Covenant Health presents

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Oswald Joseph
6 years ago
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1 Covenant Health presents

2 Trail Guidelines Wear proper hiking shoes. Please be on time. Make sure that you understand & have signed the waiver. Do not hike alone! Hike in a group. Bring plenty of water and appropriate snacks for yourself. Enclosed you will find a list of the trail maps, please keep this with you during the hikes. If you are unable to attend the weekly hike, please notify the call center at so we can include individuals from the waiting list. Carry a small first aid kit on every hike. Staff members and the Emergency Medical Technicians will carry larger kits. Be aware of the weather. Covenant Health Passport Club will provide ponchos; carry it with you on all hikes. Be aware of bears! Remain watchful. If you see a bear at a distance do not approach it. Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. 12. Enjoy! Dear Hikers, Covenant Health and Friends of the Smokies are excited about our upcoming Get on the Trail with Missy and Friends spring hiking series. We are so glad you have signed up to go on one or all five hikes. This series provides a fun way to improve your fitness while helping fund the many projects Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park contributes to each year. Each series, you and our sponsors help raise more than $5,000 dollars for the GSMNP through this program. Hiking is the best way to experience our beautiful park, which is decorated by an abundance of spring wild flowers. However, it can be strenuous. So make sure you have been exercising 3-5 days a week prior to our hikes. A 5-mile hike is more like a 6 to 7 mile walk on flat roads. Review the checklist to make sure you are wearing the proper attire and don t forget to bring plenty of water and a lunch. We meet at 8:00-8:15 a.m. at various sites. This means that most people will need to leave home by 6:40-7 a.m. to avoid traffic. We want to ensure you that your safety is our number one priority. Please know that we have staffed every hike with an Emergency Medical Technician - Intravenous Therapy and two additional CPR certified staff members. We ask that you approach Get on Trails with safety and precaution. Before starting every hike, please read the guidelines and practice them with every hike. We appreciate your participation! Sincerely, Missy and Covenant Health Staff

Hike #1- April 2, 2008: Grotto Falls Distance: 3 miles Meeting Place: Sugarlands Visitor Center at 8:15 am Elevation Notes: Approximately a gain of 500 feet in elevation in 1.

3 Hike #1- April 2, 2008: Grotto Falls Distance: 3 miles Meeting Place: Sugarlands Visitor Center at 8:15 am Elevation Notes: Approximately a gain of 500 feet in elevation in 1.5 miles Access Trail: Trillium Gap The Trillium Gap Trail meanders through an old-growth hemlock forest and leads to Grotto falls, a 25-foot waterfall that you can walk behind and one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The trail is wide and easy despite a few rocky spots. The trail crosses small steams and creeks along the way making for a cool, moist environment, one that ideal to spot the 60 different types of amphibian species that call the Great Smoky National Park their home.

4 Hike #2- April 9, 2008: Little Greenbrier Loop Distance: 5.8 miles Meeting Place: Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area at 8:15 am Elevation Notes: Approximately a gain of 600 feet in elevation Access Trail: The hike will begin at Metcalf Bottoms and continue past the old school house up to Little Brier Gap Trail. Take a left and follow Little Greenbrier Trail to the road that leads back to Metcalf Bottoms Fun facts about Little Greenbrier School: Little Greenbrier School was built in This log structure was used to teach near by families for over 50 years as well as a church for Sunday meetings. Formal classes ended in Miss Elsie Burrell brought back the spirit of Little Greenbrier in 1969 at the age of 65. Miss Elsie taught children till the age of 95 about the Smoky Mountains.

5 Hike #3- April 16, 2008: Max Patch Distance: 3.5 mile loop or an 8-10 mile trek towards Lemon Gap Meeting Place: The Cracker Barrel in Newport at 8:15 am; Rocky Top Tours will transport us to Max Patch Elevation Notes: A maximum gain of a 1000 feet in elevation depending on route Access Trail: Max Patch Max Patch is a longtime favorite with AT thru-hikers and regional folks wanting to escape for a few sunny hours. The view from the summit is superb: at arm s length, the grassy earth falls away with 360 degree views just beyond; it seems a short stride would plummet you to the floor of the Tennessee Valley, onto the backbone of Bluff Mtn., or atop the steppingstone crest of Mt. Sterling. Roane Mtn and Mt Mitchell are also visible in the distance.

6 Hike #4- April 23, 2008: Grapeyard and Injun Creek Trail Distance: 6 or 7.5 loop Meeting Place: Greenbrier Picnic area at 8:15 am Elevation Notes: Approximately a feet gain in elevation Access Trail: Near Greenbrier Cove The Greenbrier area contains one of the park s largest concentrations of chimney falls and rock walls, which mark the sites of former homesteads. The Grapeyard Ridge Trail follows Rhododendron Creek over the south slope of Brushy Mountain to the Jim Bales Place at Roaring Fork. The trail passes the remains of Civian Conservaton Corps CCC, several Rayfield homesites, and the 1920s-era remains of a wrecked Nichols and Shepard self-propelled, steampowered engine (known as a traction engine). The wrecked engine rests in the bed of Injun Creek.

Hike #5- April 30, 2008: Gregory Bald Distance: 9-11 mile loop depending on trailhead Meeting Place: Cades Cove Camp Ground 8:15 am Elevation Notes: This tough trip gains 3,000 feet in elevation

7 Hike #5- April 30, 2008: Gregory Bald Distance: 9-11 mile loop depending on trailhead Meeting Place: Cades Cove Camp Ground 8:15 am Elevation Notes: This tough trip gains 3,000 feet in elevation Access Trail: Gregory Ridge Trailhead or Gregory Bald Trailhead Gregory Bald is a high meadow that was used in the summer for cattle grazing by the Cades Cove farmers. Several trails go to Gregory Bald. This particular trail affords a steady four and a half mile climb to the bald through pine and hardwood forest. From Gregory bald there are magnificent views of Cades Cove as well as other surrounding landmarks.

8 Name: Emergency Contact: Emergency Phone: Allergies:

ABOUT THE PARKS NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST GREAT SMOKY HIKING TRAILS

ABOUT THE PARKS NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST GREAT SMOKY HIKING TRAILS ABOUT THE PARKS GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Straddling the border between North Carolina