Week 8: June 30-July 4, 2018

Crew 2: Brown Fork Gap Relocation

working with Smoky Mountains Hiking Club

click here for the full photo album

Happy Fourth of July week, loyal readers of the Konnarock blog!  On July 4th, the 2018 trail season officially reached its two-thirds mark.  Besides celebrating the independence of the United States, Crew 2 had the pleasure of celebrating another successful week of trail work on the A.T.  

Week 8 involved a pleasantly short drive (compared to Georgia) down to the Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina for a project at Brown Fork Gap.  With an especially small group of volunteers, the crew elected to leave the crew van behind and pile into the Forest Service truck, thus saving gas and allowing the crew leaders to trade off on driving. 

The work at Brown Fork was the continuation of a relocation started at the end of the 2017 Konnarock season, with the goal of taking the A.T. off of a very steep, fall line section that is terribly eroded and would require an inordinate amount of work to properly rehabilitate and stabilize.  Besides being unsustainable, the old A.T. section is also downright uncomfortable to hike up.  For both of these reasons, the best course of action was deemed to be a reroute of the trail along a sustainable grade.

Before any work could commence, however, Crew 2 had to complete the crucial task of establishing a camp that would suffice for Week 8 as well as the following two weeks.  This involved driving up a narrow Forest Service gravel road and pitching camp at a wide log landing.  Hanging the kitchen tarp proved to be quite the challenge - perhaps the crew has gotten rusty after three weeks of tarp-free camping at the Army Ranger Camp in Georgia.  

Nevertheless, camp was eventually squared away and the crew proceeded to hike tools up a truly brutal bushwhack trail (measured at 55 percent grade) to reach the A.T.  The overall hike from camp to work was just about a mile, with the bushwhack forming a quarter-mile of the journey.

To accomplish the necessary relocation, the crew needed to brush up on techniques for digging sustainable, full-bench sidehill trail.  This precise method of constructing new tread is the gold standard for the A.T. and results in a trail that gradually follows the contours of the hills and allows for water to shed harmlessly in sheets without forming gullies.  While some volunteers had built sidehill trail before, others had not, and so the work began with a sidehill demo by Crew Leader Brian Allgood in addition to the usual tool safety talk.

Once the team was up to speed on sidehill technique, the digging commenced.  Wielding a mix of rogue hoes, pick mattocks, fire rakes, loppers, and one wandering pulaski, the crew members worked hard to excavate down to mineral soil and build tread with just the right hint of outslope.  This job proved to be very difficult in certain spots, as a number of extremely rooty and rocky areas were uncovered along the flagline.  

Characterized by repetitive, more or less continuous digging motions, sidehill construction can be argued as one of the most physically taxing trail work tasks.  Add in some very hot, humid conditions and a preponderance of biting insects, and you have a situation that many would deem unpleasant.  Did Crew 2 back away from this difficult scenario?  Well, of course not!

There was more to the Brown Fork relocation than solely digging sidehill, however.  The new trail route includes one switchback, which necessarily climbs at a grade that is well above the recommended 8-12 percent. In order to mitigate this steep section, the installation of steps is unavoidable.  So, while some of the crew worked continuously to dig the new tread, another group of volunteers worked on constructing a series of rock steps around the curved switchback.  

This work involved unearthing and moving some monumental stones - with only a single pony rock bar to supplement pick mattocks.  The crew also had only packed one mini-sledge, but it was constantly employed making crush to cement the rock steps into place.  

Despite a limited array of rock work tools, the week’s work resulted in 5 high quality, rock-solid steps that will definitely stand the test of time.  Next week, with the addition of more rock steps will further solidify this switchback.  If rocks run into short supply, log steps will likely complete the climb.

Crew 2’s relatively small numbers were augmented this week by the constant presence and support of an ever-reliable Konnarock ally: Ox of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club.  Ox camped with the crew for several nights and worked alongside the rest on every work day.  While the work support alone was helpful, Ox went above and beyond by providing some extra treats to the crew after work - namely several trips to local towns and sites.  

The hot and sweaty crew members were able to cool off on several evenings, visiting Fontana Lake one evening and Lake Santeelah (voted America’s #1 Lake!) a second evening.  After cleaning up in the respective lakes, the crew had the luxury of eating at two fine establishments: Fontana Village’s Wildwood Grill and Robbinsville’s Lynn’s Place.  A mix of Ox’s and the SMHC’s generosity made the excursions possible.

As Week 8 drew toward its end, the crew was able to proudly gaze upon several hundred feet of newly dug trail in addition to the well-built rock steps.  Crew 2 packed up on the final morning feeling satisfied, but also quite eager to say farewell to the no-see-ums and black flies for a while.  Despite finishing up the work for the week, the Konnarock adventure still had a couple more highlights along the way back to basecamp.  

First, the crew made a stop at nearby Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and hiked the famous Memorial Loop, which traverses one of the largest remaining stands of old-growth forest on the east coast.  The most impressive trees in this ancient grove are the tulip poplars, some of which are over 300 years old and 20 feet in circumference.  After soaking in the grandeur of this unique spot, the group drove for a while before making one final stop in Asheville, NC for a fantastic lunch at the Mela Indian buffet. 

As always, Crew 2 enjoyed a fun, safe, and productive trip in classic Konnarock fashion.  None of it would have been possible without the generosity of the volunteers themselves, who devoted a week of time, energy, and enthusiasm to the continued maintenance of the A.T. All who worked deserve a big thank you.  

Thanks are also in order for SMHC’s Ox, both for his considerable contribution of work and for his multiple dinner treats.  His presence and generosity added greatly to the experience of the volunteers and the overall quality of the week, and demonstrate the value of the partnerships between the ATC and the maintaining clubs which together keep the A.T. in good shape for all to enjoy. 

Thus concludes Week 8! The Konnarock Crew staff now contemplates a double meaning of Independence Day as they begin the season’s second 5-day break.  After some much valued R&R, Konnarock will reassemble for the final 4-week stint of the season, with many exciting adventures sure to await.  As for Crew 2’s future, the Brown Fork Gap relocation will get another hefty dose of trail work on Week 9.  Who knows - by the third week at Brown Fork, some brand new white blazes might be in the cards!  Stay tuned for the next thrilling account of Crew 2’s daring forays into the Appalachian mountains. 

--Assistant Crew Leader Josh Reynolds