RATtreks

Trail Work Trip 9-21-2010

It has been since March 24, 2010 since I have been able to get back on my section of the Appalachian Trail for any maintenance work. This is due to a motorcycle accident in May that left me with several busted ribs and an injury to my right arm. Unfortunately I was unable to cut the annual growth this year but, I was hoping that due to those circumstances, that the Carolina Mountain Club work crews would take care of it for me.  It seems this did not happen. Luckily for the hikers, it was not a bad year for weeds on my section.  It has been a bit dry up there so, it was not terribly overgrown, however, it was definitely not up to my usual standards. Thanks to my friend and fellow trail maintainer, Doug Corkhill [who does the section next to mine from Big Bald to Little Bald], I was able to get a ride with him to the top making it easier for me to walk my entire section going mostly downhill, on September 21, 2010. Thanks Doug !

View from TN side of Little Bald (notice all the bugs)

It was a beautiful day to be on the mountain, however, the bugs were extra ferocious. After a short break at the Big Bald Shelter, we were soon out on the ridge heading towards Little Bald. Doug had already cut his weeds earlier in the year so his section was in great shape. We ate our lunch on the summit rocks of Little Bald, then Doug headed back South to Big Bald painting blazes as he went, and I began my descent North towards Spivey Gap. The annual growth was the worst on this highest part of my section, but I managed to beat them back with my hiking stick and also did a bunch of snipping with my hand snippers which made a huge difference. Someone had lost one of their sandals near the summit.

Purple Aster

The beauty of Nature abounds even in the weeds. They were blooming and there is no better painter or floral arranger than Mother Nature herself.

Blooming 'weeds' on the mountain side

It is a steep hike down Little Bald and after much snipping I was ready for a break, which I took at the spring located on the lower part of the mountain before the ‘A.T. Rock’. I took some time to dig it out and cut back the stinging nettles there. My hand was already blistered from all the snipping and the cold water had a soothing effect on it.

Closed Gentian

After dragging some blow-downs out of the trail and some more snipping, my next break would be at the ‘A.T. Rock‘. It was definitely time for a snack there. As I continued towards Whistling Gap, I found a cool rock cliff with a nice overhang that I thought would make a great place to get out of a rain storm, so I stopped to check that out for future reference.

Fungus (From the 'Lookslika Penis' family)

A.T. Rock

It was not far to Whistling Gap. I stopped there for another rest to gain my strength to climb the hill to High Rocks. That hill seems to always kick my butt ! There has been some recent improvements to the High Rocks area including new steps up the blue-blazed side trail to the top, and much removal of laurels and growth to allow for easier and safer travel with better views on top and up the bottom side where the white-blazed trail goes. I spent some time on top taking some photos of the nice views and to eat another snack. It was hot being exposed on the huge monolith rock and I get a slight vertigo feeling looking off the vertical back side of it. I spent as much time there as I could before taking one last look back at Little Bald as I was leaving.

View from North side of High Rocks

View from South side of High Rocks

I decided to take a few new pics from the bottom since it has been cleared of a lot of the growth that was previously there but the sun was still a bit bright for quality pics.

View from beneath High Rocks

View from beneath High Rocks

I snipped many ‘pickers’ that were overhanging into the trail down all the steps and across the cribbed area, and cleaned off the steps which seem to catch debris rather quickly, as I made my way down the steep descent of High Rocks. It was not long before I reached what we call the ‘lower relo’ where I stopped to admire a Spruce Pine that I relocated back when we built this new section of trail somewhere around `93 I think. It was only a foot or two high then, and I was told it had to go, but I refused to kill it and took the time to dig it up and replant it just off the trail. It is doing fine and now is over my head high.

whiteblaze and plant with blue berries

Just after the Spruce Tree  is the huge blow-down I had heard so much about. It seems that two large trees had fallen back in the Spring, one had a  root system that took out the tread-way and the other still laying across the trail. It has been cut by the saw crew already but for some reason this tree refuses to be moved easily ! We will just have to live with it for now.

Old Tree

There are a few other new blow-downs that will have to be removed on a later trip but all are easily negotiable. I was getting a bit tired by this point as I came into the Spivey Gap area so,  I stopped to check out the old campsite located on the old A.T. (prior to the trail relocation) just above the serpentine stairway that we built back then. This is still a great place to camp with a creek running right through it. The stairway also now has a blow-down across it that will have to be removed sometime soon.

A male tree ?

It was now evening and cooling off as I entered the old growth hemlock forest that is now dying from the pine bark beetles. The deer browse field had been mowed already and was looking good although no wildlife was to be seen. Someone has been shooting holes into the white marks here. It was an awesome day on the mountain but I was happy to finally be back at my vehicle as I was now a tired RAT. I will probably not make another trip from the top down this year but, do hope to get back soon to work on some issues between Spivey Gap and High Rocks before Winter sets in.

Campsite at Spivey Gap