Club Archives

Club History

KMTC originated in the Spring of 2002, because two Boy Scout Leaders, Richard Angeli and Fred Feltmann, who were training for a backpacking trip at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO, the NPS mnemonic for the park) decided it would be a good idea to volunteer to spend some time fixing the trail over Little Kennesaw Mountain. Richard who is also a member of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC), spent the summer working with NPS Maintenance Supervisor Marion Harris, and other mentors from GATC Planning and organizing the volunteer trail workers. Public organizational meetings held at the park visitor center in August and September of 2002 that resulted in the formation of “KEMOTrail Corps, Inc”. The participants in that 2nd meeting thought we were being clever in choosing the name. "KEMO" for the NPS designation for the park, "Trail" because that's what we do, and "Corps" to capture the military history aspect of the park. The only problem is most people thought "KEMOTrail" had something to do with "Chemo Therapy". It took us a couple of years to figure that out and start using the more generic designation "Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club".

A litter clean up day was held that October, and the First Trail Workday took place November 9, 2002 when more than 60 people of all ages turned out to work on the trail at the top of Big Kennesaw Mountain.

Since those early beginnings, KMTC has donated +/- 30,000 volunteer hours at the park. In the process the club built a safe and scenic new trail segment on Little Kennesaw Mountain started in October, 2003 that added a half mile to the trail, and opened in November, 2004. With financial assistance from Saddle Up Cobb, KMTC received it’s IRS 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit corporate status from the IRS in January 2005.

In 2006 and 2007 we participated in a $30,000 NPS Challenge Grant that was matched with one thousand seven hundred and fifty hours (1,750) of in kind service to build a new equestrian capable bridge across John Ward Creek at Barfield Bottoms and re-grade the trail to replace the old boardwalk, trail and foot bridge destroyed by Hurricane Dick in 2005. In 2007 we contributed many hours to the development of a Strategic Trail Plan for the park that is still in the NPS approval process.

Along the way, the club has trained and qualified many crew leaders to lead volunteer work parties, and to serve as advisors for youth service projects such as BSA Eagle Scout Leadership Projects.

While Maintaining and building the trails is still our principle activity, in 2010, we also launched a Trail Ambassador Program headed up by Ann and David Strand, that has trained and deployed 20+ Trail Ambassadors, to greet and assist visitors while assisting the NPS with observing safety, maintenance, and enforcement issues on the trails.

KMTC over time is working to develop into a true “Friends of the Park” association, able to assist the National Park Service in whatever ways it needs us to facilitate the accomplishment of their mission to preserve the park, and interpret the historical events that took place here in the Summer of 1864.

• 2008 -- KMTC is reporting 4,334.5 volunteer hours contributed to the park for fiscal 2008. This is an amazing number! It is the first time we have reported more hours than in our charter year Fiscal 2003.   At an estimated value of $17.19 per hour that equals a contribution of approximately $74,510.05 to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park for 2008.
  
  The Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club Management Committee would like to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude to the more than 500 volunteers that have made this possible. Also with our Partners Hands on Atlanta, REI, American Hiking Society, and Volunteer Match.



• ???? --