Benton MacKaye Trail Assn. - Activities Calendar

Benton MacKaye
Trail Assn.

Activities Calendar

"...leaving a footpath for generations to follow."

Overview

Below are listed scheduled activities of the BMTA, current and past, for 2010. This year work trips will be held on the second Saturday of the month in Georgia and on the fourth Saturday in Tennessee/North Carolina. Recreational outings (Fun Hikes) are planned on other weekends to avoid scheduling conflicts and are set up as hike leaders become available.

All Are Welcome

The BMTA welcomes all who would like to participate in any scheduled activity. Members and non-members alike are encouraged to join in; no experience is necessary.

Notes

Be sure to confirm event details with the activity leader in advance.
If you would be interested in leading, or learning how to lead an activity, please contact us.
Email addresses of event leaders can be found in the monthly newsletter (free with membership) but are not listed here so as to avoid spammers.
Be sure to check in with the activity leader right before the activity to see about event cancellations due to personal, weather, or logistical problems.

Recurring Monthly Events

2nd Saturday - Georgia Work Trip -announced by George Owen as to place.
3rd Saturday - Fun Public Hike, coordinated by Pam Sullivan and announced as to place, etc.
4th Saturday - Tennessee/North Carolina Work Trip - announced by Rick Harris as to place.

Current Events 2010
Month	Date	Location & Details
January	January 9	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: (Cancelled due to bad weather.) We are meeting at 8:00 in the morning in East Ellijay at the Waffle House (not Waffle King)for breakfast and discussion. We will carpool to Bush Head Gap due to minimal parking there. Primary work will be with loppers and sling blades to clear the trail. People may contact us at 404-497-0818 (dd) or 706-424-6748 (wc-cell). Emails are wcook at negia dot net and bmtadarcy at yahoo dot com.
	January 21	Thursday, Jan 21st - Log out Fodderstack Trail - BMT Section 18a-b - We plan to work on logging out blowdowns on the Fodderstack / BMT. Plans are to have at least two crosscut saw teams, with one team starting at Farr Gap and the other team starting at Cold Springs Gap. We will plan to have the road from Beech Gap to Cold Springs Gap logged out prior to Thursday. With this approach we may be able to complete clearing all of Fodderstack Trail on Thursday. Meet at the Tellico Ranger Station at 8am.
	January 23	Saturday, Jan 23 - Benton MacKaye Trail TN/NC Maintenance Trip - Winter Saw-a-thon - Day 1. We plan to saw out as many downfalls as possible along the higher ridgetop sections of the trail. The wind storms and heavy snows over the Christmas holidays brought down many, many trees across our trail. We need lots of certified sawyers for this trip and others to go with each sawyer. This trip we will stick to using chain saws, thus we will not go into wilderness areas. February will probably be crosscut Saw-a-thon. Meet at 8AM at Tellico Grains in Tellico Plains for great pastries and coffee or behind the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center at 9AM to arrange carpools and to get your assignment. Tellico Grains is near the old town square. Turn right by the Exxon station then right at the next road. Tellico Grains is on the right behind the Citizens Bank Building. Afterwards we may all go out to dinner somewhere close. Contact Rick Harris, HarrisRi at aol dot com or 423-253-6358.
	January 24	Sunday, Jan 24 - Benton MacKaye Trail TN/NC Maintenance Trip - Winter Saw-a-thon - Day 2. By popular demand, we are having a second day of the same. I have been contacted by a few people who say they are available Sunday but not Saturday. So we will work both days. Same info as above, just different day and that breakfast at 8AM will be at the Little Red Barn on Sunday. The Little Red Barn is to the left of the little strip mall with CVS and Save-A-Lot on the road toward the Tellico Plains High School.
	January 30	BOARD OR DIRECTORS MEETING: Announced by President.
February	February 6	Hemlock Symposium in Tellico Plains - info from Rick Harris :
	February 13	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Waffle House, Ellijay (across Hwy. 515 from our meeting place of the Waffle King) or at 9:00 at Bushy Head Gap. We will clear 2.6 miles of trail between Bushy Head and Hudson Gap, including downfall removal, lopping, etc. Blaze painting may be in order if warm enough. Co-Leaders: Eric Eades, George Owen 706-374-4716.
	February 21	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: BMTA TN/NC Worktrip - Saw-A-Thon #2 The work trip this month will be on Sunday, since I am not available on Saturday. Anyway, I understand many of you prefer Sunday. So here are the plans as of now: Meet at 8AM for Breakfast as the Littl' Red Barn (to the left of CVS and Save-A-Lot, on the road which goes to the high school. You can see it from Hwy 68. Meet at 9AM in the back parking lot of the Cherohala Visitor Center to get assignments and arrange car shuttles. We plan to log out the Heart of Darkness as the primary objective with chain saws. If we have enough people sign up, we may also log out from Sandy Gap to Tate Gap or maybe even on down to Unicoi Gap. This is another Saw-A-Thon event. We do not plan on doing any significant brushing out. We need people with chain saws and chain saw certification, then people to go with the sawyer to help throw logs off the trail and to be a safety backup for the sawyer (the "swamper"). Each team will consist of at least 2 people (a sawyer and a swamper, and we would prefer 3 people for greater safety. Mark your calendar now and please let me know if you plan to come. I especially would like each of you with chain saw certification to tell me whether or not you plan to come so I can be sure to have enough swampers. After our day of hard work we plan to meet for dinner somewhere close by. A possible location is Walt's Bar-B-Q on TN68 about a mile south of Tellico Plains. The restaurant is in the Tellico Lodge complex. Rick Harris 423-253-6358 home 513-260-1184 cell HarrisRi at AOL dot Com.
March	March 6-7	A.T. CELEBRATION AND BACKPACKING CLINIC: AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK LODGE The Benton MacKaye Trail Association will be represented at this clinic, both days, with a booth. Also, on Saturday, March 6, 5pm, the club will do a Power Point presentation on the BMT. The hours are 9am – 5pm each day (with one owl program Saturday evening at 7pm). All programs, at the Lodge, are FREE. Featured speakers on Saturday are trail clubs and thru-hikers; while Sunday is reserved for vendors of camping equipment, excursions, and Leave No Trace. A $5.00 parking pass is required to get into the park (unless you have an annual park pass).
	March 13	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Breakfast will be at the Village Restaurant, Blue Ridge at 8:00 a.m. or meet us at the Little Skeenah Creek trailhead on GA 60 at 9:00 a.m. Work is quite close to where we will park near the Toccoa River Bridge. We will replace many rotting timbers on the stepped uphill from the swinging bridge to the top of the first climb and improve drainage. Leader George Owen 706-374-4716.
	March 27	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.
April	April 10	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	April 18	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.
	April 28/29	Trip moved to May 27/28th
May	May 1	BOARD OR DIRECTORS MEETING: Announced by President.
	May 8	GEORGIA Annual Walk-thru: Details will be provided by George Owen.
	May 22	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place. Need a leader for this trip.
	May 20/23	South Eastern Foot Trails Coalition Meeting: Info from Darcy Douglas.
	May 27/28	Smokies Overnight Work Trip: Coordinated by Shirley Banks and Dick Evans.
	May 31	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP, Section 17a-b: There is an opportunity to spend Memorial Day in the heart of the mountains along a beautiful creek and good camaraderie. Pam and Kent Mathews will be leading a work trip to brush out the Sycamore Creek Trail (BMT Section 17a/17b) on Memorial Day, May 31, 2010. Meet at Prospectors for breakfast at 7:45 a.m. or behind the Charles Hall Museum (beside the Visitor's Center) at 8:30 a.m. We will then caravan to either end of the trail (Pheasant Branch Picnic Area or below Whigg Meadow). Please e-mail or call Pam at pmath0804 at yahoo dot com and 865-567-0657 or Rick Harris at 423-253-6358 and harrisri at aol dot com. We plan to meet afterwards to eat at a local restaurant.
June	June 5	The BMTA has reserved the conference center at the Ocoee Whitewater Center for National Trails Day on Saturday June 5th. Since the room is limited to 50 people, this event is for BMTA members and their guests. We will meet at the center at 9 am for hiking, potluck lunch to follow in the conference center. Rafting is available from the various rafting companies, watch the river action or cool off in pools of water along the side of the river. Please bring a covered dish to share. Two hikes will be offered, starting at 9 am: Rock Creek Trail in the nearby Little Frog Wilderness, coming back out to Ocoee Powerhouse #3, with only a few minutes shuttle. Moderate difficulty, 5.5 miles in length. Hike Leader: George Owen Copper Mine Trail, an easy 4.6 mile trail running along the Ocoee River. Hike leader: Pam Sullivan Rhododendron Trail (Optional) hike after lunch - an easy 2.5 mile hike along the Ocoee River RSVP to Pam Sullivan: 706-374-5281 or email hikingchair at bmta.org. There is a group limit (priority to BMTA club members). Note: There is a $3 parking fee per car - we are to park in the lower lot. Note: if Hwy. 64 is still closed, this event will be canceled as the Whitewater Center will be closed too.
	June 12	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Light Trimming, McKenny Gap to Fowler Mtn. Join us for this pleasant hike with light trimming (loppers and sling blades) between McKenny Gap and Fowler Mountain on Saturday June 12. Meet for breakfast at L & A General Store & Grill across from the Pink Pig at 8:00 a.m. or at Bushy Head Gap at 8:50 a.m. This includes a bit of a hike to the starting point at Hudson Gap of 1.5 miles. This is your last chance to enjoy a spring GA combined hike-maintenance trip. For further info contact George Owen at 706-897-3366 (cell) or 706-374-4716 or gowen2 at tds dot net.
	June 27	TN/NC Annual Walk-Thru: Contact Rick Harris 423-253-6358 home, 513-260-1184 cell or (HarrisRi at AOL dot com) email for further information.
July	July 10	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Tired of the July heat? Escape to cool(er) Fowler Mountain on the Benton MacKaye Trail. Join the BMTA work trip on July 10. Meet at the L&A Corner Restaurant in Cherry Log, across from the PInk Pig, at 8 AM, or at the trail head at Bushy Head Gap at 8:50. We will finish the clearing of the trail from McKenny Gap to Fowler Mountain that was begun on the June work trip. The work is mostly sling-blading and lopping. Bring a lunch and plenty of water. Co-leader Darcy Douglas will have "goodies" for us after the work. Call co-leader Walt Cook for more info at 706-549-5979, or 706-424-6748.
	July 24	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Cancelled.
	July 31	BOARD OR DIRECTORS MEETING: Announced by President.
August	August 14	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	August 29	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.
September	September 11	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	September 26	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.
	September 23/24	Smokies Overnight Work Trip. Coordinated by Shirley Banks and Dick Evans.
October	October 2	Smokies Work Trip alternate date.
	October 9	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	October 23	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.
November	November 6	ANNUAL MEETING AND 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: See the Annual Meeting page for details.
	November 13	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	November 14-17	National Trails Symposium in Chattanooga: Coordinated by President.
	November 20	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.
December	December 4	NEW DIRECTOR ORIENTATION AND PLANNING MEETING.
	December 11	GEORGIA WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	December 19	TN/NC WORK TRIP: Announced by George Owen as to place.
	December 25	TN/NC BMTA WORK TRIP: Announced by Rick Harris as to place.

Activities History, 2009
Activities History, 2008
Activities History, 2007
Activities History, 2006
Activities History, 2005

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