The Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club

http://www.tidewateratc.com

August 11, 2010

New York Times editorial, "The Walk," October 1967

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

Alfred Wainwright

(could have been Bill Rogers)

August 11, 2010, Wednesday TATC GENERAL MEETING

Phyllis Neumann, 566-4584

7:00PM at the Pretlow Library, 111 West Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk

Linda Richard of the Princess Anne Garden Club will speak on her organization’s assisting with the exhibits for the New Visitors Center at First Landing State Park. There was no money set aside for the interior so the Garden Club has taken the challenge.

August 20-22, 2010, Friday-Sunday BIKE THE NEW RIVER TRAIL

Nancy Rickenberger, 623-0334 or 286-8922 (cell) or nancy@rinkenberger.us

Friday we will travel to SW Virginia and gather at our campsite in the late afternoon. Arrive early enough and you can take a swim in the New River or go kayaking. Saturday we bike 35 miles of the New River Trail (40 miles if we go for ice cream). Sunday you can choose between (1) biking to the end of the trail (17 miles) and leaving for home from the trail terminus, (2) doing an out and back for a 34-mile day, or (3) forget the biking and go tubing down the New River. We will car camp, so no special bike gear is needed. Bring a dry bag to hold your lunch, water and rain gear. Saturday night we will enjoy a community potluck dinner at our beautiful campsite on the river. Contact Nancy for details

September 7, 2010, Tuesday TATC BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Phyllis Neumann, 566-4584

7:00PM at the Pretlow Library, 111 West Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk. Open to all members.

September 8, 2010, Wednesday TATC GENERAL MEETING

Phyllis Neumann, 566-4584

7:00PM at the Pretlow Library, 111 West Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk

Jane Martin sponsors the annual photo contest, Take Only Pictures. As you enjoy summer activities with TATC, keep in mind that the photos you snap can be enjoyed by all at the annual September Photo Contest or in the TATC calendar. You will find an appreciative audience at the meeting and possibly achieve fame, if not fortune, should one of your pictures be selected for our 2011 calendar.

September 11, 2010, Saturday HIKING AND BACKPACKING SEMINAR

Bill Rogers, 484-6001

9:55AM-4:30-ishPM. The ins and outs, the ups and downs, the what to do/what not to do, what to wear/what not to wear. Footwear, headwear, and all that goes in between will be covered (filters, stoves, packs, tents, good stuff, stupid stuff, how to put on a backpack). Come see what these great sports are all about and how to do it. Bring lunch and beverage. Call Bill to sign up and get directions.

Sept. 11, 2010 BACK BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE & FALSE CAPE SP BIKE TRIP

Jim & Chris Sexton, 484-2827

Meet at 9:00AM at the Visitor Center at Back Bay National Refuge (fee). Bike from Visitor’s Center through Refuge and into FC State Park, approximately 20 miles round trip. Bring plenty water, a lunch, rain gear, sunscreen & insect repellent. Eat out at the Sandbridge Island Restaurant afterwards.

September 17-19, Fri-Sun RAFT WEST VIRGINIA’S GAULEY RIVER

Mark Wenger, 253-0056 (H) 220-7408 (W) markwenger@cox.net

The Gauley becomes one of the top ten whitewater streams in the world during the September/October release of water at Summersville Dam. The entire run from the dam to the junction of the New is 23 miles and features110 rapids, 6 of which are rated class V+, one being a 14’ drop at Sweet Falls. Some plan to raft this so-called marathon but the shorter upper Gauley and lower Gauley runs are options, as well as the lower New River run (class III, IV, V). Novice rafters should consider doing the New before attempting the Gauley as the Gauley is no amusement park. This is real and big water and the ultimate whitewater in America. The outfitter will be ACE Adventures located in Oak Hill, WV www.aceraft.com 800-787-3982. Contact ACE to get full information. I have made reservations. When you call, use my reservation number (114022). Doing so will ensure we are grouped together from camping to rafting.

Lodging: We will camp at ACE which has great car and tent camping with hot showers, clean-up areas and campfire provisions. Motel rooms are expensive and may not be available; however ACE has a number of huts, bunkhouses & cabins. Call is you want an upgrade from camping.

Food: Friday night and Sunday you are on your own. Saturday morning, I recommend you provide yourself something light. A big lunch is provided by the outfitter at Sweet Falls. Dinner that evening we can either go to the place at ACE or to Dirty Ernie’s which has great ribs, other foods and copious quantities of adult beverages.

Cost: The ultimate marathon runs $286.90. Check with ACE on cost of other runs. Camping fee is $27.56 for two nights. Food is per your personal selection. You can cook in camp.

Procedure: Let me know if you are going, the number in your party and the rafting trip you are doing. Make reservations & camping arrangements directly with ACE and pay them. Remember to use my reservation number.

What to bring: ACE provides raft, paddles, pfd and helmet. You can rent a wet suit or a partial wet suit if you chill easily. There is little room to carry stuff on the raft beyond a water bottle and perhaps a waterproof disposable camera. Water shoes are a must as well as a swimsuit that STAYS ON! A personal experience factor here! Plan your camping materials/items and do not plan to bring anything on the raft that you do not want to lose.

Do not wait until the last minute. The outfitter books quickly for these few fall days of premium river rafting.

November 6, 2010, Saturday NEWPORT NEWS PARK TRAIL MAINTENANCE

Bill Buck, 846-1125

Join us for some light maintenance in Newport News Park, the largest city parks east of the Mississippi. Meet at the Discovery Center parking lot at 9:00AM. Bring water, work gloves and a snack. Afterwards we can lunch at Deer Run Grill located on the premises. Park is located at 13564 Jefferson Avenue with easy access off I-64 via exit 250B. Call Bill for more information or to sign up.

February 19-21, 2011 WV WINTER WEEKEND @ BLACKWATER FALL SP LODGE

Charles Hauser, 810-7452

A wonderful opportunity for comfortable relaxing at a classic lodge with fireplace/game room, exercise room, heated pool, hot tub, and a good restaurant. After a six hour drive over the mountains, possible activities include downhill skiing (Canaan & Timberline have snow-making capacity), cross country skiing/snowshoeing, sledding, tubing, hiking, horseback riding, dining in Davis. You need to make your own early reservation which can be up to a year in advance. This is a most popular weekend at the lodge.

ATTENDING THE ATC BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, JULY 1-8, 2011?

Unless you are tent camping on the campus of Emory & Henry College, you should consider an early registration at nearby campgrounds/parks/motels. Below are some helpful links .

Virginia Travel Information
www.virginia.org

Emory & Henry College Visitor Information
http://www.ehc.edu/visitors/

Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau
335 Cummings Street
Abingdon, VA 24210 
276-676-2282, 1-800-435-3440
www.abingdon.com

Hungry Mother State Park at Marion, VA .

www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/hun.shtml

Hurricane Campground near Troutdale, the AT & Grayson Highlands State Park

www.hikercentral.com/campgrounds/118291.html

Miscellaneous Notes

Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club. We work closely with our neighbor club in Richmond. Please go to the following website for some of their offerings: www.odatc.net

Local Trails Maintenance Opportunities: If you would like to receive E-mail notifications about TATC Local Trails Maintenance activities, please send an E-mail to Bill Buck at LocalTrails@tidewateratc.com requesting to be added to the Local Trails E-mail distribution list. Trail maintenance may include weed cutting, brush and tree trimming, removal of small blown down trees, painting of trail blazes, repairing walkways, and creating trails.  Other special projects may be performed such as building water bars to prevent erosion, building and repairing foot bridges, as well as building benches and other structures.  These skills may also be used to maintain the Appalachian Trail.

Weekday Activity Group: If you would like to receive e-mail notifications of local hikes, bicycle rides, and paddles taking place during the week (usually on Tuesdays) please send e-mail to Ellis Malabad malabad2@gmail.com requesting to be added to the “Tuesday Group” e-mail distribution list.

The TATC/Douglas Lee Putman Memorial Cabin is available for rent.  You must be a member and first attend an orientation / work weekend in order to rent.  The cabin can be reserved 8 weeks (56 days) in advance.  Please call Bob Adkisson at 627-5514 if you have any questions, or want to check on availability, or want to make reservations.

Planning a hike or activity. If you have hike or activities information for a trip you’d like to lead, please call Hikemaster Jim Newman at 867-6688 to leave a message or e-mail at Hikemaster@TidewaterATC.com with all information to be inserted or updated. ALL ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THIS SCHEDULE ROUTE THROUGH THE HIKEMASTER WHO FORWARDS SUCH TO THE WEBMASTER FOR WEBSITE UPDATES. If you e-mail these items, be sure to identify yourself by full name and mention that this is a TATC event. Blank Sign-up sheets can be printed from the TATC website. After the event, please return completed sign-up sheets to the Hikemaster, so they can be retrieved from file for a period of several years. You may take sign-up sheets to the board or general meeting following the event, or mail them to the Hikemaster: Jim Newman, 102 N. Fern Cove Court, Yorktown, VA 23693

CALENDAR ADJUSTMENT

OCTOBER GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING CHANGED TO TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12 AT 7:00PM. THIS IS A SECOND CHANGE OF DATE IN ORDER TO AVOID A CONFLICT WITH LIBRARY USAGE.

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