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Current Week's Information

Page history last edited by trailsamkm@aol.com 3 days, 6 hours ago
 

MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Feb. 9 - 15, 2025

 

 

MRATC TRAIL WORK and hurricane cleanup:

No group trail work is scheduled for this week.

 

VOLUNTEER VACATION:

The schedule of the Konnarock Crew’s trail work projects and locations is now posted. If you would like to sign up, check the ATC’s website:

https://appalachiantrail.org/get-involved/volunteer/trail-crews/konnarock-trail-crew/

 

SAWYER CERTIFICATION: 

For those club members interested in chainsaw certification, the tentative class dates are March 15th and 16th. That is when the Konnarock crew leaders requiring certification are scheduled to be trained as well.  The location is likely to be in Sugar Grove.  Please e-mail  mratcinfo@gmail.com if you are interested in this training. We would very much like to add a few certified sawyers to our work force.

Registration for the March 31-April 4th Konnarock crosscut course is now open. (

20 A/B Crosscut Bucking

  • ·        10 C-Bucking/Felling/Evaluator

Additional details and registration at https://wildernessskillsinstitute.org/sawsi/crosscut-a-b-c-course-in-sugar-grove-virginia/.

 

MRATC HIKES:

Special note:  Felicia is compiling hikes for the upcoming MRATC spring newsletter. If you think you would like to lead a hike, contact her to get on the “potential hike leader” list and receive a link to the hike scheduling calendar. mitchell.felicia@gmail.com

 

Saturday, Feb. 15: Update: This hike has been postponed until March 1st.

A winter hike on the Brumley Trail and possibly out to the overlook and around Hidden Valley Lake, depending on trail conditions. We'll meet at the beginning of the Brumley Trail at the start of Hidden Valley Lake WMA at 10:00 AM and possibly have a car parked at the Dam or the road to the lake trail. The hike is moderate these days due to fallen tree detours with lots of ups and downs. We'll plan to hike 5-6 miles. There are possible views of Hansonville and Lebanon, mountains beyond and of course the lake. Dress warmly in layers and bring poles if you use them, along with drinks and lunch. It is important to email leader, Sharon Trumbley: mtrogersatc@gmail.com  if you plan to attend, in order to be notified if hike plan or location changes.

 

SECTIONS OF AT RECENTLY RE-OPENED TO HIKING SINCE HURRICANE HELENE:

Officials with the Pisgah National Forest have reopened the A.T. from Bald Mountain Shelter to Spivey Gap, and from Hughes Gap to Doll Flats along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. That leaves only 41.4 miles of Trail that remain closed, down from 432 miles the week after Helene. 

 

UPCOMING CLUB MEETINGS: 

Traditionally, MRATC holds an Annual Membership Meeting in February. The Board thought more people might come if we held it in the spring, so our Annual Meeting and potluck will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Sat., April 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. More information will be sent out closer to that date.

In the meantime, since the Annual Meeting will not be a business meeting, we will hold an evening Zoom meeting Mon., Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. All club members invited. Topics: ideas for our club’s website; updates on cleanup progress on our trail section since Helene, upcoming club events in March and April.

 

DAMASCUS TOURISM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING

Interested MRATC members invited to participate.
Virginia Tourism is hosting strategic planning workshops at the Damascus Trail Center on February 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. to aid in Damascus tourism and community engagement for the 2025 season and beyond. We'll discuss new 2025 events, existing tourism markets that we can expand upon, and ways we can continue to diversify Damascus tourism beyond the Virginia Creeper Trail. 

Please RSVP to recreation.director@damascus.org if you would like to participate so we can have an estimate of the group size.

 

UPCOMING ATC MEETING:

March 21-23: The ATC Southern Partnership Meeting (members of all AT clubs from Georgia to Virginia, plus ATC, NPS and USFS staff) will take place in Blowing Rock on March 21-23. Club members are welcome to attend either in person or on Zoom. To get on the list to receive the agenda, discussion documents and attend, use this link: https://volunteer.appalachiantrail.org/s/atc-project-details?c__recId=a0qUI000002LDab

If you would like to attend.

 

CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT: Collecting data on surviving Eastern Hemlocks in the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest:Club members who are interested in gathering data can  register at the link below, do the online training, then fill out the online application form with “GWJeff Nat. Forest – Virginia” as your monitoring area. When you are out on the AT or other national forest trails in our area, collect data with the free Treesnap app, which will tag the specific GPS location where you are monitoring, and submit it. Winter is a good time to spot adelgid eggs, as well as to notice the current health of hemlocks. End of project: March 31st.

 

Tracking Eastern Hemlocks - Adventure Scientists

 

GRANDMA GATEWOOD RETURNS TO BARTER THEATRE

Feb. 6 – March 8

If you missed Grandma Gatewood and her hike on the AT last year at the Barter or want to see her again – She’s back!

https://bartertheatre.com/big-shows/grandma-gatewood-took-a-walk-2025/

 

MOUNT ROGERS WINTER NATURALIST RALLY: Feb. 22.

Programs have been announced. For more information or to register, visit

https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnr-winter

 

ATC WEBINAR ON VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENTJoin ATC for a webinar on volunteer recruitment and engagement based on data we’ve collected over the last five years in working alongside you to bring more people into stewardship of the A.T. This webinar will focus on answering your commonly asked questions about who is signing up and how we can continue to welcome new people to help the Trail. Follow this link:  Register for the webinar being held Wednesday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m.

 

 

 

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