Workamping

Whitetop Station, a replica of the original train station that

sat on this spot, serves visitors to the Virginia Creeper Trail.

We first heard about “workamping” at a workshop we attended in Texas last year. The workshop was sponsored by RV-Dreams, an amazing resource for full-time RVers. Howard and Linda Payne, the organization's founders, gave us a glimpse into a world where people work while camping in their recreational vehicles. In that world, “work” applies to employees – from what we've seen thus far, this includes everyone from insurance adjusters to computer programmers - and volunteers alike. Last Sunday, Leonard and I officially entered the ranks of workampers as volunteers for the U.S. Forest Service.

An eager volunteer ready to help the public at Whitetop station.

We'll start at this, the slower of two visitor centers, then move to

Green Cove station about three miles down the line.

For the next four months, we will each devote 20-25 hours per week staffing two visitors centers located along the Virginia Creeper Trail. The VCT is a rails-to-trails project situated within Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, part of the George Washington-Jefferson National Forest. Nearly 200,000 bicyclists, hikers and horseback riders visit Mt. Rogers annually. Our job is to provide information (general and interpretive) and keep the centers presentable for those venturing past.

We also sell souvenirs, snacks, and other assorted items to benefit The Friends of Mt. Rogers, a non-profit organization established to support the historical interpretation that we and other volunteers offer trail visitors.

These interpretive materials tell the story of the retired

Virginia-Carolina railroad, which operated at Whitetop,

Virginia between 1912 and 1977.

In return for our efforts, the Forest Service allows us to use an RV site with full hookups (water, sewer, 50 amp electrical connection) at no charge for as long as our volunteer assignment lasts. They reimburse us for mileage to-from our work sites. We also receive, courtesy of the Friends of MR, a small stipend for lunch on each day we report for duty.

While it's certainly nice to receive some remuneration, we're not doing this to get rich. We're doing it because we wanted a way to contribute our time and talents for a worthy cause, in this case the continued operation of public lands that might otherwise be unable to remain open in the face of shrinking budgets.

Learning the history and local color is one of the nicer aspects

of our work at Mt. Rogers.

 

So, how did we find this terrific opportunity? Again, credit goes to RV-Dreams, where we learned that the U.S. Government posts announcements about volunteer positions at Volunteer.gov. I used the website's search feature to identify openings fitting our interests, abilities, availability and need for an RV site. I applied via the website's online application form. After an interview and reference check by Mt. Roger's volunteer coordinator, we signed a work agreement and were on our way!



Whitetop Station's mascot du jour takes a well-earned break.

Thanks to Volunteer.gov, not only did Leonard and I manage to snag the Mt. Rogers gig, we've got another one lined up that will allow us to spend mid-November through January at a national park in south Texas. Not a bad place to spend the winter, I'm guessing.

Anyway, we're settled in at our little piece of Mt. Rogers and will remain here through October. It's good that we're planning an extended stay. Fitting Kong into our smaller-than-expected space proved nearly impossible, so we may need the extra time to determine how we're going to get out. Should make for an interesting Halloween.

 




Truckzilla and Kong nestle snuggly in the woods of Grindstone Campground. Because of the narrowness of our space and the variety of fixed, solid objects nearby, Leonard had a tough time parking the trailer. Good thing we've got four months to develop an "exit strategy."



Unseasonably heavy rains have yielded lush pastures and green landscapes. Can't wait to see the Fall colors!

 

The mountains of southwestern Virginia offer breathtaking vistas as well as great hiking, cycling, horseback riding and camping. We'll try to explore as much of the region as we can during our days off.




Rhododendron blossoms dot the forest.