Crew 2: South of Bee Cove Lead Rehab
working with Smoky Mountains Hiking Club
click here for the complete photo album
Good gracious, what a blast! By far the most fun I’ve had in
ages. This week the Konnarock Crew was put to the test with two consecutive weeks
in the field, bringing about challenging logistics and endless opportunities to
have a great time.
Our objective this week was to build trail to bypass two
very dangerous spots in the Bee Cove area near Fontana. These heavily eroded
sections were plagued by slick mud, gnarly roots and steep bedrock making it
not only challenging to cross but quite dangerous as well. So what do you do
when faced with such a dilemma? You wipe the sweat from your brow, strap on
your personal protective equipment and start digging!
And dig we did, at the
end of two weeks we had constructed 40 stone steps, several of which were
chiseled out of solid bed rock with a jackhammer. The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club accompanied us this week, showering us with gratitude for what we had
accomplished and bolstering our workforce. The club was even gracious
enough to treat the crew to two wonderful dinners!
How to pass the time between the two work weeks? On one of our off days, we all packed up and drove to Wild Water Rafting Company near the Nantahala Outdoor Center for some white water rafting! After a few days of
rest, relaxation, tacos, and cut-throat games of monopoly we headed back to the Cable Cove Campground to begin plugging away at week 2.
We spent the first day
back finalizing a few projects then headed down the hill to begin working with
log steps. At the base of the hill we stumbled upon a huge downed black locust
and took the opportunity to set in some steps and stage materials for the club
to use in the future. Two more successful weeks on the AT.. accomplished, friendships developed, ice cream demolished, and a trail built that we can all be proud of.
--Paul Sealy, Assitant Crew Leader
No comments:
Post a Comment