Next Club Meeting
February 3, 2014, 6:30 PM, Outdoor Chattanooga
Program: TBA
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
Directions to current Meeting place
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
Chattanooga Hiking Club Minutes
President Elizabeth O'Connor called the meeting to order at 6:35pm. She announced that Eric Anderson will hold an outings meeting on November 8 at 6:30 to plan hikes for the first half of 2012. Gary Petty introduced Ruthie Thompson of Outdoor Chattanooga who informed the group about Alta Bicycle Share. The program will start in about six months with 30 stations with a total of 300 bikes in downtown Chattanooga. Ruthie conducts a class on how to ride a bike in traffic at Outdoor Chattanooga – second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. Stormy commented on how well RiverRocks is going this year. She still needs volunteers, though. The meeting adjourned at 7:30pm. Patti Giles reporting.
President John Rowland called the meeting to order at 6:45pm. He reminded the group of the November 6-7 backpack to be led by Donald Box, the trail maintenance on November 20, and the Christmas Party to be held at Spangler Farm on December 4.
Stormy McGauley thanked the group for all the help with RiverRocks. Che Carico informed the group of the amendment on the November 2 ballot regarding the right to fish.
Betty Petty introduced the speaker, James Schroder, Cumberland Trail Conference Board member and Southeastern Foot Trails Conference member. He presented the current efforts to route the Great Eastern Trail through Chattanooga to connect the Cumberland Trail in Tennessee with the Pinhoti Trail in Georgia and Alabama. Efforts are currently underway to find a suitable crossing of the Tennessee River such as a pedestrian/bicycle lane across the C.B. Robinson Bridge and a suitable route through downtown Chattanooga via greenways with a minimal amount of road-walking.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30pm with 20 members in attendance, Patti Giles reporting.
President John Rowland called the meeting to order at 6:35pm. He reminded the group of the August 21 Trail Maintenance at Prentice Cooper and urged members to participate in this project. He proposed that the Saturday hiking group take a Blue Moon cruise in February, 2011 like the Wednesday hiking group has done in the past.
The meeting was called to order at 6:40. John Rowland reminded everyone that dues are due. Then he gave the results of the election for club officers: President - John Rowland, Vice President - Gary Petty, Secretary - Patti Giles and Tresurer - Nancy Robinson. On behalf of the club, he sent out thanks to Susan Faidley for being VP and Elizabeth O'Connor and her backup Michelle Anderson for their teamwork as Secretary this past year. He also covered up-coming hikes. The next outings planning meeting was announced; it will be on Monday, May 3 at 6:15 PM at Betty Petty's residence.
Our speaker for the evening was Russ Miller of Wilderness Safety Consultants. Russ went over the basics for handling injuries that occur in wilderness areas. First, he explained that a wilderness area doesn't exactly mean "in the woods", actually it is anywhere that one is one hour from definitive care; example - a hospital. He assured us that, for the most part, we already know what to do and that most, if not all, of us already carry the necessary items to handle most anything that would occur. He told us to always use the acronym S.T.O.P. which is Stop, Think, Observe, Plan and that if we do those things, we sould be okay. He said the safest minimum number to have in a group is four people. That way, in case of an emergency that requires someone to go for help, there will be one person to stay with the injured hiker and two people to go for help. It was a very informative and entertaining talk.
The meeting was adjourned and the 16 meeting attendees enjoyed snacks of various types of chips, chex mix and fresh baked cup cakes. Kendra Cross reporting.
John Rowland brought the meeting to order at 6:40 pm. John and Betty informed the group that the middle page of the February 2010 newsletter is the hike write ups and the schedule from last month (January’s) newsletter. Kinkos made a mistake with the newsletter copies. At the meeting Betty provided copies of the updated newsletter pages 3-4.
John reminded the members that the renewal for club memberships will be in April 2010. The ballot for officers will be voted on March 15, 2010. Officers for next year will be voted on at the April 2010 meeting.
John Rowland, President, called the meeting to order at 6:40 pm. John announced that on Saturday, June 20, 2009 the Chattanooga Hiking Club will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Humphreys House at Reflection Riding. This will be a drop in event with hikes and food. There will be two hikes: Bluff Trail Hike (easy hike) which is five miles will be lead by Kendra Cross and the Kidde Trail to Lookout Mountain, Sunset Rock and Skyuka Springs (10-11 miles) strenuous hike will be lead by Susan Faidley.
American Hiking Society - Susan announced that the American Hiking Society is the organization that started National Trails Days. The organization needs volunteers. If you are interested in joining the American Hiking Society the membership is $30 and it includes a Backpacker Magazine Subscription. The CHC is a member of the American Hiking Society.
Susan awarded Donald with an American Hiking Society patch and compass for all his trail maintenance work.
Trails Maintenance Recognition – Steve Biatowas, Ocoee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, awarded the following hiking club members with logo t-shirts and badges for completing 50+ hours of trail maintenance in the district:
Outings Updates –Kendra Cross, Outings Chair, announced that she needs experienced hikers to lead hikes in August and two weekends in September. There will be easy hikes scheduled on the same day as strenuous hikes.
Easy Hikes - Kendra Cross requested that current hike leaders do an easy hike once a year or once a month. These hikes should be close to home with an hour drive or less.
Che Carico announced that Wednesday hikes are easy to moderate and that she has a message on her phone every Monday that describes the Wednesday hike. If you are interested in hiking on Wednesdays give Che a call.
The Chattanooga Hiking Club and Outdoor Chattanooga are partnering on leading easy hikes. For instance on May 31, 2009 Susan led a beginner hike with Donald Box at Camp Jordan. Thirty-0ne people attended. The hike provided information on backpacking and encouraged club memberships.
Lin Foote Hike Inn - Wayne Chambers is organizing the Lin Foote Inn hike on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia. The only way to get to the Inn is to hike the 5 mile trail. The Inn is located near the Springer Mountain Appalachian Trail access trail. The Inn has 20 small rooms with bunk beds and can accommodate 40 people (2 people to a room). Wayne stated that you can request a roommate. Wayne stated that currently he had 10 people to sign up. The costs will be $75 per person (includes dinner and breakfast). If you are interested in participating contact Wayne Chamber at (423) 855-9926, and reserve your room by sending Wayne Chamber a $35 deposit ASAP.
Meeting location:
John announced that Outdoor Chattanooga, at Coolidge Park have offered the club a meeting room. There will be survey of members meeting preference either by newsletter or on the website. John will also send out an e-mail.
Presentation:
Eric Weiss and Minya James, Outdoor Chattanooga, did a presentation on how to read a basic map and compass. Eric Weiss was a triples crowner, which means he has hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail
Meeting Adjourned: 8:00 pm.
Next club meeting will be August 3, 2009 at 6:30 pm. in the Community Room of the Hamilton YMCA at 7430 Shallowford Road, one block east of Gunbarrel Road.
Minutes taken for Elizabeth O’Conner by Michelle Anderson, Outgoing Secretary
John Rowland, President, called the meeting to order at 6:40 pm. John announced that election of officers occurred and the new following officers for the year April 1, 2009- March 31, 2010 are:
John presented the club’s budget.
Nancy Robinson presented the Treasurer’s Report
New Business
Outdoor Chattanooga Expo - Donald Box updated the members on the Outdoor Chattanooga Expo on March 28, 2009 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. for Outdoor Chattanooga New facility Grand Opening. Susan Faidley and Donald Box had a booth with a display board set up. The weather was windy and rainy but they passed out 70 out of 100 club newsletters. In the future the event will be held in May to avoid the bad weather. Donald recommended having a Chattanooga Hiking Club banner with the display.
Outings meeting – Kendra Cross announced there will be an outings meeting on Monday, May 4, 2009 at 6:30 pm. at the YMCA Shallowford Road. If you are interested in leading a hike either come to the meeting or if you cannot attend e-mail Kendra at hikerc@att.net the date(s) and hike(s) you want to lead.
20th CHC Anniversary – John announced that the Chattanooga Hiking Club 20th anniversary day hike and party is scheduled for June 20, 2009 at Reflection Riding at the base of Lookout Mountain. This will be a drop-in event with hikes and food. Betty stated that for a challenge members could hike all 30 miles of Lookout Mountain trails on that day.
Trail Maintenance - John stated the club did trail Maintenance at Prentice Cooper last week there were 8 people that participated.
Len Foote Hike Inn - Wayne Chambers is organizing the Len Foote Inn hike on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia. The only way to get to the Inn is to hike the 5 mile trail. The Inn is located near the Springer Mountain Appalachian Trail access trail. The Inn has 20 small rooms (2 people share a room) with bunk beds and accommodates 40 people. Wayne stated that you can request a roommate. Wayne stated that currently he had 10 people to sign up. The costs will be $65 per person (includes dinner and breakfast). If you are interested in participating contact Wayne Chamber at (423) 855-9926, and reserve your room by sending Wayne Chamber a $35 deposit ASAP.
Meeting location:
Donald asked the club members what they like or disliked about the current meeting location (YMCA Shallowford Road). Members stated they liked the parking, it was easy to get to, and the parking lot is well lit. The disadvantages are it is noisy (exercise classes next door) and several members live further from this facility.
The club will continue to meet at this location through the end of the year because current reservation is through a Memorial Hospital program which may terminated at that time.
Presentation:
Larry Cook, North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, presented information on the North Chickamauga Creek area. He mentioned that several people use bikes and ATV 4 wheeler vehicles and the greenway is only for hiking and walking uses.
Meeting Adjourned: 7:30 pm.
John Rowland, President, called the meeting to order at 6:34 pm.
John announced that the election ballots and membership renewal forms are in the recent club newsletters. The membership renewals are due by April 1, 2009. To avoid membership cancellation, please send your renewal before March 15, 2009. John encouraged the members to also complete the officer election ballots and send them by March 15, 2009. The offices that have been nominated for the year April 1, 2009- March 31, 2010 are:
John Rowland called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
John announced the possibility of the club purchasing a projector for club presentations. This would not be done until after the membership renewals are collected between Feb-April 2009.
ANNOUCEMENT: Hiking Club meeting Refreshment Volunteers:
The following people are on the list to provide refreshments at the quarterly club meetings. If you want your name removed from the list or you are unable to attend your assigned meeting, please let Michelle Anderson know. You can reach Michelle at (423) 505-7282 (cell) or ewfamlp@aol.com.
2010 Meeting Refreshment Volunteers
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM. John Rowland presented a motion to the club that we provide funds to club members who have to make advance expenditures for reservations for club adtivities; such as car camps, our trip to the Hike Inn, etc.; with the understanding that the club is to be reimbursed the funds provided to the club member within two weeks of the activity. The motion was approved. John then reminded everyone about upcoming club outings. Tony Cook introduced the program that was to be presented by Kurt Emanuelle. Kurt recently completed hiking all of the trails in the Smokies. He presented a slide show titled "Many Miles of Mountain Memories". The slide show covered hiking in the Smokies all four seasons, waterfalls, flowers and animals. There was one bonus photo from South America! The meeting was adjourned at 8:11. Kendra Cross reporting.
The Hiking Club Christmas party will be on Saturday, Dec.6.
Meeting adjourned: 9:00 pm. - Minutes taken by Michelle Anderson, Secretary
John Rowland, new President presided over the meeting and it began at 7:03 pm.
Betty Petty announced that there will be an Annual Walk Thru of the Benton Mackaye Trail on April 26, 2008. This event's purpose is to have someone walking every foot of the trail logging all maintenance needs as the thru-hiking season gets into full swing.
Special Presentation:
James Hill Craddock, Associate Professor of Biological & Environmental Sciences, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga presented information the American Chestnut Tree populations and on the Appalachian Trails Mega Transect All Taxia Biological Inventory. This inventory involves the entire ecological system of the train. Dr. Craddock requested volunteers from the hiking clue to participate in collecting inventory data for the Chestnut trees along the Appalachian Trail. He will be attending a training session at Hood College in Maryland in the Katada Mountains on May 9-10, 2008, which will assist him in training people in tree identification.
Meeting adjourned: 9:00 pm. - Minutes taken by Michelle Anderson, Secretary
ANNOUCEMENT: Hiking Club meeting Refreshment Volunteers:
Kendra Cross
Ralph Van Pelt, President presided over the meeting and it began at 7:03 pm.
New Business - The Betty Petty and Ralph Van Pelt wrote an article in the newsletter on the dog policy. If you want to take a dog on a hike let the hike leader know. Kendra Cross, Outings Coordinator, announced there is an opportunity for anyone to do a “Dog Friendly hike” from June – December 2008, just let her know.
Due to a meeting conflict, Ralph Van Pelt could not make the meeting. Vice President John Rawlings presided over the meeting and it began at 7:05 pm.
Announcements were made for the following:
PROGRAM
Meeting adjourned: 7:40 pm.
Refreshment Volunteers: There is a list of refreshment volunteers for the Chattanooga Hiking Club meetings. The following members are on this list: Suzanne Smith, Che Carico, Elizabeth O’Conner, Donald Box, Susan Faidley, Mae Kile, Sue Leachman, Lin-Fa Lee, Sharon Mease. If you want your name to be removed from the list please contact Michelle Anderson at ewfalmp@aol.com. For other members that are interested in being a refreshment volunteer for our quarterly meetings please let Michelle know.
Minutes taken by Michelle Anderson, Secretary
Minutes from Meeting Monday August 6, 2007.
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM. Those in attendance voted to renew the clubs membership with the American Hiking Society and to order more shirts with the club logo. Michelle Anderson was elected secretary to replace Melissa Moreau, who has moved to Nashville. Kurt Emmanuele reported that he had taken a group to work on the club's section of the Pot Point trail - Thanks Kurt and group! The program for the evening was presented by Kurt Emmanuele. He gave a slide show of photos he took while on vacation in Chile. Snacks were provided by Kendra Cross.
Minutes from Meeting Monday June 4, 2007
The June meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Plans for a possible club trip to Len Foote Inn in Amnicalola State Park were discussed. Potential Christmas party locations were discussed. Betty Petty shared her experiences at the Southeast Foottrails Conference in Montreat, North Carolina. Eric and Michelle Anderson gave a wonderful presentation on their recent trip to Arizona - we viewed breathtaking photographs of Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Reported by Melissa Moreau.
Minutes from Meeting Monday April 4, 2007
Doug Cooper called the meeting to order at 7:10. He made a motion for the club to start using the new "forever" stamps issued by the post office. The price of these stamps is not supposed to go up. The motion was approved. New officers were elected, President - Ralph Van Pelt, Vice President - John Rowland, Secretary - Melissa Moreau, Tresurer - Nancy Robinson. Lucas George, from Rock Creek Outfitters, gave a presentation on back packing equipment. Afterward, many of us took the opportunity to ask questions and take a closer look at the gear he brought for display. Kendra Cross provided snacks. The meeting adjourned about 8:00. Reported by Kendra Cross.
Minutes from Meeting Monday February 7, 2007
Our February meeting was held at the Jones Observatory and there was a pretty large crowd as members of the astronomy club attended the meeting also. Doug Cooper called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. He went over a few items in the newsletter such as upcoming hikes, officer elections, and membership renewal. Shirts were available for sale and several attendees took the opportunity to buy one or two. Jack Pitkin, Senior Teaching Laboratory Specialist spoke about the history of the observatory, how it came about and the recent renovations on the building. Then he gave a short program on finding constellations. Next, John Mannone gave a presentation on wilderness astronomy. Sharon Hogan, Gary Caldwell and Ernest Simmons each won an issue of Back Packer magazine as a door prize. The meeting adjourned at 9:10. Reported by Kendra Cross.
Minutes from Meeting Monday October 2, 2006
7:10 PM. Doug reported that he still has a couple of meeting locations to
check out and that he is also still researching a shirt order. More
information to come on those two items. There will be no "official"
December meeting as it is the same week as our Christmas Party. Thanks to
Lin-Fa Lee for providing snacks for this meeting. Brian Walker was the
door prize winner. Susan Faidley gave any one who wanted one a copy of
American Hiker magazing. Our speakers were Richard Parks and myself.
Richard gave a very entertaining report on his backpacking trip on the
John Muir Trail this past summer. I reported on my recent trip to
Ireland. The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM. Kendra Cross reporting.
Minutes from Meeting Monday August 7, 2006
Doug Cooper called the meeting to order at 7:13. The new meeting location is still being discussed and updates will be given in future newsletters. There is discussion about ordering t-shirts with the club logo on the front. Doug is going to do more research into order variations, quantities, etc. A purchase will be voted on at the next club meeting. Thanks to Rosalyn Vogel for bringing the snacks! John Rowland and Lin Fa Lee won the door prizes - two issues of BackPacker magazine. The program was provided by Steve Biatowas from the U.S. Forestry Service. He brought a video about what to do when you encounter a bear and bear behavior. A very brief summary follows: Basically, do the things we have all been told before. The safest thing to do is avoid encounters! If you encounter a bear; stop, remain calm, if possible move away slowly and quietly, do not run from a bear, nor approach one. If you are attacked by a bear, fall and remain face down with you fingers laced behind you neck. If it is a defensive attack, play dead, the bear should leave. If it is a predatory attack (it thinks you're dinner, you get the idea) fight back! This is only if you encounter a black bear. Carry deterrents such as bear spray or noise makers. When possible, travel in groups and do not camp in bear travel areas. Carry out your trash, do not bury it. The meeting was adjourned at 8:34. Kendra Cross reporting.
Minutes from Meeting Monday June 5, 2006
Doug Cooper called the meeting to order at 7:15. He reported that Steve
Biatowas, Ocoee Ranger Station on Hwy 64, had sent him an e:mail asking
for volunteers to build a trail detour near the Whitewater Center. Doug
also reviewed upcoming hikes with us.
Minutes from Meeting Monday April 3, 2006
Our April meeting was called to order at 7:20pm. Our first order of business was to finalize our officer elections for next year. All existing officers were re-elected. Doug Cooper handed out brochures that had been sent from the Coastwalk hiking/camping group of Sebastopol, CA and the winter 2005 issure of American Hiker. Che Carico reported that the Wednesday group has FINALLY made it to the Walls of Jerico. She reported that the group was well pleased with trail conditions. Caroline Woerner reported that a couple more miles of the Cumberland trail have been completed. The continuing need for trail volunteers was mentioned. Kurt Emmanuele won the door prize, which was an issure of Back Packer magazine. Tony Cook provided snacks for everyone. Thanks Tony!! Our speaker was Jeffery Hunter of the Southeastern Fool Trails Coalition. He provided a slide show of trails ranging from Florida to North Carolina as he gave a update about the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition and their long term goal for a 5000 mile interconnected foot trail system throughout the eastern United States. The meeting ended at 8:10pm.
NEWS
GSMNP 800 Milers
On Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28, Spears McAllester and Susan Faidley become the first two CHC members to complete hiking all 800 of the trail miles in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On June 15, Wayne Chambers also completed his final section to reach 800 miles. A special patch has been designed to celebrate this goal; look for it on the packs of those who have earned it!
Bear Attacks in the Woods
There have been a number of bear attacks on hikers and hunters in the woods recently including the especially bad attack at nearby Benton Falls where a mother and her two children were mauled resulting in the death of a six year old girl and serious injuries to the mother and two year old brother. Although this particular incident appeared to be a clear case of bear predation on small children, the bear was noted watching the people in daylight for several minutes preceding the attack. The following is a short memo from the Tennessee Wildlife Agency on avoiding bear incidents.
Black bears in the forest are wild and their behavior is sometimes unpredictable. Although extremely rare, attacks on humans have occurred, inflicting serious injuries and death. Treat bear encounters with extreme caution and follow these guidelines.
John Smartt Trail Concerns
Most CHC hikers are familiar with the very popular John Smartt Trail on Lookout Mountain. This trail was maintained for many years by John Smartt, a deceased resident of Lookout Mountain who also planted a great many native wildflowers along the trail.
Cherokee National Forest Lands for Sale
In the Cherokee National Forest, the Bush budget has identified 38 parcels totaling about 3000 acres to be sold as part of about a million acres of public land to be sold nationwide to fund rural roads and schools in communitites that host national forests. These monies would run out in about 5 years. Rep.Mark Udall (D-CO) says, 'its like selling your homestead to pay your credit card bills'. Gov. Phil Bredesen says, 'it is like trying to pay off your car by selling the cigarette lighter'.This will require a special piece of legislation for the Forest Service to be allowed to sell land.
Around 40 club members gathered on December 10th to celebrate the holiday season with their hiking friend. Che Carico did an excellent job again this year in organizing the event. Many Thanks to Boodie and Carol Fox for securing the use of Hixson Church of Christ and to Spears McAllester for entertaining us with slides from his Mt Kilimanjaro hike and safari.
SEFTC Strategic Planning Session Dec 9-11
Twenty-three representatives from the various hiking/trail-building clubs which form the SouthEastern Foot Trails Coalition(SEFTC) met at the Cohutta Lodge Dec 9-11 for a strategic planning session. Chattanooga Hiking Club was represented by Betty Petty.
SEFTC Members Honored at Special USFS Meeting
The Ocoee/Hiwassee District of the Cherokee National Forest was recognized by the regional office in Atlanta for the highest level of volunteer efforts in fiscal 2005. More than 4,000 hours of volunteer work on trails, valued at over $70,000, was cited, much of it having been done on the BMT. Region 8 includes the 13 southeastern states, from Florida to Texas to Virginia and in-between, and Puerto Rico. Steve Biatowas, the trails specialist in the winning Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District was also honored.
In appreciation of the recently-won regional award for volunteer work, the Cherokee National Forest held a special Volunteer Appreciation reception on December 6 at the Ocoee Whitewater Center to honor volunteer trail workers and organizations. Many groups and individuals, including the BMTA, Cherokee Hiking Club, Hiwassee Hiking Club, and Chattanooga Hiking Club (all SEFTC members) received a Certificate of Appreciation which was presented by Cherokee National Forest Supervisor, Tom Speaks, for their contributions to the Volunteer Program.
NEW MAP
Ken Jones reports that he has reviewed the
draft revised map. This revision will be on the street next March (2006). First, the
Benton MacKaye Trail will be shown on the map from the APD 515 (4 lane crossing) in the
south, to Twenty Mile Ranger Station in the north as a highlighted
trail. On the Georgia side of the map, there is an information inset
that describes the BMT, and even refers people to the BMTA web site. Also a multitude of
corrections have been made that will greatly enhance the accuracy and
usefulness of this map.
NEW BOOK
Those of you who attended the August 2004 club meeting will remember J. R. Tate's
wonderful presentation and amusing stories of his thru-hiking the AT 3 times. JR
is also the author of "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery: A Slice of Life on the
Appalachian Trail." - - (A recent reader of it reports, "An awesome book. A wonderful
writer. Can't wait to read his next one!")
BENTON MACKAYE
Benton MacKaye, born in 1879 in Stamford, Conn., was an american forester and regional planner. Educated at Harvard (B.A., 1900; M.A. School of Forestry, 1905), he was a research forester of the U.S. Forest Service. He planned and helped in the construction of the Appalachian Trail (1921), served on the regional planning staff of the Tennessee Valley Authority (1934-36) and on the staff of the Rural Electrification Administration (1942-45). MacKaye's philosophy of regional planning is given in his book, The New Exploration (1928). He
died in 1975.
Edward Abbey
It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even
more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s
still here. So get out there an hunt and fish and mess
around with your friends, ramble out yonder and
explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the
mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breather
deep of that yet sweet warm lucid air, sit quietly for
a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that
lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy
yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head
firmly attached to your body, the body active and
alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this
one sweet victory over our enemies, over those
desk-bound people with their hearts in a safe deposit
box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I
promise you this, you will outlive the b----rds.
The Chattanooga Hiking Club By Laws designate four
elected officer positions than run for a one year term
beginning in April.
President - Elizabeth O'Conner
There are also additional club officers that serve at the discretion
of the president, and these are listed below.
Outings - John Rowland
The Hiking Club's fiscal year runs from April through the following
March. The renewal date for most current members is April 2012.
However, if you've pay after January 1, 2012, then your membership
is good through April 2013. Check the date on the label of your
newsletter.
Monday, October 7, 2013 at 6:30 PM
The meeting began with a brief discussion of the inconveniences of the National Parks being closed, resulting in one club hike having to be re-routed and at least two members having to change vacation plans. There was also much disappointment expressed with the lack of hiking opportunities as a part of this years River Rocks event. We have since received notice that the scope of River Rocks has changed to be more of a large scale adventure sporting competition event than a family style outdoor opportunity event.
This month's guest speaker was Ralph Painter. Mr. Painter, is a ninety-one year old veteran of World War ll, who served in Panama, was in the Battle of the Bulge, went ashore at Normandy on D-Day and is the recipient of 5 Bronze Stars. Tonight he was here to talk to us about his childhood years growing up in the town of Conasauga. He talked about the history of the Conasauga Lumber Company and the timber industry around the Conasauga and Jack River, using photos from the book "Conasauga" as discussion items. His talk was both entertaining and informative as he spoke in great detail about each photograph that was shown.
Kendra Cross reporting.
Monday, August 5, 2013 at 6:30 PM
Monday, October 1 2012 at 6:30 PM
Monday, August 6, 2012
Our guest speakers were Brian Smith from Chattanooga Parks and Recreation, and Larry Zender, Director of Chattanooga Parks and Recreation. Brian spoke first about his park steward volunteer program. Larry gave a presentation about the Tenness River Park and River Walk. It was started with the Moccasin Bend Task Force with the first section of the river walk opening in December of 1989. They are currently in the planning process of extending the river walk another three and one half miles. The plan is to extend the river walk to the foot of Lookout Mountain with connections to the hiking trails at the foot of the mountain.
Kendra Cross reporting.
Monday, June 4, 2012
From Manufactures Road at the exit ramp from US 27 (north side of the Tennessee River):
- Go east (toward Greenlife Grocery, Rock/Creek, etc.) approximately .3 of a mile (2 traffic lights).
- Turn right onto Cherokee Boulevard.
- Go .1 of a mile (one traffic light) to the intersection at the end of the Market Street Bridge.
- Continue straight (now Fraizer Avenue) .2 of a mile (3 traffic lights). - [If coming in on the Market Street Bridge, turn right onto Fraizer Avenue and go .2 of a mile (3 traffic lights).]
- Turn right on Tremont Street.
- Park either on River Street (1st street on the right, either direction) or in the Chattanooga Theater Centre parking lot (2nd street to the right). - Parking is $1 for 2 hours in the lot. Also, parking is free in the Tremont Baptist Church lot .2 of a mile if turning left on Tremont Street (a .3 of a mile walk to the Outdoor Chattanooga building).
- The Outdoor Chattanooga building is behind the Theater Centre parking lot, almost directly under the Walnut St bridge.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Gary Petty introduced McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy, who has written a book and newspaper articles about the history of McMinn County. Sheriff Guy entertained an audience of 30 with stories about Mason Evans, the hermit of Starr Mountain, and the White Cliff Hotel. Several members of the club became interested in the local folklore after hiking on Starr Mountain and the Gee Creek Wilderness. Patti Giles, reporting.
October 3, 2011
February 7, 2011
Outdoor Chattanooga, River Street, Chattanooga, TN
10/4/10
Outdoor Chattanooga, River Street, Chattanooga, TN
8/2/10
John introduced the speaker, Mike McGauley, who with his wife Stormy, are responsible for the creation of the RiverRocks Festival. RiverRocks is a fun-filled, family-friendly outdoor festival celebrating the regions incomparable natural resources and the activities they inspire, the health benefits of an active outdoor lifestyle and Chattanooga’s commitment to environmental stewardship and land conservation. Hiking is one of the key elements of RiverRocks. After the festival, RiverRocks will distribute half of the proceeds collected during the event to area land trusts and conservancies. RiverRocks will be held the first week in October – October 1 – 10, 2010. For more information, check out www.RiverRocksChattanooga.com.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:40pm with 17 members in attendance, Patti Giles reporting.
Outdoor Chattanooga, River Street, Chattanooga, TN
4/5/10
Outdoor Chattanooga, River Street, Chattanooga, TN
2/1/10
Several easy hikes are begin done this month such as Skyuka Spring Dayhike and Conasauga River Dayhike . In March John Rowland is leading an easy hike at Lookout Mountain near Lookout Highlands a gated community.
Betty announced there will be public meetings for Corridor K on February 16 and February 17, 2010. TDOT will be opening Highway 64 (Ocoee) on March 31, 2010. Options Betty mentioned for Cooridor K is to improve the existing route, make an upper route on Kinsey Highway, behind the South Whitewater Center through Big Frog Mountain (take out Big Frog Trail), and hybrid route North on Greasy Creek to Hwy 68.
Richard Parks announced the River Rocks festival that will be held on October 1-9, 2010. This is a new outdoor festival that will be like Riverbend. The event will have a race, stump jump, hiking events such as the Cumberland trail and the club can lead various hikes. Richard needs help planning the event and he will be asking for volunteers.
Southern Appalachian Foot Trails Coalition conference will be held at Monteagle, TN on May 20-23, 2010.
Jeffrey Hunter, Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition did the program on the wilderness proposal to designation new areas for the Cherokee National Forest and other Forest Service Land in east Tennessee. For more information visit the website www.tnwild.org.
Meeting adjourned: 7:30 pm.
Minutes were taken by Michelle Anderson for Elizabeth O’Connor.
YMCA Shallowford Road
6/1/09
National Trails Day – Saturday, June 6, 2009 – Donald Box announced that for National Trails Day, the club will do trail maintenance at Profile Trail on Lookout Mountain. If you are interested meet Donald at 9:00 am. in the parking lot for the Kidde Trail, which is on the right. Be sure to let Donald know if you are going to do the trail maintenance.
Ralph Van Pelt
Donald Box
Doug Cooper
Betty Petty
Mary Young
Don Bodley
Susan also encouraged hike leaders to do an easy hike 5-6 miles once a year.
For instance on July 4, 2009 Kendra is leading a Lula Lake hike (4 ½ miles), located on Lookout Mountain.
YMCA Shallowford Road
4/6/09
President: John Rowland
Vice President: Susan Faidley
Secretary: Elizabeth O’Conner
Treasurer: Nancy Robinson
Sharon Hixon will continue as the Membership Coordinator, Betty Petty will continue with the website and club newsletter and Kendra Cross will continue as the Outings Coordinator.
Next Monday, April 13, 2009 9:00 am. – 12:00 pm. at Reflection Riding members can participate in pulling up the privet hedge and honeysuckle. Reflection Riding staff are waiving the rental fee to the club for doing the privet removal work.
Outdoor Chattanooga is at Coolidge Park and they have offered a room free of charge for the club to meet. The only disadvantage is parking charges. Donald stated that he will inquire about the parking situation.
Larry announced the following upcoming events:
- April 18 10:00 am. North Chickamauga Gorge Cumberland Trail Overlook Hike (5 miles)
- April 25 9:30 am. Work day along the North Chick Creek Gorge – Flipper Bend – trail maintenance on trails and repaint trail blazes
- May 16 North Chick Greenway Challenge Adventure Race
If you are interested in participating in trail maintenance you can contact him at Larry@northchick.org or Susan at Susan@northchick.org. Their website is www.northchick.org.
Minutes taken for Elizabeth O’Conner by Michelle Anderson, Outgoing Secretary
YMCA Shallowford Road
2/2/09
President: John Rowland
Vice President: Susan Faidley
Secretary: Elizabeth O’Conner
Treasurer: Nancy Robinson
Nancy Robinson was not present and John Rowland presented the Treasurer’s Report. John will work with the other officers and present a club budget at the April meeting. John mentioned the possibility of the club purchasing a projector for club presentations. This would not be done until after the membership renewals are collected between Feb-April 2009.
New Business
Len Foote Hike Inn - John announced that Wayne Chambers is organizing the Len Foote Inn hike on November 22, 2009 at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia. The entire Inn will be reserved for the club to stay overnight. The only way to get to the Inn is to hike the 5 mile trail. The Inn is located near the Springer Mountain Appalachian Trail access trail. The Inn has 20 small rooms with bunk beds and accommodates 40 people. Last time there was a waiting list.
Wayne has to make a down payment for the Inn. The club will assist Wayne in funding the Hike Inn reservation deposit expenses. The costs will be $65 per person (includes dinner and breakfast). If you are interested in participating in the Hike Inn event contact Wayne Chambers. If you are interested in this hike please send Wayne $35 deposit by March 2009.
Trail Maintenance – Donald Box will be doing trail maintenance Cherokee National Forest on April 4, 2009. If you are interested in participating you can contact Donald.
Outdoor Chattanooga hikes – Susan stated that the club is partnering with Outdoor Chattanooga representatives to lead beginner hikes, which are usually 4 miles in length. Several club members (Susan Faidley, Tony Cooke, Che Carico, Boodie Fox, and Elizabeth O’Conner) have lead joint hikes with Outdoor Chattanooga. The first Sunday of every month there will be joint hikes with Outdoor Chattanooga.
Potential New meeting location:
Outdoor Chattanooga is locating into a new facility in Coolidge Park. They have offered a room free of charge for the club to meet. Susan will keep the club posted about this new meeting location.
Outdoor Chattanooga Expo March 28, 2009 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. for Outdoor Chattanooga New facility Grand Opening.
Susan requested to have a booth ($25) at the event and asked if club members would be interested in helping at the booth. Several members discussed displaying a presentation board with photos, Outdoor Chattanooga brochures and newsletters. Members agreed that the club needed to be present. Members discussed purchasing a presentation board. If you are interested in helping Susan contact her.
Newspaper Articles or announcements - Susan mentioned that the Chattanooga Times Free Press has an Outdoor Weekend section in the Thursday paper. She inquired about having information on upcoming hikes in the paper. There was discussion regarding having hike leaders stipulate if they want hikes published. Members suggested having a blurb about having easy and moderate hikes and including the CHC website link. Susan will contact the newspaper about the hike information and potentially having a feature story in the Outdoor section.
AT TN License Plate – To incorporate the AT License plate in Tennessee the Appalachian Trail Conservation (ATC) has to sell 1,000 plates by July 2009. If they do not sell enough plates they will refund your money. The costs is $35 for tag and $25 for county tag = $50. The ATC will receive $15 of the money, which will go towards trail maintenance. You can purchase the license plates at the courthouse. For more information contact Susan Faidley.
20th CHC Anniversary – Kendra announced that the Chattanooga Hiking Club anniversary day hike and party is scheduled for June 20, 2009 at Rock Town.
Crystal and Josh, Sales Associates from Rock Creek Outfitters, offered to open Lula Lake to the club for their anniversary hike. Rock Creek Outfitters is on their 21st anniversary.
This was discussed as a better option with its easy access and various hiking trails. Members agreed to have the event at Lula Lake.
Presentation:
Crystal and Josh from Rock Creek Outfitters presented the latest hiking gear.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:00 pm. - Michelle Anderson, Secretary
YMCA Shallowford Road
10/06/08
New Business:
Trust for Public Land proposal for Stringers Ridge - The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is requesting $500,000 from the City of Chattanooga to purchase and preserve the trails on Stringers Ridge, located in North Chattanooga. The purchase by TPL would preserve the land from future development and maintain hiking and biking trails on the ridge. The TPL proposal would request that the City of Chattanooga own and maintain the land would also pursue more funding to protect more of the ridge. Outdoor Chattanooga supports this purchase and they are requesting a letter of support from the Chattanooga Hiking Club. Donald read a draft support letter.
Elizabeth O’Conner made a motion for the hiking club to submit a letter of support and it was seconded by Wayne Chambers. The motion was approved.
New meeting time – In an effort to increase attendance at club meetings, John made a suggestion to have the club meetings earlier starting at 6:30 pm. There was discussion about the time changed and the majority agreed to have the meetings at 6:30 pm. starting at the Feb. 2009 meeting.
Christmas Party - John announced that the club Christmas party will be on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 5:30 pm. at Greenway Farms Conference Center in Hixson off Hamilton Road (same location as last year). If you want to bring a covered dish and door prizes contact Che Carico mtnhikerche@bellsouth.net or (423) 886-5135.
The presentations will be from Susan Faidley on the Alps trip. Representatives from the Friends of the Smokies will also present information on the 75th anniversary of the Great Smokies National Park and establishment of the Trail Forever trust fund program.
Outings Meeting –Kendra Cross, Outings Chair, announced that for those that want to lead hikes in the next 6 months there will be a meeting on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 6:30 pm. at the YMCA Shallowford Road. If you are unable to attend e-mail her information on the trails you want to lead and the potential dates.
Announcements:
John announced that Bill Kennamn, hiking club member, will be performing in the Jericho Brass Ensemble on October 26, 2008 at 3:00 pm. at the Signal Mountain Baptist Church. All members are invited for this event.
Wayne Chambers announced that he is reserving the Hike Inn at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia for the first Saturday in November 2009. The potential cost will be $60 per person. If you are interested in participating in the Hike Inn event contact Wayne Chamber at (423) 855-9926.
Nancy Robinson presented Treasurer’s report. Kendra Cross made a motion made to approve the Treasurer’s Report and it was seconded by Wayne Chambers. The motion was approved.
John announced that officers were in the process of making the budget for 2009. If there is a budget surplus in Oct/November 2009, John made a motion for the club funds to cover upfront Hike Inn reservation expenses and it was seconded by Wayne Chambers. The motion was approved.
Donald Box announced the Mt Mitchell car camp on Oct. 18-19. Let him know by Monday, Oct. 13 if you are interested in attending.
Special Presentation:
Jeffrey Hunter, Southern Alliance Forest Coalition (formerly worked for American Hiking Society), presented information on federal legislation plan that was proposed in 2004, to expand land for protection within and adjacent to the following National Wilderness areas: Big Frog, Citico Creek, Joyce Kilmer/Slick Rock. He stated that most of the proposed land expansion is already in public ownership with hiking, fishing, hunting and equestrian uses. Jeffrey requested a support letter from the club to support the expanded wilderness forest plan. He mentioned the following groups that support the plan:
- Outdoor Chattanooga
- Benton McKaye Trail Association
- Smokey Mountain Hiking Club
- TN Parks and Recreation
- TN Scenic River Association
- Wilderness Society
Jeffrey stated that the plan has bi-partisan support in congress. If you want additional information or have any questions you can contact Jeffrey at jeff@safce.org.
Elizabeth O’Conner made a motion for Betty Petty to write the club’s support letter and the motion was seconded by Kendra Cross. The group discussed the expanded wilderness. Betty mentioned as President of the Benton McKay trail that they supported it because the protections will remove the area permanently from the timber base.
Program: Michelle Anderson and Sharon Hixon did a photo presentation on their trip to the South Island of New Zealand.
Meeting adjourned: 8:30 pm.
Next club meeting will be February 2, 2009 at 6:30 pm. in the Community Room of the Hamilton YMCA at 7430 Shallowford Road, one block east of Gunbarrel Road.
Minutes taken by Michelle Anderson, Secretary
2009 Meeting Refreshment Volunteers
February 2 – Donald Box
April 6 - Kendra Cross
June 1 – Che Carico
August 3 - Lin-Fa Lee
October 5 – Elizabeth O’Conner
February – Sharon Hixon
April - Susan Faidley
June – Mae Kile
August – Sue Leachman
October – Sharon Mease
(Extra person) - Suzanne Smith
YMCA Shallowford Road
8/4/08
YMCA Shallowford Road
6/2/08
Susan Faidley spoke about the American Hiking Society, and Kendra Cross received a t-shirt for explaining about the Society's mission.
Hikers are encouraged to participate in trail maintenance for National Trails Day this weekend.
The Sierra Club is attempting to re-start a chapter in our area. Susan has the information
Contact Susan if you're interested in leading a beginners hike for Outdoor Chattanooga.
It was suggested that the Hiking Club buy a projector for presenters to use in showing photos.
It was suggested that the Hiking Club establish a fund for hike leaders to borrow from in making
campsite and lodging reservations in advance of outings they're leading.
This led to formation of a committee (Nancy, Betty, John, Kendra) to first establish the Hiking Club's budget.
Tony Cook introduced Eric Wiese, who spoke about his hikes of the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. The photos were magnificent and were mostly from the Continental Divide Trail, an un-marked route that consists of extremely strenuous hiking due to mountainous terrain, severe weather conditions at altitude along the route, stretches without water, and long distances between food re-supply. Most of us were in awe of the difficulties and discomforts that Eric seemed to take in stride as part of his hikes. He regularly covered 20-30 miles per day in rugged terrain with a very low pack weight, wearing only low-cut trail shoes to posthole through snowdrifts...
YMCA Shallowford Road
4/7/08
The 2008 officers that were nominated in were voted on at the meeting and the results were tallied for the following 2008 officers:
John Rowland, President
Tony Cook, Vice President
Michelle Anderson, Secretary
Nancy Robinson, Treasurer
Donald Box, Trail Maintenance
Sharon Hixon, Membership Information
Betty Petty agreed to continue serving as the Newsletter Editor and the Webmaster.
Nancy Robinson presented Treasurer’s report. Be sure to renew your membership now. According to Nancy there have been 34 renewals and there are 200 members.
Donald Box announced National Trails Day will be occurring on 1st Saturday in June 2008. This event will educate the trail maintenance volunteers on construction of new treadway. There will be free T-shirts for participants doing a day's work.He will put an article in the next newsletter regarding this event.
Kendra, Outings Chair, announced that for those that want to lead hikes in the next 6 months there will be a meeting on May 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm. the YMCA Shallowford. If you have an interest in doing certain trails call or e-mail hike leaders about trails and potential dates.
As a way to encourage people to do outdoor activities in the area, Susan announced the club is partnering with Outdoor Chattanooga to lead beginner hikes at Reflection riding starting May 4, 2008.
Several members discussed whether the club should contribute money to organizations such as the Cumberland Trail. Currently, the Club’s finances pay for the monthly newsletters and the Christmas Party. Some members recommended that the club officers have a separate financial meeting to plan the club’s budget, in which the budget would be presented to club members for a vote.
Kendra announced that at the next club meeting there will be T-shirts and patches.
Those that are interested in participating in the Chestnut inventory contact James Craddock at (423) 425-4341 Hill-Craddock@utc.edu or Susan Faidley evergreen50@earthlink.net. Dr. Hill will have a workshop to train volunteers in early June 2008. Information will be announced on the club website and in the May newsletter.
The following people are on the list to provide refreshments at the quarterly club meetings. If you want your name removed from the list please let Michelle Anderson know. If you want to remain on the list please let her know which meeting dates (January, April 4, June 2, August 4, October 6, December 1) you will bring refreshments. You can reach Michelle at (423) 505-7282 (cell) or ewfamlp@aol.com.
Suzanne Smith
Che Carico
Elizabeth O’Conner
Donald Box
Susan Faidley
Mae Kile
Sue Leachman
Lin-Fa Lee
Sharon Mease
Sharon Hixon
YMCA Shallowford Road
2/2/08
Che Carico made a correction in the newsletter for the Wednesday Hikers Christmas Reunion Lunch and Dayhike outing. The speaker was Jim Brown, Tennessee River Gorge Trust, not Bill Brown.
Nancy Robinson was not present so the Treasurer’s report was not presented.
Shawn Reese, Cherokee National Law Enforcement Officer, spoke about personal safety in the forest and how to deal with illegal activity if you unexpectedly encounter it on a hike.
• Follow Situational Awareness – be aware of what is happening around you.
• Tell a friend where you are going, what you are wearing and the expected time you will be back.
• Carry the local sheriff’s phone number or the Law Enforcement Officer numbers with you.
• Find out the current information about trailhead ex. Road closures, fires, people hanging out at shelters or on trails.
• Take map, GPS unit and or compass with you on the hike
• Be prepared – bring extra clothes, blanket, food and water.
• Hike with others – stay together when you hike with a group and walk to the slowest person’s pace.
• Park with valuables hidden
• Do not flash money or wallet around in public places
• Carry your ID, emergency phone numbers, medical information (i.e. blood type, allergies, etc.)
• Keep eye on people that may look suspicious on the trail – i.e. city clothes and shoes on, wearing heavy coat during warm weather
• Watch other hikers eyes and hand
• Squatters are homeless people that live in the National Forest. They live in shelters and campgrounds and are generally antisocial and territorial.
Kendra asked the question, “Should we carry weapons? If so, what type? Officer Reese’s response was:
- Guns are not allowed in the National Forest unless it is hunting season and you have a license for it.
- Suggested knowing shelf defense
- Be physically fit
- Look people in the eye when you pass them on a trail
- Pepper spray is OK to carry
- Get Tag numbers of vehicles – especially when you see them committing illegal activities.
- If you see illegal activities occurring contact the Law Enforcement Officer.
Ralph suggested reading the book The Gift of Fear by Galvin Debecker.
Meeting adjourned: 7:47 pm.
Minutes taken by Michelle Anderson, Secretary
YMCA Shallowford Road
10/1/07
The Club Christmas Party will be Friday night, December 7 at Greenway Farms Conference Center in Hixson off Hamill Road. If you want to bring a covered dish and door prizes contact Che Carico mtnhikerche@bellsouth.net or (423) 886-5135.
Caroline Woerner – Tennessee River Rescue for the North Chickamauga River will be held Saturday, October 6, 2007 from 9:00 am. – 1:00 pm.
Kendra Cross – She will have a hike leaders meeting next month and she will send out a meeting notice via e-mail. If you are interested in leading club hikes be sure to attend.
Wayne Chambers – He is leading the Len Foote Hike Inn on Saturday, March 1, 2008. This lodge is located on Springer Mountain near Amicalola Falls in North Georgia. The hike will involve an easy to moderate 5 mile hike to the Inn. He has collected 20 deposits so far and the club has reserved the inn for 40 people. The deposit is $35 per person and another $35 the day of the hike. The total costs of $70 per person covers 2 meals (dinner/breakfast) and board. Check out more information regarding the Len Foot Hike Inn at their website: http://hike-inn.com/default.asp
Nancy Robinson, Treasurer reported that the club has $4,124.52.
Chris and Elizabeth O’Conner did a presentation of photos from their trips to Colorado and Glacier National Park.
Our speaker was Dan Murray who is director of the ER at Parkridge
Hospital. He gave pointers on several types of potential trail hazards.
A few examples are: Keep a snake bite clean and below the heart, do not
use a tourniquet. Get to an ER as soon as possible, but please do not
bring the snake! Insect bites, keep them clean and put ice or a cool pack
on it and take an anti-inflammatory. Sprains, cool them down and elevate.
Do not walk on them, and take an anti-inflammatory.
Che Carico and Laura Rose won the door prizes, which were two issues of
Backpacker magazine. Thank you Jane Seal for the snacks! The meeting
adjourned at 8:20.
reported by:Kendra Cross, Secretary
If you see a bear, remain watchful. Do not approach it. If your presence causes the bear to change its behavior (stops feeding, changes its travel direction, watches you, etc.), YOU ARE TOO CLOSE. Don’t run, but slowly back away, watching the bear. Try to increase the distance between you and the bear. The bear will probably do the same.
If a bear persistently follows or approaches you without vocalizing or paw swatting, try changing your direction. If the bear continues to follow you, stand your ground. If the bear gets closer, talk loudly or shout at it. Act aggressively and try to intimidate the bear. Act together as a group if you have companions. Make yourselves look as large as possible (for example move to higher ground). Throw non-food objects such as rocks at the bear. Use a deterrent such as a stout stick. Don’t run and don’t turn away from the bear. Don’t leave food for the bear; this encourages further problems.
Most injuries from black bear attacks are minor and result from a bear attempting to get at people’s food. If the bear’s behavior indicates that it is after your food and you’re physically attacked, separate yourself from the food and slowly back away.
If the bear shows no interest in your food and you’re physically attacked, fight back aggressively with any available object – the bear might consider you prey!
Help protect others. Report the following incidents to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Region III Office in Crossville, TN at 1-800-262-6704 or TWRA Region IV Office in Morristown, TN at 1-800-332-0900:
Bear lingers in area where people are present
Bear active during the day, near people
Bear feeding on human food or trash
Bear enters dwelling or occupied tent; or causes property damage
Bear that touches or chases humans
Bear that is injured
Bear that is clearly an orphaned cub
The thing is, this trail is also a connector between the Upper Truck Trail and the Lower TRuck Trail. Because of its construction as a foottrail it is off limits to mountain bikes which are permitted on the other two trails. Mountain bikers would, of course, like to be able to make a loop between these two trails.
It is exceedingly difficult to get approval to construct new trail in a National Park as the Benton MacKaye people found out in the Smokies where they were not allowed to construct even a single foot of new trail but had to string together existing trails instead. Therefore discussion around providing this link on Lookout has centered around using the John Smartt Trail and rebuilding or rerouting portions of it to make it suitable for mountain bike use. It would be better if the Park Service could somehow find a way to allow the building of a new connector which could serve for both mountain bikes and emergency vehicles and leave the John Smartt Trail intact.
While the CNF management has managed to identify parcels comprising 3000 acres that will not sigificantly inpact forest use at this point, the money generated by this sale will not all stay in Tennessee. If these lands need to be sold to make forest management easier, then the funds generated should go into a trust fund for the acquisition of some of those parcels that the Forest Service has identified as 'need to acquire' parcels as they become available. Frequently when these needed pieces of land which should be a natural part of the forest become available, the Forest Service is lacking the funds necessary to acquire them. (The Forest Service does not have the right of eminent domain and must wait for these lands to come on the market for sale.)
Our legislators should oppose both the budget item provision and the "National Forest Land Conveyance for Rural Communities Act."
We recognized several hike leaders at the meeting: Jerry Wright has lead over 10 hikes for the club; Boodie Fox has lead 20 hikes, Doug Cooper has lead 30 and Betty Petty has lead 50. We also expressed our appreciation to Betty Petty for all the work she does for the club in editing the newsletter and maintaining the web site. The club had 67 scheduled hikes in 2005: 15 easy, 22 moderate, and 30 strenuous or higher. Twenty-three hike leaders lead hikes. It has been a very good year for the Chattanooga Hiking Club..
A great deal has been acomplished in the two and one-half years that the coalition has been in existence. Awareness and networking between the various clubs has greatly increased with those trail-building clubs involved having gotten a great deal more trail on the ground and the concept of the SE trial network having become more visible to the public.There are now other Coalitions being formed in other regions based on the SEFTC model.
SEFTC was envisioned as a 5-year project by American Hiking Society (AHS) and the National Park Service, and we are currently at the mid-point. While AHS does not have plans to walk away at year 5, the AHS Board of Directors will look at the project in year 4, and determine if the Coalition needs additional assistance. One benchmark that AHS is looking at is whether or not individual memberships in AHS are increasing in the southeast.The more members AHS has, the greater the capability to provide assistance to the Coalition.
After dinner a number of Stakeholders for the Great Eastern Trail (formerly known as Western Appalachian Alternative) held a meeting in the Cochise Lodge, which served as our Dining Hall & Meeting Space throughout the weekend. The Great Eastern Trail is comprised of the Florida Trail, Alabama Pinhoti, Georgia Pinhoti, Cumberland Trail, Pine Mountain Trail, and the Mid-Atlantic Foot Trails Coalition (MAFTC) recently formed to push this trail system up into NY State.
Several working groups were formed on Saturday which presented plans at the Sunday session. These groups all have action items and will continue with meetings to develop plans to bring back to the council at the next session. These are:
Great Eastern Trail (GET) Working Group
Gaps Working Group
Broader Connections Working Group
Outreach & Education Working Group
Coalition Sustainability Working Group
Advocacy Working Group
Trails Illustrated Map - Tellico & Ocoee Rivers (#781)
He will have another book out after Thanksgiving, "Walkin' with the Ghost Whisperers:
Lore and Legends of the Appalachian Trail." - - The release date will be posted on JR's
web site, www.modelt.net , where you can find information about obtaining either or
both books.
As quoted in The Earth Speaks - Van Matre & Weiler 1983
Vice President - Gary Petty
Secretary - Kendra Cross
Treasurer - Donald Box
Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, Membership Database - Betty Petty
Programs - Gary Petty
Membership Information - Chris O'Conner
Trail Maintenance: Ralph Van Pelt
Mail your check for $20.00 to Chattanooga Hiking Club,
P.O. Box 24834, Chattanooga TN 37422.