“Carry as little as possible, but choose that little with care.” - Earl Shaffer
As our May monthly club meeting approached, I eagerly anticipated Kelly Ducham’s Belize and Panama Birding presentation and I was not disappointed. Kelly can identify more birds than any person I know. I marvel at the breadth of her knowledge. I share her love for birds but try as I may I struggle to recall many birds by name. The joy of seeing and hearing a variety of birds as we explore the great outdoors is certainly one of the joys of being alive. Thank you Kelly for an absolutely beautiful presentation.
As an adult, I have marveled at the ease a child approaches another child and asks “Would you like to play?” So simple. So easy. And, usually results in hours of enjoyment. Why is this so difficult for adults? We were all once children. We know how much fun there is to be had. Yet, we hesitate. Imagine, knocking on the door of a neighbor and asking, “Would you like to come out and play?” At best this would probably get a polite smile and a quickly shut and locked door. This is sad because play is not only a source of fun but an essential component to living a healthy life. Play is the secret of perpetual youth. All work and no play really does makes Jack a dull boy. Like eating, sleeping, reading, and thinking, playtime should be a part of every day. Playing will help you feel younger, enhance your creativity, fuel your imagination, promote problem-solving abilities, improve your mental health, reduce stress, enhance your connections with others, and help you to not take life so seriously. As important as play is, chances are none of us are going to knock on doors hoping to find someone who wants to play. Thankfully, as members of the Cherokee Hiking Club we already have a play group. Would you like to come out and play? Become an active member of our club and you will discover there are many who will readily say, “Yes, I want to play with you.”
Remember, we will not have a June monthly club meeting as many of our members will be out of town on hiking and bicycling trips. Normally, we do not meet during the month of August, but this year we will meet in August since we will not be meeting in June.
See you at the July club meeting at the Etowah Senior Center on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Our presentation will be The Great Allegheny Passage Trail presented by James Anderson, Otis Pannel, and Rob Coombs.
Rob Coombs, Club President
Welcome to the website for the Cherokee Hiking Club. Our club sponsors frequent hikes and occasional backpacking trips into the areas of southeast Tennessee, northern Georgia, and southwestern North Carolina -- the former homeland of the Cherokee Indian Nation. If you are an avid hiker and live in this area, consider joining us on our hikes. You may join for $15 by filling out the application and mailing it to the address above. You may want to attend a hike or two before deciding to join, but once you start coming, you almost certainly will continue and will want to join. Below is a list of upcoming hikes. We ask that you contact the person in charge of the hike by email or phone a few days in advance to allow us to appropriately plan shuttles and to give you the most up-to-date plans for the hike. When deciding on a hike to take, please refer to our trail difficulty rating system.
Direct Link to Cherokee
Hiking Club events for this year
Printable Hike Schedule for 2025
This trail from Waucheesi Bald to Old Furnace Road, was build by Boy Scouts from Knoxville back in the 60s. The trail was popular for hikes and backpacks in the couple of decades afterwards as Scouts hiked and backpacked the trail and earned patches. Then wild fires destroyed much of the route of the trail and the trail fell into disuse. The trail was rehabed and reopened about 8 years ago, in part by members of our club, and now the Scouts are interested in reopening the trail to Scout Troops for hiking and backpacking. We are supporting the Scouts in this endeavor. Soon Scout Troops will be able to again hike and backback this trail and earn a patch while learning the extensive history of the region. The Scout Troops will register for their adventures through our help. We will be working with Scout Troops in repairing the tread in some areas along the trail and possibly building some much needed reroutes in the future years. Follow the link and read the history of the trail as written by Jim Wright, one of the original organizers of the trail back in the 60s. He is now in his 70s and still helping in this endeavor.
For more information on the Warriors Passage Trail or to sign up your Scout Unit or other Youth Organization to hike or backpack the trail, or to order patches, go to www.warriorspassage.org
Cherokee Hiking Club Continuous Loop Presentation
Warning -- huge 18 MB PowerPoint file
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