RATC Sawyers Help Clear AT After Helene - Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club

Four RATC volunteer sawyers were part of the initial “AT Saw Teams” undertaking on the Mount Rogers AT Club section of the Trail near Sugar Grove, VA, on November 14-15, 2024. Pete Irvine sent us this blog post and said, “It was a privilege to be part of this effort.”

The group of 10 men who cleared downed trees posing in front of Trimpi shelter. — Volunteer sawyers from 5 AT Trail Clubs at Trimpi Shelter

The endeavor was organized by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), which sent out a targeted request. The goal was to remove trees blown down due to Hurricane Helene on USDA Forest Service lands in and around Raccoon Branch Wilderness, located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area near Trimpi Shelter (FarOut mm 524.6). Ten volunteer sawyers responded, coming from as far away as Pennsylvania. Represented were the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), Natural Bridge AT Club (NBATC), Outdoor Club of Virginia Tech (OCVT), and RATC. RATC sawyers included Trail Supervisor Jim Webb, John Hvozdovic, Eric Leedom, and Pete Irvine.

Jim Webb chops a downed tree with an axe while two other men look on. — Jim Webb on the axe.

The team was given extensive safety briefings, and the weather on Day 1 was cold and rainy. Nevertheless, the AT Saws Teams cut out more than 80 blown-down trees, including several mature oaks over 30” inches in diameter. Chainsaws and hand tools were used to clear brush, limbs, and 52 trees outside the Wilderness area on the Trail and blue-blazed side trails to Trimpi Shelter, the water source, and the privy. Within the Wilderness, no power tools are allowed, so crosscut saws and hand tools were used to clear brush, limbs, and 31 trees from the trail.

Jim Webb leaning against a 19-inch hickory tree that has just been cut by hand with a crosscut saw. — Jim Webb and a 19” hickory after crosscut work.

Organization and leadership were provided by MRATC Trail Supervisor Doug Levin, ATC High Country Regional Manager Jerry Kyle, and Interim ATC Virginias Regional Director Kathryn Herndon-Powell. The AT Resiliency Fund, which is created by ATC, covered food costs for the volunteers and provided lodging at the Merry Inn Hostel in nearby Marion, VA.

Similar events are planned for the future. There are many more miles of the Appalachian Trail that remain partially or totally blocked due to impact from Helene.