Blue Ridge Parkway: Adopt-An-Overlook

 

The FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway have a program called Adopt-an-Overlook. There is one nice overlook and two "parking widening" areas on the R2R section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that need to be adopted.  If you would like to volunteer and do some off-trail "maintenance", this would be a great opportunity to make a needed contribution to the BRP.

Here is a list of the R2R section overlooks/parking widening (click title to go to source link) and you can see the three on our section that need adopting:  Dripping Rock (an AT crossing!), Rock Point Overlook (spectacular view) and the Hickory Spring Parking Widening (picnic table? nice view, if I remember this one correctly).  You can also go to a 360 video of each area here:  Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks

RIDGE DISTRICT PARKWAY OVERLOOKS

MP	Overlook Name	FRIENDS Adopter
0.2	Afton Parking Overlook	ADOPTED - Joe Price
1.5	Rockfish Valley parking Overlook	ADOPTED - Sandra Gallagher
2.9	Shenandoah Valley Parking Overlook	ADOPTED - Michael Upchurch
5.8	Humpback Gap Parking Area	ADOPTED - Michael Upchurch
8.8	Greenstone Parking Overlook	ADOPTED - Leonard and Laurie Adkins
9.6	Dripping Rock Parking Widening	Available!
10.4	Rock Point Parking Overlook	Available!
10.7	Raven's Roost Parking Overlook	ADOPTED - Raven's Roosters
11.7	Hickory Spring Parking Widening	Available!
13.1	Three Ridges Parking Overlook	ADOPTED - Blue Ridge Group of the Sierra Club

For details on the Adopt-an-Overlook program ..... what duties are involved, time commitment, application and other information, visit:  ADOPT-AN-OVERLOOK PROGRAM 

♦ ♦ ♦

So you can see pictures from September of two of the three 'needs adopting' overlooks/parking widening, Rock Point is at the top of the post and a picture of the view below:

 

 Rock Point Overlook View looking northwest.

Dripping Rock Parking Widening (and AT crossing):

 

Dripping Rock .... spring in the background.

 

 Looking north as the AT goes up the hill (Section 9)

 

Looking south as the AT enters the woods from the BRP crossing (Section 10)

 

 The spring at Dripping Rock.

I don't have any pictures of the Hickory Springs parking widening, but there is a 360 video view on the Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks link above

 ♦ ♦ ♦

(All Photos: Merlot)

October 2013 Work Trip: Odds & Ends

 

 Cedar Cliffs October 19, 2013 (southwest view)

The 'Root 66' Crew, working on Section 10 Saturday, took a quick 5 minute walk to Cedar Cliffs for lunch. Several groups that had come through our work site were also having lunch on the Cliffs .... a most "happening place" on a beautiful fall day.

 

 Several groups lunching on the Cliffs.

 

Northwest view.

There were some gorgeous patches of moss on the Root 66 project work site. The first picture is the moss and fern combo that was all along the upper edge of the rock slab. The second picture, of the rock with a moss 'fringe', was one of the rocks that had been placed on the slab when the trail was originally built. Unfortunately for the moss, this rock had to be moved.

 

 

The Root 66 crew enjoyed some beautiful fall foliage in the woods surrounding the project:

 

 

 

The very last bit of work that was done last Saturday .... painting blazes from the BRP at Rockfish Gap across the bridge to the Skyline Drive. Blazes had been painted on the September work trip and were washed away by the heavy rain before they could dry, plus other blazes were paved over when the road and sidewalk were resurfaced recently  A quick stop was made to get the blazes painted, before continuing on the way to Charlottesville and dinner at Tip Top.

 

Painting blazes on asphalt .... the same technique is used when

 painting blazes on trees.  (Photo: Dave W.)

Keeping hikers on the AT between the BRP and Skyline Drive.
(Photo: Dave W.)

It's hard to believe the year has gone by so quickly and there is only one more work trip left in 2013:  November 16th!

♦ ♦ ♦

(Photos: Merlot, unless otherwise noted)

Root 66 Project Crew (Sec 10)

 

AT immediately south of project area as it goes through a chute between large rock features.

What a day we had on the AT Saturday, during our '3rd Saturday' work trip for October.  It was a perfect day for trail work - cool, breezy, the fall foliage was gorgeous, and although it was mostly cloudy, the golden leaves gave the illusion of sunlight in the woods. Lots of hikers were out .... we saw quite a few groups with several family/friends groups with kids on their way to Cedar Cliffs and a scout troop headed north.

Our project for the day: on the AT, between the BRP and Cedar Cliffs, was a spot where the AT traversed a rock slab. The immediate surrounding area has some large rock features and short cliffs just past the slab and to the left (hiking south). Water tends to flow across the rock slab and makes it slick and hikers have to really pay attention when going across this area. During previous work trips, crew leader Dave envisioned a rock 'cribbing' project to route hikers around the slab; however, once work began, the decision was made to actually keep the AT re-route closer to the original trail and go up the slab .... a mini spiral staircase.

This was a very technical, difficult, work intensive project. It is hard to describe how much work went into what appears to be, in the final picture, a very nice set of rock steps with plenty of rock work around it. What folks will not realize as they hike the steps, is everything that is underneath .... from the slick rock slab, to the crush and fill, and bags of dirt that were hauled to cover the rough rock and give the steps something to sit on. The locust stump at the top of the project was a big hint of what was to come .... roots, roots everywhere! As we uncovered roots again and again, Bill made a comment about 'Root 66' ... a play on Route 66 and it seemed like a good name for the project .... a much improved AT 'highway' and it surely felt as if we cut a minimum of 66 roots! 

From the original "mess" that we made when we pulled the site apart, clearing duff, cutting roots, moving loose rocks, prying up two ancient 'set rocks', probably from when the trail was originally built, and the water that continually seeped into the site making thick black mud, it was hard to believe that something hikeable was actually going to happen by the time we were to be out of the woods (5:00 p.m.), but it DID happen. The project is something to be really proud of .... big enough and of a complexity worthy of a Konnarock crew/project. The crew was terrific ..... teamwork, good humor, patience ..... and very safety conscious. With the rock slab, the water on it and the subsequent 'mud pit' which all made for super slippery conditions, this work site probably had the most potential for slips/falls and associated injuries as any I've ever been on .... and we had no such injuries because everyone looked out for each other on more than one occasion.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a sketch of the project so you can see the rock that was moved, the extent of the rock slab, and what the entire site looks like from a bird's eye view. On the bottom left is a step detail 'drawing' so you can see how these steps were set on a rock slab. Following the sketch are the actual crew pictures as the work was performed.

 

 

 Project site "before" work begins .... AT goes over slab & through rocks.

 

 Original plan was to go around the locust stump & crib up a tread - crew members are clearing duff/roots off of the slab to prepare the site. Notice how this area slopes sharply down at a steep angle.

 

 Lots of duff and lots of roots - this was surprisingly tough work.

 

 Change of plan .... staying closer to original AT route - old rocks set when the trail was first built are being removed. Again, notice how steeply this area slopes down to the left and the rock slab is clearly visible.

 

Locust stump and natural rock that are going to be left in place - crew clearing the area around and at the top of the area where the new tread will be constructed.

 

 Site cleared for construction. Note the rock slab .... water flowing across made it slick and with what little dirt was there, mud began to 'happen'! The water was puddling in a couple of spots.

 

Preparing the site for the first 'set' rock ... just above the natural rock at the botton of the slope (slab) that will anchor the back of the project, including a crib wall to hold in crush and fill.

 

 The first step rock (#1) is wrangled down the mountainside by the crew .... then it needs to come down the AT all the way to the locust stump, then slid down the slab to where it will be set.

 

 Step rocks should be large and heavy so they don't shift when hikers use them .... the 'standard' is a rock so heavy it takes 2-3 people to move it. This was a 3-person rock with a nice flat tread/step area on the top.

(Photo: Dave W.)

 

 Video: step rock #1 initially being put in place - notice the mud and how difficult it is to move the rock.

 

 Step rock #1 was not cooperating at first .... it had to be tilted back off the spot where it would 'sit' so more work could be done. The angle of the rock's tread area (it was tipping too far forward) was adjusted by digging out more on the back side and rotating the rock slightly.

 

 Fast forward ....... step rocks #1 & #2 in place. 

Notice the crib wall between the top rock just in front of the locust stump and the bottom anchor rock. The cribbing keeps the crush and fill from falling out the 'back' and going down the hill. Crush & fill can be seen just above step #2 as preparation for step #3.

 

Another view of the cribbing, crush & fill, and the top of the rock slab where steps #3 & 4 will be going. The wet rock slab is clearly visible.

 

 Closeup view of steps #1 & 2. Look at that beautiful, flat 'tread' area on rock #1.

 

Closeup view of steps #3 & 4, also rocks at the top of the slab on the right to keep hikers on the tread.  One more step is needed, just below the locust stump and across from the natural rock at the top of of the project.

 

 The "after" picture ..... 4 steps across the rock slab, lots of other rock work as well. The mud at the bottom of the 1st step is not on the slab and should dry out.

(Photo: Dave W.)

Many thanks to the crew who put in a very long, hard day and did such a terrific job on the 'Root 66' Project:

Dave W. (crew leader), John S., David A., Bill F., and Phil Y.

(yours truly was also on the crew)

(Photos: Merlot unless otherwise noted)

Rockin' It In The Rain (Sec 10)

A saddleback caterpillar at the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center

On Friday, the Weather Channel was predicting an 80% chance of precipitation on the mountain Saturday with a chance of thunderstorms. It didn’t sound good, but knowing that conditions on our section are really unpredictable, we made backup arrangements at Sherando for the planned picnic and confirmed that all would go as we planned on Thursday. Saturday morning I double-checked the forecast and noted that they were only predicting a 10-30% chance of rain before 1 pm with worsening weather afterwards. 

Up on the mountain in dense fog and a light drizzle, we split into four crews and made the decision to send the picnic crew down to Sherando. My crew was headed to Section 10 to put in some waterbars and consider a cribbing project that we had identified on the August work trip. We grabbed two rockbars, three pick mattocks, a shovel, a Pulaski, and a pair of loppers for the five person crew before driving over to Dripping Rock. 

Once on the Trail, we reconsidered the erosion problem and decided that a pair of check steps followed by a waterbar would be the best solution to the gullying that was occurring, since there was no easy way to direct water off the Trail near the top. Unlike waterbars that are designed to deflect the water off the Trail, check steps are designed to dam up the water and slow it down. The slower water deposits sediment above the step and helps restore trail that has been eroded into a gully.

 

 Mark digs the trench for a check step

Mark chops a root in the trench with the step rock ready to go as Bill looks on

The lower check step went in fairly easily, using the perfect rock that we had unearthed on the last work trip. The upper check step was a bit more troublesome. Only six to eight inches below the surface, we ran into a slab that prevented us from placing the step exactly where we wanted it. Some exploratory digging revealed the outline of the slab and the space that a step rock of the right size could fit in. The rock we had wanted to use was definitely too large, so we took the measurements and went on a rock hunt. 

 The first (lower) check step in place

Hunting for the right rocks can be one of the most frustrating parts of rock projects. Rocks in the same small area often have the same shape and general size. Sometimes there seems to be nothing but football-shaped rocks, with convex faces on both sides that are extremely hard to place securely in the ground. In other areas, rocks of any sort are just not to be found. My technique is to take a large pick mattock and probe under the leaves with the pick in areas that seem to have some exposed rock with the right general features. Ideally, I’ll find the rock above the work site so that it can be easily moved downhill. I hesitate to accept the first rock that might work, but continue looking in case the perfect rock shows up. Often that rock isn’t right at the surface, but is hidden by leaves or a little soil and duff.

 

 Theresa searches for a bedrock free location for a second check step

We did manage to find a set of rocks that fit the required measurements. We set the main rock to create a 6-8 inch step from the downhill side while providing a solid tread surface on top. We buried a full 2/3 of the rock and locked it in with small wedge-shaped rocks. Then we added a pair of rocks to capture and retain water on the sides. Finally we placed a series of large rocks on both sides of the step in a natural pattern to discourage people from walking around the step.

 

 Dave works on the second step

The second check step from below

And from above

While this second step was being completed, a rock waterbar was installed lower down to direct any water off the trail that had made it over the check steps. Large narrow rocks were buried deep in the trail in a shingle pattern, leaving only a small portion exposed to form the backbone of a dirt trough and berm structure that will shunt any water off the trail. 

Project three completed - a waterbar (there's a fair bit of rock under that dirt!)

Just as we were finishing up, the rain began to intensify, so we decided to leave the crib project for another day and hauled our muddy tools out to the road. We rinsed off the tools at Dripping Rock and, after putting them away in the shed, headed down to Sherando for warm dry clothes and good food at the picnic. Not a bad day’s work for a rainy Saturday!

Many thanks to Dave W., Theresa D., Dave G. Mark F. & Bill F.

 for making a great deal of progress on the Section 10 erosion issues .....

 despite the rain!

 

 ♦ ♦ ♦

(Photos & narrative: Dave W.)

 

Cedar Cliffs Sign Update

 

Fall flowers blooming on Cedar Cliffs

On our June work trip, the crew that was weed-whipping Section 10, noticed that the "Camping and campfires prohibited along trail next 1 mile" sign was missing. Yes, that's right .... missing. How does a sign like this go missing? The best we can surmise is that some human pulled it out of the ground and did away with it. The woods are a little grown up right now so it's hard to see if it's been thrown down in the brush somewhere, but maybe we'll be able to spot it once the vegetation dies back this winter.

Why was the sign installed in the first place and why was it likely removed? The Cliffs originally were not posted and folks would build fire rings with rocks and spend the night. Initially, it was primarily one fire ring; however, as time went on, more and more fire rings were started. The ground around the original, large fire ring was worn to dirt as the grass was killed. Removing the fire rings (pitching the rocks off the Cliffs) was a constant chore .... and they were built back almost as quickly as they were destroyed. Folks were spotted carrying coolers, hammocks, even hatchets, heading down the trail from Dripping Rock to Cedar Cliffs. Litter was left on the Cliffs .... food wrappings, foil, bottles, cans, and some unusual items, such as a pair of male underpants (briefs, not boxers ... in case you were wondering). The last straw was when a large group camped on the cliffs and chopped limbs off of live cedar trees for firewood (one tree was totally down) and also carried in bags of charcoal briquets and used them to build fires all over the rocks. It was a real mess and bad enough to make the Section 10 maintainer at the time cry (that would be me!). After reporting this damage to the Forest Service, they made the decision to post the Cliffs and the area around it as a no campfires or camping zone.

Over the years (a decade, at least) since the Cliffs were posted, they have been making a comeback of sorts. Grass has grown back slowly over most of the area where the large fire ring used to be and some of the smaller campsites are re-vegetating. Sadly, the Turk's Cap that used to bloom on the Cliffs has not reappeared, but for the most part, the vegetation and trees have been looking pretty good. Then recently, the sign disappeared and what has reappeared on the Cliffs? A large fire ring, where the old one used to be. You can draw your own conclusions as to why someone would want that sign to 'go away', but this is mine:  "Gee willikers, Mr. Ranger ..... I had NO idea campfires/camping weren't allowed here! I didn't see a sign or anything ...... how was I supposed to know?" You get my drift.

Our trail maintenance supervisor was recently notified by the Forest Service that they have replaced the sign. It's farther down the trail towards the Cliffs than the original sign, but it is just before a flat area in the woods right off the AT that has been used as a camp site in times past. The sign's closer proximity to the Cliffs also should leave no doubt that "next 1 mile" includes Cedar Cliffs. Construction techniques have been used to make this sign difficult, if not impossible, to pull out of the ground. We'll keep an eye on it and monitor it for vandalism.

 

After locating the sign and checking it out, we hiked on to take a look at Cedar Cliffs and see if there were any new fire rings.  No new fire rings, thank goodness ...... but guess what we found?

 

Yes, that would be a hole where the maintainers on the August work trip had buried one of several 'iceberg' rocks to discourage people from using that area and killing the nice grass that has regrown. It didn't take a month and people are digging them out. The rock in the picture below was lying close by ... it is probably the iceberg rock. It looks like bigger, deeper icebergs are needed, however the bedrock is close to the surface so the rocks can only be buried so deep, which is problematic.

 

As a nice contrast to the vandalizing of the maintainer work from August, there were beautiful fall wildflowers blooming all over the cliffs. It was a gorgeous day to enjoy the views and the hike down was a nice leg-stretcher after spending the day at Farm Fest. The beauty of the Cliffs is certainly something you want to share with people and most folks 'leave no trace', but the people who do build fire rings, kill the grass, cut live trees, litter, and generally vandalize places like Cedar Cliffs, ruin this wild beauty for everybody. These 'nature vandals' are also a determined bunch as evidenced by the missing sign and the uprooted iceberg rocks ....... but maintainers are equally determined and "we'll be back" with renewed efforts to protect the beautiful Cedar Cliffs!

 

 

(Photos: Merlot, Sept. 15, 2013)

 ♦ ♦ ♦

Icebergs in August! (Sec 10/12)

 

The view from Cedar Cliffs.

I know it’s always a bit dangerous to miss the ODATC Trail Maintenance Planning Meeting, but I had a busy week and just couldn’t be there. So, I wasn’t too surprised that my crew had been assigned a section of thick weeds to tackle. I had hoped that my slow progress and broken swing blade on the June trip would be sufficient evidence that clearing weeds is not my forte. I hadn’t considered that someone might think that I’d improve with more practice! At least this time it was just the short section from Reeds Gap to Three Ridges Overlook and there was the promise of more interesting work if we completed that task early.

 

 Many wildflowers are still blooming.

Our five-man crew split into three groups to tackle the section. Mark H fired up the weedeater and tackled the grass at Reeds Gap. The Parkway had mowed it not too long ago, so it wasn’t bad. John and Karl started swing blading and trimming northbound while Mark F and I walked to Three Ridges Overlook to start from the other direction. At the overlook, we began by crossing the road and clearing enough foliage to expose the blaze headed north. This spot really needs a marker along the road, perhaps an official NPS A.T. road crossing highway marker. That done, we headed back south, swinging and clipping the jewelweed and stinging nettles. I clearly need additional practice since I managed to ding my shin pretty nicely with the blade, bloodying my pant leg and requiring a little first aid! We met the other crew before noon and happily returned to the car to move on to our next project.

 

 Lopping .... Mark F getting the job done!

 

 The 'aftermath' .... a nicely cleared, hiker-friendly trail.

 

 More 'aftermath' .... and why every crew carries a FAB (First Aid Bag)!

 

 Queen Anne's Lace along the AT

 

 Some healthy poison ivy .... some maintainer-types refer to it as the Virginia State 'flower'.

 Black-eyed Susan and Staghorn Sumac

 

 Wildflowers in the 'daisy' family (?)

Both Mark H and I had noted some places on Section 10, which he and John maintain, that could use some work. So, we swapped our swing blades and loppers for rock and soil moving tools, and headed in south at Dripping Rock. We examined two spots that were eroding and could use water bars, but continued on to Cedar Cliffs. We enjoyed the view and lunch on the cliff and talked about what we could do to minimize the impact from fires and camping. The “No Camping or Fires” sign was missing, but the USFS will be replacing it soon. Mark F told us about the experience that TATC has had with “iceberging” the area around Maupin Field Shelter and creating individual dispersed tent sites. It has really reduced the impact around that shelter and greatly improved conditions.

 The crew breaks for lunch on Cedar Cliffs, a pretty place to be - see also below: 

We started by breaking up the soil that had been destroyed by a fire ring and mixing in some fresh soil to encourage new growth. We also buried a rock in the middle of the area with the bulk underground and only a small pointy bit sticking up. These “icebergs” are designed to discourage tenting and be relatively hard to remove without digging tools. We placed “icebergs” about three feet apart in areas where tents had been setup with the goal of eliminating as many seven foot smooth flat areas as possible. In addition, we followed the beaten trails up the hill to a second site and buried more rocks there. A few very small, isolated spots much farther up were left that could accommodate a single small tent. Mark H and John will keep an eye on the site and add more “icebergs” as necessary.

 

Removing a fire pit and planting iceberg rocks to discourage camping

 

 Another camping spot to eliminate

 

 A nicely pointed "iceberg" rock.

That project done, we headed another ¾ mile south, passing several rocky sections that could use some heavy work at some time, to a short section of trail that needed redefinition. Over time the uphill side of the trail had filled with debris, dirt and rocks. This was encouraging hikers onto the downhill edge causing it to decay. We used our picks and pulaskis to remove the debris from the uphill side and redefine the full width of the trail with an appropriate 45 degree back slope and slight downhill slope on the tread surface so that it will drain. The fire rake was handy for leveling out the rough spots and leaving a nice finished product.

 Redefining the top edge of a section of AT and the much improved final result.

With that section completed, we headed back north with enough time to take a close look at the drainage issues on the north side of Cedar Cliffs. We examined a large slab that gets very slick when wet or icy and decided that a determined crew with a full day could build a rock crib starting on the small amount of dirt at the low end of the slab and build up to form a more secure tread surface on top of the slab. Next we took a good look at a section of eroding trail and decided that a water bar and perhaps a check step would be a good idea. We didn’t have time to actually start digging, but we did start hunting for appropriate rocks. We had located a couple of rocks and moved them over to the trail when John called me over to take a look at a rock that had about 4 inches sticking out of the ground. It looked promising so we dug around it and slowly exposed it. The rock was a thin slab a little over three feet long and about 16 inches wide, perfect for a water bar, but embedded in the ground at a sharp angle and seemed to have someone hanging onto it from below. The time was getting late, but we had invested so much energy on it that it was now personal. Finally just before 5pm, we broke its grip and yanked it out. Next work trip we’ll have many of the materials handy to complete the water bars and check dams.  It was a beautiful day on the mountain!

 ~ Dave W. (crew leader)

 

 Dave W. looking pretty happy while pulling a stubborn rock

 out to use for a waterbar on a future trip.

Thanks to Dave W, Mark F, Mark H, John S & Karl H

  for a great day of trail maintenance and some very critical work to help reduce damage and preserve beautiful Cedar Cliffs!

[Even though Dave missed the planning meeting, the rest of the work trip planners demonstrated they knew what they were doing when they put together this high-energy, multi-project crew!! ~Merlot]

(All photos and narrative: Dave W.)