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The Blaze

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Saved by Pat Hensley
on September 12, 2017 at 7:52:41 am
 

 

The

BLAZE 

Fall 2017

 

Newsletter in .pdf form

 

 

 

IN MEMORY OF STACEY LEVIN

 

As most of you know, Stacey Levin, a Board member, trail section monitor, boundary monitor, and the wife of our Trail Supervisor, Doug Levin, died in June. Her upbeat personality will be missed by all of us. The family plans a memorial, most likely in the new Trail Center in Damascus, which will be constructed in 2018. More information on the nature of the memorial will be available in upcoming months. The club’s Treasurer has received many donations from club members toward this memorial. There is still time, if you wish to send in a contribution to MRATC, labeled ”Memorial for Stacey” to MRATC Treasurer, POB 789, Damascus, VA 24236.

 

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 

This fall, it’s all about The Bridge.

 

The Straight Branch Bridge, a  23 foot bridge on the AT near Damascus, you may recall, washed out on May 21, 2013, creating the need for a detour. Since then, the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area and the ATC have been working on raising funds to replace it with an engineered bridge, designed to withstand 100 year floods and be extremely safe for hikers. With the MRNRA’s grant from the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, there was funding for the supporting structure of the new 60 foot long bridge. The ATC’s license plate program provided funding for materials for bridge decking, railings and posts. The club will provide the labor to install these in late September. Posts and railings will be rounded to give the bridge a rustic appearance, but that presents carpentry challenges in fitting the railings to the posts. Fortunately, we have some skilled club members – and the rest of us will happily follow directions. We have already completed a short relo to connect the new bridge site to the AT. (See photo this page) Anyone who wants to come out to take a look – or take pictures – of this exciting late September project – please do. We will share information on progress in our usual weekly email to club members for whom we have email addresses.

 

But the bridge is not the only interesting thing to occupy our minds. In late June, the Konnarock Crew worked on finishing the eighty or so rock steps on the south side of Buzzard Rock (See photo this page), begun by Hardcore on the two-day work project right after Trail Days. Then, the first week in July, the Crew went back to the section between Thomas Knob and Rhododendron Gap to do rock work and correct erosion and braided trails, continuing from last year.

 

In June, Alex Benish, for his Eagle Scout project, replaced the step-stile north of Wise Shelter with a walk-through stile with a gate. (See photo of new stile.) Since another stile, the stile at the AT/Pine Mtn. Trail intersection, fell down, club members worked with Stephen Hmurciak of the MRNRA and a seasonal, Jan Overman, to replace fencing, dig post holes, and put in a gate. (Photo shows the workers at the completion of the project.)

 

And after the bridge? What else is the club up to, besides keeping up with trail work and enjoying hiking? Since ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association) will have their annual Gathering in Abingdon, we will be hosting a boundary monitoring session and a trail work project for anyone attending who would like to get outdoors. ALDHA donated to support food for the hikers participating in the Hardcore project, so we are glad of the opportunity to meet more ALDHA members who come to The Gathering. We also hope to host a club member social this fall. We would really like to meet and get information to some of our newer members we haven’t seen much of – about things other club members do they could get involved in.

Hope to see you all on the bridge! – or on the trail!

—Anne 

 

Jeff Donahue & Doug Levin                                              Konnarock Crew finishing the step project near Buzzard Rock on cutting trail to new bridge Whitetop Mtn. 

             

 

 

 

Alex Benish, for his Eagle Scout project, built a new walk-through stile with a gate north of Wise Shelter to replace the old step-stile. 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of the project to install new fencing and a gate to replace the broken stile on the AT near the Pine Mtn. Trail intersection in early August. Club members worked with the Forest Service on this project. Shown in the photo, taken by Ridgerunner Regina Reiter, are: Anne Maio, Maria Salgado, Ron Bobko, Jan Overman (F.S.), Jim Warden, Jim Heaney and Stephen Hmurciak (F.S.) 

 

 

The under-structure of the new Straight Branch Bridge was installed by a Forest Service contractor in July. With funding from the VA license plate program through the ATC, the club will install the decking, posts and railings in late September. 

 

 

 

Sharon Trumbley gave a first aid class to MRATC trail maintainer participants in August at the Fox Creek parking area. Pictured is Sharon and Doug Levin. 

 

 

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