So the AT Crews in the CMC are heading out on Wed. Looks like we are going to have 3 teams between Street Gap and Spivey Gap. Pumped about being on a crew!!!
So the AT Crews in the CMC are heading out on Wed. Looks like we are going to have 3 teams between Street Gap and Spivey Gap. Pumped about being on a crew!!!
Im gonna miss that Chaco. I wont be in the area until Thur. I will be working Mt Camerer to Snowbird Thur-Sat.
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SMHC Trail Maintainer
Volunteer in the Park (VIP) GSMNP
Watch out Chaco Taco...we maintainers will probably talk you into helping with Konnarock. Carolina's project this year is....relocating trail in between Flint Gap up to Shelton Graves.
Plus, the Carolina Club's MST crew will need a lot of help clearing blowdowns all along its Blue Ridge Parkway section.
''Tennessee Viking'
Mountains to Sea Trail Hiker & Maintainer
Former TEHCC (AT) Maintainer
To all maintainers and AT trail clubs--
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
RainMan
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[I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35
[url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]
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This is one aspect of the hiking community I have been excitted about joining. Did a Hardcore with Bob in Rutland on our Thru and loved it. Glad I can be a part of this living in Asheville!!! One of the many benefits of living here!!!
Did my spring walk through the same day, from Big Bald to Little Bald. Big Bald and it's northern shoulder were virtually free of snow, but as soon as you started to descend (northbound) into the woods towards the shelter the snow got thick. 12-18 inches in some places. Locating the trail was difficult, as the myriad of hiker tracks could attest. I did my best to stomp where the trail goes and placed sticks over the wrong tracks in the snow.
Walked all the way to Little Bald and back, beautiful sunny day. Need another week or two like that to melt all the snow. Rat went down from Little Bald to Spivey Gap and reported 24 inch drifts on the trail near the top. Tough hiking through there. The calendar may say spring but it's still winter at 5,000 feet.
Onward. Furthur!
-<>-Doug
GAME2k
I have newfound respect for the phrase "within walking distance." -Welches
went out the past 3 days on the section from I-40 to Brown Gap (just south of Max Patch). The trail is now open, that is to say you dont have to get off trail to go around the blowdowns very often. There are still over 150 large trees down across the trail there, but you can walk the trail without having to go around all the debris.
Chaco, let me know the next time a crew goes out. I have free time during the week and can plan to help out. Even better that I am now chainsaw certified.
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SMHC Trail Maintainer
Volunteer in the Park (VIP) GSMNP
A friend and I did Spivey G. to the Nolichucky this weekend. The first couple of miles north of Spivey had been cleaned up by maintainers and looked great. However, we hit a section about halfway to No Business Knob shelter with some horrible blowdowns. A couple of times we just stopped and thought "Now whadda we do?" These were on very steep slopes, and we couldn't see an obvious bypass that didn't require rappelling ropes and crampons for mud. We finally made it through, but it was VERY slow going. A special thanks to all trail maintainers, even Chaco.
Those are definitely major blowdowns... I was hiking before dawn and climbed over and around them using a headlamp.
I hiked from Devil's Fork Gap to Nolichucky this past weekend and didn't see anybody all the way to NBK shelter -did you stay there Saturday night? I went by there around 8:00 am and there were 2 people sleeping in the shelter and a couple of tents.
What about driving down the road from Spivey Gap? The one that goes to the bottom of Temple Hill by Granny Lewis Creek. Its been a few years but a good 4x4 would make it up the old road to the AT. Otherwise I think its about 1/2 - 1 mile walk to the AT from there. But the gravel road from the top of Spivey is long.
Cabin Fever
You need God—to hope, to care, to love, to live.
The work order for tomorrow 3/31/10 is Garenflo Gap up to Bluff Mtn and they will have a saw crew up there as well