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.”
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 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 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.
Dave on a day of ridgerunning with Carvins Cove in the background
If you have hiked the AT between Georgia and Virginia in the last decade, you likely saw or met Dave Youmans.
Dave was a champion and stalwart of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) in southwest Virginia and beyond. He passed away on Thursday, July 4, 2024 in the company of his family and his life partner Amanda Kulkoski in Savannah, GA. Dave suffered a debilitating stroke during elective shoulder surgery in June.
Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, Dave moved to the Roanoke, Virginia area in 2013 from northern Virginia after being the managing partner of a real estate company in Maryland, a diver for a maritime construction and transportation firm in Louisiana, and a psychiatric social worker for the state of Delaware. An avid hiker, traveler, and outdoor lover; he quickly became involved with the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).
With RATC, from 2014-2022, Dave volunteered in many roles: trail maintainer, land management supervisor, and club representative to the Virginia A.T. Regional Partnership Committee. He was also part of the inaugural cohort of Volunteer Ridgerunners, when the McAfee Knob Task Force was created in 2015. In 2014 and 2015, he volunteered a total of 9 weeks on the ATC Konnarock, Rocky Top, and Mid-Atlantic Trail Crews.
In 2016, Dave became an ATC staff member as Crew Leader for both the Konnarock and Rocky Top trail crew programs. With Konnarock, Dave worked on A.T. projects including the Justus Mtn trail relocation (GA), Standing Indian Mtn trail rehabilitation (NC), Backbone Rock relo (TN), and in Virginia: Mount Rogers High Country rehab, Bluff City relo, New River relo, Highcock Knob relo, and Rockfish Gap rehab.
In 2017, Dave became the A.T. Catawba Mountain Ridgerunner – a seasonal ATC staffer working daily on a popular, heavily-used, and impacted 40-mile section of the A.T. covering “Virginia’s Hiking Triple Crown”, including McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs (both on National Park Service lands), and Dragon’s Tooth (on USDA Forest Service lands). He remained in this role for four years – personally contacting, informing, and educating hikers, backpackers, trail runners, rock climbers, and dog walkers; while also leading and supporting more than two dozen volunteer ridgerunners of the McAfee Knob Task Force (MKTF). As Ridgerunner, Dave was the face of ATC, of RATC, and of the A.T. to thousands of A.T. visitors each season.
Amanda and Dave first met in August 2017 at Campbell Shelter while she was backpacking and he was on-duty as the Catawba Ridgerunner. Dave offered his contact information for any future trip-planning needs, Amanda followed up, and a long-distance romance was born.
In 2021, while continuing to be an active RATC volunteer, Dave became the Mountain Region Public Access Steward for the Natural Heritage Program of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Although this role took him away from the A.T., he continued to protect southwest Virginia’s beloved hiking destinations by interpreting the natural history and local regulations to visitors at Buffalo Mountain and Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserves.
In late 2022, Dave relocated to Savannah, Georgia to live with Amanda, while maintaining his house in Roanoke. Amanda and several of Dave’s family members will celebrate his life on a hike to Tinker Cliffs this summer.
Few individuals impact the A.T. and the people who visit it in so many different ways in such a short time as Dave did. He was able to engage effectively with a wide range of people from fellow volunteers to both tenderfeet and experienced trail hikers to agency decision-makers and affect positive change, always with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.
Thank you, Dave – wishing you challenging trails and far views.
In remembrance of Dave, his family suggests donating to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Memory of David Youmans, aka “Ranger Dave”.
Dave takes a break with the Konnarock Crew during Week 9 of the Bluff City Relo.
“I will always remember those dark smiling eyes and his snarky yet good-spirited humor.” — DIANA CHRISTOPULOS, RATC Archivist & McAfee Knob Task Force Ridgerunner; past President of RATC and past member of ATC President’s Leadership Circle
“Dave always embodied what it means to be a steward of the Trail. He was hard working and up for any task; joyful in service and truly happy to do the small things, both asked and unasked. Those many small acts of service over many years added up to an incredible contribution to the AT partnership, to the RATC, and to the Trail he loved.”— ANDREW DOWNS, Senior Regional Director-South, ATC
“He always had a smile ready.”— JIM WEBB, RATC Trail Supervisor
“Dave stepped up to be Catawba Mountain Ridgerunner when we were in a tight spot and needed to hire quickly. I don’t think speaking with strangers was his comfort zone at first, but he was great at it. His genuine love of the Trail just shone through in a way that was contagious, for visitors and for everyone he worked with. He led by example with that quiet authenticity. It’s hard to set foot on the Trail in our region without touching something that Dave helped protect or improve.”— Kathryn Herndon-Powell; Central Virginia Regional Manager, ATC
“I “followed” Dave as the Catawba Ridgerunner starting in 2021 and have heard so many stories from so many people about him and his time working for ATC. I deeply appreciate the work he did and the legacy he leaves behind.” — SUZANNE NEAL; Catawba Ridgerunner, 2021-ongoing, ATC
“Dave was always so full of life and a pleasure to be around. He was truly dedicated to the Trail.” — MIKE VAUGHN; past RATC Trail Supervisor
“After camping at Lambert’s Meadow during an overnight patrol, I thought I was getting an early start only to find Dave already cooking oatmeal on top of Tinker Cliffs. As we sat, talked, and ate breakfast, the sky turned black. The hike/wade/slip down the Andy Layne Trail together left us looking like muddy drowned rats – Dave was smiling ear-to-ear the whole time.” — BRIAN WILSON; NPS A.T. Law Enforcement Ranger
“Dave was a happy, outgoing, knowledgeable trail and nature lover who passionately followed his heart, while living life to the fullest.” — BRIAN BOGGS; RATC Board Member and McAfee Knob Task Force Representative
“I always admire how Dave could find humor in even the most serious of conversations and situations. He was always a great friend and will be deeply missed. His legacy of love for life, the Trail, and the Trail community lives on in all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.” — CONNER McBANE; Natural Resources Manager, ATC
“Every single work hike or McAfee Knob Task Force hike I ever went on, I hoped I would run into Dave on the Trail. I truly did. I will miss him.” — MARK FARRELL; RATC member and Trail volunteer
“Dave was the perfect Public Access Technician for the Mountain Region (2021-2022). He expertly navigated his interactions with the public to both protect Virginia’s rarest habitats and help visitors to Natural Area Preserves have the best possible experiences.” — RYAN KLOPF; Mountain Region Steward & Natural Areas Science Coordinator, Natural Heritage Program of Virginia Dept. of Conservation & Recreation
“Dave was a wonderful mentor for volunteer Ridgerunners – knowledgeable and full of good humor.” — SUSAN TERWILLIGER; RATC Secretary and McAfee Knob Task Force volunteer Ridgerunner
“Dave is an inspiration as a life well-lived and a true hero of public lands who made an impact on everyone he taught, from meetings about agreements with boring District Rangers (sorry, Dave) to welcoming a new hiker to the outdoors at McAfee. Happy trails, Dave – you will be missed.” — DAN McKEAGUE; former USFS Eastern Divide District Ranger (2015-2020), current Deputy Regional Forester, USFS Northern Region, Missoula MT
“As Dave himself would say – “he was an OKAY guy.” (smile). I am lucky to have gotten to know and work with him.” — BILL NEILAN; past President of RATC
“Dave was a champ and was always great to work with. Whether dealing with a difficult Konnarock trail crew week or trying to reclaim an exceedingly challenging section of AT corridor boundary line, Dave never faltered and was always looking forward. His roguish grin was always appreciated, even more so when followed up with one of his dry comments. He did so much.” — JOSH KLOEHN, Senior Trail Operations Manager, ATC
“There are so many things I could say about working with Dave both as a volunteer and as a co-worker at Konnarock and Mid-Atlantic. However, the funniest was early-on, when teaching him and other crew volunteers about making “fine crush” for steps. I said, don’t hold a larger piece of rock crush between your thumb and index finger, or you may hit your hand. Dave immediately did exactly the opposite and hammered his thumb hard – he said: “You mean like this ?” — JERRY KYLE; High Country Regional Manager & Konnarock Trail Crew Program Manager, ATC
“Dave epitomized the enduring non-federal-governmental strength of the A.T. – as an ATC Trail Crew Leader, as ATC Catawba Ridgerunner, as RATC volunteer and club leader – always with his sly smile, that twinkle in his eye, his quick wit, and unfailing good cheer.” — PETE IRVINE; RATC volunteer troad maintainer and USFS-GWJeffNFs Trails Program Manager (retired)
(Roanoke, VA). The Catawba Mountain Fire Road has been reopened to hikers following major work to improve the road for both emergency vehicles and the hiking public. The gated Fire Road runs parallel to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) on National Park Service (NPS) lands northerly from the A.T. Trailhead Parking Area on VA-311, approximately 10 miles north of Salem, VA. It serves as emergency vehicle access for incidents in the McAfee Knob area, a popular panoramic viewpoint and hiking destination, as well as forming a loop hike opportunity with the A.T. The road has been closed to all public use since January 11 for this project.
Roadwork to Temporarily Close Catawba Mountain Fire Road to Hikers
Update: Due to weather delays, work did not begin on January 17 as planned. Work began February 7, and will continue until March 4.
(Roanoke, VA). Roadwork to improve the Catawba Mountain Fire Road for emergency vehicle use will require the road to be temporarily closed to hikers and all public use beginning Monday, January 17 through February 11. During this road closure, hikers will continue to be able to use the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to access McAfee Knob and beyond. This roadwork is weather-dependent and is being performed during the winter season to minimize disruption to hikers.
Beginning June 13. 2020 – The National Park Service reopened access to 27 miles of the Appalachian Trail known as the “Triple Crown”. The “Triple Crown” area includes the AT between VA Route 624 (Newport Road) and VA Route 652 (Mountain Pass Road), including McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. All sections of RATC maintained AT are now open.
Things to Remember:
Please follow all local health orders, including social distancing and practice Leave No Trace principles. No hand washing facilities exist on the trail, bring hand sanitizer. No restroom facilities exist on the trail or VA 311 McAfee Knob Trailhead Parking Lot
VA 311 McAfee Knob Trailhead Parking Lot is at 100% capacity and parking is not allowed on VA 311 – illegally parked cars may be ticketed and towed
No trail maintenance has been performed on the trail since March 15, 2020.Be prepared for trail obstructions.
Shelters and privies in all sections section remain closed
Plan your Triple Crown hike during the week, if at all possible. Weekend days can be crowded.
As you know, RATC is an active organization devoting countless volunteer hours to maintain and improve our 120 mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT). Funds generated from membership play an integral part in the club’s ability to provide trail and shelter maintenance. If you are not an RATC member or have not renewed your membership please join or renew your Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) membership and support the stewardship of our 120 mile Appalachian Trail (AT) section with both your membership and financial support. Membership information is available at
Highlights of 2019 RATC activities include; • Resurfaced McAfee Knob/VA 311 Trailhead Parking Lot – $2,000 • Supported the “Virginia Triple Crown” Volunteer Ridgerunner Program – 52 Volunteers/1679 Volunteer Hours • Contributed $5000 toward purchase of Doc’s Way property to protect McAfee Knob view shed • Replaced roofs on Catawba, Wilson Creek, Jenny’s Knob, Laurel Creek and Doc’s Knob Shelters – $2500 • Replaced fire rings for 5 Shelters – $1100 • Repaired foot bridges at VA 620, VA 621 and VA 785 – $1000 • Held weekly trail maintenance hikes resulting in 350 steps being installed on Dragon’s Tooth, Sinking Creek (Niday Shelter side), Curry Gap and AT/McAfee Knob. • 83 RATC Trail Maintainers worked >5500 volunteer hours to maintain our section of the AT • Assisted Konnarock Crew with War Spur trail relocation • Performed emergency repairs to Fulhardt Knob Shelter after fire • Offered 60+ recreational hikes covering a wide range of difficulty and distance
Sandra Marra, President & CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy released the following statement, March 23, 2020;
“In these unprecedented times, I am making an unprecedented request: please stay away from the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). Whether your hike is for a couple of hours or a couple of days, staying away from the Trail minimizes the spread or contraction of COVID-19.
In a time when social distancing is necessary to minimize the spread and contraction of a dangerous virus, many have escaped to nature seeking isolation and unpopulated spaces. On the A.T., however, what they’ve found are trailhead parking lots exceeding their maximum capacities, shelters full of overnight hikers, day hikers using picnic tables and privies, and group trips continuing as planned. Popular spots along the Trail like Blood Mountain in Georgia, the McAfee Knob area in Virginia, and Annapolis Rocks in Maryland have seen day use reach record-breaking levels. Cars line the highways leading to popular day-hiking spots on the Trail. Hiking the A.T. has become, in other words, the opposite of social distancing.
As a result of the COVID -19 pandemic we are all experiencing new and challenging times in our lives and on the Appalachian Trail.
In response to the best guidance available on effective ways to slow transmission the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) is suspending all club and trail-related activities for a least the next month to give local communities and the country time to realize the full impact of the virus.
The RATC annual meeting scheduled for March 28, 2020 will be postponed and rescheduled at a future date.
This is a rapidly changing situation and acting with an abundance of caution is the best course of action.
The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club is looking for new volunteers to protect McAfee Knob and Dragons Tooth as Volunteer Ridgerunners. The final Training Day of 2019 will be Saturday, September 7 from 9 am to 4 pm. Please email Kathryn Herndon-Powell or call her at 540-904-4316 to attend.
Volunteer Ridgerunners engage hikers in friendly conversations about the natural and cultural significance of this area and tips on best practices for enjoying the Trail safely and responsibly. They report on trail conditions and perform light trail maintenance to prevent small problems from getting worse–like dismantling illegal fire rings, packing out trash, and blocking social trails to discourage shortcutting. In 2018, 38 Volunteer Ridgerunners logged 1,125 volunteer hours, spoke with over 18,000 visitors and removed 570 gallons of litter!
If you want to join this lively group of dedicated stewards, you must:
(Note: this blog is based substantially on a filing by the Indian Creek Watershed Association/ICWA to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission/FERC on December 21, 2018 – Accession No. 20181221-5334. As this blog was being posted, several more stories broke regarding likely violations of the Clean Water Act by Mountain Valley Pipeline. In a front-page story on January 23, 2019, the Roanoke Times reported a well-documented request by Roanoke attorneys to the federal Environmental Protection Agency for a criminal investigation of MVP On February 15, 2019 the Roanoke Times confirmed that the there is a federal criminal investigation of MVP underway. And Roberta Kellam, former member of Virginia’s State Water Control Board – charged with enforcing the federal Clean Water Act in the Commonwealth – revealed potential violations by Department of Environmental Quality staff and very questionable behavior by DEQ Director David Paylor. Kellam wrote articles for the Virginia Mercury in December 2018 and January 2019. )
Before approving the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) had to show that it would do no substantial environmental harm, supposedly demonstrated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) they issued on June 23, 2017 (Accession No. 20170623-4000). In granting the FEIS, the FERC relied on MVP’s stream scour and erosion analyses and plan containing specific information about pipeline construction at stream crossings along the entire pipeline route.
Yet within months of starting the project, MVP submitted a variance request asking permission to change its plan. In doing so, MVP admitted to the FERC that:
MVP runoff a foot deep on Cahas Mountain Road
“The [MVP plan] was a theoretical desktop analysis and did not take site specific constructability issues (elevations, terrain, and workspace) into account. During its subsequent field reviews, [MVP] determined that execution of the mitigation measures, as written, would pose increased environmental or landslide risks or be unsafe or impractical due to terrain or geology.”
In response, FERC’s own expert consultant stated that MVP should be required to “provide a site-specific scenario… for each location [where MVP proposed to change its original plan].”
So it is clear that the FERC-approved FEIS does not protect the environment. Despite MVP’s confession, Paul Friedman (FERC Project Manager) or someone at a higher level overruled the FERC’s own expert consultant by
Rejecting the expert’s directive that MVP do a site-specific analysis of every water body crossing on the route where MVP proposed to change its original plan.
Allowing MVP to produce revised plans with lower environmental standards (June 2018).
Failing to provide state environmental agencies or the public an opportunity to comment on revised plans.
Approving, without opportunity for public comment, a project-wide variance (MVP-006) on September 26, 2018 that allows MVP to violate Best Management Practices without oversight.
Producing this hasty variance approval at EXACTLY the same time that MVP announced a lengthy delay and major cost increase. MVP and its investors – not clean water, landowner rights and protection of public lands – seemed to be the core FERC audience for this action.
Hiding the relevant correspondence from the public, the courts and both federal and state regulators.
Trying to hide the name of the FERC Project Manager in documents that ICWA acquired through a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA).
BY KEEPING CORRESPONDENCE SECRET, FERC DENIED INFORMATION THAT WOULD HAVE INFORMED DECISIONS BY FERC COMMISSIONERS, THE FEDERAL 4TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS AND THE VIRGINIA STATE WATER CONTROL BOARD, among others. Surely it would have mattered if decision makers had Read more »
The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club is looking for new volunteers to protect McAfee Knob and Dragons Tooth as Volunteer Ridgerunners. The final Training Day of 2019 will be Saturday, September 7 from 9 am to 4 pm. Please 