Fiery Gizzard Reroute Update

Trail Boss Dustin Atkin reports that Phase One of the reroute is over 90 percent done, with just one major staircase yet to build. Phase Two of the reroute is 60 percent done, with a short section of new trail yet to be cut, a creek crossing to be built and another major staircase yet to come.
Volunteers are needed for many different tasks, not all of them strenuous. With cooler weather just around the corner, volunteers are still urgently needed to help Atkin—who has sometimes been working alone during the hottest summer days—bring the reroute to completion. Atkin works just about every day and can use volunteers at any time. However, scheduled volunteer work days are every Saturday from now until project completion.
If you would like to help, be at the Grundy Forest Parking Area any Saturday at 9 a.m., or call the visitor center (931) 924-2980 if you’d like to work with Atkin on any other day. Bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, sack lunch and plenty of water. Work generally finishes up by 3 p.m. or earlier each day. For more information, go to www.friendsofsouthcumberland.org.

Children’s Choir Opens Trails and Trilliums on April 15

Friends of South Cumberland Announce Tribute Award Winner

The Friends of South Cumberland State Park has announced that the South Cumberland Community Fund will be honored with its Tribute Award at the 2016 Trails and Trilliums Festival, April 15–17 at the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly.

For two years, the Childrens’ Choir performance at Trails and Trilliums has been made possible by a grant from the South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF) through the Paul S. McConnell Music Trust, which was established to encourage and support music on the Plateau.

“The generous support of the South Cumberland Community Fund has brought a treasure to Trails and Trilliums in the form of a gathering of students from across the Plateau participating in the Children’s Choir. The public support of this event has been resounding,” said Mary Priestley, representing the awards committee for Friends of the South Cumberland. “FSC is recognizing the Community Fund for all that they have done and are doing for the quality of life on our Mountain.”

This year’s Tribute Award will be presented at the Children’s Choir Concert and Student Art Exhibition at 5:30 p.m., Friday, April 15, in the Assembly Auditorium. The concert and exhibition are free to the public.

“The South Cumberland Community Fund is honored to receive this award,” said Margaret C. Woods, board chair of SCCF. “It has been a delight to see the Children’s Choir have such a positive impact and bring together so many people on the Mountain.”

The Trails and Trilliums Tribute Award, established in 2009, goes to an organization or person who has contributed to the South Cumberland Plateau or the FSC in a memorable way. Previous winners include: the Land Trust for Tennessee, Park Rangers of the South Cumberland State Park, contributors to “Williams Wildflowers,” Landscape Analysis Lab; Tennessee Naturalist Program Board; University of the South; and Discover Together . 

For the complete schedule for the weekend, more information or registration go to <www.trailsandtrilliums.org>.

Trails & Trilliums at MSSA on April 15–17

The 13th annual Trails and Trilliums Festival will be April 15–17 at the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly. This event is sponsored by the Friends of South Cumberland State Park.

The weekend opens on Friday afternoon, April 15, with hikes to Shakerag Hollow and Lost Cove. Later in the day, there will be the Trails and Trilliums Children’s Choir Concert, as well as the Student Art Exhibition in the assembly auditorium. A casual reception, Wine and Wildflowers, will be held next door at Harton Hall with the opportunity to view the works of guest artists participating in ART for the PARK.

On Saturday, April 16, both casual and dedicated hikers can explore the natural wonder of the South Cumberland Plateau by signing up for any of 11 guided hikes. Vans will carry participants to Lost Cove, Fiery Gizzard, Foster Falls, Grundy Lakes and Hawkins Cove. At the Assembly, outdoor lovers of all ages can enjoy programs that include “Wings to Soar, Butterfly Gardens,” and last year’s favorite, “Tales from the Trail.”

ART for the PARK, an art and vendor sale, continues through the weekend, with many nature-themed works that showcase the integration of forest beauty into our lives. 

Overhill Gardens will have a broad variety of native plants for gardeners wishing to recreate forest enchantment at their homes. The ART for the PARK gala will be on Saturday evening with dinner, art, and music benefiting Friends of the South Cumberland.

On Sunday hikes continue and there will be an opportunity to learn about and build Fairy Houses. Artists, vendors, food and music will be available throughout the day.

The final event of the weekend is the Cumberland Wild Hike into History program. An all-star panel of historians, naturalists and local experts, including State Naturalist Emeritus Mack Prichard and original Savage Gulf Preservation League President Wally Bigbee, will discuss the amazing history of the South Cumberland, including Native Americans, pioneers, sawmills, coal mines and old growth forests. For more information or registration go to <www.trailsandtrilliums.org>. 

New Mile of Additional Fiery Gizzard Trail Needed

As South Cumberland park rangers and friends celebrated the early completion of a major bridge on the Fiery Gizzard Trail reroute, Park Interim Manager George Shinn disclosed that a second private landowner has requested that the park trail be removed from his land by Dec. 1, necessitating an additional mile of new trail.

“We are proud to partner with the park in this effort, and we know our volunteers will rally to build the additional mile of trail,” said Latham Davis, president of the Friends of South Cumberland (FSC). Rangers report that more than 3,000 volunteer hours have been logged on the Fiery Gizzard project since August. The FSC received grant money from the Lyndhurst Foundation and Tennessee Trails Association, providing materials and tools so that the reroute moved forward swiftly.

Shinn announced that a 28-foot pole bridge—one of the most challenging portions of the reroute—has been completed, months ahead of schedule. When it was announced in late summer that the trail would have to be rerouted to skirt private land, plans called for the bridge spanning McAlloyd Branch to be constructed after the spring rains subsided. Thanks to incredible community support, the timeline was moved up by months,assuring that the trail will remain open this spring, even during high water. Additional improvements to this section of trail continue, including building a challenging 30-step rock staircase.

Shinn said that a second private landowner, whose property adjoins the old Baggenstoss Farm, decided to follow the lead of his neighbor and requested that the trail be removed from his land by December 1, 2016. 

“We plan to have it completed way before that deadline,” said Shinn. “Our goal is to finish by Labor Day. We need as many volunteers as possible to make this a reality.” Rangers are currently leading volunteer groups every Saturday, and from Memorial Day to Labor Day the work will continue every day.

He noted that the funds from Lyndhurst paid for materials to create the bridge, rocks for trails and for the to-be-built rock staircase. Telephone poles donated by Sequachee Valley Electric serve as the bridge foundation. Tennessee Trails Alliance provided funds for a hoist system that was used to move the heavy rock and lumber down into the gorge. 

For volunteer information, email <Jason.Reynolds@tn.gov>, or join the FSC Meet-Up website at <www.meetup.com/Friends-of-South-Cumberland-State-Park>. 

A video of the trail progress can be seen on the FSC Facebook page.

Civic Association Sets Priorities, Reviews Bylaws & Park Needs

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“The Community Chest is less than $12,000 from reaching its goal,” Community Chest co-chair Rick Duncan told the membership at the Feb. 17 Sewanee Civic Association (SCA) dinner meeting. Members also discussed maintenance needs at Elliott Park, reviewed proposed bylaw amendments and learned about the work of the Friends of South Cumberland to expand and sustain South Cumberland State Park.

The Community Chest funds an array of area programs, with the large majority youth-oriented. Duncan encouraged donors who gave last year but who have not yet contributed this year to make a donation. “If we received donations from those 80 people,” Duncan said, “we would exceed the $100,000 goal by more than $3,000.” [See adjacent story for details.]

Stephen Burnett, chair of the parks committee for SCA, called for volunteers to make routine weekly maintenance inspections at Elliott Park to comply with insurance requirements. 

Cameron Swallow said completing the duties on the check list “takes about five minutes.” To volunteer contact Burnett by email to <fortheparks@gmail.com>.

A question was raised about the surface material in the park hampering wheelchair access, since Elliott Park is supposed to be an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant facility. Burnett will check on ADA surface material specifications.

Civic Association President Kiki Beavers said several important items will be voted on at the April 20 meeting: the budget and officers for 2016–17, as well as amendments to the bylaws. Amendments under consideration redefine the board of directors and presidential succession, allow for email voting and prohibit discrimination based on gender. For full details about the proposed changes, go to <sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>.

Traditionally, the Civic Association celebrates the Person of the Year at the April meeting. Nominations are being accepted through March 21, Beavers said. To make a nomination send an email to <sewaneecivic@gmail.com>.

Vice president Lynn Stubblefield introduced the evening’s speaker, Latham Davis, president of the Friends of South Cumberland.

A longtime Sewanee resident, Davis joined the Friends board in 1990. At that time, the focus was on acquiring easements and tracts of land from private property owners to protect the Savage Gulf and Fiery Gizzard Cove regions of the park from residential development.

Through the Saving Great Spaces campaign, the Friends subsequently raised more than $600,000 and received $2 million in grants. A $25,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation will help fund the Fiery Gizzard trail reroute, made necessary when a landowner closed off a privately owned section of the trail.

The Friends also do education in area elementary schools and help with renovation of visitor centers and ranger houses. Partnering with the Monteagle Assembly, the Friends funded the building of a ranger house near the parking area of a trailhead where theft was occurring.

“South Cumberland State Park is one of the most biodiverse areas in the United States,” Davis said.

The 25,000 acre park consists of holdings from Cowan to Gruetli-Laager. The park system originated in 1971, when Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn took an interest in the region.

“Hike into History” is 2016 FSC Challenge

The Friends of South Cumberland (FSC) announces Hike into History, its third annual hiking challenge, with a kickoff event on Saturday, Feb. 27. 

“The Hike into History theme will highlight the interaction of people throughout history with South Cumberland State Park,” said Naullain Kendrick, project coordinator. Hike topics include Native American presence, timbering, mining, railroads, pioneers, natural history and more. 

“Hikers can see evidence of  pioneer settlements, moonshine stills, narrow-gauge railways, coal mines and logging operations,” Kendrick said. The FSC teamed with Ranger Park Greer to plan hikes that focus on the region’s rich history and explore many different areas of the sprawling 25,000 acre park, which spans portions of Franklin, Marion, Grundy and Sequatchie counties.

This year, two levels of hikes will be offered: the Discovery Series for typical hikers and the Adventurer Series for those who want a more challenging, “off-trail” experience. 

Ranger Greer is leading the Adventurer Series hikes (scheduled monthly, beginning in April), which will include rappelling, caving and archeological exploration. A $25 fee for each hike includes lunch and off-trail equipment, with proceeds benefitting the FSC. Register for any of the Adventurer Series hikes online at <www.meetup.com/Friends-of-South-Cumberland-State-Park>. This website, for the FSC MeetUp group, is free and by joining will ensure that you receive updates about both hike series.

There is no charge for the Discovery hikes, which will be scheduled throughout 2016 and will be led by rangers and FSC volunteers. Self guided information about each hike is posted to the 2016 challenge website at <www.HikeIntoHis​tory.org> for those who choose to hike on their own. Both series of history-themed hikes will be introduced at a kickoff brunch on Saturday, Feb. 27, at Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City, followed by a hike at Fiery Gizzard. Registration and a brunch will begin at 9:30 a.m. Organizers will present a video overview of the upcoming hikes and will answer questions. 

The cost of registration and brunch is $15 for FSC members and $20 for non-members, with an option to join FSC at the event.

At noon, a guided hike along Fiery Gizzard Creek will include a visit to the remains of a moonshine still and the Civilian Conservation Corps work camp. From noon to 3 p.m., the public is also invited to stop by the South Cumberland State Park Visitors Center on Highway 41 to see the newly renovated exhibit areas. 

“Taking on the challenge of bringing more people to see the wonders of this vast park has been rewarding,” said Kendrick. “South Cumberland State Park has so much to offer. We’re challenging you to come and experience it for yourself!”

For more information go to <www.FriendsOfSouthCumberland.org>.

State Park Visitors’ Center Hosts Open House

The public is invited to the South Cumberland State Park Visitors’ Center from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, to view the exhibit spaces being renovated. The new open-concept, brightly painted areas feature a native plant exhibit, an upgraded log cabin to explore, interactive computer displays, a display about the Hike into History Challenge hikes, and more. 

Highlights of the day include a chance to visit with Davy Crockett (Park Manager George Shinn) and be part of “Tennessee’s 50,000 Trees” event. 

Flo Wilson and Mary Priestley, members of the board of Friends of South Cumberland, spearheaded the renovation project, which began last spring. Wilson organized the volunteers, who painted and provided carpentry services. Priestley led a group to update and redesign the exhibits, which had not been changed since the center opened. 

“The visitors’ center has always been on target in presenting the important themes of the natural and cultural history of this place,” Priestley said. “We’ve built on those themes, tweaked a few things and put a new spin on others. It’s the same place, just with a fresh look.”

FSC Receives Grant For Fiery Gizzard Reroute

Friends of South Cumberland (FSC) was recently awarded a $2,000 grant from the Tennessee Trails Association (TTA) for equipment to help with the ongoing work of rerouting the popular Fiery Gizzard Trail. The gift will allow the rangers to purchase a lifting system to move large rocks, bridge lumber and other trail-building materials.

“TTA generously agreed to fund the kit and all the cables, trolleys, pulleys and accessories that would allow the hoist to be used to its full potential across much greater distances,” said Naullain Kendrick, FSC vice president. “This gear will have multiple uses, even after the trail reroute is complete, including rescue potential. It’s a key piece of equipment that will benefit the park for years to come, and we thank TTA for its generosity.”

Volunteers are needed to help with the effort, which will result in moving a key section of the trail off of private land atop the Cumberland Plateau and onto park property. 

“So far, the trail work has had awesome support,” said Ranger Park Greer. “How quickly we complete the work depends entirely on how many volunteers we get.” Volunteer work parties take place every Saturday. Workers should meet at 9 a.m. at the Grundy Forest parking area in Tracy City. Rangers will transport volunteers to the trail reroute site. The groups usually work until 1–2 p.m.

“We have jobs for all ages and skill levels,” Greer explained. “It’s not just moving boulders — we need people to rake leaves, level the soil, trim branches and deliver tools.” 

The reroute effort received an earlier financial boost from the Lyndhurst Foundation in Chattanooga, which provided a $25,000 grant to build a massive bridge across McAlloyd Creek and two staircases. Materials for these structures were air-dropped into the gorge with help from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which provided one of its helicopters to make the unusual delivery.

The new route presents hikers with heretofore unseen and spectacular views of cascades and smaller falls in the creek. 

“While the reroute adds some difficulty to the trail, the new views along the way make it totally worth it!” Greer said.

Scout troops, church groups and community service organizations are encouraged to bring members. 

For information, contact Jason Reynolds by email, < Jason.Reynolds@tn.gov> or visit <www.Meetup.com/Friends-of-South-Cumberland-State-Park>.

Civic Association Returns to EQB for Feb. 17 Meeting

The first meeting for the Easter semester of the Sewanee Civic Association will be Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the EQB House. Please note the change of venue.

Social time with wine begins at 6 p.m., and a buffet dinner ($13) begins at 6:30 p.m. The business meeting begins promptly at 7 p.m., followed by a brief program. The program part of the evening is free and open to the public. 

The business portion of the meeting will include an update on the Sewanee Community Chest, park maintenance, the 2016–17 SCA budget and nominations for board positions. 

Latham Davis, president of Friends of South Cumberland, will present the program on the South Cumberland Park activities and the Fiery Gizzard trail reroute. Latham and his wife, Mary, moved to Sewanee in 1977, when he joined the University staff. 

Latham was elected to the board of the Friends of South Cumberland in 1998 and co-chaired with Mary Priestley the Friends’ Saving Great Spaces Campaign, which exceeded its $600,000 goal. He served as president from 2003 to 2005. He was elected again to the Friends’ board and then to vice-president in 2014, and became president last July.

This year, the Sewanee Civic Association is celebrating 108 years of civic opportunities in the community. The association brings together community members for social and community awareness. The SCA is the sponsoring organization for Cub Scout Pack 152 and was instrumental in placing the historical marker at Sewanee Elementary School and developing the Elliot Park project.

Since 1943, the Sewanee Civic Association has organized the Community Chest, which now raises tens of thousands of dollars yearly for local organizations. 

For more information, go to <www.sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>. 

Friends of South Cumberland Receives $25,000 Grant for Fiery Gizzard Trail

The Lyndhurst Foundation of Chattanooga recently announced the awarding of a $25,000 grant to the Friends of South Cumberland (FSC) to assist in the Fiery Gizzard Trail reroute that began in August. 

Although the park originally said the trail would close to through hikers on Dec. 1, the ranger-led volunteer effort has been so successful that Interim Park Manager George Shinn announced that the trail was passable by that date. “We are so glad not to have to post any ‘Trail Closed’ signs as we had feared.” The reroute was necessitated when a private owner withdrew permission for the trail to continue to cross his land.

“We are very thankful to the Lyndhurst Foundation for recognizing the high value of the Fiery Gizzard Trail and to the Friends for making this grant happen, “ said Shinn. “We are also pleased that the rerouted trail is far enough along that we will be able to keep it open for through hikers. The $25,000 will help us finish the rugged 25 percent of trail remaining and provide materials to build the first bridge. The progress made this fall has been phenomenal and the volunteer support amazing, so we feel sure we will continue to find funds and workers going forward.” Fiery Gizzard Trail is ranked as one of the top 25 hiking trails in the United States and is credited with enhancing tourism and the local economy in one of Tennessee’s most rural areas.

“The interest of the Lyndhurst Foundation shows the importance of South Cumberland State Park in the region,” said Latham Davis, FSC president. “Lyndhurst is always alert to key environmental and conservation issues and the importance of outdoor recreation.” Davis also expressed thanks to the scores of volunteers who have been working on the trail and to the park rangers, in particular Ranger Jason Reynolds, the leader of the trail rerouting project. “This is rough work in steep, rugged terrain,” Davis said. “The trail remains open because of those people and because of the support of the Lyndhurst Foundation and our members.”

Ranger Shinn also thanked Sequatchee Valley Electric for donating telephone poles to be used in the Fiery Gizzard bridges. Shinn said, “Our trails and park affect our community, and our community affects our park. This is the kind of partnership I have dreamed of having … with local businesses and leaders supporting the park efforts.”

The $25,000 grant monies are designated for materials needed in the construction of the trail, notably stone for steps and lumber for bridges that will span Fiery Gizzard Creek. Ranger Jason Reynolds, who has worked on the trail section almost daily since August, reported that the reroute around Raven Point Farm is 75 percent complete, though he stresses that the trail is rough in some places. The Foster Falls to Fiery Gizzard (or vice versa) 12.5-mile hike will remain open with new signage to direct hikers along the rerouted portion of the trail. According to Ranger Jason, the bridge has not yet been built, so the trail may close in spring, when the creek is too high to wade across. 

Fiery Gizzard Trail Re-Routing Receives Regional Attention

The nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands was held on Sept. 26, on National Public Lands Day (NPLD), and the efforts of many people centered on the Fiery Gizzard Trail re-route in South Cumberland State Park. After the threat to the Fiery Gizzard Trail made the evening news in Nashville and the front page of the Chattanooga Times, hundreds of people have responded. Ranger Jason Reynolds said, “We have been inundated by calls and emails from groups who want to help.”

The Nashville location of outdoor recreation retailer REI selected the Fiery Gizzard Trail as its NPLD volunteer project, partnering with the Friends of South Cumberland (FSC) to recruit workers. REI volunteers joined Boy Scouts, members of Tennessee Trails Association, students and faculty from Highland Academy in Portland, Tenn., and others who braved the trail work in the steep, rocky terrain. 

Ken Tucker of Tennessee’s “Wild Side TV” altered his schedule to come to Grundy County and film a piece on the trail. The story will begin airing across the state on PBS in early October. Ranger Reynolds noted that in coming weeks he has scheduled volunteer workers from Boy Scout troops, a group from Georgia Tech, Sewanee students, an organization from Chattanooga that specializes in rock work on trails, and many from hiking Meet Ups in the tri-state region. The volunteer efforts continue every Saturday and Sunday through December, with workers meeting at the Grundy Forest parking lot at 9 a.m.

In mid-August the park learned that a private landowner had withdrawn permission to cross his land, which will block one section of the popular 12.5-mile trail, effective Dec. 1. The linear trail, heralded by Backpacker Magazine as the sixth in the nation on the list of Best Fall Foliage Hikes, is loved by many. 

“We have never seen a response like this,” said Reynolds, who is coordinating the new trail. “The only way to save this trail is to re-route a section down into the cove, skirting the privately owned property.”

Friends of South Cumberland and the Savage Gulf Preservation League are hosting a land preservation celebration, Gaze and Graze, on Sunday, Oct. 11. At 2 p.m. meet at Stone Door for a hike to the overlook; 3–4:30 p.m., gather at Beersheba Springs Hotel for music, refreshments and fun. Bazzania will provide music.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate with the fine folks who are committed to preserving the great spaces of South Cumberland State Park,” said organizers.

Reservations are not required. For more information, contact Margaret Matens by email to <FSCpublicity@gmail.com> or call (931) 924-2623. 

Fiery Gizzard Trail in South Cumberland State Park Threatened :: Key Campground to Close as Park Loses Access to Private Property

The mid-point section of the popular Fiery Gizzard Trail in South Cumberland State Park will soon close to hikers, thus closing the 12.5-mile trek between Grundy Forest Trailhead and Foster Falls. 

Interim Park Manager George Shinn has announced that the owner of the property near Raven Point, which the trail has crossed for decades, has asked for the removal of the park trail from his property by Dec. 1. 

“The only practical solution,” Shinn said, “is to reroute that section of the trail into the cove. But the solution is not easy to accomplish and will significantly increase the difficulty for hikers in the future.”

Similar land issues have forced the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to order the closing of Raven Point Campground, located along the Fiery Gizzard Trail, on Sept. 7.

On Aug. 15, the news broke about threats to the popular trail. Shinn and Friends of South Cumberland (FSC) President Latham Davis were interviewed on a Nashville news station about the trail that put South Cumberland in the national spotlight. Backpacker Magazine voted the Fiery Gizzard Trail among the top 25 hiking trails in the U.S. and in 2014, ranked it sixth on the list of Best Fall Foliage Hikes in the nation. The trail is credited with drawing visitors to South Cumberland and enhancing tourism and the local economy in one of Tennessee’s most rural areas.

“Since the ’70s, the park has operated this trail in partnership with numerous private owners,” Shinn said, “and we have worked hard to maintain strong relations. However, as land is sold or passed on to heirs, these long-standing verbal agreements can change overnight. 

“Because of safety and liability issues, the state can not operate without formal agreements,” he added. “We are hopeful that we can persuade those involved to agree to a partnership based on a conservation easement or a memorandum of understanding that will allow the trail and campground to remain open.” 

Shinn said that purchasing the land is not always necessary. “We just need agreements and committed partnerships in order to save forever the few miles of trail that cross private property.”

“This is clearly an emergency,” said Mack Prichard, Tennessee State Naturalist Emeritus, who has been involved with the trail for decades. 

“To lose a trail like Fiery Gizzard and this key campground is unthinkable.” Prichard said, “We need to mobilize miracles and pull rabbits out of hats. We are going to need some miracles here again.”

FSC President Latham Davis said, “The Friends of South Cumberland have had many successes in acquiring key tracts of land and conservation easements, most recently this summer acquiring several hundred feet of bluff facing Stone Door in Savage Gulf Natural Area. We have good relations with many landowners adjacent to the park, which makes this event on the Fiery Gizzard Trail so puzzling and distressing.” 

Raven Point Farm is currently on the market for more than double the appraised value of the land. The owner recently rejected an offer by the FSC to purchase the land at its appraised value. 

Mary Priestley, author of “Fiery Gizzard: Voices from the Wilderness” and past president of the FSC said, “We learned that when a Friends group, Land Trust, or other nonprofit buys land, you can’t set the precedent of paying more than the appraised value, because going forward, this will cause other landowners to expect the same inflated prices. A major concern is that the tract could be sold to a developer, ruining the pristine nature of the trail forever.”

At this point, Priestley said, “the Friends’ best hope is for a conservation buyer to come in and purchase Raven Point Farm and establish easements on it. There are substantial tax incentives for doing this; easements would allow for the continued use of the original trail and give the park rangers the access they need.”

The FSC is committed to raising awareness about this recent development at Fiery Gizzard and to partnering with others to find solutions. 

Friends members and park rangers are working together to organize volunteers to help build a re-routed section of the trail. To skirt private land, the trail will have to plunge to the bottom of the gorge and back to the top, an 800-foot elevation drop, which will substantially increase the difficulty of the trail. Anyone willing to volunteer in the trail-building effort can go to the FSC website for details. 

The FSC, one of the most active state park friends groups in Tennessee, has helped raise millions of dollars to purchase thousands of acres and protect miles of trail and view. Since the Friends began, the park has increased by 10,000 acres.

Trails & Trilliums Opens at Monteagle Assembly April 10–11

With author Richard Louv as keynote speaker for the April 10–12 Trails & Trilliums festival in Monteagle, the Friends of South Cumberland’s (FSC) theme this year is saving our children from “nature-deficit disorder,” a Louv-coined term. But there will be activities for people of all ages. Registration is now open at <www.trailsandtrilliums.org>, along with a schedule of the many offerings: over 20 guided hikes, speakers, workshops, family fun, Art for the Park, vendors, the Children’s Choir and more. 

The kickoff event is the Children’s Choir Concert at 5:30 p.m., Friday, April 10, followed by the Art for the Park opening night party showcasing the works of 10 featured artists. This cocktail buffet, held at the Assembly dining hall and gardens,  provides first choice for purchase of artwork, with great food and spirits and live music. Tickets ($40 per person) are available online or by calling (931) 924-4000. All proceeds from tickets and art sales go to the Friends of South Cumberland State Park. 

The 2015 featured artists are Bob Askew, Birdie Boone, Janice N. Dean, Jim Ann Howard, G. Sanford McGee, Susan G. McGrew, Lendon Noe, Mary P. Priestley, Carolyn Tweedy and Brett Weaver. Each artist donated a piece of work to be sold Friday evening, and they will have additional work for sale Saturday and Sunday. Four additional artists donated art for the event: Jamey Chernicky, Celia Delaney, Mitzi Roess and Carol Sampson. 

“The Friends are thankful to all the generous artists taking part as featured artists or vendors. Art for the Park has been a great source of revenue for the FSC,” said event chair Dede Clements. Clements offered thanks to Citizens State Bank, sponsor for the opening night party, and John Canale, Art for the Park sponsor.

The three-day Trails & Trilliums festival takes place at the historic Monteagle Sunday School Assembly. Louv will participate in a symposium for outdoor educators on April 10 at the University and give the keynote address on April 11, followed by a book signing. His talk, titled “A Nature-Rich Life,” will highlight the Wine & Wildflowers reception. 

Family fun, free events will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 11, including a ropes course with a giant swing, wildlife programs, making fairy houses, building shelters, nature walks and outdoor games. 

The festival is noted for guided hikes, wildflowers, workshops, programs of interest to naturalists and gardeners, a garden tour and high-quality art.

Yeatman Award Winners Announced

Yolande and Robin Gottfried will be awarded the 2015 Harry C. Yeatman Environmental Education Award from the Friends of South Cumberland on April 11 at Trails & Trilliums. Robin is executive director of the Center for Religion and Environment at Sewanee, a University professor of economics, emeritus, and has published widely on the subject of eco-theology. Yolande, one of two curators of the Sewanee Herbarium, leads wildflower walks and is the author of a trail guide to Shakerag Hollow.

Area Hikers Complete the FSC Hike ’Em All in 2014 Challenge

Four area hikers accepted the Hike ’Em All in 2014 challenge and accomplished their goal; the challenge was sponsored by the Friends of South Cumberland (FSC). 

Each hiker completed hiking the 14 trails described in Mary Priestley’s “Hike ’Em All” guide to hiking in South Cumberland State Park. 

The four hikers who met the goal are: Marietta Poteet of Monteagle, Naullain Kendrick of Manchester, Linda Spangler of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Linda Daniels of Powell, Tenn. Each hiked 120 miles of trails in the park. 

Poteet and Kendrick are veteran hikers; Spangler and Daniels are novice hikers who had only completed a 12-mile hike before setting this goal. 

In addition to finishing the Hike ’Em All challenge, Poteet completed the coursework and community service hours to become a Tennessee Naturalist. She is an active member of FSC and is a frequent hike leader. She is also involved with the Tennessee Trails Association. 

Kendrick has also completed the coursework and community service hours to be a Tennessee Naturalist. He serves on the FSC board and was the chairman of the hike challenge. 

Those who completed the challenge received a T-shirt, a certificate of achievement and free FSC membership for a year. Although the FSC spotlighted this challenge during 2014, the opportunity to complete the designated trails and be recognized is open to all and does not have to be finished in one year. FSC is planning a new challenge for 2015. For more information go to <www.friendsofsouth​cumberland>.

Camp Discover Completes Third Year, Children Learn about Community

For two weeks in June, Camp Discover students explored their community, learned about the stories and music of the area, read books about community and recorded their thoughts in special camp journals. More than 80 children from Tracy Elementary and the surrounding area completed their camp experience on Friday, June 13, with a final celebration and barbecue lunch at the South Cumberland State Park Visitor’s Center that included community and family members.

This marked the third year of Camp Discover, based at Tracy Elementary School. The community-based partnership is a project led by members of the Grundy County community in partnership with Scholastic, Yale Child Study Center and Sewanee. Local organizations also generously contribute to make it possible for Camp Discover to provide its rich program, including Tracy City Elementary, the Friends of the South Cumberland, Morton Memorial Methodist Church and Mountain TOP.

The Camp’s head teacher, Sherry Guyear, working with Tracy Elementary teacher Jan Roberts, brought together a remarkable team of more than 30 local, talented volunteers. Former Tracy City Principal Russell Ladd returned to lead older campers this year. Naturalist Mary Priestley shared her talent and time, working with children on nature journals. The fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders spent time on the Fiery Gizzard trail and learning about the trees, wildflowers and water creatures of the area. 

Local musicians Cameron, Ruth and Sophie Swallow, Betty Carpenter and Barbara Prunty sang traditional Appalachian songs and helped children create their own music. Campers enjoyed learning folk songs and singing, dancing and making musical instruments.

University art professor Pradip Malde and a number of University and St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School students continued their ongoing work helping campers tell their stories through photography. Digital cameras were donated for all campers to use, recording their observations on field trips to Grundy County attractions.

These field trips were connected to Camp Discover’s theme of community. Campers visited the Cowan Railroad Museum; St. Mary’s Convent and Gardens; the Highlander Folk School; the birthplace of the Tennessee Walking Horse in Pelham, where they listened to stories from Miss Janie Belle; Beersheba Springs, where they heard the music and stories of Big Don Hill and saw one of the old homes; and Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, where they rode the carousel with scenes painted by local artist Lisa Turner.

On days in Tracy, campers read a variety of books together and enjoyed projects related to the literature, to the local region and to the themes of friends, family and community. 

The Discover Together Partnership runs both Camp Discover and the Discover Together Family Co-op for children birth-5 and their families. For more information contact Emily Partin by email, <epartin1@k12tn.net>.

Hike All 14 in 2014 in South Cumberland State Park

The Friends of South Cumberland challenges area hikers to “Hike All 14 in 2014.” In Mary Priestley’s guide to hiking in the South Cumberland State Park, she lists 14 hikes that cover all 10 parks that make up the South Cumberland State Park in 120 miles of hiking. 

“If you hike all 14, you will have covered a lot of trail and seen some of the most spectacular scenery to be found,” said Priestley. 

The Hike All 14 challenge will kick off on Sat., Feb. 8; registration will be 9:30–10 a.m., at the State Park Visitor Center. The first of the 14 hikes, Hike 4 on the Meadow Trail, will be 10–11:30 a.m., led by Mary Priestley. Lunch at Dutch Maid Bakery will follow at 12 p.m., with a program by Tennessee Naturalist Rob Moreland. After lunch, Hike 3 at Grundy Lakes will begin at 1:30 p.m. Participants may come for any or all of these opening events. 

There is a $10 fee to sign up for the challenge that includes registration and a copy of the trail guide. Hikers can also order a Hike All 14 T-shirt with a checklist of hikes on the back. Those who join the “I Hiked Em All Club” will receive a certificate, trail map bandana and a year’s membership to the FSC. 

Everyone is invited to participate at no charge on any of the individual hikes. Scouts and other student groups are encouraged to take part. 

For more information contact Naullain Kendrick by email to <naullain@hotmail.com>.

The next scheduled hikes take place on March 22, and include Hike 6, the Greeter Falls Loop and Laurel Trail, combined with Hike 2, the Laurel Falls Loop. Tennessee Naturalists Jack Furman and Naullain Kendrick will be the leaders. 

On April 6, Mary Priestley and Naullain Kendrick will lead Hike 10, the Collins Gulf Loop. Additional hikes will be offered during Trails & Trilliums on April 12–13. 

With more than 24,500 acres in separate parcels, South Cumberland is spread out over a 100-square-mile area. Approximately 81 miles of white- and blue-blazed trails run through Savage Gulf, Fiery Gizzard and all of the other parks that make up the South Cumberland. The 14 hikes described in the guide include easy strolls and more difficult day-long treks. To receive monthly announcements about Hike 14, go to the FSC website <www.friendsofscsra.org> and sign up for the free Trail Tracker mailing list.

Low Country Boil in Monteagle

The fourth annual Low Country Boil will be 4–7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Tennessee National Guard Armory (107 Armory Rd., Monteagle, on Hwy. 41 between Monteagle and Tracy City). The dinner will include shrimp, corn on the cob, cajun sausage and red potatoes, dirty rice, bread, drinks, and bread pudding in rum sauce. Bazzania! will provide entertainment for the evening.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Friends of South Cumberland, the Monteagle Food Bank and the Monteagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $15 per person in advance or $18 per person at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Monteagle City Hall and at various Monteagle businesses. For more information call (931) 924-5353 or email <mmtn​chamber@blomand.net>.

Families Share Camp Discover Reunion

Tracy Elementary School students who participated in the 2013 Camp Discover in June gathered with their families and community members on Nov. 11 to share memories of camp and enjoy a variety of activities. 

The mission of Camp Discover is part of an ongoing community partnership project designed around the natural connections that exist between literacy and the development of social connectedness, with an emphasis on exploring, sharing and celebrating the community’s stories and heritage.

“The excitement about the reunion had been building for weeks at Tracy,” said Emily Partin, coordinator of the Grundy County Schools Family Resource Center and a community partner. “The kids remember so much about the summer camp and can tell wonderful stories about their time in the community. They are already anxious to learn where we will visit next year!” 

Community volunteers who participated in the reunion also included wildlife rehabilitator Margaret Matens, who brought snakes and turtles for students to hold; State Park Ranger George Shinn, who provided information about their different habitats on the Plateau; and A.J. Gulley, who cooked up a large kettle of mulligan stew for the group to sample and told the history of frontier cooking.

Photographs were collected to create a community calendar that celebrates the camp and provides additional information on locations campers visited and books they read for families that may want to visit or read together. Students and their families had a chance to see the calendar on Monday for the first time and were encouraged to reflect on and write about some of their special memories.

In addition, student photographs were on display in an exhibit in Tracy Elementary’s new Learning Lab. Sewanee art professor Pradip Malde and College student Chandler Sowden worked with students this fall to write reflections on the photos they took. The exhibit will move to the University in January for a show at Stirling’s. In the future, the Learning Lab will offer a space for students and families to complete school project assignments in a supportive environment.

University of the South Executive Chef Rick Wright shared a no-bake apple cookie activity, and Christopher Faults told stories of Tracy’s history as students rode a hay wagon around the town.

The evening ended with a barbecue dinner for everyone prepared by Priscilla Graham, while the Bazzania band provided entertainment. Sherry Guyear, one of the camp’s lead teachers, shared the book “Owl Babies,” and all students received a bag of books and calendar provided by Scholastic, along with some special treats.

More than 60 Tracy Elementary students in grades 1–7 participated in the 2013 Camp Discover, which is part of an ongoing collaboration between the University, Yale Child Study Center, Scholastic and Tracy Elementary. Funding from the Friends of the South Cumberland and University of the South Environmental Studies, rangers from South Cumberland State Park, and curriculum, program materials, and books supplied by Scholastic supported the two-week program.  Plans are underway for the 2014 Camp program. For more information email <southcumberland​families@gmail.com>. 

—Special to the Messenger

So Many Activities This Weekend!

This is one of those weekends on the Mountain when we wonder how anyone goes to all the great events taking place. Here’s an overview of the terrific opportunities this weekend. There’s more information throughout this issue.

Today, April 12

-an intrigue at Convocation Hall

-Organ recital, All Saints’ Chapel

-World healing meditation, 

Community Center

-Trails & Trilliums preview, 

Monteagle Assembly

-Perpetual Motion, Guerry

-Roosevelt Live! atMcCrory

-Voice Recital at St. Luke’s

-“Silver Linings Playbook,” SUT

Saturday, April 13

-Fishing Rodeo for Kids on
Hidden Hollow Lake

-Food with Friends Lunch at
Holy Comforter Church,
Monteagle

-Trails & Trilliums at Monteagle Assembly

-Art on the Rise at SAS

-Change for Paws on the Quad

-Perpetual Motion at Guerry

-“Silver Linings Playbook,” SUT