Triumphant, Transcendent, Trailbuilding!: Week 2: May 10-14, 2018

Crew 2: Sinking Creek Mountain Relocation

working with Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club

click here to see the full photo album

Week 2 of the Konnarock Trail Crew season is complete! Crew 1 headed up to Sinking Creek Mountain near Newport, VA for a week of rock work. This week our crew was made of 10 military and non military students from the University of Central Missouri (Go Mules!) and 3 other awesome volunteers from surrounding states. This is the third year UCM students came to take over Konnarock and get some great trail work accomplished. The other 3 volunteers, all past thru-hikers, came to learn some trail building skills and make their mark as well.

We had a pretty intense hike, especially with rock bars and sledges in our hands on the first day. About a mile and a half walk up, each day, I'd say the crew enjoyed the challenge and the awesome experience of walking on the Appalachian Trail. We had beautiful weather, sunny and humid, but really had no reasons to complain. And every day on the hike down the crew loved dunking their head or feet in the refreshingly cold stream.

Our tasks for the week were mainly to begin taking two large rock fields and putting the trail through them, along with placing some rock steps. We worked in 3 mini teams for the most part and worked alongside Jim Webb of RATC (Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club) a couple club volunteers, and ATC's own, Kathryn Herndon-Powell, to put in some hard working hours on this relocation project.

I enjoyed this experience working with the Mules because they all seemed so genuinely interested in trail work, service learning and being a team. They had deep personal questions and reflections at the end of each day that we were able to participate in. I was introduced to a new AMAZINGLY fun and addicting game called "Werewolves", which is similar to Mafia if you've ever played. That was a nightly ritual that I just couldn't get enough of. I'm pretty terrible at it but I hope to continue playing and improve my skills.

The preparation the UMC students had done for this week really showed when we were out in the field as well. They were so eager to help, work hard, and provide assistance in any way they could. Around camp at Joe's Trees (which was a pretty glampy campy experience) they were more than helpful cutting veggies, making delicious meals, and cleaning up.

The crew this week moved a great deal of rock, built rock crib walls and made an absurd amount of crush. The "Clark School of Rock", led by multi-year Konnnarock alum Clark Britt, created some extremely nice rock steps this week. People who had never used a rockbar or a sledgehammer became pros in the field.

We put hot sweaty dirty hours of work this week and decided that on our last day we would take the crew to see Cascade Falls, and get some lunch and ice cream, a well deserved treat! The hike and the waterfall were breathtaking and enjoyed by all. After a few minor hiccups for lunch and ice cream, we satisfied all our food and sweets cravings and headed back to base camp for cleaning and the end of the week celebration!

It's amazing what we can accomplish in a week, personally and in a group, physically, mentally and emotionally. Most of the work done by the crew may not be seen when the final trail is done but their work is what will the keep the trail in place for years to come!