Here are (nearest to farthest) Clyde, Jimmy, Andy (our CTC leader), Joellen, Sue, and Ray digging new trail tread which is laborious work, and the high humidity in Tennessee made it even more difficult. The temperatures reached 90 degrees several days, with humidity even higher. Staying hydrated was crucial, and I carried and drank 4 or more quarts of water daily, and each day, several of us would hike back to the only available spring and filter more water for everyone.
Sue, Joellen, Alison, and Faith use fire rakes to smooth the new tread and remove roots to prevent new vegetation from sprouting in the trail. After this final raking, someone would get down on hands and knees with clippers to cut out any remaining roots. The orange vests and caps were required since this section of trail is in the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area and it was turkey hunting season. Hikers are similarly required to wear orange gear during hunting seasons.
Jan, Clyde, Andy, and Ray hack out new tread on this segment of steep mountain slope. We often had to dig a foot or more into the mountainside to create a 36 inch wide trail tread, and downed tree trunks as above had to be moved to the downhill side (except on flat, wide sections of the trail where tree trunks were occasionally left to prevent use by ATVs which are not allowed on the trail).
Here I prepare the ground for the top step of this rock staircase. Finding large rocks is easy in this terrain, though getting some of them to the site can be arduous. Numerous stairways dot the trail because the CTC expends the effort to build such stairways to aid hikers whenever there is a steep incline.
Here is the entire volunteer crew:
top row (l to r): Sue, Ray, Alison, Jimmy, Chuck, and Clyde
seated: Joellen, Anas, and Jan