MRATC Activities and Information, Week of May 31 – June 6

MRATC TRAIL WORK

The MRNRA is working on coronavirus safety guidelines and a COVID Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), which trail maintenance volunteers, rare plant monitors and trail section monitors will need to sign before the first time they go out.

Others can sign a copy of it later, if they come out for the first time when we start to work in small groups.

Section monitors who feel comfortable will probably start checking their sections and doing light maintenance in mid-June before we start working even in very small groups.

More specific information and a copy of the MRNRA JHA and coronavirus safety guidelines will be sent out to club members as plans progress.

MRATC HIKES

There is a probability that the club’s group recreational hikes on the spring schedule, whether on the AT or on other trails, will be canceled at the discretion of the leader due to social distancing concerns. For information, email mtrogersatc@gmail.com.

Late spring and summer hikes may be scheduled a few days ahead of time and announced in weekly emails and on the club’s website rather than being listed months ahead in the summer newsletter.

Friday hikes. Friday group hikes have resumed. Contact Judith Foster 276 623 2408, jaf@centurylink.net for information.

AT Trailhead parking areas in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area and Cherokee National Forest are now open!

In addition, the locations below in the MRNRA will open on June 11, 2020.

-Beartree (Beaver Flats and Chipmunk Circle open, Group Loop remains closed)

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            -Grindstone Campground

No decision has been made yet for Hurricane, Comers Rock, and Raccoon Branch Campgrounds.

Visitors Centers will remain closed until further notice.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is open to the public; however, bathrooms are closed. For now, Bike Patrol will resume their duties on the weekends only.

VA state parks and natural areas:

Virginia State Parks are open for hiking and are getting lots of day use. The backpackers’ lot in GHSP is still closed. Campgrounds and rest rooms reopened on May 21^st.

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/covid-19-update

The Channels Natural Area is still closed and may reopen June 11th.

The USDA Forest Service opened trailheads and access points to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in the southern region on May 22. The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Georgia, Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in North Carolina, Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia will participate in the coordinated reopening.  All A.T. shelters and privies in these forests remain closed. 

THE ATC’S MAY 20 UPDATED GUIDELINES FOR HIKERS:

https://appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/covid19-hiker-guidelines-may20/

ATC updated cautions on resuming thru-hikes:

https://appalachiantrail.org/official-blog/covid19-thru-hiker-update-may20/?sm_guid=MzM2NzIwfDE4NjAwMjY2fC0xfHRyYWlsc2Fta21AYW9sLmNvbXwyNjc3NzE2fHwwfDB8NzI0MzA0NjV8OTM4fDB8MHx8MzA1NzM10

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 August, 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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