MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Oct. 17 – 23, 2021
MRATC TRAIL WORK – Change of date:
Trail work this week now scheduled for Wed. Oct. 20 instead of previously announced Sat. Oct. 23: The primary target is some sidehill south of Trimpi shelter. Expect 4-5 miles of hiking total. Meet at Slabtown Rd at 9:30am. Please e-mail mratcinfo@gmail.com if you plan to participate.
LAST WEEK’S SHELTER RESTAINING PROJECT WITH MEMBERS OF ALDHA:
On Oct. 11th, two MRATC members and five ALDHA members stained over the abundance of graffiti on Straight Branch Shelter on the Iron Mtn. Trail (originally an AT shelter before the trail relocation in the 1970s). New roof still needed. Other ALDHA members joined an AT boundary monitoring project that day.
MRATC HIKES:
Note: Hikes can be scheduled on a week by week basis rather than listed in the club’s quarterly newsletter. If a club member wishes to lead a hike, reply to this email and it can be listed in the Sunday email and on the club’s website the week of the hike (www.mratc.org under the Sidebar, Current Week’s Information).
HUNTING: ‘Tis the season - Wear blaze orange on the trails!
VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE FALL MEETING ON ZOOM: CLUB MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND all or portions of the meeting, which is in two parts.
Fri. Oct. 22, 1-5 p.m. and Sat. Oct. 23, 9-12 p.m.
BEAR WARNING, South of Damascus: Due to reported aggressive bear activity and evidence of bear(s) entering campsites and taking food, the area around the Appalachian Trail between the Double Springs Shelter and the Backbone Rock side trail (mile marker 451 to approximately mile marker 464 is closed to camping until further notice.
Grayson Highlands St. Park and adjacent area map (Avenza maps app) free download available: https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/1204147/grayson-highlands-state-park.
Virginia AT license plates: $15 of the $25 annual fee goes to the ATC VA Regional Office to support the AT – including the new Damascus Trail Center. If you would like to order one, go to this section of the DMV website:
https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#splates/category.asp?category=S
Current MRATC information is also posted on Facebook: Mt. Rogers Appalachian Trail Club (MRATC), on Twitter: twitter.com @Mt_rogersATC, and on Instagram.com: mountrogersATclub.
•Visit the ATC's website for information and hikes in AT Communities up and down the AT, listed by state.
In our area, the AT Communities are Damascus, Abingdon, and Marion/Smyth County.
https://appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities
TRAIL UPDATES
Grayson Highlands State Park Backpackers' pkg. lot reservations:https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/grayson-highlands-state-park/VA/140172/35528/campsite-booking
•The bridge at Comers Creek Falls has been removed as of 3/20/2021. Steps and stepstones have been installed so a low-water crossing can be made, and this section of the AT from Dickey Gap south has been re-opened. During times of suspected high water, hikers should plan to use the marked detour on Rte. 650.
Bears: In 2019 and 2020, there were fewer reports of bears taking hikers' food than in 2018, but bears could come back to try to get food from hikers, especially if they are cooking. Hikers are urged to use the metal bearboxes for overnight food storage near Saunders Shelter, Lost Mtn. Shelter, Thomas Knob Shelter, near Rhododendron Gap, Wise Shelter, Old Orchard Shelter, the Scales, Hurricane Mtn. Shelter, and Trimpi Shelter.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.