Happy Spring! I hope you are all getting out and hiking and enjoying wildflowers and nature now that the weather is warming up. We are excited to start a new season of hikes and trail maintenance.
MEETUP
If you have not joined Meetup, now is the time. Our hikes and trail maintenance activities will be posted on Meetup under “Charlottesville/Southern Shenandoah PATC Hikes & Trail Care”. This is an easier way to sign up for a hike or trail maintenance event as well as being easier for a leader to manage attendees. So, sign up for a free Meetup account and get notified when there is an upcoming event for both SSVC and the Charlottesville Chapter. Yes, we will still have signups for SSVC events through emails, but we hope that everyone eventually moves over to Meetup. If you have any questions on signing up for an account or about posting an event, please contact Jean Stephens at [email protected].
WE COULD USE YOUR HELP!
SSVC would like to have more great hikes and events in 2026, but we need some help. If you are interested in helping to coordinate a get-together of some sort, please let Jean ([email protected]m) know. We could have a gathering at a brewery or restaurant or a picnic after a hike. Jean could help provide a hike and leader and you could coordinate the gathering afterwards. If you have ideas for other ways you might be interested in helping, don’t hesitate to contact Jean with your idea.
We can always use new hike leaders. If you are interested in taking the PATC’s Hike Leader Class, there are two classes coming up in May. May 2 at 9:00 a.m. in person class at Bears Den. May 5 at 7:00 p.m. virtual class. To sign up for either class go to PATC.net, click on Get Involved, click on Events Calendar, then click on the class you are interested in. There will be a link in the description where you can sign up.
We could also use some members to help start an Outreach Committee. The Committee will help John Kolp, our Outreach Coordinator, plan what we do at events and attend the events when possible to tell the community who we are and what we do. If you are interested in helping with outreach, contact John Kolp ([email protected]). We have two upcoming events where we will set up an outreach table: Earth Day Staunton on April 25 and Riverfest in Waynesboro on May 2. Contact John for details.
Our Chapter maintains a section of the AT in Shenandoah National Park with Jim Fye in charge of setting up work trips. We also maintain a section of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail from the Confederate Breastworks to Jerrys Run Trail. We are looking for someone to take on the responsibility of setting up work trips on the Shenandoah Mountain Trail. If you can help, please contact Jean ([email protected]).
Don’t forget to check our website (ssvc.org) often for hike, work trip, and event information. The website schedule is updated often and will have the latest information. Remember, this is your Chapter and we would love to see you on our hikes, work trips and events and get your input.
MEETUP
If you have not joined Meetup, now is the time. Our hikes and trail maintenance activities will be posted on Meetup under “Charlottesville/Southern Shenandoah PATC Hikes & Trail Care”. This is an easier way to sign up for a hike or trail maintenance event as well as being easier for a leader to manage attendees. So, sign up for a free Meetup account and get notified when there is an upcoming event for both SSVC and the Charlottesville Chapter. Yes, we will still have signups for SSVC events through emails, but we hope that everyone eventually moves over to Meetup. If you have any questions on signing up for an account or about posting an event, please contact Jean Stephens at [email protected].
WE COULD USE YOUR HELP!
SSVC would like to have more great hikes and events in 2026, but we need some help. If you are interested in helping to coordinate a get-together of some sort, please let Jean ([email protected]m) know. We could have a gathering at a brewery or restaurant or a picnic after a hike. Jean could help provide a hike and leader and you could coordinate the gathering afterwards. If you have ideas for other ways you might be interested in helping, don’t hesitate to contact Jean with your idea.
We can always use new hike leaders. If you are interested in taking the PATC’s Hike Leader Class, there are two classes coming up in May. May 2 at 9:00 a.m. in person class at Bears Den. May 5 at 7:00 p.m. virtual class. To sign up for either class go to PATC.net, click on Get Involved, click on Events Calendar, then click on the class you are interested in. There will be a link in the description where you can sign up.
We could also use some members to help start an Outreach Committee. The Committee will help John Kolp, our Outreach Coordinator, plan what we do at events and attend the events when possible to tell the community who we are and what we do. If you are interested in helping with outreach, contact John Kolp ([email protected]). We have two upcoming events where we will set up an outreach table: Earth Day Staunton on April 25 and Riverfest in Waynesboro on May 2. Contact John for details.
Our Chapter maintains a section of the AT in Shenandoah National Park with Jim Fye in charge of setting up work trips. We also maintain a section of the Shenandoah Mountain Trail from the Confederate Breastworks to Jerrys Run Trail. We are looking for someone to take on the responsibility of setting up work trips on the Shenandoah Mountain Trail. If you can help, please contact Jean ([email protected]).
Don’t forget to check our website (ssvc.org) often for hike, work trip, and event information. The website schedule is updated often and will have the latest information. Remember, this is your Chapter and we would love to see you on our hikes, work trips and events and get your input.