Week 11: July 27-31, 2018

Crew 2: Thomas Knob to Rhododendron Gap Rehab

working with Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club

click here for the complete photo album

The second-to-last week of the 2018 Konnarock season is complete. After many exciting (and at times harrowing) journeys into the southern region of the Appalachian Trail, Crew 2 was privileged to finally work Week 11 on the home soil of the Mount Rogers High Country. Accessed via VA’s Grayson Highlands State Park, just a 45 minute drive from Base Camp, the high country is one of the most iconic landscapes on the A.T.

 The area features numerous open grassy balds, rocky outcroppings, spruce and fir groves, and of course the free-ranging ponies and longhorn cattle that assist with managing the grassy areas. This beautiful and unique stretch of the A.T. is subjected to a tremendous amount of hiker traffic, and erosion is a serious problem along many points. Crew 2 focused its efforts on the section between Rhododendron Gap and the Thomas Knob Shelter.

In contrast to some of the well-defined relocation projects Crew 2 has undertaken in the previous weeks, Week 11’s project featured a virtually unlimited amount of work to be completed. The crew’s goal was simply to rehabilitate as much of the tread surface as possible, primarily through the installation of rock structures including steps and water bars. In addition, another priority was the closing of numerous user-created side trails that increase the overall impact of hikers on the area.

Being entirely a rock work project, the crew needed to pack in a large quantity of heavy tools in addition to the typical Konnarock food coolers and other camp equipment. This task is normally not a problem where there is vehicle access, but this week’s project would be a backcountry excursion since the crew vehicles have no way of accessing the area, and the crew needed to hike three and a half miles into the work area.

 The problem was solved thanks to the support of the staff from the U.S. Forest Service Sugar Grove Work Center, who loaded most of the crew equipment on their UTVs and shuttled everything up to the campsite. An additional upgrade by the Forest Service was the installation of a small electric fence around the camp kitchen to prevent bears or ponies from infiltrating the crew’s precious food supplies.

The first day of the project was therefore an impressive logistical dance where the tools and group gear were transported via UTV, while crew members backpacked 3.5 miles in with their personal gear. A flurry of activity followed as camp was assembled at a picturesque area near the Thomas Knob Shelter. As a result of all this coordination, the crew found themselves camped just several hundred yards from the work site. Thanks to this geographic advantage, work on the project was able to commence immediately on the first day just after lunch.

The first task for the project was simple: quarry as many suitable step rocks as possible from the sides of the trail. The trail is flanked on one side by a thick forest of fir trees and on the other by blackberry brambles, so finding rocks could be challenging and moving them even more tricky. Luckily, the sheer abundance of rock in the high country meant that many good choices were available.

 Crew members quickly learned to harness the power of leverage while using 18-pound rock bars to pry enormous rocks free from the root-matted ground. With good teamwork, communication, and the strategic use of fulcrums, the crew was able to unearth rocks weighing at least several hundred pounds - some closer to a thousand. Once these mammoth stones were free, crew members flipped or rolled them into rock nets and worked together to carry them to their intended installation point.

In the midst of all this rock quarrying, step construction commenced on several areas. Rather than begin brand new staircases, Crew 2 initially zeroed in on some work that was done by Konnarock over the past two years. Due to the unusually heavy traffic and erosion on this trail section, some of the past work needed repairs and reinforcement. Numerous steps and gargoyles were added to bulk up some of these existing staircases, as well as some base steps buried beneath the tread surface to protect against future erosion.

Junking up the widened, user-created social trails also progressed as the crew dragged some gargantuan rocks to block and deter hikers from walking off of the true A.T. To make the false trails even less appealing, several crew members worked on transplanting a number of blueberry and blackberry bushes - transforming what used to be a walking surface into a rocky, brushy mess that does not invite the hiker’s boot.

While they weren’t exercising a delicate blend of mind and muscle during the work day, Crew 2 enjoyed a unique backcountry camping experience with all the amenities that Konnarock typically furnishes. One advantage of this campsite was the presence of a campfire ring, which allowed for nightly entertainment and, of course, s’mores-making.

Although the crew lacked the classic Hershey’s chocolate bars that s’mores normally include, this only prompted some innovative creations like pop-tart s’mores, cookie s’mores, s’mores made with Kit-Kats, Twix, Reese’s cups, and even fruit snacks and fresh peaches! For many, trail crew life promotes a unique opportunity for some guilt-free indulgence - this week was certainly no exception. On this note, it would be wrong not to mention the culmination of the week’s dessert-eating: no-bake cheesecake topped with cinnamon peaches!

Another unforgettable detail was the arrival of a small herd of ponies to the campsite. Despite being referred to by many as “wild" ponies, these graceful animals are managed by park staff and have become extremely tame from their continual exposure to hikers. Volunteers got to appreciate the ponies up close - sometimes a little too close for comfort as the ponies had a habit for pulling up tent stakes, galloping in circles around the camp, and chewing grass around tents at all hours of the night! The capacity for mischief in these unassuming creatures undoubtedly made Week 11 all the more interesting.

The crew members also enjoyed several short evening hikes: one to the Thomas Knob Shelter and another to a rocky outcropping that allowed for stunning views into the distant North Carolina mountains. On the first hike, the crew was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the blood moon rising above the horizon and glowing eerily for several minutes before vanishing into the mist. This second hike passed through an especially lush patch of ripe blackberry bushes - much to the enjoyment of the crew.

The tone of the week changed a bit toward the end of the week as the clear and sunny weather was replaced with a dense gray fog. Thunder could often be heard rumbling softly in the distance, but fortunately for the crew the forecast for horrendous weather never did materialize during the work day. Even so, the camp conditions became rather eerie as wisps of cloud trailed through the scattered treetops.

Luckily, work did not cease throughout the days and the crew was able to tackle projects further up the trail, including the construction of a large water bar featuring an especially gargantuan stone nicknamed the Keystone Light. The construction continued even into the fifth and final project day, until finally the growling of the UTV engines could be heard in the distance and Crew 2 cached tools and prepared for extraction.

This entry would be remiss not to mention the generous support from the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club. For each of the three full work days on this project, members of the club hiked in to mind the campsite in case of bears, ponies, or curious hikers. One day, club members Maria and Marsha went so far as to treat the crew to a cooked lunch - Maria made authentic Mexican tacos with egg, chorizo, and green salsa, while Marsha provided homemade cookies. In addition, club member Doug joined the crew for a day of rock work - the extra hand was greatly appreciated.

To finish things up, a huge thank you goes out to all the dedicated volunteers who devoted their week to maintaining the A.T. for all to enjoy. The work site was beautiful, but by no means was the work itself easy. The enthusiasm and resilience of the crew members helped to make Week 11 especially successful. Another thanks, of course, goes to U.S. Forest Service staff Stephen and Evan, based out of the Sugar Grove Work Center, and Forest Service volunteer Jan, for providing UTV support - without which this project could not have been feasibly undertaken.

Also - an extra shoutout goes to Konnarock Camp Coordinator Becky for hiking in, working and camping with the crew for a day. She has been providing a wonderful array of field meals for the crews all summer, but it was an added bonus to have her join in for her first rock work experience.

Words alone do little to capture the exquisite beauty of the Mount Rogers high country. It was truly a privilege to work in the heart of this special place, and Crew 2 can look forward to one final expedition into the land of the ponies, rocks, and wild berries. No doubt it will be a fitting end to a very successful season of trail work on the A.T. The exact details, however, remain a mystery... which will only be revealed by time. Tune in next post for Week 12, the grand finale of the 2018 season!

--Josh Reynolds, Assistant Crew Leader