Rockfish Crew: A Season of Progress (Sec 1 & 2)

 

 Rockfish Crew loads up their tools for the trip to the AT at Rockfish Gap.

The goal on Saturday for the crew on Section 1 was to complete a season-long project to reduce the amount or water running unchecked down the AT, to rehab and maintain the waterbars that had been built this season and in previous years, and to finish removing and rebuilding of section of outdated waterbars built in 1992 when the trail was rerouted.

Removing the old rock waterbars and several old wooden check steps went relatively quickly. The hard part was to install the new log waterbars in the correct locations. Unfortunately, the trail here runs along an old road bed, so there was nothing we could do about the 20% slopes. We finally decided on the correct locations and started digging the trenches which would hold the wooden logs, which would form the support of the waterbars. Each log was first laid across the trail in order to get the correct alignment (45%). The trenches were dug, the logs were laid and then lots of fine soil was tamped around and under the logs to insure that they would stay put. Next came the addition of good clay soil which packed well and would add stability and longevity to the waterbars. Finally, the unused rocks were used to steer hikers and runners to the center of the treadway to make sure the most stabilized portion of the waterbar would get the greatest use.

We rehabbed all the waterbars (44) on Section 1 and even had time to repair a set a stone steps that had needed repair since shortly after the were set in 1993. I was working with the trail construction crew that year and watched them install the original stairs. The rocks were relatively small, but they held up OK. Unfortunately, they had slipped out of alignment due to tree roots growing along one side and had started to slope downhill. We removed the roots, reset the steps in proper alignment to the treadway and made sure that they no longer sloped downhill.

Twenty-one (21) waterbars were built this season. The trail has stabilized and a significant amount of water has been diverted off the AT.  ~Jim S. (Crew leader) 
 

Thanks to the following folks for helping on this project, which started on 

the April 2013 work trip:

Lee, Lisa, Charlotte, Ed, Christina, Mark, Jim, Margaret, 

Dave, Eric, Bob, Craig, Lynn and Bill. 

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(Photo: Merlot)

Maintainers In The Mist (Sec 1)

 

 Naughty Girl Creek in fog and mist.

Our crew started at Rockfish Gap with the goal of cleaning out and repairing the existing waterbars that have been installed on Section 1, and rogueing out larger rocks that tend to block the tread way after erosion has exposed them (i.e. the toe trippers). Section 1 runs from Rockfish Gap on the north end to Naughty Girl Creek, about 1.8 miles south. A large portion of this section was built on an old road bed, so not much consideration was given to getting water off the trail when it was constructed over 20 years ago.

The existing waterbars on the northern portion have been consistently maintained over the past 6 months and have held up well. Our goal was to make it to the southern end of the section where it had been some time since the waterbars were maintained. That section also had numerous large rocks exposed in the tread way. We worked our way to the southern end of the section and had a brief lunch break.

Fog shrouded this section the entire day along with a heavy mist. By 1:00 p.m. a slightly more persistent rain continued so we picked up the pace. We rehabbed 9 waterbars on the far southern section and removed the worst of the offending toe trippers. We stopped at another stream crossing and cleaned off our muddy tools (and hands). The crew did an amazing job and repaired a total of 36 waterbars, even finishing earlier than expected (3:15 p.m.) in order to attend the maintainer's picnic at Sherando Lake. We won the award for "dirtiest-looking" crew :-)

   ~ Jim S. (Crew leader)

Thanks to this "award wining" crew .... Jim, Margaret, Craig, Bob & Eric ..... for a hard day of work under difficult conditions!

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(Photo: Christina W.)

The Wonder of Water Bars (Sec 1)

 

Democracy in action: the crew conferring about the optimal location for the water bar. Trail work is a team effort and each member has valuable input to contribute.

It was a full day of water bar construction and rehabbing for the Section One crew of Jim S, Jim D, Ed F and Christina W. This year’s frequent and torrential downpours have tested the limits of the new and existing water bars and really underscore the necessity for implementing good erosion-control measures on the trail. We could not have asked for more perfect weather conditions to work in, with a slight breeze, low humidity and very clement temperatures.

Crew leader Jim S got us started in the field just south of Rockfish Gap with an overview of Water Bars 101 for new crew member Jim D. We evaluated several recently constructed projects and determined they are doing their job well, by channeling water off the trail to prevent erosion, even in the face of the constant assaults of an unusually rainy season. Like snowflakes, each water bar is unique and each location has its particular challenges and attributes, ranging from the availability of building materials (rocks, logs, etc) which can be incorporated into the structure, to the type of soil available (clay soil is desirable because of its packing qualities) and the amount of sun exposure of the location. Unlike snowflakes, durability is essential and although they are “built to last”, constant upkeep is also a necessary part of the process.

The crew split up and Ed and Jim D got right to work building two new water bars and rehabbing a number of others while Jim S and Christina continued down the trail to complete installing a locust log water bar they began working on during last month’s work trip. Moving along, we tackled what seemed like every kind of water bar rehab in the book. Being part of a successful crew requires good collaboration and the input of all the members is valuable to the success of the project, and Jim D’s new perspective combined with an engineer’s eye made a valuable contribution to our team effort, as did the expertise, hard work and flexibility of all the crew members.

 

Breaking ground on another new water bar.  Note the large rock in the foreground, just roughed out of the trail and ready to incorporate into the structure.

 

 The final touches of debarking the locust log to prepare it for installation in the water bar.

 

A trench is dug and the log is ready to set into place.

 

 

 The log is reinforced by a row of small rocks packed in on both sides. A pick Mattock is a versatile tool and comes in useful for packing soil to anchor the log.

 

 Partially buried log: the felled tree on the upslope is a good candidate for a future log water bar.

 

Now you see me, now you don't...the only clue to the fact the foundation of this water bar contains a locust log is over to the left of the picture.

Hiking out we we able to take an inventory of our day’s work: three new waterbars installed and sixteen rehabbed. Not a bad day’s work! We also scouted the next set of seven water bars at the far southern end of the section, and they are flagged and on a “to-do” list for a future work trip. Once installed, this group will complete the rehab of Section One’s water bars, a project that has taken a lot of effort and great teamwork over several months to achieve. On this occasion, our water bars would not have to wait long to demonstrate their worth; the monsoon-like rains of Saturday night and Sunday would certainly put our skills to the test and it will be interesting to see next month how well they’ve held up to the test!  ~ Christina W.

  Crew members celebrate the completion of one of the new water bars.  In the picture on the right, Ed F is demonstrating where we would like to see hikers cross our water bars.

Thanks so much to Jim S. (crew leader) Ed F., Jim D. and Christina W. (photographer and reporter!) for a great team effort and lots of hard work with good results.

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(Photos & narrative: Christina W.)

Rockfish Crew: Waterbar Nirvana?

 

Mark's eyes were closed when the picture was taken because of the

 transcendent state that he experienced when finishing yet another water bar. 

Notice the "spiritual" light of nirvana above his head. :-)

Nirvana: 

a place or state characterized by freedom from or oblivion to pain, worry, and the external world. 

When Lisa B. sent me her pictures, I laughed out loud when I saw her caption for the picture above. Then I got to thinking about it and looked up 'nirvana'. I'm not so sure that freedom from 'pain' figures largely into "waterbar nirvana", but you can most assuredly, if only temporarily, shed some worry and the external world while doing maintenance on the AT, including waterbar work. Thanks to Lisa for probably the most creative caption on the blog to date!

The Rockfish Crew, with Jim S. as crew leader, was going to work on waterbars on Section 1 near Rockfish Gap. Two people (Lisa & Mark) would start on the waterbar work and Jim (a certified sawyer) and Christina were going to take care of a couple of trees that had been reported down in the trail. The first tree was fairly close to Rockfish and no big deal ..... the second tree was a big enough deal that it is getting its own post! The waterbar related pictures are on this post - you can clearly see two separate waterbars in the pictures and tell that lots of hard work went into their construction. 

 

Jim's chain saw was put to good use. Not only did he clear space for a future water bar, but he cleared a 30 inch diameter tree farther down the trail. As you can see, safety first at all times.

 

Mark taking a break after finishing a water bar. 

Update July 25, 2013 (comments from crew leader Jim S.):

The first blowdown had been identified on an earlier work trip and at my request, I asked that it be left. It was locust and was in the general vicinity of a much-needed waterbar. I got Mark and Lisa started on a new water bar and Christina and I went to cut the locust log. Once I got it measured to the correct length, I cut it and Christina and I positioned it lengthwise on the trail. She then started to shave off all the bark - this will help to dry the log and season it for long term use. I went back to help Mark and Lisa and then had them walk to the locust tree. It was extremely heavy and it took all 4 of us to move it into position about 150' up the trail. The log was left in place across the trail and will be ready to install as a waterbar on a future work trip. It was definitely a group effort. I think Mark and Lisa installed 2 new water bars and rehabbed a couple more. Credit to the Rockfish Crew of Lisa, Mark and Christina who put in a lot of work Saturday with excellent results. Thanks, Jim

(Photos & picture captions: Lisa B.)

Rockfish Crew: Crawling Critters!

 

Buck Moth caterpillar - Hemileuca maia

 

Thanks to Christina W. for the pictures on this post and the following commentary:

The caterpillar was spotted (no pun intended :) ) near one of the waterbars Mark and Lisa were building on Section One.  It appears to be a Buck Moth (Hemileuca maia).  Here's another sighting from Augusta County:  Buck Moth caterpillar  
 
The critter's impressive spines are hollow and are connected to poison glands. Contact with the spines can cause a burning sensation and inflammation as painful as a bee sting. The irritation can last several days and can be accompanied by nausea (I'm sure glad none of us experienced that!).   Here's some advice for anyone unlucky enough to come in direct contact with the spines: a strip of adhesive tape can be used over the affected area to remove the spines by applying and stripping it off repeatedly.  Afterwards, an ice pack may reduce the stinging sensation, and the area also can be treated with a paste of baking soda and water. Some individuals with a history of hay fever, asthma or other allergies may be more susceptible to the sting and should contact a physician.  (This last advice from Florida Poison Control Center).

The rattler was first heard, then seen, a little ways up the trail from Naughty Girl Creek.  The girth was huge, it had obviously dined well recently!

 

Note: This is Christina's second Timber Rattlesnake picture! You can see the first picture (April 2012) at this LINK

(All photos: Christina W.)

The 'No Margarita' Bars (Sec 1 Crew)

The northern end of the R2R AT section begins at the Rockfish Gap grassy field.

(Photo: Merlot)

Christina W. sent in this comment and a link to pictures she took Saturday:

Here are the pictures from Saturday's worktrip:  It sure was a busy one with THREE new and ELEVEN rehabbed waterbars (and not one margarita :-(  ).  

Crew Pictures

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Crew leader report:

The water bar crew consisted of Christina W., Dennis S. and Jim S. (crew leader). We started by judiciously weed whacking and pruning the open field at RFG (Rockfish Gap). There are several benefits to keeping the corridor narrow and the vegetation at least 6" in height. There is no tree cover here, so any rainfall will have full soil impact and will cause severe erosion if the vegetation on the ground is clipped too close or if a wide, muddy trail exists. Keeping the corridor narrow is working by keeping the hikers (and water) on the trail.

Even though constructing water bars usually starts at the top of a hill, we started at the bottom, since the erosion was worse as the trail enter the woods. The trick was to catch the runoff coming down the AT AND the runoff from a culvert which drains the parking lot along the BRP at RFG, and to not block a side trail which enters the AT just as the AT leaves the woods. Christina worked on the largest of the water bars at the woods edge and Dennis worked on 2 smaller water bars working north to the BRP - since the erosion is not bad towards the top of the hill, the water bars can be smaller. I rotated between the 3 water bars and helped brush in the sides. Two more new water bars will probably be needed, but we'll watch how the water flows off the trail to see where and how many water bars will be needed to complete the project in the field.

We spent the remaining 2 hours rehabbing 11 water bars which had been installed on previous work trips. Water bars are like cars and homes - they need constant maintenance. The three of us had a very productive day and worked great as a team. Christina took great photos and always kept the conversations interesting. All of us celebrated a very productive day. 

~Jim S.

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Note: Christina was on the crew for One Burrito, Please & Hold The Salsa! last spring ..... I think I'm detecting a theme here! (Thanks for the link/info Christina).

Sec 1 Crew: A Layaway Locust Log Gets A Job

 

We admired a woodpecker's handiwork on a hickory tree. At each interval along the trunk where the bird pecked, the bark appears to have collapsed onto itself, as if it were molten.

This post is two-fold ..... some words from the Crew Leader (Jim S.) describing the projects completed for the day and then pictures (with captions) of the largest project from crew member Lisa B. This was Lisa's first maintenance work trip and she did an excellent job capturing the work that was done to install one large water bar ....plus a couple of other interesting pictures.

Crew Leader Jim:

We worked on Section One, all probably within 1/2 mile of Rockfish Gap. We installed 3 new water bars and rehabbed 6 existing water bars - some which were installed when the trail was originally opened. Over the years, two skilled sawyers cut, prepared and hauled locust logs to standby locations, knowing they would eventually be used as water bars. A large locust log came in very handy, as we used it as the base of a much-needed water bar. ~ Jim S.

Crew Member Lisa:

 

It takes all five of us to position the locust log onto the trail. It will be the basis for the new water bar.

 

Under Jim's guidance, we dig out a curved bottom trench as near to a 45 degree angle across the trial as we can estimate.

 

The log is ready to be dropped into the trench. The logs' shape dictated that it be dropped rather than rolled. Necessity is the mother of invention. Jim and Lee donate their belts to aid in lifting the log. With the belts we are able to increase our effort and over come the weight of the log.

 

Jim is inspecting the log's location. Just a small adjustment was necessary.

 

Lee is tamping soil under the log. We want it well situated. Several of us took turns packing soil under and against both sides.

 

Packing soil against the log continues until it is almost totally covered.

 

A hiker came through and her dog took an instant liking to the corner against the log. We took an instant liking to her!

 

The log is nearly concealed by soil. Almost complete!

 

Charlotte, Lee and Jim take a critical look at the finished product. Jim is testing water flow with his highly scientific orange. It works! 

A different water bar from the locust log:

 

Ed's shadow clearly illustrates the the curve of the earthen water bar that he and Charlotte made. Notice the big rocky shoulders on each side. "Grandma, what big shoulders you have!" "All the better for keeping you on the trail my dear."

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One more little 'happening' to add to the crew report before it ends ........

While pulling out a rock from the hillside, Lisa saw an Eastern Ratsnake ..... about 6 feet of snake! The link at  Virginia Herpetological Society: Eastern Ratsnake  has some interesting info on the Ratsnake, such as the following facts:

• It is the only 6+ foot snake in Virginia.
• The Scientific Name is: Pantherophis alleghaniensis.
• Genus: Pantherophis is derived from the Greek words "pan" which means bread, referring to the bread loaf, cross-section shape of the snake, "thero" means a wild beast of summer and "ophis" means snake.
• Species: alleghaniensis refers to its habitat in the Allegheny Mountains.

So .... a "wild beast of summer" was encountered on this work trip in the form of a 6 foot snake ..... what other adventures are waiting around the next bend in the AT for the May work trip crew? 

 

Eastern Ratsnake

(Photo Source) 

Thanks to Jim S. (Crew Leader), Lee, Charlotte, Lisa and Ed F. for their work on Sec 1 Saturday. Three newly constructed water bars and six rehabs add up to a very busy day and a much better AT! 

(All Photos & Captions: Lisa B., except as noted)

Scouting Trip After Sandy - Nov. 3, 2012

Saturday, a couple of people scouted the AT (Sections 1,2, & 3) from Rockfish Gap down to the Shelter at Mill Creek ..... a distance of about 5 miles, one way.  Christina W.  took the pictures of the scouting trip that you will see in this post. The views are east on this section of AT and you'll notice that it's beginning to look more like winter with views of Rockfish Valley beginning to reappear as the leaves disappear. The sunlight is not so direct at this time of year, tending to angle in, and this gives a different look to the woods and makes for some beautiful photographic opportunities. Some of the pictures won't have captions and will have to speak for themselves since I don't have any narrative. Thanks again to Christina for the beautiful pictures and all the crew members (Jim, Lori, & Christina) for making sure the AT is passable after Sandy's winds roared through the area and also brought some (now melted) snow at higher elevations. ~ Merlot

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 The 'mess' before ......

The 'clear' after ... a sawyer crew will still have to take the main tree down.

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Long Rock aka Jelly Bean Rock marks the end of Sec. 2 and the beginning of Sec. 3

The view from Long Rock in the fall/winter.

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Mill Creek - a good view of the high water stepping stones and more scenic views below.

 

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The shelter and the 'end of the line' before turning around and hiking back out to Rockfish Gap.

A Day's Work: Whopper Rocks & Water Bars (Sec. 1 & 2)

Naughty Girl Creek

Our crew went in at Rockfish Gap and we rehabbed and/or rebuilt 22 water bars on Section 1 and built 3 new water bars. I flagged a few more that need to be installed.

 Working on water bars.

 

Lunch along the rock steps at Naughty Girl Creek

We ate lunch at Naughty Girl Creek and then started roguing out rocks (I would guess 25+) that could be removed with a pick mattock. I knew there were at least 2 'large' rocks in the center of the trail on Section 2 that could not be removed without at least 3 people and a rock bar. It took longer than I thought, but they were whoppers and we were able to remove the 2 biggest ones.

Big Rock #1

Digging and prying ......

 

The trail tread .... minus Big Rock #1

Starting to work on Big Rock #2

 

Beginning to look like a rock 'iceberg' ..... lots more rock below the surface than showing on top.

 

The thrill of victory!

The crew with Big Rock #2 .... what a whopper!

 

Beautifully restored trail tread (you can see Big Rock #2 on the downhill side)

On the way out I noticed some smaller rocks on Section 2 and Section 1 that still need to be removed. We also removed a huge stump that we rebuilt the trail around on Section 2 - I think the tree blew down during Hurricane Fran, so it was rather sad to say good bye to that forest dweller that I had walked around for the past 20 years.... may it rest in piece (get it?) below the trail. We didn't get to Section 3.  Lee, Ed and Christina are wonderful. ~ Jim S. (Crew leader)


(Photo credit: All photos by Christina W.)