Since the last post we’ve been on a few more hikes. There will be more frequent and detailed posts as time progresses. In the meantime here are a few photos of a Cades Cove and Catalooche hike. I am on a horse in one photo. I didn’t do the hike on a horse. We ran into the horse and rider and he offered for me to give it a try. It was my first time ever on a horse.
“75 on the 75th: Hiking all the Trails in the Park” has begun. We’ve been out every Saturday and will continue to do so. Check out the schedule by way of the tab on top titled “Hike Schedule.”For more information email me at jerry.span@fontanavillage.com Check out these photos from our Ramsey Cascades hike.
I’m pulling the plug on Byron. He was our MOM for a few months. Here’s a little reminder…
Our previous MOM, Rick Sneden, enjoys the Fontana Hiking Club because of the camaraderie with other hikers. FHC’s new MOM has the same enjoyment from the organization. Through the club these men have made acquaintances and become friends hiking frequently, even during the week on undesignated FHC hikes. Both these members have continued coming every Saturday even when our numbers have dwindled to include just them on several hikes. This month’s MOM is Byron Housley.
Housley had his first hike while in the Boy Scouts back in Georgia, where he grew up bouncing around from Ball Ground and Marietta because of his father’s position as a Superintendent for a construction company. His first “serious hike” was after he retired in 2002 from America ENKA, a textile industry out of Auburn, which he worked for since he graduated from Auburn University. Like his commitment level to work, Byron seems to have transferred that commitment to hiking all the trails in our area.
Byron found this area in a quite interesting manner. His parents vacationed frequently in Florida. One of their vacation friends in Florida was a family who owned land on Sawyer Creek. The North Carolina friends decided they wanted to move from the mountains and mentioned this to Byron’s parents. They were interested in the property and bought the land in 1989. Five years later more land became available on Sawyer Creek and Byron snatched up the 27-acre lot. At that time he lived just outside of Asheville and would only come out on weekends to mow the large piece of lands. Once he retired he moved permanently to the area and took up the hobby of hiking.
I first met Byron during the Fall Hike Week at Fontana Village in 2007. The last day of the program I mentioned how the Village was playing with the idea of a hiking club. His interest was peaked and kept his eyes open for the club. Shortly after we began he showed up to a hike and has since missed only two hikes due to a brief unpleasant stint with Pneumonia. Byron is quite possibly the perfect hiking partner. He studies a map and memorizes it before each hike. He will know all the miles between trailheads and places of interest. He is so in tuned to the mileage and time that it takes for the group to hike in the first hour that he can predict what time we will be back to our vehicles. Once he has hiked an area he seems to know the names of each gap, trail, and stream he has encountered. It’s as if he absorbs the trail and become a hiking data book. Like I said, the perfect hiking partner.
For others who hike with Byron they can confirm his hiking genius. For this reason Byron is our “Member of the Months.”
Last week we went on the Appalachia Trail in search of mysterious footprints embedded in stone. They are believed to be elk or bison who walked on the stone while it was soft. I am not sure I am convinced that is what it is, but it sure is interesting. If you know anyone who may have knowledge on what this could be, please have them contact me. 
For those interested in finding the spot go on the A.T. from Yellow Creek Gap towards Stecoah Gap. I think it was about a mile and a half. In a rocky area you will find a rock in the trail with an A.T. whiteblaze on it. The coords for that rock are N 35 23.112 W 083 45.488. The image here on the right shows what the rock looks like on the trail. Look uphill and you will see a large uproot of several trees. Climb up to the base of thatroots system (N 35 23.113 W083 45.487.) These unique markings resemble what it looks like when someone steps in wet cement.
Check out some of the photos!
Back in April the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers, Alexis and Topher, came out to Fontana for an FHC hike. We did a little hike on the old A.T. and some trail work.
During the hike the talked about Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. Check out their blog here.
Well, we have to say goodbye to out last Member of the Months, and bring on the new MOM. Below is the article on Rick as our MOM. For the current MOM click on the tab “MOM (Member of the Months.)“
Fontana Hiking Club is proud to announce its first member of the month. Since our existence this member has nearly participated in all of our hikes. Who is the FHC’s MOM? No other then Rick Sneden.
Rick was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL where he spent most of his time as a kid outside playing sandlot baseball, football, riding bikes, water skiing, and boxing, to name a few. As an adult he continued participating in outdoor sports but on a larger level. The sport he really took to was motorcycling, specifically motocross. When queried about how many accidents he had been in while biking, he didn’t even try to come up with an amount. His response was simply, “too many to even begin to count.” He then went on to clear up that he was a show off and dare devil during this time. Such little attention to consequences on his bike lead to one accident where he hit “dead air.” Not being familiar with cycling terms he explained that “dead air” is when you are launched so high and far on a bike that you lose forward momentum ending up falling straight down.
The dare devil antics became a little less frequent as he grew further in his career as a Third Level Operations Technical Consultant for Fidelity National Financial. After 16 years of dedicated work for this company he felt it was time to move from the job and Florida.
The first time Rick came to the Graham County area was the weekend of his birthday in 1995. He and a friend came to do some riding on the great roads that adventurous bikers like Rick look forward to experiencing. Instantly he felt a pull and interest in the area, specifically the Tuskegee Valley. Two years later he had a place in the area and found himself escaping Jacksonville more and more. In 2004 Rick decided his new home was to be in Robbinsville and made his way to the mountains. He substituted his high level corporate job for self-employed carpentry work. Rick has built and sold a home, as well as worked on countless other homes in the area, not too mention renovating his current home into a posh bachelor pad.
While our MOM Rick still rides motorcycles he also began mountain biking the trails of Tsali. This new hobby combined his dare devil blood with biking and the outdoors. The new element he was enjoying with his bike rides was being in the woods. He really liked the towering trees shading him while he road the ridges and hills near Fontana Lake. He began contemplating picking up a new hobby of hiking. His first hike was with a group of friends, who just so happen to be FHC members, to Mt. Le Conte and the breathtaking lodge secluded in the Park. Shortly after that hike the FHC was formed. He joined becoming one of the most dedicated hikers resulting in the first member to get our FHC sticker, and become our MOM.
Rick has enjoyed hiking the many trails in our area learning their history and meeting new people with similar interests. His favorite hike to date is along the Slickrock Creek Trail where we had magnificent cascading waterfalls and interesting trail terrain. There are many more trails he looks forward to hiking, with the highest on the list being Alum Cave Trail. He also has great expectations with the 75 on the 75th program and looks forward to 2009 to explore the many trails the Park has to offer. I have no doubt Rick will be a continuing supporter of the Fontana Hiking Club and will be seen on many of our hikes.
A little over a month ago I received a phone call from Blue Ridge outdoor Magazine asking if I knew of any good places to go hiking away from crowds. I told them I did and I would love to take them.
So a few weeks after that two of their staff, a friend of mine, and I went out into the Park for an intense three day two night hike. This month’s issue of BRO has the article and a little piece I wrote. Check it out in your local outfitter or go online to their featured article.
This last picture is to remind you that high water season is here. while you are in areas with creek crossing, please use extreme caution since the waters can be very dangerous.
Last Saturday we had a new comer dare to hike with us. Boy she did good! Welcome Margie
Our MOM, Rick, took a photo with Byron in Shuckstack Fire Tower. Notice the lack of view through the windows.
The new schedule is out. Sorry for the delay. Click on the “Hike Schedule” tab for details.
There hasn’t been a post in a while because I’ve been out of town. I am please to announce we have a new section of the website. Check the tab above titled MOM.MOM is our “Member of the Month.” April’s is no other then… Well you have to click there to see who it is.
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