MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Dec. 13 - 19, 2020

MRATC TRAIL WORK

Our regular trail work season has ended, as of the end of November. We will go out only if there is a problem that needs attention and will resume regular trail maintenance in March.

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.

The Friday hiking group is not holding group hikes now due to the COVID surge.

DAMASCUS APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS: As of the Town Council meeting 12/7, planning will go forward for the upcoming year’s Trail Days festival, May 14-16, 2021, and the festival will be held unless the governor issues a regulation about large gatherings due to COVID closer to the event. MRATC may have a booth, but will not sign up hikers for a Hardcore project, since the ATC has canceled the Konnarock Crew for 2021.

Hunting season: Deer rifle season ended Nov. 28, but bear and late muzzle loader seasons last through December. Wear blaze orange on the trails through Jan. 2nd!

Link to latest issue of the ATC’s The Register:

http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward/show?u=64f18e8ab0289e37511640181&id=0c005133c6 

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.

Damascus Trail Center:  The new date for building completion will be around Christmas time. 

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 15^th. Reservations required. https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/grayson-highlands-state-park/VA/140172/35528/campsite-booking

•The 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 AT reroute on Comers Creek Rd. (Rte. 650) around the failing AT bridge at Comers Creek Falls was marked with signs and blaze posts and will be the official route of the AT in that area until a new bridge is built. 

Bears:  In 2019 and 2020, there were fewer reports of bears taking hikers' food than in 2018, but bears 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. 

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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