Sec 5 Crew: Water, Water Everywhere!

 

Some work for the sawyers on Sec 5.

The Section 5 Crew had a variety of tasks to do, but sometimes conditions 'on the ground', compliments of Mother Nature, dictate the terms of the maintenance work that gets done. The plans were to do sidehill repair and rogue rocks that are 'popping up' in the trail due to wear and tear. This section was the very first piece of the Humpback Relo project in the late 90's and similar to Sec 7, almost 15 years of wear and tear from foot traffic and natural weathering, is causing maintenance concerns. However, due to the storms and heavy weather that came through on Friday, the crew ran into significant water issues that also had to be remedied. Here is their day:

 

Water from heavy rains flowing down the hillside and across the trail. This area originally had a 'French Drain' installation, but it clogged up within the first year. The non-functioning drain was abandoned and channels were used instead to get the excess water across the trail in a way that would prevent damage to the tread. This runoff water was bypassing the channels.

 

Channel for excess water is visible in this picture and you can see a good stretch of muddy trail behind the channel.

 

Ditching on the hillside gets the water narrowed down to a more controlled flow.

 

Water finally flowing where it's supposed to go .... in the channel.

 

Another view of this channel across the trail.

 

Rock 'rogue-out' and sidehill repair underway.

 

A finished section of trail, looking good with some leaf litter to provide

 'instant weathering' and hide the raw dirt.

The crew also went east on the AT/Howardsville turnpike (beginning of Sec 6) and cleaned out a winter's worth of leaves packed under the log bridge across one of the deeper Howardsville water bar channels. It is really amazing how many leaves get washed and tightly compacted under this log bridge and it is hard work to get them loose and cleaned out.

After the cleanout - what a difference!

Another view of that future sawyer project - the top appears to be snagged on a tree across the trail. 

The Section 5 Crew had a good day and got some excellent basic maintenance work done plus dealt with the watery curve ball that Mother Nature threw their way, just to keep things exciting! Sidehilling, roguing rocks, getting excess water flow off the trail, keeping channels operating and water bars cleaned out is trail maintenance work that adds up, section by section, to 19.1 miles of excellent AT!!

Many thanks to Lori (Crew Leader), Dave, Betty, and Regina (ATC Ridgerunner) for their work on Sections 5 and 6 Saturday!

(All photos: Lori A.)

Section 4 Maintainers: Early Spring Trip

 The steps to Glass Hollow Overlook get a spring cleaning.

(Photo: Dennis S.)

 

After a very late winter with snow and ice closing the BRP multiple times, the weather has finally relented and the Section Maintainers are now able to get out and about on the AT.  Reports from the Section Maintainers are coming in to "Maintenance Central" (that would be the Trail Maintenance Supervisor) with the condition of the various AT sections. This information is very important for planning the first AT work trip of the year on April 20, 2013.

On April 4, the Section 4 maintainers were on the AT and here is some of the narrative from their report:

Jim H. and I walked our section yesterday.  It was in pretty good shape, but we raked leaves from stairs; rogued a few rocks and roots; picked up trash; and trimmed back vines in a couple of spots.  

We only saw a couple of things that might merit attention on a work trip.  One was a tree hanging over the trail as you approach the Glass Hollow side trail (going north).  It’s high enough to walk under, and I think this may be an old tree, not a newly fallen one.  The other is that at Big Tree (where Jim S. has done a nice job of trimming the root ball to allow people to pass on the uphill side), Jim H noted that the big rock just uphill of the root ball may be loose enough to be moved with a pry bar.  Moving it would widen the trail enough that no further work might be required on Big Tree’s stump [note: this would be a separate 'Big Tree' from the one just north of Bear Spring that was the subject of a prior post Spring of 2012].  

The worst problem we saw was at the Humpback Rocks parking area, where the trash bin is overflowing and trash has been strewn all over the area, probably by animals.  Weather was fine (except cold, windy and damp).

One thing of note ..... some section maintainers have to hike over other sections to get to theirs and if they see an issue, even though it is not their section, they will take care of it. This happened with the Section 4 maintainers when they passed by the steps to the Glass Hollow Overlook, which is on Section 5, and cleaned off the steps:

We know Glass Hollow is not on our section, but that’s a place that inexperienced hikers like to go, often with their children ..... the steps just looked dangerous under a massive cover of leaves. ~ Dennis S.

Thanks to the Section 4 Maintainers (Dennis S. & Jim H.) for their work and report!

♦ ♦ ♦

Bears, Bees and Golden Trees (Sec. 5)

It was golden trees and blue sky for the October Work Trip.

It was a 'picture perfect' day for a work trip Saturday with crisp fall temperatures, blue skies and the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail glowing with fall colors. The predominant color was gold .... lots and lots of gold and when the sun was shining through the golden leaves, it was spectacular.  There was some red on the maples and the staghorn sumac was also deep red, but in the woods, it was pretty much a golden day.

The three-person crew for Section 5 set out to finish the work that the September crew started ....... redefining the tread on the approach trail to Glass Hollow Overlook. After hiking all the way to the Overlook and taking a lot of pictures because it was just so beautiful, we started the side hill work. Almost immediately, the work began where the September trip ended .... with a yellow jacket sting.  At virtually the same place on the trail as the previous month's incident, a yellow jacket decided that somebody's hair smelled mighty good and it went in to investigate. Needless to say, the human reaction was a vigorous effort to get the wasp OUT of the hair and although that effort was finally successful, there was a painful sting left as a souvenir. Fortunately, there was no adverse reaction; however, other yellow jackets were around and started following crew members up the trail and aggressively harassing them, so tools and packs were quickly picked up and everyone relocated farther up the trail and started work again.

Views from Glass Hollow Overlook: Left - Humpback Rocks, Right - Rockfish Valley

The side hill work went fairly quickly and there were also some large rocks taken out of the trail. By early afternoon (near 1:00), the crew had reached the top of the approach trail and after clearing off the rock steps to the AT,  it was time for a welcome break and some food. The rocks in this area offered convenient places to sit and relax during the break and with lots of hikers coming through and most deciding to check out the view at the Overlook, the approach trail/AT intersection was a 'happening place' during lunch.

Side hilling in progress and a completed section of refurbished tread.

Freshly cleaned steps at the top of the approach trail and the intersection with the AT.

The rest of the day was spent working our way back towards the Howardsville Turnpike, taking out rocks that were causing hikers to 'go around' and messing up the trail tread, cleaning steps, clearing out drainage ditches, moving loose rocks, and cribbing up a spot where a tree went down and the roots pulled up the outer tread edge plus some trail, leaving a hole that was a hiking hazard. As we got closer to Howardsville Turnpike, we could hear the sound of a chainsaw and knew the sawyer crew was clearing a tree that had fallen across the blue-blaze trail out to the Humpback Rocks Parking Lot.

Left: Digging out a large rock in the tread; Right: Stump hole cribbed up and filled in to make the trail safe for hikers again. (Photos: Lori A.)

On the final hike out on the blue-blaze to the HB Rocks Parking Lot, a bear was spotted up ahead on the edge of the trail!  Unlike most black bear sightings, normally a black furry rump rapidly disappearing into the bushes, this bear didn't flat out run, but zig-zagged its way down the mountainside through the bushes. We were close enough to the parking lot to hear voices so perhaps this bear has spent time around the picnic area and is somewhat accustomed to people - seeing the crew did not send it into a total panic. Our intrepid crew leader had her camera out and started taking pictures. When you are taking pictures in a hurry, the light is getting low and you have a moving target, "blur" tends to be the result, however, in the best picture of the series, you can definitely see a black bear shape right in the middle of the photo:

Bear!!

(Photo: Lori A.)

The crew on Section 5 had a great day and lots of work got done. It is remarkable (and satisfying to those doing the work) how lots of 'small' projects will add up and noticeably improve a section of AT and make it more pleasant and safe for hikers. We talked to a lot of those hikers Saturday - the trail was really busy with folks enjoying the superb fall day. We answered many questions about what we were doing and as a result, there were a couple of folks who were interested in possibly joining a work trip in the future.☺ Here are a few photos of just how busy the Humpback Rocks Parking Lot was once we finally got off the trail - the lot was full, cars were parked down both sides of the drive to the BRP and there were even cars parked along the main road!

The HB Rocks Parking Lot (full!!) and cars along the BRP.

So as not to end with car pictures, here are a few more fall scenes from our gorgeous day on the AT:

The woods near 'Manatee Rock' with a few small trees showing some red fall foliage.

 

Red, green and gold ........ a festive mix. 

Solid gold - the leaves seem to make their own sunshine.

 

There were still some wildflowers blooming in the woods:

 

 

(Photos: All photos by Merlot unless otherwise noted)

Note: for location, mileage and other features on this section of AT, visit the Section 5 page at:

Section 5 Location, Mileage and Features

 

 

Work Trip Pictures (from Sept. 15, 2012) - Sec. 5 Glass Hollow Crew

The 'Glass Hollow Crew'

There were three work crews out on Sept. 15 .... one on the Jack Albright Loop Trail, one on the Wintergreen Section (8) and this crew on Section 5 which goes from the Howardsville Turnpike north to an intersection with the 'old AT' that is now blue-blazed and part of the Jack Albright Loop. On Section 5 is a beautiful little overlook that is quiet, away from the crowds and it has a view of Glass Hollow ... thus the name Glass Hollow Overlook. The approach trail is a fairly decent length and memories of putting in the original tread are of sidehilling .... lots of sidehilling.

The original approach trail was put in during the AT relo during the late '90's and 15 year or so of wear and tear from hikers and the effects of Mother Nature will take its toll on any trail, no matter how well-constructed. Re-defining the tread takes time and a 'good eye', but the results are immediately noticeable. The Glass Hollow Crew did some good sidehilling work, as you can see from these pictures:

The sign that marks the beginning of the approach trail to Glass Hollow Overlook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sidehilling crew looking pretty happy to be out in the woods!

 

The tread is being re-defined along the approach trail.

Another section of trail receives some attention as it descends toward the Overlook.

 

The Glass Hollow Overlook area - a great place for a break or lunch.

The view from Glass Hollow Overlook.

 

 

Many thanks to the Glass Hollow Crew members for all of your efforts on this work trip!!

 

 

 

SECTION 5

1.1 Miles

AT Relo Intersection (with blue-blaze to HB Rocks Parking Lot) to Howardsville Turnpike

(also maintains the Glass Hollow Overlook Trail)

Northern End (AT Relo Intersection w/ blue-blaze to HB Rocks Parking Lot) -

The AT at the beginning of Sec. 5, looking south - there is a pretty fern field on the left.

 

 

Signage going South on the AT.

 Signage going North on the AT

 



 

Glass Hollow Overlook - This overlook, facing east, has a view of Glass Hollow, thus the name. It is a quiet, secluded spot. 

 

Signage at the intersection of the AT & the Glass Hollow Overlook approach trail going south on the AT (hiking north, you see the back of the sign and a blue blaze)

Summer views from Glass Hollow Overlook (Photos: Lori A.)

 Fall Views (Oct. 20) - Left: Rockfish Valley; Right- Humpback Rocks

 

 

Rock steps - There is some nice rock work along this section and here are some examples (unnamed steps):

A small set of steps (heading north) 

 

Some fabulous Konnarock work - steps and rock work to get the AT across a steep, slick rock slab (you can see the slab under the large rock on the left & it extended to the large rock on the far right). This area was so steep slick, thought was given to putting in a cable hand hold ... until some experienced Konnarock crew members figured out a solution. This view is hiking south.

Charlotte's Rock - This section was the very first section of the multi-year Humpback AT Relo. The assistant crew leader was Charlotte and for several days, while we worked in the area, she ate her lunch up on this rock.

 

Charlotte's Rock lunch spot.

Left: looking north - Charlotte's Rock to the right, overlooking the crew lunch spot on the left.

Right: looking south - a good view of the flat rock with room for several people to have a seat during lunch.

 

Manatee Rock - This rock is in the trail bed and unless you know exactly where it is, it has become invisible. When the trail was first being put in, this rock was smack in the middle of where the trail needed to go. The rock looked a little like a manatee and it was large enough that you could sit astride on it. Konnarock crew leader Dana said "dig it out and move it". After three days of digging, the rock started tilting toward the outside edge of what would be the trail where we had undermined it, trying to get it loose. It appeared that if we let it tip on over .... it would be level with the trail where it was and we would not have to move it any more. So ..... slowly, we guided the rock as best we could into a good position with rock bars and it has been there ever since. We cribbed up the undermined spot and Manatee rock disappeared into the tread.

 Manatee Rock (looking south) - the top of the rock is in the middle. The pile of smaller rocks to the far left is the top of the cribbing to fill the huge hole where the original plan was to dig MR out & remove it.

The view of the trail as it crosses over Manatee rock, going south on the AT.

 

Southern End of Sec. 5 at Howardsville Turnpike -

 

Hiking north on Howardsville/AT this is the intersection where the AT goes to the right (white blazes) and the blue-blaze to the Humpback Parking Lot goes straight (left - see the blue blaze on the log to the left of the sign)

 

Hiking down the blue-blazed Howardsville Turnpike, the AT is coming in from the left at the sign. To go north, turn left, to go south, continue straight down the AT/Howardsville Turnpike (white blaze).

 

 

WILDLIFE & WILD FLOWERS:

 

Wild flowers along the trail - October 2012 

 

 Wild flower gone to seed & a bumblebee busy at the end of the season - October 2012

 

A toad, uncovered while doing some side hilling tread repair (Photo: Lori A. Oct. 2012)

 

 

 

(Photos: all photos by Merlot unless otherwise noted)