Keith Brown

November 2013

Rocky Top Trail Crew volunteer Keith Brown of Wooster, Ohio, is our November volunteer of the month. Fellow volunteers and crew staff alike say it is always a pleasure to learn from and work with Keith. 

Maggie Baker (October 2012 Volunteer of the Month) first met Keith on the Rocky Top Crew in 2009 and has worked with him almost every year since. She says, “Keith works at quite a pace and has a wealth of technical knowledge and experience that he is always willing to share. He has a warm and ‘wicked’ sense of humor and an inspirational determination that is second to none.” 

 
Former Rocky Top Crew leader Kathryn Herndon appreciated having Keith on the crew not only for the great work he did, but because he shared his experience with other volunteers. “His dedication to the A.T. was infectious,” she says. “He was so skilled at installing stone steps and worked so hard, we had a hard time keeping him supplied with rocks! He can set a solid rock step in the amount of time it takes two other crew members to find the next rock for him to work with.”

This year, as a veteran crew member and trail builder, Keith was paired with a first-time volunteer to work on stone steps. “My mentor said he had taught me all he could and I was on my own,” says the crew-mate, “but I did catch him looking over his shoulder just to ensure ‘our’ projects would be approved by the crew leader.” 

During that six-day session, Keith and the rest of that Rocky Top crew installed 20 rock steps, one drainage dip, and a water bar, and created 99 square feet of crush and fill. 

We appreciate Keith’s skills and dedication to improving the Appalachian Trail