The Voice of Vogel, 2010

Jogel Park rustic to be re-created

By David Foot

and theGeorgia StatePark systemin

Whether you called it the beach general. Unfortunately, time, mois-

house, bathhouse, or boathouse, the ture, and the elements all took their

names all referred to the beautiful t ~ loln this beauty. The costs to re-

log structure that presided over pair the structure were too exorbi-

Vogel's Lake Trahlyta for thirty tant to warrant such a major outlay

years. Oiiginallybuilt by the CiviI- of precious state funds.It was de-

ian Conservation Corps (CCC) in cided to demolish the building and

1935,the beach h ~ u sseeemedto of- build a more modem weather resis-

fer a welcometo visitorswith itspark tantbuilding.

rustic design that was so common The result is what you see today

with the C c c architecture.

with the concave

b dramatic

The Vogel beach house was a sweep. Today's pavilion originally

landmark in north Georgia for three housed remmms, an office, and eon-

decades. It was a massive spcture -cessionmuch like the old log build-

that took on a life of its own. The ingdid. TheseE d C e weremmved

beach house accommodated in the' 1980's to accommodate seat-

restrooms, showers, boats, conces- ing for interpretiveand culturalpro-

sion, and bunkroomsfor lifeguards. grams, leaving the roofascover.

It wasthesymbolof VogelStatePark Oneinterestingdesignfeatureof

the newer pavilion is the fact that it

was built on the old CCC constructed

stone piers. This is a testimony to

the stout nature of the construction

techniques of those CCC boys.

After forty years of living with

the pavilion time, once again, has

proven it is a too powerful force to

compete with. &\nerd roof repairs

have had to be made over the past

few years that are showing the roof is aging. We want to make onemore 8fea would not be enclosed s e w

* changethatwehopewill lastfor gen- fhesamepurpose as it does m y .

erations to come.

The Vogel Volunteers have al-

We want to bring back the park

fWd6Won-

and

rustic feel of the original log beach a r d w w plans- The design is

house. Using theexistingfoundation Complete. Thenextstep isto find the

and floor,

h d s to continuetheproject.

this he plan is to recreate theo m - TheVogelVolunteersareprmnot-

nal roof design. The programming -

~ m j sitn hopes that state

and private funding can be raised to complete the project.
The Vogel Volunteers are accepting donations for this project. The Vogel Vohmteersare n0n-proM(501
(c) 3) or-tion. For further information, please
feel free to contact David Foot, Park Manager.

Impact V"gel Park Dahlonega Gold Museum a satellite operation of Vogel State Park

has on community By,&Aum

Left

minute film, "America'sFirst C ~ M

By: David Foot

The Dahlonega Gold Museum

For years the staff has heard State Historic Site is housed in the

Dahlonega
Gdd

Rush " which plays on the hour and halfhour throughouttheday. Themost talked

stories from park guests of how historic Dahlonega courthousebuildthey have purchased a house or ing in the middle of downtown .

Museum

about exhibit is the collection of Dahlonega gold coins and nuggets. The

property around Vogel because Dahlonega (pronounced duh-LAH-ni-

Right

site has a complete set of Dahlonega

they fell in love with the area. ga).

Dahlonega-

mintedcoins,which aresomeof themost

They would not'have done so had During the economic crisis of

Courthouse

rare collectable c o b . in the United

they not made that first camping UX)9that resulted in statebudget cuttrip. Vogel State Park has had a backs, Vogel took on the Dahlonega

in the 1890s

States. Only two other complete sets of Dahlonega coins are known to exist, one

tremendous impact on the sur- Gold Museum as a satellite opera- the Atlanta Constitution in 1894: est~~'~iving~~urthouse~inGeoartgthiae.smithsonianinw-gton, D.C.

,,,, rounding mountain community. tion. This has been a wonderful rela-

"Itseemed, within a f ? @~s, It is an impressive two-Story brick a d one at the Federal Reserve Bank

Union County's growthcanbe at- tionshipdespitethe fact that this is a as if the whole world must have building with exteriorwalls measur-

Atlanta.

tributed in part to Vogel State non-traditional function.

heard it; men camefrom every state ing over 22 inches thick. The bricks ~ h~ , ~~l~dais openMonday

Park's popularity.

Dahlonega was named after.the I ever heard of. They came afoot, were made from the mud of nearby &ugh Saturdayfrom9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Vogel's attendance'of235,000 Cherokeeword for the color of gold. on horseback and in wagons, act- Cane Creek and then hand famed and Sunday 10'a.m. to 5 p.m. The last

annual visitors may seem incon- The&major goldrush intheUnited ing more like crazy men than any- which took almost 2 years to corn- showing of the film is at 4 p.m. Admis-

sequential, but consider the fact Stateshappened in this small mom- thing else. "

plete-

reports rweal trace sion: Adults $5, Seniors (62+) $4.50,

that tliese guests will spend h e r $14,000,000 in themountaincorn-

taintownin 1829andthe townis said to have gold fever (and trammits this

While gold had attractedthe first settlers to Dahlonega, it was not the

amounts of gold in nearly all of the historic bricks. In 1965 Lumpkin

children(6-17) $3.50, and children5 & under are free.

munity. Add to this the fact that peculiarailment to thosevisiting) to town's only bushess. Taverns,banks, Countysold theold courthousebuild-

During this operational change the

V0gel has consistently remained this day.

doctor's offices, general stores, h g and land to the State of Georgia staff

Museum never missed

fhncially self-sustainingoverthe In 1828a young mannamed Ben- lawyer's offices and more all seem- for $10 for thepurpose of creatinga a h a t in providing quality historic in-

years .'

jamin Parksfound a sizablegoldnug- ingly sprang up overnight (many of new m ~ u manmi mica' firstgold terpretationthat they have always been

It is quite apparent the Cco- get while hunting. Parks was then in- these buildings still stand in the his- rush. The Dahlonega Gold Museum known for. While visiting the area or

nomicstimulusmoney spent tode- stnunental in getting the word to torictownsquaretoday.) Soon itwas is on the National Histoqc.RegisFr stayingat Vogelwe -mge owguests

velop Vogel StatePark duringthe depressionof the 1930swas mcky
well spent. Will we be able to say the same seventy years from now
about the stimulus funds being spent today?

spread like wildtire that gold was prevalent in the mountains of north Georgia. Within a year thousands of miners rushed in to make their for-
tunes.Ben Parks described America's
'. first gold rush in an interview with

time for this rough and tumble gold town to form a more formal govern-
ment system and a new courthouse was proposed.
Built in 1836,theLumpkinCounty
C. ,o.urth.ousebuildingis one of the old-

and Is one of the most vlslted HE- to visit downtown Dahlonega and the

toric Sites in Georgia.

Gold Museum. It is a fascinating look

Today, the museum has exhibits back in history.

on the 1828gold rush, theU.S- Mint

Julia Autry is the Interpretive

in Dahlonega, and various gold min-
ing techniq.u\es.A tour includes a 17-

Ranger -at the Dahlonega GoM Mu-

Page 2
otherwise due to serious budget con straints. The following are additiona accomplishments funded. or com

Volunteers
n. For more. s been So much has been accomplished When over the years. The park is so much up it is better off for what has been done.

Voice of Vogel

have been volunteering at Vogel for over seventeen years. Anyone who volunteers is a wonderful person; Volunteering at one location as long as the Fittons have qualifies them as

Just as he had what he thought was the perfect plumb job, Bud would walk to the other side of the boat's cabin. When the contractor looked back at his cabinets he dis-

sible for many improvements in the park, most recently the construction
of several picnic table decks at cottages, the construction of metal signs on posts, campsite construction and electrical repairs. Bud and Carmen have been key fundraisers over the years making the de\relopment of the CivilianConservationCorps Museum

unteer performing a

aby, it's cold outside
This cold weather munchkin is shown on the park ilion on a 2010January day. For twelve days in Januthe temperature never rose above 32 degrees. The temperature forthe period was 3 degrees. In the ground of this photo the lake can be seen frozen solid. ther records indicated that this was the coldest pe-

Voice of Vogel
Ranger Tales By David Foot -
Every ranger has a few stories o f his days o n the job working with the public. This ranger is no exception. Having worked instate parks for 32 years, Ihappen to have some interesting questions that were asked by inquiring minds. w Is Confederate Memorial Day a North or Southholiday? w I s the beach anywhere near the lake? w A woman calls into ask if we have any cabbages? When she was told we are not a vegetable stand, she said, "No, you don't understand, you know those cabins cottages you rent. " w H o w much do your volunteers get paid? w A park housekeeper asks a ranger to check a leaking urinal in the restroom at the visitor center. The ranger asks if that is the men's or women's restroom? (Must have been a long day.) w A man is asked for his vehicle tag number. H e says, "It's o nm y car. CanIborrow a screw driver so Ican take it off?" w The park has been experiencing power failure for over three hours. The visitor's center staff is working b y lantern light at the front counter. A guest comes inand asks if we know the power is out? w A camper asks if he can cut some trees down around his campsite? H e is having a difficult time getting television reception with his satellite dish o n his R V . w There was the manwho asked us to turn the creek o f f because he couldn't sleep at night for the rushing noise. w The temperature was below freezing
overnight. A camper comes in and asks why
there is no water at the standpipe. w The gate attendant asks a driver for Park Pass payment. The driver refuses, saying he bought an Annual Pass three years ago and hasn't gotten his money's worth yet. w D o you have indoor plumbing? w "Oh, how modem, you take credit cards!" (Yeah, an we evenhave indoor plumbing.) w A woman asks if ducks eat whole wheat or white bread? w A man asks, "Why is it so busy today? What is it with all the people? Is there something special about today?" I t was July 4. w A child was asked what his favorite thing was about Vogel? "Playing softball and ice cream f r o m the visitor center. " w A little g i r l comes into the visitor center sucking o n a lollie pop. She asks to exchange it because she didn't like the flavor. w M a n asked if we moved the lake. H e was here a few years ago and swore it was closer to cottage 2. w T w o girls get ins paddle boat, then ask the attendant where the key is to start the engine? w A camper asked a volunteer to find the squeaky tree. When the wind blows it gets really loud. Canyou do something? w A manand woman come to the boatdock with a dog intow. When they are informed the dog cannot ride ina boat, they say, "all those other people have their kids with
them. "

Staff

Page 3

Roger Phillips is Vogel's Senior Park Ranger. This meanshe is responsiblefor the maintenance of the park. This is a daunting task when you consider he is res~onsiblefor morethan 60 structures; a wastewater treatment plant; water supply and delivery system; 42 re-
frigerators; 83commodes;18milesoftrails;
40 heatingandairconditioningunits;amotor pool of vehicles and heavy equipment. Maintaininga park isvery similar to operating a small village. Roger needs to be prepared for any eventual emergency. He insures hehasspare partson inventory and is always readyfor the unexpected.
Stephanie Butts has been working at Vogel for four years. For three seasons, Stephaniewas the summer naturalist providing programming to the park guest. In 2009 Stephanie filled a full-time position in the maintenancedeparbnentDuringthefall and winter, Stephanieperformedmaintenance. With budgetcutsloomingandthe lossofthe summer programmingposition it was decided programmingwas too importantnot to have a programmer. It was decided to reassignStephanieso programmingwould continue throughout the year. Join Stephanie this year as she interprets the wonders of Vogel.
Michele Cruce is a behind the scenes employee responsible for the operation of the laundry facility. She cleans the sheets and towels and maintainsthe inventory of the housekeeping supplies.Micheleenjoys country music and spending time with her family.
Travis Henry is a Vogel maintenance team member who is very talented in many areas, On any given day, Travis may be seen driving a tractor, offering an interpretiveprogramon bears,or cutting grass. Travis is very creative providing awonderful resourceduringthis very difficult economic budaet crisis. Travis always has a story o r j o k to share with anyone willing to listen.
Tonv Cruce is the mainte-l
breaker. Tony is a mountain boy who can p e r f o i l _ iustaboutanv neededtask. ?ony is the certified wastewater plant operatorhandlingtheotherendof the plumb ing spectrum. Tony is a quiet, steady individual who takes pride in his work.

Randy Gambrell, Assistant Managerhas been at Vogel

How to clean 23

for ten years.. Randy has enjoyed the challenges

cottages in 5 hours

posed by the job. Randy would be the first to say that being a ranger makes for a very rewarding career. Th plentyof variety injob responsibilitiesmaking it a rare day that one is ever bored. Another positive aspectof thejob is living on the park and being close to the family. Granted, the ranger may put in some long hoursduringthe busy season, butthefamilyknowswheretofinddaddy.When Randy speakswith young people,heencourages them to explore an outdoor career.

October always brings many visitors, with weekends being the busi-
est. Sundays seemto bringa highturn-
over incamping and cottage guests. This turnover sometimes posesa challenge when there are an extra number o f cottages changing out inone day. H o w do you clean 23 cottages during a five hour period when you only have a cleaning staff o f five ladies?
Utilizingthe Incident Command System that is used in emergency

services to organize large disaster

Gwen Graphmanhas been

events can also be used in smaller

with Vogel for three years performing the myriad of

events such as facility cleaning. I t takes organization.

tasks that are involved with

Incident command pulls together

keeping the visitor center

all aspects o f an event and breaks it

operatingand meetingthe

down into functions. This o f course

park guest needs. The smil-

required a few additional staff and

ing face greeting you in the visitor center volunteers to get the job done. Mat-

just may be Gwen. Having moved from ter o f fact it took 18 individuals to

Florida to Blairsville, Gwen has survived get thejob done. Staff that would or-

severalwinters now.She can honestlysay d i y have been scheduled o f f were

she stillenjoys sunshineand air tempera- askedt o work along with volunteers.

turesabovefreezing.This pastwinterGwen Staff was reassigned from the office,

experienceda winter of the likes that had maintenance, waterfront and rnanage-

notbeenseen inthe mountainsinover ten merit to work inhousekeeping for the

years. She actually had a work day that day.

shecould notgettowork becauseof closed

Teams were developed to break

snow roads. Shewas heardsaving, "I've the work down into manageablefunc-

seen enough, let's get on with spiing."

tions. T w o crews were assigned the

task o f entering the cottages to re-

Janette Watson is the

visitor center manager.

She is the one responsible

for purchasing the unique

and tasteful merchandise.

Janette works closely with

vendors to obtain aualitv

products. We have

who depend

uponVogel to outfittheir entirewardr0be.A

guest who was visiting relatives in Califor-

nia actually saw a Vogel tee shirt on sale at

a yard sale. Janette was impressed with

how far and wide her shirts have travelled.

Janette'sskillsof merchandisingarethe rea-

son Vogel's visitor center store is so suc-

cessful.

move any trash and strip out all soiled linen. T w o crews then came in to make the sixty beds. Bedmaking is a time consuming aspect o f the cottage cleaning operation. A crew was assigned to the linen bani to keep up with the mountaino f laundry that was created. T w o crews were assignedto do the final thorough cleaning. Cottage cleaning involves cleaning the kitchens, bathrooms, dusting, sweeping and mopping. When the advance crews completed their assignments they assisted the cleaning crews. If it were not for the volunteers and dedicated staff the challenge o f cleaning 23 cottages in five hours would

not have beenpossible.

Ironically, during the cleaning,

Sharon Kidd is Vogel's

one o f the seasonal employees com-

behindthe scenes secre-

mented that she felt we were fight-

tary. Sharon handles the

ing a battle. Ina way we were as we

budget, accounts payable,

had an objective and the enemy was

human resourcesas well as all the other paperwork

i, time. Using radios for communication to insure we were o n task the

that is necessaryto keepbothVogel State job got done, with a halfhour to spare.

Park and the Dahlonega Gold Museum What makes this so special was that

operating smoothly.Sharonhas beenem- there were no shortcuts taken. Vogel

loved at Voael for her entire working life. provided the same quality customer

'She began as a hamburgerflipper i t the service that it is renowned for. A tre-

park concession back in the 70s. Sharon mendous thanks goes to the dedicated

has always taken on new responsibilities staff and volunteers that keep Vogel

with gusto.

running smoothly.

Keeping it clean
challenging
position
Six ladieswork housekeeping keeping the cottages and park restroomsclean.This isa challenging position, especially duringthe highoccupancymonths. Their cleaning standards are higher than some five star resorts. When you see these hard working individuals, patthem on the back and thank them for ajob well done. The following are biographies on each of these housekeepers.
Dale Culberson enjoys fishing, gardening flowers and vegetables, canning the qarden produce-and eating what she grows and catches.
Linda Fortenberry is the longest working housekeeper, having been at Vogel for the past fifteen years. Linda enjoys gardening and canning, yard sales and caring for some elderly neighbors.
Linda Stancil enjoys spending time with her parents. She enjoys gardening and bird watchina. Linda'sfavoriteiast-timeis attending fish fries.
Wanda Green enjoys gardening and canning. Her favorite pasttime is spending time with her grandchildren. She and her husband have created a wonderful family who are very close.
Gay Cross is enjoying her new grandchild. Gay finds gardening and mowing grass relaxing. However,whafputs her in another world where she doesn't think about making beds is shopping the outlet malls in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Page 4

Guests

Hiking Memories
By Gordy Hawkins, Madeira Beach, FL The last day of vacation at Vogel State Park I was lying on my back, knees up to my chest, arms around the knees, stretchingmy chin up toward my knees and rocking back and forth like a rocking chair just working out the kinks; not wanting to feel so decrepit that I could not enjoy the hikes I so love at Vogel. It was during this exercise that I had one of those quick thoughts that encapsulate a memory, many memories actually, within an emotion. It is hard to explain. Here are a few: This was going to be our 24th winter at Vogel. In my opinion, when visiting Vogel there is no better place to hike than right from the park itself. Why? You do not need to get in a car and drive to a trailhead. The trailheads are right there at Vogel.
When the kids were little with short legs, a stroll around Lake Trahlyta was the ticket. When they got a bit bigger, it was the Byron Reece Nature Trail. But when they got bigger yet, it was time for the perfect hike. The Bear Hair. Approximately four miles in length the Bear Hair offers beauty, vistas and aromas that evoke a sense of freedom. It also has connectors to more advanced trails like the Coosa Backcountry Trail (13 miles) and a six mile out and back trail to the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail. Of course you can determine your own distance and time allotment for out and back hikes on the Coosa.
Quite a few years ago, when I was in better shape, a hike that was enjoyable went this way: by myself, I drove the car to Byron Reece parking area near Walasi-Yi. I would then run back to the cabin where the family was staying. After breakfast we all headed out to the Bear Hair Gap Trail travelling clockwise. We took the spur @at connects with the Appalachian Trail. En route to the top of Blood Mountain, the trail had dark green leaves of
rhododendron and patches of ice and snow. From the top of Blood Mountain there is a view of Vogel and Lake Trahlyta in the far, far distance. We ate our snacks at the CCC built trail shelter on top of Blood. Nearby there were somi awesome vistas from barren rock slabs. We then hiked down the other side of the mountain to WalasiYi. After a cup of hot chocolate, it was a 314 mile walk to
the car and the ride back to the cabin. This was a good healthy day of hiking (7 miles) and a good day for being together as a family.
Approximately 20 years ago I was running up the Bear Hair Gap Trail going clockwise. After 314 of a mile I saw a gentleman appearing to be in his mid to late seventies. He had stopped and was leaning on his hiking stick. For some reason I stopped and said hello and asked how he was doing. He replied that he was feeling good and just needed to get out in nature, to be in the forest. He was looking around and listening to the stream that was just out of sight over the ridge. The wind was rustling high in the pines. He said he had a heart attack a while back and his wife did not want him to go very far. This was as far as
he was going today. As I listened to him, he created an
emotion that has been stored in the back of my memory. I
hit 60 years old this year and those kinks in the back and some in the shoulder and a periodic hitch in the kn6es
come more frequently. And the memory of the gentleman comes to me more frequently. I want to thank him. I do
take time to appreciate what he said to me. To absorb the beauty and aura of the forest and mountains or wherever I may be. As 1write this at the cabin, 1look up and on the
wall is a large poster celebrating the 75th Anniversary of
Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. The quote reads, "While everything else changes, Georgia State Parks re-
main true to nature. " Enjoy!

DreIacme :CTrheeasme 1~1aiclescmreamn's
Why I love my State Park
retired, we began celebrating our late October wedding anniversary at Vogel each Year. 'I'ime at Vogel meant hikes around the lake and Vogel that Year. But Lani took me back in the Stmmer 2000. Lani and her sister purchased the memorial brick Mance. The following Summer, I began making the trip t

Voice of Vogel
change their lives forever. Vogel has a long history of promoting
Edwards. Reefs interest in hats drew him to three hats located on a shelf. He thought these would look good added to his collectionof 3 top hats, 2 fedoras, and a bowler. This hat interest must have caught Fran's attention as she asked what he was going to do with these? He said he wanted to keep two and donate one to the CCC Museum at Vogel. Fran thought this was an excellent idea so she offered to donate it to Reef so he could get it to Vogel. Thank you Fran and Reef for thinking of Vogel State Park's Civilian Consewation Corps Museum.

Voice of Vogel

safety

Page 5

Hypothermia

1 Bike helmets required

I Slow down!

.Hypothermia occurs when

M - Munch. Snack often on

Georgia State

The speed limit

the body loses heat faster than carbohydrates. The body needs Law requires all

throughout the park

it can be produced. The bodf's fuel to burn and maintain heat. children ages 15and

is 15 miles per hour.

core temperature drops. The T - Thermoregulation. younger to wear a

With all the pedes-

most important prevention of Dress in layers that can be shed bicycle helmet. This

trian traffic it is im-

hypothermia is to recognize its or added as activity increases law is enforced to

perative that drivers

symptoms. To help do this, or outside temperatures begin keep your family

pay attention to this

think C-0-GD.

to drop. Staywarm, do not over- safe. Every year

law. Many of the

C - Change in mental sta- heat or sweat.

park rangers respond

children and even

H - H20. Drink to bicycle accidents.

some of the adults

And some of these

are not paying atten-

Water and fruit have to go to the

tion to what they are

emergency room. Bic

doing or where they

do sa;e lives. please;keep our

safe by"insuhngthey are walking. Park law enforcement rangers will enforce the

are wearing a helmet every time they are on a bicycle. Geor- speed limit.

gia Law 40-6-296.

Please don'tbe a statistic. DRIVE DEFENSIVELY.

iiently.- This creates an apathetic attitude that contributes to loss of judgement.
0 - Onset of shivering: As
the body's temperature drops below 96 degrees F the brain tells the body to start shivering to help balance the body's temperature needs. Shivering produces heat. The shivering will increase until the body's temperature reaches 92 degrees F when the shivering will cease.
L - Loss of coordination:
Coordination begins to fail when the body temperature drops from 96 - 94 degrees. Fine motor coordination becomes impaired, affecting the use of fingers. Speech becomes thick and stuffed. Between 95 - 92 degrees gross motor coordination is affected. The victim will begin tripping, stumbling and falling. There is muscular rigidity. The body is freezing!
D - Doomed: Below 92 de-
grees the pupils are dilated and the victim is slipping into unconsciousness. Death is not too far off.
PREVENTION: An ounce
oRfepmreevmebnetiroWn i-sAw-Ror-tMh y-Tou-Hr li.fe.
W - When wet, get dry and stay dry. A wet body and clothes
will act as an air conditioner. So stay out of the wind as well.
A - Attire. Wear clothes
that minimize heat loss, even when wet. Wool and polypropylene stay warm when wet.
R - Rain gear. Always be
prepared in the event of rain. It
can occur without warning.

the blood vessels to ool the bodv more ranidly. Alcohol will'also &era
false sense of warmth. The old
tale of the Saint Bernard carrying the cask of brandy was the
wrong thing to tell people. TREATMENT: Hypother-
mia is a true emergency and immediate action needs to be
taken. A way to remember how to treat hypothermia is to think R-EW-A-R-M.
R - Recognize what hypo-
thermia is.
E - Enviornrnent. It is im-
portant that shelter is found for
the victim. It must be away from the wind, it must be dry,
and it must be warm. W - Wet. All hypothermia
victims are wet. The moisture may be from sweat or it could be from a fall in a stream. Get the victim stripped of all wet
clothes. Get the victim dry and keep them dry.
A - Apply insulation. Insu-
late the victim from wind and
make every effort to maintain
any heat that may be recovered. Keep the victim off the ground. Insulate the head and feet as 80% of all heat exits the extremities.
R - Refuel the body if the victim is conscious. It is important that the victim drink sweet liquid to help improve enz ergy reserves that have been
decreased by shivering.
M - Monitor the airway and
vital signs. Keep a close eye on the victim and get to a hospital
as soon as possible. Remember, when your most important tool
- the brain - fails you, the body
is in trouble.

LOST PREVENTION TIPS
The rangersat Vogelwant to give a few helpful hints on how to prepare beforetaking a hike.
Have a plan. Know where you are going. Always report in when you return. Tell a responsible person what your itinerary is. Tell them where you are going, when you will return, and what to do if you do not returnas scheduled. Becomefamiliarwith the area you will be traveling by studying maps and literature. Donottravelalone. Hikingissafer in numbers. This way if someone gets hurt,the other person is available to give aid or to go for help. Stay with your group. * Stayonmarkedtrails. Donottake shortcuts. Do not travel after dark. Pay attention to the weather for the duration of your hike and beyond. Dress appropriately. For colder weather, dress in layers so as you warm up, layers can be shed and as you cool down, you can add them back on. Be prepared for rain. The weather reports are not always accurate. *Avoidcottondothing. Cottonwhen wet does not dry fast and will cool the body faster when air passes over it. When wet, get dry. When cold, get warm. Stay out of the wind when resting. * Drinkwater beforeyougetthirsty. Obtain water from a safe source. Assumeallwildernesswater is impure. If you do get lost, STAY PUT. Make yourself heard by blowing a whistle. Make yourself visible. It is hoped you have a safe and enjoyable hike. If you have any questions, the staff of Vogel will be glad to assist.

Trail Safety and Cell Phones

By David Foot The park has experienced a phenomenon in the past year when it comes to trail safety.
More-andmore hikers are calling into the park
office on cell phones saying they are lost and need help to find their way out of a sticky predicament.
It is interesting to note that prior to cell phone use, there were dences over the past 2 where someone actually got lost on the park trail system. These incidences generally involved children.
The phenomenon of using a cell phone is a worldwide issue as hikers rely on their cell phones to obtain help. While cell phones are a valuable tool, hikers need to rely less on technology and more on instinct when in the woods.
There are many locations in the forest where a cell phone will not work and if the phone's battery goes dead the phone is useless. When in the woods it is imperative that the hiker continually be aware of what and who is around them.
It is important to stop occasionally and look

behind them to see where they have been and pay attention to signage at trail intersections. It is also important to carry a map of the trail and to make note as to the progress you are making so you have an idea of where you are on the map.
Other equipment that one may consider taking on a hike is a compass to orient the map.
This of course takes some simple instruction,A GPS is also fun to use but they have
their limitations as well.
A simple survival kit carried in a pocket that includes an inexpensive rain poncho or large trash bag, a flashlight, candle and tches, energy bar, mirror for signaling kit are all valuable rescue tools.
Before taking off on a hike prepare ahead of time. Know where you are going. Advise a responsible person of your plans so they can call for help if you don't return as planned. Be prepared for changing weather, carry water and drink.plenty while hiking and if you get wet get dry, if you get cold get warm.
Hikiig is fun but it also requires some personal responsibility to be prepared and be safe.

Severe Weather preparedness at Vogel

By David Foot The January forecast calls for an inch of ice and up to six inches of snow and sleet. This is not good, especially when it is going to hit on a weekend. Granted, park visitation is pretty slow this time of year, but if there is one person on the property, we have to take measures to insure they are safe and secure. When there is the potential for such an event the following actions occur: The Union County Emergency Management Agency noti-
fies the park 24 hours in advance of the 'impending weather. The park staff would have already begun making preparations for the weather emergency.

Roger Phillips refers to the Park's emergency pre-plan for a winter weather event. Roger and his staff begin preparations by insuring all chainsaws are properly serviced; all vehicles are fueled in the event the power goes out and gas pumps don't work; the snow plow is prepared to be mounted to the tractor; heaters are turned on in all facilities to minimize the potential for frozen pipes; and generators are checked to be used for emergency power. Whether it is a winter snow event, extreme rains with flash flood potential, or high winds in the form of a tornado o t tropical depression the Vogel staff is re,,dy for the inevitable.

Page 6

Programming

voice of bger

ANNUAL CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS REUNION

The "Boys" of the CCC will gather on the second Saturday of May to reminisce about a

simpler time. Everyone is invited to attend this living history program. This is a great opportu-

nity to meet a real CCC Boy who experienced the desperate time called the Great Depression.

These boys worked across the country in the Tree Army. They have tales to tell of planting trees,

fightingfire, planting kudzu, build-

ing dams and parks and other expe-

riences that some say were the best

days of their lives. This is a fasci-

nating trip back in time as these

fellows relive their life in the

CCC. This is a great opportunity

for young people to learn what life

a was like during the Depression. The

program begins at 11A.M. in the

park group shelter. The program is

free.The luncheonmeal is covered

dish. Bring a friend, bring a dish

and come listen to some stories of

b

I

the Civilian Conservation Corps.

There will be a tour of the CCC

These 15 CCC boysattendedthe 2010 Reunion Museum.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

The second Saturday of December is a festive time as the

park celebrates the Christmas season. The day is marked with

hayrides, caroling, warm iefmhments and the tree lighting. Area

churches participate to bring this most wonderful time of the

year to the park. Comejoin hundredsof our neighborsand guests

as we sing in the spirit of Christmas.

I

MOUNTAIN MUSIC AND CRAFT FESTIVAL

L - The Saturday after Labor Day in September - 4 ~ .

sees the park celebrating Appalachian culture with

%& d".

music, song, dance and crafts. This popular pro-

gram &+placed in

-.

.

-1 thebeautiful setting

1 of the theater on
I the shores of Lake

j

Trahlyta. As visitors peruse the

crafts and watch

live demonstra-

tions, music that

was common 100

years ago can be
h m d.Theprogram begins at

11A.M.

asi

ion to

the music

is

$5.00 for adults, $2.00 children.A lunch concession is availabl#e.

FALL HOEDOWN
The a d Fall Hoedown
is scheduled for October 16, 2010. This event is always
popular with the park guest. Activities include dancing in
the lakeside parking lot, hayrides, story telling by the
campfire and a cakewalk. The cakewalk is where the indi-
vidual pays a dollarfor an o p portunity to walk for a do-
nated homemade cake with the possibility of being able to bring one home. The funds raised through the cakewalk
go to the ~ 6 g eVl olunteers for projects on the
park. Come on out and enjoy a brisk fall day.

Photo by Harris Hatcher

P-- JULY 4TH
Celebrating our nation's independence is a tradition at Vogel on this special day.
This birthday is always a fun way to ex-- p-ress our

JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM
Youngsters are encouraged to participate in the Department of Natural Resources Jun-
ior Ranger Program. Each park and Historic
Site in Georgia lias the booklets to begin the

-

pride in being

adventure. There are three level of participation for ages 6-12.

geri- LevelI is for ages 6

g A bi-
1- cycle pa-

& 7; level 11 is for ages 8-10: and level
6 is for ages 11 &

12. Each level has a

boat races, sack
I r races, egg toss, balloon toss, dizzy lizzy, greased pole climb, team and individual events
-1"- are allplanned
1%ltiovkeleye.p the day Come on out

few more challenges
and incremental degrees of difficulty.
Subject matter
includes study of the natural resources
found in Georgia, fishing, wildlife, fruits and flowers,Wry,animalsand more. This should
be fun for the entirefamily. The books can be picked up at any park or historic site office. If .youhave questions, feel freeto talk with a park

to show how proud you are to live in these United States.

rangerJoin inon the fun. TheM o f GeorgiaState
Parks and Historic Sites is waitine to show YOU

I . :
..i 4 .

the fun and excitement that can6found iithe
outdoors.

KIDS FISHING RODEO
What a day to go fishing. Youngsters, 12andunder willhavethe o p portunity to fish Wolf Creek for rainbow trout.
You will never see so many smiling faces. If the adults don't watch out, they may be caught up in the excitement as well. Wildlife Resources
FisheriesUnit will stockWolf Creek with hun-
dreds of trout. This pretty much guarantkes a catch for every child present.
Volunteers will be available to assist those childrenwho need assistance. Thereis no competition involved with this program. Rather,
we emphasizethe fun of fishing. Every child does receive a prize.
. This program is sponsored in part by CacaCola Bottlers and many other area businesses.
This fishingevent is held on the second Satur-
day of June.

MUSIC SN THE PARK SATURDAYS AT 8 PM
How about spending an enjoyable summer Saturday evening listening to beautiful music wafting over Lake

Every Saturday at 8 p.m. from Me-

1. '

morial Day weekend through September Music In The Park can be experienced. Wbat a wonderful way to relax and soak up the cool night air. Watch

tlreparkbuktinboardsfor~

D scheddes.

voice of vogel

John Derden

Page 7

John Derden,

John Derden CCC Museum

- 7

the soldier

The fascinatingstory of the Civilian ConservationCorps is told in Vogel State
Park's ~ o hDn erden ccc~ u s e u mT. elling thisstory is evenmore importanttoday

K

By Henry Watson

as we are experiencingthe worst economicdown turn since the Great Depression

john once told me that when of the 1930s.The museum, developedby the Vogel Volunteers has been a project, he went tojoin the CCC that he Years in the making.The storybegins with the hardshipsexperiencedby everyday

had to

miles to be Americans. We cannot appreciate the sacrifices our ancestors made to feed a

able ried

to enlist. He said he his shoes with him

wbut

family, keep a roof over (Sound familiar?) Young

their boys

heads, find a job, or just survive everyday perils. 17-25 years of agejoined the CCC to fight forest

/

walked barefoot. I asked him fires, plant trees,, control soilerosion, re-introducewildlife,.and build state parks

why? is response was that he like Vogel. This was an adventure of a lifetime that turned these boys into men who

hadpolishedhis b e h h~e left home and that he wanted

karned skills that would help them find jobs in the civilian work force. The mushows what it was l*e to live, eat and work in a CCC camp. The CCC was

JohnDerden(le., ,. .,,. ..,. , ,.,,

...h DavidFoot,ParkMangerwhiletheysitonthe

them to look good when he ar- perhaps the most successful of all of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal hearthofthe CCCMuseumfireplace.Johnwas alwayswillingto shareastoryabout

rived at the recruiting station! Programs. The CCC museum hasproven to be an outstandingresourcefor students hisdays inthe CivilianConsenrationCorpsorhisWorldWar IIdaysinNorthAfricaand

This trait of pride would serve studying the history of the 1930s. Come by the museum to See what went well the EuropeantheaterduringBattleofthe Bulge.Johnwas likeahistorybookthatyou

him well in later life as a sol- during the Great Depression.

never wanted to put down.

Our camping memories dier inthe United StatesArmy. After ~ ~ whas nreleased from the civilian conservation .

Eindthfie~t2~0n0O1itsesT:uheisoafHthdeeVfiomicteao~pf \alomged/.

The First Encounter

Corps, he joined the Army en- By John and Virginia Derden

gearandstartcamping.Wefirst boughtatentand By David Foot

tering the Tank Corps eventu- Virginia and Igrew up in the mountainsof campedat LakeAllatoonaand MoccasinCreek One day, this tall, distinguishedgentlemancame to me to ask if he

ally servingin North Africa and northGeorgiainEllijay.After highschoolwe left StatePark.WelovedMoccasinCreekbecauseit could have a small space, no larger than a closet, to setup a display on

Europe during World War I1 thesemountains,VirginiatoworkinMariettawith was inth'e mountains, but itwas often crowded the Civilian ConservationCorps. I thoughtthiswas an unusual request

under General Patton. There SouthemBellandmyselfoffto the CivilianCon- withnospaceavailable.At aboutthistime Imade but interestingnone ?he less. This gentlemanwas John Derden, a former

was such reverence in Johnls servationCorpsand then latertojoin theArmy. awoods buggyfrom aneldVolkswagenandwe CCC boy. Despite being in his 70s he had the enthusiasm of a twenty

voice whenever be talked about We hadgmwnuptogetherand ha!( regularcor- towed iton our campingtrips. On one of these year old when it came to a passionhe wanted to sharewith others. The

Patton that I thought they were - respondencethroughtheV-mail systemalldur- trips we decided to ride the woods buggyover park had been developedby the CCC in the 30s soI thought thiswas a

close friends. I askedJohn ifhe ingWorldWar II.(hail wasa meansof reduc- Richard RussellHighwayto Vogel State Park. great idea. John was given space in the old concessionacrossfrom the

actually worked with, or was ingthe size andweight of leper by photostatic We drove through the.park, thinking it was the beach for his display. He graduallyacquired photos and other memo-

personally acquainted with means. Thismadethe lettersmuchsmallerand perfectplaceto camp. Wehavebeencampingat rabilia related to this era.

Patton? His response was that lighter but still readable.) Virginia and I were Vogel eversince.

When John and his wife Virginii came up to camp on weekends

he had never met the man.The marriedon October25,1945 abouttwoweeks ~fteroner a i n ~ w e e kwde~deciddto move they would act as tour guides sharingtheir knowledgeof this little bit

respect John had for General after Ireturned from a three year all expense uptothecomfodsofatrailerandafewyears later of American History. What made it so interesting was that a real

Patton was clearly displayed in paid governmenttour of NorthAfrica and Eu- tradeditfor a motorhome.Wehavebeencamp 'honest to goodnessCCC boy was giving the tqur. Many visitorsto the

his voice.

rope. Icontinuedmymilitaryserviceretiringfrom ing for over 30 years having camped in 31 of display in theearly days were overwheImebb~the fountainofbowl-

John was deeply involvedin theArmy inSeptember1965.

Georgia's StateParksaswellasallthesumnd- edge that came from this man. The display was a hit.

thewar efhrt and with thetanks AfterretiringfromtheArmy Iaccepteda po- ingstates.Aftercarefullyconsideringeachpark A year or two later John came to me to say he had run out of space.

that helped win the war. The sitiononthe teachingstaffof DekaibTechnical we havecamped in we feel Vogel is b y far the We needed to expand the museum. I agreed and we knocked out a wall

skills John had learned in the Institute in Clarkston; Georgia. As a teacher, I bestwe havecampedin.

to go back another ten feet. This same scenario was recreated several

CCC carried him through his worked Mondayto Friday,withweekends free. Try Vogel once and you will see why we times, each time making a little more room for all the itemsJohn was

Army career.

With all this free time we decided to get some haven't foundany placecomparable.

acquiring. We were even getting donations from other CCC boys who

Janette and I took a trip a
year or SO ago and went to ~ o r t Campbell, Kentucky, a place
where John had served. On our

What we did for a dollar a day
By John B. DerdenCCC Enrollee, 1937-1939

wanted to make their contribution.
The museum was getting a name for itself. We found ourselvesto be one of just a handful of museums dedicated to the CCC in the
United States and the only one in Georgia. John's enthusiasm was

way to the base, we saw an

Army tank sittmg on the side of

t-.he

road in the mddle of a small We though! it was a nice

dl$lay and contrnued to the

campground. Pfer, we called

John and Vlrglnla to let them

know where we were. When we

mentioned Fort CampbelI, John

imme&ily told us that he had

placed a tank on display in the

town adjacent to the base. We

told him that we had seen "his"

tank just a short while earlier.

John Derden was a gradu-

ate of the Greatest Generation.

Men and women like him

worked hard to recover from the

worst economic depression this

country had ever expenen@.

HISgenerahon also won a war

that stopped tyranny andkepfus

free.Thankyou John for bemg

there when we needed you most.

Inthedepths ~ f t h Ge reatD e p d o nin 1933,

c~mps~nelroecateddiiClBStheland, From

PnaretisoindehenthRaodoaspelvaen#.m..TOatgeivdethyoeuCnCgCm.eFnojorobus,r
improfvoreests andbuiWstate federal
throughoutthe land..Fmm thecountry, villages,

Alaskato DeathValley's burningsand.
'Wwee hWadEnO eveM r bsetaetino.nTeOdpfaer~ffr~otm'fll hhoamrdewinorpklawcieths Very liffleITtOneyto spend. When intown, ifwe

infectious. The Vogel Volunteers took the mUseUm.On as their mission
to preserve the history of the Civilian ConservationCorps. After many years working out of the damp and drafty concession
building it was decided a p r o m facilitywas necessary to preserve the
artifacts from this era. The Vogel Volunteers decided to begin a fund

m g , largecitiesandtheghettos, bythethou-

sFaDndRswc~ec-c. gamew.

e were eagerto participatein

our

and equipment

were 1917 h y style.~~d everytimewe went

askedgirlsforadatethey~ u lMdY',NOthanks, W? 90 O Uw~ith railroadmen, BecauseYOU CCC boys only have five dollars all month to spend.
Withaxes, rakes,S ~ W aSndleakingfie pumpsOn

raising campaign to build a museum fit for such an important piece of our history. The result is what is found in today's museum. Through the generosityof scoresof individuals,businessesandcorporationsthe
museum became a reality. Interestingly, John's daughter in-law Julie

totown,bgirlsw o u p~ointtoour ,i&l-legged trousers and smile.

OWback,Weclimbedmountainstofightfires all created the preservation plan for the museum as her thesis for her day with only a sandwichina papersack. Ifwe Masters Degree in Library Science,

Welivedintentsand msand hadtosweep everwenthomeforavisit,kt?h y shadashort We have proudly named thisnew facility the John B. Derden Ci-

thefloors and makeupour bed.w e shined our

shoes, brushed ourteeth and

our head.

time Stay,Because hadto hitchhikeorwalk
all the Way. Working in the kiichen would have

vilian ConservationCorpsMuseum.Today the museumis manned by volunteerson weekends sharingthishistory with visitorsfrom all over

TO heatthe barrackswe buihovown fires and a t our own wood.m e need for dry kindling

beenagooddeal, butthey hadto0manypotsto
wash andto0 manyspuds Peel.Intheevening

the world. The museum hosts a tremendous number of students each year who are studyingthe 1930s. It is intt?resthgthe numberof people

wasweulnlderstood. meytaughtustohydl beforeWe ~ u kealt, We lowered the flag and comingthroughwho may also be looking for a relative that may have

peom pour-nt andbuildlakesforwild geeseand

duds, TO operatebulldozersand drivetrucks.

Wedugd i e s , builtroadsandsloped banks,

~ u i cl tampgrounds,logcabinsandwatertanks.

Weworked inthe rain, thesnowandthemud,

TO the

hrlissisrosicpkp,im a tlo.gs

and

rescue

f-rom

had rehat. We didour work Well all acrossthe

W;ourforestroadsarestilllined oursh~bs

and bees. And as people ride by and enjoy the

b yahnrayssay,'These andtrees
were put here by the CCCs-"

h d We an? pf0ud to My, We did this for just a

.ddlaraday.

,

been in the CCC. We have had folks find "Uncle Joe's" photo in one of the displays. m e n you hear a squealyou know they found his face in a photo of 150other boys.
We ~ a mthtankJohnDerdenand the V0ge.l V0h;mteersenoughfor the many thousands of hours they contniutedto making thismuseum a reality. This project was a labor of love that will carry on the history
qf,*.$CC foq.$eneratiow;tq me: ,*

Page 8

History

voice of Vogel

Similarities between the
Great Depression of the
1930s and today
In the decade prior to these two events there were major natural disasters in the form of hurricanes. Florida was hit hard in the 1920smuch as the Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
There was tremendous credit issued in the 1920s. Prior to that it was pay as you go or place purchases on layaway. Credit was rampant in the 1990s and 2000s. People were spending more than they could afford.
There was a housing and real estate boom in Florida during the 1920s.People were buying property sight unseen hoping to resell it at a profit. So many people were doing this that the resale market got bloated. They were also buying swamp land with the promise that it would eventually be developed which never happened. The real estate market collapsed with thousands of investors losing everythmg. The housing boom in the later part of the 20th century created a glut of surplus construction that could not be sold. Homebuyers were sold properties they could not afford called subprime loans. Balloon payments became popular with the interest rates rising. This was acceptable because salaries were going to rise as well. It didn't work out like this. Foreclo- sure signs started popping up. The dream of everyone owning a home was just that, a dream.
There were stock players in the 1920s who created junk bonds that are worthless, selling them for profit. Madhoff in 2008 was selling worthless stock in a pyramid scheme earning billions for himself and fleecing thousands who lost everything.
Companies in the 1920scut back on retirement plans or retirement investments flopped. Retirees lost their life savings. Enron and Worldcom, major players in the communicationindustry flop when executives are arrested for illegal activity. Employees loose their job and lifelong investments.
Due to bad loans and no regulation, banks closed in the early 30s never to be opened again. Depositors lost their life savings. In 2010, Georgia has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of bank closures due to faulty loans. Fortunately, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or FDIC founded during the depression years of the 30s insures bank deposits against loss. No depositors lose any money but the image of the banking business is tarnished in the 21st Century.
*Record home foreclosures force families to find other living arrangements in 2009 & 2010. In the 1930shomeowners and farmers lost their homes due to an inability to pay back loans. Farms by the thousands went on the auction block forcing families to take to the road looking for a brighter future.
Unemployment is over 10% in Georgia in 2010. This is the highest rate since the Depression. This has forced major government expense for unemployment insurance. Americans are out of work for a year or more. The 1930s saw unemployment
rates as high as 25%.
Americans are going hungry, becoming homeless, have no employmentand have become discouraged with life. Exactly what was occurring during the depression years of the 1930s.
Apparently history does repeat itself.

What the CCC did at Vogel
Have you ever really thought about how Vogel State Park actually became what it is today? Consider the fact that in 1927, when the Vogel Land Company gave the property to the state there was no development. There were no roads, buildings, or lake. The property sat idle for seven years until the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) came in and began building a state park. In 1934, development began on the dam to impound a 22-acre lake. A massive log bath and boathouse was under construction adjacent to the beach that was being contoured for future swimming use. Landscaping was being put in place. A water system was being installed fed by springs from the hillside. Remnants of this system are still visible in the woods off of Highway 180. A sewer system was installed. Rock walls were built from native stone. The highlight of the development was the construction of six log cabins that would be used as rentals to tourists. All this and they still weren't done. The rock trail shelter was built on Blood Mountain along with the rock inn at Nee1 Gap called WalasiYi. The CCC left quite a legacy called Vogel State Park.

Vogel's Mica Mine
There was once a mica mine located on Vogel way before Vogel was a park. Mica is a mineral that is commonly found in the area. It is found in layered sheets that can be peeled apart. The thin transparent layers are like paper. Mica was mined for its insulating properties. Large sheets would be used as windows in fireplaces and wood stoves. Before electronic transistors and silicon chips, vacuum tubes were what ran the first radios. Mica was used in these tubes as an insulator.
Mica is still mined today throughout the world. Mica is used in appliances; semi-conductors; guided missiles; televisions; toasters; high speed aircraft canopies; windows for kerosene heaters, furnaces and diver helmets; goggles; paint, adhesives, cement and gypsumboarcj.
The mine on the park was an open bank face located in the backside of the park. A dynamite shed stood nearby for years.

Looking for old photos of Vogel
State Park from the ~ O S~,O S6,0s
The park is soliciting old photos from the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Did you take a camping trip in an old A m y pup tent or stay in one of the cabins before the roads were paved? Do you have a photo of the park when there were overhead power lines?
How about a photo of the visitors center before all the
expansions and there was just a stone building? Were you camp-
ing in the ball field before it was a ball field? Do you have a picture of the log beach house by the lake?
Or how about a photo of the Vogel Express train? Pull out the old shoebox and show us your Kodak moments
from years past. Many of our guest old photos have been included in the park's museum. Contact David Foot, Park Manager for further details.

A CCC Experience

By David Foot

" T. ' but lived with them as an advisor. He said

Have you ever met someone who was so

they sure ate well. Those were some of the

interesting that they caught your attention and you could listen to them telling stories all

I

best meals I ever had. Those meals must have been really good because during our conver-

day long? I encountered such a person in the

sation, Robert must have mentioned how good

form of Robert Owen. Mr. Owen came to the

they ate at least three different times.

park to visit the Civilian Conservation Corps

While Robert was walking through the

(CCC) Museum. The park was on his sched-

CCC Museum he found the display with the

ule of visiting various sites around north Geor-

surveying level. He said he used a similar

ma eia. He had alreadv visited the Curahee Mili-

piece of eauiument to lav out the terraces to

Lry Museum in

and the History Cen- of promoting the planting of kudzu was control erosion. ~ i l l s i d iws ere graded on a

ter in Gainesville. Apparently this gentleman stopped. Robert recalled receiving a ship- level contour with a slight slope downhill to

had a fascination for history.

ment of kudzu to be planted. To keep the slow water flow. When done, the hill looked

Once I started talking with Mr. Owens I plants viable until they were planted the plants like stair steps.

found out he actually was an advisor to the were heeled into a ditch and covered with The boys were good workers but being

CCC working for the Soil Conservation Ser- sawdustto keep the young plants alive. These young they tried to cut comers occasionally.

vice (SCS). His job was to teach CCC boys plants were never replanted and were for- While planting trees one day, they seemed to

inproper conservationtechniques. Thesetech- gotten. Robert says this spot today has the be making excellentprogress as the supply of

niques included land terracing, tree planting, prettiest, healthiest crop of kudzu crawling seedlings was going down fast. Later it was

fence building and kudzu planting.

across the trees and ravines you have ever found where the boys had hidden a bunch of

These measures were all undertaken to seen.Robert graduated from Clemson Uni- the seedlingsbehind a tree to avoid having to

controlerosion. Robert's boysplanted loblolly, versity with a degree in Soil Consematien. do the planting.

shortleaf and white pine. The camps he worked He was fortunate to get a job immediately I asked Robert if he was in the military

in were in South Carolina and Gainesville, upon graduating with the Federal agency. during World War 11. He said he was turned

Georgia. Besides the seedlings that eventu- Robert eventually made a 35 year career down due to health reasons. Robert said, "To-

ally became stately gems the CCC boys with this agency.

day, at age 97, I guess I proved them wrong".

planted kudzu. There was a time when kudzu Getting back to the days of the CCC, It was most enjoyable talking with Rob-

was considered a panacea for all soil erosion Robert stated those were some of the best ert Owen. If you ever have a chance to speak

problems. As time went by kudzu seemed to days of his life. He said he paid $15 a month with an older person, do so. They are a wealth

be taking over abandoned land, the practice for room and board. He was not a CCC boy of knowledge and history.

Voice of Vogel

History

Page 9

A CCC Love Story

By David Foot, Times were hard in the 1930s during the Great Depression. It was
no different for Clarence Miller of Lumpkin County, Georgia and his
family. Clarence was a tall thin man of 6'. Of course most men during these years were thin, because they were going hungry. The banks had closed, there were no jobs and it was difficultto find enough money to buy the basics like bread and milk.
To help his family get through these hard times Clarence enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
He saw this as the only way to get money into his parent's hands so they could survive this crisis. Clarence was assigned to a camp just over the mountain from his home. It was referred to as SP-2 or Camp Enotah. The National Park Service had opened this camp in 1933 to build Vogel State Park. This park was out in the middle of nowhere, but he wasn't homesick like some other fellows. He knew he wasn't too far from home, but more importantly he knew his family was depending upon his working to earn that much needed money.
Clarence enjoyed his work. Years later he was heard to say that this was the best time of his life. Clarence did several jobs but he eventually settled into being the camp's dynamite man and blacksmith. He worked under the guidance of a Local Experienced Man, N.N. Adams of Cleveland who was an expert blacksmith. In this job he made all the hardware for the doors and windows in the park and at Walasi-Yi at Nee1 Gap.
Matter of fact, Clarence was responsible for making the large hand forged electric lamp located above the door at the head of the steps at Walasi-Yi. Clarence was chipping a rock for placement of a bronze plaque (located behind Walasi-Yi) when a rock chip flew off and lodged in his chest.
Years latter when Clarence was getting an x-ray, the doctor asked if he wanted the rock removed. Clarence declined the offer saying as long as it wasn't hurting he would keep it as a souvenir of the CCC. An unfortunate accident happened one day when a fellow CCC boy drowned in the lake at the park.
Clarence was assigned the task of making a hook to be used to drag the lake bottom to retrieve the body.
Clarence was glad he could help. He was impressed with the hard work of all the CCC boys. He had the utmost

respect for each and every one of
them. Ever since elementary school,
Clarence was smitten with a young lady named Belle Gerrell. Belle came from a large family of 1450 she was never lonely. However, Clarence held a certain charm that she admired from the first day they met. Clarence and Belle were married in 1934. She was 15, he was 21.
There was a problem however. A CCC Boy could not be married. This was a difficult time for the newly weds. Clarence was in camp five days a week and got home on weekends by bumming a ride with another camp member. Belle got up to the camp one time. She was warned to keep away from all those boys by her father because they weren't use to seeing many women. However, Belle had nothing but good to say about those boys. They were all gentlemen. The reason Belle was in camp was to see Clarence in the camp infirmary. He had measles and wasn't feeling too well.
They kept their marriage a secret for about a year until he got his two years in, in the CCCs. Tlie couple went to work for Bell Aircraft in Atlanta.
When the United States entered the Second World War Clarence was not drafted because it was determined his job at the defense plant was essential. Clarence was exempted from military service.
This couple, who were married 51 years, had a good life. Belle was a good cook, but she never made scrambledeggs for Clarence.You see he never did like the eggs in the CCC camp because of all the shells that seemed to find their way to Clarence's plate. So he swore off scrambled eggs and stuck to Belle's fried eggs. The eggs were perhaps the worse memory Clarence had of his time in the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Some people were ashamed and embarrassed of their CCC enlistment. Granted, these men were in the CCC because their family had no money, but no one had any money. Clarence didn't look at it as a stigma, but rather it meant life.
His work was doing good things for the natural resources while he was sending money home to his family so they could eat. Clarence was extremely proud of his work in the Three Cs. They made him a man and loving husband.

The Vogel name
Did you ever wonder where the Vogel name came from? The story begins back in 1848 when the Vogel family emigrated from Germany to the United States, settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Vogels and Pfisters. also of Germany, formed a partnership for building a leather tannery operation, which eventually became the largest in the world. i>uring Vogel Leather Company's prosperous times between and World War I, it had set up three tanneries specializing in calf skin tanning.
In order to supply the market for boots, shoes and gloves in the late 1800s,the compagy needed to expand its raw material sources. This expansion extended as far south as the mountains of North Georgia, where the forest held tremendous stores of chestnut, oak and hemlock tanbark.
In as much as the company was only interested in the bark for

In 1917, Fred and Augustus Vogel donated land to the State of Georgia for a state park, hence the origin of the Vogel name for the park. Thousands of other acres were donated to the Federal Government for inclusion into the Chattahoochee National
It is appropriate that Vogel, when translated from German means bird. Now you know the rest of the story.

Civilian Consenration Corps Museum at Vogel State Park

Seventy Years ago on a late winter day in 1934 a these hard working individuals. To recognize the work of

group of boys bet~~etehne ages of 17and 25 dkanbarked the CCC, volunteers, individual and corporate donors,

from a train in Murphy, North Carolina and were l~aded and the staff of Vogel State Park have contributed to

on trucks and transported to Blairsville, Georgia.

build a museum to honor the works of the Civilian Con-

TheseYoung boys were thin,they had ragged clothes, servation Corps. This new museum has been a dream of

and they appeared to have no direction in life. What was the Vogel Volunteers. The objective in building a mu-

this? Was some community clearing house and evicting seum was to protect the hundreds of photos and artifacts
their unwanted hooligans?Notlung of the sort. Theseboys that tell the ccc story.

had joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Through financia]and material donations the museum

they had come to Blairsville to live in a camp and build has become a reality. Pavid Foot, Vogel State Park

a State Park. That State Park would be Vogel and sev- Manager said, "this museum has been a dream for many

enty years later it is still as popular as ever.

years. It would not have been possible were it not for the

If it were not for these boys and millions like them generous donations and help of so many people and busi-

during the ensuing nine years National and State Parks nesses.

would not have been developed, forests would not have This museum will be a regional attractionand a source

been protected, the Midwest Plains would have contin- of research for students of the Great Depression.

ued to blow away, and soil erosion would not have been Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the museum

slowed.

when one first sees it is the rough textured brown siding

The boys of the CCC made a difference. These young and large posts supporting the porch.

men were ~IIemployedas were millions of other h e r i - This was lumber cut off the park from Pine Beetle

cans during the Great Depression of the 1930's. This salvaged trees. The CCC planted these trees when the

period in American history was perhaps the most chal- park was under development. The museum features photo

lenging with banks closing, factoriesand businesses shut- exhibits of camp life; a diorama of a CCC camp; exhib-

ting down, families going hungry, and people wandering its of various trades the boys would have learned such as

aimlessly across the Country with no sense of direction. forestry, masonry, blacksmithing and surveying; and a

The CCC was Just one of a score of new agencies photo history of Vogel through the years.

started during the New Deal of President Franklin The John B. Derden Civilian Conservation Corps

Roosevelt. This administration was referred to as the Museum at Vogel State Park is named for a long time

Alphabet SOUPAdministration because of the new a c r e Vogel Volunteer and former CCC Boy who has been in-

nyms for infant agencies.

strumental in preserving the CCC history of Vogel.

Agencies such as the WPA - Works Projects Ad-

The museum is open on Saturday and Sundays from 1-

ministration; FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Cor- 3 p.m. David Foot, Park Manager is available for public

poration; TVA -Tennessee Valley Authority; REA - speaking engagements on Depression history and the Ci-

Rural Electrification Administration. These and many vilian Conservation Corps.

more helped pull the United States out of a dark period. For further information, call the park office at 706-

Vogel State Park became a reality in 1934 because 745-2628. Vogel State Park operated by the Georgia De-

of hard times. This was like making lemonade from lem- partment of Natural Resources is located 11 miles south

om. We are to this day enjoying the fruits of the labor of 0fBlairsville on US Highway 129119.

Page 10

Mountain Life

voice of vogel

American Chestnut was once King of the Forest, grew to 150 feet tall. Two small trees at Vogel

There was a giant that once inhabited the mountains of north Georgia that stood strong and proud. He grew to over 150feet tall; his middle
was so large that it took up to ten people joining hands to encircle him; he didn't like to smoke and he made wonderful furniture. This is no tale. This giant and many of his kind actually lived for thousands of years until they all passed away in the early 1900s. This giant was the American chest-

nut tree. The American chestnut was con-
sidered the king of the forest by the early settlers of the Appalachian Mountains. The range of the chestnut was from Georgia all the way to Maine. This giant was once the most prominent tree in the forest with every fourth tree being a chestnut. It is said that the tree canopy was so thick with the chestnut, a squirrel could climb a tree in Georgia and go all the way to Maine without ever touch-
ing the ground. The chestnut was referred to as
the cradle to the grave wood. It made beautiful furniture with its deep glow and beautiful grain. It also made great coffins as the wood is resistant to decay. The legs of the gate valve tower at the north end of Lake

Trahlyta adjacent to the dam are made from chestnut logs. As long as the logs are submerged in water they will not rot. Apparently this is fact as they have been in place under water for over 70 years.
Another characteristic of chestnut wood is that it will not smoke when burned. This characteristicwas valuable to the Appalachian settlers who were in the business of manufacturing corn liquor or moonshine. Distilling required heat created by burning wood. This business was illegal so it was imperative that there
were no telltale signs of the illegal activity that could be seen by revenue agents. Wood smoke coming from a mountain hollow was a sure sign of possible illegal activity. If the moonshiner burned with chestnut

wood he was able to avoid the smoke issue thereby aiding in hiding his operation.
Unfortunately the chestnut is no longer in the massive form once found in the woods. At the turn of the 19th Century the trees began to die from a fungus that was introduced in nursery stock. The fungus spread rapidly and in a very short time all that was left of these giants were grey sentinels with only a memory of what once was. The loss of the chestnut was a major economic blow to the early settlers. The settlers would mill the
logs into railroad ties taking advantage of the decay resistance and collect the chestnuts for personal consumption and for sale to big city markets. "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" was a Christmas song made fa-

mous by this delicious nut. The fruit is high in vitamins and rich in starch. The nuts could also be ground into flour.
Today the chestnut is still found in the woods but in just a much smaller form before it succumbs to the fungus still found in the roots. However, there are efforts to reintroduce the chestnut into the Appalachian forest. There are grafts of American chestnut and Chinese chestnut that seem to be doing well. Matter of fact, there are two of these trees on the west side of the visitor center
adjacent to the road. These two trees produce fruit each year. They are easily identified by the very sharp spines on the outer husk. The fruit is "chestnut" brown in color about the size of a ping pong ball.

Keeping the Home Fires burning
By David Foot As I was stoking the woodstove in the house on a cold winter day supplementing the gas heat that was blowing out of the floor registers maintaining the thermostat on the wall at a steady 72 degrees, I thought that it must have been a full time job for the early mountaineer to keep warm. The weather was more severe 100 years ago. There was more snow and the temperatures stayed colder longer than they do today. It must have been very difficult to keep a drafty log cabin warm. An early form of weatherization would be to paste newspapers to the interior walls and ceiling of the cabin. This helped somewhat to keep the cold winds out and the warmth of the fireplace in. Despite keeping a cabin fireplace roaring and taking measures to keep the drafts down, a mountaineer would be lucky to maintain his cabin's interior temperatures above 55 degrees. The wood fire was very important to the early settler. Besides providing warmth, the fire was used for cooking and heating water. The woman of the house wanted to make sure the fire never went out no matter what time of year it was. Interestingly, when the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) came into the mountains in the 1930sto build dams for flood control and power generationhundreds of thousands of acres were covered with water. This required the landowners to be resettled to areas on higher ground. Before the cabin was demolished the owner had been relocated along with all his personal belongings. This relocationeffort also included taking the fire with them. The TVA had compassion for the landowner who had lost his land and home that had been in the family for generations. Many of these homeowners had interior home fires that had not gone out for years. The TVA moved the fire to the new fireplace so the fire was never put out. The TVA realized how important the home fire was to the mountaineer. This helped tremendously in making the traumatic transition more bearable. The next time you adjust your home thermostat to turn the heat up, take a moment and realize how lucky we have it today.

Who was this woman called Trahlyta
By David Foot Where did the name of the lake come from? The person asking this generally doesn't ask where does the name Trahlyta come from, because they don't want to be seen as ignorant by mispronouncing it. To answer this question we will begin by learning the proper
pronunciation of Trahlyta. It goes like this: Tra - lee
- ta. Now that wasn't so bad after all. Trahlyta was a beautiful Cherokee Indian princess. She had found eternal beauty mirrored in a spring of sparkling water. Trahlyta's sensuous beauty was admired by Wahsega, a young brave of an enemy tribe who eventually kidnapped her. However, Trahlyta denied Wahsega her love. That cad (for those who may be romantically challengedcad means an ungentlemanly man) Wahsega allowed Trahlyta to pine (that's romantic language for: to grieveor mourn intensely)to her death as she longed for her family. Wahsega granted Trahlyta her final wish that she be buried in the land of her fathers. So Wahsega returned her body where he buried her at
what is now Stonepile Gap at the intersectionof Highways 19and 60 going toward Dahlonega. Her beautiful spirit lives on in those who pause to place a stone on her grave. Rumor has it that when the road was being improved the plan was to remove the pile of stones. The road engineer who was making the road improvementplans supposedly died anunnatural death. Thus, this is why there is a pile of stones at the intersection of these two mountain highways.
This doesn't answer how the lake at Vogel State Park got its name. When the Civilian Conservation Corps finished the lake and park, the State Parks system wanted a name for the lake. A competition was devised to get school children to submit suggestions. A young girl from Atlanta suggested "Trahlyta". Her suggestion was chosen and she and her class won an overnight trip to Vogel to stay in one of the new log
cabii. This young girl in later life reminisced about her
cabin stay. She remembers iron bars over the cabin windows to keep the bears out. They had to place their food in a concretelocker outside to discouragebears. She said it was the most fun she ever had.
So, when you see a mist rising over Lake Trahlyta it just might be that beautiful Cherokee Indian princess returning to see her homeland.

Life in Cove,....
Have you ever thought what life was like in this mountain cove before Vogel State Park came into being? There was no campground, no rental cottages, no automobiles and no lake for swimming, fishing or paddle boating.
There were people living along the banks of Wolf Creek, the stream that runs through the park and fills Lake Trahlyta. The dam that impounds the lake was not built until 1935. Prior to this the creek just meandered down the mountain side. The inhabitants of the area had names like Collins, Dyer and Lance. If you look in the local phone book you will see their ancestors still living in the area. Life along the creek was hard.
These mountain people were farmers who had to raise crops to support a large family as well as enough to sell or barter for staples. They might carry their corn crop downstream several miles by wagon to the grist mill to be ground into cornmeal or flour. The miller would take a toll of corn as payment instead of a transaction of money. During the summer the family would be eating fresh produce as well as canning and pickling the produce for use throughout the colder months. Meat sources would come from fishing, deer and bear hunting as well as domestic animals such as chickens and a cow. Hogs would have been penned up on the cooler mountainside to feed on acorns, chestnuts and wild roots. This is why the locationHog Pen Gap (located on Highway 348) received its name. The entire family including the children would go up on the mountainsides and pick up chestnuts scattered across the ground. The American chestnut was a wonderful source of food. They could be ground into flour or roasted for eating. Chestnutscould also be a source of income if they were sold

in town. Dad may have harvested the chestnut tree to be milled into crossties. The chestnut has the valuable characteristic of being rot resistant. Mom didn't have it very easy as well. The woman of the home may have mothered as many as twelve or fifteen children. If she survived childbirth she may have had to deal with the loss of a child or two and then had the fulltime job of keeping the children fed, clothed, healthy and safe. Mom had a fulltimejob of cooking, splittingfirewood, keeping the home fires burning, washing clothes, preserving food and general housekeeping. Someone had to clean the glass chimneys of lamps that had soot buildup.
Don't forget there was no electricity and that meant the water from the well had to be hauled to the house from the well. The children were not immune from school. There was a one room school house called the Wild Boar Institute that was located on the banks of Wolf Creek that is now under the waters of Lake Trahlyta. An individual may have lived and died in the small community they were born in. Some folks never left the county throughout their entire life. Leaving the area to go to the "Big City" such as Gainesville to deliver farm produce, lumber or chickens was not a simple chore. It would have
taken as much as a week to make the round
trip by mule and wagon. They might return with sugar, coffee, hardware items and new clothes.
Life in the mountains was very diffi-
cult. However, these fine folks didn't know the difference. Today when the power goes off for a few minutes and you can't watch televisionor your car won't start,just think how much luckier we are compared to the folks who lived in the mountains before there was a Vogel State Park.

Voice of Vogel

Natural Resources

Page 11

Fishing at Vogel

Lake Trahlyta is a 22 acre impounded reservoir. It is stream and spring fed providing plenty of cold water. The water at the bottom of the lake averages 10 degrees colder than the surface water temperature. The lake's bottom surface is pretty much void of any obstacles. When the lake was built 75 years ago all the trees and stumps were removed. Over the years the park staff has made an effort to install brush piles and other cover to create fish habitat. These efforts however hav
Channel catfish over the years and have see to thrive in the cold waters. Rainbow trout are stocked during the spring up until June 1. They are not stocked after May as the water temperature warms making it difficult to support a healthy population. Other fish in the lake include bream and largemouth bass.
Largemouth bass have grown to 14 pounds in Lake Trahlyta. The bass is a warm water fish that is best caught from late spring to early fall. They can be found in the pre-spawning phase when the water temperature gets to 58 degrees. They will spawn (lay eggs) on beds in shallow water. It is possible to catch a bass on the spawning bed if they are agitated by a cast lure. This takes patience and persistence. Largemouth bass like shade or brushy areas. They are most commonly caught in the evening and early morning. Don't let your shadow cast across the water because they will see it and steer clear of your line. The best bait for bass is night crawlers. Top water lures and plastic worms work well too. The creel limit is 10 bass per day. Bream are a warm water fish as well. They are most easily caught during the summer. They like crickets. Bream will spawn in shallow water on the full moon around mid May. The creel limit for bream is 50 per day. Rainbow trout are a coldwater fish. They are stream ori-

ented and will search out the running water. They are easiest caught in the spring and fall. Trout are caught on small spinners and flies using a #8 hook. The creel limit for trout is 8 per day. Channel catfish are a warm water fish. They are tempted by smelly.bait such as chicken livers. Catfish are easiest caught on a warm moonless summer night. Catfish are not structure oriented so they can be caught most anywhere in the lake. There is no possession limit for chan-
aily limit is caught for a parar species it is unlawful to continue to fish for that species. Handling and releasing a fish: Use a barbless hook if you are not planning on keeping the fish. Play and release the fish as rapidly as possible so as not to tire it and threaten its revival once put back in the water. Whenever possible, do not take the fish out of the water. Handle the fish with bare and wet hands. Do not squeeze the fish, put your fingers in the eyes or gills or cause scale loss. Remove the hook as quickly as possible using needle nose pliers. Hold the fish in an upright position and move it gently back and forth so water runs over its gills. Release the fish when it is able to swim. Fishing licenses are required for anyone 16 years of age and over who are fishing in Lake Trahlyta. Trout stamps are required if you are fishing the streams in the park, but a trout stamp is not required to catch a trout from the lake. Trotlines are not allowed in the park waters. Have funfishing!

Leave tree cutting to the beavers

By David Foot When guests are asked what most ap-
and nohh Georgia is the abundanceof trees and lush forests. With comments like these it still perplexed us as

to why guests will take it upon themselves to cut, deface and damage the trees of the park. The majority of stations issued by park rangers are for damaging or cutting the trees of the park.
It is beyond comprehension why someone would chop on a tree just for the fun of it. It is even more perplexing why someone would attempt to burn green wood from a recently cut tree in a campfire. All they end up doing is charring a chunk of wood that won't bum and ends up trashing the campsite.
The next time you see someone cutting a tree ask them to stop, then report it to a ranger. A citation for tree cutting is $234. Please be considerate of the natural resources. We want to keep our forests as pristine as possible for the generations that will be following us.

The black bear

CONTROLLING EROSION These Boy Scouts from North Augusta,

By Travis Henry

South Carolinaare celebratinathe 100th

Do you have bear in the park? This is a common question and the anniversaryof this youth organizationby

. answer is, yes. It is a rare opportunity to see one of these wonderful fillingwire basketswith surge stoneto con-
creatures, butwhen you do itwill bea memorythatwill lasta lifetime. trol stream bank erosion on Wolf Creek.

Herearesomefacts on the black bear; Birthweight is8 ounces. The This labor-intensiveprojectcould nothave

blackbear livesto eat. 59% of itsdiet is berriesandacorns. They also eat been accomplished without their help.

grasses, ants and insects.An adult bear will weigh Thank vou auvs for a iob well done.

from 150 to 500 pounds. Bears can be brown or

cinnamon colored. They have curved claws that don't

retract. They have 42teeth and a long sticky tongue.

They have soft foot-pads that grow anew each year.

They have two layers of fur that they molt during the

summer.Theirsenseof smellis 50timesgreaterthan

a human. Average life span of a bear is 8.5 years.

(Life span of a nuisance bear is 4 years.) A bear may

travel up to 50 miles in a day. They will travel up to

100 miles for food, returning to an area they may

have fed at years before. Bears in the south do not

hibernate but rather sleep for extended periods of time.
Threats to the black bear: Loss of habitat (development). Garbage,trash kills bears. Bearsthat lose their fear of humansare dangerous. Poachers.Road kill. Other aggressive bears. Relocating a problem - bear is a threat to his life, as he may not survive his trip back to his original territory. If you see a bear, do not get any closer. Never run away. Do not play dead. Make noise by yelling, wave your arms, throw rocks if necessary. Take precautionsto not attract bears by putting up food and keepinga cleancampsite.Watch your birdfeedersas they will climb porchesto gq after hummingbirdwater and birdseedas well as dog food. Vogelcamperswill noticethat our garbageiscontrolledby useofthe bear prooftrashtrailerslocatedateachofthefour comfortstations. These have been a tremendous aid in discouraging the black bear from raiding our trash. Usingcautionwhenyou are inthe woods will keepyou andthe bear safe.

TROUT HABITAT STRUCTURES Have you noticed the small waterfalls in Wolf Creek created by the placement of large logsacross the stream? These stream features are called trout habitat structures ,designedto create a more suitable living environment for the fish. The purpose is to create plenty of splash, which in turn supplies additional oxygen, a much needed requirementfor thetrout. Noticethedeeper holesbelowthe log. This too improvesthe trout's habitatrequirementsby providing deep colder water. Roger Phillips, Senior Ranger has been instrumentalinestabiishingthesestructures. With the help of his staff and volunteers, Vogel has been able to improve the fishing opportunitiesinthe parkstreams.

Stroll at night without a light

Sometimes, too many of us are sheltered by luxuries we confuse for necessities. Going for a walk through the woods at night would be a good example.It is difficult to convince people they can walk through the woods at night without the assistance of a single flashlight, street lamp or lantern, even on a moonless night.The human eye has a visual acuity somewhere between a rabbit and a bobcat.Just once, try to remove yourself from the shelter of man's artificial light and discover a whole new perspective on a familiar place. You will discover your other senses of hearing, smell, and feel will be heightened. Who knows you might discover a flashlight may not always be necessary.
Water treatment
By David Foot What goes in must come out. This old axiom applies to watertreatment at Vogel State Park. This is perhaps a processmany of us may take for granted.We flush thetoiletandthe contentsdisappear.Weturn thefaucet on and clean drinking water appears. Just like magic we are able to continually reuse this water over and over again. It is not necessarily magicbutsciencethat convertswastewaterintodrinkingwater. This sciencetakes placeatVogel's wastewatertreatmentplantlocatedjust below the dam at the north end of the lake. It all begins on Blood Mountain behind the park when a raindrop percolates through the soil to enter the undergroundaquifer(watersupply).The park'swell taps intothis hidden water source to bepipedthroughout the park.As thewater is used itends up inthe sink drains and flows intothe sewer pipes.Gravityis at work as thewater flows to thewastewater plant.After a process, the water leaves thisfacilitygravity isstillatwork sendingit by pipeto Wolf Creek.We have to insurethe chlorinecontent is low enoughthat itwill not harmthe trout that make Wolf Creek home.

SSSSSNOW SSSSSNAKE

Imagine finding a snake in the

snow in early March. This happened

to David Foot, Park Manager as he

was driving into the campground. As

snakes are cold blooded, this was a

very unusual sight. This Northern

Water Snake must have migrated from New England looking for wan-

.

ner climes.

Page 12

The Last Pwe

Voice of Vogel

YES! It does snow at Vogel

Munson the Cat

The Final Hunt

Every winter Vogel does re-ceivesome snow. It may come in the By: David Foot

through the stuffed animal box in the By David Foot

form of flurries; it might be wet or it could be powdery; less than an It is with heavy heart that I write store when the staff heard an exclama- I have been performing search and

inch of snow with green grass still poking through might be the only this article. On November 25th, 2009 tion, "Mom, this stuffed animal looks rescue with DNR for the past 23 years.

evidence that winter
cametopass; oritcould be feet of the white stuff

I theday beforeTbanbgiving,Munson, real, he actually moves!" Munsonhad In this capacity many individualswere the park cat, slipped into a peaceful decided to sleep amongst the toys. found alive and well and no worse for sleep passing ayay in the arms of his Munson could be a vigilant ranger the wear. However, there have been a

that covers everything in a thick blanket. One

- guardians David and Pam Foot. For as well. Once, when Randy Gambrell, few cases where the individualdid not

those who mav

Assistant Manager, was talking to survive creating a trag-ed-y for the

question asked of the

some guests on the 6ont victim's family.

staff and one that is very

porch of the visitor OnesearchcomestomindthatIwill'

diflicult to answer is:

had taken

center, they all never forget. It occurred in early May.

When willit snow? We generally say that we

-- up resi-

dence at the

7

n o t i c e d Therewas a report of an elderly turkey M u n s o n hunter who had not returned home. He

can expect some sort of

park visitor cen-

pointing to- had been hunting by himself, A search

snow in December.

ter for the past 10 years. ?

ward a cot- ~ t h e f o l l o w i n g m o ~ i n t h e

~ h u a rF~eb, ruary and March. Interestingly, there are many times He had s t a f f d guests alike ' when surrounding communities and even Atlanta receive snow while trained to open the door to let Vogel is sitting high and dry without a flake blowing through. As you him in or let him out, whenmay have surmised, snow is an iffy propositionat Vogel StatePark. It ever the mood struck him. He

Itagejust like a bird dog
would do when he

wildlife management area where his vehicle was found. Foo.tprints were iden-
tified in sand adjacent to the driver's door of the mck. These were a clue as

does rain at Vogel during the winter. If you use your imagination, could be a very loving friend

found his to this hunter's general direction of

dream of how much snow it could have been had the temperaturebeen purring up a storm allowing you to prey. Munson heard a dog in the cot- travel.

a few degrees colder. Converting rainto snow works like this. If the warm a cold hand by snuggling it un- tage (whichwasnot allowed). Wepmb Area searcheswere conductedover

snow is wet, one inch of rainwould haveproduced five inchesof snow. der his belly; or he could growl and ablywould nothaveknownthedogwas the next several hours. No sign of the

If the snow ispowder, one inch of rain would equalup to 15inchesof snarl, dhuragingthe tenderest touch. there until the guest left were it not hunter was found. At somepoint the in-

snow. So, on average one inch of rain would equal about 10inches of Everyonehas aMunsonstory. Dur- for Munson's keen senses.

cident commander called in all the

snow. Thephoto showsthe "Snow oftheCentury" in 1993when Vogel ing thewintermonthswhen it was cold Janette Watson, store manager, searchers in an effort to re-group and

received 24 inches of snow.

and blustery, Munson could be seen commented that it is going to be dif- compare notes. As the searchers were

shakingthe snow offhis back walking ferent this winter when it is quiet. gathering around their trucksone indi-

Green's a Go

toward a cottage to take up residence "Munson kept me company. He was vidual spoke up and said, "I think we

for the evening

'someone' to need to say a prayer!" It became obvi-

Regular hikers of the Bear Hair with a guest.

OdetoMunson

talk to. "Munson ous that this was the general consensus

andCoosaTrailsknow that they were M u n s o n

By: Clint Rouse

was also a great amongthe&hers whenall20 of them

blazed in orange and yellow to di- was a large

stress reliever. began gathering in a circle without fur-

ferentiate each trail. This will no longer be the case. Both trails are

cat, weighing about 20

Hegreetsusinthe morningthe dearfriend he is You could see
He isour bestgreeter,doingwhat hedoes . staff stroking

ther direction. It was an emotional moment to see these DNR rangers, dirty

now blazed in lime green with new pounds. One

Often it's of himthat patonsfirst ask,

him after dealing and sweaty, holding hands in a circle on

signs placed at intersections. This time a woman

Not you nor I cany such class.

with a difficult a gravel road in the middle of the woods.

changewas doneto make the blazing came to the

customer. He In a firmvoice the ranger who made the

moreuniformthroughoutthe National ranger ex-

A warm body he's good with the kids

was great suggestionbeganprayingto God that we

Forest. Hikers are encouraged to claiming that

Makingthem smilefor patientheis.

therapy for those would find this gentleman safe and that

- acquirea map before taking off on a the cat laying Hewanders throughoutgreetingwherever

hike and to pay close attentionto the in the middle Someonethat'llfeed him,(hewishesforever).

signage at intersections.

of road was

tough days.

the searchers would be safe in our ef-

Munson was forts. Following the prayer the search-

sometimes re- ers were given their assignments look-

about to have Striped likea zebradifferentcolorsheis ferred to as the ing in areas that had not previouslybeen

The Alidade

babies. This was not the

Of black,brown,and gold he reflects An occasional smile and often a stretch

dam cat. He searched. came to us from It wasn't fifteen minutes into this

The CCC built hundreds of fire towers across the country. The case at all. Helooksat usoftenlike"Whatstrangecreatures." Mary and Bob next round of searching that the hunter

purpose of these towers was to locate forest fires from a high vantage When Munson

M m nwhohad was found. Unfortunately,he was found

~ o i nstuch as a mountaintop. In order to locate the position of a fire lav down he

Munson, our friend vou ahvavs will be

a home below deceased.

hat may be many miles

haha tendency AlthoughI pester andoftenwake you up the park dam. He was found sittingat the base of a

away the fire tower atten-

.to spread his

I treat you just as I would a pup.

They were not in tree with his back against the trunk with

dant would use an instru-

generous belly

Fightingwords I knowthey are

a position to take his rifle cradled in his lap. He had a

ment located on a table

on the flat sur- For a pup you're not, you said in a spat care of him, so. very peaceful look on his face. As sad

in the tower called an al-

face making it

After all I am Munson, the cat

these good as this was, we all took solace in the

idade. The tower atten-

appear that he

neighbors opted fact that he had died doing what he most

dant would sight through

was heavy with a large brood. He just to give a gift to the park staff. Little enjoyed. It would also be easier for the

' the crosshairs on the ro-

ate well.

did we know that this little ball of fur family knowing that their loved one had

tating viewer to a plume

Munson enjoyed sleeping and took would create such warm memories? died so peacefully.

of smoke in the distance.

up a comfortableresting spotwherever Munson is buried behind the visi- Saying this simple,prayer made the

The tower attendan

he wanted.

tor center where he would lay in the final outcome of this search so much

woulgthen record a de

It could be on top of a computer sun fo_rhours on end. When you get a easier to handle. God was with all of us

eree reading from the 360

keyboard, on the reservation desk or chance, stop by to thank Munson for that May morning. He took this gentle

iegrees hirinted on the base plate. Another tower attendant would in the middleof thevisitor centerfloor. givingeveryonesomany hours of plea- man home in a very peacefiul mamer,

locate the same fire and record the degrees from his tower. They One time a child was gmrnaging sure. Our dam cat will be missed. kept the searchers safe, and made the

would then communicate with each other to compare their respective

discoveryof thebody easiertodeal with.

degree readings. This degree reading would then be transposed to a

I have worked many searches since then

topographic map. This process of using at least two degree readings to

with a heartfelt prayer offered before,

locate a spot on a map is called triangulation. Once the fire location

during, or after the very stressful inci-

was identified, the tower attendant would send a fire crew to the fire.

dent.