MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Aug. 2 - Aug. 8, 2020
MRATC TRAIL WORK
This Wed., 8/5, we'll work on a series of blowdowns a little south of Beartree Gap. Meet at the caboose in Damascus at 9:00. If interested in participating, e-mail mratcinfo@gmail.com. Limit of 4 participants.
Trail maintainers: Doug has 2 trash grabber poles. Email mratcinfo@gmail.com if you need one to pick up trash.
MRATC HIKES
Wed., August 5, meet at Massie Gap at 8:30. Five-mile hike includes rare plant monitoring, blueberry picking, and a picnic. Bring a container for blueberries. Limited space. Email to be included mtrogersatc@gmail.com.
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).
Friday group hikes.Contact Judith Foster 276 623 2408, jaf@centurylink.net for information.
TRAIL CENTER update: The job description for the person who will be in charge of Trail Center activities, the Damascus Trail Center Supervisor, has been posted internally within the ATC and will be posted publicly later this month. Unless assumed by someone in the ATC who is already a full-time employee, the position will be part-time through the end of 2020, then will be full-time starting in 2021.
Want a T-shirt of iconic McAfee Knob and help improve McAfee Knob Trailhead?
Here is your chance from August 1 – 22, 2020 to purchase a t-shirt and help the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) and Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) raise funds to purchase a property adjacent to McAfee Knob Trailhead. Copy/paste this link into your browser for additional information: www.bonfire.com/mcafeeknob
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.
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 15th. 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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