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The Blaze

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Saved by Pat Hensley
on June 28, 2022 at 5:48:55 am
 

THE BLAZE

Newsletter of the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club 

Summer 2022

July, August, September

 

Newsletter in .pdf form 

 

The MOUNT ROGERS APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUB, a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy was organized February 29, 1960.  The club has maintenance responsibilities for 59.4 miles of the APPALACHIAN TRAIL in the Jefferson National Forest, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Grayson Highlands State Park and additional trails in the area.

 

MRATC RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES REPORT:  Spring 2022 

 

We’ve had several wonderful spring hikes with lots of wildflowers this year. Felicia Mitchell led us up the Mt Rogers Trail in April and there were acres of trout lilies and spring beauty.

 

    

Wildflower walk on Mt. Rogers Trail Apr. 27th: L-R, front: Marywood Sparks, Carol Broderson, Felicia Mitchel, Randy Goodman.  Back: Margie Coates, Anne Maio, Sharon Trumbley, Jim Warden

    

A hike to the Pinnacle in Russell County was led by Sharon Trumbley, the highlight of which was acres of larkspur on the Grapevine Trail. The Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area between White Rock Mountain and into Red Rock valley was covered with fields of Fringed Phacelia, and in places Blue-Eyed Mary joined the show. This one was in early May, led by Jim Warden, and we were also visited by an indigo bunting and a chestnut-sided warbler up close during lunch. Finally, Lissa Jackson led us on the AT from Low Gap in Shady Valley to McQueen’s Gap and the show was more early summery with flame azalea, Jack in the pulpits, and one lovely lady slipper. 

 

TRAILS REPORT

 

  

Crew for Wise privy move in early April: The two on the ends were hikers passing by. Starting 2nd from left: Jim Harrison, Carter Hudson, Spenser Carter, Jeremiah Webb and Doug Levin.

 

In early April, with the help of a small group from Emory & Henry, we were able to move the pit privy cabin at Wise over a fresh new hole dug by Grayson Highland State Park staff.  With changes to clean water laws that are slowly being implemented, it is possible that this may be the last new pit privy hole on our section. Only time will tell.  Also on privies, the ATC has taken the lead on our composting privies this year and to date have already emptied two of the “big three” (Thomas Knob and Old Orchard).  The composting privy at Wise is the third. Their heightened involvement is directly related to the fact that the contents of the privies being emptied are from 2020, when the pandemic began.  In an attempt to make the composting privies last longer before needing to be emptied, we will be switched over to hardwood shavings for use as duff (filler), rather than a leaf/shavings mix, as much as possible.  ATC will spearhead this switch with support from the club.  At the spring meeting the club’s Board agreed to fund an extension of the Ridgerunner season for an additional four weeks. This will keep Ridgerunner Jim Baum out there until after Labor Day, which is extremely valuable to us and to the trail.  In mid-April, about a dozen club members participated in the inaugural session of a new trail maintenance skills program organized by the ATC. Kris English from the ATC led the training and reviewed various aspect of maintenance including drainage, water bars and sidehill. Everyone who attended learned something. This training will likely be repeated in the future.     

 

  

Typical MRATC workday – repairing tread after uprooted tree damaged the trail – Dickey Gap.  From left to right, Randy Goodman, Ron Bobko, Sharon Trumbley, Anne Maio, Jim Wilson, and Doug Levin.

   

 

On June 2. MRATC club members, ATC staff, MRNRA staff and college students helped build a much needed bog bridge south of the Wise Shelter.  Club members who participated were Doug Levin, Carol Broderson, and Anne Maio. ATC members: Jerry Kyle, Conner McBane and Ridgerunner, Jim Baum. MRNRA staff: Evan Blevins, Brendan Blevins; and also: Christina McIntyre from Virginia Tech with three students from UT Chattanooga. 

  

 

NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

 

Early wildflower season is just about over.  The spring ephemerals bloom during that brief period when it’s warm enough and the trees haven’t leafed out yet.  We’ve had four outings and turned in reports on small mountain bittercress, American umbrella leaf, great indian plantain and mock orange.  Thanks to Anne, Felicia, and new monitor Marywood Sparks for helping out.  If you’d like to help monitor rare plants, email Carol at mtrogersatc@gmail.comand I’ll arrange an outing at your convenience to learn the basics of monitoring.

 

MRATC club member Carol Broderson coordinates the Natural Resources Committee.  Carol makes her  way across the new bog bridge, which now helps to protect the St. John’s Wort that grows in that area. 

 

MRATC MEMBERSHIP REPORT

 

The club currently has 197 members, including individual, family and PR memberships.  We tend to remain at about 200, as some members don’t rejoin and other of our older members die, but new memberships make up for these.  New members sometimes find us online and join, or hike with us and then join.  We also get new members at community events, such as Earth Day and Trail Days. If you need to renew or rejoin, or are new to the club, you may join online using Paypal or print off a membership page and mail it by going to our website, www.mratc.org  

 

  MRATC DUES CAN NOW BE PAID ONLINE MRATC dues for annual-renewing members are due between January 1 and March 1 each year.  Now there is an option to pay online rather than sending in a check to the club’s PO Box.  Click this link:  http://mratc.pbworks.com/w/page/130409625/Membership or go to the club’s website and click “Membership – Join or Renew” in the sidebar list on the right.  If any of your information has changed, fill in the online Member Information Form.

 

ATC SOUTHERN PARTNERSHIP MEETING   The ATC held the annual Southern Partnership meeting in Damascus LIVE (instead of on Zoom) this year, on April 22-24, beginning with hikes on our trail section for those attending. The SPM is always a good time for representatives from the 13 Southern AT clubs to talk to each other about trail concerns and updates. One feature of the SPM each year is to recognize a volunteer and an Agency Partner. MRATC nominated John Allison, who had just retired from the VA state park system and had spent the last few years as ranger in Grayson Highlands State Park. We appreciated John’s attention to areas where hikers get confused and need more signage and his help in developing a sign order with the club and the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area to address these problems. He also helped us install the new kiosk content at Massie Gap.

  

Other spring activities:

 

  

Trail Days, 2022, Hikers’ Parade

Club banner carried by members Marywood Sparks, Gerry Davis,                   and Chip Sparks.

A group of students from Emory & Henry visited Damascus and the Trail Center and rode the Creeper Trail on April 2nd.

 

 

 

REMEMBERING WILFORD CORBIN

 

Wil Corbin, a trail maintainer for the Nantahala Hiking Club, and later, when he moved to our area, an MRATC trail maintainer, died Monday, March 28th at the age of 94. He was the author of two books: A World Apart, telling the story of teaching in an Eskimo village in Alaska, and The Boys of Battle Branch, about growing up with his family near Franklin, NC. Those of us who knew him value his wisdom and gentleness and his skill with the two-bit axe and the crosscut saw. The club expects to put up a small display, including Wil’s axe, at the Trail Center as an inspiration to future trail maintainers. 

 

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