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Current Week's Information

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on March 15, 2020 at 5:48:25 am
 

MRATC Activities and Information, Week of March 15-21

 

 

TRAIL WORK

 

Sat Mar 21st: Address several blowdowns in the Barton Gap area.  Meet at Dickey Gap at 9:30. Please e-mail mratcinfo@gmail.com if you plan to help.

Also, since many area events are cancelled and outdoor activity is preferable Doug may plan additional short notice trips for small groups to blowdowns worthy of attention. If you'd like to be notified of these please send a mail to the address above.

 

HIKES

 

March 18, Wednesday.  Early spring stroll on the 5 miles of trail at the Alleghany Access, New River State Park.  Maybe we’ll see the first spring wildflowers.  Meet at the side of the road parking at the intersection of 58 and 16 in Mouth of Wilson, Va. at 10:30 A.M.  (Time changed since announcement in newsletter.) Be sure to contact hike leader, Carol Broderson, mtrogersatc@gmail.com. to be included and to hear of weather cancellations. 

 

•Friday hike, 3/20. HIKERS, PLEASE LET HIKE LEADER KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY HIKE by emailing mtrogersatc@gmail.com no later than the day before the hike or by calling Judith Foster 276 623 2408 for details.

 

 

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

 

The Southern Partnership Meeting at Hungry Mother State Park, originally scheduled for March 13-15, was canceled due to coronavirus concerns. There was a Regional Partnership videoconference instead on 3/13. Notes attached.

 

Earth Day in Abingdon April 18th, where MRATC usually sets up a booth, has also been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

 

The Creeper Trail Fest in Abingdon April 25th, where MRATC usually sets up a booth and an activity with the ATC, has been rescheduled for Nov. 7th.

 

The ATC-sponsored Wilderness First Aid/CPR class scheduled for Apr. 17-19 has been canceled.

 

 

Guests:  The club welcomes guests on work hikes and recreational hikes.  Guests should contact either the listed hike leader, or the general club email address:  mtrogersatc@gmail.com, or in the case of work hikes, the Trails Coordinator's email (mratcinfo@gmail.com) before coming, in order to get information about the activity and what to bring.

Anyone under 18 needs to get a parental permission form from the club in advance. 

 

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. 

 

 

TRAIL CENTER UPDATE:

Wallberg Construction of Abingdon has been selected to build the Trail Center in Damascus. Work has started as of February. Projected completion by the end of May, 2020.

 

AT Community Update:

The ATC has added Damascus and Abingdon to its Wild East website. 

https://wildeast.appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities/damascus-va/

Abingdon has joined Damascus on the ATC's Wild East website with great photos. Take a look!

https://wildeast.appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities/abingdon-va/

Marion/Smyth County will be added later. Eventually, all 50 AT communities will be featured on Wild East.

 

 

TRAIL UPDATES

 

•As of 4-26-2019 bridge at Comers Creek Falls is closed - the Forest Service has closed the bridge on the AT at Comers Creek Falls due to safety concerns that include a crack in a support beam. The planned AT reroute on Comers Creek Rd. (Rte. 650) around the failing AT bridge at Comers Creek Falls was marked with signs and blaze posts on 9/18/2019 and will be the official route of the AT in that area until a new bridge is built. 

 

Bears:  In 2019, there were few reports of bears taking hikers' food, but they 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. 

 

Iron Mtn. Trail: The Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area proposes to make improvements to the Iron Mtn. Trail between the intersection with the AT spur (north of Damascus) and East Fourth St. Besides overall trail rehabilitation, a couple of spots would be relocated slightly uphill away from the creek to reduce erosion problems. 

 

Overmountain Shelter near Roan Mtn., TN has been found to be structurally unsound and has been closed.

 

 

Links for the Konnarock and Hardcore Crews Blog/Photo Album for May 2018 project on Wilburn Ridge:

 

Konnarock Crew and Hardcore Blog: http://konnarockcrew.blogspot.com/2018/06/week-3-may-18-22-2018_12.html

 

Photo album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/atconservancy/albums/72157668009655087

 

Konnarock Crew's work project photos - below is a link to Konnarock Crew's work project photos between Thomas Knob and Rhododendron Gap.  Cut and paste to your browser window to view.  

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16DXCXHtT83N-wVYU0afwKBnZ51vIQ6Io

 

 

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