Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Week 5: May 5-9, 2019

Crew 2: Yellow Mountain Rehab

working with Nantahala Hiking Club

click here for the full photo album

Rumbling thunder cries out in the distance as a thunderstorm gnashes its teeth, threatening us with torrential downpours. Konnarock Crew 2 yells back, “NOT TODAY” to no avail as the rain rinses the dust from our brows and the sweat from our skin. 

If there is anything that I learned while hiking the A.T. it's that rain will always win, there is no such thing as a “dry” A.T. experience. Regardless of the persistent rain, morale remained high as we did our best to make improvements to the trail, laughing and joking with one another as if it was a sunny picnic. 

The rain persisted the entire trip, limiting our ability to build sturdy structures. We were able to rehab a particularly dangerous area of trail where sloping bedrock caused the soil to slide downhill, making for a treacherous decent. Junk cribbing and stone steps followed by mounds and mounds of freshly made crush made certain that it would no longer be an issue. 

The Nantahala Hiking Club joined us again to fortify our efforts as we slogged through the mud attempting to restore order, keeping our spirits high. After stabilizing as much as we could, and setting water diversions, we packed up and headed to a club member's residence where we were treated to hot showers, warm beds and a delicious potluck-style home cooked meal! 

All things considered, this was a great week. Its difficult for me to have any negative feelings towards this week - it will take more than rain to tarnish my love for the A.T.! Yet again the Konnarock Crew coupled with the Nantahala Hiking Club have completed a successful week of maintenance. Come out and join us!

--Paul Sealy, Assistant Crew Leader

No comments: