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The members at the Annual Banquet almost unanimously voted in the increase from $12 to $20 for individual members and $30 for family members. Dues paid between now and December 31 are accepted at the old $12 rate for individual or families. Dues already paid for next year at the $12 rate are effective for the whole 2005 year at the $12 rate. The new $20/$30 rates will be effective for all dues paid after January 1, 2005.

I personally thank everyone who supported this change. This will be good for our club. Don Walton

The 2004 Annual Meeting of the Carolina Mountain Club was held at the Grove Park Inn on Saturday, November 6, 2004. 123 people attended. Don Walton, President, presided. The meeting was called to order at 8:00 p.m.

The following visitors were introduced: • Dan Brown, Superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and his wife Linda • Matthew Davis, Southern Region ATC Staff, and his wife Stacy • Peter Irvine, Appalachian Trail Project Office Trail Coordinator • Mari Omland, ATC Director of Conservation • Marianne Skeen, Vice Chair for the Southern Region of the ATC Board of Managers • Morgan Sommerville, ATC Director for the Southern Region, who was the guest speaker • Dave Startzell, Executive Director of the ATC • Pam Underhill, Manager of the Appalachian Trail Project Office

Recognition of Long Term Members. Four members additional have reached 25 years with CMC: John and Tamara Bliss, John and Jean Bowers, Jon Mackey and Alys Monitto. We now have 57 members who have belong to CMC for 25 years or longer, including six who have belonged for 50 years or longer.

Recognition of Hike Schedulers. On behalf of the Club, Don Walton recognized the contribution of Ken and Carol Deal who have retired as Wednesday hike schedulers, and thanked Bruce Bente, Pat Elias, Ann Gleason, Paula McNabb and Paula Robbins, our current hike schedulers.

Recognition of Trail Crew Leaders. On behalf of the Club, Don Walton thanked Piet Bodenhorst, Dick Johnson, Les Love and Bill Newton, our Trail Crew leaders.

5. Award of Appreciation. Carroll Koepplinger, Chair of the Awards Committee, presented two awards. The first was to Elisabeth Feil in recognition of here many years of service to CMC as Club President, Membership Chair, as a hike leader, and as source of information about local wildflowers. The second was to Don Walton, who is completing three years as Club President; has created and maintained the Club’s website, weekly e-newsletter and trail maintenance data base; coordinated the club’s efforts on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail; and is an active trail maintainer.

6. Distinguished Service Award. Carroll Koepplinger, Chair of the Awards Committee, presented a Distinguished Service Award to Howard McDonald in recognition of the work he has done in designing and leading the construction of the new Roaring Fork Shelter, and in organizing the workshops for the 2005 ATC Biennial Meeting.

Challenge Awards. Dave Wetmore, Chair of the Challenge Programs Committee, recognized four CMC members who completed the South Above 6000 Challenge (climbing all 40 of the 6000 foot peaks in the Southern Appalachians): Linda Beja, Jack Jenkins, Tom McDonald, and Jim Pence; and the five members who completed the Pisgah 400 Challenge (hiking the 400 miles of trail on the Pisgah Ranger District map): Larry Edward, Jack Fitzgerald, Tom Sanders, Jim Tanquary, and Dave Wetmore.

Volunteer of the Year Award. Gerry McNabb, CMC Vice-President, presented Ed Dunn with the American Hiking Society’s Volunteer of the Year Award for North Carolina, in recognition of his many year’s of work as a trail builder and maintainer.

Membership Report. Lenny Bernstein, Membership Chair, reported that CMC now has 598 members, and increase of 55, or 10%, from last year’s Annual Meeting. He thanked the membership for the efforts in building membership.

2005 ATC Biennial Meeting. Lenny Bernstein, CMC’s member on the Steering Committee for this meeting, announced that the meeting would be held on July 1-8, 2005 at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. CMC is responsible for organizing workshops and excursions for the meeting, and for leading some hikes. He thanked Howard McDonald, who is organizing the workshops; Tommie Boston, who is organizing the excursions; and Bruce Bente, who organized CMC’s contribution to the hike schedule. He also asked for volunteers to lead excursion and hikes and to staff the desk that will handle sign-ups for workshops and excursions.

Treasurer’s Report. Carroll Koepplinger, CMC Treasurer, presented the current status of the Club’s finances and projections for year-end. These showed that 2004 expenditures would exceed 2004 income by a small amount. Discussion of the 2005 budget was deferred until a decision on dues for 2005 was taken.

AT Report. Howard McDonald, presented a report on the Club’s activities on AT maintenance. The major activity has been building a new Roaring Fork Shelter. The work is proceeding, and Howard expressed hope that the shelter would be complete in time to be shown-off during the 2005 ATC Biennial meeting. Howard reported that the 92 miles of AT that the Club maintains suffered relatively little damage from this Fall’s series of hurricanes. Howard also reported that Club members provided a total of 15, 653 hours of maintenance work; 4,539 hours on the AT, 7,240 on the MST, and 3,874 hours on other trails. At the $16.54 that the Forest Service uses for calculating the value of volunteer work, this effort was worth $258,909.

MST Report. Don Walton presented the MST report. Unlike the AT, the MST suffered significant damage from the hurricanes. Trail crews have removed between 900 and 1000 downed trees. The effort concentrated first on the 18 miles of the Shut-In Trail section, to clear that section for the annual foot race, which this year was held on November 5. Work is proceeding on building the section of the MST between Balsam Gap and Heintooga Road. Four miles of trail have been completed and approval has been received for the remainder of the route. Discussion are underway on approval of the route between Heintooga Road and Mingus Mill, which would be the last link on the MST in Western North Carolina. Don expressed confidence that in a few years the MST would be complete from Clingman’s Dome to Linville Gorge. 171 people, including 102 section maintainers, worked on CMC’s portion of the MST during 2004. CMC member Jorge Muñoz received the award for most hours worked on the MST in 2003, and CMC member Dick Johnson received the award in 2004.

Nomination of 2005 Officers. John Pawcio, Chair of the Nominating Committee, which also included Sara Davis, D.R. Kulp, Bill Newton and Tom Sanders, presented the following slate of nominees for CMC Council for 2005: President - Gerry McNabb Vice-President - Lenny Bernstein Secretary - Dave Wetmore Treasurer - Carroll Koepplinger Councilors - Bruce Bente Piet Bodenhorst Ruth Hartzler Mischa Lazer Les Love Stuart Tauber. The slate was unanimously elected. John thanked outgoing members of the Council, Linda Blue, Bill Ross, and Don Walton, for their work on behalf of the Club.

Dues Increase. Carroll Koepplinger presented a proposal to increase CMC annual dues to $20 for individuals and $30 for families, effective January 1, 2005, in response to increased costs and the fact that for several years the Club had been running a deficit. The proposal was passed by voice vote.

2005 Budget. Carroll Koepplinger introduced a proposed 2005 budget, based on the new dues structure, which envisioned income of $13,250 and expenditures of $13,150. The budget was unanimously adopted.

By-Laws Change. Gerry McNabb introduced a proposal to amend the CMC by-laws by adding the following sentence: “The immediate past President may serve as a Councilor ex officio.” to the article dealing with Officers and Council. The proposal was unanimously adopted.

Adjournment. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. It was followed by a talk by Morgan Sommerville, Regional Director of the ATC, titled: “We Have Come a Long Way, Benton,” in which he described Benton McKaye’s 1921 vision for the AT and how the AT has evolved since that vision was articulated.

Pictured from left to right are Don Walton, ex officio councilor; Misha Lazer councilor; Carroll Koepplinger, treasurer; Ruth Hartzler, councilor; Gerry McNabb, president; Lenny Bernstein, vice president; Stuart Tauber, councilor; Dave Wetmore, councilor; Bruce Bente, councilor; Les Love, councilor; Piet Bodenhorst, councilor. Speaker at the meeting was Morgan Sommerville.

Do you ever wonder why your legs get sore at the beginning and sometimes throughout your time on the trail? One reason is that we spend the majority of our time on flat earth. Because of the fact, we have developed an instability in our foot and ankle biomechanics. Simple put, we are not standing on a solid foundation. If this is a concern of yours and you would like to know how you might change the stability of your foot and ankle, we invite you to join us to discuss “Active Ankles.” Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation (SEFR) and Diamond Brand Outfitters (DBO) are hosting this educational clinic on Tuesday, November 30th. The clinic will begin between 7:00pm and will be hosted at DBO. DBO is located in Arden on Hendersonville Road, about a mile south of the Airport Rd/ Hendersonville Rd intersection. Food and drinks will be provided (not a sit down dinner). There will be 2 speakers:

Wesley Miller (PT of SEFR) will be briefly discussing ankle anatomy and the importance of having a strong and balanced ankle.

David Burns (Head of Footwear at DBO) will teach us about wearing proper footwear on the trail and on the street and how this pertains to injury prevention.

Both speakers encourage questions and discussions following the talks. Between food, speakers, and discussion, the clinic will run about 1 ½ hours or less. There will be discounts on footwear and door prizes for those who attend.

We hope that with a little knowledge and a few simple exercises for the fall and Winter seasons, you will see the miles fly by underfoot! We hope to see you there! Matt McLean Marketing Director @ Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation

Your services are SO AWESOME! I have just moved to Asheville and started going to UNCA, and I don't feel like I'm quite ready to take backpacking trips on my own. I need a little bit more group experience, and that is exactly what the CMC provides. FOR FREE! I am so enamored with the Club; you are so well-organized and you offer an awesome service to people. I would love to help with trail work, and I will be contacting Piet Bodenhorst tomorrow. I am so excited about the coming hikes! this is great! thank you so much, you've really helped out a newcomer to Asheville. all my thanks, Nina Collins

Annual awards celebrate trail clubs, businesses, and volunteer and professional trail advocates Silver Spring, MD – American Hiking Society is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s annual awards. The awards, which recognize trail clubs, trail-friendly businesses, and professional and volunteer trail advocates, will be presented at local ceremonies over the next twelve months. The awards and this year’s winners are: • AHS Business Partner Award, recognizing businesses that have supported American Hiking Society and its programs, presented to Sue Dodge Creative Services for its long-time enthusiastic support of American Hiking Society’s publications and our mission.

• AHS Trail Achievement Award, recognizing trail organizations for their work to complete a trail project, presented to the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, for persevering over a 10-year period to secure Forest Service approval to extend the Benton MacKaye Trail 85 miles through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, and an additional 90+ miles through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• Bill Wilcox Award, recognizing a young adult whose work has significantly improved hiking trails in his community, presented to Jeff Brewer, age 28, president of the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, who has worked tirelessly to construct the 950-mile Mountains to Sea Trail, which spans North Carolina.

• Butch Henley Award, recognizing an outstanding career of a trail professional, presented to Dave Startzell, executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conference for almost 20 years, whose work embodies not only a life-long commitment to completing and protecting the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail, but to all national hiking trails.

• Glenn T. Seaborg National Public Leadership Award, recognizing prominent citizens and public officials at the national level who have shown a special interest in trails, presented to Dennis Madsen, CEO of REI, who is a true trails champion, one who has inspired his employees, competitors and scores of outdoor industry members to “do the right thing” and support trails organizations across America.

• Jim Kern Award, recognizing outstanding service and commitment to American Hiking Society, presented to Bill Kemsley, one of the original founders of American Hiking Society who went on to serve on the Board of Directors for many years, and two as President.

• Richard Douthit Public Service Award, recognizing exemplary service by an employee of a trail managing agency in the field, presented to Tammy McCorckle, Park Ranger Supervisor of Greenbrier State Park in Maryland, for her work over the past three years to improve the environmental problems at Annapolis Rocks, called the “single most environmentally impacted spot on the Appalachian Trail.”

Award nominations are compiled year-round and the American Hiking Board of Directors votes on the winners during the fall board meeting. For more information about the American Hiking Society Awards, including a complete listing of previous recipients, visit www.americanhiking.org/inside/awards/index.html . American Hiking Society is a recreation-based conservation organization dedicated to establishing, protecting and maintaining the nation’s footpaths. American Hiking’s members include hikers and hiking organizations, and we serve as the voice of the American hiker. # # #

Start planning your 2005 vacation now and enjoy the savings. If you sign up now for one of our early 2005 trips you will pay the current price of $80. (There will be a modest price increase after November 15.) We have just posted our early winter-spring Volunteer Vacations schedule at www.americanhiking.org/events/vv/index.html . Click on the link under Early Bird Special for available trips. For the full 2005 schedule check back on our web site in mid November. You may also sign up for one of several great opportunities we have left for the 2004 season including projects in Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and Ohio. If you have questions about the program send an email to Shearn@AmericanHiking.org or call 1-800-972-8608, ext. 206.

One of the tastiest holidays is quickly approaching, so I thought it'd be interesting to find out a little more about how Thanksgiving was actually added to our calendar of yearly celebrations.

As you remember from Thanksgiving pageants in kindergarten, the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. This was a milestone for these early settlers who were adapting to a new land, having to learn about new foods, and accepting the help of the local natives. The celebration resembled an English harvest festival and lasted three days. The date is up for debate, but most historians believe that it took place between September 21st and November 9th.

The festival was largely forgotten for a number of years until George Washington declared a national day of prayer and thanksgiving for November 26th, 1789. Again, this was a one-day affair. For several years, if Thanksgiving was celebrated at all, it was on a localized basis with several states and communities proclaiming days of thanksgiving.

In the mid 1800s, magazine editor Sarah J. Hale began an editorial and letter-writing campaign to have a national day of thanksgiving. Her dream became a reality when the nation was immersed in the Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be a national day of Thanksgiving. In ensuing years, the date has been proclaimed by every president since. The day was recognized as a legal holiday by Congress in 1941 and established as the fourth Thursday in November.

Did you know that it is customary for the president to grant a pardon on the eve of Thanksgiving each year? In a White House ceremony, the president issues a reprieve to a lucky turkey each year, thus saving him from the roasting pan. After the ceremony, the turkey is taken to Kidwell Farm at Frying Pan Park, in Herndon, Virginia. There he joins other farm animals recreating farm life as it was from the 1920s through the 1940s.

Thanksgiving is one of the most universal and oldest of human celebrations. As we draw closer to the holiday, take a few minutes...or a little longer...to be thankful for our many blessings. We truly have much to be thankful for.

Hi, my name is Graham Averill--I'm an associate editor at Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. I'm working on an article about the fundamental nature of hiking, and I was wondering if you could help me out. Basically, I'm wondering how you define "hiking." Specifically, I'm wondering if you think a very short, like .5 mile nature walk, is really a hike. Or if there has to be a greater distance covered before you would call it a "hike." For example, a .25 mile trail is just a walk in the woods, but a 25 mile trail is a hike. Does that make any sense? Of course, this is all a matter of opinion. I'm just trying to get the perspective of a hiking club member. Thanks for your help. Graham Averill Associate Editor Blue Ridge Outdoors

Crazy at is sounds, I tend to think of a "hike" not so much in terms of distance, but in location and elevation change. For example, if I walked from Kingsport to Knoxville, I would likely say I "walked", mostly because I would do most of the traveling along roadways. If, however, I took off-road trails over hills and mountains to the same location, I would likely say I "hiked". Also, if a .25 mile path went straight up the side of a hill, then I will likely say I hiked the trail, where as a 1 mile path that is relatively flat is more of a "walk". How about this: if you have to put on your hiking boot/shoes to do it, then it is an official "hike".

I would define hike in terms of "communion with nature" and focusing on the "journey rather than the goal"; so, to me it wouldn't be in terms of time, distance, or location. A toddler could take a small step, or crawl, and notice a wildflower or insect, and would be hiking. A person who tries to set a new record for hiking the South Beyond 6000 peaks in the Smokies and does not "stop and smell the roses" to me isn't hiking.

This past week-end 23 CMC hikers, trail maintainers and chainsaw certified sawyers participated in a sixteen-hour Wilderness First Aid course. The course was taught by three instructors trained by SOLO www.soloschools.com from their Southeastern region www.landmarklearning.org . The training was intensive, fast-paced, practical and fun.

Wilderness First Aid is needed when an accident occurs more than an hour from medical care. The techniques we learned were different from those used in Street First Aid for several reasons.

A. There is no true access to 911. For example, even if you had a cell phone and reached someone via 911, where are they located? Would street rescue squads know how to get to Big Bald on the AT or Snowball in Pisgah? How quickly would they come?

C. The terrain is always a challenge, whether you are staying in place or evacuating the patient.

D. You need to work with what you have. This is why a good First Aider may be better than a qualified medical person. Doctors and nurses work with known procedures and equipment.

E. Finally, and sometimes most challenging, the leader has to think about how to handle the rest of the group. On the street, you can tell onlookers to leave.

Armed with these differences, we learned how to assess a patient and a situation before jumping into a solution. We splinted each other’s arms, legs and ankles. We stopped imaginary bleeding and cleaned out make-believe wounds. We practiced the management of spinal cord injuries. We learned how to use everything we might have in our packs: extra clothing, hiking sticks, bandannas. Since instructors were all outdoor enthusiasts, they came up with realistic hiking scenarios.

Like most knowledge, WFA knowledge is “use it or lose it”. However, unlike most knowledge, you do not want to have to use it. Hence the need to retake the course every two years. I have taken the course five times. Each time I learn something new and each time, the philosophy of WFA changes a little.

Ideally, every CMC member who goes into the woods should be WFA certified. A more modest goal is for every hike leader, trail maintainer and crew member to take the course. The Forest Service requires a very short First Aid course for its certified sawyers, not necessarily Wilderness First Aid. Even requiring that level of understanding is meeting resistance. There is always the concern about requiring too much from our active and involved members. What are your thoughts on needing WFA? Let’s start a dialog. Let me know and I will gather your comments (with your name or anonymously) for the CMC e-mail newsletter. Danny Bernstein danny@hikertohiker.org

Blue Ridge Parkway wants to build a Visitor Center

The Blue Ridge Parkway received funding to evaluate building a Visitor Center in our area. First the only site they were considering was at Hemphill Knob, where they have their headquarters. This site is only two miles from the Folk Art Center. After the first public comment session, there was so much concern from the members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild that they added two more alternatives at the Folk Art Center site. This shows that they are paying attention to the public. I attended the second comment session on Tuesday Nov. 9. I spoke as a member of the Carolina Mountain Club, the club that maintains the MST. I stated two concerns: (a) the cinema, marketing center, interpretive center in the Visitor Center would overshadow the real thing, i.e. the scenery and the trail. (b) the building needs to be staffed by professional rangers. Right now, most of the Parkway volunteers at the Folk Art Center know very little about the MST.To see the four alternatives and to comment, go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov select the Blue Ridge Parkway select Document and Links You will then be able to look at the alternatives and then make comments. If this turns out to be confusing, write to them at: Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway, 199 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, NC 28803 Danny Bernstein

American Hiking Society invites you to participate in our annual Hike the Hill: Trails Advocacy Week, scheduled for February 27 - March 2, 2005, a pivotal time in the federal budget cycle. Congress needs to hear from you about the issues that affect your trails and trails nationwide.

Advocacy Week includes sessions on policy issues, training in lobbying and advocacy skills, a lobby visit debriefing, and an event on Capitol Hill. Training takes place on Sunday, February 27 and participants begin lobbying on Monday, with the rest of the time devoted mostly to your congressional meetings. We offer guidance for scheduling these appointments once you register. Our advocacy efforts for 2005 will focus on full funding for trails and recreation management within the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management and other trail-related legislation and policies. American Hiking Society’s Board of Directors invites all Advocacy Week participants to a reception and silent auction on Saturday evening, February 26 to welcome you.

Advocacy Week 2005 will take place at the Quality Hotel Courthouse Plaza, located at 1200 N. Courthouse, Arlington, VA (just outside of Washington, DC), near the Courthouse Metro station. Room rates are $109/$129 for single/double occupancy, and all rooms have a microwave and small refrigerator. For reservations, call 1-888-987-2555 by February 4 and refer to American Hiking Society and code “HIKIN” to get the group rate.

You are the best advocate for trails and hiking, familiar with the health, economic, environmental, and cultural benefits of trails and hiking in your community and your state. The efforts of Advocacy Week participants over the years have contributed to notable funding increases for a number of the national scenic and historic trails and increased funding and awareness for hiking trails and recreation programs across the nation. Advocacy Week helps increase the credibility and capabilities of trail organizations and advocates through strengthened relationships with congressional and federal agency staff. Network with trail leaders from around the country about critical trail funding and policy issues and learn how to create longer-term positive relationships with legislators and decision makers after you return home. Organizations that have participated consistently over several years and with more than one person attending have benefited enormously.

Feel free to contact me (301-565-6704 x 205, cmontorfano@americanhiking.org with any questions. We hope to see you at this important event.