February 2026 Minutes

Co-Chairs: Liz Scherer & Mitch Waldman

Mtg took place in person indoors at the Village Station.

Commenced at 4:00 p.m.; ended at 4:32 p.m.

Members in attendance = 30

NEXT MEETING is May 4, 2026 @ 4:00.  - Venue: TBD

FYI: Meetings are scheduled for the 1st Monday of 2nd month of each quarter

(i.e. first Monday of Feb/May/Aug/Nov)

NEXT WORKDAY:  TBD.

NOTE: No minutes are available for November 2025.  Instead of a November meeting, the BCTC had a “field trip” to the Borrow Pit to see the new layout and to become familiar with the equipment and supplies available to BCTC members.

GUEST:  Scott Auer, General Manager of Big Canoe

  • Scott commented on how much the trails mean to Big Canoe and how much they add to the quality of life in Big Canoe.

  • He also mentioned how well the trails are being maintained, using one of the Choctaw trails he often drives past as an example. Not only is the trail fun to hike, but it presents a pretty view when driving by.

  • He commented that the number of volunteer hours put in by the BCTC members saves Big Canoe a significant amount of money each year (in the six figures), as these are hours that saves on paid labor.

NEW MEMBER: Jeff Rouleau has joined the BCTC.  Welcome!

  • Jeff will partner with Jim Hansen on the Covered Bridge Trail and John Williams Trail.

  • Jeff will also temporarily cover Blackwell Creek Way Access Trail until March when a returning BCTC member Gary Kirchner is able to take over that trail.

VOLUNTEER WORK METRICS FOR 2025:  Liz shared a slide showing the scale of work performed by BCTC members in 2025:

  • 53 Volunteers

  • 2800 collective work hours from BCTC members

  • 144 tree events were addressed by BCTC members

  • 165 trail signs were replaced by BCTC members.

TRAIL SYSTEM COVERAGE IN BC:

  • There are 25 – 26 miles of trails in BC: Big Canoe “officially” has 25 miles of trails, but it’s closer to 26 miles when you include the 0.6 mile Fire Hydrant Trail, which is used by BCAR volunteers to walk the BCAR dogs and is not intended for public use.

  • There are 48 separately named trails.

  • Trails range in length from 0.1 mile to 1.8 miles.

ROUTINE TRAIL SAFETY MAINTENANCE

  • Don’t skimp on routine maintenance of your trails. That is what keeps them safe and enjoyable.

  • Keep the age of your average BC hiker in mind; many are in the older age group and are more susceptible to tripping hazards.

    • Remove roots and rocks that might be tripping hazards.

    • Blow the leaves off the trails.

    • Remove vegetation and branches to maintain a 3’ wide and 7’ tall “clear zone”.

  • Keep the “slime” off your steps and bridges, as the “slime” is slippery. Control with Miracle Mist, which is stored at the Borrow Pit (unless freezing weather, in which event it is stored at Liz Scherer’s home).

  • Control weeds with Round Up and control poison ivy with Poison Ivy Round Up - both products are stored at the Borrow Pit (unless freezing weather, in which event they are stored at Liz Scherer’s home).

LARGER ONGOING MAINTENANCE PROJECTS

  • Water Wheel: The water wheel and its water pipe were damaged with the recent rain and ice.  These issues will be addressed, as the water wheel is a popular feature on the trail.

  • Culvert Erosion: Look for and be aware that culvert erosion may be present on your trail due to the heavy rains and other weather.  Address the erosion (ask for BCTC help, if needed) BEFORE it becomes a major issue.

GOOD TRAIL STEWARDSHIP (SUMMARY OF ABOVE)

Goal is for BCTC members to be good stewards of the BC Trail system. This involves:

  • Regular inspections of the trails (every 1-2 weeks) and early fixes of any observed problems

  • Managing vegetation, leaves, and small tripping hazards

  • Keeping water moving through water bars, culverts and ditches (e.g. silt and/or debris removal)

  • Maintaining bridges and steps on the trails so that they remain safe.

AWARD FROM ROTARY CLUB IN RECOGNITION OF BCTC’S GOOD TRAIL STEWARDSHIP

The BC Rotary Club awarded the BCTC with the “Community Service Above Self” Award at their August meeting.

  • Liz Scherer accepted the award at that meeting on behalf of the BCTC.

  • The award certificate itself states that it was given “In appreciation for all your efforts to make our community a special place.”

  • The award is on display at the BC Lodge.

RUNNING THE BIG CANOE TRAIL COMMITTEE:

Mitch & Liz gave an overview of how the BCTC is run. They split responsibility for running the committee.

BCTC has a structure:

  1. BCTC Charter was updated in 2025

    • BCTC has defined expectations of its members

    • Regular participation by BCTC members is expected

      • Work hours (and work description) is to be logged.  NOTE: Failure to log your hours creates extra work for other BCTC members, as it creates a need for other BCTC members to investigate whether the necessary work was performed and when it was done.

      • Emphasis on stewardship of the current BC trail system (vs creation of new trails).  Let’s focus on maintaining the trails we have in good condition.

  2. BCTC works as well as it does due to its coordination efforts.

    • Planning across projects

    • Coordination among BCTC members

    • Coordination with the BC Director of Operations

    • Follow up on trail work, issues, and materials.

  3. Summary: Main focus for BCTC members: Stewardship of existing BC Trails and logging hours.

BORROW PIT: LIST OF AVAILABLE SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT

Available tools and supplies at the Borrow Pit include:

  1. Tools:

    • Shovels, picks, mattocks, McLeod

    • Log roller

    • Post puller

    • Come-along

    • Generator

    • Weed eater - gas powered

    • Leaf blower - gas powered

    • Chainsaws – gas & battery

  2. Supplies:

    • Miracle Mist & sprayer (if freezing temps, check with Liz Scherer; chemicals may be stored in her garage)

    • Round Up & Poison Ivy Round Up (if freezing temps, check with Liz Scherer; chemicals may be stored in her garage)

    • Wasp killer

    • Lumber

    • Gas for generator & power tools

    • Deck screws & TimberLocks

    • Bug spray

    • PPE: chaps, hard hats, protective eyewear

LOGGING YOUR HOURS: NEW & SIMPLIFIED WORK LOG FORM

  • Form is part of Google Docs and is available as a desktop form AND as a mobile form.

  • To log hours: First find the park where your trail is located. The park will list ONLY the trails within that park (making it easier to locate your trail on the form).

  • To locate which BCTC member is assigned to a particular trail, scroll down and click on the applicable Work Log (i.e. 2026 or 2025), then, at the bottom of that Work Log, click the “Trail Assignments” tab.

NEW TRAIL & TRAIL FEATURE NAMES

  1. Two BC trails and a water fall feature have been renamed, as their old names were too similar to others in the BC trail system, causing confusion among BCTC members and trail hikers.

    • Lake Trail – is now named Disharoon Trail

    • Lake Petit Trail – is now named Petit Trail

    • Lake Trail Falls –is now named Hidden Falls

  2. Renaming these trails and the water fall feature was not a simple matter. It involved:

    • Creating and installing new signage & placards for these trails and falls.

    • Updating the trail maps, trail posters, and trail website.

    • Informing BC residents of the new names via an article in Smoke Signals (see the January edition), on Facebook, and on the BC Trails website.

NEW TRAIL MAPS AND TRAIL POSTERS

  1. New trail maps have been created and should be installed in your trail kiosks. They reflect:

    • The new trail and trail feature names (see above)

    • QR codes for the various trail parking locations and trail heads. Scan the QR code, and it will give you directions to that parking or trail head location.

    • Additional updates coming.

  2. New trail posters have been created. They reflect:

    • The new trail and trail feature names (see above)

    • New photos showing different features that can been seen on those trails. The photos were taken and supplied by members of the BC Photography Club. Photo credits are also shown. Similar / other photos taken by the BC Photography Club will also be shown on the BC Trail website. This is a collaborative project between the BCTC and members of the BC Photography Club.

BC TRAIL WALK CHALLENGE:  BCTC is offering a challenge to all BC residents:  In 2026, walk the 25 (almost 26!) miles of the BC Trails!  The online Big Canoe Living Magazine will announce the challenge and provide a “challenge form” residents can use to mark off the trails they hike in 2026.  It’s a “hike at your own pace” challenge.

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS

  1. Bob Kenyon announced the AT Gateways event to be held at the Lodge at Amicalola State Park. From Feb. 27 – Mar. 1. Focus is on hiking the Appalachian Trail (or hiking generally). The event showcases skills workshops, speakers on various topics, and vendors of various hiking products. Fun event! For more info, see the below website:
    https://mailchi.mp/georgia-atclub.org/phrw9cwog9-12851193?e=4cd88049dd

  2. Bob Kenyon also announced that the “Keep Pickens Beautiful” organization in Jasper has many herb and vegetable seed packets available for free at their kiosk located on Main Street in Jasper. Stop by and help yourself.

  3. Question: How are BCTC members to deal with Kudzu and Princess Trees (both are considered invasive) they find on the trails? RESPONSE: Notify Matthew Parks of the POA and, ideally, provide a pin drop or other GPS location identifier showing the location of that plant. The POA has preferred methods for dealing with those plants.

Stacy Johnson