Ruth Mosholder

October 2020

For the past four years, Ruth Mosholder has traveled to the Appalachian Trail from her home state of Michigan to spend time doing what she loves most – volunteering with the ATC’s Trail Crews! Mosholder has worked on many projects alongside the ATC’s Mid-Atlantic, Konnarock, and Maine Trail Crews, including but not limited to; Spy Rock trail construction, Pochuck Swamp boardwalk rehabilitation, Palmerton Superfund site relocation, and Konnarock Base Camp facility repair & construction.

Mosholder not only seeks to gain experiences on the Trail, but also to help teach others and to continue her own path of knowledge. Her desire to learn led her to spend two weeks gaining information on best practices with the Wilderness Skills Institute (WSI). What did Mosholder do with her weekend “off” during the WSI? She spent it volunteering with the Konnarock Crew in Nantahala National Forest, of course!

Mosholder’s can-do attitude and radiating devotion to the A.T. makes her a key volunteer during crew weeks, especially in 2018, when rain was pouring down all week long on the Konnarock Crew. Her continued growth in trail knowledge and experience has also made her a reliable project leader. She spent fifteen days lending her expertise and woodworking tools to help construct and rehabilitate the Konnarock base camp. Mosholder is also known for remaining on crew projects past her expected departure in order to ensure that projects are completed on time. All those who have had the pleasure of working beside Mosholder speak a great deal about her humbled and inspiring work characteristics. Josh Reynolds, prior ATC Trail Crew Leader explains, “[Mosholder] doesn’t draw attention to herself or seek praise. She just enjoys the work and the people that come with volunteering on the A.T.”