COVID19 disrupted trail maintenance this year with the closing of Shenandoah National Park and a need to keep distance between people. Nevertheless, work on the Charlottesville Chapter’s section of AT between Rockfish and McCormick Gaps eventually commenced. John Shannon fired up the club’s weed-whacker several times to cut back summer’s grassy growth. The district manager and Barbara Martin reported fallen trees, although some confusion ensued because a mystery maintainer removed some blowdowns along the AT in the South District. The Chapter’s cross-cut saw made cutting some large logs easier than expected.
 | | At Rockfish Gap; sloping the trail so that water runs off the the trail rather than along it, learnt from Don White and Mark Gatewood |
|  | The Chapter's cross cut saw in front
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John also directed some effort toward cleaning out waterbars. Those at Rockfish Gap did not take much work, allowing time for some spot regrading to divert water in other places to head off erosion. Meanwhile, Marian Styles repainted north- and south-bound blazes along the section. John continued his campaign to save trees from bittersweet and found some new patches where he hopes he saved some trees from premature strangulation.
In December, Dave Abdallah helped John to clear water diversions on the steep McCormick Gap section as well as to start improving drainage at a number of muddy areas noted by Marian.
On December 21, John and Marian inspected the snowy trail expecting some trees down from an ice storm that had hit Charlottesville but found that the area had mainly escaped the damaging ice. They cleared one overhanging tree and a few branches before returning by walking back along the closed Skyline Drive.
|  | A snow person and descendant on Skyline
Drive-no vehicle traffic this day |
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Removing an uprooted tree which was
descending into the trail corridor |
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