The Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club
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. Learn more
News Flash:
* New message from the president. Details below.
* Disaster + Wilderness Medical School
Online Course is Available.
* See the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's latest stance on hiking the AT
* Leonard Adkins has a new book out for young readers (and adult readers as well!)
* Planning on hiking McAfee Knob? Look below for information about the parking situation.
Upcoming events
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THE ODATC EXPERIENCE - CURRENT ISSUES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
ODATC Club Update For November 2020 From the President I hope everyone is doing well and being safe and healthy. I just wanted to pass on a few quick updates concerning ODATC. The November General Business Meeting will not be held due to the higher rates of COVID these days. However, in lieu of a membership meeting, the board will meet on the second Tuesday, Nov. 10. I'm hoping to get an update from each board member to send out in newsletter format. We will also be discussing options for future club meetings. Concerning the upcoming board meeting, we will officially nominate our two new board members Bill Beck and Evan Garrison for the treasurer and secretary board positions. We will also discuss an alternate voting process for the membership to approve the 2021-2022 ODATC Board. Pat, Mark and myself recently participated in a regional partnership committee zoom meeting of all the Virginia Appalachian trail clubs. This meeting was put together by the Appalachian Trail Conservatory (ATC) and was run by her own Theresa Duffey, RPC Chair. Obviously lots of things were discussed. A few things that I thought might interest the club membership is the opening of the Damascus Trail Center next year and that $85,000 was raised through the license plate program for the Virginia Appalachian Trail clubs. Also the ATC indicated there have been no reported cases of COVID by either hikers or volunteers at this time. I thought this was really good news as the ATC, agency partners, and ODATC precautions appear to be working very well. Finally, I ask our members to keep hanging in there. If you can, participate in some ODATC hikes, lead a hike, maybe consider doing some trail maintenance (see Mark Heede), or border monitoring (see Karl Huber). Thanks again for supporting our club. Watch for future updates. And I look forward to seeing you on the trail or maybe on a work trip. Take Care Bert Norfleet President of ODATC
A New Book by Leonard Adkins Is Now Available Fellow ODATC member Leonard Adkins has a new book out for young readers, ages 9-13. Entitled All About the Appalachian Trail, the book is the very first one written for readers in grades 4 through 8 that provides a complete overview of the world's most famous hiking trail. Leonard will donate a portion of the proceeds from each book sale to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. If your interested in learning more about the book or how to get a copy, please click here.
Remembering Hank Harman
Henry V. “Hank” Harman died on April 19, 2020 in Hyattsville, MD at the age of 94. He died peacefully in his sleep, no doubt dreaming of his beloved Appalachian Trail. Throughout his career as minister, anti-poverty program director, and public administrator, he always made time for hiking. To continuing the full obituary, please click here. |
Updated COVID-19 Guidelines for A.T. Day & Overnight Hikers
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is dead. Abandoned by Dominion Energy and its partner, Duke Energy, the $8 billion project has reached a regulatory dead end. The decision, announced Sunday, ends a six-year effort to build the 42-inch-wide natural gas pipeline through the heart of Virginia to connect gas shale fields in West Virginia with markets in southeastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina. Click here to read the full article.
ATC Announces Voluntary Stewardship Agreement The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), The Conservation Fund, and Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP), announced a voluntary stewardship agreement that will advance the Conservancy’s mission to manage, protect and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. As part of the agreement, MVP has committed up to $19.5 million for use by the ATC to conserve land along the Trail corridor and support outdoor recreation-based economies in southeastern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. Through this agreement, the ATC and its partners will be able to enhance the A.T. hiking experience, protect thousands of acres of high-priority land, and provide support to local recreation-based economies in the region. Please click here to see the full news release.
It Pays to Increase Your Acronym Power Have you ever sat at one of the ODATC meetings when the policy wonks are going full throttle throwing out acronyms as if they were born knowing them? Well, you too can be an acronym wizard! Please click here to see a comprehensive list of acronyms that you can use to simultaneously astound and numb the brains of everyone around you! |
ODATC Looking for Sawyer Volunteers Trail maintenance is a vital component of the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club’s activities. There is an opportunity for volunteers to seek Chainsaw Certification on April 25th-26th at Mount Rogers National Recreational Area. If you are interested in becoming an AT Sawyer now or in the future, please contact Trail Maintenance Supervisor, Amanda Noe at odatc.trailmaint@gmail.com.
Online Course Distaster + Wilderness Medical Training Available
Disaster + Travel + Wilderness First Aid (dtWFA) certification course now with online learning is one of Medic Solo's most in-depth, intellectually-stimulating, hand-on 2-day first aid courses, empowering graduates with care-giving Competence and Confidence to save life and limb during the critical minutes or hours before ambulance/hospital arrival. They have launched a "Blended Learning" (ONLINE now, plus 3-year credit for in-person later) dtWFA course experience, in support of reducing demand on hospitals and "flattening the curve." Anyone interested can Register here.
Getting Your Car Towed At McAfee Knob Can Be An Expensive Proposition With more people off from work and having free time to enjoy outdoor activities, parking has become an issue at some hiking venues. If your planning a hike to McAfee Knob, you'll need to be mindful of the parking restrictions. Even some people who have parked where they thought it was safe were in for a rather unpleasant surprise when they returned to their vehicles. Click here to read all about it. |
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