The Latrine Queens Lop, Chop, and Clean Drains to Keep the A.T. Pristine

The last Session of SWEAT Crew 2014 started on Thursday, August 21.

We set out from Newfound Gap for our maintenance work between Dry Sluice Gap and Laurel top.

Brooke, Lauren, Lindsay, Jenn, Mary, Haley, and Mic had a wonderful stop at Charlies Bunion on the way out. Having the perfect weather for the stop means we took tons of pictures to show you how amazing it is out there! 

We arrived, established camp, and were later joined by Elliot and Chloe for dinner. Over the next four work days we were able to accomplish some much needed work for the A.T. The ridgeline Trail between False Gap and Laurel Top had become seriously overgrown and branches were impeding on hikers ability to pass through. The volunteers put their muscles in motion by swinging and chopping out jungles of black berry bushes from the trail corridor, creating enough space for hikers to pleasurably maneuver through the beautiful section of Trail.

After a summer of rainstorms, the waterbars on this section of trail needed particular attention, too, so with ample skill and positive attitudes the volunteers cleaned 81 water bars. After addressing the critical essential maintenance the crew focused their attention on some mucky spots they had identified in their days of work on this section.

These muddy spots were responsible for widening the Trail, since hikers loath to walk through them, often go around, causing a widened trail. As we way in the trail maintenance world, “only you can prevent trail creep.” 

This time, the crew took on the challenge to de-muck multiple areas of the trail while adding drainage to prevent future erosion.

Doing some draining...and, it sure needed it!

De-mucking, continued. 

Time to test out the Trail, post draining. Is it good enough to dance on? The Queens find out. 

Meets our approval!

Oh, Yeah!!

Back at camp, Session 9 passed the time with the help of Elliot's travel size Scrabble board game. We also made it our primary goal to make sure to finish each and every last bite of dinner so that we would have less weight to carry out. This decision indirectly led to our eventual crew name: the Latrine Queens. And these Queens got some great work done! A big thanks to all for coming out!

This crew was also witness to salamander on salamander violence, and captured the carnage of one eating the other with these pictures. Who knew they did that? 

Going...

Going...

Gone...