Week 8: June 29-July 3, 2019

Crew 2: South of Sams Gap Rehab

working with Carolina Mountain Club

click here for the full photo album

As another lovely week at Sam’s Gap comes to an end the Konnarock trucks enter base camp in condition similar to their occupants: dirty, smelly and in need of fluids and a good rinse. Having braved the mighty mountain yet again it was wonderful to decompress, clean tools and enjoy another of Janet’s fine meals.

Our project this week was to install log steps on a steep section of trail with emphasis on waterbars and runoff management. Blessed with perfect weather and abundant materials, our crew was able to make serious improvements that will not only make this hike safer for everyone involved but it will hopefully prevent the trail from needing relocation in the near future.

Pick mattocks cut away large swaths of earth, sledge hammers cause small earthquakes and chainsaws whine in the distance as draw knives cut curly ribbons from split black locust logs. Konnarock crew bustles in unison, all working together to complete our mission. None of this work could be done alone, it takes a group of dedicated individuals to pull it off and boy do we have dedication!

It was absolutely incredible working with these fine individuals, including not only the Carolina Mountain club who show constant support but the Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine sent two reporters out with us to see how its done! After a club-sponsored lunch at Little Creek Café we hit the highway. As Sams Gap disappeared in the rearview I wished to myself that the season would never end. It's not too late to join, folks! Come on out for some one of a kind fun on the Appalachian Trail!

--Paul Sealy, Assistant Crew Leader

Week 7: June 21-25, 2019

Crew 1: War Spur Relocation

working with Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club

click here for the complete photo album

What a week! Crew 1 headed out for a week at War Spur to start a much needed relocation of the trail. Most of the volunteers this week were new to Konnarock, so it was their first time doing any trail work.

Everyone picked up sidehill digging quickly, which was extra impressive because the soil we were working with was unideal to say the least. We ended up having to put a layer of crush over most of the trail we built. So many rocks were harmed in the making of this trail. We also put in a french drain and two rock steps over the course of the week.

The club also came out this week to help us dig. Our campsite for the week ended up being a pleasant surprise, and the weather was great most of the time. There was an amazing overlook just a short walk away, with views all the way back to basecamp! We caught a few gorgeous sunsets up there.

The food this week was all gourmet quality, as we had some skilled chefs on our crew. We had some grits stuffed peppers and even an oreo pie (which was shaken, not stirred, by our human blender). Over dinner we had some heated debates over who would win in a fight-- a six foot ant vs. a six foot squirrel.

After dinner on the last night we played a game of Kemps which Jerry and I were absolutely destroyed in.

On the way home on day 5, we stopped by Dismal Falls. Only two brave souls actually swam in that insanely cold water. We also made our mandatory ice cream stop at a Dairy Queen this week before we got home.

It was another super fun and productive trip!

--Sarah Ellsworth, Assistant Crew Leader

Week 6: June 13-17, 2019

Crew 1: Battery Cliff Rehab

working with Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club

click here for the complete photo album

This week Crew 1 returned to Battery Cliffs for the third time this season. We transformed a super unsustainable, ugly section of trail into a rock staircase with the help of three crews. This week we finally finished up the steep area we had been working on.

The highline made an appearance this week once again and we moved the last of the rock we had quarried over the previous weeks uphill to finally be built into structures.

The feathers and wedges also made an appearance so we could split some of the larger rocks. Unfortunately, the rocks at Battery Cliffs have a mind of their own and didn’t always split quite how we had planned, but fortunately the pieces were still useable and turned into beautiful steps.

This week we also took a little trip into Crozet for our mandatory ice cream trip (that we unfortunately skipped last week due to weather). It made us all grateful that our camp was up in the mountains because it was at least 10 degrees hotter down in Crozet. It was so hot. Definitely ideal ice cream eating weather. A few of us also stopped into a little local coffee shop while we were there. 

The day after we got to binge on ice cream, the Old Dominion club came out to work with us and put in a few water bars and drainages. After work they let us enjoy a nice potluck with them. 

On our last night some of us headed to Sherando lake for a swim and/or “hot” (lukewarm) shower.

It was another awesome week!

--Sarah Ellsworth, Assistant Crew Leader

Week 6 & 7: June 13-25, 2019

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

Week 5: May 5-9, 2019

Crew 2: Yellow Mountain Rehab

working with Nantahala Hiking Club

click here for the full photo album

Rumbling thunder cries out in the distance as a thunderstorm gnashes its teeth, threatening us with torrential downpours. Konnarock Crew 2 yells back, “NOT TODAY” to no avail as the rain rinses the dust from our brows and the sweat from our skin. 

If there is anything that I learned while hiking the A.T. it's that rain will always win, there is no such thing as a “dry” A.T. experience. Regardless of the persistent rain, morale remained high as we did our best to make improvements to the trail, laughing and joking with one another as if it was a sunny picnic. 

The rain persisted the entire trip, limiting our ability to build sturdy structures. We were able to rehab a particularly dangerous area of trail where sloping bedrock caused the soil to slide downhill, making for a treacherous decent. Junk cribbing and stone steps followed by mounds and mounds of freshly made crush made certain that it would no longer be an issue. 

The Nantahala Hiking Club joined us again to fortify our efforts as we slogged through the mud attempting to restore order, keeping our spirits high. After stabilizing as much as we could, and setting water diversions, we packed up and headed to a club member's residence where we were treated to hot showers, warm beds and a delicious potluck-style home cooked meal! 

All things considered, this was a great week. Its difficult for me to have any negative feelings towards this week - it will take more than rain to tarnish my love for the A.T.! Yet again the Konnarock Crew coupled with the Nantahala Hiking Club have completed a successful week of maintenance. Come out and join us!

--Paul Sealy, Assistant Crew Leader

Week 5: June 5-9, 2019

Crew 1: Battery Cliff Rehab

working with Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club

click here for the full photo album



For week five, Crew 1 returned to Battery Cliffs to continue our rehab work on a heavily eroded section of trail. This week the highline made a reappearance, and all 70 of the rocks we flew downhill to a staging area last week, got flown uphill, to the work site this week.

Fighting gravity turned out to be quite a challenge, but we managed to do it all in a relatively short amount of time. We also got to do some building this week and put in some cribbing and a staircase despite the less than ideal weather. It ended up raining on us a good bit, so we had some leisurely mornings under the kitchen tarp, and then would head to work between 11:30 and noon most days when the rain eased up.

Even though most mornings were pretty rainy, some of the evenings after work were nice enough that we could enjoy a nice campfire and Jerry got the chance to grill hamburgers over the fire for the first time on project. On the last night, the club had an amazing chef come cook for us at our campsite which was a big hit. It was by far the best food I’ve ever had in the field and definitely put most of us into a food coma by the end of the meal.

It was yet another awesome week!

--Sarah Ellsworth, Assistant Crew Leader

Week 4: May 25-29, 2019

Crew 1: Battery Cliff Rehab

working with Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club


click here for the full photo album


On week four, Crew 1 set off for Battery Cliffs doing a rehab project in a section that has been really degraded by water. A lot of rockwork and drainage will be necessary to solve this problem.

This week we set up a highline which was incredible to see in action. We were like a machine moving rock and managed to fly over 70 huge rocks in just a day and a half. The teamwork with this crew was awesome which was definitely what allowed us to fly so much rock so fast.

We had an expert tree climber with us who helped us rig up the whole system on day 2 and once it was set up everybody was assigned a job to do. We all ended up liking what we were doing so much that we never really switched up positions so everybody ended up being a pro by the next day.

On day 4 to wrap up the week, the crew put in two rock water bars and a few steps to help control the water issue before we come back for week 5. The last day of the week was our drive day so we got to sleep in a bit before we hit the road.

In our off time this week we got to adventure some. On day 3 we went into Waynesboro for our mandatory weekly ice cream stop. Then on day 4 after work we went off to Sherando lake and swam around to clean off, some people even brought out some soap. It’s a beautiful lake that we will most definitely be returning to next week ( they even have hot showers there ). 

On the last day of the week on the drive back to basecamp we stopped at Dinosaur Kingdom 2 which was an incredibly enlightening experience. We learned the secret history of the civil war, saw plenty of prehistoric creatures, and entered a room that defied the laws of physics. We even got to chat with the creator of this surreal world for a bit. It was probably the strangest place any of us had ever been in our lives. You can’t leave Dinosaur Kingdom 2 the same person as when you go in.

Ultimately we couldn’t have asked for a better crew and it ended up being a great week full of
weird adventures and really good work.

--Sarah Ellsworth, Assistant Crew Leader