Spring 2013 Newsletter - Virginia Creeper Trail Club

Virginia Creeper Trail Club
Newsletter
Spring 2013
www.creeperkeeper.com
www.vacreepertrail.org
Vol. 16, No. 1
The Virginia Creeper Trail Club is a private, nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to maintain, promote and preserve the Virginia
Creeper Trail corridor and to help develop and conduct public education programs regarding the scenic and natural qualities of the
Virginia Creeper Trail.
In this issue:
President’s Message
News and Events
Trail Report
Naturalist Corner – Trailside
Beaches Have Stories to Tell
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Here we go again, off to a good start in calendar year 2013. We recently
painted the names on both Green Cove and Whitetop stations to complete
the paint jobs we did in 2012. We built a new bench for a fundraiser
auction for Johnston Memorial Hospital (where most of our unfortunate
trail accident victims are treated).
Speaking of accidents, we are now working on a project to remedy the
dangerous drop-offs at the ends of trestles, especially those in the steeper
sections between Whitetop and Damascus. The solution may lie in the
installation of metal grating at the trestle ends to stabilize the gravel and
eliminate or reduce erosion from weather and trail usage. We have a
design and hope to have a prototype built for testing this summer.
Lawrence Dye, our Official Trail Ambassador, will again lead riders in his
annual Ride with the Legend on Saturday, August 3, 2013, during the
Highlands Festival. Put that date on your calendar and start getting in
shape to ride with him, starting at 8:00 a.m. at the trailhead in Abingdon.
Lawrence recently celebrated his reaching the 175,000 mile mark by
inviting a group of friends and admirers to join him in a celebratory ride.
Wayne Miller, VCTC President
Good news regarding the reconstruction of Trestle 7: The town of
Abingdon has selected a contractor to rebuild the trestle. Construction
will begin soon and the town is planning a groundbreaking ceremony to
celebrate the event. We should have a new trestle in place by the end of
summer.
Again, I encourage you to come and join in the camaraderie, fun, and the
reward of knowing that you are contributing something lasting to the
legacy of our historic and beautiful Virginia Creeper Trail.
Wayne Miller, President
5/21/2013
CURRENT VCTC OFFICERS, BOARD MEMBERS and COMMITTEES
President: Wayne Miller (2015), Vice President: Eliot Cannon (2015), Secretary: Jeff VanCleef (2015)
Treasurer: Gerry Henninger (2015), Past President: Link Elmore.
Board: Chris Lindeman (2014), Lawrence Dye (2015), Kevin Costello (2015), Greg Meade (2015), Belle
Avery (2015).
Committees, Chairs: Maintenance: Bob Horsch and Wayne Miller, Newsletter: Debbie Stern, Archivist: Jane
Caldwell, Webmaster: Link Elmore, Events: Chris Lindeman, Publicity: Greg Meade and Anne Maio,
Nominations: Greg Meade, Merchandise: Lisa Quigley, Membership: Amy Sullivan
NEWS AND EVENTS
Elections Held for VCTC Service Opportunities
Nominations and elections for Virginia Creeper Trail Club officers were held at the membership meeting on
May 29, 2013. Wayne Miller graciously agreed to serve another term as Club President. Wayne has done an
outstanding job representing the Club over the past 2 years, and his leadership and service to the community are
greatly appreciated. Thanks to past officers Greg Meade (Treasurer), Joe Lane (Director), and Tom Boyle
(Director) for their service, and to incumbent and new officers* as listed below.
Vice President: Eliot Cannon; Secretary: Jeff Van Cleef; Treasurer: Gerry Henninger*; Director/Board
Members: Chris Sullivan*, Christine Lindeman, Kevin Costello*, Lawrence Dye, Belle Avery, Greg Meade*;
Newsletter Publisher: Debbie Stern; Merchandise Coordinator: Lisa Quigley; Events Coordinator: Christine
Lindeman; Membership Coordinator: Amy Sullivan; Work Projects Coordinator: Bob Horsch and Wayne
Miller; Publicity Coordinator: Anne Maio and Greg Meade; Webmaster: Link Elmore; Archivist: Jane
Caldwell. Unfilled service opportunities include the Webstore Manager and Program Coordinator.
Lawrence “The Legend” Dye Sets Mileage Record
175,000 miles…that’s 7 times around the world, 58 trips across the US, or almost three quarters of the way to
the moon. And that’s how many miles Lawrence has logged on the 34.5 mile long Virginia Creeper Trail! He
took his first ride on the trail back in 1990 and hasn’t looked back ever since, and at the age of 81, Lawrence
has accomplished a mileage record that most cyclists can only dream about. A celebratory ride honoring
Lawrence’s incredible accomplishment was held on Saturday, April 13 with friends and fellow VCT riders. Of
the 9 riders that started out from the Abingdon trailhead, 5 riders including Tony Mabry, Gene Divers, Harry
Barry and David Witt made the trip all the way to Whitetop Station with Lawrence.
Lawrence leads the pack (far right)
2
Evergreen Students Make a Splash on the VCT
Doug Goss USFS Trail Volunteer of the Year
Students from the Evergreen Community Charter
School in Asheville, NC visited the Creeper Trail
and Appalachian Trail on May 29, 2013 to do some
volunteer work along with having some fun. In
what’s become an annual event, the students picked
up trash, pulled invasive garlic mustard, and cut
brush. They also enjoyed the trails by exploring the
creek and riding their bikes. What a great example
of learning the rewards of doing service work and
having fun at the same time!
An award ceremony was held on May 4, 2013 at
Green Cove Station to honor Doug Goss as the
recipient of the US Forest Service Trails
Volunteer of the Year 2012. Doug received the
award to recognize his invaluable service along
the Virginia Creeper Trail as noted by the Mount
Rogers National Recreation Area.
Virginia Creeper Trail Club Volunteer Activities
The Club volunteers have been busy with a wide variety of events and activities to benefit the trail and
surrounding community. This year’s events have included the annual Creeper Trail cleanup on April 6, 2013,
along with VCTC representation at events on Earth Day, and at Trail Days and Plumb Alley Day. For the
Creeper Trail cleanup, volunteers gathered at the trailhead in Abingdon and Food City store in Damascus. After
fueling up on coffee and doughnuts, volunteers employed the ‘divide and conquer’ approach and proceeded to
their assigned 2-mile sections to complete the trail cleanup.
3
Virginia Creeper Trail Club Community Service
The Club continues to show support for community enhancements and worthy causes in addition to trail
maintenance and event service activities. Over the past 2 years donations from the Club have totaled $23,000 in
the community. Virginia Club Charitable donations for 2011-2012 include the following:
 $1,000 to the United Way of Washington County for tornado relief,
 $5,000 to the Town of Abingdon for Creeper Trail maintenance,
 $3,000 to the Town of Damascus for Creeper Trail maintenance,
 $5,000 to the Washington County Library/Visitor Center in Damascus,
 $5,000 to purchase Development Rights along the Creeper Trail,
 $1,000 to the Flora of Virginia Project for the Vitaceae Family of Virginia Creeper Vine,
 $2,000 to the Town of Abingdon for the Alvarado Picnic Shelter,
 $1,000 to the Abingdon High School for the Panicello Trail Project.
Washington County Public Library Flora of Virginia Recipient
The first printing of a new, comprehensive manual of Virginia plants was
released last December. This important volume is the first flora since
Flora Virginica was published in 1762 and is a go-to guide for almost
3,200 plant species either native to or naturalized in the commonwealth
of Virginia. This book is the result of a project spanning over 10 years of
research and contains over 1,400 illustrations in addition to detailed
descriptions and information for identification for each plant. The Flora
of Virginia Project was a collaborative effort among many significant
contributors, including the Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation, Virginia Botanical Associates, the Lewis Ginter Botanical
Garden, the Virginia Academy of Science, and the Virginia Native Plant
Society. The Flora Project was also featured on “Virginia Currents”, an
award winning program produced in the Richmond, VA area.
In honor of the Virginia Creeper Trail, the VCTC thought it was only
fitting to sponsor the family of the Virginia Creeper Vine (Vitaceae) in
the book. The Club also purchased a copy of Flora Virginica and
donated it to the Washington County Public Library for the community
to enjoy. This beautiful 1,554 page volume will be displayed in the
WCPL Virginia Reference Room. Charlotte Parsons, Director of the
WCPL, sent a letter of thanks to the VCTC for the book donation, stating
that Flora Virginica will be shared with the community as a valuable resource and is a wonderful addition to
their collection. The Washington County Public Library is located at 205 Oak Hill St. NE, Abingdon, VA.
VCTC Club President Goes on the Road
Wayne Miller, President of the VCTC, represented
the Club by presenting a program for the Abingdon
Civitan Club on January 21, 2013. He spoke to the
group about trail maintenance and improvements
activities performed by Club volunteers and
provided an update on the Trestle 7 replacement
project being managed by the Town of Abingdon.
Wayne also entertained the group by performing
songs that he composed about the Virginia Creeper
train and cycling on the trail.
(Pictured from left: Jim Phillips, Abingdon Civitan Club,
Wayne Miller, Vic Taylor, Abingdon Civitan Club President)
4
TRAIL REPORT
VCT Washout Between Whitetop and Green Cove
A failed culvert passing
beneath the Virginia Creeper
trail
caused
significant
damage, requiring closure of
the trail above Green Cove
Station on April 23, 2013 due
to dangerous trail conditions.
The US Forest Service
quickly began assessing the
damage and planning repairs,
which included draining
impounded
water
and
excavating across the entire
width of the trail to a depth of
about 20 feet to replace the
culvert. Beth Merz, Area
Ranger of the Mount Rogers
National Recreation Area,
reports that repairs are now
complete and the trail is open
to the public. She provided
this photo of the trail damage.
Trestle 7 Replacement Project Update
Kevin W. Worley, Director, Parks and
Recreation of the Town of Abingdon,
announced that the Town is under
contract with Inland Construction to
build the replacement trestle. Inland
Construction is making the necessary
preparations to secure the materials
needed for the rebuild and will start
mobilizing onsite in the very near
future in preparation to begin the work
on the footers. They now estimate a 68 month completion once the
materials are secured. Weather will
also play a role on the completion
date. Kevin reports that they plan to
keep the trail open to the public during
construction with brief closures as
necessary to complete the work.
Construction will normally be
suspended Fridays through Sundays.
Trestle 7 was destroyed by a tornado
that swept the area in April, 2011.
Above: Rendering of replacement trestle
5
2012 Work Projects Completed on the VCT
2012 was a busy year on the trail. Work projects
completed by the Virginia Creeper Trail Club maintenance
and construction crew volunteers included building and
installing 8 new memorial benches, painting Whitetop and
Green Cove Stations, and cleaning and waxing all 22
interpretive signs. This spring, volunteers added the
finishing touch to Whitetop Station as VCTC President
and First Lady Wayne and Sharon Miller, along with Trail
Maintenance Committee Chairman Bob Horsch built and
painted the sign for the freshly painted Station.
(Pictured left: Bob Horsch and Wayne Miller)
What Has Twelve Feet…
and cannot bear to see the Virginia Creeper Trail strewn with litter? That would be the two man- and-dog teams
that regularly and voluntarily search the trail for litter. Jeff and his dog Turner often conduct foot patrols along
the trail between Abingdon and Damascus. Bill and his dog Daohgee (da-oh-gee or the rapid spelling of “dog”)
conduct bike patrols east of Damascus. So heavily used is the section from Whitetop to Damascus that Bill
tows a trailer behind his bike for the purpose of hauling the litter he collects. The trailer provides the
opportunity for his canine friend to hitch a ride when walking becomes wearisome. It also provides a
convenient platform for the display of a sign on the back that states “Litter hurts everyone. Please don’t.”
When you see these teams along the trail collecting litter, say “Hello and thank you,” to the men, and say kind
words to their dogs for providing companionship to them as they battle to keep the trail free of litter.
George Kelley
Jeff and Turner
6
Bill and Daohgee
NATURALIST’S CORNER
TRAILSIDE BEACHES HAVE STORIES TO TELL
Few of the many thousands of Creeper Trail bike riders probably consider the wealth of information available to
the curious who explore trailside beaches. These small beaches are along the streams that wind with the trail
from Green Cove to Damascus. The most convenient beaches for exploration are located near trestles that
provide ease of access. They often are found on the insides of curves in the streams.
These locations are outside the main stream channel, typically
where eddies in the current slowly flow and allow waterborne
debris to settle and stock the beaches. Slowing water grades the
sizes of the debris falling out. When the streams are at normal
stage, cobbles transported by flood waters are found near water’s
edge. As one explores farther ashore, the deposits typically grade
down in size to gravel and near the high water mark, coarse then
fine sand.
1) Cross-banded Sandstone.
2) This is possibly a Paleo-American relic, or a
fragment of one.
The headwaters of Green Cove Creek and Whitetop Laurel Creek
rise partly in the geological terrain known as the Mount Rogers
Formation. The formation has been determined by geologists to
be a volcanic rubble pile. It is not surprising that a substantial
number of stones found on creek beaches between Green Cove
and the Straight Branch parking lot are volcanic in origin.
Stones found in that reach will include but are not limited to
Basalt, Rhyolite, Green Stone, Conglomerates, Sandstone and
Siltstone.
It is not unusual for alien minerals to be found. Pieces of coal
and firebox clinkers lost from railroad steam engines turn up.
The discovery of a specimen of Mica along the creek west of
Taylor’s Valley led your writer to ask Taylor’s Valley resident
Ed Parker if Mica was ever mined in the area. Ed said the
mineral was for a time mined in nearby Tennessee, trucked to
Taylor’s Valley and dumped into gondola cars spotted on the
railroad siding there, then taken away to some distant industry.
Pieces of broken, impact-abraded glass can be found along the
creeks. Senior citizens have an advantage at identifying artifacts
such as pieces of various old soft drink bottles and dinner china.
To date, the writer’s prize discoveries were one suspected to be a
Paleo-American artifact and an intriguing other that remains
unidentified.
Beaches along the Creeper Trail provide insights into local
geology and history. Explore them and enjoy your quest to find
the secrets deposited there.
3) Banded Siltstone found submerged in
Whitetop Laurel Creek.
George Kelley
7
VCTC Members, please note: You can pay your annual dues online (Visit Club website:
vacreepertrail.org/join.html or creeperkeeper.com) or mail in with the form below.
VCTC MEMBERSHIP FORM
Mail Membership forms to:
The Virginia Creeper Trail Club
P.O. Box 2382
Abingdon, VA 24212
Name ____________________________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip (5 + 4 digits) __________________________________________________________
Phone # __________________________________ Today’s Date __________________________
Email address _____________________________________________________________________
Committee interests: ____ Membership
____ Publicity
Individual $10 _____
Family (household) $25 _____
Lifetime membership $100 ______
The Virginia Creeper Trail Club
P.O. Box 2382
Abingdon, VA 24212-2382
To:
8
____ Merchandise ____ Events
____ Trail Maintenance
____ Other ___________________________________
Business $100 _____
Donation $_________
(any amount is appreciated)