Benton MacKaye Trail Association Annual Meeting & Hike Fest
Annual Meeting Agenda
Unicoi Lodge, Helen, GA
October 31 – November 3, 2024
For lodging reservations, go to Unicoi.
Use Code 10280!
Room Reservations need to be made by
October 4, 2024!
After that, Unicoi’s block of rooms held for BMTA will be released to the public on a
first-come/first-served basis.
THURSDAY – October 31
Thursday Hike Fest, (Fireside Lobby and Patio)
7:00 PM — BMTA Store Open (Fireside Ballroom)
………………Raffle Tickets Available
FRIDAY – NOVEMBER 1
Friday Hike Fest — (Fireside Lobby and Patio)
4:30 PM — Board Meeting (Fireside Ballroom)
Fireside Lobby, Lodge Courtyard
4:30-7:30 PM — BMTA Store Open (Fireside Ballroom)
……………………..Raffle Tickets Available
5:30-7:30 PM — Cash Bar, Raffle Open
6:00 PM — Complimentary Friday Nite Supper
7:30 PM — Team Trivia, Guaranteed Fun
………………(Fireside Ballroom)
SATURDAY—NOVEMBER 2
Saturday Hike Fest (Fireside Lobby and Patio)
Fireside Ballroom and Lobby
4:30-7:30 PM — BMTA Store and Raffle Tickets Available
…..(Open as Appropriate)
4:30-7:30 PM — Cash Bar
5:00 PM — Annual Meeting
…..* President’s Message
…..* State of the Trail Report
…..* Recognition of Certified/Re-certified Sawyers
…..* Election of Officers – View Nominees
6:30 PM — Awards Banquet (Fireside Lobby)
7:30 PM — Featured Speaker, Suzy Downing
…..(Fireside Ballroom)
8:00 PM — BMTA Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony
Raffle Drawings!
…..Blaze Team Awards
…..Hike Leader T-Shirts
…..50-Miler Hike Leaders
…..30-Hour Maintenance T-Shirts
…..100-Hour Club Maintenance Awards
…..30-Hour Volunteer T-Shirts
…..100-Hour Club Volunteer Awards
…..Volunteer of the Year
…..Trail Worker of the Year
SUNDAY—NOVEMBER 3
Sunday Hike Fest (Fireside Lobby and Patio)
Hike Fest Schedule
Hiking Director Kelly Motter has put together a great list of hikes for this year’s Annual Meeting Hike Fest!
- Yonah Mountain
- Anna Ruby Falls & Unicoi Lake Loop
- Hemlock Falls Trail
- Unicoi Lodge to Hofer’s German Restaurant in Helen
- Smith Creek to Anna Ruby and Return
- Ravens Cliff
- Brasstown Bald >> Jack’s Gap Trail Overlook >> Wagon Train Trail Overlooks
- Dukes Creek Falls
- Wetlands Loop Trail – Smithgall State Park
- Martin’s Mine Trail – Smithgall State Park
- Unicoi Lake Trail and Frog Pond Trail
- Unicoi to Helen and Return
- Appalachian Trail from Hogpen Gap
Use the button below to register for the Annual Meeting and to sign up for the hikes of your choice!
Complimentary Friday Nite Supper
Appetizers
Sliced Fruit & Seasonal Berries with Yogurt Dip
Vegetable Crudite, Ranch and Blue Cheese Dips
Supper Entrees
Crispy Chicken Wrap
Peppered Roast Beef Wrap
Veggie Wraps
Homemade Guacamole, Tortilla Chips
Dessert
BMT Sugar Cookies
Hot Chocolate
*Cash Bar
7:30 PM — Team Trivia, Guaranteed Fun!
………………(Fireside Ballroom)
BMTA Awards Banquet
Buffet Menu
Garden Salad with Assorted Condiments and Dressings
Southern Style Cole Slaw
Yeast Rolls and Biscuits with Butter and Preserves
Entrees:
Lemon-Herb Baked Chicken
Blackened Catfish, with Black Bean & Corn Relish
Cider Brined Pork Loin with Apple Chutney
Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes
Collard Greens
Mashed potatoes and Gravy
Optional
Vegan Plated Meal – Portabella Steak
Grilled portabella mushroom serred over penna pasta,
tossed in a Cajun cream, sauce with roasted veggies.
Dessert:
Pecan Pie
Warm Peach Cobbler
Beverages:
Coffee (Decaf & Regular) / Iced Tea (Sweet & Unsweet) / *Cash Bar*
$35
Deadline for Dinner Reservations is October 25, 2024!
Casual Attire
You can pay online or by check. Checks should be made payable to the
Benton MacKaye Trail Association and mailed to:
Benton MacKaye Trail Association
PO Box 6
Cherry Log, GA 30522
Featured Speaker - Suzy Downing
Forest Fun, A Stroll through the Seasons with Suzy
Suzy Downing grew up in rural Spartanburg, South Carolina. She was surrounded by a family that loved gardening and nature.
Downing’s grandfather worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps and was one of the first park superintendents at Table Rock State Park. Her father loved the Park so they spent a lot of time either on day trips or camping in the park.
“I’m thankful we were an outdoor family,” said Downing.
Her aunt who lived next door was always in her yard or garden and loved showing the family bugs, bees, snakes, flowers, birds and more.
“We called her “Mother Nature”, said Downing. “I always wanted to be like her!”
A member of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association since 2016, Downing is a regular on BMTA’s sponsored hikes and is known for her captivating pictures of flora and fauna along the way.
An accomplished amateur photographer, Downing’s photos have appeared in the 2015 print edition of the Georgia Wildlife Federation’s annual publication as well as in a few of their email newsletters. In addition, her pictures were featured in Charles Seabrook’s July 24, 2020, column in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Downing believes a good day is any day she can step into a forest and feel the joy of nature. Her favorite sections on the BMT include Lost Creek, Section 12e – FS 103 >> FS 173 – trestle for a wildflower hike and Section 4a, Skeenah Gap >> Wilscot Gap for a winter hike.
Annual Meeting Raffle
All proceeds go to
BMTA’s Land Acquisition Fund
Tickets — $10 each or 3 for $25
Tickets available at the meeting!
Ninety-five per cent of the Benton MacKaye is on either Forest Service or National Park Service property. BMTA needs to move as quickly as possible to secure permanent routes that eliminate the remaining 15 miles or so of road walk and “non-permanent” trail that crosses private land.
BMTA is getting prepared — the Board has established a Land Acquisition Fund. But we need your help to fund these endeavors. Tax deductible donations can be made online on the Donate Page. As you check out, in the “Billing details” section, be sure to put “Land Acquisition Fund” in the Additional Information/Order Notes field opposite your name. Or mail a check with that notation in the memo field to BMTA, PO Box 6, Cherry Log, GA 30522.
Another way you can help — and have some fun at the same time — come to BMTA’s Annual Meeting and Hike Fest October 31 – November 3 at Unicoi Lodge in Helen, GA, and purchase some raffle tickets. We have some great raffle items — including several two-nite stays at Unicoi and Lands Creek Log Cabins as well as a one-nite stay at the Hike Inn and more — ALL proceeds go to BMTA’s Land Acquisition Fund!
Thank You to All Who Have Donated Items for the Annual Meeting Raffle!
….
Cave Man Square Dance
Adri Herman
David Watkins
…
Walk Softly
Joanna McNally
…
…
BMT Framed Map
Benton MacKaye Trail Association
……
October Surprise – Family Outing
Lydia Burns
…
Mary MacEachem
Non Hiking Activities
Nestled in a small mountain valley at the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River lies Alpine Helen.
Rich with Native American history and designed in a style reminiscent of the Bavarian countryside, Helen offers tourist year-round festivals and activities that are fascinating and fun. The rural community is home to more than 200 specialty shops and art galleries.
Enjoy a leisurely afternoon scouring the cobblestone streets for treasures both old and new. Enjoy lunch overlooking the river and try a plethora of international cuisine.
Best fishing spots near Helen, GA.
Part of SNCA’s mission is to preserve and protect our natural and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the larger community. The Sautee Nacoochee Center has long been a champion for the flora, fauna, habitats and viewscapes of the area. Environmental protection of these valleys was, in fact, a catalyst for the founding of the SNCA organization.
The Sautee Nacoochee Center has a strong and active performing arts schedule and offers a full yearly billboard of both established, top notch, visiting talent and impressive, polished local talent that always makes us proud.
When it comes to music they share the best in blues, jazz, local and faraway folk, pop and even classical.
Yonah Mountain Vineyards is a 200-acre family winery located on the southeastern base of iconic Yonah Mountain. Making world class wines and enjoying the process is our ultimate goal. Rolling hills and sandy soil are the perfect setting for our twenty planted acres of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
