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FOTT a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation
THE CUMBERLAND TRAILHEAD
Fall 2019
2019 Hit the Trails Festival Coming October 5
On Saturday, October 5, outdoor enthusiasts will once again enjoy the
annual Hit the Trails festival at The
Square in Fairfield Glade, 10 am to 2
pm. In 2012, the festival started with a small group of dedicated hikers and
trail builders who came together on a
beautiful October Saturday to display
their opportunities and their plans at
the old Mirror Lake site. Now in its eighth year, the festival has grown to
about 30 organizations and close to
1,000 attendees.
The main focus of the festival will be the celebration of the end of the 5th
annual hiking marathon, which took
place throughout the month of
September. Over 1800 hikers registered this year, as well as more
than 400 dogs; all are invited to the
festival, and those who finished a
half or full marathon can turn in
their log sheets and pick up their shirts. Some will also receive
patches. Our four-legged canine
friends will receive colorful
bandanas. All participants can enjoy
a photo op under the “I DID IT” banner.
The festival also features displays
from non-profit organizations that
promote outdoor activities. There is
Cumberland County, TN
Submitted by Mary deWolf
something for everyone. Hikers will
find a wealth of information from the
Fairfield Glade Hiking Club and the
Plateau Chapter of the Tennessee
Trails. The Fairfield Glade Trails
Committee, which is always looking
for volunteers, will highlight the
process of building trails. The Friends
of the Trails will detail plans for trail
expansion across the county. Be sure to enter the raffle for one of Tess’s
beautiful bags, and buy a souvenir
marathon poster.
Those tired of all the walking can learn
about riding opportunities including
horses, kayaks, bicycles, and even
scooters. Gardeners will welcome tips
from the Cumberland County Master
Gardeners and the Fairfield Glade
Continued on page 2
Friends of the Trails http://time2meet.com/trails/ Fall 2019
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Attendees enjoyed food and music at the inaugural Trails Festival
in October 2012. Photo by John Conrad
Hit the Trails Festival on Oct. 5
The Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation (TennGreen) and The Conservation Fund (the Fund) are
working together to raise funds to assist with the purchase of 6,650 acres
of land known as “Lone Star” for a significant addition to the Justin P.
Wilson Cumberland Trail State
Park (“Cumberland Trail”).
For more information or to donate, visit
https://www.tenngreen.org/lone-star
Garden Club. Then they can stop by the Community Gardens
tent to see about getting a plot where they can practice their new
skills.
Enjoy birding? The Tennessee Bluebird Society and the
Fairfield Glade Birders will have displays and flyers to help
identify our feathered friends. And, as long as there are birds,
there will be bees, with the Cumberland County Beekeepers
selling local honey and displaying a live hive. Other hobbyists
will enjoy the Art Guild and model yachting. The dogs can visit
their friends from the Fairfield Glade Dog Park.
Groups from outside of the local area will be joining us. The
Morgan County Marathon sponsors will describe their event.
Dogwood Arts Festival representatives from Knoxville will
share their spring happening. TennGreen will travel from
Nashville to highlight their land preservation efforts. Camp
Ozone and Big South Fork recreation areas will also be
represented.
Learn about the ongoing renovation of Crossville’s parks
through their Leisure Services Department. Find out about
health services from Crossville Chiropractic and Covenant
Healthy Tennessee that will keep everyone ready for all those
outdoor activities.
The forecast for Saturday is sunny and pleasant, so remember to
bring a chair to enjoy the music of Memory Road. Food and
beverages will be available for purchase. This is not an event to
be missed! Mark your calendars now for next year’s festival:
October 3, 2020.
Continued from page 1
Marathon hikers are always eager to collect their t-shirts, and these
2018 FOTT volunteers were ready! Photo by John Conrad
Friends of the Trails http://time2meet.com/trails/ Fall 2019
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All month, Facebook members have been sharing their
marathon experiences and photos, including countless
views of the overlook on Black Mountain (above), in
the public group Hiking Marathon—anyone is welcome to join the group. The page is a great way to learn hints
about the trails, reconnect with fellow hikers
encountered along the way, post lost and found items,
and relive favorite memories while waiting for next
year’s marathon. Registration for the 6th annual event will open in August 2020, and hikers will begin their
quest on September 1.
5th Annual Hiking Marathon Wraps Up
When asked why they’ve chosen to donate their time
and efforts to the Hiking Marathon, committee members almost unanimously responded that they
wanted to provide the community with an opportunity
to appreciate the outdoors, explore nature, find
camaraderie on the trails, and maintain/improve their
health through exercise. Both raw statistics and enthusiastic social media posts prove that the
committee’s efforts have been successful again this year.
Submitted by Michelle Bayless
The 5th annual Cumberland County Hiking Marathon
drew more than 1800 human hikers and over 400 of their
canine companions. The majority of participants, nearly
1600, were residents of the City of Crossville and
Fairfield Glade. Most of the remaining hikers ventured in from neighboring towns of Crab Orchard, Jamestown,
Monterey, Pleasant Hill, and Sparta, but a few came
from as far as Cookeville, Knoxville, and Nashville. Out-
of-staters represented AZ, FL, GA, IL, KS, LA, MI, NC, OH, PA, SC, TX, and WI.
Because of its varied trails, the marathon appeals to all
ages, as evidenced by the 287 hikers under the age of 18
who hit the trails in 2019. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 317 folks over the age of 70 (including 31 over
80!) were out there logging miles.
The hiking marathon has blossomed in a way never imagined. I feel
compelled to support the marathon because of what I believe it stands for: Bringing friends and families
together to participate in an outdoor activity, enjoying fresh air and
sunshine, while strengthening their bonds and getting acquainted with
new areas of the community.
Tammie French,
Crossville Parks & Recreation
Friends of the Trails http://time2meet.com/trails/ Fall 2019
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NEW SECTION OF CROSSVILLE GREENWAY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The “Maryetta Trail,” a 1.6-mile looped trail, located on land owned by the City of Crossville, TN, is being built in partnership with FOTT and
the City of Crossville. The trail traverses a boreal forest along the Obed
River and has moderate elevation gains.
Volunteers began working on the trail in August of 2018 with the planning, design, and corridor clearing. In June of this year, FOTT
contracted with Contour Trail Design Company to machine cut the trail.
Volunteers are in the process of finishing the trail to make it safe and
enjoyable for public use.
A pedestrian bridge and parking lot are planned and each needs to be
constructed before the trail will be open to the public.
The trail will accessible to hikers and their dogs, but it will not be suitable for bikes or motorized vehicles.
Submitted by Tim Case
The annual meeting of the Friends of the Trails will be held on
Monday, December 9th at 3 pm in the
Fairfield Glade Community Center at 128 Stonehenge Drive.
At that time, elections will be held for the Board of Directors. (The
good news is that every current board member is prepared to serve another term.) The agenda also includes a review of 2019 activities
and a preview of plans for 2020.
Everyone is invited.
An email invitation will be sent out in November, and you are kindly
asked to RSVP at that time.
Friends of the Trails http://time2meet.com/trails/ Fall 2019
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Tennessee Trails Association Annual Meeting Update
Submitted by John Martin
Time is fast approaching to register and attend the
Tennessee Trails Association statewide annual meeting to be held in Fairfield Glade October 18-20 at
the Fairfield Glade Community Center. The Plateau
Chapter (located in Crossville) will be host for this
year’s meeting. The evening entertainment and guided
hikes are an opportunity to meet with hikers from across the state. Guided hikes (over 30 available to
choose from) will be led by members of the Plateau,
Upper Cumberland, and Soddy Daisy Chapters. All
Tennessee Trails Association members or those hikers interested in learning more and joining the association
are invited to attend. Registration forms are available
at the Tennessee Trails Association website at
http://www.tennesseetrails.org.
Below is the schedule of events for the three-day
annual meeting:
The Plateau Chapter would like to invite all Fairfield Glade hikers and folks interested in the history of the
Appalachian Trail, including those not attending the
three-day annual conference, to attend the performance
by Anne Van Curen, a performance dramatist,
portraying Grandma Gatewood, the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail in 1955. Watch Anne
transform herself into Grandma Gatewood and give a
narrative of her adventures on the trail. The
performance will last about 45 minutes with a question and answer period following. Anne’s portrayal of
Grandma Gatewood is based on the best-selling book
by Author Ben Montgomery, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk,
a must-read for hikers.
A $10.00 per person fee will be collected at the door for
those interested in attending Anne’s performance but
not attending the annual meeting. After Anne’s
performance, stay and mix with other hikers. A cash bar will be provided. You can check out Anne’s story
at mountainstorytelling.com.
Friends of the Trails http://time2meet.com/trails/ Fall 2019
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We want to hear from you!
If you have something to share with
FOTT members in a future issue of
THE CUMBERLAND TRAILHEAD,
please email your submission to
Michelle Bayless, editor, at
Sneak Peak – (left) Glade Tuesday hikers get a sneak peek at the curved bridge on the new section
of the Canyon Trail a week before the Hiking
Marathon begins. Volunteers contributed over 280
hours for site work and assembly, including hauling in 3.2 tons of concrete. And additional
200+ hours were required for planning and design
work on the project. The reroute of the Canyon Trail was necessitated by construction of a new
housing development off Catoosa Boulevard. The
original route north of The Canyon remains open. Hikers now have a 1.7-mile loop hike from the
North parking lot up to The Canyon and
returning on the original route.
Finishing Touches –
(right) A volunteer
finishes screwing down decking for the new
curved bridge on the
Canyon Trail. Two bridges had to be
constructed over
drainages in the steep
terrain off Catoosa Boulevard. New home
construction on top of the
original trail required over 5,600 feet of new trail alignment.
Photos submitted by
Mark Richie
