January 2008		www.tehcc.org

For an explanation of the ratings, see either Hiking Schedule or Paddling Schedule.

TEHCC Rental Equipment: HT-3/4/5/8 – Eureka Timberline Tents

HT-8 is the classic two person “scout” tent – green A-frame with aluminum poles. Good for ten plus years with normal use, thus a bargain at $100 (plus shipping). This one has the optional $35 vestibule, thus able to leave those stinky hiking boots and the mud outside. As you can see in the below picture, two people can fit with their sleeping pads and the backpacks/gear outside. For teenage boys, the packs could also fit inside. At almost eight pounds total weight, the load should be split up between two packs (poles, stakes, and groundcloth by one person, while the other has the tent, fly, and vestibule).

HT-3/4/5 are then the larger four person version of the same design. Only HT-5 has the vestibule to provide extra storage. The layout is for four people to sleep side-to-side or as generally used three people end-to-end with some gear inside. The weight is pound and half above the two person model for the extra space.

The Timberline design is quickly assembled into a free-standing tent. The three-section aluminum poles are on shock cords, as is the center four-piece span. There are two loose pole rods for the fly. The vestibule is held in place with couple extra stakes.

If coming back from a sometimes normal scouting event (rain!), please call Bldg 310 to arrange an extra day or two to hang or set up a tent to let it dry out (even if just from a heavy morning dew!) Please also return the stakes outside of the carrying bag as these are stored separately to avoid damage to the tent.

TEHCC Welcomes New Members

Jon Campbell

Roger Holbrook

Shirley Massengill

Gordon Strickling

New members are eligible for a free dinner at the next Dinner Meeting.

Scheduled Hiking, Paddling and Trail Maintenance Opportunities (Future)

Ramesy's Cascades (S900M), January 12, 2007

This 8 mile hike is planned to be a cold weather hike to one of the most spectacular cascades in the Smokey Mountains. With a little luck we will have had some rain and cold weather so there will be plenty of water and ice on the cascade. Please come prepared for a cold weather hike. We will leave the parking lot between McDonalds and State of Franklin Bank in Colonial Heights at 7:30 am. Please let the hike leaders know you are coming by calling at (423)237-7554 in case we have to cancel because of bad weather (mainly snow).

A.T.: Temple Hill from Erwin, February 16, 2008

Winter hiking is for getting up high to see the views which are usually blocked by leaves. My proposal is for a short, but strenuous day hike. The lookout tower on top of Temple Hill above Erwin is 3710 ft, while the benchmark by the parking lot is roughly 1710 ft, so 2000 ft climb. The reported distance along the A.T. is 3 miles one way including the side path to the tower. For those familiar with geocaching, the topo map to the right is marked with caches along the trail. Meet in Colonial Heights at 8:30 AM for carpooling the 35 mile/40 minute drive to parking at the White Memorial Bridge in Chestoa. Could also pick up folks in Johnson City or just meet at the trailhead. Dress for the weather, including for cold and wind. Bring lunch, water, energy bars, etc.. E-mail or call the leader with any questions.

Special Activity and Trip Reports (Past)

Elk Park Trail to Houston Ridge, December 8, 2007

One item learned again today was that a forecast of partly cloudy with less than 20% chance of rain still means that it can rain. Review of multiple weather forecasts gave the impression that the system would be to the north, so we decided to make this hike.

Since nobody showed back in September for the club favorite hike around Watagua Lake, I decided to try something different of a lesser known trail. The newsletters on the TEHCC webpage only give one hike report for the Elk Park Trail written by Bill Stowell in Oct 1998. My proposal was for a short, but strenuous day hike as a faster way to Hump Mountain than following the A.T. in from US19E. Many thanks also for the guidance received from Joe DeLoach as his comments were accurate. He also mentioned that this blue-blazed trail up to Hump Mountain from Elk Park, NC had been considered for inclusion in the Pisgah National Forest trail inventory in the late 1990's, maybe early 2000's, but was abandoned due to logging and some nearby development near the bottom.

Kat Johnson and her dog Piper decided to take the challenge. Coordinates for a small parking lot are N36º 08.830, W81º 59.032. We first picked up a bagful of empty beverage cans left by the locals. The blue blazed trail has a tough start staying between private properties and avoiding briars. It is more established and marked once it crosses the very small drainage for the second time. We took 2.5 hours to climb the steep 2.8 miles on primarily a horse trail which had signs of recently maintenance to secure the tread. Part of the trail has been bulldozed for unknown construction on a lower part of the ridge line.

The trail passed a rock garden shown to the right. We took the wrong trail route once up to the bald (STAY to the right!) so had to backtrack cross country and sneak through some barb wire cattle fencing. Once on top, we met a school group from Black Mountain, NC backpacking and two trail maintainers from TEHCC scouting out their newly adopted section.

We briefly had a nice view of Hump Mountain before the clouds and rain closed in on us. Visibility was 100' or less in a hard, cold drizzle, so the decision was quickly made to head back down. The return trip was a faster 1.5 hours. The conclusion is that there is an Elk Park Trail, but it is being lost to development around the trailhead and on the lower ridge.

A.T. Section Maintenance and Special Project Reports (Past)

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: December 4, 2007
Purpose: Rehabilitate trail
Location: Section 19, USA Raft to Curley Maple Shelter
People: Paul Benfield, Ken Buchanan, Bruce Cunningham, Dave Dunham, Carl Fritz, Mike Hupko, Ted Mowery, Bob Peoples, Tim Stewart
Summary: What a crew!  We installed lathe on all four of the dimensional lumber bridges, reworked some rocks to better ford low stream at log bridge, located some locusts to replace log bridge, and finished trail rehab above the switchbacks.  With some struggle we installed three rock steps at second switchback and three more steps about 100 yards farther up.  We reconstructed about 200 feet of trail where trail was disappearing by adding rock cribbing and re-digging.  The trail up to shelter should be in reasonably good shape again from first switchback up.  More lopping on uphill side is needed especially since we moved trail up. (Photos courtesy of Ken Buchanan)

Obvious joy in the workplace...

Reporting: Kat Johnson
Date: December 4, 2007
Purpose: Flag for relocation
Location: Section 7, North of Watauga Dam Road
People: Ed Oliver, Kat Johnson
Summary: We completed flagging for relocation of trail North of Watauga Dam road.

Reporting: CB Willis for the Old Timers Hiking Club
Date: December 8, 2007
Purpose: Smooth out trail
Location: Section 18, Indian Grave Gap north about 500 feet
People: Mike Hupko, Marsha Hupko
Summary: Mike and Marsha re-worked about 60 to 70 feet of treadway and lopped dead rhodos from upper side of trail for the first 500 feet.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: December 11, 2007
Purpose: Install bridge and lop
Location: Section 19, USA Raft to Curley Maple Shelter
People: Daryel Anderson, Paul Benfield, Ken Buchanan, Bruce Cunningham, Dave Dunham, Bill Elderbrock, Carl Fritz, Mike Hupko, Kat Johnson, Bill Murdoch, Ed Oliver, Brian Paley, Bob Peoples, Tim Stewart
Summary: Most of us worked at single Hemlock log bridge about 1.5 mile north of USA Raft.  We used rocks to crib both sides of the bank and removed the rotting log.  We had a beautifully straight standing locust of about 16" diameter only 300 feet away in the flat.  However, we found it was rotten near the bottom and the top cracked all to pieces when it hit rocks.  So eagle eye, Paul, spotted a locust about 500 feet away but straight up the hill.  After about four hours of hard work and using the grip hoists, we were able to put this 24-foot locust in place.  Because there is only one log and because of its condition we are going to use dimensional lumber to build a bridge on top of it.

Bruce and the two Bills lopped the trail all the way to Curley Maple shelter. Water source is good there. There is one small nail hole in roof in right back corner that needs cleaned a little and caulked.

We were glad to have Brian Paley's assistance today. This was Brian's first adventure with us. He is a new resident of area.

Reporting: CB Willis for the Old Timers Hiking Club
Date: December 14, 2007
Purpose: Complete needed maintenance
Location: Section 16b, Iron Mt Gap north 2 miles toward Greasy Creek
People: Mike Hupko, CB Willis
Summary: We cleaned over 25 water bars and dips of packed leaves and dirt.  We checked the spring at the Apple Orchard and found a small but steady flow of water.  We lopped a few branches and picked up trash at IMG.  We also checked the trail to the end of the new relocation beyond Weedy Gap and found no trees down as reported.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: December 21, 2007
Purpose: Design and purchase bridge materials
Location: Section 19, Jones Branch
People: Carl Fritz, Ed Oliver
Summary: Thanks to Ed's concept, we designed a unique dimensional bridge to go on top of the single locust log we placed on Jones Branch recently.  Essentially, it will be a 24-foot bog bridge with a hand rail.  We purchased materials for the bridge.

Reporting: Tim McClain
Date: December 21, 2007
Purpose: Remove blowdown
Location: Section 3b, 2 miles north of US 421
People: Tim McClain
Summary: I removed one blowdown located about 2 miles north of US 421.

Reporting: Carl Fritz
Date: December 28, 2007
Purpose: Build a bridge
Location: Carl's house; Bridge for Section 19, Jones Branch
People: Carl Fritz, Darrol Nickels, Ed Oliver
Summary: We constructed a 24-foot bog bridge that we partially disassembled for transport to Jones Branch.  I gathered appropriate hardware and cut materials for hand rail.

Name: Kim Peters
Date: December 29, 2007
Purpose: Check for blowdowns
Location: Watauga Dam Road to Vandeventer Shelter
People: Kat Johnson, Mary Ellen Ress, Kim Peters, Tim Stewart
Summary: Mary Ellen, Kat and Kim started at Watauga Dam road on this cool and cloudy day to hike to the shelter and check for blowdowns. We met up with Tim shortly after, who was out on a day hike and just happened to have his pack saw with him, so he decided to help us out -thanks Tim! We removed many small branches and one rather large blowdown then ran into a tangled mass of several trees about a half mile before reaching the shelter. With three saws and four people we were able to clear this out in about 30 minutes. We ate a hasty lunch at the shelter because it was so cold. The sleeping platform of the shelter was completely wet with windblown rain. The log book I had placed there this spring was gone and will have to be replaced on the next trip. I picked up trash at the shelter (why do people think cans will burn?). The promised sunshine finally appeared as we returned to our cars.

Tim Stewart looks on as Kat Johnson cuts the first blowdown.

Mary Ellen Ress and Tim Stewart start working on the multiple tree blowdown while Sidney the dog supervises.

About half-way through done!

The trail is clear! Mary Ellen Ress, Tim Stewart, Kat Johnson with dogs Piper and Sidney.