Aug 23 - Sept 3, 2009

Backpack Trip with pack support

The highest point in Virginia, Mount Rogers stands at a majestic 5,729 feet. The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area boasts such diverse habitats as rocky outcroppings, Fraser fir, red spruce, dense patches of blueberries, grassy mountain balds, and thousands of acres of rhododendron. The Fraser fir stands in the Mount Rogers NRA High Country are the northernmost natural Fraser fir stands and the only naturally-occurring stands in Virginia.

There are two federally designated wilderness areas in Mount Rogers NRA:

• Lewis Fork Wilderness

• Little Wilson Creek Wilderness

Combined, these two federally designated wildernesses total about 10,000 acres of primitive backcountry. These two areas are forested in northern hardwoods with red spruce and Fraser Fir at the highest elevations.

There are over 400 miles of designated trails on the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Trails range from primitive single-track to old logging roads and railroad grades. Some are for foot only, others allow horse and/or bicycle use.

The project on this trip is to build a turnpike, which raises a wet section of trail above the grade to keep feet dry. We'll also install waterbars and check dams to improve drainage on the trails.
We'll set up a basecamp on the first day and work from this camp for the week. We'll take one full day off to explore this wilderness area.