Who We Are The Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club (ODATC) is an organization of individuals and trail-related organizations who meet to recreate in the outdoors in various ways as well as act as stewards of a portion of the Appalachian Trail and the public lands it runs through. Our recreational endeavors focus on hiking in Virginia but includes biking, paddling and touring as well. While the majority of our events occur in Virginia our only true limits are what members wish to limit themselves to. Club sponsored activities over the year include numerous opportunities for members and their guests to:
- repair, maintain and relocate sections of the Club's 19.1 miles of the Appalachian Trail
- monitor plant and animal life along the trail corridor
- hike and backpack on the AT and other trails in Virginia, other states, and, occasionally, other countries
- canoe or kayak on Virginia's rivers
- ski (downhill and cross country)
- join with others on historic or cultural theme hikes
- participate in group and family camping trips
- socialize and network with members of our club and other ATC-affiliated clubs and organizations
Our Trails
ODATC maintains a number of trails on the Blue Ridge (see Stewardship). Click here to download a map of those trails and access points, and click here to download an aerial view (Save Target). Click here for a Google Earth picture of our trails with access points.
Weather Near Our Section of the AT
MEDIC SOLO Disaster + Wilderness Medical School
MEDIC SOLO Disaster + Wilderness Medical School is being offered in Virginia in numerous areas in the coming months. This course is a Disaster + Wilderness First Aid certification course for adults, and focused youths ages 12+. It is a hands-on course that will teach you how to care for an injured / ill person during the critical minutes or hours before ambulance / hospital arrival. A blend of classroom instruction and hands-on rescue scenario practice is offered. This course is approved by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Girl Scouts of the USA, American Camping Association (ACA), University of Virginia. Click here to view the email announcement and here to view the flyer. Click here to register for the course.
Environmental Monitoring and Management On the AT
While the primary activities discussed in association with the Appalachian Trail tend to be maintenance, border monitoring or hiking, there is much more going on. During a recent presentation at the Southern Regional Partnership Meeting, some special features of the AT were identified. There are 250,000 acres of unique, high elevation ecosystems; more rare, threatened and endangered species than any other national park service unit; trail lands protect headwater streams for major east coast watersheds; and the AT corridor acts as an ecological connector linking otherwise disconnected conservation lands. The importance of monitoring the natural resources of the AT corridor is due to constant threats to its unique ecology by invasive exotic species, climate change, pollution, recreational impacts, development, poaching, and/or the effects of historical land use. For more information, click here or visit the following websites:
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02 Aug 2014 8:30 PM • RVA
09 Aug 2014 • Page County
22 Jan 2014 2:20 PM •
Jenni
19 Oct 2013 12:58 PM •
Larry
03 Jun 2013 9:47 PM •
Linda
Rockfish to Reeds Gap Trail Maintenance Blog
If you are interested in more information regarding ODATC trail maintenance efforts, please view our blog at:
Hike Selection List Now Available
Hike Leaders wishing to consider a new list of potential club hikes are invited to view the new list under the "Member-Only" section of the website or click here. The list can also be downloaded for local handling.
Preventing Tick-Borne Diseases in Virginia
Spring and summer bring warm temperatures, just right for walking in the woods and other outdoor activities. Warm weather also means that ticks become more active and this can increase the risk of a tick-borne disease. The tick-borne diseases that occur most often in Virginia are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis. Please refer to this brochure and flyer for additional information.
Have an Eye for Detail?
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy Team has just launched their 2014 photo contest, "Zoom in to the Appalachian Trail," and they are accepting images that feature close-up shots of the details that make up the A.T. These pictures may include people, places, scenery or more! All photos must be submitted by Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Voting will take place from June 4 – July 13, 2014. Winners will be announced the week of July 14, 2014. To learn more, click here or to submit your photo, visit here.
Vote For Our Club's Entry in the ATC Photo Contest!
Our club's sawyers have an photo entry in the on-going ATC 2014 photo contest, "Zoom in to the Appalachian Trail," and you are all encouraged to vote in the contest. The sawyers have a very dangerous job, especially with trees like this one, so, they should get some well deserved recognition. The big catch is, you have to be on Facebook to participate. The contest goes until July 13 and everyone can vote once every 24 hours, so there's still time to make it to the top, or at least the first page. The details on the voting can be viewed here. Here is the entered photo:
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