September 29-30 Eleven backpackers and five day hikers drove to Grayson Highlands State Park/Mt. Rogers in Southeast Virginia. The hike was great, the views were overwhelming and the weather was clear, windy and the mercury hit the freezing mark at dawn. The backpacking group made a short visit the the Mt. Rogers Festival after the hike.

September 21-22 Seven water lovers drove to Summersville, West Virginia for a wild and wooly ride on the Upper Gauley River, a major tributary of the New River, and a world class whitewater run. The Gauley has it full flow in force for just three weeks out of the year. The flow is controlled by a discharge from Summersville Dam, one of the world's largest earthen dams. The Gauley Festival was in full swing and approximately 5000 rafters and kyakers were expected to run the river each day.

Sunday, September 16 We had a good turnout for the Jenkins Ridge Hike on a beautiful, cool day. In attendance were six hikers from Greeneville, two from Morristown, three from Knoxville and one special guest from Nashville, Anne Wesley of the Tennessee Trails Association. We started on the Anthony Creek Trail in Cades Cove, then took the Bote Mountain Trail to Spence Field, where we had lunch along with beautiful views of the Fontana Lake Valley. We then headed down into North Carolina on the Jenkins Ridge Trail which was mostly a pleasant walk but contained some very steep but short uphills and downhills. We intersected the Lakeshore Trail and navigated the fourteen creek crossings on the Pinnacle Creek Section. After a a couple of encounters with Yellow Jackets, where several hikers got multiple stings, we were picked up by boat for a shuttle across Fontana Lake.

Wednesday, September 12 There was a hike on the Virginia Creeper attended by four club members and also a joint hike with the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club on the Mill Ridge/Laurel River Semi loop. On the joint hike, there were five hikers from Knoxville, joined by two members of the Greeneville Hiking club.

Sunday, September 9 Twelve member showed up on a beautiful, sunny day for the 7 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail from Garenflo Gap to Hot Springs. This trail is in very good shape, with good footing and a pleasure to hike.

Monday, Labor Day, September 3 Because of health and a 90 percent forecast of rain, we decided to postpone the Snake Den-AT-Low Gap Hike in Cosby and do the shorter and easier hike in and out hike on the Big Creek Trail in the Waterville, NC area of the GSMNP.

Saturday, September 1 Although the rain was pouring, seven hikers drove to Linville Falls North Carolina and were rewarded when the rain held off most of the day. We hiked two trails to both overlook and base of the falls, then hiked to the base of another falls thirty miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Thursday, August 30 In our effort to check out all the local trails for flood damage, five persons did the Jennings Creek loop out of Old Forge in the Horse Creek area. The Big Jennings Creek and Cowbell Hollow Trails are in great shape for both hiking and horseback riding. Little Jennings Creek did sustain a small amount of damage on the lower forth of the trail, but is still very easy to navigate on foot.

Wednesday, August 29 Seven members hiked the trail that circled the lake at Bay's Mountain Park close to Kingsport, Tennessee.

August 25-26 Thirteen members of the Greeneville Hiking Club climbed the seven miles and 3500 feet from Cherokee Orchard to the Mt. LeConte Lodge on the Bullhead Trail. After dinner, the group went to Cliff Tops for a beautiful sunset, although the sunrise view from Myrtle Point was fogged in on Sunday Morning. After a huge breakfast at the lodge, the group descended on the Alum Cave Trail, currently under repair.

Sunday, August 19 Nine hikers did a short trek over Persimmon Ridge in Jonesborough. The group shared a watermelon then took a dip and a few slides in the adjacent water park.

Saturday, August 18 Eight volunteers drove to Camp Creek Bald and spent the day weedeating, loping and trimming our adopted section of the Appalachian Trail. This seqment is in very good shape now and was relatively untouched by the floods except for one thirty foot landslide (which is easily bypassed) close to the intersection with the Phillips Hollow Trail.

Wednesday, August 15 With the road and trailhead to Margarette Falls being unaccessable because of recent flooding, four members of the Greeneville Hiking Club did the 3.5 mile Mill Ridge Loop off the AT between Laurel River and Hot Springs in North Carolina.

August 11-12 Both Saturday and Sunday were spent checking out the flood damage at Paint Creek. Be sure to view the pictures in the photo album. On Sunday we encountered another cloudburst and wild, electrical storm and we had to hurry back to the trailhead. Paint Creek flooded again and the whole crowd got soaking wet.

August 4-5 Although the rain was coming down in buckets, seven hiker left Greeneville to drive to Fall Creek Falls, south of Cookville, Tennessee, a 188 mile drive. We checked into our campsite and hiked to the bottom of Fall Creek Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi. When the hike was completed, we had dinner at the lodge and attended a Bluegrass singing at the amphitheatre. This Tennessee State Park has many overlooks with beautiful views of the gorge which contains several waterfalls and swimming holes. On Sunday morning we had the breakfast buffet at the lodge, hiked the Paw-Paw Trail loop then took a side trip to visit the Coke Furnace museum at Dunlap before returning home.

Saturday, July 28 Six members of the Greeneville Hiking Club drove to the Abrams Creek Trailhead in Cades Cove. They hiked to the falls for lunch and one member couldn't resist taking a quick dip. The group continued past the falls, then turned right and climbed the Hatcher Mountain Trail then turned on Cooper Road and headed back toward the loop road. Just before reaching the road the group took the Wet Bottoms Trail, which went by an old barn and a restored cabin.

Wednesday, July 25 Four hikers made the trip to Abingdon, Virginia to hike four miles on the famed Virginia Creeper Trail.

Sunday, July 22 The day was unbearably hot and humid, but nine hikers set off on Turkeypen Cove to attend the Celebration of the Civil War Soldier's Graves on the Appalachian Trail. After the service was over, the group hiked back to Jones Meadow at Camp Creek Bald.

Saturday, July 21 Seven club members drove to Camp Creek Bald and helped the Konnarock Crew with the work on the relocation of the Appalachian Trail.

Sunday, July 15 We had a good turnout for the Sunday Afternoon Hike from Mill Ridge to the Laurel River Trailhead. Ten club members plus a guest from France did the eight mile hike on the Appalachian Trail, Pump Gap and Laurel River Trail with a short off-trail connector and a railroad trestle crossing added in to spice things up a bit.

Saturday, July 7 Seven bikers met at six am to make the three hour drive (each way) to Foster Falls State Park just north of the Shot Tower on I-77. The group biked twenty four miles north to Pulaski, VA ate a Mexican lunch and biked back to the starting point. The New River Trail, which follows the second oldest river in the world, is moderately flat and has an excellent surface for bicycling.

Friday, July 6 Although the day was overcast, five hiker drove to Paint Creek Campground and hiked ten miles across the Paint Mountain and Chimney Rocks trail ending in Weaver's Bend.