THE BLAZE

Newsletter of the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club 

Spring 2023

MRATC RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES REPORT:  Winter 2022-2023

  The MRATC has held several well-attended winter hikes. They include hikes on the AT near Watauga Lake from Shook Branch to the dam; in Steele Creek Park on the Lakeside, Lake Ridge and a few shorter trails; a New Year’s day hike on the AT and Creeper trails into Taylor’s Valley; a loop hike on the Iron Mt Trail and AT near Damascus; and one on the Bear Tree, Yancey and Straight Mtn trails. Each hike had 5-10 participants. Thank-you to hike leaders: Sharon Trumbley, Frank White, Felicia Mitchell, and Jim Warden. The Friday hikers have also been active. Of note, we are sorry for the loss of Randy Goodman, who recently died from Cancer. Randy hiked with the Friday hikers leading them to some new areas, joined other club recreational hikes, and participated in trailwork. The club is collecting money in his memory to be used on flower boxes for the Damascus Trail Center. Contributions can be sent to MRATC, PO Box 789, Damascus, VA 24236, with a notation that they are given in his memory. A club Social and Annual Meeting was held on the afternoon of Sunday February 26 at the Damascus Trail Center. It was attended by a dozen folks and good snacks and desserts were enjoyed by all. The slate of board members and coordinators was voted on and approved, and awards for MRATC volunteer hours were given out. 

TRAILS REPORT

We come into 2023 with our fullest slate of section monitors in many years. These folks monitor and maintain sub-sections of our nearly 60 miles of trail and report any issues they find, including downed trees, erosion problems, and issues at our shelters or areas that are becoming overgrown, among other things.  These reports are the life blood of our efforts and guide our group work projects, which normally begin in March. This year, the unseasonably warm February weather has allowed us to get a head start clearing some of the trees that inevitably fall on the trail over the winter months.  These early efforts move us closer to our annual goal of having the Mount Rogers section in prime shape heading into the heart of the spring through-hiker season.  Major projects on our section this year may include a new bridge just north of the Fox Creek trailhead on Rt. 603, and the replacement of the former bridge over Comers Falls. 

 NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

The Natural Resources Committee is kicking off the 2023 season with an introduction to rare plant monitoring on Thursday, May 11 at Elk Garden.  We’ll go over the basics of monitoring and look for early-blooming species.  First up should be small mountain bitter cress (Cardamine clematitis).  The bitter cresses are among the earliest spring bloomers.  If you look in your garden or lawn, you’ll likely see another tiny white flowering plant of the bitter cress family.  In addition to our first rare plant outing, others will be announced in the MRATC weekly emails, and individual sessions are offered to anyone with an interest in learning about these plants.  The Natural Resources Committee is participating in the Blue Ridge Discovery Center sponsored creation of a natural history guide to our area.  We will report on the rare plants that we monitor.  Contact Carol Broderson at mtrogersatc@gmail.com

MRATC MEMBERSHIP REPORT

  The Mt Rogers Appalachian Trail Club has 200 members. These include individual, family and public relations memberships. More than half of the club is made up of lifetime members. These folks don’t have to worry about renewing their membership every year but do need to keep us informed of email and/or address changes if they hope to continue receiving Sunday emails about what is happening that week and our quarterly newsletter, the Blaze. During the winter months we have had 6 new members and many folks have renewed their annual memberships.  Annual memberships expire March 1 every year. So far two reminders have been sent out by email from our Membership Coordinator, Sharon Trumbley. Before the end of March folks who haven’t renewed will be taken off the membership list and will no longer receive the Sunday email or the Blaze.  So, we hope to hear from all of you who haven’t renewed yet! Just a reminder that memberships are $10 for 1 year for individuals, $15 for families, and a lifetime membership is $100 per person. You can send a check and any updated information (address, email address, phone) to MRATC, PO Box 789, Damascus, VA 24236 or you can renew electronically by going to our website, mratc.org. Any questions can be addressed to our email mtrogersatc@gmail.com

OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON ELEGANT CROSS-STITCH OF TRAIL WILDFLOWERS

Kathy White Walker, who served as the club’s treasurer for several years, has cross-stitched twelve wildflowers commonly seen on the Appalachian Trail and has donated them to the club for an auction in memory of Stacey Levin. Stacey was a club member, trail worker, section monitor, rare plant monitor and the wife of our Trails Coordinator, Doug Levin. The club has decided to offer Kathy’s cross-stitched and framed wildflowers in a silent auction.  Doug has also donated a cross-stitch that Stacey did of a dragon. The twelve wildflowers and Stacey’s dragon are on display at the Trail Center. Stop by and pick out one you’d like to bid on!  Damascus Trail Center, 209 W. Laurel Ave., Thu-Mon,  10 – 5.  276-323-3046.

MRATC CLUB MEMBER ANNOUNCES 2^ND PRINTING OF BOOK

An updated 2^nd edition of Bunny Medeiros’s book, Friendliest Town on the Trail, is now available at all Damascus outfitters, Discover Damascus, and Briar Patch Antiques.

Ed Wright has been named as new area ranger for the Mount Rogers National Recreation area.  Wright has served as the recreation program manager for MRNA since 2019.

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