Week 9: July 10-14, 2019

Crew 1: Gooch Gap Rehab

working with Georgia Appalachian Trail Club

click here for the complete photo album

This week Jerry and I ventured down to Georgia for our trial run on a new program we're currently calling "Konnarock Lite". The idea is to offer a shorter, beginner-friendly taste of the Konnarock program to engage new volunteers.

For the first half of this week, we met our Next Generation volunteers in the field. The Next Gen dates were an opportunity for youth (under the age of 18) to try trail work on the Appalachian Trail. 

Because it was our trial year, we only had two volunteers come out for those days. Even though the numbers were low, we still had a great time and accomplished a lot in the three days they were out! We got to go swimming every day after work at a lake that was close to our campsite.

Our second group that week was more like a typical Konnarock week, just shorter. It was not a youth group and the crew size was larger. It was a good way to expose locals who don’t have quite enough free time to commit to a full week of Konnarock, and recruitment was aimed at the Latinx community.

We also had a great time and were treated to a few meals from local club members and trail enthisiasts. The first night we were all treated to a nice dinner down the road from our campsite at a beautiful home which was a great setting to go over all of our orientation. Then, on the last night, we were invited to a club member's house for the night where we had the chance to go tubing and eat a nice dinner and breakfast.

The project was a relocation of the trail at Gooch Gap where we moved the trail away from a super washed-out section to a more sustainable grade. With the help of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, who came out in huge numbers, we managed to complete the relocation in one week and the new section of trail is now open.

It was a great idea that will hopefully continue in the future, and a very fun week.

--Sarah Ellsworth, Assistant Crew Leader