Category: Appalachian Trail

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ATC Food Storage Policy

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is formally publishing a policy that strongly recommends backpackers and others who camp overnight on the A.T. use an approved food storage method.  First type are provided by land managers, such as cable systems, metal pole with arms and bearproof metal boxes.  While the policy cites that 40% of AT designated overnight sites have these options, none exist on the TEHCC section.  The metal pole at the former Watauga Lake Shelter was ineffective, likely being too short thus was removed from the field.  Second acceptable option type is a personal bear-resistant container carried by the backpacker.  TEHCC has two 440 cubic inch BearVault Solo bear-resistant food storage containers (suitable for weekend trips) available in the rental program. 

The ATC policy strongly discourages the food hang as a method of protecting food and other consumables from bears and other wildlife.  The ATC Register blog cites that 67% of reported bear encounters involve food hangs and storage that the bear “defeated”.   Bears have successfully adapted to this approach while the increasing number of overnight visitors incorrectly execute the food hang, thus the policy recommends eliminating this ineffective method of protecting food on the Appalachian Trail.

The policy advocates that land managers along the A.T. should develop policies either strongly recommending or requiring that an acceptable food storage method (as described above) be used across the entire A.T.  North Carolina Forest Service already requires bear canisters in several areas, including Shining Rock Wilderness and Panthertown (latter signed May 3, 2022). 

ATC continues to request that all encounters with bears along the A.T. be reported using this form.

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Camping Closure for A.T. – Double Springs Shelter to Backbone Rock Trail

January 2022: This closure notice has been formally lifted by Cherokee National Forest.

USFS naturalist has determined that a camping closure notice is appropriate due to the multiple recent bear encounters shared below.

The notice reads: CAMPING IS CLOSED On the Appalachian Trail From Above Double Springs Shelter to Backbone Rock side trail (mile marker 451 to appx. mile marker 464) until further notice DUE TO AGGRESSIVE BEAR ACTIVITY. Map

Double Springs Shelter is open for use. Abingdon Gap Shelter is closed.

November: Current plan is to lift the restrictions at end of 2021 calendar year.

5/28: NOBO ~455 – South of Low Gap/US 421. Over 20 minutes before sunrise, a single bear tore holes in the side of a tent and its floor, bit a water bottle, and was unsuccessful at getting into a Ursack. The bear retreated after the pair of backpackers made noise and yelled.

5/25: NOBO Mile 458 – About half mile south of McQueen Knob, where there is a spring at an old farm site. The report states that a momma bear and two cubs stole PCT-hung food bag that was on an arcing tree, which they figured out how to climb. The food bag was hauled away to later be rummaged. The bears did not get much food as the backpacker was nearing Damascus for resupply.

A second part of the incident was that a backpack, hanging from a hammock strap, was bitten leaving puncture holes thru all layers of a pair of folded pants. This encounter was not seen as the hiker was asleep in the hammock – roughly three feet away!

5/18: NOBO Mile 457.7 – About quarter mile from above incident, two different campsites. Bear with two Cubs attempted to steal an Ursack AllMitey food bag tied to a tree – but was unsuccessful due to the properly secured sack. After being confronted, bear eventually retreated but returned to campsite two additional times that night.

Guthook logs are reporting even more bear activity by the momma and two cubs.

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, see ATC’s safety page on bears where there is a video for PCT Method for hanging your food.

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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. 
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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. 

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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?

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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. 

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Bear Activity near McQueen Knob – May 2019

ATC has received multiple reports in early to mid-May of bears taking food in the trail section around McQueen Knob – from south at the old farmstead to the emergency shelter.  This same stretch of trail had bear activity in 2018. 

Several campsites were visited by a bear that was circling around until able to grab insufficiently hung bags or broke the low branch to gain access to the food.  Sometimes the hanging bags were just torn in place to drop the contents. 

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)  Hanging bear bags should employ a very high branch away from your campsite. (Instructions – practice at home first!)

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Mount Rogers/Grayson Highlands reopened to dispersed camping (10/2), but be aware of possible bear activity

As of 10/2/2018, the National Forest lands, including section of the Appalachian Trail, temporarily closed in the Mount Rogers NRA and Grayson Highlands SP are now available for dispersed camping; however, maintain caution.

Since closure on August 30, the Forest Service and partner agencies have monitored the area with no further issues regarding black bear activity and human encounters. Habituated bears may still be active in the area, so visitors should remain alert. Campers should be extremely vigilant about storing their food according to recommended guidelines. Dogs should remain on leashes to avoid surprise encounters.

The prior notice involved the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests prohibiting overnight camping in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Grayson Highlands State Park, and surrounding National Forest lands. This order impacted 17 miles of the Appalachian Trail between Elk Garden/VA-600 and Fox Creek/VA-603, including the three A.T. shelters: Thomas Knob Shelter, Wise Shelter and Old Orchard Shelter. Backcountry camping within Grayson Highlands SP was also closed, not just along the A.T., which changed the plans for other groups such as BSA Troop 48.