Carolina Mountain Club

Hike - Save trails - Make friends

December 4, 2009

CMC Calendar

BEAR Hunting Season
Dec. 14 – Jan. 1

Deer Hunting Season
Nov. 23 - Dec. 12

What's Happening In the Next Two Weeks

Two Book Signings at Diamond Brand for Readers and Hikers

Tuesday, Dec. 8th at 7 pm: Book Reading by Bill Hart.
Bill Hart, local author, lifetime hiker, regional historian, contributor to Hiking Trails of the Smokies, and Chair of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, will read from his recently published Three Thousand Miles in the Great Smokies. Bill's love of the Smokies began with day hikes with his father. His book is a compilation of experiences from his many backpacking trips from the mid-sixties to today.

Saturday, Dec. 12th at 2 P.M.: Book signing by Winton Porter, author of the new release Just Passin' Thru.

Winton is a natural born storyteller. Since 2001, he has owned Mountain Crossings, a combination hostel and outfitter shop on the A.T. For every thru-hiker who makes it as far as Mountain Crossings, there is a story. Some are inspirational, some off the wall and down right funny. Winton's book has become a favorite of many Appalachian Trail enthusiasts. Come meet Winton and have him personally sign "Just Passin' Thru," a perfect Christmas gift for the hiker on your list.

For more information about these events, contact Gary Eblen at geblen@diamondbrand.com.

Blue Ridge Parkway Closures

Sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway are already closed because of snow and ice. They will probably stay closed until early spring, affecting certain areas of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

The Parkway information line is 828-298-0398 for road and weather conditions. They update the information every morning, making it a much better source of information than the website.

Put that number on your speed dial. Danny

Other Important News

Crosscut Saw Class

Four members of the Wilderness Crew recently took a two-day class to be certified in the use of crosscut saws, which are necessary for removal of large downed trees in wilderness areas where chainsaws are not allowed.

Left to right in the photo are Nan Needs, Paul Dickens, Gary Eblen, and Kay Shurtleff.

Way to go, hard-hatters!

The Wilderness Crew invites your participation in our every-other Saturday outings. All CMC crews provide tools, training, and fun.

Contact Becky Smucker bjsmucker@gmail.com.

Where the New MST book can be purchased:

A. Club members who have a stock to sell at $12, no tax:

Charlie Ferguson Lake Lure
Ashok Kudva, Hendersonville
Larry Sobel, Waynesville

In the Asheville area:
Lenny Bernstein, Ken Deal, Les Love, Barbara Morgan Becky Smucker, Don Walton

B. General Public price $14.95 plus tax at the following area stores:

Diamond Brand Outdoor, Fletcher
REI at Biltmore Park
Mast General Store, downtown Asheville
Black Dome, Tunnel Road in Asheville
Highland Books in Brevard
Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman
Grateful Steps at 828-277-0998 (our publisher, which is happy to send your order for the above price plus postage)

We are continuing to add retailers as we go.

CMC Hiking Challenges

Congratulation to Ann Houghton on Finishing the Smokies 900

On October 17th, I finished all the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

I finished my hike with Elrose Couric and Sue Hollinger (shown on the right) and Stan Rathbone. It was an 18 mile hike on Thomas Divide and Sunkota and down to Deep Creek. It feels good to have them all done.

I have turned in my paper work for the 900 Miler club. Ann Houghton

Conservation Matters

Meet the Appalachian Trail Conservancy - www.appalachiantrail.org

The photo shows ATC Southeast Region Director Morgan Sommerville, CMC member Marianne Newman, National Forest Service landscape architect Eric Crews, and CMC member Jack Dalton checking out the impact of a proposed NFS project in Harmon Den in April 2008. Our subsequent comments helped to prevent the decommissioning of the Groundhog Creek and Rube Rock trails in this area.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is a non-profit whose sole purpose is protection and management of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) in cooperation with local A.T. volunteers and land-owning agencies. Read the complete story.

Heard on the Ground

Adopt a Section of the A.T.

Allen gap to Log Cabin Road, 1.6 miles

Adopt a Section of the MST

Old Bald Access to Richland Balsam Access, 4.4 miles, section maintainer needs an assistant.

Richland Gap Access to Richland Balsam Access (3 Trees) 1.2 miles.

If you're interested in either the A.T. or MST, email Don Walton.

Maintenance Reports created by Don Walton

Heard on the Trail

Mom Thanks the Smokies - for 35 years

This story is from a Great Smoky Mountains National Park press release, written by Bob Miller, press officer for the Smokies - just a sweet story that I felt was worth reprinting. Danny

On December 3, 1974 Smokies Rangers and a Chinook helicopter crew from Ft Campbell located and rescued Eric Johnson, 15, and friend Randy Laws who had been snowbound for three days at the Tricorner Knob Shelter on the Appalachian Trail.

Every December 3 since then, Eric's mother Wannetta Johnson and his father Harry (now deceased) have shown up at Park Headquarters with the largest and finest Poinsettia plant that their Johnson City florist can provide.

She does this to thank the Park for saving her son's life, and even though she recognizes that nobody involved in that 1974 rescue are still here, she still comes to thank the Park for saving Eric and, symbolically, for saving hundreds of other lost and injured people since then. Rangers who were here for that rescue felt like it was no big deal, just part of the job. But to Wanetta it was huge. Waiting for Wannetta has become a holiday tradition and I know many of you have probably met her over the years when she stops in to deliver her Christmas gift.

This year Eric plans to join her. Since being plucked out of chest-deep snow 35 years ago Eric went on to become a DEA agent and has retired this year

The Small Print

Hiker leaders, please send all your eNews hike reports and photos to Dave Wetmore at dwetmore@citcom.net

So send me your news and maintenance reports by Tuesday evening at 9 P.M. before the newsletter comes out, that is, by Tuesday evening December 15, 2009 to Danny Bernstein at danny@hikertohiker.com. Include your email address at the end of your story. Thank you.

       The CMC Calendar is meant to answer the perennial question "When is this happening again?" It is also meant to prevent conflicts between competing CMC events. Please check it often.

How to join the Carolina Mountain Club
1. Go to www.carolinamtnclub.org
2. Click on “How to Join” (upper-left on web page)
3. Print out the “CMC Application Form”
4. Fill it Out, write a check for your dues and ...5. Mail to CMC, PO Box 68, Asheville NC 28802

        For CMC members only - Send all address and email changes to Marcia Bromberg at mwbromberg@yahoo.com. Do not resubscribe yourself to the eNews. That will be done automatically.

If you are a non-member subscriber, you need to go back to the
CMC home page > News >Subscribe and change it there yourself.