Highpointers eBulletin – November 22, 2009

Craig Noland has posted the November 22, 2009 issue of the Highpointers e-Bulletin

HIGHPOINTER’S
eBulletin…
November 22nd, 2009

Here is some important information about what’s happening with the Highpointers Club. Thanks, be safe and have a Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!

Craig Noland
The Membership Guy
www.highpointers.org
membership@highpointers.org

Club Memberships for the Holidays…

Club Memberships make the perfect gift for friends and family members that love the outdoors and enjoying traveling off of the beaten path. We started offering these gift memberships last year and it was a pretty big hit. Although you can send anyone a gift membership at any time for any reason, it’s seems more appropriate for the Holiday Season.

– Just fill out the application at www.highpointers.org/membership.shtml and send one application for each person. Or, you can just send me an email breaking down the information if it’s for more than one gift membership.

– You can pay via PayPal for online service (located at the bottom of the application) or mail it to Highpointers Club, PO Box 6364, Sevierville TN 37864-6364.

– Remember to give me information on all the family at that household if more than one person is there if you wish. Highpoint counts, email address, phone, etc… (This information will be kept confidential and not given out.)

– Be sure to let me know if the “Membership Packet” is to be sent to you so you can give it to them as a gift or if you want me to go ahead and mail it to them directly.

– Please do it now if you can as the closer we get to the Holidays the harder it’ll be to deliver the “Membership Packet.”

Memberships are $20 for 1 year, $40 for 2 years and $60 for 3 years. 3 years is the maximum a membership or renewal can be paid in advance. Add $5 more each for foreign memberships. If you wish to renew your own membership, it can be done at this time as well.

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New Date – The Highpointers Foundation “Silent Auction” Extended to December 18th…

The Highpointers Foundation has launched a Silent Auction capability on their website so check it out!!! The first Silent Auction ended at the NJ-09 convention, with $500 being raised when a Frank Ashley – “US State Highpoints” signed guidebook was auctioned. This particular Silent Auction is being held from October 1st, 2009 thru December 18th at 6 p.m. EDT.

The featured item this quarter is an original, signed, “Sir Edmund Hillary – Nothing Venture – Nothing Win Autobiography” from 1975 (author Edmund Hillary passed away in the year 2008 so this is a rare opportunity to score a signed copy of his autobiography). This treasured item can only be seen in the libraries of a few venerable alpinists. Copies of this book, depending upon condition, printing date, etc, are offered for sale on Mike Chessler’s website ChesslerBooks.com from one hundred to several hundred dollars.

Get more information from The Highpointers Foundation at: www.highpointersfoundation.org and click on the “Fundraising Button” at the top of the page then click to the “Silent Auction Page” prominently displayed as a link.

Fill out the Bid form, and submit a bid. Bids must be at least $10 higher than the current high bid.

All bid activity will be updated daily, but is not instantaneous. The amount of the donation above and beyond the value of the book from the winning bidder is tax deductible so please consult your tax professional.

(About the Foundation: As a 501-C-3 non-profit organization, The Highpointers Foundation is dedicated to education, support and conservation of the highest point in each of the 50 US States, provides a forum for education about the highpoints, aids in the conservation of the highpoints and their environs, maintains positive relationships with owners of highpoints on private property, assists in the care and maintenance of highpoints and supports public and private efforts to maintain the integrity of and access to state highpoints.

The Foundation is currently working with the Foothills Trail Conference regarding an ambitious signage project to better mark the trails that go over and around the South Carolina highpoint at Sassafras Mountain by providing financial assistance. Discussions are on-going regarding making repairs to vandalized improvements at the Indiana Highpoint.

The Highpointers Foundation needs your support, please give something back to the hobby you love! Our grandkids will appreciate what we leave for them as our legacy.)

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I-40 Closure at the North Carolina and Tennessee State Line…

It could take three months or longer to clean up a rock slide and reopen a section of I-40 on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That means getting to the park from some areas will be a bit tricky. It also means don’t rely on your GPS units to find a shortcut, as that could spell trouble.

The slide dumped tons of rocks on the interstate at mile marker 2.6 in North Carolina, near the Tennessee state line, and forced closure of the interstate between Exit 20 in North Carolina and Exit 451 in Tennessee, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. A detour set up by the department calls for motorists traveling west to Tennessee to take I-40 West to I-240 West in Asheville, North Carolina, and then to I-26 West. You then should follow I-26 West from Asheville to I-81 South in Tennessee, back to I-40. Eastbound motorists will follow the reverse directions.

At Great Smoky, spokesman Bob Miller says they have been stressing that U.S. 441 — the Newfound Gap Road — is not open to commercial vehicles, but other motorists can use it to go between the two states.

“We also strongly discourage people from exiting at NC Exit 20 and going into Cataloochee and then on into Tennessee on Old 284 Cataloochee Turnpike, which is a very low standard gravel road about 1 1/2 lanes wide and wicked curvy – that road cannot serve as an alternate for any great amount of traffic,” said Mr. Miller, who adds that, “Unfortunately in these days of GPS in cars a lot of people can see it on their GPS and it looks like a short-cut around the I-40 closure but have no idea just how primitive it is.” I-40 Rockslide Updates

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Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee January 9th – 16th, 2010!!!

We will be there!!!

“Wilderness Wildlife Week” is the ultimate Smoky Mountain experience offering a series of activities sure to connect visitors with the wide, wonderful world of the great outdoors.

In 2010, celebrate the 20th anniversary of this very special event. Visitors will enjoy more than 100 experts sharing their knowledge of the outdoors in more than 175 seminars, lectures and hands-on workshops. Get up close to nature with your choice of more than 50 guided walks and hikes. Music lovers will enjoy tunes performed by authentic Smoky Mountain musicians at AppalachiaFest.

Wilderness Wildlife Week offers activities for all ages and attracts thousands of nature lovers to Pigeon Forge each year. The International Festivals & Events Association has recognized the event for its environmental and educational efforts. Volunteers needed to work our table. If interested please contact membership@highpointers.org Request a Travel Planner or to Sign Up for the Free Pigeon Forge eNewsletter

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HIGHPOINTERS HOTLINE!!! You will be able to leave your count changes, as well as address changes on the voice mail, or send via text messaging. So far, this is working great!!! Keep them coming. Our records show that your last count is (). If that is not correct, please update us and any Family Members as well Just listen to the directions, don’t get excited (it’s just a recording) and give us your updates, reports, address changes, email changes, etc. If you think you didn’t get it right, just call us again. Remember, text messages work very well too. *** (865) 660-0027 *** This number WILL NOT be manned. In the future, we hope to have highpoint information available also.

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We’re Now on Twitter…

This seems to be that fashionable thing to be doing these days. So go to http://twitter.com/highpointers/ and sign up today.

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Spreading the Highpointers Gospel…

More Highpointers Club Members needed in doing “The PowerPoint Highpointing Presentation’s.” If interested, please contact Bill Deitzer at: billdeitzer@fuse.net (newly updated email address) or 513-777-4435. Bill and Rosemary would like to also thank the many Club members for their Highpointing pictures that permitted this PowerPoint presentation to come together! More pictures… send them on!!!

Please include your mailing address with your offer to present. Bill will send you a CD with the PowerPoint file and other helpful information. You are encouraged to personalize the presentation with your highpointing experiences. Brochures, and other club information, will be sent to you as well.

Local groups, civic groups and any like minded organization would surely like this presentation. Here’s your chance to step up and help Highpointing while doing it.

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2010 Highpointers Convention October 7th – 9th at Woodall Mountain Mississippi…

The 2010 Highpointers Club Annual Convention will be Oct. 7th – 9th 2010 highlighting the Mississippi highpoint at Woodall Mountain. The convention is being held in the Fall due to the brutal heat that befalls the “Deep South” in the Summer.

It is understandable that some of the younger members will not be able to make it due to school commitments so that’s why it’s going to be held over Columbus Day Weekend with hope that as many as possible will be able to make it. Gary White is hosting this Highpointers Club event and if you have any questions please email him at: whiteman@centurytel.net. Convention headquarters is at the Holiday Inn Florence, 4900 Hatch Blvd., Sheffield AL 35660 and is located in the center of the Sheffield, Muscle Shoals and Florence area in beautiful North Alabama near the intersection of US Highways 72 and 43. More information will be passed out via the newsletters, the website www.highpointers.org and by other means.

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Trail Funding in RI…

The Department of Environmental Management and the RI Department of Transportation announce that $1.1 million in federal transportation funds will be available to state, local and non-profit agencies in grants for trail development, improvement, and equipment. Applications for the grants will be accepted by DEM through February 12.

The local trails grants draw upon federal funds made available under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) enacted in 2005. The grants may be used to create new recreational trails, as well as restore and improve existing recreational trails, for both hikers and other trail users. The grants may also be used for trail construction and maintenance equipment such as tractors, lawnmowers, chainsaws, and brush cutters. The grants provide 80 percent of the cost, up to $100,000, for projects that promote and enhance trail based recreation.

Further information and downloadable applications for the trails grant program are available on DEM’s website, www.dem.ri.gov, by clicking on “Planning and Development” under “Offices and Divisions” on the homepage, then “Local Grant Programs, then “Recreational Trails Grants.” Applications and further information about the grant program are also available by contacting Gregg Cassidy in the Office of Planning and Development at 222-2776 ext. 4310 or via email at gregg.cassidy@dem.ri.gov.

(Although this does not directly have anything to do with the RI Highpoint, Stony Burk ask me to put this on for informational purposes.)

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Crew Members & Others Needed!!! – The “CREW” needs you for the Mississippi in 2010 Konvention. Contact Nikki Hemphill greyghost92@yahoo.com or 219-545-2169 to become a “Crew Member” and work with our hosts for a great Convention. One hour or two – what ever you can spare. We look forward to having you join us. – The Club still needs a Western Regional Coordinator along with a few Highpoint Liaisons here and there. Folks should check the Directory for states available and contact Stony Burk if interested. Email him at: stonyburk1@yahoo.com.

– We can use some folks to help by sitting in at the Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge. Please see information above about this event.

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Kentucky Waiver’s – The Latest Information and the Waiver… The latest procedure for visiting Black Mountain is now as follows: – You MUST first obtain this waiver by clicking this link to download:

Black Mountain KY Waiver – Complete this waiver and mail it to the following address before you visit: Penn-Va Operating Co Attn: Steve Looney 2550 E Stone Dr Ste 200 Kingsport, TN 37660-5863 If for some reason you cannot return it in time, please make sure you have it with you!!!

Black Mountain is privately owned by the coal company and there are active mines, as well as sink holes, in the area so the company has made the waiver mandatory for visits. Since 2004, the waivers had been processed at the Kentucky Coal Mine Museum in Benham. Earlier this year the Kentucky Department of State Parks took over the museum and the Kentucky state lawyers have forbidden the museum from handling the waivers any more.

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Highpointing Gear, Books, Guides…

The 2010 Highpointers Calendar is now available for $15. The calendar, which includes photos by members and highpointing events, always quickly sell out. Get yours today!!!

Don’t just head out on the quest of the Highpoints without the proper apparel or the latest guidebooks. Keep Jean “Mother Merc” Trousdale busy and order ’til your hearts content at: The Highpointers Merc *** We are now accepting credit cards through Paypal. The process is totally automated and secure. ***

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Returning or Renewing…

You may renew your membership dues by either going to www.highpointers.org, click on the “Membership Tab” at the top of the page and paying online or send the dues of $20 per year to: Highpointers Club, PO Box 6364, Sevierville TN 37864-6364. Help us out by renewing for 3 years at a time ($60). It saves us loads of time and money.

The latest issue of “Apex to Zenith” is in the mail, so if you don’t have it yet just hang in there.. Be sure to email your most recent changes in address and counts. You may send me your trip reports and I’ll pass them along to the Editors as well. The current count that we have you listed at is . If that is incorrect please let us know.

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Please pass this information along to interested parties as they may not have email notification.

*** This is a friendly reminder, not intended to be SPAM. Simply delete this message after reading if you wish. But, please keep your email address updated for important reminders and highpoint issues. Don’t worry, we use these addresses for club use only and they are never given out for any purpose.

*** Check out the FAQ’s page at https://highpointers.org/faq/ for the most recent asked questions.

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