MRATC Activities and Information, Week - Oct. 25 – 31, 2026
TRAIL WORK:
On Thursday Oct 29th, we will work on a project rescheduled from last week... to install blaze posts on the AT north of Massie Gap in an open area that is difficult to navigate in bad weather. We will be doing this work along with Conner McBane of the ATC. The group will hike from Massie Gap to Rhododendron Gap where most tools and materials are already staged. Hike distance is expected to be around 5 miles.
Meet at Massie Gap at 9:30 a.m.
RSVP using this link:
HIKES:
Friday, Oct. 30: Join us for an approx. 6.8 mile out and back hike to Nick Grindstaff's
gravesite where he lived with his loyal dog Painter, and his poisonous partner rattlesnake. Hiker's will share more tales of Nick along the way. Bring lunch, water, poles and rain gear. GPS Coordinates: 36.481361, -81.960602.
Meet up locations:
Abingdon Lowe's @ 9AM
Damascus Caboose, 9:15AM
Trailhead @ Cross Mt. AT parking @ 9:40AM.
RSVP using this link:
Sat. Oct. 31:
Join us for a spooky-season hike on the Appalachian Trail! We'll start at Elk Garden
and hike the AT south to Buzzard Rock, where we will rest and have lunch. After that, we will take the short side trail up to the summit of Whitetop, then walk down the road back to the cars. On a clear day the views are lovely, and it's a treat to stroll down from the top of the mountain.
Distance: 6 miles total. You can shorten the hike by skipping the climb to the top of Whitetop.
Meeting options:
· 9:00 am at the Lowe's parking lot in Abingdon to carpool
· 9:45 am at the Whitetop Mountain parking lot (we'll shuttle from there to Elk Garden)
What to bring: a snack or lunch, rain gear, and hiking poles (recommended).
Hike leader: Donna Barkley
Please RSVP using this link and let us know where you'll meet us. Costumes are welcome if you're feeling festive!
NORTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL AND SAW-WHET OWL STUDY IN THE MT. ROGERS HIGH COUNTRY: Alex Dyer, ATC Restoration Coordinator for Virginia, will be in the Mount Rogers High Country from November 2-4, placing acoustic recording units (ARUs) around the spruce fir forest to detect Carolina northern flying squirrels and saw-whet owls. We're specifically interested to learn where CNFS are after Hurricane Helene. We are also hoping we can learn if/how squirrels are travelling between red spruce forest fragments via northern hardwood stands to inform future red spruce restoration.
MRATC MEMBER DISCOUNTS: (Note from Drew, the club’s new Membership Coordinator):
Just wanted to let you know that we now have members-only perks for MRATC!
15% off your purchase at Damascus Outfitters
15% off beers and cocktails at Appalachian Heritage Brewery and Distillery
You need to present your member cards, so if your member card is outdated or lost, let me know and we can arrange for you to get a new one! Members@mratc.org
I'm only getting started
member discounts so stay tuned! More discounts coming!
ATC DATA ON TRAIL VOLUNTEER IMPACTS:
In Federal Fiscal Year 2026, 4,712 volunteers contributed 164,186 hours to the Trail. For a look at some of the projects volunteers accomplished, visit:
CREEPER TRAIL MONTHLY COFFEE HOURS:
These will be held at the Damascus Trail Center every third Thursday from November to March from 10 to 11 a.m. First one: Nov. 19th. Anyone is welcome to drop by. Good opportunity to catch up with updates and plans. For more information:
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