MRATC Activities and Information, Week of July 11-17, 2021

MRATC TRAIL WORK:

No trail work Wednesday this week due to evening club meeting.

Fri., July 16, several club members will meet MRNRA and Park staff at 9 a.m. at Massie Gap to replace the large informational poster in the kiosk. A meeting about proposed trail signage will follow. If you would like to come, please email mratcinfo@gmail.com.

MRATC HIKES:

Sat. July 17: Hike Mt Rogers Trail to AT and Elk Garden, about 6.5 miles one way. Meet at Fairwood parking (Rt 603, just past Grindstone) 9:30 A.M. Bring water, snacks, and rain gear if weather threatens. A return car will be parked at Elk Garden. Please let hike leader, Jim Warden, know you are coming by emailing mtrogersatc@gmail.com. Covid notice: please be considerate of your fellow hikers and make sure that you are vaccinated before joining MRATC hikes.

Hikes can be scheduled on a week by week basis rather than listed in the club’s quarterly newsletter. 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 Friday hiking group is holding small group hikes. Contact Judith for information (jaf@centurylink.net; 276-623-2408)

NEXT MRATC MEETING:

Wed., July 14, 7 p.m.:  MRATC club meeting at the new Damascus Trail Center.

AT Vista – formerly known as the ATC Biennial Conference, will be dispersed events in communities Aug. 7, 2021 – rather than a centralized event with workshops and hikes.

MRATC has planned to offer two short hikes. Both hikes will start at the Trail Center. The longer 5 mile hike will take participants north on the AT to the Iron Mtn. spur, then down the Iron Mtn. Trail back to Damascus. The second is more of a walk through town, following the informational Damascus History signs and the Creeper Trail. This is an opportunity to get community members and visitors interested in trails and hiking.

DAMASCUS TRAIL CENTER SEEKS VOLUNTEERS:

Volunteer opportunities at the Damascus Trail Center are now live on www.appalachiantrail.org.  

Volunteer opportunities at the DTC are listed as on-going and varied and include reoccurring, one-time, weekdays, weekends, and evening opportunities. Interested parties are asked to complete an online registration before being redirected to complete a paper application.

The application will be given to interested parties by ATC staff. In the application, volunteers can select what activities they would like to volunteer for, what interests and skills they have or are willing to learn, and their availability. For questions or assistance please contact Emily Mayo - emayo@appalachiantrail.org.

Paper applications will be available at the DTC for the July MRATC meeting.

BEAR WARNING, South of Damascus: Due to reported aggressive bear activity and evidence of bear(s) entering campsites and taking food, the area around the Appalachian Trail between the Double Springs Shelter and the Backbone Rock side trail (mile marker 451 to approximately mile marker 464 is closed to camping until further notice.

 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 

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. 

•Visit the ATC's website for information and hikes in AT Communities up and down the AT, listed by state.

In our area, the AT Communities are Damascus, Abingdon, and Marion/Smyth County. 

https://appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities

TRAIL UPDATES

Grayson Highlands State Park Backpackers' pkg. lot reservations:https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/grayson-highlands-state-park/VA/140172/35528/campsite-booking

•The bridge at Comers Creek Falls has been removed as of 3/20/2021. Steps and stepstones have been installed  so a low-water crossing can be made, and this section of the AT from Dickey Gap south has been re-opened. During times of suspected high water, hikers should plan to use the marked detour on Rte. 650.

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. 

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