Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club
Supporting hiking and canoeing in the North East Tennessee area
Contact: Wesley Bradley, 423-647-1321
The APE’s will be offering river trips on both the Gorge and the Lower Noli! We also have some tasty food being catered for the picnic and even a shuttle bus lined up for the Gorge Trip! This event will be a big boomin’ fun that you don’t want to miss. Click on this link for all the event info.
Carl Fritz reporting
Event Date: August 17th
The Watauga Global Community College of Appalachian State University (ASU) offers their incoming freshmen an optional orientation event to get acquainted with each other. For the twelfth consecutive year they have partnered with Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club (TEHCC) to do a trail maintenance event! Trail maintenance in groups provides many social opportunities in a work environment. On this Friday August 17, we started the first relocation of the Backbone Rock Trail just south of Damascus. Ninety seven students and five professors of Watauga College showed up in spite of a 70% prediction of rain (which did not materialize). And very importantly we had 17 club members and friends who helped acquaint the students with trail digging. Continue reading “Relocation of Backbone Rock Trail with ASU”
Vic Hasler, Steering Committee Chair
Ready to put your skills to a different use? TEHCC is guided by a Steering Committee who informally manages the recreation club during lunchtime gatherings. Help decide what initiatives should the club pursue? We could use help figuring out how to best leverage technology. Have fun selecting a speaker and menu (yum!) for two dinner meetings. Interact with different groups to help increase our recreational opportunities. The time commitment is not big, but the difference you can make is! Contact a current Steering Committee member if you’re available.
July 14-15, 2012
Scott Fisher reporting
We had a great group of new kayakers take the beginner class this past weekend. The weather cooperated for the most part and we had a great time meeting new friends on the water. We had three existing members and seven new APEs participate. Please join me in congratulating Kelmara Kelly, Michelle Frazee, Todd Emma, Jeremiah Tomlinson, Penny Morgan, Marie Bradford, Haley Werth, Buck Mayzes, Mark Crass and Wade McKeehan. All did a fantastic job and their progress throughout the weekend was obvious. As is the APE way, let’s reach out to these folks to welcome them and include them in upcoming trips.
Special thanks to our AIs Steve Hagood, Stacey Lowe, Dave Walters, Donna Kestner and Sonia Millan for their time and expertise. Special thanks also to everyone who stepped up to loan our newcomers the gear they needed, especially Wes Bradley who year after year is there to provide boats and equipment for those who need them.
July 9-12. 2012
Last summer we hauled 37 tons of gravel from Carver’s Gap to between Round Bald and Engine Gap. This summer we hauled another 110 tons of ABC aggregate (crusher run) from Carver’s Gap to between Round Bald and Carver’s Gap.
Continue reading “Special AT Gravel Project on Round Bald, Trip Report”
Vic Hasler Reporting
This year’s reservation was split into two hiking pairs. Clark and Vic Hasler headed up Rainbow Falls Trail, while Steven Clark and Lindsey Renfro took the Alum Cave Trail up. (Note: The lodge register indicates that 90+% use this latter route.) Clark Hasler had an up-close view of a bear which crossed the trail. The clear and sunny day was 20oF cooler up on top, so a pleasant 50-70s versus the heat wave below. Both groups arrived by early afternoon, thus time for naps and/or exploring. After a rosy sunset, those in the office building were entertained by an informal bluegrass gig, playing in the light of kerosene lanterns, consisting of two guitars, a harmonica, and percussion using a plastic storage tub. The morning had a crisp sunrise for any eyes that were open. After breakfast, the two hiking pairs headed down with the Haslers taking the lesser used Bull Head Trail (only meeting two folks along the way).
Sunday June 24th, 2012
Ian Powell reporting
Vic Hasler and I quickly carpooled from Colonial Heights to the Hampton trail entrance. The day was a hot one in the 90s. This route to the falls is an easy 2.4 miles. Once there, we saw Bob Peoples and family. Vic went up the rock stairs to the “High Water” trail to check on some geocaches while I hiked back the original route until we met at their intersection. Overall, we saw several snakes and lizards, plus plenty of roadside fireworks stands on the way home. The wiki for this trail (link) was updated with photos and map trace.
This hike is along the [[Iron Mountain Gap to Carver’s Gap|Appalachian Trail]] through hardwood forest to great views at Little Rock Knob (elevation 4918′). The round trip distance is 4.6 to 5 miles with 900’ rise (similar climb to Bays Mountain Firetower trail but over 3-4 times the distance). Let’s leave promptly at 1pm from the parking lot below [[Meeting locations for TEHCC hikes|McDonalds in Colonial Heights]] for the hour (45-mile) drive. Bring water, snack, comfortable footwear, rain gear, bug spray, and trekking poles. Expected return is by 7pm depending on our hiking speed and desire to tarry at the overlook. Please call/e-mail the hike leader for headcount to arrange transportation.