MRATC Activities and Information, Week of July 5 – 11, 2020

MRATC TRAIL WORK

Trail section monitors who feel comfortable resuming monitoring and light maintenance on their sections may do so after agreeing to the Job Hazard Analysis.

Message from Doug on plans for upcoming trail work:

I'm going to wait one more week before proposing a small group outing.  Thanks to all the monitors who have already started checking their sections.  Again, if anyone has a substantial area of lopping work that could benefit from a small group please send a mail to mratcinfo@gmail.com and keep sending in information about blowdowns and other things you've seen out there.

While we cannot share tools, if anyone would like to borrow a lopper or digging tool from the club send a mail to that same address and we'll make arrangements.

Besides agreeing to the Forest Service Job Hazard Analysis, club members volunteering on non-USFS land (like Grayson Highlands State Park) or volunteering in a town along the AT (like the Damascus Trail Center or the club booth at a festival) also need to agree to the NPS APPA JHA. It also covers club members parking in a VDOT trailhead to work on the AT, where the Forest Service JHA might not apply.

MRATC HIKES

Hikes are not planned very far in advance, due to evolving coronavirus concerns. If a club member wishes to lead a hike, 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).

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

TRAIL CENTER

Framing is up.

The ATC expects to have hired a Facility Director in August who will start assembling visitor information. There will be exhibit space to feature area outdoor organizations, plus professionally created interpretive exhibits. Not all exhibits will be installed this fall and workshops and more exhibits will come next spring.

CLUB NEWS

ATC Ridgerunner: We will be getting a Ridgerunner, even though the start date was delayed because of the coronavirus. Interviews took place last week (three excellent female candidates!) and the Ridgerunner’s season on our trail section will be from mid-July into October.

Summer quarter meeting: The club’s summer quarter meeting will be Wed., July 8, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

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 is building the Trail Center in Damascus. Work has started as of February. Projected completion by early Sept. 2020.

AT Community Update:

Three AT Communities recently hosted webinars about their trail communities. You can watch and listen to the videorecordings by pasting these links into your browser:

Roan Mountain: https://youtu.be/UeZXOZPtQaw

Unicoi: https://youtu.be/MpawM6TGwjY

      Damascus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5VvZmg-tm4&t=7s

•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. Eventually, all 50 AT communities will be featured on Wild East.

TRAIL UPDATES

Grayson Highlands State Park reopened the Backpackers' pkg. lot on June 15^th. Reservations required. https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/grayson-highlands-state-park/VA/140172/35528/campsite-booking

•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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