Building and Recovering our Trail

There is so much going on this month on our trail. While most of what we see is the trail construction process. Building a trail also involves planning, organizing, politicking, and cooperation.

Recently John Lanman, Jim Hallsey, Shelton Wilder, and David Anderson met and walked sections of the trail in preparation for approval requests.

Discussions of details for completion and surveys and access were held in the field.

John, on the left above is the Watauga Task Force Leader and Jim, on the right above is the Ashe County Task Force Leader. These two have been coordinating efforts to open a 26 mile stretch of the MST in the High Country by October. The countless hours of planning and work that they give to this project is commendable at the highest level of appreciation.

David works for the NPS and is charged with many duties. This day he was assisting us in planning and GPS coordinating the walkable sections for future mapping.

Here David is checking the coordinates for a parkway boundary marker at the edge of a right of way along our trail.

But, getting there is no fast process. Our sawyers continue to remove winter debris.

Gerry has worked hard on the first three sections and made tremendous progress.

Here is an example of a Level 3 challenge on the Big Wall Section that Sawyer Chris has been clearing.

Chris had to examine this pickup stick pile of large hardwoods that have criss crossed and blocked our trail.

Just to give you a scale of the challenge, Shelton compares the size of this huge locust.

Here Chris takes a much needed break. Chris has the most skill and is the best sawyer in our team. I am amazed at the work he and Marietta and friends have been able to get done this month.

Here Marietta follows up behind Chris as he cuts, she clears. Such excellent team work moves our trail forward and southward!

This time of year it is not all work. One of the joys of being on the trail and in nature is the discovery of the wildflowers coming into blossom. This trillium above is one of many varieties we have along our trail.

The native dogwoods are in bloom this first week in May.

Here is a challenge, don't scroll down yet!

What is this wildflower which is about to unfold?

???

??

?

Yep, a Jack in the Pulpit blossom.

For a sense of scale an insight to the beauty, this calyx has been pulled back so you might see "Jack"
in his pulpit. Hope to see you on the trail soon!