by Alivia Acosta, ATC Volunteer Development Coordinator
Recent A.T. Club Achievements for October 2023
Wesser Privy Construction
Earlier this year, the Nantahala Hiking Club (NHC) constructed a new privy at the Wesser Bald shelter with help from thirteen of their Appalachian Trail (A.T.) volunteers, along with one employee from the United States Forest Service and ten counselors from the local Deerfoot Lodge. The NHC partnership with the Deerfoot Lodge, a Christian summer camp for boys in the region with another campus in the Adirondacks, began last summer when the group helped to haul out materials from the old Carter Gap privy. This partnership has been a great source of help for the NHC, enabling the privy’s materials to be moved to the construction site within a few hours. In addition to the privy build, volunteers also removed overgrown vegetation and cleared out water drainage features along the Trail on the way to the shelter.
Three Privies Constructed in Maine this Season!
This season the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) was able to build three privies on the A.T. thanks to the leadership of their Campsite Manager, Laura Flight, who has been an A.T. volunteer for over a decade.
Privy #1: The previous Pierce Pond Campsite was full to the brim! Thankfully, 22 volunteers spent four hours one Saturday hauling in 3,000 pounds of materials to the construction site. In total, 30 volunteers worked 487 hours over five days to construct this new privy that should last a few decades.
Privy #2: Thanks to a great partnership with Maine Helicopter, Inc, 3,500 pounds of tools and privy materials were transported via airlift to the Fryer Notch Campsite. In total, volunteers contributed more than 900 hours to this project.
Privy #3: Over the Labor Day, weekend a group of first year students from Colby College helped haul 3,500 pounds of tools and privy materials to the Cranberry Stream Campsite. Colby College has been working with the MATC on projects for several years. The students also helped to build the crib for the privy at the end of the day before MATC finished the construction.
A bridge built in 2007 that enables the A.T. to cross over a stream near Carlisle, Pennsylvania is in need of replacement. While the new bridge is being built, the Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club (CVATC) recruited 30 volunteers to help build a temporary bridge and a small reroute of the Trail that now leads to the temporary bridge. Work to replace the 2007 bridge with a new permanent bridge is expected to begin soon.