RIVANNA RIVER TRAIL…a long-awaited extension

                One of most popular area walking trails is the Greenbelt trail along the Rivanna from Riverside Park to Free Bridge.  It is accessible because it is paved and flat, has easy parking at both ends and its high use enhances a feeling of safety. 

            The City and County have a $150,000 Federal grant to extend the trail northward on both sides of the river.  The City will continue the surfaced trail about half a mile to meet our existing trail by the VFW ball field.  This will complete a continuous trail from the Woolen Mills to Hydraulic Road. Led by Fran Lawrence, we have staked the centerline for the trail.  It parallels the water but is set back from the ecologically fragile riverbank.  City Engineering is in charge and hopes to finish by August, 2001.  Let’s encourage their efforts.   Jim Tolbert and Angela Tucker are fine additions to our good City staff.

PLANS AND PROJECTS….filling some links

            On the November workday, we built a crude but functional fair weather crossing from the gardens in Azalea Park.  Now there is a nice trail on the south side of Moore’s Creek from the Park down to the Christian Aid Mission (old Virginia Power HQ) on Fifth Street.  We saw delighted neighborhood users on the trail before we put our tools down.  We were greatly helped by a bevy of UVa students out for Make a Difference Day.  They started a little nervous and ignorant of trail building, but finished with confidence and proud knowledge of how to work in the woods.

             This winter we will be working on the connections between Rt. 29 South and the other end of Azalea Park.  We hope to get access permission to some fine wilds behind the Fontaine Research Park.

THE WOOLEN MILLS….crossing Moore’s Creek again

            It is essential that we build a bridge just up from the creek mouth on the Rivanna.  The challenge is that the creek banks are nearly 100’ apart and subject to high flooding.  Someday we will build a suspension bridge next to the railroad trestle.  We need more experience, technique and money.

           This Spring, we want to install a rock-hop with fifteen to twenty cubed stones from Luck Quarry.  We think we can do it for about $2,500 including stones and crane.  Like Egyptians, we can roll the ton and a half stones into final position with pry bars, strong backs and some good luck.

SECOND SATURDAYS....winter is a good time for trail building

          The monthly workdays have become the backbone of our efforts.  We have had a run of decent weather.  Any relatively dry day is a good day to work.  After half an hour on the trail you will be shedding unneeded coats and jackets. Winter is the best time to site new trails because the brushes and thorns have let their defenses down.

            We meet the second Saturday of each month from 9:00-12:00 (See schedule).  We have tools, but bring shears or clippers if you have them.  We muster at the trailhead on Melbourne Road just east of the CHS football field and caravan to the work site.  It you want to go directly to the project or have questions, call the workday leader or John Conover at 293-5622. 

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