Christmas Party – Tuesday, December 15, Huntsville Public Library
Mark your calendars! The annual Christmas Party for the North Alabama Sierra Club will be Tuesday, December 15th at 6:00pm in the auditorium of the Huntsville Public Library downtown. Please note - Tuesday, not Thursday. The club will provide turkey and ham and beverages. Please bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share. We welcome vegetable dishes! Add it to your calendar now before you fill it up with all those other holiday gatherings.
Many thanks to all that volunteer for the North Alabama Group.
On outings please thank your hike leaders and let them know you appreciate their effort. And many thanks to our Executive Committee (ExCom – see list at the bottom of the newsletter) for their time and effort to keep our great group going.
---Thank you all, Liz Poleretzky, Chair
Election for new Excom Members
The local Sierra Club group could not function without the hard work of the members of the executive committee. To all of those members rolling off the committee this year - a big thank you for all your time and effort!
Election for new committee members will be at the Christmas party. The members running for the executive committee are:
Patricia Wales
I have been a member of the Sierra Club over 5 years and a hike leader the last 2 years. I have hiked and backpacked in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Colorado and Montana. I am passionate about keeping our local hiking trails available and in good condition. I have a deep appreciation of the outdoors and all creatures we share it with. I’m an advocate of Leave No Trace Principles. I want to help keep our local chapter growing any way I can.
Judy Burley
I enjoy hiking and biking and try to be on the trail every possible opportunity. I am a hike leader and am actively involved in the outings program at the local level. I have been the coordinator for the Tuesday night hikes for several years. I am committed to preservation of the environment for ourselves and future generations as we are a part of the earth and all its creatures. However, I believe that an eclectic approach that addresses environmental and economic issues is needed. I look forward to serving the Sierra Club in any way that I can.
Carolyn Brooks
Carolyn has been a member of the Sierra Club for 6 years and is actively involved in the outings program as one of the hike leaders. She knows how important it is to get people out into nature and enjoying the outdoors. The more people that we can get outdoors, the more people that will be interested in preserving our beautiful country.
The Sierra Club Online
web - http://www.sierraclub.org/alabama/north-alabama
email - na.sierraclub@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/254833822112/
Outings
Hike Ratings
Easy - Less than 5 miles, no serious elevation changes, no trail obstacles.
Moderate - 5 to 10 miles, some elevation changes or rough trail (rock hopping), or trail obstacles such as creek crossings.
Strenuous - Over 10 miles, substantial elevation change, rocky, obstructed or nonexistent trail.
Exploratory - any event where the leader has not experienced the event; may fit any class above.
Note. Participants of Sierra Club outings are required to sign a waiver.
Tuesday, December 1 - Downtown Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the parking lot located at 907 Franklin Street. All dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and or while on the streets when hiking downtown. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Michael Stewart at 256-656-5836.
Saturday, December 5 - Wade Mountain Nature Preserve. 10-mile hike. Strenuous.
In 2012, Wade Mountain was designated a National Recreation Trail by then US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The National Recreation Trails program recognizes "exemplary trails of local and regional significance" across the nation. There is now a trail that connects the two sides of Wade Mountains trail system. We will hike most of the trails which include Devil's Race Track, which has a view that some say on a clear day includes Tennessee; the Rock Wall Trail where we will stop and speculate; and the Fossil Bench Trail. Meet at 8:00 at Books-a-Million, Memorial Parkway at University Drive, or at 8:15 at the parking lot at Wade Mt. Drive north on Memorial Parkway past Alabama A&M University. Turn left onto Hollow Road (first road north of Winchester Road). Turn right onto Spragins Hollow Road. The Land Trust parking lot is on the right, just past the third 90 degree turn in the road. For more info contact Charlie at charlie.cohen@att.net or 256-361-3837 or Judy Burley at jcburley@bellsouth.net RAIN CANCELS.
Tuesday, December 8 - Downtown Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the parking lot located at 907 Franklin Street. All dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and or while on the streets when hiking downtown. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Carolyn Brooks at dr_c_brooks@msn.com
Friday, December 11 - Walking Tour of Old Decatur Christmas Lights. Easy.
Meet at 5:00pm at Captain D's in Madison on Highway 20, or at 5:30pm at the Decatur Public Library. Dinner at a trendy Decatur restaurant afterwards. For more information please call Sam Denham at 256-539-1033(h).
Saturday, December 12 - Sougahoagdee Falls hike, Bankhead National Forrest. Moderate.
Meet at 8:30am in the parking lot in front of Books-A-Million at University Dr and Memorial Parkway. The hike is approximately 4.5 miles round trip. The average hiker should have no problem. This trail is seldom visited and not well maintained. It is located on a tributary of Brushy Creek. We will travel up a sandstone canyon beneath an impressive bluff line. On the way to the main falls we will pass several lesser falls. The main falls has a consistent water flow and is located in a large cirque. Though seldom visited it is one of the nicer falls in the Bankhead National Forest. Bring water and a snack. We should return around 2:15pm. For more information Contact Steve Jackson at 257 337-9702 or covecrawler@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 15 - Annual Christmas Party.
In the auditorium of the downtown Huntsville-Madison County Library. Downtown Evening Hike cancelled.
Saturday, December 19 - Third Anniversary of the End of the World Hike.
8-9 mile hike. Leading up to December 21, 2012, Social Media was lit up with stories about an ancient Mayan prophecy, a planet on a collision course with Earth, and a reverse in the Earth's rotation. But we all knew that Marty McFly traveled to 2015 so here we are, celebrating our third anniversary hike. Let's return to the up/down trails of Guntersville State Park and re-live the moment with trivia and 'where were you' stories. We will leave the Wal-Mart parking lot at 11610 South Memorial Pkwy across from the gas station, at 8:30am sharp. Bring water, snacks, lunch, a few bucks for the Park's admission fee, hiking shoes and dress for the weather. Torrential storms, planetary alignment, or a meteor strike to the Park, cancels. Contact Sandy at sandykip@otelco.net or Charlie, Charlie.cohen@att.net, 256/361-3837 for more info.
Sunday, December 20 - Hayes Nature Preserve. Easy.
4-mile walk on the Flint River Greenway. Meet at 1:00pm in the parking lot at the Hayes Nature Preserve. This will be an out and back on a paved trail. For more information or directions contact Liz at hiker@knology.net
Tuesday, December 22 - Downtown Evening Hike. Moderate.
Depart at 6:00pm sharp from the parking lot located at 907 Franklin Street. All dogs must be on a leash while in the parking lot and or while on the streets when hiking downtown. Though not strenuous, hikes may be vigorous and range from 3 to 5 miles. For directions or questions contact Judy Burley at jcburley@bellsouth.net
Friday, January 1 - Get Rid of the Hangover Hike. Easy.
Meet at Sam Denham's house, 4333 Chickasaw Dr., at 1:00pm for an afternoon hike in Monte Sano State Park. May include some off-trail hiking and a brief rock-hop. Hot cider and more by the fireplace after the hike. (Please bring finger food to share.) For more information please contact Sam Denham at 256-539-1033.
Saturday, January 2 - Blevin’s Gap Preserve Hike. Moderate.
Approximately 7 miles. Start off the New Year on the right, or left, foot by exploring the trails of Blevin’s Gap Preserve, a Land Trust of North Alabama property. We’ll start and end on the Sugar Tree Trail, looping through forest, passing rock bluffs to scenic overlooks. Bring snacks, lunch, water, dress for the weather, and wear good hiking shoes. We will leave the Home Depot parking lot, (10012 S Memorial Pkwy, Huntsville – look for us at the front of the parking lot facing Memorial Pkwy), at 8:30am sharp. For more info, contact Sandy at sandykip56@gmail.com or Charlie, 256-361-3837. RAIN CANCELS.