MRATC Activities and Information, Week of Apr. 24 – 30, 2022

MRATC TRAIL WORK:

No group trail work is scheduled for this week.

MRATC HIKES:

Wed. Apr. 27– Spring Hike on Mt Roger’s Trail.  Meet at 9:30 at the trailhead parking on VA Hwy 603 (not far past Grindstone Campground if you are coming from Whitetop Road area) to walk up Mt. Rogers Trail toward the intersection with the AT, out-and-back round trip of about seven miles. Opportunities to see wildflowers. Bring lunch and rain gear, poles if you use them.  Some of the hike is in the Lewis Fork wilderness, so group size is limited to 10, and we will plan to split into 2 groups if this happens.  Contact hike leader Felicia Mitchell for more information atmtrogersatc@gmail.com.

UPCOMING: Monday, May 2 – Wildflower/Rare Plant Hike:  Meet at Elk Garden at 9:30.  We’ll hike to Whitetop and back on the AT and look for early spring wildflowers and rare plants.  Bring lunch and rain gear.  Contact hike leader Carol Broderson for details at mtrogersatc@gmail.com.

Note: 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 DAMASCUS APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS FESTIVAL IS COMING!! 

Fri. – Sun. May 13, 14, 15. The club will have a booth at the Trail Center Fri. and Sat. and club members will march in the parade at 2  p.m. Saturday, May 14. Come join us!

Still need a second person to help staff the booth Sat. from 1:00 to 3:00.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR EVENTS AT TRAIL CENTER

Emily needs volunteers to greet visitors at the Trail Center on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays during May, June, July and August from 10 to 3. Check your calendars, pick a date or two, or split a shift with a friend, and contact Emily: emayo@appalachiantrail.org.

MT. ROGERS NATURALIST RALLY:  Hosted by the Blue Ridge Discovery Center May 6-8. Registration for field trips is now open:  https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnrspring

AT VISTA 2022, at SUNY NEW PALTZ, AUG. 5-8: 60 Hikes, many Excursions and 45 workshops are listed on the website: https://atvista2022.organd online registration is now active.

2022 THRU-HIKER DATA FROM THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY:

- Thru hikers currently registered to hike the A.T. sometime in 2022: 3,949

- Thru hikers currently registered to start their A.T. hike by the end of March: 2,589 (2,222

of those are registered to start at Amicalola Falls State Park).

Please keep in mind that these are numbers of individuals who have registered their thru-hike

with ATCamp, rather than a physical count of thru-hikers currently on the trail. It is possible that

some folks who register will alter their plans and not all thru-hikers may register.