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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.

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.

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.

Sunday the 19th was a great lazy hike to Laurel Falls. There was a light sprinkling rain about mid-hike cooling us off. As it had rained recently, the falls were bursting with water. Along the trail we found a multitude of edible and inedible mushrooms, including a few chanterelles and some very large tawny milk caps.

Stan Murray will be inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame on June 5, 2015.

The application cites the following three accomplishments and more…

While serving as Board Chairman of the ATC for 14 years, Murray played a major role in getting the National Trails System Act passed in 1968 to establish the Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails and authorize a national system of trails to provide additional outdoor recreation opportunities and to promote the preservation of access to the outdoor areas and historic resources of the nation.

He was president of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for 11 years, and was later named its first executive director. The SAHC acquired thousands of acres of the majestic mountains along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee through which the A.T. passes. He also led the Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club’s 74-mile relocation of the A.T. from its original route on roads and valleys to the present spectacular route through the Highlands of Roan.

Murray was one of the first advocates of the greenway concept, which led to the present trail corridor through which the A.T. passes. He led ATC’s move to a permanent headquarters facility in Harpers Ferry and hiring a full-time executive director and other important staff positions. He passed away in 1990 at age 67.

Judy Murray will be attending the June 5^th Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame banquet in Boiling Springs, PA to accept the award on behalf of her late husband. TEHCC is proud to claim the leadership of honoree Stan Murray among its history.

Barry Griggs reporting
Our number was small due to a couple of last-minute cancellations, but the day was beautiful! We were blessed with a picture-perfect day for the very family-friendly trek to the South Holston Dam Spillway. The dogs seemed to be out to enjoy the day, also, as essentially every hiker we met was escorted by at least one dog, including us. This is an easy, relatively short hike which is very doable for beginners or anyone just interested in an enjoyable hike that won’t take all afternoon. The view of the lake and mountains at the end of our hike was very peaceful. A few wildflowers were even spotted along the way. Hikers were Sharon Burnette and Barry Griggs.

P.S. For those desiring a little more hiking in this area you can stop at the large parking/picnic area at Osceola Island on the road to the dam. This is a very nice area to trout fish and picnic. There is also 1.5 mi. trail around the perimeter of the island which can be accessed by crossing the footbridge. The trail is covered with fine gravel making for comfortable walking.

May 12th: Forest Service has reported that there have been a number of vehicle vandalisms along US-421 at least from South Holston Lake to AT trailhead.  A personal vehicle at trailhead recently had a window broken out.  Recommendation is to not leave any vehicles here until this issue is resolved by local law enforcement.

May 24th: Hikers on Roan Mountain reported that a thief broke into their car by smashing a window and prying open the glove compartment.  The thief stole purses, wallets, a cell phone and other items stored in the glove compartment when they parked their vehicle at Carvers Gap on Tenn. Highway 143.