CMC to Kick Off a Trail Ambassador Program at Max Patch

by Paul Curtain

As you may know, CMC has been working with the USFS and the ATC within the framework of the Visitor Use Management process to improve the hiker/user experience at Max Patch and to make it more sustainable.  As one of the crown jewels of the Southern A.T., it is being "loved to death."  We have made a lot of progress at Max Patch on the ground, but we need to connect with hikers in a personal way to take the final steps needed.  That connection will be made by Trail Ambassadors.  Trail Ambassador programs are becoming more common in the 31 maintaining clubs on the trail from north to south as the number of users increase.

CMC plans to hold an informational meeting about the new program.  We will select a time and place convenient to the most interested parties.  Please contact Paul Curtin at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about the program and would like to become a charter member of the CMC Trail Ambassador program.

Interested in becoming an AT section maintainer?  We have two open sections:
Brown Gap to Max Patch Rd. - 2.7 miles
Big Stamp to Little Bald incl Bald Mtn. Shelter - 2.3 miles
If interested, contact Paul Curtin at [email protected]

Flower Identification

by Kathy Kyle

This spring, like most of us, I saw many flowers along the trail. Some I knew the names for. Some I didn't. I recently learned there is an easy way to identify plants and wildlife with your camera on your phone.  Just as I have seen some CMC hikers use applications on their phones to identify peaks in the distance, you can now use a free phone application to identify wildlife and plants.

 I was at a recent program for Bee City USA Pollination Celebration Month and an educator from the NC Arboretum told a group of outdoor fans about inaturalist.org and the application:  Seek.

What you take pictures of can be identified with this application and also every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest flower to the most common mushroom. Inaturalist.org shares findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

Go to https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app to find out more about the phone application and learn more about what you see on the trail. And you can earn different levels of badges. After sharing my picture of a Bluebead Lily, I'm at a tadpole level.

Another WNC Trail Earns National Award:  

Weed Patch Mountain Trail in Hickory Nut Gorge

Weed Patch Mountain Trail, in the Town of Lake Lure, has been recognized as one of the best new trails in the nation. On Tuesday, June 11, in a ceremony on Capitol Hill, the national Coalition for Recreational Trails announced its annual achievement award in the category of trail design and construction. The award went to Peter Barr, Conserving Carolina Trails Coordinator & CMC member, and Chris "Shrimper" Khare for their work on Weed Patch Mountain Trail.

To read more, click here.

 

A new photo sharing opportunity is here!

Waterfalls

Insects

Trees

Stones

Send up to 6 photos to [email protected].  As always, your thank you will be a pat on the back and your name on each photo.

Pisgah Ranger District Secondary Trails

by Rich Evans

With the year half, over I wanted to let you know how the secondary trail maintainer program has impacted the Pisgah Ranger District.

We now have 33 of the 47 sections adopted (70%) which adds up to 80 of the 102.2 miles (78%) in the PRD.

Hours worked report for first half of 2019 compared to last year:

Trail

Sections                2018   2019

***************************************

Art Loeb Trail          136     623

wilderness trails      214     308

Rest of PRD trails   677     976

***************************************

Total                      1027    1907

The first half of 2019 has produced 85% more hours than all of 2018.

All the crews and section maintainers who work in the PRD deserve our thanks for a job well done (so far).

Why Knot Get Together at Sierra Nevada?

OK, I could knot resist using some of the names we learned to express the fun we had learning knots and their uses. Why Knot Get Together gatherings allows hikers and hike leaders to learn how to tie a few useful knots for camping or survival skills.  I will have 6' lengths of cordage you can buy for $3.

From the parking lot, go around back to the left-hand side of the building. Follow the sidewalk to the left and go down the hill towards the stage. We will meet near the outside bathrooms.

Where: Sierra Nevada

When: the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of July from 6:00-7:00

July 10 and 24, 2019

Education Outreach Committee

Questions, contact Jan at [email protected]

Stomp for the Smokies

by Danny Bernstein

Do you want to see some old-timey radios and help to fund a modern, much needed upgrade to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's radio communications system?

Come to the Friends of the Smokies second annual Smokies Stomp Barn Party.

On: Saturday, July 20  At: Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview - only 20 minutes from Asheville

There will be a gourmet farm-to-table dinner, live music by Buncombe Turnpike, and a silent auction for some pretty nifty experiences. Square dancing will be called by Representative Joe Sam Queen (NC-119), a celebrity himself.

Proceeds from the evening will help raise money for a radio communications system used by first responders, emergency and law enforcement personnel for search and rescue and traffic accidents. Lots of unexpected events occur in a park which welcomes over 12 million visitors a year. Hopefully, CMC hikers will never need these services but who know?

The silent auction will include a trip to Nashville for the 53rd Country Music Awards, a Christmas at Dollywood package, an island getaway near Charleston, South Carolina, and a private tour of East Fork Pottery's production facility with owners Matt and Connie Matisse. 

And those old radios? There will be some at the dinner tables, thanks to the Asheville Radio Museum.

Put on your blue jeans and come and stomp.

To purchase tickets or learn more visit https://friendsofthesmokies.org/smokiesstomp/