North Alabama Sierra Group August 2009
Tuesday Night Mountain Hikes 6:00pm
Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot.
Pool Party and Potluck at Monte Sano Pool
On Thursday, August 20, put on your swim suit and bring a covered dish to share. Drinks, ice, paper plates, and plastic forks will be provided. We'll start eating at 6:30 but you can arrive and relax or swim as early as 5:00pm. At the entrance window, explain that you are with the Sierra Club; you must sign in and pay $2, even if you don't plan to swim. Please do not bring any glass bottles. Beer cans must have koozies or brown bags.
Directions from Bankhead Pkwy: At top of mountain, continue straight ahead on Fearn at 4-way stop. Turn left onto Nolen Ave at next stop sign. After one block turn right onto Cooper. After two blocks turn left onto unnamed street. From Governor's Dr.: Turn onto Monte Sano Blvd. After passing the school and fire station on right, turn right on Mae Dr. Make the left turn at the end of Mae Drive, then turn right on Georgetta Ave. For more information, call Doug Horacek, 772-6788.
For the September monthly meeting, Bob Fanning, a local beekeeper, will talk about bees, focusing on the lives of bees and the social organization of hives. This should be an interesting topic given the attention in the media on colony collapse.
The North Alabama Sierra Club meets at 6:30 the third Thursday of every month at the Huntsville Madison County Public Library in the main auditorium. The library is in downtown Huntsville on Monroe St. just off Governor’s Drive. Everyone is invited.
- The Editor
Alabama Water Watch Workshop Planned
A citizens' water quality monitoring class will be held Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at The City of Huntsville Public Services Building at 320 Fountain Circle. The class is sponsored by the Flint River Conservation Association and Alabama Water Watch. Participants will receive instruction on water resources and how to determine water quality using chemical tests, and bacteriological methods. Dr. Bill Deutsch from Auburn University, known around the world for his clean water advocacy, will be the primary instructor.
The Alabama Water Watch program (AWW) fosters the development of citizen volunteers, water quality monitoring of Alabama's lakes, streams and rivers. AWW’s mission is to improve both water quality and policy through citizen monitoring and action and one of its goals is to have at least one citizen monitoring every stream and lake in the state. Since the program began in 1992, about 250 citizen groups have participated and have cumulatively sampled more than 1,880 sites on 700 water bodies. For many streams in Alabama, citizen data is the primary or only source of water quality information.
Be prepared to get your feet wet up to the knees, and wear sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. Snacks and water will be provided and you are encouraged to bring your own lunch. Recertification will also be offered from 10:30 to 12:30, and then everyone will break for lunch. Existing AWW volunteers should please bring their monitoring kit to the workshop.
There is no charge for the class but preregistration is required. Register online at alabamawaterwatch.org or Contact Rita at 888-844-4785 toll free, or locally call 427-5116 to register with Soos.
Upon successful completion of the class, participants will be certified through Alabama Water Watch to submit monthly (or a minimum of 9X per year) monitoring results that will available for all to see on the Alabama Water Watch website. This data is sent to AWW at Auburn for quality assurance, then entered into databases that are shared with ADEM and EPA. Monitoring groups frequently use the information to propose water quality solutions to agencies, elected officials, citizens' groups and developers.
For more information on Alabama Water Watch, visit www.alabamawaterwatch.org
- the Editor
Support New Wilderness Area in East Tennessee
The Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club in Knoxville is gathering support for a new wilderness area. Tennessee is fortunate to have some incredibly beautiful wilderness, but there remain many areas that lack full protection from development. The Wilderness Act of 1964 provides for a legislative process that gives permanent protection of wilderness. Three areas being proposed for protection under the Act are: Bald River Gorge Wilderness addition, Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness addition, Upper Bald River Wilderness. All three of these are already part of the Cherokee National Forest and are contiguous to existing wilderness areas. The first two are additions to existing wildernesses, and the third will create a new wilderness entity, but they still lack full protection under the Wilderness Act. For details on the areas, see http://www.tnwild.org/campaigns.
The best way to gain full protection for wilderness areas is for citizens to become involved and let legislators know that there is strong local support to keep these areas undeveloped so we can enjoy them. Remember that as hikers, we are the prime beneficiaries of wilderness designation.
First, contact U.S. Senators, Alexander and Corker of Tennessee. Senator Shelby helped with the Walls of Jericho area protection so it would also help to contact him. Go to www.senate.gov to find contact information. Written letters or phone calls are best, but an email is better than nothing. Let them know that we use and appreciate the wilderness areas in this part of the country.
- Ron Shrieves, Outings Chair, Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club
2009 ExCom Members
Chair Mirko Rakigjija 772-8548
Vice-Chair Judy Burley 883-4267
Treasurer Sam Denham 539-1033
Conservation Doug Horacek 772-6788
Fundraising Charlotte Buening 772-7348
Membership Dave Kostowny 682-1233
Outings Tom Burley 883-4267
Political chair Joe Imhof 858-3626
Publicity Sandy Kiplinger 498-1023
Secretary Linda Griffin 772-8653
Tuesday Hikes Michael Stewart 656-5836
Newsletter Jack Drost 880-2644
Web Page Steven Baty 489-0990
North Alabama Sierra Club - Outings and Events Calendar
August - September 2009
Hike Ratings
General Note: Saturday outings may take all day and last into early evening.
The Sierra Club encourages carpooling to save fuel, but you should be prepared to drive your own car on club outings.
Easy-Less than 5 miles, no serious elevation changes, no trail obstacles.
Moderate-5 to 10 miles, some elevation changes or rough trail (rock hopping), or trail obstacles such as creek crossings.
Strenuous- Over 10 miles, substantial elevation change (1000 ft or more), trail may be rocky, obstructed or nonexistent.
Exploratory- event the leader has not experienced before, may fit any class.
Saturday, Aug 15 - Spider Lily Walk. Moderate. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker's parking lot at 9:00am. We will walk the Mountain Mist and Sinks trails looking for Spider Lilies and other late summer flowers. Bring water and sturdy hiking boots. Call Doug Horacek for more information at 772-6788.
Tuesday, Aug 18, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Charlotte Buening, 772-7348.
Sunday, Aug 23 - Water Falls & Swimming Holes. Moderate. The South Cumberland Recreation Area is located near Tracy City, TN, and has several beautiful waterfalls and hiking areas. We'll explore the Grundy Forest Area and Blue Hole Falls. A short drive away is the Foster Falls Small Wild Area where we'll hike and enjoy Foster Falls. Picnic areas and restrooms are located at each trailhead. Total hiking mileage for the day should be around 5 miles. Swimming is allowed at the waterfalls so come prepared to hike and cool off in the water. Bring lunch, water, appropriate footwear, towel, and sun protection. Rated moderate due to rocks in and around waterfalls. Meet at 9:00am at the Publix in Hampton Cove on Hwy 431. Contact Michael Stewart at 256-656-5836 or athikerstew@yahoo.com
Tuesday, Aug 25, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Judy Burley, 883-4267.
Thursday, Aug 27 – Excom meeting 5:30pm. Mirko Rakigjija, 772-8548.
Tuesday, Sept 1, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Alan Greene, 534-7849.
Tuesday, Sept 8, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Gerdi Keyser, 922-2251.
Newsletter Labeling
Wednesday, Sept 9, 5:30pm. Stanlieo’s Sub Villa, corner of Monroe St. Governors Dr. Contact Jack, drostj@bellsouth.net.
Sunday, Sept 13 - Monte Sano hike. Strenuous. An approximately 10-12 mile loop across Monte Sano Mountain. Rough trail and significant elevation changes can be expected. Meet at the Hiker's Parking lot (Monte Sano Blvd, near turn off for Burritt Museum) at 8:30am. Bring plenty of water, lunch, and appropriate hiking shoes. Michael Stewart, (256) 656-5836, athikerstew@yahoo.com
Tuesday, Sept 15, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Nancy Dudney, 882-9408.
Saturday, Sep 19 - Pigeon Mountain Dayhike, Strenuous. Pigeon Mountain is a spur off the east side of Lookout Mountain and is part of the Cumberland Plateau. We will hike the Pocket Trail which includes a picturesque waterfall, wildflowers, and a wide range of geological formations. Bring lunch and water. The hike is 8 miles and rated strenuous due to the 1200 ft elevation gain. We will eat at a local restaurant on the way back. Meet at the Publix in Hampton Cove at 8:15am. For more information contact Tom Burley at 883-4267 or tdburley@bellsouth.net
Sunday, Sept 20 - Honeysuckle elimination. Meet Across from Fagan Spring Apartments at 1:00pm. Bring loppers and gloves to help remove invasive honeysuckle shrubs from forest floor on the Landtrust property. I will provide water, 2 sets of loppers, extra gloves, and a popper. Call Doug Horacek at 772-6788 for more information.
Sunday, Sep 20 - Monte Sano hike. Strenuous. An approximately 10-12 mile loop across Monte Sano Mountain. Rough trail and significant elevation changes can be expected. Meet at the Hiker's Parking lot (Monte Sano State Park, near the campground) at 8:30am. Bring plenty of water, lunch, and appropriate hiking shoes. Michael Stewart, (256) 656-5836, athikerstew@yahoo.com
Tuesday, Sept 22, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Ken Shrider, 772-9442.
Friday, Sept 25 - Quarter Moon Walk on Wade Mountain. Easy. Easy walk to the glades on top of Wade Mountain, first glade on Wade Mountain Trail, then Devils Racetrack. Once on top we will not use flashlights. Bring insect repellent, flashlight, sturdy boots, water, and binoculars. Enjoy some binocular astronomy, owls, and a moonlit trail. This is also part of the Landtrust outings. Meet at the trail head on Spragins Hollow Road at 7:00pm, or meet at Olive Garden at 4:00 for dinner before the hike. Call Doug Horacek for more information at 772-6788.
Tuesday, Sept 29, 6:00pm - Mountain Evening Hike. Easy. 3-4 mile hike. Meet at the Monte Sano Hiker’s parking lot. Michael Stewart, 656-5836.
Tuesday Evening Hikes
We usually
walk 3 - 4 miles. We walk to different locations on each hike. In the summer
(during daylight saving time) we hike in the park on Monte Sano. Although not
strenuous, all hikes are vigorous.
All Tuesday Evening hikes leave from the Monte Sano State Park Hiker's parking
lot at 6:00pm. There is a small hiker fee. All dogs must be on a lease while in
the parking lot and while on the trail.
Contact: Michael Stewart at 656-5836 or athikerstew@yahoo.com