MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Sept. 20 –26, 2020

MRATC TRAIL WORK

We will be removing blowdowns and lopping overgrowth between Beech Mtn. Rd. (601) and Buzzard Rock. If interested in participating, email mratcinfo@gmail.com for meeting time and details.

MRATC HIKES

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. Also contact her if you would like to be dropped from her weekly hike email list.

Request for photos of Wilderness Areas:

Matt Helt, Dispersed Rec Program Mgr for the GWJ, is looking for photos for VA – USFS-GWJ Wildernesses for wilderness.net.

For all submissions to Matt please be sure to include the photographers full name, Wilderness area, and description for each photo. Also include written permission for these photos to be used by USFS/Wilderness.net.

Any photos or questions can be directed to Matt Helt - matthew.helt@usda.gov

ATC’s The Register – latest issue (Copy/paste the link below.)

http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward/show?u=64f18e8ab0289e37511640181&id=3790cad369

Last chance to register:  ATC’s Volunteer Leadership Academy

Check the link below for information on the content of workshops in the ATC’s Volunteer Leadership Academy on Zoom for trail clubs. If you see a workshop you would like to join, use the same link to register by Sept. 21^st.

The workshops and participant discussion are a great way to learn about issues that trail club members might wonder about, including partnerships, leadership, engaging new members, and volunteer retention.

https://appalachiantrail.org/get-involved/volunteer/safety/training/volunteer-leadership-academy/

Grayson Highlands State Park has canceled the 2020 Fall Festival, traditionally the last Saturday in September, due to COVID concerns.

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.

Damascus Trail Center update:  August, 2020 - roofing has begun. Interior work scheduled for September. Expected completion date for the Center is late October, 2020.

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. 

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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