RATC Volunteer Sawyers Continue post-Helene Efforts

Three RATC volunteer sawyers participated in the second “AT Saw Teams” effort on heavily-impacted sections of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The Mount Rogers NRA is located in southwest Virginia.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) again organized the endeavor and sent out the request for volunteers. The RATC sawyers joined 7 other AT volunteers who traveled long-distance to meet up with local Mount Rogers AT Club (MRATC) volunteers, ATC staffers, and USDA Forest Service employees on December 4 and 5th.

Personnel split into four work groups after safety briefings given at the Damascus Trail Center. RATC volunteers Bo Carneal and John Garris joined a group led by Kathryn Herndon-Powell. Kathryn is Interim ATC Virginias Regional Manager and also a RATC member. The team worked on the AT within Raccoon Branch Wilderness north of Dickey Gap using crosscut saws, S/ilky saws, and axes

RATC sawyer Greg Still used his chain saw skills with a crew clearing blow-downs between Taylors Valley and Straight Branch on Day One, and on a log step bypass of an unrecoverable AT switchback corner about 3/4-mile south of Damascus on Day Two.