Konnarock Crew Works Possums Rest
Jon Rindt
Possums Rest is a view point on the AT just outside the SNP northern boundary. Continuing north on the AT from the view point rockface, AT hikers are challenged by a series of irregular, rocky switchbacks. A project to make the descent/ascent of the rocky switchbacks safer and more negotiable was approved and funded by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).
The ATC Konnarock Trail Crew was chosen to execute this project based on their trail construction and rock work experience. The Crew is managed by Jerry Kyle, ATC High Country Regional Manager for Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee. Jerry, Crew leaders Ruth Mosholder and Becky Richardson, surveyed the project in April and decided on June 22-29 as the Crew work week.
As it turned out, that period happened to be the hottest week of the year at that time. An early start, lots of water, and cool down breaks were the order of the day. The only real break came on Friday when the Crew enjoyed a work site covered by a cloud the whole work day.
Even though the work site is basically a rock field, finding the proper rock to fit a specific need became a real challenge. And since the rock locations varied, setting up a high line to move the rocks was impracticable, so rocks had to be moved by a multiple person web basket one step at a time. The Crew was able to shape some of the rocks using pre-drilled holes and feathers and wedges to split the rock. A steep area was blocked by a large boulder that couldn’t be moved so a series of steps needed to be drilled and shaped. This process took a lot of time due to hardness of the boulder.
A time-consuming chore involved making gravel to secure and stabilize each rock step after placement. Constant hammering/busting of rocks to create the gravel became the lead sound during the work day.
After six full work days, the project resulted in a significant improvement with many new rock steps and smoother/safer tread. A special thanks to the Konnarock Crew’s effort on a hot and challenging week in PATC territory. It was the Crew’s first work trip on PATC AT trails and we welcome them back in the future.
