Cellar Mtn Trail - May 24, 2020

In order to allow some hike leaders to discuss how to conduct group hikes safely in the wake of COVID-19, the Charlottesville Chapter opened up its first post-pandemic hike exclusively to hike leaders (and spouses).  A working document has been hammered out and put online for hike leaders to use and to comment on regarding leading hikes during this time.  A group of four veteran Chapter hikers attended.  Three of those hikers are hike leaders:  Jeff Monroe and Nancy Kern were co-leads, Charlottesville Chapter founding member John Shannon also attended, along with veteran hiker (and John's spouse) Marian Styles.

The group met at the trailhead for the Cellar Mountain Trail, which is in St. Mary's Wilderness but seldom sees any hikers - unlike the rest of this wilderness!  (There were no other hikers on the trail this day.) The Charlottesville Chapter had worked in late 2019 with Wild Virginia and the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) to revive this trail from a state of serious overgrowth, over two separate work trips.  Today's hike was designed to check back on the trail, six months later, and to address any issues that have come up since the December work trip.  Participants brought tools, and several downed trees were cleared off of the trail, along with additional shearing of plants encroaching on the trail.  The trail is now 100% rehabilitated - with big thanks to Wild Virginia and to SAWS for organizing the 2019 work trips!

Lunch was completed in a safe, socially distanced manner.  Except for the dogs.

Photo taken at the eastern terminus of the Cellar Mtn Trail, three miles from the trailhead.

First snake of the hiking year.

A clean trail!

This sign was nearly covered with branches before plants were trimmed with hedge shears.