MRATC Activities and Information, Week of May 1 - 7, 2022

MRATC TRAIL WORK:

No group trail work scheduled for this week as yet. If that changes, a notice will be sent out. There had been talk of working on the Thomas Knob privy Wednesday. The weather forecast looks rainy.

MRATC HIKES:

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.

Carol is also leading a hike for the Naturalist Rally one way from Whitetop to Elk Garden. Contact her at the email address above if you are interested in that.

UPCOMING:  Monday, May 9 – Fun hike:  We will be visiting the Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area for a 6 mile one-way hike from White Rock area to Panther Lick area. Past spring hikes have provided an impressive show of wildflowers including fringed phacelia and blue eyed Mary, along with great views and interesting terrain. Expect some occasional stepping over deadfall.  Bring water, snacks, rain gear if needed, and poles.  We will meet at the Meadowview town square (just off I-81 exit 24) at 9:30 AM.  Hike leader is Jim Warden. Email mtrogersatc@gmail.com if interested. 

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 Friday hiking group is holding small group hikes. Contact Judith for information (jaf@centurylink.net; 276-623-2408)

THE DAMASCUS APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS FESTIVAL IS BIGGER THAN EVER!!  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!   

Besides our usual booth Friday and Saturday (May 13-14 this year), recent publicity lists 1-3 p.m. Sunday, May 15, as “garden planting at the Trail Center.” We haven’t staffed our Trail Days booth on Sundays before, but this year we can use those two hours to catch some community gardeners and interest them in our club – so we should be there!

These two time slots need club members to sign up to help staff the booth:  Saturday, 3-5 (to join Robert, who has already signed up) and Sunday from 1 to 3.  Please reply to this email if you can help with one of these booth slots. Thanks!

And don’t forget: club members will march in the parade at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Come join us!

For information on Trail Days events and music, check the website: visitdamascus.org and click on the Trail Days tab.

MT. ROGERS NATURALIST RALLY:  Hosted by the Blue Ridge Discovery Center May 6-8. Registration:  https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/mrnrspring

ATC VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP MEETING

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service Appalachian National Scenic Trail Office invite A.T. Club leaders to attend the Volunteer Leadership Meeting in Vernon, NJ, centered on volunteer coordination and A.T. Management. Attendees may arrive between 9 a.m. and noon on Thursday, August 4. The conclusion of the Volunteer Leadership Meeting is planned for 5 p.m. on August 5. Opening remarks begin at noon on August 4.See a draft Agenda and register before May 31, 2022. Each trail club can send two members with food and lodging paid by the ATC. If you are interested in going after you look at the draft Agenda in the above link, please reply to this email so we know who wants to go from our club.

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.