Week 1: May 2-6, 2018

Crew 1: Snake Den Ridge Rehab

 working with Carolina Mountain Club

click here for the full photo album



It's May 2018, and Crew 1, led by Jerry Kyle, tackled the first project of the season up at Snake Den Ridge and Flint Gap near Flag Pond, TN. We headed out Thursday morning with 6 volunteers, some returning and some volunteering for the first time with Konnarock. It was awesome to learn that 4 of the 6 volunteers have thru-hiked the trail, were transformed by their experience and were here so that people can continue enjoying the AT.






Two hours of driving and we arrived at the campsite, dropped the van and started hiking into the work site. We drove the truck up with the tools as far as we could, unloaded tools and had our tool safety talk. The hike from the campsite to the AT was about .4 miles and once on the AT it was another mile to where we would start work.

There at Flint Gap, log steps and drainage features were the biggest priority. The work day consisted mainly of getting the materials for waterbars, steps, and stakes from the surrounding area. Lucky for us, there was a fallen black locust tree that we were able to get all our materials from.

After bucking up the tree the crew started the work of splitting logs with sledges and wedges to get as much material from the tree as possible. We had people debarking the trees after splitting and myself and a crew member started cutting locust for stakes. Jerry and Rich (Konnarock Assistant Crew Leader class of  '91) went up the trail to start working on some deberming and tread definition. We worked for a few hours in the sunshine before hiking back to set up camp.

The following day, we enjoyed our coffee and breakfast, hiked in, stretched, shared some jokes (all better than mine) and started where we left off. More splitting,  debarking, and sharing stories as we got to know one another more. The weather was hot and sunny for the first two days, so mandatory water breaks were placed into the schedule. Pretty much the whole day was spent doing log step prep with Rich and Jerry working hard above Flint Gap to fix the berm, improve drainage and address trail creep problems.

Blue Jay (Joan) and Terry were debarking machines, while Magic Mike (Michael), Ginger Patch (Andrew) and Tortoise (Martha) continued working together to split materials. Right before we ended the work day, we did a log step installation demo so the crew could get right to it the next day. We had a shorter work day because we had dinner plans with the Carolina Mountain Club.

We were treated to an amazing dinner and ice cream with Paul (The CMC Trail Supervisor), Tom, and Anne (members of the club).


It was a great evening, getting to see the cute town of Hot Springs, NC and enjoy a dinner out! Thank you CMC for your generosity and support!

The crew agreed to work a few extra hours the next day, to make up for the previous shortened work day, and we were able to get a lot done thanks to beautiful weather and a hard working crew. We split up into two groups and started actually installing steps and waterbars. Morgan Sommerville (ATC's Southern Regional Director) came out to show his support and work with us for a few hours, which was awesome!

With a longer work day we were able to get in most of the steps and some waterbars before making the trek back to camp for burritos.

Saturday morning, Jerry and some volunteers cooked up an amazing breakfast of grits, eggs, bacon and spam. A great way to start the morning and be ready for a hard work day. With rain and thunderstorms expected in the late afternoon, our plan was to finish the steps on both sides of the gap in the first part of the day, then bump up the trail a little farther south of the gap before the storms moved in. The work required adding some steps into an eroding switchback, removing slough, cleaning up the backslope and closing off the old A.T.

With that work underway by the crew, two volunteers and I hiked a little farther south to where there was a stream crossing. We tried to keep water flowing, make for a better walk across the steam and add crush to the tread where water was pooling. With thunder in the distance, we finished work and headed back to the group to find they had finished their work and were getting ready to hike back to camp.


The rain started before we got going and most were caught in the downpour before making it to the kitchen tarp. We did some tarp maintenance when we returned to camp, and the crew drank hot tea to warm up after getting soaked on the hike out. We enjoyed one last crew dinner together, a delicious pesto pasta with sausage and veggies. A happy, dry, a little sore, fully stuffed crew headed to bed.


We had a pleasant morning having our final breakfast and slowly packing up tents and the camp. Rain came down on and off as we packed up, but it was a pretty smooth morning. We loaded up into the vehicles and headed for base camp. We stopped for lunch at the Bonefire Grill in Abingdon, VA before getting back to camp to unpack and clean.

The season is off to an amazing start if I do say so myself! Our volunteers for week 1 were awesome workers and great fun to camp, laugh and tell stories with. I am still overwhelmed by the volunteer support, work and dedication to the Appalachian Trail and this program. It's just amazing to have people come from all over the place to put in a tremendous amount of work to keep this trail a beautiful experience. I'm grateful to be a working with the ATC, the trail clubs and all the volunteers. Bring on week 2! Huzzah!

Log steps, drains and waterbars
features that keep the trail at 5 stars
crew 1 volunteers came to give back
so others can experience the AT track

young, old, alumni, or new,
thru-hikers, workers, and campers, made up this crew
Work, stories, laughs, and meals were shared
a week together in the woods, to what could be compared?

--Julia Smith, Assistant Crew Leader

Meet the 2018 Konnarock Crew Staff!

We're happy to welcome back four returning staff members and introduce two new faces as the 2018 KCrew Staff!

From left: Josh, Janet, Becky, Jerry, Julia, and Brian

Crew 1 will be led by Jerry Kyle (returning for his fifth season as Crew Leader) and new Assistant Crew Leader Julia Smith.

Brian Allgood is back for his third year on staff, but first time as Crew Leader. He'll be leading Crew 2 with the help of returning Assistant Crew Leader Josh Reynolds.

Both crews would be lost without the support of our fantastic Camp Coordinators, Janet Gibbons and Becky White. Janet has been a part of Konnarock, as both staff and volunteer, for too many years to count, while Becky has jumped in with both feet for the first time this year.

If you want to know more about these characters, you'll just have to sign up for a week on crew so you can come on out to Sugar Grove and ask them yourself! Schedule and registration info at appalachiantrail.org/konnarock

2017 Konnarock Trail Crew Report

2017 was a great year for the Konnarock Crew!

 Take a look at the 2017 Konnarock Crew report, below, and see how much was accomplished!

See if you can figure out what projects these before-and-after photos come from:

Registration for 2018 Konnarock Crew weeks is coming soon, keep an eye on appalachiantrail.org/crews for the schedule!

Week 12: August 5-9, 2017

Crew 2: Brown Fork Gap Relocation

working with Smoky Mountains Hiking Club

click here for the full photo album

For week twelve, Crew 2 headed back down to Brown Fork Gap in Nantahala National Forest, NC for one last week of bushwhacking, rain, mud, and digging. Though it was the final week of the season, the Trail had plenty of challenges in store for the Crew. For a detailed description of this relocation project, be sure to check out Crew Two’s blog from Week 11.

Since the drive down to the project is usually just long enough to prevent the Crew from hiking up to the work site on the first day, they decided to make the most of it by stopping at 12 Bones in Arden, NC for some delicious barbecue. The calories came in handy during the campsite set-up, as new campsites had to be cleared through the heavy brush for the extra large crew. Once camp was established the Crew was joined by “Ox”, “Hopeful”, and Wayne of the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club who showed up just in time for a game of Werewolves. Their company and helping hands were much appreciated throughout the week.

 

The first work day could not have gone more smoothly. The weather was sunny and mild for August and the large crew was able to make an amazing amount of headway. Afterwards, they went for a relaxing swim in nearby Fontana Lake and were once again treated to dinner by the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, this time at the Wildwood Grill in Fontana Village. Thanks again, SMHC!

Unfortunately, luck would not hold out on the second work day. The rain started sometime in the early morning and picked up through out the day. For safety reasons, the crew decided to hike in on the AT, 2.5 miles up and over Jacob’s Ladder rather than attempt the slippery skid road. Needless to say, the Crew got thoroughly drenched on their way in. Thankfully, they were able to seek refuge in Brown Fork shelter and hoped that they would be able to catch enough of a break in the rain to get at least a few hours of work in. 

For some of the volunteers, this was their first AT shelter experience and certainly turned out to be a memorable one for all. As miserable as the weather was, they were thankful to be in a dry place for lunch and enjoyed chatting with some southbound thru-hikers who were also holing up in the rain. Wayne, Crew 2’s chief meterologist, consulted the weather radar app on his phone, but unfortunately only had bad news for the Crew. There would be just enough of a break to hike out, so they took it while they could. Well, at least they can’t say they didn’t try!

Although they were unable to accomplish any work that day, the hike did provide an educational experience as volunteers were able to witness what happens to fall line trail during a heavy rain event and walked away with a more complete understanding of the purpose behind the relocations in the area.  

Although the forecast did not look very promising for the final work day, the weather finally broke and the Crew was able to finish out the week strong with a highly productive day and a safe final descent of the skid road. Back at the campsite, the Crew celebrated the victory in true Konnarock fashion with a no-bake cheesecake.

When they returned to basecamp, there was another celebration in store to close out the 2017 season properly with one final hoo-rah. Folks from the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club, the US Forest Service, as well as several Konnarock alumni came out to show their appreciation and to celebrate a successful 35th season with a huge feast, music, and of course – a giant tick piñata compliments of Kathryn.

It’s hard to believe another season has come and gone. Working alongside all the wonderful folks who make up this amazing crew, one barely notices the time passing. Thanks to all partners and volunteers whose contributions were vital in making this season successful and injury-free. The AT would not be what it is without you all. Until next year… HYAW!!!!!!!

--Brian Allgood, Assistant Crew Leader

Week 12: August 5-9, 2017

Crew 1: Jump Off Rehab

working with Nantahala Hiking Club

click here for the full photo album

This is it. The last Crew 1 blog post of 2017. It can only mean one thing: the final battle against degraded post-wildfire trail conditions at The Jump Off in western North Carolina. Week 12 brought Crew 1 back to the Nantahala National Forest for the third project week in a row, with the goal of bringing the ongoing, ambitious rehabilitation work to a stable ending point. 

Over the past two weeks, this unstoppable crew had successfully replaced a 33-step log staircase in addition to making considerable headway on the construction of a wooden gabion-like structure to repair a “floating” trail section that was in dire need of rescue. The tasks in store for the 12th and final crew week of the season were manifold: finish the gabion, chisel usable steps into the dangerous “Jump Off” cliff, and install a series of log steps in the badly gullying trail above the Jump Off.

If this all sounds a bit daunting, take a moment to remember that Crew 1 has never yet backed down from a difficult trail dilemma. What to the average observer might seem hopeless, Crew 1 views as an opportunity for innovation. What might by some be deemed an impossible task, Crew 1 views as a challenge. In the words of wisdom once imparted by a crew member, “Easy decisions, hard life. Hard decisions, easy life.” The members of this crew are well aware that many rewards are reaped by engaging the tough moments in trail work head on.

None of this inspiring confidence, however, is possible on an empty stomach. This is why Crew 1 started Week 12 off strong with a stop at Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack in Asheville, NC. A wide variety of spicy chicken dishes and delicious sides provided the fortification needed to prepare this week’s large crew of volunteers for the work ahead of them. From there, the crew continued to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where several alumni volunteers met the group and formed a caravan on the last leg of the drive.

 Finally arriving at the Forest Service road near Robbinsville, Crew 1 rapidly set up camp and commenced with the weekly tool safety talk. It didn’t take long before dinner was cooking and the crew settled into the week’s temporary abode.

The following morning unfolded with breakfast and the daily stretch circle, and eventually the challenging 1-mile ascent up the bushwhacked access trail to the Jump Off cliff. Taking into account the dismal weather forecast for the following day, the crew opted to work extra hard and extra late on the first day in case of a subsequent rain-out. This proved to be a long day of action-packed work. 

One of the main tasks for the day was the installation of some “sidelog” cribbing along the edge of the log staircase that was previously replaced. Considering that the edge of the trail on this section is literally falling off the mountain, the extra cribbing provided by these sourwood logs will surely make a positive difference. The other major task was the felling, bucking, and transporting of the final locust logs for the gabion, in addition to splitting the numerous “slats” to be used in this picket-fence-esque structure.

Once the logs were lowered by rope down the cliff and carried to their places, a couple of veteran alumni began yet another task - wielding the Milwaukee Rock Drill to chisel into the Jump Off cliff itself. This cliff was quite a dangerous spot, requiring crew members to pass tools and gear down rather than carrying them - and it didn’t look much better for hikers burdened with heavy packs. Using the rock drill, outfitted with a specially selected chisel bit, volunteers were able to cut steps into the stone, thus making for a much safer ascent and descent.

Yet more drilling was done at the gabion site to secure the multiple crib logs with rebar pins - the only way of keeping logs in place on this treacherous slope. While this work was undertaken, still more volunteers worked on building a conventional log crib wall to connect the gabion with the log staircase and hold all the intervening soil in place. Activity bustled and crush rock was ferried up and down the trail. Several members of the Nantahala Hiking Club also made appearances to assist during this long and busy day.

As it grew later, many projects were finished up and the gabion remained as the sole task that needed to be absolutely finished before the end of the day. By this point, the horizontal crib logs were all pinned in place and it was finally time to drive the vertical “slats” behind the crib logs. By backfilling the void behind the slats with rock and soil, this structure would resemble a picket fence and theoretically would prevent further erosion on this precarious trail section. The crew needed to work in incredibly close quarters to pull this final phase of the day off. It wasn’t easy work by any means - the footing beneath the gabion was unstable, and the utmost precaution was observed while maneuvering around the structure.

Although it felt almost like working two days rather than one, the gabion was finally completed around 6pm on that first work day. The result of ingenuity and tireless teamwork, this unconventional trail structure is undoubtedly one of the crown jewels of the 2017 season. A tired but victorious crew saddled up their packs and hiked down to the campsite, reaching the site around 7pm.

With voracious appetites kindled by the long work day, the crew decided to experiment with “alternative foods” night. Rather than following the menu, several culinarily-minded crew members engineered a delicious dinner spread featuring made-to-order quesadillas, chips, and salsa. The addition of two Lodge cast-iron skillets, donated by an alumni volunteer, made alternative foods night a fantastic experience for all.

The next day delivered on the predicted rainy weather, and Crew 1 opted not to waste time hiking and working in the slick, dangerous, and muddy conditions on the trail and at the work site. Instead, the crew enjoyed an extravagant breakfast including scrambled eggs, country ham, fried green tomatoes, and of course Jerry’s famous creamy grits. The crew then took some time to relax, read, nap, or hang out under the slightly leaking kitchen tarp, before eventually packing into the Konnarock van and traveling to Andrews, NC for another delicious trip to Scoops Creamery.

Later in the evening, Crew 1 met the Nantahala Hiking Club at the Nantahala Outdoor Center for drinks and dinner at the River’s End Restaurant. During dinner, Jerry was proud to present multi-year alumni Clark Britt with an Appalachian Trail vest in honor of his exceeding 1000 hours of volunteer service with Konnarock. Clark was joined by 21-year alumni Billy Williams for a photo-op to celebrate this amazing accomplishment.

Although an entire day had been lost to the rain, Crew 1 jumped back into action as soon as the rain ceased around 9am on the next morning. Although the trail was slick, it soon began to dry out as the sun emerged and the misty clouds dispersed from around the Smoky Mountains in the distance. A few finishing touches were put on the gabion’s tread surface, but the main task for the day was the installation of log steps above the Jump Off cliff.

This area had been heavily eroded, and the use of log steps will help to slow the flow of water and prevent more soil from washing away. Since this section was full of roots, and in some places bedrock, the progress was slow but steady. The lower log steps, coming directly off of the cliff itself, needed to be pinned with rebar into the stone since there was no way to drive wooden stakes into the ground. The trusty Milwaukee drill got to see plenty more action before the day was done.

The site heated up considerably as the day wore on and the sun came out in earnest. Nevertheless, Crew 1 worked as a well-functioning team to install as many steps as possible. Some crew members crushed rock to use as fill while others ferried it from one place to another. Others worked on digging the steps into place and hammering stakes, and still more worked to create more stakes by debarking and splitting locust logs.

Another group of volunteers constructed one more section of log-cribbing further up the trail to prevent soil erosion on the steep downhill side of the trail. The crew worked well beyond the usual quitting time yet again to make up for the rain day. By the end of the day, there was a world of difference to behold on the trail from what it had been at the start of the week. In just two days, a phenomenal amount of quality work was completed.

The heroic effort to carry down an enormous quantity of tools from the Jump Off on the last day cannot be ignored. Several crew members volunteered to go back up and down the trail on a second trip - which included carrying the portable generator and the rock drill on freighter packs. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew put together a fabulous dinner of spicy Thai noodles, salad, and deviled eggs. The crew was able to celebrate a very successful week, and the end to a very successful season.

The next morning, Crew 1 disassembled camp and packed up for the last time of the summer. It had been a whirlwind week on a truly memorable project, and now the end-of-season party at Konnarock Base Camp awaited the crew members. There was still time, however, for one last lunch stop along the way - the much beloved 12 Bones Smokehouse in Asheville got one more visit from the crew that eats just as hard as it works.

Special Thanks to Nantahala Hiking Club for their continued support this week and throughout the three weeks at this challenging project. The on-the-trail support as well as the dinner trips were crucial for crew morale and the success of the project. Another big thanks to the sizable group of quality volunteers who turned out in force for this final week of the season. Konnarock would quite literally be nothing without the time, energy, skill, and spirit provided by the many generous volunteers who contribute each week of the summer. As it is the end of the season, a thank you is in order for Camp Coordinators Rachel and Janet for managing all things food-related during the volunteer season as well as so many other logistical and facility-related details.

It has truly been a fantastic and successful season for Crew 1. The challenging project at the Jump Off was an appropriate way to end such a season. No doubt many more successful summers lie ahead of the Konnarock Volunteer Trail Crew, thanks to the eclectic, eccentric, and passionate people who make up this organization and form a big part of the Appalachian Trail’s soul.

--Josh Reynolds, Assistant Crew Leader