BreakAway 2010 is a 3-week trail building program and is combined with environmental education, history, culture, and musical sessions.

For the past 14 years, the CTC has hosted a BreakAway program (ASB). During this program, students have helped to construct the Cumberland Scenic Trail. This foot-path will winds its way north along the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau from Chattanooga, TN to the historical Cumberland Gap. To date, 173 miles of the proposed 313 miles is maintained and open for hiking. The majority of the open trail sections were built by ASB students.

The 2010 BA program will cost $125.00 per student for the week. Students will be provided lodging, 3 meals/day, evening educational programs about the region, and a t-shirt. Schools will need to provide transportation from the camp to the worksite, about 25 miles round trip/day. Vehicles will need to be a passenger van or SUV type vehicle. The 2010 BreakAway will be from February 28 thru March 20. It will be held near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The limit will be 75 students per week, normally multiple schools attend each week. Students volunteer for trail work on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday with Wednesday being a day-off allowing the students to explore Tennessee. This trail will not only serve diverse recreational needs, but will be one of the last unbroken greenways in Tennessee helping to preserve a portion of the very bio-diverse Cumberland Plateau. Additionally, this trail is part of the longer Great Eastern Trail.

Students and volunteers will be lodged and performing trail building/maintenance for a week in the North Chickamauga Segment of the Cumberland Trail. All wagonmasters and experienced volunteers are encouraged to attend to provide needed leadership. CTC structures BreakAway to provide for educational opportunities about the environment, history, geology, flora and fauna along the Cumberland Trail.

An expert in their field, usually a Tennessee State Park naturalist, will conduct educational programs each workday during the lunch break on the trail. Volunteers knowledgeable in the area's history, music, culture, or other environmental topics will conduct evening educational programs. Music, environmental education, and cultural heritage presentations are part of the Cumberland Trail experience for volunteers in BreakAway and Big Dig trailbuilding programs. And of course the famous "hoe down" is "put on" on Friday nights to celebrate a week's worth of success and new friendships. The "hoe down" is a celebration of local mountain culture featuring the musicians who live within shouting distance of our trail. This is grassroots music from the eleven-county corridor surrounding the trail, live, and in the tradition that goes back over 200 years.

Lodging will be provided by the CTC at the Dogwood Camp in Soddy-Daisy. Days are getting longer in March and trail builders will be back in camp in plenty of time to relax or explore. The camp facilities include bunk beds and HOT showers! Breakfast and dinner are to be cooked and provided by staff volunteers. A sack lunch will also be provided.

The trail we will be building has been designed by our CTC volunteer trail design teams. The corridor itself is flagged and ready to build.

The plans are to continue the trail building effort in North Chickamauga Gorge. There are 4 miles of trail to build from the new Cooper Creek trail to the location where future trail will cross Cain Creek. At the location near Cain Creek, future plans are to build a trailhead with a gravel parking lot, improve an existing gravel road that goes to this parking area , and install gates on other gravel roads in the area. All of this will help control access into the Barker Pounds area of the gorge. Once the trail is built and access is established, it will allow for vehicles to be set-up for shuttles and make a 14 mile hike of North Chickamauga Gorge possible. See the following map:

Trail builders – We need experienced, or inexperienced, trailbuilders and/or college students who have a special interest in environmental sciences and outdoor recreation who want to join in the experience of a lifetime, in helping us change the map. We will train you. Volunteers will not only enjoy building the trail (and walking back out over trail they've built!), but will be treated to educational and cultural programs which are folded into each day of BreakAway. We need your help finish this portion of the trail!

Wagonmasters - We need trained and experienced trail builders and bridge builders to help lead these students out on the trail. Trail building is fun and anyone can do it, but students need guidance and direction from people who have done it before. We need trained trail leaders to help guide the student volunteers.

Kitchen Crew – Anyone who has been on our programs, knows how important this job is. The people in the kitchen cook and prepare food, do the grocery shopping, and make sure that there is enough food for everyone. Many of the same people that helped last year are back, but I’m sure your help will be needed.

Sponsors – If you are unable to be at the program, you or your organization can still participate as an individual or civic club or TTA chapter. Sponsor's for the BreakAway… every one of your dollars goes right back into your community. Your donated funds will be used to purchase food and fuel.

Materials and Supplies Donations -Tools and first aid kits, work gloves, food - are just some of the items we will need. We will be glad to let you know what materials and supplies we need - just call or email.

Camp Help – There is plenty to do around camp that would help out everyone. There will be food and materials to pick up, tools to be sharpened, & camp to be cleaned. Plenty to do!

Basic Trail Maintenance – If you like to be on the trail, but feel that trail construction is too much, we need people to walk the trails in the area to run chainsaws, paint blazes, clip branches, pick up litter, and tell hikers about the Cumberland Trail!

Send mail to cumberlandtrail@rocketmail.com

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