Jun 2003 Newsletter

Each of these new members is eligible for a free dinner at the next Dinner Meeting!

G. S. Luttrell reporting
On May 18th, Kent and Nancy Wilson bagged their 40th peak, Big Catalooche; and, on April 28th, Garry Luttrell bagged Reinhart Knob and Richland Balsam, to complete his South Beyond 6000 forty. Congratulations are in order for these three accomplishments. All ascent routes have been approved, and certificates will be awarded at the next TEHCC Dinner Meeting.

By Mike Morrow
APE's and TEHCC will co-sponsor three clinics this summer; please see the related articles in this newsletter. Please mark the following dates on your calendars:

I am excited to be bringing these courses to you this year. I cannot do this without help from people in the club. I will need assistants to volunteer for the June and August courses. So, please mark your (Students and assistants) calendars today. Watch for registration information in future newsletters.

By Mike Morrow
The 32^nd annual "Canoe School", sponsored by the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club in association with the Appalachian Paddling Enthusiast's (APEs), will be held June 5th, 7th, and 8th. The school is targeted for beginner and novice solo and tandem whitewater canoeists and kayakers, and consists of an evening of lecture and videos plus two days on the water. As in the past there will continue to be a strong emphasis on river safety. Participants will be responsible for providing their own gear and transportation.

Minimum required gear: Whitewater canoe with one paddle per paddler plus one spare per boat and helmet, or a whitewater kayak with paddle, sprayskirt and helmet. One PFD (life jacket) per person. Canoes should have bow and stern lines. All boats must have air bags. Rain jacket. Knee pads. Lunch. Change of clothes in a waterproof bag.

Schedule:	June 5th (Thur)	Lecture and films. 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Eastman Lodge, Room A2 Eastman Recreation Area, near Bays Mountain Park Students must attend this meeting to participate on Saturday.
	June 7th (Sat)	Lake and River Trip, class I-II. 9:00 AM Duck Island Parking Lot Warriors Path State Park, Kingsport, Tennessee Students must participate on Saturday to participate on Sunday.
	June 8th (Sun)	River Trip, class II. 10:00 AM T.B.D.

Note: Instructors reserve the right to exclude anyone if they believe safety will be compromised. Participants must be a member of TEHCC or APEs. Applications will be provided on Thursday night. If you are a member of the American Canoe Association (ACA), please bring your membership card and member number. This will save you $5.00.

Cost: $20.00 per student payable by May 23^rd (make checks out to Mike Morrow, see address below). Plus membership fee, payable at Thursday evening's lecture.

Registration: complete and return the form below and mail it to Mike Morrow by May 23^rd at 1028 Surmont Ct. Kingsport, Tennessee 37660. Feel free to call for more details.

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By Mike Morrow
July 12-13, 2003
The APE's, TEHCC and I are sponsoring a Wilderness First Aid course taught by Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO). The course will be tailored to the needs of the group. That is if the group paddles, hikes, etc. I believe there is a great need for this training in our local paddling, hiking and outdoors enthusiast community. Red Cross First Aid is not enough for the situations we place ourselves in for recreation. Below is an explanation of the course from SOLO's website (www.stonehearth.com).

"Accidents can and do happen on ropes courses, along country roads, or in the backcountry, and all too often members of a group are not capable of dealing with the emergency. Not only does this lead to improper care of the patient, but it also endangers the entire group.

While much of the material appears to be standard emergency care information, the backcountry emphasis with long-term care and evacuation complications makes this course unique. Course material can be somewhat modified to meet the specific needs of a group, i.e. cycling, kayaking, climbing, etc. Since the principles of first aid are taught, this program is really applicable to any emergency situation."

The fee for the course is $115.00. Please make checks payable to Mike Morrow. The fee includes the course registration fee, mailing and travel expenses for the instructor(s). Once I receive your course fee it is not refundable. You are responsible to find a replacement if you cannot attend for any reason. Of course, I will assist you in this situation in any way possible.

The course will be held all day Saturday, July 12th and Sunday July 13th. Plan on an early start and a long day. We will hold the course at the Eastman Lodge in Kingsport, Tennessee. An equipment list and other information will be sent out to each confirmed student about a month prior to the course.

You are confirmed for the course when I receive your payment. Please include the following items with your registration fee:

I look forward to participating in this class with you. I am sure it will be fun and very educational. Obtaining this knowledge is a very important element in safety regardless of the activity you participate in. This information could help save your friends and your own life!

APE's and TEHCC are offering an ACA Format Swiftwater Rescue Course. This is a full weekend course and covers a lot of topics in Swiftwater Rescue tailored to recreational paddlers. This course should be a must take for anyone who regularly paddles our streams and rivers. The course is very physically demanding. So, you must be fit enough to participate. I guarantee that you will be tired and winded even if you think you are in shape.

Location: Saturday's session will be at Eastman Chemical Company's Lodge at Bay's Mountain. Sunday's river location will be determined Saturday and depends on water level.

Description: This is an intensive course involving classroom instruction, dry land practice and in water drills. The topics covered are: Accident Prevention, Rescue Philosophy, Rescue Equipment (ropes, carabineers, pulleys, rescue PFD, etc�), Swimming Skills in rapids (You will learn to ferry, catch eddies and peal out without your boat.), Wading Skills, Rope Handling, Foot Entrapment Release Techniques, Mechanical Advantage, Tag Lines, Stabilization Lines, Zip Lines, Releasing Boat Pins and some useful Knots.

Prerequisites: The course is open to ADULT (18 years old or older) APE and TEHCC members. All paddling skill levels are welcome. Remember, this will not be a paddling weekend. It is a physically strenuous weekend so you must be fit and be able to swim competently. By the way, did I mention we are going to have a lot of fun! You will be amazed how much fun you can have swimming in rapids.

How to Register: Please mail information about yourself (name, address, phone numbers, e-mail) and a check made out to Mike Morrow for the amount of $60.00. My address is: 1028 Surmount Ct., Kingsport, Tennessee, 37660. I am limiting the course to 10 students. I will start a waiting list if needed. If you do not get into the course, I will return your money. You are registered when I receive the items listed above. Also, provide me with information about your paddling history (number of times you paddle per year, do you paddle in the winter or warm weather only, class rivers you paddle). Also, include any health related information I need to be aware of while you are taking the course. I must have your registration information no later than 07/21/03.

About a month prior to the course, I will mail you a packet of information about the course. If you have any questions about the course, feel free to contact me, Mike Morrow, at (423) 245-1201 (evenings before 10:00pm, please) or by e-mail at . I am planning to be on a paddling trip in early August. So, I may not be able to contact you until a week prior to the course.

(From the Mountain Times newspaper, Boone, N.C.) The North Carolina Court of Appeals on April 9 granted the State of North Carolina's Petition for Writ of Supersedeas, once again keeping the controversial Putnam Mine in Avery County shut. The order supersedes a prior order by a Superior Court judge which instructed the Division of Land Resources to restore the mining permit it had revoked two years ago.

By Steve Perri
You may or may not know that ATC monitors rare plants along the Appalachian Trail and relies on volunteers to do the monitoring. With spring approaching, ATC would like to see if we could identify several volunteers who could help with this program.

Doll Flats Springs (Tennessee)
A.T. below the Vista (Tennessee)
Horseridge Gap (Tennessee)
Rich Knob (Tennessee)
Wine Spring Bald (North Carolina)
Wayah Bald (North Carolina)
Lover's Leap (North Carolina)
Roan Mountain - Section 8 (Tennessee)
Standing Indian Shelter (North Carolina)

ATC provides the monitors with information on what plant they are looking for, map and directions to where the plant was last located, and all the necessary forms. We ask that the monitors do at minimum two visits per year and mail us the completed forms as soon after the visit as possible.

So if you have a particular interest in plants or a portion of the Appalachian Trail you would like to monitor, please call the Southern Regional Office at 828-254-3708 or email Amy Carden Dilocker at .

By G. S. Luttrell, 423-239-9854
Now that I've completed the South Beyond 6000 peaks, I'd like to set another hiking goal. I'd like to finish the Allegheny Trail in West Virginia; but, I've always been interested in completing the 900 miles of maintained hiking trails in the Smokies. It's really very simple: all you need to do to receive the patch, certificate, and t-shirt transfers, is to hike all the trails shown on the $1 Trail Map that is sold at the Ranger Stations in the Smokies. I'll be listing many of the hikes in the newsletter, but if you are interested in being on an email list, let me know at , because many of the hiking trips will be unannounced in the newsletter. For further information about the 900 Miler Club, check the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club Website.

V. Hasler reporting on behalf of the Steering Committee
Thanks to the 333 members who took the time to fill out the survey. Overall response rate was 45.6%, which means we have good contact information for roughly half of the club. Strongest interest was expressed in weekend day hikes, equipment rental, backpacking trips, and routine trail maintenance.

The many feedback comments and suggestions were also appreciated. The Steering Committee is still trying to develop a policy for these targeted mailing lists, but some use can be expected soon to help promote specific opportunities.

Winners of the survey promotional items are Lisa Housewright ($50 gift certificate from Mahoney's), Jonathan Carrier ($20 of equipment rental), and Rodney Baker (TEHCC T-shirt).

Konnarock Crew - White Rocks Mountain Relocation - June 5-9 and June 19-23, 2003
Leader: Joe DeLoach (Telephone 423-753-7903)
In 2003 we have four weeks of Konnarock Crew time, two weeks in June, one July, and one August. We will work on several relocations of the Appalachian Trail on White Rocks Mountain. The Konnarock Crew arrives around noon on the Thursdays (June 5 and 19) and works through around noon on the following Mondays. Club volunteers are sought for all those days but especially for the Fridays through Sundays, where we meet in Colonial Heights in the parking lot between McDonald's and the bank at 8:00 AM. Bring lunch, plenty of water, and work gloves. Saturday, June 7 is National Trails Day and we'll commemorate that on the work trip. Volunteers who work at least five days with the Konnarock Crew earn the coveted Konnarock T-shirt. Our Club has been the leader for support of the Konnarock Crew, so let's keep that going in 2003!

National Trails Day is held the first Saturday of each June to celebrate trails, recognize volunteers, and maintain local trails. This is the only national celebration of trails. The theme for the 11th annual National Trails day is "Healthy Trails, Healthy People".

On Saturday, June 7 TEHCC will be sponsoring two events to celebrate National Trails Day, one is a trail relocation and the other is a hike. Come out with us and celebrate Healthy Trails, Healthy People! Each participant in these events will be eligible for a drawing for National Trails Day T-shirts and TEHC Club Patches.

Event A - Appalachian Trail relocation
This outing will involve relocation of a portion of the Appalachian Trail to replace an eroding portion that is steep in some sections and crosses the Laurel Fork drainage several times between Bitter End and White Rocks Mountain. Volunteers will work along side the Appalachian Trail Conference's Konnarock Volunteer Trail Crew to construct new trail. Participants should bring a lunch, water, gloves and rain gear if we're unlucky. Tools will be provided. All participants will be eligible for a drawing for several National Trails Day T-shirts. If you are interested this event, please contact Steve Perri (423-229-1484; ) for more information or meet at the parking lot next to McDonalds in Colonial Heights at 8 am.

Event B - Hike: Little Stoney Creek Falls
We will drive to Hanging Rock Recreation Area, just north of Dungannon, Virginia and hike an easy 2 1/2 mile trail (can be comfortably hiked in tennis shoes) following an old railroad bed to two lovely waterfalls. We'll return by the same route for a roundtrip hike of 5 miles. The lower falls is about 50 feet high and the upper falls is a free fall with a nice, deep pool. Bring your swimming trunks and aqua socks if you want to swim or wade. Wildflowers should be abundant, so bring a camera, if you want. Also, bring lunch, snacks, and water. We'll leave from the parking lot next to McDonalds in Colonial Heights at 8 am, and should return by mid-afternoon. We'll carpool to the trailhead and drivers will need to be reimbursed for gas and a $3 day use fee at Hanging Rock Recreation Area. All participants in this hike will be eligible for a drawing for several National Trails Day T-Shirts and TEHC Club Patches. If you are interested in participating in this event, contact Garry Luttrell (423-239-9854 or ).

Hike Notice: Fun Fest Moonlight Hike at Bays Mountain Park -
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Leader: Steve Falling, phone 423-239-5502
This year, we are again co-sponsoring the Moonlight Hike at Bays Mountain Park. This is a popular Fun Fest event with 300-400 participants taking the 2.5 mile hike around the lake. At least twelve volunteers are needed to count the hikers and keep them on the main trail. Volunteers need to be at the Bays Mountain Park dam at 7:30 pm for instructions. The hiking begins at 8:00 and finishes about 10:00. You should bring a flashlight, good shoes or boots and a raincoat if rain is a possibility. The volunteer with the closest guess of the number of hikers will win a Bays Mountain T-shirt. Please contact Steve Falling to sign up to help or for more info.

ATC Biennial Meeting, July 25 - August 1, 2003
By Steve Wilson
ATC Biennial Meeting - Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
This year's meeting location near the White Mountains in New Hampshire has a lot of promise for mixing trail interests with a family vacation.

Big South Fork Overnight Hike to Charit Creek Lodge, Saturday-Sunday, October 25-26, 2003
Leader: Steve Falling, 239-5502
Rating: Easy to Moderate
The Hiking Club has reservations for 12 overnight visitors to Charit Creek Lodge in the beautiful Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. This park is on the Kentucky-Tennessee border north of Knoxville. We are timing this trip to enjoy the autumn foliage and cooler temperatures. We will hike in on Saturday, spend the night in two 12-person rooms in the lodge and hike back on Sunday. There are several hiking trails to choose from (0.8 to 11 miles one-way). The cost per Big South Fork

person is $62.00. This price covers supper on Saturday, lodging for the night and breakfast on Sunday. We only have reservations for 12, so call in your request before sending money. Here is a little info from their website:

Charit Creek Lodge, located deep in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, is only accessible by horseback, foot or mountain bike. Well-maintained hiking and horse trails lead you through interesting and beautiful places on your way to the lodge. Located where Charit Creek and Station Camp Creek meet, the lodge rests in a beautiful pasture framed by magnificent bluffs. This valley has given shelter to travelers in the Charit Creek Lodge

Big South Fork since the Indian hunting camps. A white hunter, Jonathan Blevins, built the first cabin here in 1817. His log structure still stands as part of the lodge.

Operated as a youth hostel from 1987 until mid 1989, management of the Charit Creek property was awarded to the operators of LeConte Lodge, a renowned wilderness accommodation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The proprietors, Stokely Hospitality Enterprises, under the management of Tim and Lisa Line, have transformed the hostel into a full-service accommodation, while preserving its rustic integrity.

Let the pleasure you get from the wilderness continue long after the sun goes down. Charit Creek Lodge offers congenial accommodations and hearty meals without disturbing the nature you've come to enjoy.
After a true country dinner, sit back in your front porch rocker and see a sky full of stars, listen to the stream, and watch the firefly displays; no hum of machinery or bright electric lights to interfere. Each morning wake to the smell of fresh coffee on the stove.

Hike Report: South Beyond 6000 - Reinhart Knob and Richland Balsam - April 26, 2003
Reported by Kent and Nancy Wilson
Three brave hikers continued their hiking plans in spite of a heavy thunderstorm that rolled through at 6 AM. The rain was intermittent for the drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway and turned to a heavy downpour with hail. However, by the time we spotted cars and started hiking the rain had stopped. There were still patches of hail along the trail. We started hiking at Rough Butt Bald parking area and joined the Mountains to Sea Trail. After about 1.75 miles, we missed a turn in the Middle Prong Wilderness area and took a 1.5 mile round trip down the poorly maintained Middle Prong Trail. We finally found the MST again and continued on to Reinhart Knob. The "short" bushwhack up to the Bear Pen Trail parking area was about 0.5 mile. We then bushwhacked another 0.5 mile to the peak of Reinhart Knob and returned to the parking area at Bear Pen Trail Overlook. We hiked up the parkway to the nature trail on Richland Balsam and returned via the parkway to the Bear Pen Trail Overlook parking area. After many briars, heavy brush and blowdowns, we reached the vehicle at about 8:15 PM after hiking 15.9 miles on what was originally thought to be a 10 mile hike. Zane Perry, Kent and Nancy Wilson made this adventure.

Hike Report: U.S. 19E to Hump Mountain - May 3, 2003
Joe DeLoach reporting
We left Kingsport on the morning of May 3 under threatening skies, but the rain held off and by lunch we were in sunshine on top of Hump Mountain. The group unanimously decided to take the entire 12 mile hike to Hump Mountain and back, and was rewarded with great views at the top. Along the way we counted FORTY species of flowers and flowering trees, with showy orchids probably being the find of the day. This count will be tough to beat on the spring wildflower hikes! We cut several small trees between Doll Flats and Hump and this section is clear of blowdowns. Hikers included Judy Allen, Donna Ashby, Craig DeLoach, Laura Martin, Stephen Orth, Kim Peters, Lucy van der Wolf, and Steve Woody.

Name: Waylon Jenkins
Date: March 22, 2003
Purpose: Annual Maintenance
Section: 12 - Bitter End to U.S. 19E
Location: Bitter End to Walnut Mountain Road
Number: 3
Total Hours: 25
People: Ed Herrington, Waylon Jenkins, Carol Jenkins
Individual Hours: 9 hours (Waylon) + 2x8 (Ed and Carol)
Summary: We performed typical annual maintenance, including pruning, blazing and clearing a few small blowdowns. If we want to keep the "Upper Laurel" field open (about halfway between Bitter End and Walnut Mountain Road), some of the trees need to be cut before they get much bigger.

Name: Carl Fritz
Date: April 22, 2003
Purpose: Dig sidehill trail
Section: 12 - Bitter End to U.S. 19E
Location: Trail North and South of Walnut Mountain Road
Number: 15
Total Hours: 133
People: Paul Benfield, Bill Elderbrock, Hueston Fortner, Carl Fritz, Ed Oliver, Bob Peoples, Seiko, Frank Williams and HIKERS The Stray, Chickenfeet g, Al, Steven SLOW RIDE Birchenough, Flanders, Kevin FREMONT Anderson, and David FREE RADICAL Wolfe
Individual Hours: Seiko 2 hrs + 5x10 hrs (Bill, Hueston, Carl, Ed, Frank) + 9x9 hrs (everyone else)
Summary: With this exuberant group of hikers, we dug 680 feet of sidehill trail! We crossed Walnut Mountain Road and most was north of the road. This first section was officially blazed and opened. Sugar Dog supervised this trail relocation. Also, we installed four additional steps on the blue blazed trail to the Mountaineer Falls tent sites.

Name: Carl Fritz
Date: April 26, 2003
Purpose: Dig sidehill trail on relocation and install bridge
Section: 11 - Dennis Cove Road to Bitter End
Location: At Koonford Bridge and just trail north of Dennis Cove Road
Number: 28
Total Hours: 232
People: Bruce Cunningham, Carl Fritz, Ed Oliver, Bob Peoples, Steve Perri, Jeff Siirola, Jeff Williams, HIKERS Bam Bam, Bumble Bree g, Cobra g, Flasher, Splash, ASU Amber Acheson, Jamie Bare, Karen DeLisle, Shari Galiardi, Erin Harkners, David Hutchison, Rachel Hutto, April McGinnis, Tobey Mitchell, Lindsay Reynolds, Jill Schneider, Telena Snyder, Katie Thomson, and Seth Wood
Individual Hours: 3x2 hours (Bam Bam, Bumble Bree and Flasher) + 2x8 hours (Cobra and Splash) + 3x10 hours (Cunningham, Perri and Siirola) + 20x9 hours (everyone else)
Summary: Thanks to the sixteen Appalachian State University (ASU) students, an exciting and valuable trail day was had by all. The students wanted to do something to recognize Earth Day even though finals are fast approaching. They organized this outing with Bob. With the help of hikers, guests and other club members, we were able to replace the twelve foot bridge across the creek near Dennis Cove Road. The previous bridge was rotting. Also, we were able to dig 180 feet of sidehill trail including a switchback to replace the very steep and slippery approach to the south end of Koonford Bridge. This area had limited mineral soil in places, but a lot of rock work and filling with transported soil made for a good trail. The very lower end of this switchback was in a flat area that was over a foot deep in duff. This part will need to be observed to determine how well it holds up. The rains held off and we had a great time enjoying each others company and learning new skills.

Name: David Gibson
Date: April 28, 2003
Purpose: Install replacement board at Roan High Knob Shelter
Section: 15 - Carvers Gap to Hughes Gap
Location: Roan High Knob Shelter
Number: 2
Total Hours: 9
People: Paul Benfield, David Gibson
Individual Hours: 4 hours (Paul Benfield) + 5 hours (David Gibson)
Summary: David purchased a replacement rough cut board at McClouds to sister an upstairs floor joist (Number 14 from the list.), then proceeded with Paul to the Roan High Knob Shelter. The gate is now open, and the weather was picture perfect up top. We met many, many hikers, had an enjoyable afternoon, and accomplished the task at hand without too much difficulty.

Name: David Gibson
Date: April 29, 2003
Purpose: Work on Campsite near Mountaineer Falls
Section: 12 - Bitter End to U.S. 19E
Location: Mountaineer Falls Campsite
Number: 5
Total Hours: 47
People: Robin Fought, David Gibson, and hikers Switchback, Lemming, and Truckin.
Individual Hours: 2x10 hours (Robin and David) + 3x9 hours (everybody else)
Summary: We peeled over a dozen log steps and crib logs and installed them on the access trail up to the campsite, mined soil to even things out, and dug about 150 feet of sidehill. The weather was incredible, and we enjoyed speaking with the large number of thru-hikers making their way through the area today.

Name: Bruce Cunningham
Date: April 29, 2003
Purpose: Relocate the trail Bitter End North
Section: 11 - Dennis Cove Road to Bitter End
Location: Just north of road at Bitter End
Number: 14
Total Hours: 103
People: Bruce Cunningham, Frank Williams, Ed Oliver, Darrol Nickels, Hueston Fortner, Paul Benfield, Bob Peoples, John Bryant, HIKERS Steppen Wolf, Digger, E Dogg, Hover, Strappy, Idaho
Individual Hours: 8 hours (Cunningham, Williams, Oliver, Nickels, Fortner) + 9X7 hours (everyone else)
Summary: Installed 320 feet of relocated trail about 1/4 mile north of Bitter End.

Name: Bruce Cunningham
Date: May 3, 2003
Purpose: Prepare A.T. for Damascus "hard core" work
Section: 11 - Dennis Cove Road to Bitter End
Location: Just north of Bitter End road
Number: 9
Total Hours: 65
People: Bruce Cunningham, Ed Oliver, Paul Benfield, Bob Peoples; Thru Hikers Riff Raff, Tyler,
Scuba Man, Granite, Quiet Man Jim
Individual Hours: 8 hours (Ed Oliver and Bruce Cunningham) + 7x7 hours (everyone else)
Summary: Continued preparation of new trail for Damascus "hard core" work days -- almost back to connection with current trail with clearing/cutting/etc.---ready for digging!!!!!!!!!

Name: Richard Colberg
Date: May 3, 2003
Purpose: Routine Spring Maintenance
Section: Other
Location: Sections 1 and 2 -- Damascus to McQueens Gap
Number: 4
Total Hours: 36
People: Richard Colberg, Steve Perri, Steve Wilson, Jeff Siirola
Individual Hours: 4 people x 9 hours
Summary: We lopped, clipped weeds, cut a couple of small blowdowns, and painted blazes northbound from McQueens Gap to Damascus P.O. (blazed both directions between Damascus and 0.75 mi south of Backbone Rock, thanks to Jeff Siirola). During the last half of the trip, we were treated to several flame azalea and encountered several rumbling thundershowers (fortunately just showers, not storms, although some of the lightning was uncomfortably close). The sun broke out again at the end of the trip. Several (mostly short, less than 30 yards each) sections of trail need some sidehill work: 1, 2.2, 2.7 (old blowdown), 4.0 (50-100 yards of sidehill) and 4.3 miles N of Abingdon Gap Shelter, and 0.1 mile N of Backbone Rock trail junction (distances estimated from hiking time).

Name: Steve Banks
Date: May 3, 2003
Purpose: Routine Spring Maintenance
Section: 3 - Abingdon Gap Shelter to U.S. 421 (Low Gap)
Location: North and south of McQueens Gap
Number: 1
Total Hours: 7
People: Steve Banks
Individual Hours: 7
Summary: Along for the ride to McQueens Gap were Steve Perri, Steve Wilson, and Richard Colberg. After they headed north towards Damascus (see previous report), I followed along, cutting weeds. Hikers at Abingdon Gap Shelter reported that rain had dripped through the roof; I will try to fix that on a future trip. Otherwise, the shelter and the blue-blazed trail to the spring are in good shape. I returned to my truck for lunch, picked up a bag of trash at McQueens Gap, and then cut weeds trail south. In most years the weeds would be knee-high by now; there were numerous green briars in the south end of my section, but otherwise there were few weeds. I was finished by 2pm, and was fortunate to miss a cloudburst later that afternoon.

Name: Bruce Cunningham
Date: May 8-11, 2003
Purpose: Represent TEHCC at ATC Strategic Planning Conference
Section: Other
Location: Harpers Ferry , West Virginia
Number: 1
Total Hours: 44
People: Bruce Cunningham
Individual Hours: 44 hours (Bruce Cunningham)
Summary: Drove to Harpers Ferry and represented club at three day ATC Strategic Planning Conference

Name: Steve Perri
Date: May 10, 2003
Purpose: Maintenance and Blowdown Clearing
Section: 11 - Dennis Cove Road to Bitter End
Location: White Rocks to Moreland Gap
Number: 2
Total Hours: 20
People: John Thompson, Steve Perri
Individual Hours: 10 hours each
Summary: John and I drove to within 0.5 mile of the Canute Place and hiked trail north to cut out a blowdown on the road to the firetower. We then drove down the Forest Service road to access Moreland Gap from the drainage. We picked the drainage that we thought was the right one but was actually about 0.5 mile south. So when we got to the trail by bushwhacking, we had to hike only about 300 yards to remove the next reported blowdown which took some time. We then hiked trail north clipping and polishing up blazes. We hiked to the shelter, checked it out and it was ok. The log book still had empty pages. We hiked trail north clipping until we reached the last reported blowdown almost at the high point of White Rocks Mountain. We decided to walk out the Moreland Gap drainage so we could make note of its location. On the way out we encountered a copperhead which we gave plenty of leeway. A dozen or so hikers headed north, most planning on staying at Kincora, appreciated the work from the club.

Name: Carl Fritz
Date: May 13, 2003
Purpose: Dig sidehill trail on relocation
Section: 11 - Dennis Cove Road to Bitter End
Location: Trail North of Bitter End
Number: 13
Total Hours: 120
People: Bruce Cunningham, Hueston Fortner, Ed Oliver, Bob Peoples and HIKERS Baltimore Jack, Brent, Amy g, Blaze, Kam g, Miracle Mike, Eli, Woods, and Sarge. This is a new Sarge for the database.
Individual Hours: 3x10 hours (Bruce, Ed, Hueston) + 9x9 hrs (everyone else)
Summary: Continued work on trail relocation preparation for Damascus Hard Core. Bruce, Ed and Hueston completed cutting out the relocation. Bob and the hikers did yeomen work by building 200 feet of trail through rock.

Name: Carl Fritz
Date: May 18-19, 2003
Purpose: Trail Relocation by Damascus Hard-Core
Section: 11 - Dennis Cove Road to Bitter End
Location: Just trail north of Bitter End
Number: 71
Total Hours: 1,034
People: Paul Benfield, Bruce and Mary Cunningham, Craig and Joe Deloach, Hueston Fortner, Carl Fritz, Garry Luttrell, Ed Oliver, Bob Patterson, Bob and Pat Peoples, Steve Perri, Kim Peters, Seiko, Frank Williams, Steve Wilson, HIKERS Aaron Basler, "Baltimore Jack", Mike Bird, Chris Blaylock, E Jolene Koby and Frank Burley, Sarah Burtis, "Chim Chim", Mike Cmejla, Doug Corkhill, Noah Derman, Shira DeVane, Alex Duron, Alison Evans, Taryn Friedman, Jeff Glenn, Annie Gloecker, Jason Goodman, "Goosebump", "Granite", Paul Gribben, Kevin Haggerty, Aaron Hatalsky, Sara Henry, "Diggor Dave Inkpen", Kevin Jones, Mike Kanarick, Liz Kleinberg, Tom Kowalik, Franklin LaFond, Jason Lee, Stephen Long, Scott Louis, Jamie MacLennan, Carrie May, Patrick McGowan, Becky and Lewis Moyers "Never Again" and "Camo", Taro Narahashi, "Otto" and dog "Raven", Killeen Paton, "Pokey", Laura Proctor, Rebecca Rossi, Jill Sandiford, Erica Thatcher, Julie and Steve Veilleux, Greg Walter, Kam and Mike Watkins, Dan Winter, and Sarah Woodruff
Summary: In spite of the rainy weather predictions, we had fair weather and a great 3rd annual Damascus Hard-Core work trip. The two days of work involved 71 individuals for over 1,000 hours. Seventeen were TEHCC members or program affiliates. The remaining 54 were enthusiastic volunteer hikers. They came for work and work they did! There were many rhododendrons and short terrain dips that contained over two feet of duff. Duff became a new addition to the hiker vocabulary. They even created Mr. Duff using duff as the head, soda cans as eyes and a rain jacket and pants for the body.

The hikers persisted by installing log and rock cribbing and back filling with dirt. The terrain succumbed. Camo led an onslaught on a long, marshy stream crossing during the two days. With the help of a cable hoist/puller, they created a virtual boulevard across the stream using nearby rocks.

Many hikers gained a new appreciation for hiking trails and the amount of work required for building them. By the end of the second day even many of these conditioned hikers were dragging. However, toiling together we built 2000 feet of trail on difficult terrain.

Eastman Chemical Company graciously supplied two 15-passenger vans for transporting many of the hikers from and back to Damascus as well as to the hostels at night. Kim Peters, Steve Perri and Garry Luttrell expertly drove these vans. The vans together with the truck of Bob and the motor home of Camo provided the bulk of the transportation for the hikers and their packs.

Thanks to Camo and Never Again, cold soft drinks were distributed throughout both days. Sunday evening we detoured to Shook Branch to feast on barbecue, baked beans, salad, and strawberry shortcake graciously supplied primarily by Bruce and Mary Cunningham and prepared by Mary Cunningham and Pat Peoples. A highlight Sunday evening was Steve Perri presenting the TEHCC Stan Murray award to Bob Peoples for his exemplary service to the A.T. and recruitment of the many trail volunteers.

Monday evening we retreated to Kincora Hostel for lasagna, tossed salad, bread and a table full of desserts. Thanks go to Baltimore Jack and Pat Peoples for preparing this scrumptious meal. Seiko supplied his famous chocolate cheesecake. Southbounders Goosebump and Chim Chim, prepared the tossed salad. Bob capped the evening by distributing the coveted Damascus Hard-Core patches. Those who had worked multiple years received rocker patches.

Steve Wilson took these pictures on Sunday, May 18, 2003 during Hardcore. Click on the small photo or link to see a full size photo.

	Gathering at the Damascus Post Office (125KB).
	Getting organized (117KB).
	Ed Oliver provides instructions (114KB).
	Rolling a root ball off the trail during construction (165KB).
	Duff Man (107KB).
	Steve Perri and Bob Peoples award patches and pins to Hardcore participants (92KB).
	Food line (86KB).
	Crowd (84KB).
	Bob Peoples receiving the Stan Murray Award from Steve Perri. The Stan Murray Award is the highest award bestowed by TEHCC (85KB).
	Bob Peoples gives a short speech after receiving the Stan Murray Award (86KB).
	Bob Peoples shows off his award (84KB).

Garry Luttrell took these pictures during Hardcore. Click on the small photo or link to see a full size photo.:

	Vehicles (162KB).
	Group photo (151KB).
	TEHCC members Ed Oliver, Bruce Cunningham, and Bob People (74KB).
	Eastman van and thru hiker Hardcore participants at Bob and Pat People's Kincora hostel in Dennis Cove (139KB).