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Spring 2015
Website: http://time2meet.com/gladetrails/ Facebook.com/groups/Gladetrails/
THE FAIRFIELD TRAILHEAD
The Voice of the Friends of the Glade Trails
Volunteers Quickly Fix Ice Storm Damage Just a few weeks ago on Saturday, February 21st disaster struck Fairfield Glade. We woke up to the ice storm and all the damaged trees. It was very pretty but it caused chaos with all those trees blocking the roads. The Community Club workers and the Fire Department workers did a wonderful job of quickly clearing the roads and the utility company workers restored power - quickly for some – not so quickly for others. A few days after the storm life began to return to normal and we could assess the damage to the trail system.
As expected, all trails were impacted by storm. Numerous trees were brought down by the weight of the ice on their branches: some huge ones and many, many smaller ones. Fortunately we have many volunteers with chain saws willing to get to work removing the obstructions: Gary VanDeCarr, Rich Myslinski, Bob Ellis, Don Hazel, Bob Comerford and Steve Sullentrup were just a few of the volunteers who put many hours to restore the trails to their original state. The Hemlock Trail was the first trail cleared with chain saws, followed by the McGinnis Creek Trail, the Central paved trail, the Good Samaritan Trail, the Canyon Trail and finally the Overlook Trail.
Other volunteers like Ken and Martha Lamonda set to with hand-saws and loppers to open up the
grassy road trails for hikers until the chainsaws could get there. Unfortunately the storm damage was not just fallen trees. Two large trees fell on benches and destroyed them. However there was no damage to any bridges or the numerous signs along the trails.
We were fortunate. There is no lasting damage to the trails and in just a few weeks all trails were open to hikers although we are still working on removing trees on some of the lesser used trails. The storm demonstrated again what wonderful volunteers and workers we have in Fairfield Glade.
Rich Myslinski working on the Amherst Trail
Gary VanDeCarr removing a pine tree from the Amherst Trail
Don Hazel working on the Hemlock Trail
A large pine crushed a bench alongside Daddy’s Creek.
September 2013
2 Website: http://time2meet.com/gladetrails/ Facebook.com/groups/Gladetrails/
The Trails Committee is aware that our volunteers although very enthusiastic are not getting any younger. We therefore decided to offer a little help with the hardest work, which is digging out earth and rocks
when new trails traverse hillsides. This help comes in the form of Valerie Naylor and a Vermeer 650TX tracked machine with a hydraulic blade . Valerie worked the machine for a couple of days March but the icy ground and muddy conditions cut short the work. The good news is that she will be bringing the machine back again in early May to complete the work. The machine saves hours of volunteer labor – especially the heavy lifting.
Work Sessions Building the Trails
Join us on Saturdays for a free Tee Shirt Fairfield Glade has some of the most beautiful wooded and grassy road trails in Tennessee. All of the 10 miles of wooded trails and 6 miles of grassy road trails are built and maintained by volunteers. Anyone is welcome to join us from 9am until 11am each Saturday morning. As they say, "many hands make quick work".
Jobs can be as easy as raking, clipping vegetation, or lopping off roots to swinging a mattocks and moving dirt and rocks. We don't let anyone do more than our retired bodies can handle. And, as you work, you'll learn some of the science behind proper trail construction.
If you are interested in helping, contact Don Hazel at [email protected], or at 931-459-2140 for information about when and where to meet for the next work session. Anyone who shows up for a work session gets a free FFG Trails Tee Shirt. If you complete 25 hours of work you will also receive a Fairfield Glade Trail Volunteer patch. These 25 hour volunteers are recognized on the trails website at http://www.time2meet.com/gladetrails/volunteers.shtml
Getting a Little Help
Surprise Donation: As an indication of how much these trails are appreciated, a couple visiting from Nashville recently were hiking the trails and came across a worker. They wanted to help financially and gave $100 cash donation to the Friends of Glade Trails. We have had many other generous donations from residents and visitors.
Spring 2015
3 Facebook.com/groups/Gladetrails/ Website: http://time2meet.com/gladetrails/
April 2014 saw the start of a new activity in Fairfield Glade. That month the Friends of Glade Trails started leading hikes on one of the trails in Fairfield Glade every Tuesday morning starting at 9am. (They meet at the Peavine 4-way stop and carpool to the trail head.)
These hikes were started to help more people experience all the trails in the Glade. We are aware that some trails are in remote areas and some people, women especially, have security concerns when hiking alone. We also thought that timeshare guests would appreciate the opportunity to
experience the trails without the stress of navigating in the woods.
The Tuesday hikes have been extremely successful. They are typically just two or three miles in length. We have had as many as 50 hikers show up for a hike and we average about 20 hikers each week. Obviously the winter weather significantly reduced the numbers but these hikes are year-round events. We cancel if the weather is particularly bad but we have only cancelled half a dozen times in a year.
Linda Barclay took on on the task of organizing these hikes each week and has done an excellent job. We have hiked all the trails but Linda makes the selection each week based on the weather and ground conditions along with just a dash of personal preference!
If you would like to join one of the hikes go to our website and click on the “Tuesday Morning Hike” box. There you will find details of the next hike and you have the opportunity to sign up so that Linda (or the hike leader that week) will be expecting you.
If you would like to lead a hike just let Linda know when you are on a hike.
Hiking the Trails
LONGER HIKES If you enjoy these short hikes in the Glade but you want a little more of a challenge there are plenty of opportunities. The Fairfield Glade Hiking Club does longer hikes every Friday morning in the Spring and Fall. The Plateau Chapter of the Tennessee Trails Association, TTA, hikes every Wednesday and Saturday morning – year round. There are links to both these organizations on our website.
September 2013
4 Website: http://time2meet.com/gladetrails/ Facebook.com/groups/Gladetrails/
Fairfield Forest Trail This new trail will be a five-mile loop (with opportunities for short-cuts) starting and ending at the Peavine Road 4-way Stop. It is a combination of new woodland trails and grassy roads right in the middle of our community. It is located between Peavine Road and St George Drive just to the east of the Druid Hills golf course.
We use Facebook to keep you informed about events such as work sessions, hikes and any issues on the trails such as fallen trees. Join our Facebook group “Friends of Glade Trails” to stay informed.
We also have Facebook groups for “Fairfield Glade Birders” and “Watchable Wildlife in Fairfield Glade.”
Trail News
Catoosa Sidewalk Extension We are planning to extend the paved sidewalk on Catoosa Drive that currently runs from Village Drive to Kingsboro Drive. We are having discussions with the neighbors about the exact location of the trail but we hope to extend it to Trentwood Drive and Rotherham Drive this summer.
Stonehenge Trail Extension We have been working on this extension from Wexford Lane to Heatherhurst Golf Club for some time. With Valerie’s next visit with the machine hopefully we will finish cutting the trail leaving just the final grooming for our volunteers.
Rev B
Hemlock Trail Extension The machine cut this trail in last month and our volunteers have been working diligently moving rocks every Saturday for many weeks. This trail is open to the public and provides a convenient connection from the old Hemlock Trail to the Good Samaritan trail.
John Conrad is the editor of this newsletter. If you have comments, questions or suggestions about this newsletter or any issue about trails send an email or post on Facebook.
The photographs in this issue were taken by Mark Richie, Nico CearGeo and John Conrad.
Newsletter Editor
Turtle Head Rock Trail This is another “new” trail that was actually constructed a number of years ago by a local resident. It is located just south of Snead Drive. The Trails Committee hopes to make this trail “official” in the coming months.
