Category: Uncategorized

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USFS Notice for Bear Activity at Abingdon Gap Shelter

Update: A new encounter report on 5/16 about an aggressive bear at a quick gallop charging a pair of hikers two miles north of the shelter, then following for another 0.1-mile. New signs will be posted between Damascus and the shelter.

Original Post: Watauga Ranger District is hanging signs today (April 26th) on the Appalachian Trail at US421, McQueen Gap, at the shelter and maybe in Damascus warning about reported bear activity at Abingdon Gap Shelter.  This notice is NOT a camping closure as experienced during the past few years, but a warning to alert hikers. (It could later escalate.)

A small/ young bear chewed on a secured Ursack and moved two bear canisters.  It was observed again on the following night hanging around the shelter.  Bear was not intimidated with yelling, waving, and clapping.

The posted signage asks hikers to hang all food (including canisters) if they are going to be at the shelter.

Refer to the prior posts about bear activity for recommendations… best would be to not camp in the Abingdon Gap Shelter or nearby site.

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AT Vista (August 4-7, 2023)

The A.T. Vista event will have hikes, excursions, exhibits, workshops, and a pair of dinners using East Tennessee State University at the venue. Early Bird tickets for admission to all aspects over the long weekend are available through 5/31/23 at $100 adults, $50 Youth (ages 16 & under).

Schedules for hike and workshops are being assembled for selections starting in May. If interested in being a hike leader or making a presentation, please contact TEHCC or register at Volunteer | AT Vista 2023. More details will be available closer to the event.

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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.

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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.

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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

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North Carolina USFS Proposes Bear-Resistant Food Container Requirement for A.T.

In mid-August, the US Forest Service announced that is seeking input on a proposal to require bear-resistant food containers for all overnight campers on the Appalachian Trail located in the North Carolina National Forests. The obligation would also be applied to the Panthertown Valley near Cashiers, NC. The backpacking public is encouraged to submit written comments by September 19, 2018 to comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahala-nantahala@fs.fed.us email address. Please reference “Bear-Resistant Food Container Requirement” in your subject.

Context for the need is that visitors to the NC National Forests have experienced an increasing number of black bears encounters involving food over the past few years. Most are at places where the public repeatedly camps in the general forest, such as along the A.T., rather than at campgrounds that are equipped with bear-proof trash cans. The incidents include bears taking food and backpacks, damaging tents, and staying near inhabited campsites for hours. While the loss of food is inconvenient for humans, the potentially serious encounters with bears needs to be addressed by eliminating human behaviors which lead bears to see people as a source of food. Secure storage for food and scented items (toothpaste, deodorant, beverages, or snacks) which is then placed away from the immediate camping location can help discourage this conduct.

Georgia National Forests already require the use of bear-resistant food containers when overnighting in a designated A.T. section during the spring months with a $5,000 fine per individual and $10,000 per organization. The proposal by North Carolina Forests is continuation of that approach as overnight use of the Appalachian Trail is typically dispersed.

North Carolina has not yet established a list of approved storage systems (would be part of the next phase once a decision is made to proceed). Here is a list certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

Pro or con… now is the time to provide specific comments to determine if and how this policy proposal proceeds.

 

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Laurel Fork Shelter – Reopened for use

Carl Fritz is reporting that along with a small crew of maintainers they were able to clear the trees from the shelter. The shelter sustained some cosmetic damage but it remains functional. The back roof overhang sustained some damage but has not affected the functionality of the shelter. The trees were laying across the roof. They cut the tops off trees then were able to pull the 16 inch maple with a 20 foot stump on a root ball upright with a rope and come along. Then they felled the 20 foot stump with a crosscut saw. They were also able to clear blowdowns on the high water trail in the Laurel Fork Gorge as well.

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2016 Membership Drive

2016 is here and for that means reminding everyone to renew membership to the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club. Most of everyone should fall into one of the three categories.

  • Eastman employees – Dues are automatically deducted from your first paycheck, no further action needed
  • Retirees – email me at tim@tehcc.org to confirm your contact information
  • Affiliates – Complete the form, include the required payment, and mail to the provided address

That’s it! Still debating? My easy response is that your membership fee is a cheap trail head fee. That’s 7.5¢/mi for the miles of trail our club maintains on the AT. I just ran the preliminary numbers for 2015 AT maintenance. People volunteered over 10,000 hours over 347 outings to maintain our 134 miles of trail. Large portions of our club revenue, well over half if not close to 80% goes to trail maintenance activities. This is mostly tools and materials needed to maintain one of the most popular sections of the AT. Your little bit of dues does help.

The bulk of the remainder of our dues revenue is for our web hosting. Our Trail Wiki continues to grow. 2015 has some renewed focus along with exploring new capabilities that have been added. Early next year I hope to have a customized searchable list so you can find the trails near you that match your desires.

Membership in 2016 is looking to be a good year. We have commitment to continued focus on our event calendar. I personally hope to lead at least one hike a month. With five to ten more people with that level of commitment, we would have a really full calendar. That would be 1% of our membership leading hikes, not that many. I also have some ideas of weekend camping and hiking trips that I may explore if there is enough interest.

So please renew today! Still not convinced, contact us at chair@tehcc.org or tim@tehcc.org and let us know what you think.

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Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower Hike Rain Delay

The [[Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower]] hike originally scheduled for October 3rd, has been moved two weeks to the 17th on due to rain. This may suit the hike better giving the trees to probably be at peak color. If you’re interested in attending this hike contact hike leader Tim Schaefer, 423-302-0846.