Annapolis Rock, Maryland, October 23, 2019 — Slogged up to the rock in a drippy rain yesterday to examine tree damage – rope scarring caused by unpadded climbing ropes. Maryland park rangers agree that we should armor the trees.
The cloud cover broke just as we arrived. To say the sunset was spectacular is an understatement.
Love his spot.
Sisu.
Nine a.m. safety briefing at the Piney Ridge ranger station.
Shenandoah National Park, October 19, 2019 — Beautiful autumn weather welcomed around two dozen Hoodlums to our October work trip. The turnout was as brilliant as the weather.
After roll call and introductions we divided into four work parties – two on the AT, one for general maintenance, and one to construct a lateral drain. Two crosscut crews attacked blowdowns in wilderness areas on the blue blaze side trails. One of the crews cleared 29 down trees.
Constructing a drainage dip.
My work party did general tread work on the AT section from Jenkins Gap to the Hogwallow overlook.
In total we cleaned all the waterbars and check dams, replaced four log waterbars with drainage dips, and removed four blowdowns.
We took advantage of the perfect weather to break for lunch.
As we completed our work at Jenkins Gap, we met two thru hikers finishing their hike. His partner was camera shy. They were constructing a 2,192.0 marker out of leaves to memorialize their finish. We were delighted to congratulate them.
The pot luck theme was Oktober Fest. Everyone supplied their favorite German delights.
November encore? Stay tuned.
Sisu
Annapolis Rock, Maryland, October 18, 2019 — It’s that time again. Our longest ridgerunner season is running out of altitude and airspeed. The sprint to the finish line is underway.
Friday, Mary Thurman and I struck the caretaker tent, packed it up and hiked it down the mountain to the ridgerunners rustic apartment at Washington Monument State Park. There it is interred in a closet for a long winter’s rest.
At first we thought something had gone terribly wrong. The tarp protecting the tent from UV rays was in shreds.
Had a bear attacked it? Vandals? Actually high winds the previous night destroyed the sun-weakened tarp which had valiantly done its duty. Now dead, its dumpster-destined remains are nothing more than worthless weight on the hike out.
Mary was relieved to find the tent intact.
Packing up.
Tool box locked. Site secure.
It was a brilliant day on the rock.
Farewell visit to the viewpoint.
Reflecting on how the season opened last April with Sabine Pelton who patrolled Shenandoah National Park.
Out-a-here! The final two weeks will be spent on patrol or tenting in one of the Annapolis Rock tents sites.
Until next year.
Sisu
Some tools of the trade.
Shenandoah National Park, October 18 – 20, 2019 — If you want to learn how to dig holes in the dirt, who ya gonna call? The Hoodlums, that’s who.
Each September the North District Hoodlums trail crew hosts a workshop for trail maintainers, beginners through experts. Last weekend we did it again. For me it was number seven.
The canopy is for the kitchen where Dave Nebut’s brothers prepare our scrumptious meals.
The format is simple. The content gets adjusted periodically. It goes like this. The official start time is 0900 Saturday morning. The safety talk is followed by work party assignments commensurate with each person’s experience level.
On Saturday we generally work until around four o’clock when we return to clean up. Dinner is a six followed by a campfire.
Sunday is a repeat with coffee and breakfast at 7 a.m. We close at noon for lunch and cleanup.
A few of us usually arrive early on Friday to help with set up, gathering of tools, hauling firewood, and the like. The early birds also get the most level tent sites!
A full campground on a clear Friday night doesn’t always go the way you plan. Some group partied until 3:30 a.m. I was shocked the campground host didn’t intervene. Moreover, the city slicker dogs just had to announce each bear that wondered through in hopes some ignorant knucklehead left out food. Between bears and loud drunken laughter, nobody got much sleep.
Saturday dawned like the shiny jewel of a day it was. The park trail crew arrived to work with the advanced group.
Phone addicts everywhere. Mine gets NO Service in this spot, a blessing.
Dave and I led some fine folks on an encore trip near the junction of the Thompson Hollow and Tuscarora Trails to finish the work we abandoned last month when one of our work party members suffered from heat exhaustion. The day was warm, but not that warm. It’s officially designated wilderness, so traditional tools only may be used.
In total we removed seven blowdowns.
Some of the blowdowns were high while others were low.
Using a hatchet to chop away the rot. On a log spanning a gap, gravity draws the wood downward causing compression (bind) at the top. Once the cut gets deep enough, the resulting bind will slowly make it harder to saw.
We use wedges to hold open the “kerf” so the sawing can continue.
We also built some drainage dips where waterbars were needed to prevent erosion.
The dirt was proof of a hard day’s work, so let’s get the party started.
Good news. Just as darkness blanketed the park, our odds changed. We learned that 30 percent chance of rain sometimes means you get wet. Why good news? The rain doused the campfires and the partying. Silence reigned even as dark rain poured from the inky sky. Everyone got a good night’s sleep. Amen!
Sunday was another beauty contest winner made extra special by the hot coffee.
We split into three groups. Rebecca Unruh, backcountry ranger and dear friend of the Hoodlums, gave a talk on environmental hazards from poison ivy to heat stroke.
We also offered sessions on string trimmer use and maintenance, and on grade dip construction.
We called it at noon for a delicious lunch.
A sign of happiness.
Boots usually last 500 miles or about a year for me. These are two-year-old miracle boots. The rain last year was easy on the soles. The rocks finally got the uppers.
Straining for a selfie.
Until next year.
Sisu
This was my final trash run. The load included a discarded tent, new boots, wet cotton clothing and uneaten food. Total pack weight was close to 70 lbs.
September 12, 2019 — There’s a popular website/blog/resource for hikers called the Trek. It was originated by my friend Zach Davis who wrote an excellent book about psychologically preparing for an AT thru hike called “Appalachian Trials.”
Recently a writer for the Trek interviewed me and others about educating hikers. Here’s the result.
Sisu
Bucky, Witt, me and Sabine at the Blackburn Trail Center.
Mostly Maryland, Labor Day weekend, 2019 — This is the saddest time of year for me. Just as the sultry misery of summer begins to moderate, the ridgerunners strike their tents in search of their next adventure.
By now, two of our six ridgeunners have finished their work. Joanne served a month-long season in Shenandoah centered two weeks either side of the July 4 weekend. David in Pennsylvania left a bit early for his next gig in the southern region. Bucky and Witt finish on Labor Day. Sabine is done a couple of days later. By Friday, Mary will be the last one standing.
Mary’s season is auspiciously book-ended by April Fools Day and Halloween. Along the way she’ll see the dull dormancy of winter brown transform into the verdant green tunnel of summer hiking which is naturally followed by the bright fall hues of Alabama crimson, traffic cone orange, caution light yellow, and camouflage tan. Along the way the bears will have awakened, munched their way through a full season and planned for winter slumber.
Ridgerunning is a calling. On the downside it’s janitorial. But the upside difference can be transformational for the ridgerunner, the hikers they meet, and for the trail itself. It’s a labor of love that people love to do.
This year, for the first time, everyone said they want to return for an encore season. Usually we have one or two. Reality suggests that all six won’t make it back to us. Real life and better economic opportunities intervene. Regardless, we may get lucky. The more the merrier.
Annapolis Rock, Maryland
How do you value a job protecting a view like this?
I like to be with the ridgerunners on high-traffic weekends. This year it was Maryland.
Hiker traffic was light for a three-day weekend with a fantastic weather forecast. We expected around 500 day hikers at Annapolis Rock. Three ten showed up. We met only a couple of dozen along the way on the trail. Where’d they go?
Camp at Raven Rock. My tent in the foreground. Mary’s blue tarp in the distance.
Waiting for the campers. Only four showed up. We expected 30.
Sunset at Raven Rock. Check out the fire after dark. Listen to the insect symphony. Link to Mary’s video: Mary’s Camp Fire VideoMary’s Camp Fire Video.
Hiked with Mary to Annapolis Rock where I could spend some time with Bucky. We discussed the environmental damage caused by non-padded ropes anchoring to trees. I also noted the unseen damage that can happen to ropes when they are not padded at tension spots on rock faces.
Mary hiked a mile ahead to spend the night at Pine Knob shelter which was maxed out. It’s too close to the trail head. People can easily haul in coolers and the like.
Final breakfast with Bucky at Bonnie’s Red Byrd restaurant. The stuffed blueberry french toast was yummy.
Sisu.
Butterfly on short final for thistle pollen. They have been abundant this year.
Shenandoah National Park, August 18 – 23, 2019 — Every year the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) Shenandoah trail crews organize crew weeks. That’s when members can work closely with the park’s professional trail crews. It’s good for morale and camaraderie. It’s also fun to play in the dirt like a five-year-old.
The five-day experience couples the satisfaction of teamwork and hard work with the joys of barracks-style living – nine people sharing a single bathroom and rush-hour-like kitchen congestion.
On the way to our work base in the park’s Pinnacles area, I stopped at my AT section at Jenkins Gap to refresh a flaky blaze.
First you need exterior grade white paint, a brush and a scraper.
Next you remove the old paint and just enough bark to help the paint stick.
Andy Warhol would be proud (I hope).
Raiding the tool cache for tools needed for the the week.
Loaded van, ready to rock and roll.
Monday we split up for a range of jobs. Mine was on a “weeding” crew for an overseer who has been ill.
For arm chair trail maintainers, weeding translates to a roaring string trimmer frapping poison ivy into an evil green pesto that coats exposed skin like white on rice. Need I say more?
It’s hot, sweaty and buggy work, all necessary to remove habitat for the ticks that cause Lyme disease.
Day two dawned with the full brutality of mid-Atlantic summer heat and humidity. It was so hot that the burning crosscut kerf spit fire and brimstone.
We teamed up to rip our way through this 18-inch blowdown. It’s in a federally designated wilderness near the park’s western boundary. By definition, power tools cannot be used for trail work in wilderness areas, hence the muscle power.
Anna, 65, and Mary, 68, proved age is no limit.
The guys had several bites at the apple too.
Half done, but the heat index was oppressive. We were working at least 1,500 feet lower than the ridge above us where the temp would have been 10 – 15 degrees cooler.
Shortly after we snapped this victory photograph, one of our members showed symptoms of heat exhaustion.
In this case the symptoms were: dizziness, dark urine, fatigue, transient nausea, vision issues and lack of coordination. Skin was cool and normal color, but she wasn’t sweating much. Heart rate and breathing remained within a normal range under the conditions. Her awareness and alertness (A/O) score remained at 3 for the entire time.
Treatment included moving the patient into the shade, soaking her with water, placing chemical cold packs against her carotid arteries, taking her vital signs, and ultimately getting her to sip a liter of Pedialyte. In total she drank 2.5 liters of Pedialyte and water.
We radioed Shenandoah dispatch about 15 minutes after the onset of symptoms for a backcountry EMT. Her symptoms were worsening.
We knew it would be awhile. The plan was to continue treatment until the EMTs could arrive or, if she improved sufficiently, to walk her out over the mile-and-a-half down hill to the trailhead.
Unfortunately emergencies in the backcountry are never trivial. Help can’t arrive easily or quickly. We coach our ridgerunners to prepare to be on scene without help for up to three hours in a worse case scenario. Depending on the nature of the injury, that’s a lot of time for bad things to happen.
After an hour, our patient improved and felt strong enough to attempt to walk out.
The EMTs were still on the way, so we radioed dispatch that we were walking out. We met the EMTs and park rangers at the trail head where they were preparing to hike in with the guide we had sent ahead.
Our patient was assessed and monitored for almost an hour before being discharged to our care.
A law enforcement ranger who responded paid our team the ultimate compliment. “It was,” he observed, “nice to see people in the backcountry who were properly prepared.”
Amen to that.
The next day’s weather forecast was for molten metal falling from the sky, so we decided to take a zero day which would allow us to slip behind the public access curtain to see what we could learn. Our thanks to Rebecca Unruh, the ranger who coordinates our volunteer activities.
The park archives are an amazing collection of records and artifacts dating back before the park’s creation in the 1930s.
What’s in this box?
Original maps.
Next stop, Rapidan Camp. The camp was President Hoover’s country (very rustic) retreat. It was the model for Camp David, the current presidential retreat, located about 150 miles north in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain Park.
Our zero day ended on a Sundae.
Throughout the year we partner with the National Park Service rangers. Dave Jenkins is responsible for trail maintenance in the northern half of the park.
Building a drainage dip for a wet spot. We are shifting from hard-structure waterbars (drains made of wood and stone) to dirt mounds variously called swales, rolling grade dips, or as the trail maintenance manual (p. 65) calls them, “drainage dips.” They are more natural and have less environmental impact.
The dirt is raked down hill and hard tamped into a mound set at a 45 degree angle to the trail forming a ditch-like structure.
We also cleaned and repaired serviceable log and stone waterbars.
Some people pose with trophy animals. We, on the other hand …
Last project.
Closeout discussion with Ranger Rebecca Unruh at our barracks.
Final portrait. One more crew week in the books.
Sisu
Blackburn Trail Center, Round Hill, VA, July 18, 2019 — The Secret Lives of Ridgerunners was turned into a podcast. If you recall, that post (Click here for post.) was a quick look behind the scenes when the ridgerunners hair was down.
You may also recall that author and podcaster Gary Sizer was a guest. That’s Gary in plaid. After dinner he produced an episode of his podcast “Stories from the Trail” from a free form discussion he and the ridgerunners had on the porch.
Click to give it a listen if you really want to know what goes on behind the scenes: “The Secret Lives of Ridgerunners.”
Sisu
Tiny toad next to a blue blaze.
Shenandoah National Park, Antietam National Battlefield and C&O Canal National Historic Park, Maryland, July 20, 23 and 26, 2019 — The week started with the Hoodlums trail crew work trip Saturday in stifling heat and humidity.
We cleared the leaner with a 24 inch pruning saw. The chainsaw vapor locked.
Monday the heat broke and I dashed up to the park to weed the AT section I maintain.
The warning sign is about a rabid ground hog that has been spotted in the area. Of course I immediately imagined that our local bear would find and eat the dead ground hog, then we’d have a rabid bear on our hands … Nooooooo! With that I put my imagination back in its box and got to work.
Tuesday featured a Maryland AT Management Committee meeting where the various organization involved with the AT in Maryland convene to sort out issues and coordinate activities.
Traffic is always horrific coming out of Washington so I usually leave early and meet the ridgerunner for dinner. Then we attend the meeting.
Dunkard Church taken from near this vista. It is one of the iconic photos from the battle.
I had 90 minutes before the time I arranged to meet Mary, so I dropped in on Antietam National Battlefield near Sharpsburg, MD. Link to Antietam Battlefield website
When I was a student at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, we spent some time studying this battle to learn what we could from the decisions its various leaders made on that bloodiest day in American military history.
“23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation,” according to the website.
After falling into disrepair, the church was rebuilt for the civil war centennial.
Inside of the church as it is today.
The Dunkard faith tradition is alive today. Link to the Dunkard Brethern website.
Now for the highlight of the week. It’s time for another Gang of Four (again minus one) hike. Alexis was booked as an analyst on NPR’s 1-A Friday domestic news round up.
Three sunny faces at 8 o’clock.
We were back at the C&O Canal’s great falls. There are many trails in the park, but the Billy Goat trails are the best. Last time we hiked Billy Goat B because A was flood damaged. Yesterday A was open and we were ready. Link to our last visit.
Billy Goat A is similar to B. It’s located on the Potomac floodplain and features rocks and sand.
The C&O offers excellent aquatic habitat.
Butterflies were abundant. This is Viceroy, not a Monarch.
Rock monkeys atop the featured rock scramble.
Selfie!
For the record.
Balance beam yoga.
Readers may recall last year. Area rainfall for the year was nearly double normal. The river roared through Great Falls as if wasn’t even there.
What a difference a year with normal rainfall makes!
With that, we called it a day and repaired to a local watering hole for an al fresco lunch. We had to sit outside. I forgot to bring a dry shirt. Stay tuned for our August adventure.
Sisu
Blackburn Trail Center
Blackburn Trail Center, Round Hill, VA, July 18, 2019 — Once a month in June and July we bring our Appalachian Trail ridgerunners to Blackburn for a little R&R and a short business meeting. Outside guests from the Conservancy, NPS and our trail club are often invited. In August they travel to the Scott Farm training center outside Carlisle, PA where they rejoin their mid-Atlantic peers for an official seasonal debrief and a personal comparing of notes.
Our MO is pretty standard. We show up Thursday afternoon for some social time, prepare a meal and have some beer. Friday morning we do cook-your-own pancakes with a 9 o’clock hard start for our meeting which varies between 90 minutes and three hours. Lunch is leftovers if there are any.
Ridgerunners are usually fairly stoic people. They are selected for their maturity, judgment, commitment and intelligence. But what are they really like when they let their hair down and no one else is looking? Here’s a snapshot of the dinner hour last night.
Food prep was pretty standard. The main course was grilled burgers. Catherine, our PATC intern, was our slicer and dicer for the fixin’s.
Seems like gender neutral nail painting is a thing with hikers this year. I appears to have started with hikers painting their black toenails to cover up the grossness of it all.
Next thing I know, they’re all doing it.
Checking for purity?
Stylin’.
That was hard work.
Ok. Everybody outside to cook. We were joined by Gary Seizer, host of the podcast “Stories from the Trail.” He recorded an episode after dinner that will air in two to three weeks.
What’s this? The food was yummy.
A good time was had by all.
Sisu