Trail Maintenance Projects for 2008

Monday, February 25 - Falls Branch Falls Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451, Meet at 8AM at the Tellico Ranger Station, bring workgloves, safety glasses, and hardhat if you have them

Wednesday, February 27 - McNabb Branch Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Leader Ken Jones - CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW, TO BE RESCHEDULED

Thursday, February 28 - Big Fodderstack on the BMT, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451, Meet at 8AM at the Tellico Ranger Station, bring workgloves, safety glasses, and hardhat if you have them. The plan is to hike up the Mill Creek Trail, then south on the BMT to just before the junction with the Pine Ridge Trail and there to take out a big downfall, then return by the Pine Ridge Trail. This will be a tough hike up and back, with about 2400' of elevation gain and fall.

Thursday, March 6 - Big Fodderstack on the Benton MacKaye Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451, Meet at 8AM at the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center in Tellico Plains. Bring workgloves, safety glasses, and hardhat if you have them. The plan is to hike up the Mill Creek Trail, then south on the BMT to the junction with the Pine Ridge Trail, then return by the Pine Ridge Trail. This will be a tough hike up and back of about 8 miles, with about 2400' of elevation gain and fall. The group will finish clearing out the blowdown just north of Big Fodderstack and also to clear out some other smaller blow downs along this section of trail.

Saturday, March 8 - Tellico River Cleanup Project, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451, Meet at 8AM at the Tellico Ranger Station, bring work gloves, safety glasses, and hardhat if you have them.

Tuesday, March 25 - Benton MacKaye Trail from Sandy Gap to Sixmile Gap, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Work with Steve Cartwright on his section of the BMT. We will be installing 3 signs and clearing blowdowns. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451

Wednesday, March 26 - McNabb Branch Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Leader Ken Jones - This trip is not open to hiking club members, since there will be several youth coming along. All the help needed will already be there.

Thursday, March 27 - Benton MacKaye Trail on Big Fodderstack, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Work with Tazz Reid and Jim Holland clearing blowdowns. We will be going in at Farr Gap and coming out down Mill Branch Trail. Meet at Cherohala Visitor Center at 8 am. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451

Thursday, March 27 - Benton MacKaye Trail on Upper Bald River Section, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Rick Harris and his wife Brenda will recon the trail from Sugar Mountain Road to the Brookshire Creek intersection. Contact Rick Harris at HarrisRi@aol.com or 423-253-6358

Wednesday, April 2 - Benton MacKaye Trail Segment 16b - Upper Bald River, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Work with Rick Harris on checking what all needs to be done on this section of trail and to clear the trail of small stuff. We will go back at a later date with saws, etc.. Contact Rick Harris at 423-253-6358, HarrisRi@aol.com

Thursday, April 3 - Benton MacKaye Trail on Big Fodderstack, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Ken Jones, Tazz Reid, Rick Harris and Jim Holland work on clearing blowdowns on the Fodderstack Trail between Mill Branch and Crowder Branch trails. We will be going in at Farr Gap and coming out down Mill Branch Trail. Meet at Cherohala Visitor Center at 9 am. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451

Monday, April 7 - Benton MacKaye Trail on Big Fodderstack, section 18a, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. We will continue to work on clearing blowdowns on the Fodderstack Trail south of Fodderstack. We will go up the Pine Ridge Trail to Fodderstack, then south toward Harrison Gap. This is nearly 3000 feet of elevation gain and 5 miles of trail to get to our destination (Warning to the not so healthy). Meet at the Tellico District Ranger Station at 8 am. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451. Call him in advance if interested on going.

Saturday-Sunday, April 12-13 - Big Frog / Fork Ridge Trails Maintenance. Ocoee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Thursday, April 17, 2008 - Benton MacKaye Trail on Big Fodderstack, section 18a, Cherokee National Forest. We will continue work on this section going in from Beech Gap. Leader Ken Jones, 423-745-2451. Call him in advance if interested on going.

Monday, April 21, 2008 - Replacing various carsonite signs in the Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - Bald River Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Thursday, April 24, 2008 - Little Citico Horse Trails, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Tuesday, April 30, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute, Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. The reroute is to get the trail off the road from Towee Creek upstream past the powerhouse, then will hook back up with the present JMT a ways above the powerhouse. Leader Ken Jones, 745-2451 or mkjones@comcast.net.

Thursday, May 8, 2008 - Brookshire Creek Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Thursday, May 22, 2008 - Brookshire Creek Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Monday, June 2, 2008 - Warriors Passage Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Wednesday, June 4, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Saturday, June 7, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. National Trails Day, Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. The reroute is to get the trail off the road from Towee Creek upstream past the powerhouse, then will hook back up with the present JMT a ways above the powerhouse. Leader Ken Jones, 745-2451 or mkjones@comcast.net.

Monday, June 9, 2008 - Warriors Passage Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Thursday, June 12, 2008 - Little Citico Horse Trails, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Saturday, June 14, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest

Monday, June 16, 2008 - Warriors Passage Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. Plan is to meet at Etowah Hardee's at 8AM or parking lot at US411 and TN30 at 8:15AM.

Thursday, June 19, 2008 - Little Citico Horse Trails, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. Plan is to meet at Tellico Ranger Station at 8AM

Monday, June 23, 2008 – Warriors Passage Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. Continue work on clearing blowdowns and brushing out Warriors Passage Trail from Mule Pen Gap toward Waucheesi. Leave the Ranger Station at 8 am and meet Philip Gooch at Mule Pen Gap at 8:30 am.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 – John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Continue side hill tread construction on the John Muir / BMT Reroute (Ocoee RD). Leave Hardees in Etowah at 8 am. Meet others at US 411 and Highway 30 at 8:15 am.

Thursday, June 26, 2008 – Brookshire Creek Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. Continue clearing blowdowns from the upper end of Brookshire Creek Trail with the crosscut saw. There is a big tree down about a mile in from Beaverdam Bald. Meet and leave the Ranger Station at 7:30 am. Please note the earlier time due to the long drive to Beaverdam Bald.

Friday, June 27, 2008 – Little Citico Horse Trails, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. CCC 75 year anniversary celebration at Tellico Ranger Station starts at 10 am (10 – 3). After lunch at the Beach Drive-in, I am going to Little Citico to flag the proposed new parking area for the botanical survey.

Monday, June 30, 2008 – McNabb Branch Trail, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. Continue work on brushing out this trail. Meet at the Tellico Ranger Station at 8 am.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 – John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. Continue digging in the dirt on the John Muir NRT. Meet at Hardees in Etowah, leaving at 8 am or meet at US 411 and Highway 30 at 8:15 am or meet at Towee Creek at 8:30 am.

Thursday, July 3, 2008 – Little Citico Horse Trails, Tellico Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest, contact Ken Jones at 423-745-2451. We will be working on flagging a new trail from the horse camp to the proposed new parking area on Citico Creek. Meet at the Cherohala Visitor Center at 8 am.

Saturday, July 12 - Trail Maintenance, Cleveland State Nature Trail. Leader Diana Ristoms, 423-476-2945

Saturday, July 12, 2008 - John Muir Trail Reroute. Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District, Cherokee National Forest. The reroute is to get the trail off the road from Towee Creek upstream past the powerhouse, then will hook back up with the present JMT a ways above the powerhouse. Meet at Hiwassee Corner Market at the intersection of US 441 and TN 30 at 8:30 AM. Tools provided. Bring lunch, water and gloves. Leader Clayton Pannell, 263-9730, cppannell@comcast.net