Registration Form for Highpointers Convention in July 25-26. 2014 at Clingmans Dome

Clingman's Dome
Here’s the registration form for the Highpointers Convention in Tennessee.

Here’s the complete Convention packet from Apex to Zenith Issue 104

REGISTRATION FORM
When you are filling out the Registration Form, list all people that are going to attend the Convention including all children and their ages. Use a second sheet if necessary. Send your remittance as directed.

Since there is a four-week lead time for t-shirts, it is necessary you send Convention reservations by June 26 to insure that you will receive t-shirts with your registration packet. In addition, we must give the banquet caterers a final banquet count one week before the Convention.

HOST HOTEL
The Convention Host Hotel is the River Terrace Resort located at 240 River Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738. Most of the activities will take place there. We have reserved a large block of rooms at a special discount. The room rates are:
Traditional Queen – $72.00
Traditional King – $72.00
Queen River View – $96.00
King River View – $96.00
Note that 12.5% tax will be added to these rates. Rooms are blocked out for Monday night, July 21, through Saturday night, July 26. In order to reserve a room, call the River Terrace at 1-877502-7058, and mention Group Code 14922 to get the Highpointers Club rate. The current cutoff date for rooms not reserved is May 25, 2014. Therefore, we urge you to make your room reservations before that date. Check-in time is 4:00 pm and Check-out time is 10:00 am.

Parking at the River Terrace is complimentary. Virtually all attractions in Gatlinburg charge a premium parking fee. A lot of the attractions are within easy walking distance from River Terrace. In addition, there is a trolley stop very near the River Terrace that services all of Gatlinburg. The all day rate, which covers most of the trolley routes, is $2.00.

The Gatlinburg Trolley connects to the trolley systems in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. These systems serve all the attractions in their respective cities.

DOLLYWOOD DISCOUNT TICKETS
Tim Webb has been able to arrange for discount tickets to Dollywood for Wednesday, July 23, ONLY. Dollywood is located in Pigeon Forge, TN, approximately 4 miles north of River Terrace Resort. The Highpointers Group Rate is as follows:
Dollywood Adult – $50.50
Dollywood Child (4-11) – $41.55
Child (3 and under) – Free
Note that these ticket prices include tax and are $16.00 less than the Internet or gate prices which DO NOT include the 12.25% tax.
The tickets must be paid for along with the registration fees and are not a part of the Westgate/River Terrace discount ticket program. Use a separate check for the tickets payable to “Tennessee Convention 2014” and note how many adult tickets and how many child tickets are being purchased.
The ticket money will have to be forwarded to the discount ticket agency three weeks before July 23. Therefore, July 2 will be the last date you can get a refund for the Dollywood tickets if you change your mind about attending. The tickets will be available from Tim on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 22, or in the morning of Wednesday, July 23. For late arrivals, the tickets will be available at the River Terrace registration desk. Questions regarding this special ticket offer should be directed to Tim Webb at (205) 489-5267 or timwebb@duttonwebb.com.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
*gatlinburg.com
*mypigeonforge.com
*visitsevierville.com

JOIN “THE CREW”
The “Crew” is a group of volunteers that support the Conventions by providing manpower where needed. Typical tasks include manning the registration booth, helping with the Merc, getting the venue ready for the Convention, and a myriad of other jobs that help make our Conventions the success that they are. If you would like to help, please call or text Nikki Hemphill at
(219) 545-2169 or send an e-mail to greyghost92@yahoo.com.

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS
We always look for local help with the convention. Those of you who live nearby in Georgia, North Carolina, or Tennessee and would like to help, please contact Tim Webb at timwebb@duttonwebb.com or Don Holmes at climberdh@earthlink.net.

NEED A ROOMMATE?
E-mail Nikki Hemphill to find an extra bed or find folks who’d like to share the cost of lodging. Contact Nikki at greyghost92@yahoo.com. Rooms and beds available at River Terrace Resort.

EVENTS

In addition to Club-sanctioned events on Friday and Saturday, there are several other events and leader-lead hikes in the local area. These are informal gatherings and the leaders or event organizers assume no liability.

Wednesday, July 23
County Highpoint Hike led by Fred Lobdell. This hike will visit Roan High Knob and Grassy Ridge. Visit to Dollywood The Club has arranged for discount tickets to Dolly-wood for Wednesday only. Details may be found in the Registration Instructions.

Thursday, July 24
Registration at River Terrace 9:00 am to 5:00 pm in the Appalachian Room. County Highpoint Hike led by Ken Oeser, Tom Layton, and Charlie Zerphy. This hike will visit Mt Guyot and Old Black. A very early start is required. The Highpointers Mercantile will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the River Terrace in the Appalachian Room. Be sure to get your Highpointers Club paraphernalia. Pre-Convention “Ice Breaker” Social hosted by Don Holmes and Tim Webb at the Drafts Sports Bar & Grill at the River Terrace. Festivities began at 6:00pm.

Friday, July 25

Registration at River Terrace
9:00 am to 5:00 pm in the Appalachian Room. County Highpoint Hike led by Tom Owen. This hike will visit Haw Knob and Huckleberry Knob. The Highpointers Mercantile will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm in the Appalachian Room of River Terrace. LeConte Lodge Hike See details on this page. Map and Compass 101 led by Alan Ritter at the River Terrace. 10:00 am to 11:30 am in the main Ballroom. Climbing Knots led by Alan Ritter at the River Terrace. 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm in the main Ballroom. Friday Night Social at River Terrace in the main Ballroom. Join us for a social gathering featuring heavy hors devours and drinks. Enjoy the traditional Liars Club. We will gather at
5:00 pm. A cash bar will be available.

Saturday, July 26
Pancake Breakfast at River Terrace in the main Ballroom. The breakfast is from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Registration at River Terrace
9:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Appalachian Room. After 3:00 pm in the main Ballroom. State & County Highpoint Hike led by Peter Anderson. This hike will visit Clingmans Dome which is a three-fer. That is, it is the State Highpoint of Tennessee, the highpoint of Sevier County, TN, and the highpoint of Swain County, NC. This hike will be via the Appalachian Trail from New Found Gap. The Highpointers Mercantile will be open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Appalachian Room of River Terrace. Caravan to Clingmans Dome For those who want a short hike to the summit of Clingmans Dome, we will carpool to the Clingmans Dome parking lot. The Watermelon Feast, a traditional event hosted by Wendy & Mark Comstock, will be held in the Clingmans Dome parking lot. The hike to the summit and the Watermelon Feast are scheduled from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Highpointers Club Board Meeting at River Terrace. The Board Meeting is scheduled from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the main Ballroom. Highpointers Club Banquet at River Terrace in the main Ballroom. The Banquet will start with a Happy Hour from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A cash bar will be available. Dinner will be served at 7:00 pm with the business meeting following. Evening Program presented by a representative from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Program subject is yet to be determined and will follow the business meeting. We hope to conclude the festivities by 10:00 pm. There will likely be other events scheduled during the week. Stay tuned.

DAY HIKE TO LECONTE LODGE FRIDAY, JULY 25
On Friday, July 25, George Paynter is leading a group hike up Mount LeConte to LeConte Lodge.
The LeConte Lodge is the highest back country hike-in-only lodge east of the Mississippi River. It is one of the truly classic hikes in America.
The hike distance, via the Alum Cave trail, is approximately 11 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2,800 feet.
For information on the LeConte Lodge go to www.leconte-lodge.com.
Hike details such as meeting time and place, equipment required, food and drink requirements, etc., can be obtained by contacting George at gpaynter54@hotmail.com or (865) 300-0013.
Day hikers may purchase a sack lunch containing a bagel, cream cheese packet, beef summer sausage, fruit leather, trail mix cookies and a Gatorade drink packet at the Lodge on the summit. The sack lunch is $10.00 and pre-ordering is not required. Day hikers are permitted to eat in the Lodge dinning room between 12 and 4 pm.
The lodge will also offer day hikers beverages: hot chocolate, coffee and lemonade for $3.00 each and assorted baked goods for $1.00 each from 12 to 4 pm.
Day hikers may purchase items sold in the Lodge Gift Shop (on top of Mt LeConte). Payment is accepted by check, cash or credit card (not AMEX) with ID.

CAMPING NEAR GATLINBURG
Many of us enjoy camping during conventions. There are several campgrounds and RV resorts in the Gatlinburg area and several of them have been listed below. Since we are going to be in Gatlinburg during the tourist season, camping reservations are advised. Note that there will not be a “Host” campground.
The following are RVs and Tents
GATLINBURG
Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Resort, 1739 East Parkway, (865) 4368831, full hook-ups, tents allowed in primitive site area
Camping in the Smokies, 1640 East Parkway, (865) 430-3594, full hook-ups, tent camping available
PIGEON FORGE
Alpine Hideaway Campground, 251 Spring Valley Road, (276) 3939829, tent camping available
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA, 3122 Veterans Blvd, (865) 453-7903, in the heart of Pigeon Forge
Shady Oaks Campground, 210 Conner Heights Road, (865) 453-3276, RV sites with full hook-ups, camping cabins and cottages, tent sites
The following are RV only
GATLINBURG
Twin Creek RV Resort, 1202 East Parkway, (865) 436-7081, located in the city of Gatlinburg
PIGEON FORGE
Foothills RV Park and Cabins, 4235 Huskey Street, (865) 428-3818, full hook-ups, camping cabins available
Riveredge RV Park and Log Cabin Rents, 4220 Huskey Street, (865) 453-5813
Great Smoky Mountains Nat’l Park
There are 10 campgrounds in the park. They accommodate RVs and tents. They are primitive by nature and have no showers. Contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park for details and reservations at www.nps.gov/grsm

BREWERIES, DISTILLERIES, AND WINERIES IN GATLINBURG
From moonshine to micro brews to merlot, we’ve got a glass with your name on it. There is a good time brewing in Gatlinburg where you can find special recipe brews, legalized moonshine, and a variety of homemade wines. Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery, 903
Parkway, sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of moonshine culture.
Smoky Mountain Brewery, 1004 Parkway Suite 501, Lodge atmosphere, restaurant, handcrafted beers, and brewery souvenirs, kid’s menu.
Gatlinburg Barrelhouse, 650 Parkway, small batch whiskey using premium local grains and age-old techniques.

Smoky Mountain Winery, 450 Cherry Street Suite 2, oldest producer of premium wines in east TN, located in Winery Square, complimentary tasting, free parking. Open 10 AM.
Sugarland Cellars, 1133 Parkway, fine gifts and handcrafted wines, tours available, free samples, located at traffic light #10 across from NOC’s Great Outpost.
Sugarlands Distilling Company, 805 Parkway, See. Sip. Share. Savor.
Bootleggers Homemade Wine, 903 Parkway Suite 108, owned by two country sisters, made from scratch using local fruit and the same small batch recipes folks in these parts perfected long ago

NEARBY SOUTHEASTERN STATE HIGHPOINTS
There are several State Highpoints in the Southeast Region that can be accessed from Gatlinburg, TN, within a day drive or less. If you are driving to the Convention, they might be on your way.
Mileage between points and driving times shown below were obtained using the “MAP” function on www.msn.com. Times and distance may vary depending on the route taken.
POINTS OF INTEREST MILEAGE TIME Gatlinburg, TN — Mt. Mitchell, NC 120 2 hr 30 min Gatlinburg, TN — Sassafras Mtn, SC 110 2 hr 45 min Sassafras Mtn, SC — Brasstown Bald, GA 115 2 hr 45 min Gatlinburg, TN — Brasstown Bald, GA 125 3 hr Brasstown Bald, GA — Cheaha Mtn, AL 200 3 hr 30 min
Gatlinburg, TN — Cheaha Mtn, AL 300 5 hr 15 min Cheaha Mtn, AL — Woodall Mtn, MS 225 4 hr Gatlinburg, TN — Woodall Mountain, MS 350 6 hr Gatlinburg, TN — Black Mtn, KY 155 3 hr Black Mtn, KY — Mt Rogers, VA 110 2 hr 30 min Gatlinburg, TN — Mt Rogers, VA 170 3 hr

County Highpointing Trips
These are the currently planned hikes. More might be planned this spring so watch the next issue.
It is suggested you contact the leader if you plan to attend one of these hikes. The leader can provide where to meet (time and place), equipment required, food and drink requirements, etc.

Although unlikely, due to unforeseen circumstances one or more of the hikes may be cancelled. Always check with the leader.

Wednesday, July 23
Roan High Knob (Mitchell Co. NC and Carter Co. TN)

2.8 miles round trip, 770 ft. gain Grassy Ridge (Avery County NC)

3.4 miles round trip, 1,230 ft. gain Note: trailheads are a 3-hour drive from Gatlinburg, so an early start is necessary Note: Grassy Ridge is the only Southern Sixer with 360 degree view Leader -Fred Lobdell fplobdell@embarqmail.com

Thursday, July 24
Mt Guyot (Haywood Co. NC) Old Black (Cocke Co. TN) 17 miles round trip, 4,570 ft. gain Note: combined hike on trail with easy bushwhack to Old Black; fairly strenuous bushwhack to Mt Guyot Note: hike begins in Cosby Campground, a half hour drive from Gatlinburg, but an early start is required Leader -Ken Oeser oeserscave@aol.com

Thursday, July 24
Mt Guyot (Haywood Co. NC) Old Black (Cocke Co. TN) Note: same as Ken Oeser hike but for slower hikers; leaves at dawn Leaders -Tom Layton Charlie Zerphey tommyl810@hotmail.com hpflyz@juno.com

Friday, July 25
Haw Knob (Monroe Co. TN)
0.8 miles round trip, 230 ft. gain Laurel Top – Southwest (the northwestern most point of the three points of Cherokee Co., NC)
2.5 miles round trip, 400 ft. gain Note: Laurel Top is optional. The trailhead is accessed from the parking lot for Haw Knob. Huckleberry Knob (Graham Co. NC)
1.5 miles round trip, 300 ft. gain Note: trailheads are about a mile apart on Cherohala Skyway, relatively easy hikes Leader: Tom Owen emmanuel@wdinc.org

Saturday, July 26
Clingmans Dome (TN State High-point, Sevier Co. TN, Swain Co. NC)
7.9 miles one way, 2,600 ft. gain Note: one way hike from Newfound Gap on US 441, includes going over Mt Collins Note: paved parking area is a half mile from the summit with 300′ gain Leader -Peter Anderson pga300@yahoo.com


DISCOUNTED ATTRACTIONS

River Terrace Resort (owned by West-gate Resorts) offers discounted tickets to Gatlinburg attractions, which can be purchased right in the River Terrace lobby on an individual basis. Tax included. The only caveat is that you must be a registered guest of the resort. Here is a partial list. Fri & Sat times shown. Check for weekday times and the exact ages for Child fares.
The Amazing Mirror Maze
Adults $8.23 Child $6.26, 9a-10p
The Forge Cinema (Movie Theatre)
Tickets $8.00 (not 3D movies)
Ripley’s Davy Crockett Mini Golf
Adults $13.40 Child $ 7.81 10a-12a
Ripley’s Old McDonald Farm Mini Golf
Adults $13.15 Child $7.67 10a-12a
Guinness World Records Museum
Adults $12.06 Child $6.57 10a-12a
Ripley’s Haunted Adventure
Adults $13.39 Child $6.69 11a-12a
Ripley’s Moving Theater
Adults $13.99 Child $6.69 10a-12a
Ripley’s Aquarium
Adults $25.69 Child $14.51 9a-10p
Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum
Adults $13.39 Child $6.69 9a-12a
Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze
Adult- $8.93 Child $6.69 10a-12a
Adventure Park Zipline
3 & up $67.04 10a-5p
Adventure Park Horseback Riding
1 hour ride $33.51 add Child $12.28 10a-4p
Shoot’em up Cinema (5D Movie)
Adults $10.84 Child $9.75 9:30a-1p
Firehouse Mini Golf
Adults $7.48 Child $5.24 9a-8p
Tomb
Adults $14.20 Child $10.84 9a-10p
Rainforest Adventure
Adults $11.00 Child $6.50 9a-5p
Sky Lift
Adults $12.00 Child $8.75 9a-9p
The Track
2 go-cart rides (14 laps) $13.41 opens 10a
Wonderworks
Adults $22.02 Child $13.75 Sr (55+) $13.75 9a-12a
Hollywood Wax Museum
Adults $18.15 Child $9.50 9a-11p
Davy Crockett Riding Stables
30 min $16.46, 1 hr $26.34, 1.5 hr $39.51 rides by appointment
Circus Golf
Adults $9.63 Child $6.30 9a-10p
Smoky Mountain Opry
Adult $39.63 Child $11.20 Sr (55+) $37.62 check for show times
Comedy Barn
Adult $31.39 Child free, check showtimes
Lumberjack Feud (dinner & show)
Adult $43.22 Child $21.28, check times
Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud
Adult $53.70 Child $22.02 check times
The Grand Majestic Theater
Adult $29 Teen $13 Child free, check times
Dixie Stampede Dinner
Adult $46.34 Child $24.27, check times
Hazzard County Hoedown
Adult $31 Sr (65+) $25 Teen $20 Child free
Murder Mystery Dinner and Show
Adult $44 Child $24, check show times
Biblical Times Dinner Theater
Adult $47 Child $22, shows 6pm
In addition to Gatlinburg attractions, both Pigeon Forge and Sevierville have a lot of interesting things to do. You can find out about things of interest by visiting the following web sites:
*gatlinburg.com
*mypigeonforge.com
*visitsevierville.com

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