Work Trips on the AT – 6-3-2017 & 9-20-2017
Work Trip: 6-3-2017 :
This years annual growth cutting on my Appalachian Trail section was done earlier in the year than I usually do it. This was in part to a suggestion by the CMC Trail Supervisor (Tim Carrigan) who wanted to get together to finally meet us in person and help out on my section at the same time. In other sections the growth had been much higher but, it was not that bad on mine except for the few known trouble spots. Now that my section has been split in half (as per new ATC rules and regulations in regards to how long a section can be) I have lost half my section to a new maintainer đ  I do however, now have a key to the gate and access my part via Whistling Gap which is a plus and something I have been trying to get for over 25 years. Tyler and I got there early and was already halfway up the mountain by the time Tim and his two dogs caught up with us. Unfortunately his weed-eater would not start when he got there so he had to leave it behind and share our sling blades in order to help us out. I was glad to hand mine over and do some hand clipping instead ! It was a warm and sunny day and I did not take many pictures but, we did cut the entire section to the top of Little Bald and back. It was good to finally meet Tim in person and have some help working on the trail.
A beautiful section of ferns that I have purposely selectively cut around for over 25 years so that they would choke out any weeds from growing, high up on Little Bald.
Here are the few pics I took on the June work trip with my son Tyler and CMC Trail Supervisor Tim Carrigan:
Some of the thickest growth we ran into. This is on the top part of of the upper relocation we built with Konnarock Crews in 1993.
Another view of the top part of the upper relocation before we cut it.
Looking back down the top part of the upper relo AFTER we cut the weeds down. It makes a mess but it quickly dies and dries up and is much better than wading through the chest high weeds ! Note: we always cut the backslope and not so much on the lower part to keep hikers up the hill to keep the treadway graded and prevent them from hiking on the edge which causes the fragile edge to blow out and erode which in turn causes a lot more work for us. Some people can not grasp this method no matter how many times you tell em they simply can not resist cutting the lower side !!
Our reward for making it all the way to the summit of Little Bald = the view from the TN side overlook !
View from Little Bald (TN side) Looking towards Johnson City (distant center) and Erwin (distant right)
View from Little Bald TN side overlook. Just left of center is No Business Knob and Flattop and Unaka Mountains are to the far right.
View from Little Bald. This image adds in the mighty Roan Mountain to the far right.
Work Trip: 9-20-2017 :
In late September I got reports of a really bad blow down right on the narrow summit of Little Bald that had the trail completely impassable. Tyler and I went as soon as we could to assess the damage and cut what we could to make a trail through or around it until the saw crews could get up there and take it completely out. I did saw work for many years but, I no longer do this very often for many reasons that I will not go into here. We also knew the growth would need some re-cutting due to the previous trip being a bit too early and, since it had been three years since I last painted the trail blazes, I would be painting them as well. We got an early start and made our way to the mountain. After seeing some wild turkeys along the road and dealing with the stubborn lock system on the forest service gate, then the nearly three mile ride on the overgrown forest road, we were soon hiking our way up the steep hill towards ‘Little Bald’ aka ‘Big Hairy’ aka ‘El Grande Chi Chi’ !
Wild turkeys out for an early morning stroll in the fog
Grooming the steep back slope of the upper relo. (leaving the bottom uncut)
The weeds had not grew too much on this part but, we groomed it down some anyway to do as Sam Waddle used to say ‘beautify it’ !
Morning fog rising up from the valleys below
Top part of the upper relo looking good.
A beautiful Lion`s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) found near the top. I wish I had picked it for eating as I found out not only how delicious it is ( lobster or crab flavor when cooked in just a little oil) but, many amazing qualities have been proven to derive from consuming it from treating gastric ulcers and reduce blood glucose levels and to improve wound healing, to improved cognitive ability in individuals with mild cognitive impairment including Alzheimers patients which include reducing the effect of the type of amyloid plaque formation found in those cases, and many other benefits like reducing anxiety and depression etc. I learned a lot about this remarkable and very edible mushroom once I got home !
Lion`s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
Lion`s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
We groomed the weeds back and I painted Southbound blazes on our way up and once on the summit we discovered what all the fuss was about. Just at the top we found a really old tree that had fallen across onto the trail blocking not only the main AT but, also the short side trail that leads down to the overlook on the TN side of Little Bald. Hikers had actually been crawling off the mountain through the thick growth dragging their packs behind them to get down to the side trail and back around the edge of the vertical drop off cliff there to get around this thing. We only had various loppers and pack saws so it took us a while to get a path cleared through it.
Looking right up the trail across Little Bald was this nasty blow down ! Thick briers and growth and rocks on the left and more of the same with a huge drop off cliff to the right ! I felt sorry for the hikers who had to get through this !
Looking to the left you can see it is still attached and how gnarly it is all around.
To the right you can see how the multiple tops of this old tree had the trail to the overlook completely blocked. The hikers were somehow crawling through and around this without falling off the cliff that is just out of view to the right of here.
Here I am standing right in the trail looking straight up where it should be going. This was going to take awhile !
We had to snip and cut a ton of small nasty stuff just to get to the tree and have a place to stand before we could even start sawing on its many limbs ! Here Tyler is still lopping small stuff so we can get to the tree.
We might as well have been on the dark side of the moon !
You can see how the base of the tree rotted out over many years causing it to fall over. it was still very much attached.
Tyler still lopping the multiple branches and smaller limbs that kept us from getting to the actual woody part of the tree !
Tyler continuing to cut an opening under this gnarly widow maker
The top of this tree spread out far and wide. It was very time consuming to clear a trail through this.
After a half an hour of cutting and dragging I can still barely see the big dead tree at the edge of the overlook ! I was working on this side while Tyler worked on the main trail part. This think was all over the place !
Deep in the center of the madness i found this wild looking black fungus !
After an hour of cutting I finally got on the other side of the tree. This is looking back at it as the Northbound hiker would have seen it. if you look close you can see Tyler still cutting where he was in the previous pics !
Another one from the opposite side you can see Tyler is finally able to start sawing actual limbs off the tree. This was oak (I think)Â and very hard so it was slow going.
Tyler working hard to get through the cut.
Finally the short side trail to the overlook was cleared !
Tyler finally got the main trail passable as well !
We had made a lot of progress !
Tyler taking a well deserved break
The overlook is finally cleared !
Again looking from the other side, you can see the tree is still on the actual trail but we now have a really good temporary trail made around it
Testing it out after a few more adjustments !
All good until the saw crew can get here !
It turned out really nice and we did get a great path that could be walked through easily with a pack on without any interference whatsoever which I am sure the hikers appreciated. The views from the overlook made it all worth while. I painted blazes Northbound on the way back down the mountain while Tyler did some more grooming of the few weeds that were left.
View from the overlook
Overlook view. You can see some early signs of Fall colors
View from the TN side overlook. Fall colors just starting
Freshly repainted white blaze on the tip top of Little Bald where my section starts / stops.
Tyler stands beside a newly painted blaze at the start of the top of the new relocation we built with Konnarock Crews in 1993 and 94.
Sprucing up the paint on the famous At Rock in memory of the Phantom Blazer who started this many years before my time.
Another angle of the famous AT Rock (landmark)
Driving my Jeep out the overgrown US Forest Service road. it is pretty steep going down this part of it !
Tyler handles the lock on the gate because he has a way with it. His hands fit in there better etc.
Tyler makes short work of the troublesome lock and gate
This really cool rock cliff is near the gate. I have gotten out of the rain a few times here before.
Tyler flexing his muscles as he tries to climb the overhanging rock.
Locked gate back and said goodbye until next time,,,
The Monday work crew did make it up there the following week and took the tree the rest of the way out in its entirety. It had been another successful day on the mountain with much accomplished including many calories burned by Tyler and myself ! Doing good deeds always makes one feel better. Unless another emergency comes up it will be late Fall or early Spring before we get back to clear out water-bars and check the trail conditions before the thru-hikers start coming through. Until next time,,,
The CMC Monday Work Crew taking out the rest of the tree
CMC Monday Work Crew taking out the tree !
and this is what it looks like now looking Northbound with the short side trail to the overlook being on your left. Another great job by John Whitehouse and his CMC Monday work crew.
My name is 'RAT' and I love the mountains and waterfalls of the East TN. area where I live and I hope you enjoy this blog about my outdoor adventures.
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