Woody Gap Restoration: (Konnarock Crew 1: Session 1)

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The Konnarock Trail Crew is the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s flagship crew program, founded in 1983. The Konnarock Trail Crew offers volunteers of diverse ages, backgrounds, and experience levels the opportunity to spend five days working together in the backcountry building durable sections of the Appalachian Trail that will last for generations. Konnarock is a joint venture of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the twelve southern A.T. maintaining clubs, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service.

The Konnarock basecamp in located in Sugar Grove, Virginiawhere volunteers are expected to meet at the start of the crew session. TheKonnarock Trail Crew works on projects along the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in backcountry settings anywhere from Waynesboro, Virginia, to the Trail’s southern terminus in Georgia. Read a complete volunteer position description for Konnarock Trail Crew member HERE.

Session 1 will begin on Wednesday, May 3 (starting at 5 p.m.) and finish on Monday, May 8 (ending around 8 p.m.). Volunteers must arrive at basecamp on the start date prior to 5:00 p.m. for crew introductions and orientation. Dinner will be provided at 6 p.m., and afterwards, the crew packs group gear and has an orientation meeting before wrapping up for the evening. On Thursday morning the crew will pack up and travel from the Sugar Grove basecamp to the project's camping site at the Lake Winfield Scott campground which has access to onsite water and a bathhouse. At the end of this crew session the crew will remain in Suches, GA leading into Session 2. Volunteers who have never joined the Konnarock Trail Crew before must participate in Session 2 if they are participating in Session 1.

Crew 1 will spend Session 1 restoring a heavily used section of the Appalachian Trail near Woody Gap. Part of the A.T. between Woody Gap and Preacher's Rock consists of a steep and rugged section that needs to be restored via treadway hardening and the installation of proper drainage features. This crew will be working to mitigate these treadway erosion issues by installing drainage features and placing long-lasting rock steps into the Trail's tread. This project is taking place in a federally designated Wilderness area, so no mechanized tools will be used. Each workday there will be a roughly half-mile hike to the project site (one-mile daily roundtrip), with minimal elevation gain. However, there is several hundred feet of elevation gain along the worksite to Preacher's Rock.

The following resources will be provided to volunteers:

• Shuttles to and from the nearest airports/bus stations, provided upon request.
• Transportation from basecamp to primitive, backcountry tent camping near the project work site.
• Room and board.
• Three meals a day (with lots of snacks!), including a large welcome and thank you dinners.
• All cooking/kitchen equipment for the backcountry
• Loaner camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack, daypack, water bottles, etc.).
• All trail work tools, gear, and PPE (gloves, glasses, hardhat).
• Training and leadership guidance throughout the week.

Volunteers are expected to provide the following:

• Appropriate work clothes (long pants, clothes you don’t mind getting dirty).
• Personal camping equipment if desired.
• A willingness to work hard within personal capabilities.
• An ability to follow crew staff instruction and example.
• A great attitude and being open to meeting new trail crew friends!

Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to participate in Konnarock. Volunteer who are 16 years old, must have a parent/guardian accompany the volunteer during the crew week. Volunteers who are 17 years old need a parent/guardian to sign a release form prior to the work week (the parent/guardian does not need to accompany the volunteer).