Shelter (aka Yellow Mountain barn) has been closed pending further evaluation of options for the structure and site management. Tent camping in the area is still allowed (and the privy remains open!).

No timeline has been set for the review and decision.  The situation with the barn has been discussed and monitored for several years.  Damage observed for a key support beam triggered the closure action. 

Injury due to Lightning Strike on Roan Mountain

NC Appalachian Ranger District shared an injury report from mid-July with the club to bring attention to this severe weather hazard.  Two couples, one with a small baby, walking across the open balds on the Appalachian Trail across the Roan Highlands were indirectly hit by lightning.  The bolt was described as a fireball coming towards them through the water flooding the trail path during a heavy thundershower.  The young mother apparently got the brunt of the lightning jolt which catapulted her two to four feet into air.  The lightning strike numbed their feet temporarily with blood circulation gradually returning to their extremities.  While all victims were able to subsequently walk, the mother also exhibited some signs of shock.  The group was led back to the Carvers Gap parking lot but was scared by any further thunder in the distance.

The weather that day was scattered thundershowers.  The group had hiked out onto the open balds during sunshine, but a passing front quickly changed the situation.  Awareness of any forecast for thunderstorms should change your plans especially for trails in the elevated areas common in our region.  If thunder is heard, immediately seek safe shelter which is likely your vehicle back at the trailhead, even if your weather is currently good since lightning can strike many miles away from the storm.  Stay sheltered for at least 30 minutes after you heard the last clap of thunder.   If unable to safely reach your vehicle, seek lower elevation away from tall and/or isolated trees.  Being alert regarding the weather to take appropriate actions is the best safety approach.

Note: The August 17th hike on A.T. from Tanyard Gap to Rich Mountain Firetower was rescheduled from original June date due to prediction of thunderstorms.  Who wants to be in a metal box raised high above a ridgeline in a lightning storm?

Thank you donation for impressive trail maintenance!

TEHCC received a $250 gift in memory of Mary Ellen Abrecht and Sue King who were part of 15 friends that have slackpacked sections of the Appalachian Trail every May over the past 13 years. The group is mostly from the DC area with others coming in from California, Kentucky, and Minnesota. They stayed at a motel in Johnson City, while sampling as many local eateries at night. The crew jokingly call themselves the “2070 AT Hikers” since when they would finish at their current pace.

The donation was made in honor of two members sadly lost during the past year. Group was impressed by the five-star condition of the trail along the NC/TN border, so researched who was the local trail club – TEHCC. Thank you to the many volunteers who put in the hours to create an enjoyable experience for those who wander through our section.

Goodbye, Watauga Lake Shelter

Built in 1980 by the US Forest Service, the basic three-sided shelter was designed for six people and located 50 yards off the Appalachian Trail south of TVA Watauga Dam not far from the lake.  The original shingled roof was replaced with metal in 1997.  The shelter was further maintained in 2007 by staining the outside and installing a gutter on back.   A BSA Eagle project in 2011 by Seth Douthat provided a bear pole for food protection. 

Former Watauga Lake Shelter (built in 1980)

In 2013, activity by multiple families of bears, and not just a couple of bears, at the TVA campgrounds (Watauga Dam and Little Wilbur) and along the A.T. around Watauga Lake led to the US Forest Service issuing a facility closure notice for the Watauga Lake Shelter.  Instructions were to not stop between US321 to Wilbur Dam Road to eat, rest, or camp overnight to reduce any potential encounters.  TVA successfully implemented strategies to reduce access to food/ waste in the campgrounds with elimination of tent camping, banning (with fines) outside storage of food, improved trash containers, and education signs.   Options for the shelter area were extensively discussed between the partner organizations.

The temporary closure notice for the shelter was lifted in Spring 2016, and unfortunately, bear encounters immediately resumed.  A bear destroyed two tents at the shelter, was scared off, then returned to climb the food pole.  A bear appeared the next night to destroy another tent holding equipment and supplies while hikers slept in the full shelter and another nearby tent.  The bear then came back to successfully acquire food bags hanging from trees.  The ranger district immediately imposed the bear closure again “Until Further Notice”.

Situation with bears at Watauga Lake Shelter was further discussed during 2016-2018 to conclude it was not going to be improved with available administrative and physical controls.  The shelter itself was deemed not suitable for relocation, thus decision made by the partner organizations to take down the building.  In March 2019, the bear pole, steps, and table were removed to discourage use.  Finally, the shelter was disassembled in May with the metal parts and shingles hauled back across the lake by TVA boats (many thanks for the assistance!) for disposal while the wood components were burned in place.  The closure notice for camping between US321 and Wilbur Dam Road remains in force.

While Watauga Lake Shelter provided nearly forty years of service, it is a disappointment that the recreational use on and along the lake could not sufficiently practice Leave No Trace principles to avoid creating an attractive enticement for the bears.