This Friday we are off to John Rock. There is one reported tree down, and some water bar work to do. Meet at the Ranger Station at 8:30. Please let me know if you will be out this week. Bill

Folks, To get all our AT sections in tip-top shape before the ATC conference this July (allowing that we still need to spend many days moving logs and other materials down the hill to the new shelter) we need to work on it every chance we get. This week looks like the weather will cooperate again, so we will tackle the section from Sams Gap to Street Gap. There are several trees down (Alan please bring your saw) and blazing required on the posts in the meadow (Piet, please ask Lew to bring his blazing stuff). The rest of us will be doing tread repair and improvement. We will go in from Sams Gap and come back there at the end of the day. I may (depending on the weather) send one car around to Street Gap for the blazing and to check out the access. Meeting place for Asheville folks is the Forest Service office (across from UNCA Botanical Gardens) at 8:00. Hendersonville people meet at Ingles at 7:20. Bring digging tools and loppers so we can make this section shine for the through hikers and the conference hikes. Please let me know if you are coming. Skip

John Soldati's Wednesday Work Crew

We will go again to work on the MST at Bull Gap. Meet at Folk Art Center at 8:00 AM. We will need trail crew for steps and sawyers (experienced) to begin the new "Relo Cut-Out" around the hill. Due to limited parking space on Ox Creek Rd. please meet at F. Art Center. As usual, please REPLY as to your attendance. Thanks. JS

Post Work Report: A beautiful day. At Bull Gap Don, Bob and David put in 8 four foot by 6X6's and finished the excellent steps up and around to the top level of the trail on this very bad section. Each step has heavy rock crush placed between the heavy wooded bars. Each bar has two 18 inch steel rebars holding the step in addition to the rock and sidehill. On the outside of the 13 step tier there is heavy rock cribbing. There is more work to do on the upper level but we are finished with initial phase of replacing the old steps. They look great and will immeasurably enhance the MST southbound at the Gap. Barth and I began the cut-out of the 10 foot tread-way for the proposed MST Relo. All the heavy wood is rolled to either side, making it a very neat cut through for the trail to follow. Got more done than we expected and removed a lot of wood on the first go. Official report follows. Good to have Mr. Roberts out with us again after many months. Some time soon we will reveal what we (CMC) had to pay to his company just to let us use him on our trails. JS

Mike Lang/Barth Brooker Monday Crew

nyone interested in joining the trail crews contact: Hendersonville area-Bill Newton, 828-693-4033, Brevard area-Dick Johnson, 828-884-3685, Asheville area-Skip Shelton, 828-891-3264 or Piet Bodenhorst, 828-298-8371, Misha Lazer, 828-259-9729, lazerm@bellsouth.net , Mike Lang, 828-658-1914, mlang626@buncombe.main.nc.us

Checked with the rangers on trail needs and the first of many is Turkey Pen. We have spotted this problem before and it is truly a bad section on the trail. On the West side of McCall Mountain coming out of Popular Lick Gap is a badly eroded section of trail. This is right in the middle of Turkey Pen and there is no easy - or even moderately difficult - way to get to it. We will meet at the ranger station and drive (need 4X4's) so we can go in at Muleshoe Gap. Our plans will be to install some water and/or silt bars to try to stop erosion on this section. A gully some 18 inches deep 200 feet long has formed and is rapidly getting worse. As far as we know there is only one 6" tree down on this section so we will do very little clearing - will need some water bars cut, though. We will also watch the weather, so check your mail Friday morning. Supposed to be something coming in Friday night, but who knows around here??? As ever, please let me know if you will be out Friday. Bill

The long range forecast for Friday is good again this week, so lets hope we can get out and do some work on the trail. I think our best shot at getting to the AT is the Davenport Gap section, so lets go back and try to finish up that work. I will bring a saw, others bring digging tools as we will be removing roots, widening tread and possibly putting in some steps. I think Howard and Alan may do some work on signs. Asheville folks meet at the Home Depot at exit 44 of I 40 at 8:00. Hendersonville people at Ingles at 7:20. We need a good turn-out to complete this work, so please try to come if you can. Let me know about your plans, so we can be sure there are enough rides.Skip

WORK DONE: Cleared several down trees and did tread repair. This section is finished unless the section maintainer wants us to come back.

John Soldati's Wednesday Work Crew

Looks like the bad weather goes away far in advance of our meeting: At 8:00 AM at Folk Art Center. We will go back to Bull Gap and work on the new steep trail heading southbound on MST. For all sawyers who 1. have full certification and 2. are willing and who can join the Wednesday Crew please bring: a. chainsaw (gas powered) b. gas & bar oil, c. full protective gear. For all others bring trail crew tools. Whoever may have the gas drill, please bring that along or report to me so that I can have it picked up. Bring any peeve you have may have in your back pocket as well. See you all at F. Art Center...(note, Bull Gap is too small for all the automobiles). As usual, please reply and I'll be seeing you on the trails. JS

Post Work Report: We have good news and bad news. First the bad: Only spent two hours out today, due to rain north of Asheville (and east of Weaverville) at Bull Gap. Don, Bill and Bob (sounds like an auto supply store) put in two wooden bars but not the stone crush as we had to vacate the location to prevent head colds, flu and bronchitis. The Good News: The Park Service delivered about 500 wooden bars and drilled for rebar. So we have (seriously) nine to 10 four foot, heavy as hell, wooden 6X6's with holes for rebar at the base of the southbound junction of the MST at Bull Gap. This reworked trail will really be a show place in a few more work days. Good job all and thanks to Mr. Bodenhorst for getting the Park Service boys hopping. By the way, the guys that delivered the bars, said... "they have tons more and just call anytime for delivery"...Outstanding! Official Report follows. JS

Mike Lang/Barth Brooker Monday Crew

Tuesday we took a hike from Sams Gap South to Big Flat (about 4+ miles). There were a couple of spots which could use a little tread work, mostly closer to Sams Gap. Close to Big Flat there is a small tree top hanging close to the trail.. Someone has already cut part of it away. A hand saw can finish the job. Unfortunately we did not have one. I have to make sure I start carrying one in my pack. Lots of tread work has been done on the trail. It's a bit muddy and slippery in some of these spots. It looks as if the leaf cover has blown off. On the whole this much of the AT is in pretty good shape. I have a plot (PDF format) of this portion of the trail if anyone is interested. Barth