Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Box 1454, Knoxville, TN 37901 Exploring the Smokies since 1924

SMHC Schedule for September 2006 (Extracted from the published Newsletter*)

*The printed Newsletter sent to members and subscribers also contains reports of hikes done, info on new members, full names of leaders plus e-addresses, plus the Appalachian Trail Maintainers Newsletter. To subscribe: $10 to SMHC, Box 1454, Knoxville, TN 37901. (If start after August issue, subscription is good through next year.) After one signs in on 3 Club hikes an application for membership is provided. Read about how SMHC Hikes actually went! Only by getting the printed newsletters can you access these stories.This online version tells what we plan to do, and enough info to contact the leaders. We purposely give a positive benefit to members and subscribers by including the rest of the story (and other member business) only in the printed version. Subscribe, and/or join SMHC, today!!

Newsletter Editor: Charlie Klabunde (865) 483-8055 
Area Code, unless otherwise noted, is 865.

CONTENTS: Items listed here for September

~~~ AT Work
2 - Sat Oswald Dome
6 - Wed Kephart Prong & Grassy Branch to crest of Mtn.
9-10 S&S Scout-Your-Hike for 2007
10 - Sun EZ: Ace Gap Trail
16-17 S&S Backpack: Virgin Falls
17 - Sun Mill Creek Falls <off trail>
20 - Wed Rabbit Creek & Hannah Mtn.
23 - Sat Old Settlers Trail: Noisy Creek to Indian Camp Creek

A.T. WORK
September — October many dates
See ATMNews for details (help the Rocky Top Crew).

Meet at the ex- Bi-Lo in Maryville <see list> at 8:00 AM. Round trip mileages: drive-100, hike- 10, rated moderate. {Meet at the trailhead at Quinn Springs at 9:00 AM by drivung south from Etowah on US 411 about seven miles to cross the Hiwassee River. Then turn left on TN-30 and go about 1.6 miles to Quinn Springs.}

Leaders:  Dicky 423-745-2984 simpsondcky @ aol.com    Keith 982.7368 keithmertz @ hotmail.com

September 9,10 – Saturday, Sunday

This time is set aside so that you who have hike-leading assignments for 2007 may use it to do enough scouting of your trip to be able to turn in to the Handbook Editor a write-up for next year’s Handbook by the September 30th deadline. Already on August 19 the Program Committee and the 2007 Executive Board met to adjust and approve the schedule and begin making the leader assignments. (Some hike leader jobs were chosen by members that day at the Election Picnic.) Please do your part to maintain the progress so the 2006 Handbook can be ready for distribution at the Saturday, December 9^th Installation Banquet.

Please see the Handbook for examples of size and format of writeups, and p.22 for deadline. Send e-mail in-message text directly to KlabundeCE @ aol.com —if that method is available to you. Otherwise, mail hand-written or typed or printed text to Charlie Klabunde (mail address in Handbook).

Entries may be submitted to any Thompson Photo Products Location between SEPT 18th and OCT 7th.
Complete rules on our website or p.44 of 2006 Handbook. Winners announced OCT 20th at our Fall Slide Show.

This trip offers plenty of variety plus spectacular scenery and is a popular backpacking destination. The Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness, operated by Bowater, Inc., is a designated State Natural Area and is located between Crossville and Sparta. Virgin Falls is a spectacular 110 foot waterfall which flows out of a cave and drops into a large sinkhole. There are other interesting falls, several caves, and the Caney Fork River included on the trip. A great view of the Scotts Gulf area can be seen from Martha’s Pretty Point.  A camping site nearby the Caney Fork River is the likely overnight destination. Flashlights, wading shoes and swimming gear might be useful on the trip. Hike 10+ miles total with some possible creek crossings; rated moderate.

Meet at ORNL Credit Union in Kingston <see list> at 8:00.  Drive 125 miles RT. Please pre-register with the leader. For more information check out: www.state.tn.us/environment/na/natareas/virgin/

Leader: Tim 607-6781 bigelowt2 @ mindspring.com

This is an off trail hike of moderate difficulty, but note that the criteria for determining the difficulty of an off-trail hike and on-trail hike are not the same. For those who don’t hike off trail but want to start, this may be suitable for you. We will park at the Cades Cove farm and walk a short distance out the Forge Creek Road to begin the off-trail on an old road (wagon road?) near a former home site. After about 1 mile we arrive at the creek and begin the more serious off-trail part, following the creek to the falls. There are several creek crossings so be prepared to make the crossings without removing or changing shoes. Time will not allow this. A walking stick of some sort is helpful on the crossings. It’s a very attractive waterfall and not heavily visited, but there is evidence that more hikers are learning of its existence and making the trek. We may climb above the creek to an old trail and use that as a different return route back to the first creek crossing, but that will be determined on the day of the hike.

Meet at the Alcoa Food City <see list> to leave at 8 AM.  Round trip mileages: drive- 70, hike- about 6.

Leaders:
Mike  691-4742 mike_harr @ bellsouth.net
Ray 693-6944  rpayne10 @ bellsouth.net

Starting from US-321 near the Outdoor Resort campground, we find the old trail going up Noisy Creek (it predates the Park), to get onto the Old Settlers Trail (OST). Much of the OST also predates the Park where remnants of the past give some idea of the way of life in the mountains prior to creation of the Park. We will pass old chimneys, very impressive rock walls, areas that had been cleared fields and pastures, and numerous rock piles from the effort to make the fields less rocky. There is unavoidable poison ivy along the Noisy Creek trail, so take warning, and dress accordingly; but it’s not along the OST. There are several stream crossings, most of them small but one will require wading. Be prepared. Walking sticks are helpful at crossings, wading or otherwise.=

Meet at Asheville Hwy Food Lion <see list> to depart at 7:30. Round trip mileages: drive- about 90 (with short shuttle between trailheads), hike- about 7, rated moderate. At time of this write-up, we lack a co-leader, but expect to have one or a coordinator from Knoxville to get the participants on the road. Drive to the Greenbrier entrance  of the Park and then 5.6 miles east on US-321 to Noisy Creek and the Outdoor Resort campground. Karen will meet the group there.

Leader: Karen 436-3386 karenhouck @ juno.com
(You may call Ray for info before Sept. 20: 693-6944 )

1 - Sun CT: Daddys Crk: Devils Breakfast Table – Tu
7 - Sat AT Work Trip
7 - Sat Cumberland Gap National Historic Park
14 - Sat The Jumpoff
14 - Sat CGNHP: Hensley Settlement via Shuttle (Special)
20 - Fri Fall Slide Show and Photo Contest Results
21 - Sat 2hikes: Mt. Cammerer via Low Gap Trail & via Rich Butt (OT)
28 - Sat Cherokee NF: McNabb and Hemlock Creek Trails

MEETING PLACES:

“Asheville Hwy Food Lion”= From exit 394 ramp off I-40 go left (east) out Asheville Hwy, US-11E/25W/70, 1.0 mi to signal light; turn left, then right into Food Lion lot ( not visible from Hwy intersection). Park along front edge, to left. Google Map

"Food City in Alcoa"= on right between 3 rd & 4th stoplight (on Hall Rd., TN 35), just before Big Lots- where we are not wanted. Google Map

“ex-Bi-Lo in Maryville” = just south of where US-129 & US-411 join, (SW corner at traffic light). Meet at front of lot, by Hwy.
Google Map

“ORNL Credit Union in Kingston” at exit 352 off I-40: Turn left at end of ramp and go 1/2 block to entry on right. Park along right edge of side lot. Google Map

Needed: volunteers to join the Social Committee
We have 3 fun and exciting events a year.
The work is easy and not much time is involved.
Contact Lucinda Turbeville 945-1441 or
lucindaturbeville@comcast.net