Note, however, the rhododendron sapling beginning to grow on the cut bank. Very little maintainer effort is required at this stage to protect the investment of time and energy that went into construction of the Trail. Simply removing the woody growth on the cut bank above the Trail will do the trick. Woody annual growth is starting to reach across the A.T. and begins to force hikers off the Trail to the fill slope below. Trail maintainers could easily reverse the situation at this point.
Moderate effort is needed to protect the construction investment.
Resource damage is beginning to occur. Woody annual growth now blocks the original A.T. Hikers must walk below the constructed Trail on the fill slope, or below. In some cases the situation becomes so bad that new A.T. maintainers don't even notice that the original Trail tread is uphill from where hikers are now forced to walk. Serious resource damage is occurring below the original tread, and the A.T. has become a safety hazard. Where the A.T. goes through a rhododendron tunnel, the progression from Fig. 1 to Fig.