Most Tuesdays: Weekly AT Trail Maintenance
Join a group of maintainers who work somewhere on our 135-mile section each week, usually on Tuesdays. Contact Carl Fritz (atvolunteer@tehcc.org) for dates and meeting places.
Tuesdays Evenings: Johnson City Roll Practice
Come join the Jackson Action Wagon (J.A.W.), APEs, and other paddlers from around our region at the Freedom Hall Pool in Johnson City, TN from 7:10 to 9:10 pm every Tuesday for tips and tricks about basic kayaking and to learn how to roll. Have you already mastered the basics and have a bomb proof roll? There is still a lot of fun to be had at our pool session by practicing your flat-water freestyle moves and fellowshipping with other paddlers in a nice warm-water environment. Admission to the pool is $2; rolling advice is free! Contact the pool office (423- 461-4872) for session confirmation or questions regarding the facility. Please note: The J.A.W. provides the current fleet of boats for demo at the pool session, but neither the pool nor the J.A.W. provides paddling equipment (paddle, spray skirt, etc.). If you do not have your own equipment, please post a message on the APEs yahoo group site or send Wesley an email asking other members to bring extra equipment. We will try our best to get you outfitted for the night!
Thursday Evenings: Paddle to the Grill
Bring your recreation or touring kayak/canoe to meet with The Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts and TEHCC. The launch is at 6:30 pm at Davis Dock located in Blountville. We will paddle to Boone Docks Restaurant located at Boone Lake Marina in Piney Flats for dinner and a social hour, then paddle back. As we may be paddling back during low or no light, please have a stern light for your boat; PFDs are mandatory. Contact Debbie Briscoe, 423-534-3636 for more details.
3rd Saturday Maintenance – Hiking with Tools!
Contact: Kim Peters, atmaint@tehcc.org, 423-538-7665
Come out for a day hike somewhere on our beautiful section of trail on the 3rd Saturday of each month and help out on some routine maintenance needs, such as cutting annual growth, cleaning out waterbars and painting blazes. All tools will be furnished and no prior experience is required! Contact Kim for details and meeting time and place.
Bi-Weekly on Saturdays starting June 2: Watauga River Class I-II
We will launch at 3pm unless there is water elsewhere. Call first to check and see if it’s on and where! Contact: Debbie Briscoe, 423-534-3636
Bi-Weekly on Saturdays starting June 9: Class I-II Trips
Jerry Griffin will hope to lead beginner trips bi-weekly where there is water, opposite of Debbie’s bi-weekly Watauga trips. This will offer a wide range of rivers to those wanting to work on their skills or just to join us to have fun! Contact: Jerry Griffin.
After a couple of decades of use, the HT-18 Slumberjack Bivy was showing signs of losing its weather resistance. TEHCC has purchased a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 as its replacement. The Big Agnes is primarily a one-person tent with much better ventilation at a similar packed weight (2 lbs, 6 oz). This one-person tent offers 22 sq ft of floor space, with a length of 90” and width of 43” at front narrowing to 31” at back – plenty for a sleeping pad. Reviews indicate that the 38” head height may not be enough for taller folks to completely sit up, but it’s good for most. There is a 5 sq ft vestibule to stash the backpack and footwear. The entire tent bundle rolls down into a 14” x 4” bag. It comes with its own set of 11 lightweight stakes, which need to be shown upon return to Bldg 310, but kept with the tent – unlike our standard stake policy.