Week 7: June 22-26, 2018

Crew 1: Sinking Creek Mountain Relocation

working with Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club

click here for the full photo album

More than halfway through the Konnarock season and week 7 offers yet another successful week of triumphant trail building! Crew 1 headed back to Sinking Creek Mountain near Blacksburg, VA, where we continue working on this multi-year relocation project.

We headed for the trailhead on day 1 and loaded up our packs with as many tools as we could carry. This week, carrying tools was a longer and more difficult process as we had heavy drills, power tools, griphoist equipment and the usual tool cache for rock work and trail building. With heavy loads for all 8 of us we hiked the 1.5 miles up to the work site for a half day of work. 

We were met in the field by Josh who delivered a much needed tool for setting up a highline for the week, which is what we started to construct first. 

The first 2 days of the week we also had the help of the amazing Fred Lashley, who is a professional in all things rocks, rigging, splitting, dragging, flying, etc. She came during our pre-season training to do some griphoist workshops as well and I love that she comes to share her knowledge and skills with us in the field! 

So we started setting up a highline, which is a really awesome way to move a lot of very heavy rocks in an efficient and safe manner. It took some time since highlines are a lot of work to set up and we also had a poorly timed downpour of rain. But the time is worth it for the amount of rocks we are able to move and use for rock steps. 

That evening we welcomed Davis Wax, who was a former crew leader with Konnarock, currently a crew leader for S.W.E.A.T trail crew in the Smokies. He came out and worked 2 days with us so a BIG shout out to Davis, who not only did fantastic work but he also took one for the team and carried Artie's rock drill up the mountain, like a champion. 

Another returning volunteer, Simon, also helped the cause and carried the generator up the mountain and ended up carrying the drill back down at the end of the week. Thanks Simon!

The next day we continued on the highline and had Artie (Jolly Rovers Trail Crew extraordinaire and Konnarock alum) and Clark (also a Konnarock alum) start on building the trail through one of boulder fields on this relocation. 

Crew members Ruth and Mike were no strangers to Konnarock either, both of whom were open to using new tools and learning new trail building skills and did a great job all week. 

We had 2 groups working on quarrying rocks, splitting rocks, setting steps and making crush to solidify everything. After clearing some trees and moving the highline to the perfect spot to "fly" rocks we put some smaller "test" rocks on the line to start off with. We had volunteers on a haul line that was set up to pull the rocks in, and a belay line to control the rock as it flew down the line. 

We got some rocks moved down the highline and then started working on splitting rocks that were too big and heavy to fly into smaller rocks to use them for steps in the coming weeks. Volunteers got to try out new trail techniques and tools, like using a rock drill, and feathers and wedges to split a rock. 

The following days were full of similar but very fun tasks, moving huge boulders, making steps, sending rocks down the highline, and making a beautiful rock staircase. Our last work day we were visited by ATC's Regional Director, Andrew Downs and Kathryn Herndon-Powell, the Education Outreach Coordinator from the Roanoke office. It's always nice to have ATC staff come out to work and spend time on the trail with the volunteers and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club. 

The meals were all on point this week, with the Spicy Thai Noodles as the favorite of the week. Jerry couldn't let a crew week pass without cooking his delicious grits, eggs, and spam breakfast. Yummy!

The crew enjoyed the views and a pavilion to sit under every morning and evening at Joe's Trees Christmas farm where we stay for the week.

The boulder field got finished and it is some of the most beautiful rock work I've ever seen! Really amazing work done by all the volunteers there. The before and after pictures are pretty amazing. We were able to fly 27 rocks on the highline to use for rock steps. A very successful and fun week!

On the way back to camp on the last day we stopped for bagels and coffee and then went bowling!! We should make a Konnarock bowling team--these guys were good! Ate lunch at the bowling alley in Blacksburg and headed back to camp for the cleaning and end of week celebration.

Thank you to each volunteer for coming out to work on the trail with us and to RATC for your work and support and everyone who came out and joined us this week! A great time was had by all!

Crew 1! Wazzzz happenin?!!

--Julia Smith, Assistant Crew Leader