MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Nov. 15 – 21, 2020
MRATC TRAIL WORK
No trail work projects have been announced yet for this week. To report a trail problem or ask a trail maintenance question, email Doug at mratcinfo@gmail.com.
MRATC HIKES
MRATC is not scheduling and publicizing group hikes in advance, due to COVID, but 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). The ATC recommends keeping group size small and not carpooling.
Friday group hikes are also following ATC recommendations. Contact Judith if you need further information: jaf@centurylink.net.
MRATC ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP MEETING – Wed., Nov. 18, starting at 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. Club members have received login information.
Off-road vehicles on Whitetop Mtn. The ATC and MRNRA have reports of off-road vehicle activity on Whitetop Mtn. If you are hiking there and see such activity, report the day and time you saw it to the MRNRA during business hours: 276-783-5196.
Hunting season: Deer rifle season began Nov. 14. Wear blaze orange on the trails!
Dredging and repairs (using large equipment) on the Iron Mtn. Trail will continue until about Nov. 20, just north of Damascus from E. Fourth St.
Damascus Trail Center: The new date for building completion will be around Christmas time. The Trail Center Supervisor has been hired by the ATC and will be introduced to the club at our Nov. 18th meeting.
Copy/paste this link into your browser to read the latest issue of the ATC’s The Register: http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward/show?u=64f18e8ab0289e37511640181&id=fa130781da
Grayson Highlands St. Park and adjacent area map (Avenza maps app) free download available: https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/1204147/grayson-highlands-state-park.
Virginia AT license plates: $15 of the $25 annual fee goes to the ATC VA Regional Office to support the AT – including the new Damascus Trail Center. If you would like to order one, go to this section of the DMV website:
https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#splates/category.asp?category=S
Outstanding AT hike videos: A member of the Tidewater AT Club who knows a couple who are section hiking and have made and posted a series of videos, passed along the notice of the You Tube posting, so we all can enjoy them. They are wonderful videos! Go to You Tube and search for “Campfire Confidential” to select a few to watch.
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 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.
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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