October 2013 Work Trip: Sawyer & Shelter Crews

 

The view northeast from the "overlook" on the way to the Shelter.

There was a Sawyer Crew out and about Saturday, hiking from Humpback Rocks parking to Rockfish Gap and taking care of any blowdowns along the way. The 'Shelter Crew', Lori and Dennis, were on the same trail as well, headed to Mill Creek to check on the shelter. Here are some pictures from their day on the AT:

 

 Half of the Shelter Crew along with two-thirds of the Sawyer Crew, meeting up at the overlook on the way to the Shelter.

 

Sawyer Crew .... hard at work.

 

Still working!

 

 Sawyers take a break at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter.

 

 There's just no 'easy' way to carry a chainsaw so most sawyers carry it on their shoulder.

 

 A nice place to sit and rest before ......

 

 ...... the Sawyer Crew gets back on the trail, headed for Rockfish Gap (another 5 miles!).

 

 The new steps and landing at the shelter are holding up well.

 

 The privy looks like it's in great shape .... fairly new latch on the door.

Let's just 'rogue' out this little rock in the trail ..... hmmm, not as small as it first looked!

 Getting down to some serious rock removal business!

 

 Classic picture .... maintainer on the AT, visible blaze and fall foliage!

 

 A welcome sign - just 1.1 more miles to go to the parking lot. 

 

 Back at the Visitor's Center where the garden has been cleaned up for the winter.

These two crews had a wonderful day of maintenance on the AT - thanks for all the blowdowns removed, lime carried, and rocks rogued!

(Photos: Lori A.)

Keeping The Campfire Burning (Shelter)

 

 A very neat and clean fire ring!

Last month, a crew went to the shelter to work on the logs that define the landing platform area around the new steps. The logs were 'pinned in' so they won't move if accidentally kicked or disturbed by hiker traffic using the steps. While they were there working, they noticed there were some other 'chores' to be done so a crew was sent to the shelter on this month's work trip as well.

On the way to the shelter, the crew found a tree down across a switchback. With no previous reports of trees down, the two sawyers in attendance Saturday had been assigned the shelter project and they did not carry their chainsaw with them. On their way out, they worked on the tree with the only tool they had that was remotely suitable .... a pick Maddox! They got a few branches knocked off and hikers can work their way around the tree, but it needs a chainsaw to get it cleared.  The crew originally thought that when they got back to the parking lot, they could pick up a chainsaw and go back in for the tree, but it was too late and they didn't have enough time. There is a possibility one of the sawyers can get it next week.

One of the primary projects at the shelter was to clean out the fire ring, which was full of accumulated ash. Surprise, surprise ..... with the cool weather, there was a nice fire going in the fire ring! Not to be deterred, the crew shoveled the hot wood and ashes aside and proceeded with cleaning out the ring. It was quite a task because all the contents in the fire ring had become packed down. The metal ring itself had to be pulled out and moved to get to all the ash. Near the bottom of the ash accumulation, they also found that a very large ant colony had taken up residence. Once the old, cold ash was removed, the metal ring was returned and the rocks around the fire ring were reset. As you can see in the picture above, the crew did a wonderful job.

The crew also checked out the fire road that runs along the creek in front of the shelter and took down fire rings and cleaned up trash around the campsites. Keeping lime in the bucket at the privy is a never-ending task so an almost whole bag (it's heavy stuff!) was carried down by Chris W. and the privy lime bucket is now full. The privy itself was also cleaned out. Our friend 'Rat' was at the shelter and some of the hikers who had stopped in helped out with the cleanup. 

With the heat and humidity of summer being replaced by beautiful, cool fall weather, hikers and backpackers are getting back on the trail and the shelter will be an increasingly busy place. Sitting around a warm campfire on a chilly, fall night at the shelter is a wonderful way to spend the evening, so the clean fire ring will be much appreciated. Thanks to the shelter crew of David G., Chris W. and Richard W. for spending the day at the shelter and making sure everything is in great shape for the fall hiking and camping season.

 

Lunch time at the shelter.

(All photos: Chris W. )

Wolfe Shelter Crew: New Steps (Addendum)

Wolfe Shelter Crew and the new steps/landing area.
(Saturday, April 20, 2013)

It's not often that we get a different view of a work trip crew from non-crew members or get immediate feedback on maintaining work from a large number of hikers/backpackers. This past weekend, while the Wolfe Shelter Crew was installing new steps and a landing area at the shelter, there were many people around to observe their work and the finished product.  Two emails have been received regarding the shelter. The first has additional pictures of the crew at work last Saturday and the reaction/comments of those who were staying at the shelter that night, after the steps were put in. The second email was earlier, after the shelter porch was repaired from the fire damage. Both are being shared below along with the crew pictures ....... enjoy!

Email & pictures from a maintainer (not on the crew) who was part of the "beginner backpacking" group:

 ..... there were seven or eight people sleeping in the shelter last night, and roughly 25 tents pitched in the surrounding camping area.  Many of these folks joined our party, and everyone who had been to the shelter before, including section hikers and through hikers, commented about what an amazing improvement the new steps represent.  Also, many people had heard about the fire and commented about the swiftness and quality of the repair job done on the damaged section of porch (as well as much commentary about the stupidity of those who caused the damage).  If I were a better photographer I would have gotten a picture of our team members aided by two Boy Scouts camping down the hill as they carried up the large flat rock used as a landing.  Very impressive.  (Dennis S.) 

 

 

 

 

 

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A message from Kurt Speers after reading the report on Shelter REPAIRED. Kurt is our friend and contact on the Blue Ridge Parkway:

Please pass along my thanks to all involved.  I am always pleased to see the amount of dedication and care your club takes with the Appalachian Trail and its resources.

Kurt W. Speers

Ridge District Ranger

Blue Ridge Parkway

Original Post - Wolfe Shelter Crew: New Steps

(All Photos: Dennis S.)

Wolfe Shelter Crew: New Steps

 

Starting point:  the rickety old steps with a few recent patches visible.

The Wolfe Shelter was a popular place to be this weekend. The weather was gorgeous with blue skies and although the day had a chilly start, it turned into a perfect day for being on the trail. This was the weekend that the 'beginner backpacking' class got to practice all that they had learned with an overnight at the shelter, plus there were Boy Scouts out and about on the AT and also planning to spend the night at the shelter. In the midst of all this activity Saturday, there was a work trip crew with a mission of their own  .... replace the rickety old steps on one end of the shelter porch with something more stable and a lot sturdier.

The crew leader was David G. and the other crew members were Margaret, Mark and Jim D. They had a full day of work because they had to hike in all the lumber and supplies to build the steps, plus deal with preparing the site for the steps. The ground slopes off sharply (you can tell from the picture above) so getting the steps level and having a 'landing' at the bottom of the steps required some extensive, labor-intensive cribbing and fill work.  The crew leader took some excellent photos of the project, both in-progress and after it was finished, so here is how the crew got the 'new steps project' done:

 

Digging, cribbing ........

 

and more cribbing ........

 

Steps nearing completion with a good view of the cribbing, placement of the steps

 in relation to the shelter porch, and how the steps were leveled.

 

Notice the really flat, heavy rock that provides a landing at the foot of the steps .... one of the Boy Scouts helped Mark with that rock.

 

Results for this work trip: some great looking steps and landing area.

 

The Wolfe Shelter Crew & the new steps!

(Photo: Dennis S.)

Some work remains to "pin the logs in correctly", but time had run out on this particular work trip day .... the crew still had a 2.5 mile hike out to meet up with the other crews back at the tool shed by 5:00.

As noted before, there were lots of folks at the shelter  ..... also out for the day on the AT and visiting the shelter were Wolfe Shelter Maintainers Walter and Pat, along with their friend "Wounded Warrior":

 

The shelter has received a lot of attention in the last couple of weeks to repair the shelter fire damage and now to get the new steps installed.  The folks working on all the shelter projects, from the first report and pictures of the fire damage, the damage assessment/temporary repair crew, the porch permanent repair crew, and now the new steps crew have the shelter in beautiful shape and ready for hikers and backpackers to enjoy.

Thanks to this work trip crew and everyone who has put in so much 

time and work on the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter!

Wolfe Shelter Crew: New Steps (Addendum)

(Photos: David G. unless otherwise noted)

Wolfe Shelter: Fire Damage Repaired

Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

(Photo: Lori A. Nov 2011)

 

 

 

A very hardworking crew of four maintainers/volunteers went in today, Saturday, to do the final porch flooring repairs on the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter.  From the Humpback Rocks Parking Lot, it is a 2.5 mile hike to the shelter. The lumber, nails, tools, and any other supplies needed for the repairs were taken in using a deer cart. From previous, personal experience on a crew hauling 150 lbs. of QuickCrete to the shelter to put in the bear poles, the cart is obviously helpful in many regards, but it is still a very difficult and tiring trip since the trail has some quite rocky areas, places where the cart has to be picked up to get over obstacles (rocks again), narrow parts that are tricky, rock steps to navigate, Mill Creek to cross, etc. There can also be load-shifting issues with the materials on the cart to contend with.

 

Once at the shelter, the damaged boards had to be removed, the partially-burned joists had to be "sistered" with new joist boards so the floor is properly supported, and new floor boards were put in place and trimmed even. It looks like the steps to the porch were reinforced as well.

 

After the repairs were completed, the crew carried out the two plywood sheets used for the temporary repairs. They also cleaned up the trail on their way out and got back to the parking lot around 5:00. Here are the pictures from their day:

 

 

Just a reminder as to the extent of the damage:

One of the first photos of the fire damage.

(Photo: Reporting Hiker - March 11, 2013)

 

 

Cart loaded with boards, tools, & supplies in the HB Rocks Parking Lot
 & on the trail to the shelter.

Getting everything unloaded at the shelter.

 

 

Removing the burned, damaged boards.

 

"Sistering" the partially burned joists with new boards.

 

 

The new floor boards being nailed in place.

 

 

Trimming the new boards ..... almost finished.

 

 

Permanent floor repairs completed!

 

 

Three of the four members of the shelter repair crew.

 

 

"Leave No Trace" sign & a sign requesting that visitors to the shelter NOT cut, saw, chop or hack on live trees. The people who burned the shelter porch also bent, twisted and broke about 15 healthy 2 - 3" diameter hardwoods trees, leaving broken stumps and stems.

Yes, that would be a "level" reading!

Many thanks to this shelter repair crew for their hard labor and skilled work in putting the Shelter back into good shape! Not only do we thank them, but evidently a few grateful hikers thanked them as well. 

Great job, folks ...... much appreciated!

(All Photos, except as noted: David G.)

Related Posts:

 

Fire Damage At Wolfe Shelter

 

Crew Report: Shelter Damage Assessment

 

 

Update April 6 from Lori (Trail Maintenance Supervisor):  

Please see below a message from Kurt Speers after reading the report on Shelter REPAIRED.  Kurt is our friend and contact on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We get a lot of compliments on our section of the trail which do not get passed along.  Please know just how much all YOUR hard work and efforts are greatly appreciated by all who hike our section of the trail.

 

Please pass along my thanks to all involved.  I am always pleased to see the amount of dedication and care your club takes with the Appalachian Trail and its resources.

Kurt W. Speers

Ridge District Ranger

Blue Ridge Parkway

Crew Report: Shelter Damage Assessment

 Humpback Rocks Parking Lot, getting the equipment ready.

 

 

This Crew Report was written and sent to the Trail Maintenance Supervisor by the Crew Leader/Project Manager detailing the March 16, 2013 trip to the AT/Paul C. Wolfe Shelter:

 

I describe Saturday as a work trip and not shelter repair, as we accomplished 4 objectives yesterday, one of which was shelter repair.

Dave G. (along with 2 - 2' X 4' sheets of 3/4" plywood which = 4' X 4' of very sturdy wood + nails), Rat and his friend Lori and I met at the Humpback Rocks Parking Lot (HRPL) at 9:00 a.m. Saturday. We had heard reports of numerous blow downs between there and Rockfish Gap (RFG) too, so I suited up and took the chainsaw along. Rat carried the plywood and he and Lori went in on the Jack Albright (JA) to recon that section of trail. Dave and I went in on the blue blazed access trail and headed north on the AT. There were small limbs and vines everywhere and we cut several smaller blow downs on the way to the shelter. The JA trail was clear from Dobie Mtn. to the intersection with the AT. With Dave at my side, I cut some more of the huge stump that is lying in the center of the trail near the shelter. Four months of rain had washed off some of the mud and rocks, so I was able to remove some more pieces of the stump.

Yes, regrettably, there was a 3' X 3' burned hole in the floor of the decking of the shelter. We did all the measurements, cleaned up and removed all the trash and covered the hole with the plywood, putting the table over the repair. The shelter was built very well and there is no structural damage. The plywood repair would probably last for the life of the shelter, but we've got the measurements needed for the final repairs. Fixing the hole was the easiest/quickest part of the entire trip. Dave left a new shelter register in the box. - Objective #1 completed.

 

 

Temporary porch floor repair in place at the Shelter.

Objective #2 - the nice folks who burned the shelter also bent, twisted and broke about 15 healthy 2 - 3" diameter hardwoods trees, leaving broken stumps and stems. As I do on most worktrips, I took the chainsaw and cut the broken stems off at ground level. This is to remove the very sad appearance of ruined trees and an attempt to allow the stems to possibly re-sprout. Dave took some pictures of this. Lori picked up a lot of trash and beers cans around all the camping sites too. Objective #2 completed.

 

Two of the broken small hardwoods are visible in this picture

 before being cut off at ground level.

 

 
There was a large blowdown within 200 yards of the shelter. A large ash tree fell over about 50 feet above the trail, leaving the stump popped out and in the air over a huge rock cliff. The top of the tree was punched in the trail over a flowing creek and also alongside a huge, slick rock. The blowdown had everything going for it, including the possibility of the stump sliding down the mountain and removing the sawyer; no place to stand safely, since a flowing creek was on one side and a slick rock on the other and no place to go up nor down for an escape route. Additionally it had what Slick, our chainsaw instructor from last Saturday, described as "...the 4 bind brothers..." top bind, bottom bind, side bind and I forget the 4th bind, but I'll call it the %$&*^$ bind. Did I mention that it also had the top attached above the trail that would crash down as soon as the lower sections were removed? Enough of that, suffice it to say that after last week's training and about an hour of cutting, it was safely rendered down.

A complex blowdown situation.

 

We continued north on the AT. Lori, Rat and Dave cut numerous vines and stems that had come down with the recent snows. They would stop and wait for me whenever they came to a blowdown. I would guess that I probably cut ~ 10 trees/large limbs covering the trail from HBPL to RFG. - Objective # 3 completed.

Since we got to the field at RFG ~ 4:00 p.m., I asked the crew if they would also help pick up litter there. Whenever the Parkway is closed, folks park there and deposit every type of inorganic (and organic) waste known to mankind. Rat even found and toted to the Parkway a huge, orange road construction barrel. We probably spent nearly an hour there and accumulated several large bags of trash. The clouds begin to thicken and about the same time, Walter (a shelter maintainer who lives in the area) drove by, saw us and stopped. He offered to haul out all the trash and no one argued with him. His timing was impeccable - by then it looked like the sky was going to open. - Objective #4 completed.

I had my car at RFG, so I shuttled Rat, Lori and Dave back to the Humpback Parking Lot. By the time I got back to Afton Mtn, it was pouring, with strong winds, lightning and thunder. That storm followed me all the way back to RIC.

It was a safe and very productive day. A Project Manager/Carpentry Crew to make the final repairs has been established and they have a list of the materials that will be needed. A tentative date has been set in the near future to make the final repairs.

Many thanks to Rat, Lori and Dave G. for their hard work yesterday, and to the other Lori (TMS), Karen, Ed and the other Dave (W.) for all the helpful suggestions and background work that was needed to pull this off so successfully.

~ Jim S. (Crew Leader)

(All photos: Dave G.)

 

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