Crew 2: Thomas Knob to Rhododendron Gap Rehab
Week 12 is done, and with that the Konnarock Volunteer Trail Crew officially brings its 2018 season to a close. To finish off the season, Crew 2 embarked on one final journey into the unmatched beauty of the Mount Rogers High Country, a true jewel of southwest Virginia. Just a short drive from Konnarock’s Sugar Grove Base Camp, the high country is an unforgettable landscape which made the perfect frame for Crew 2’s last project.
The project work picked up where the crew had left off on Week 11 - rehabilitating a degraded section of trail between Thomas Knob Shelter and Rhododendron Gap. A combination of heavy hiker traffic, volatile weather patterns, soil type, and relative lack of tree cover make this stretch of trail highly prone to erosion.
Another problem is the presence of many user-created trails that branch out from the actual A.T., gradually widening the area that hikers walk on and increasing erosion over the long term. The presence of the famous free-ranging pony herds (managed to help to graze the landscape) provides an additional pressure on the trail. On Week 11, Crew 2 began by repairing some existing rock staircases and closing side trails. For Week 12, much more time would be devoted to installing new rock steps.
The week began by backpacking into the high country via Massey Gap at Grayson Highlands State Park. Following the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail for about 3.5 miles eventually led the crew to their campsite just north of Thomas Knob Shelter. Meanwhile, the staff from the U.S. Forest Service’s Sugar Grove Work Center shuttled the heavy group gear (coolers, tools, water jugs, etc) to the site using UTVs.
Thanks to an especially large crew, camp setup didn’t take long. To protect food and smellables from bears and ponies, the kitchen area was enclosed within a small electric fence, also courtesy of the Forest Service. Less than a quarter mile from the work site and featuring sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, this campsite could not have been a more idyllic spot to end the season.
Work began on the first day as soon as camp was assembled. Due to the large group size, the crew split into two smaller teams to work on separate sections of trail. The lower section group worked on several projects, including extending a rock staircase which was initiated in 2017, in order to create a more sustainable structure that would not wash out. Others in this group worked on installing several more rock steps at strategic locations where erosion had been taking its toll over the past year.
The upper group began addressing a particularly damaged section of trail that had not received any attention as of yet. In addition to being overly steep, this section had been widened far beyond its original boundaries. Exposed rocks jutted from the ground at random points, making the trail altogether unpleasant to walk on and contributing to the tendency for hikers to walk to the side. The plan for this section was to reinforce the tread surface with a series of stone check dams and steps, accompanied by massive “megalodon” gargoyles and plenty of junk rocks piled on the sides to narrow the corridor back to a sustainable width.
Between the two teams, an enormous amount of rock construction lay ahead. Most of the crew was made up of alumni volunteers, though, and everyone rose to the challenge with enthusiasm. As always with this type of work, much effort was devoted to quarrying rock with the help of the staple rock work tool, the 18-pound steel rock bar. Gracefully manipulating leverage with the help of fulcrum rocks and the occasional sling, crew members were able to unearth some truly gargantuan rocks this week.
Team-carrying the massive hunks of mineral with nets was a task that often occupied eight people at a time. It’s no stretch to estimate the weight of some of these rocks at over 500 pounds, and some surely came closer to 1000. One came to be nicknamed “the Volkswagen” since it seemed to be a large as a small car. On some of the larger rocks, additional “strategery” was employed by laying rock bars on the ground and allowing the heavy rocks to skid on top in order to reduce friction.
Meanwhile, other crew members were constantly employed in digging holes for the aforementioned boulders. Gathering bag-fulls of smaller crush rocks from the gravelly surface of the trail kept several people busy at all times as well. When it came time to set each step, particular care had to be given in maneuvering such large rocks into the proper position. Rock bars again proved to be an especially helpful tool when laid like tracks into the hole, allowing a massive rock to slide into place without collapsing the banks of the hole.
One would think that suitable rocks would eventually run into short supply, but the crew continued to hunt down sizable rocks throughout the week with great success. In one case, crew members discovered a rock which appeared to be too large to move. Unwilling to give up, they employed the rifting hammers to split the gigantic rock in two! The rock split so cleanly that it ended up being used for two separate steps.
When it came to gargoyles and junk rocks, size was paramount but shape was no concern - in fact, the uglier the rock, the better for this purpose. Inspired by the famous prehistoric shark species, these fearsome-looking gargoyles were dubbed “megalodons” and laid across the edges of the rock steps, effectively closing off the possibility of hikers walking around the steps. Smaller rocks were piled around these behemoths, ultimately defining the proper trail.
Crew 2 was able to work three full days, in addition to two shorter days on either end of the week. The morning of the final day proved to be an epic final push, made significantly more challenging by the arrival of a serious rainstorm. At this critical moment at the end of the week, with several partially completed steps needed to be solidified, the rain posed a real challenge by making the ground soggy and filling up holes with water.
Most crew members ended up covered in mud as they struggled to make the finishing touches to this project in order to leave it in a stable state for hikers. Gravel on the trail surface had been exhausted by this point, so several people had to work hard to make crush the old-fashioned way - with sledgehammers. Luckily, the rain didn’t last more than an hour, and Crew 2 stabilized the trail at the last moment - in what has become classic fashion.
The crew week wasn’t all hard work though. After the work days, the team was able to enjoy the beauty of the area around the campsite. Nightly campfires provided opportunities for s’mores as well as many gripping games of Werewolf - which featured some of the most scintillating strategy seen all season. One evening, a herd of ponies paid a visit to the camping area, so the crew was able to observe these graceful creatures up close while the evening sun illuminated the horizon far enough to see the distant, towering peaks of North Carolina’s Roan Highlands.
As always, the crew ate exceedingly well. The week’s menu featured fan-favorites like “Taco Dress-up,” BBQ bacon burgers, and pesto pasta with sausage. As an added bonus, the crew leaders each cooked breakfast one morning: Brian made a heaping stack of pancakes loaded with fresh picked high country blackberries, while Josh prepared a pot of creamy grits with fried Spam on the side.
Also, for the second time of the season, volunteers took the initiative to prepare no-bake cheesecake as a rich treat for the crew on the final evening. It’s safe to say that Week 12 has come the closest all season to exhausting the contents of the jam-packed coolers. Luckily there was just enough food to keep everyone full and satisfied until the end of the week.
At the end of this final crew week, the Forest Service UTVs once again rumbled into camp and loaded up with the bulk of the crew’s equipment. A few crew members were able to hitch a ride, while the others backpacked out along the horse trail one last time. It was truly a successful week. An incredible amount of work was accomplished, and the rocks moved were the biggest of the whole season. The improvements made to this small section of A.T. will benefit thousands of hikers by increasing the longevity and stability of the trail.
Many thanks must be given to the fantastic volunteer turnout this week. A big group of volunteers really makes a difference in the amount of work that can be accomplished in one week. Special thanks to Camp Coordinator Becky, Forest Service Volunteer Jan, and Mount Rogers Ridgerunner Kyle for coming out and working a day with the crew this past week. Everyone worked extremely hard, but furthermore had great attitudes and made the work as fun as it was demanding.
The A.T. could not be what it is without dedicated volunteers like these. Being the final week, the thank you is extended to all of the season’s volunteers. The season featured many challenging projects, but impressive work was done each and every week.
Another big thank you goes to the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club, who once again provided a daily “camp sitter” for Week 12 - and also helped host the end of season potluck back at Base Camp! It is always a privilege to collaborate with the maintaining clubs, whose members provide the front line of year-round, routine maintenance to the trail.
An end-of-season thank you to Camp Coordinators Janet and Becky for providing stellar food and logistical support, as well as keeping Base Camp tidy all season long. The U.S. Forest Service (especially our local staff at the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area) also deserves much gratitude for all of the support they provide to Konnarock - on Week 12 with UTV support but also throughout the season in myriad ways.
2018 has been a fantastic season: fun, safe, and very productive. No doubt many more successful seasons lie ahead for Crew 2, and Konnarock more broadly. For those readers who may have enjoyed reading about the exploits of Crew 2, please consider sharing the blog, telling your friends, or maybe consider volunteering yourself if you have not done so. It’s always inspiring to see the variety of people from different walks of life who come together to work for the maintenance of this one special trail - and YOU, too, could be one of those people!
The week began by backpacking into the high country via Massey Gap at Grayson Highlands State Park. Following the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail for about 3.5 miles eventually led the crew to their campsite just north of Thomas Knob Shelter. Meanwhile, the staff from the U.S. Forest Service’s Sugar Grove Work Center shuttled the heavy group gear (coolers, tools, water jugs, etc) to the site using UTVs.
Meanwhile, other crew members were constantly employed in digging holes for the aforementioned boulders. Gathering bag-fulls of smaller crush rocks from the gravelly surface of the trail kept several people busy at all times as well. When it came time to set each step, particular care had to be given in maneuvering such large rocks into the proper position. Rock bars again proved to be an especially helpful tool when laid like tracks into the hole, allowing a massive rock to slide into place without collapsing the banks of the hole. 
As always, the crew ate exceedingly well. The week’s menu featured fan-favorites like “Taco Dress-up,” BBQ bacon burgers, and pesto pasta with sausage. As an added bonus, the crew leaders each cooked breakfast one morning: Brian made a heaping stack of pancakes loaded with fresh picked high country blackberries, while Josh prepared a pot of creamy grits with fried Spam on the side.
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