Fri, Nov 3 2017 - HemlockFest! Helping save our endangered Hemlock trees + Adventure, Live Music & optional Camping (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Bobby Marie, Charlie Cottingham Participants: Greg Walling, Bobby Marie, Charlie Cottingham, Chuck Hunt, Joyce T., Debbie H, Robin Walling, Nancy L, Elvin Hilyer, Nancy Hilyer

We AOCers were proud to be among the hundreds of participants at the 13th annual production of this wonderful music festival.  As usual our Dahlonega area friends did a bangup job producing and hosting it and the fall weather couldn't have been better.  All weekend there was an amazing lineup of live music acts and activity options...guided nature hikes, free canoeing on the lovely lake, free "on-rope" tree climbing, delicious food & beverage options and much more.
  As usual many of our AOC participants pitched in with various volunteer tasks at the festival.  Thanks esp. to Joyce Taaffe who drived up Friday solely for the purpose of volunteering and had to return home late Fri night - also to Bobby who volunteered on Thu and Fri but had to leave Sat AM to volunteer at the Len Foote Hike Inn for 2 nights.
   Our hats are off to the Hilyers and other hardworking friends from the Dahlonega area for making this amazing event happen each year!  Thousands of dollars in proceeds each year from the festival go toward the fight to save our endangered Eastern Hemlock trees.  Some of the festival funding will help support American Chestnut tree research and reintroduction.  Millions of giant Chestnuts once thrived in eastern America and sadly were devastated in the early 1900s by a fungal "blight" that like the Hemlock "adelgid" insect was accidentally imported from Asia.
  It was fun having several of our good friends attending festival for the first time who once were among our most active AOC members and leaders, including Dave Gregory, Charles Williams and our beloved past President Paula Schubert! 
  - Submitted by Charlie, Sunday Nov 5th