Also we are actually doing a lot of work in July and August on a reroute for the top of Gauntlet trail at the Cove. Since we are using the Ditch Witch, we only need small crews for the hand finishing work. If you are interested in helping on these small spur of the moment crews, then let me know. I am looking for mostly experienced trail builders, but we can sometimes handle a few with less experience.

Brian Batteiger 467-1629

8 out of the past 10 days (ending 3-22-2008) the volunteers have been working to get most of the trails open again. The high wind did more temporary damage than the fire. We lost count, but over 400 trees had to be cut out of the trails. Many times they were piled 3 to 5 deep in a tangled mess that was tricky to cut. We decided to go ahead with a reroute of part of the Enhanted Forest that was planned anyway since it avoided the worst damaged section. This was the muddiest section of that trail anyway.

Read mountain is a prominent landmark located just north of Roanoke, 3/4ths. lying in Roanoke County, 1/4th in Botetourt County. About 3 miles long and just over 2,300 ft. in elevation, it is one of those odd mountains that seem to pop up through the valley floor far from the mountain ranges that mark out the valley’s borders.

Read Mountain: view from the Blue Ridge Parkway

In dramatic contrast to the intense development along the lower slopes of the mountain, as evident in the above photograph, the higher levels have remained essentially undisturbed for more than 100 years, mainly due to the rugged terrain.

In 2000 Ron Crawford, a local resident, initiated a grass roots organization called The Read Mountain Alliance, which is working with property owners to secure easements, with the goal of protecting the high slopes and ridge line, in addition to developing a county park. The Western Virginia Land Trust, Roanoke County Department of Parks and Recreation, and Pathfinders for Greenways are playing significant roles in this effort.

Ron Crawford (right) and Bill Gordge planning a trail

In 2002 a 90-acre tract was acquired, and some trail construction was performed, however no public access was available. Recently a land developer has donated 152 acres to Roanoke County, now affording public access to the southeastern section of the mountain through the Samuel’s Gate subdivision.

View of Read Mountain from Samuel’s Gate

An access trail is currently being constructed by The Pathfinders for Greenway’s Mid-Week Trail Crew volunteers but it is not yet ready for general public use. See below for details of their work.

The ultimate vision is to strive for protection of all the land above the 1800 ft. contour line, which constitutes about 400 acres. The area will be managed by Roanoke County as a Park.

Few people realize that Read Mountain is a hidden treasure in their own backyard. 170 thousand people live within a 10-mile radius of the mountain! With the amazing biological diversity of an undisturbed upland forest, and the huge potential for outdoor recreation - including connections to the valley greenway system - Read Mountain deserves protection as one of Roanoke Valley’s great natural resources.

This is the large bridge for what we had been calling the Connector Trail.

Have you noticed the new signs on most trails? This should help keep the new visiters from getting lost and help if search and rescue is needed. It will help if everyone learns the correct names for the trails. These names were decided on after many meetings with representatives from the user groups to compromise on a set of names back around 2003.

The Mid-County Park is a forested, hilly, 110-acre recreation area on the outskirts of Blacksburg, hosting a community swimming pool ("The Frog Pond"), a play-ground, shelters, and a popular Frisbee golf course and a two-mile nature trail. The nature trail is heavily impacted by the Frisbee course, under-utilized and badly eroded..
The mid-week crew's task is to relocate the trail route to minimize the impact of the Frisbee course on the trail experience, improve access, and bring the trail up to contemporary standards, suggesting signage and natural features appropriate for a nature walk.

Click the Report button below to check out the project report for all volunteer work days on this project. Then click on each workday to see who helped out.

Here are a few pictures from this project:

Pictures below from May 23, 2007:
Pictures below from May 9, 2007:
Pictures below from April 18, 2007:

These are workdays to repair problem areas of Murray Run Greenway.

Here are a few pictures from this project:

Picture below from February 2007:
Pictures below from June 2006:

This project centers around lots of trail improvements which we are very happy Roanoke City Parks and Recreation has hired IMBA Trail Solutions to do most of the work on and also help lead volunteer teams which will help out and recieve training.

Click the Report button below to check out the project report for all volunteer work days on this project. Then click on each workday to see who helped out.

Here are a few pictures from this project:

Pictures below from October 2006:

This is an ongoing project to finish the >2 mile trail between HiDeeHoe and 1000' climb. When done, trail users will have a non road choice to get to lower trails at the Cove.

Click the Report button below to check out the project report for all the work days on this project. Then click on each workday to see who helped out.

Here are a few pictures from this project:

Pictures below from August 2006:
Pictures below from July 2006:
Pictures below from April 2006:
Pictures below from March 2006:
How NOT to build a wall	How NOT to build a wall	How Not to build a wall
	Looking better
	Near completion
Pictures below from February 2006:
Pictures below from January 2006:
	SWEET!

Pathfinder's for Greenways Wednesday crew member Lynn Bryant lead the team to build the Law-Fit Police Training Course near the Wolf Creek Greenway in Vinton.

Click the Report button below to check out the project report for all the work days on this project. Then click on each workday to see who helped out.

Here are a few pictures from this project:

Pictures below from March 2006:

All the Mill Mountain trails have been assessed and a trail plan has been developed. Much work is being done on the trails and a few new connector trails are being built.

Click the Report button below to check out the project report for all the work days on this project. Then click on each workday to see who helped out.

Here are a few pictures from these projects:

Pictures below from 11-19-2005:

Here is a little information about a new great place that will soon be added to Virginia's wonderful array of natural resources available for out-door recreation.

It is Grassy Hill. Approaching Rocky Mount from the North along Hwy 220 or Rt.919 (the old Rocky Mount road) Grassy Hill is at first lost in the jumble of mountains ahead, but as one nears the outskirts of the town, it raises up into an impressive land feature. See photo below. Now densely forested, its name is a legacy from the grassy ridge-top which was prominent generations ago.

The mountain is unusual in that it is volcanic in origin. Its crystalline magnesium-rich bed rock and heavy clay soils provide habitat for some rare wood-land plant assemblages. It is thus appropriate that this 1,295 acre mountain preserve has come under the jurisdiction of The Natural Heritage Division of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Greenway volunteers are just finishing up work on a mile-long section of trail to the top of the mountain. About four additional miles of trail have been contracted out to a professional trail construction company. This will be the longest hiking trail in Franklin County! After the creation of parking facilities, signs and maps, it will be officially opened to the public. Note that because it is a preserve it will be open to foot traffic only.

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the heirs of Dr. Henry Lee, a former prominent area surgeon, for deeding this special place over to the Nature Conservancy, making it possible for the State to acquire the land for permanent protection.

For further information, contact Mike Leahy, Preserve Manager, Roanoke,Va. at (540) 265-5234 and for more information on Virginia's Natural Heritage Program, go to http://www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh

Click the Report button below to check out the project report for all the work days on this project.

Here are a few pictures: