News from the Valley Trail
Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter of PATC
January 2020 Newsletter
Welcome to our newsletter for January, 2020. Here, we will share news from our chapter of the PATC. We have many exciting activities in which our members are involved as well as updates from trails in our area.
If you have a Facebook page, be sure to look for and like our page, PATC Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter. On there, we include photographs and descriptions from our latest hikes and trail work.
If you have a Facebook page, be sure to look for and like our page, PATC Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter. On there, we include photographs and descriptions from our latest hikes and trail work.
Major Progress on Ramseys Draft Wilderness Trails
Killed by the wooly adelgid, giant old growth hemlock trees have continued to fall across Ramseys Draft and Jerry’s Run Trails. Some are so large they have been hard to climb over. On Dec. 4, PATC North River District volunteers and Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) partnered on a work day to remove as many as we could, using crosscut saws.
A crew of 21 comprised of 14 PATC members, 4 SAWS staff, and 3 additional volunteers met at Mountain House Picnic Area. We divided into 5 teams, with each team having at least one crosscut saw. After our safety talk, we donned our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), packed our tools, and headed up Ramseys Draft Trail to tackle the blowdowns with teams leapfrogging past each other. Our main goal was to remove large blowdowns on Jerrys Run Trail. We had 7 stream crossings and a 2.5-mile hike just to get to Jerrys Run Trail. Fortunately, only two people fell in, and neither was injured.
Some of the volunteers had never used a crosscut saw, but expert PATC sawyer Paul Dickens of Richmond and SAWS staff instructed and coached us. By the end of the day, we had removed 27 blowdowns from Jerrys Run and Ramseys Draft Trails. Some of these were complicated and required extra care. Thanks to all this hard work, the Jerrys Run-Ramseys Draft Trail loop is now in good shape for hiking.
At the end of the day, the work crew gathered at Mountain House Picnic Area for chili, cornbread, and fellowship, a perfect end to a productive day.
Many thanks to all who came out and helped us accomplish so much.
Lynn and Malcom Cameron
North River District Co-Overseers
Welcome our new President: Jean Stephens
Happy New Year! I am excited to start this new year and new decade as your president. I have only been a chapter member for a year, so I am truly honored to have your faith and trust behind me in this position. As many of you know, my parents, Bill and Doris True, were members of the group who formed this chapter in 1985 and both were former presidents. I am hoping to continue their legacy of an active and growing chapter.
I moved to Staunton a year ago after retiring as an Executive Assistant in USDA’s Office of the General Counsel. Prior to that I worked for more than 15 years in several positions with construction firms building timeshares in Williamsburg, VA and Myrtle Beach, SC. I am now living with my mother, learning how to help out on the farm and getting in plenty of time to work in our gardens and go hiking. I am also a certified Virginia Master Naturalist with the Headwaters Chapter and a volunteer in Shenandoah National Park, working in invasive plant removal and helping with a new program to protect ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borer. I am also a wildflower enthusiast who spends most of spring involved in wildflower hikes.
I am excited to work with our new Vice President, Pam Heinrich, to make improvements to the Chapter that have been suggested by members. We are always open to new ideas, so please do not hesitate to contact either of us to let us know your thoughts. We have already had some excellent suggestions which we are working on implementing. I am looking forward to hearing from you, hiking with you, and working together on trail work on our trails as we go through this new year.
Jean Stephens
President
Pam Heinrich and Jean Stephens at the view on top of Grooms Trail.
Meet your new Vice President: Pam Heinrich
My first hike with the SSVC came when my friend (and fellow member), Betty Gatewood invited me on a hike on Shenandoah Mountain trail. It was a hike the club held in partnership with the Staunton Parks and Recreation. I joined more regularly after hiking on the AT from Reeds Gap to Dripping Rocks Overlook in February 2017.
As a native of Augusta County, I was always exploring outside. Growing up, I visited the Blue Ridge Parkway often, especially Humpback Rock. Through the club, I have made several friends that I hike with regularly. My favorite place to hike is anywhere in the Shenandoah National Park and sections of the Appalachian Trail. This summer, I began volunteering at the Byrd Visitor Center. It has been fun meeting visitors to the park and helping them pick out a hike.
I am also a co-overseer of a section of the Appalachian Trail. I was excited when Lynn and Malcolm Cameron asked me to join them to help with their section from Turk Gap to Sawmill Run Overlook. I have learned so much about trail maintenance on our trips to work on the trail, but most of all, I have relished in the fun of our conversations and the friendship that we have formed.
Currently, I work as a school librarian at Wilson Middle School in Fishersville. I am in my 27th year working as a teacher or librarian for Augusta County Schools. I am married to Russell Heinrich and he joins me often on my adventures. We like to travel to visit National Park sites and see lighthouses.
I look forward to helping Jean lead the club and hiking with all of you in the future.
See you on the trails,
Pam Heinrich
Vice President
My first hike with the SSVC came when my friend (and fellow member), Betty Gatewood invited me on a hike on Shenandoah Mountain trail. It was a hike the club held in partnership with the Staunton Parks and Recreation. I joined more regularly after hiking on the AT from Reeds Gap to Dripping Rocks Overlook in February 2017.
As a native of Augusta County, I was always exploring outside. Growing up, I visited the Blue Ridge Parkway often, especially Humpback Rock. Through the club, I have made several friends that I hike with regularly. My favorite place to hike is anywhere in the Shenandoah National Park and sections of the Appalachian Trail. This summer, I began volunteering at the Byrd Visitor Center. It has been fun meeting visitors to the park and helping them pick out a hike.
I am also a co-overseer of a section of the Appalachian Trail. I was excited when Lynn and Malcolm Cameron asked me to join them to help with their section from Turk Gap to Sawmill Run Overlook. I have learned so much about trail maintenance on our trips to work on the trail, but most of all, I have relished in the fun of our conversations and the friendship that we have formed.
Currently, I work as a school librarian at Wilson Middle School in Fishersville. I am in my 27th year working as a teacher or librarian for Augusta County Schools. I am married to Russell Heinrich and he joins me often on my adventures. We like to travel to visit National Park sites and see lighthouses.
I look forward to helping Jean lead the club and hiking with all of you in the future.
See you on the trails,
Pam Heinrich
Vice President
Member Spotlight: Ron Radloff
My wife, Ann and I met on a PATC hike in 1989. It would be 2 years later in June of 1991 that we were married.
Back in the 1990’s, Ann was the treasurer of the SSVC and we both published and mailed the SSVC PATC bulletin in the pre-computer days. We have enjoyed the companionship of older hikers who are no longer with us as well as current members.
In January of 1991, we hosted the first Spaghetti Hike. We began the tradition of meeting at our house for spaghetti and pot luck after a short winter hike. We will be hosting the 30th Annual Spaghetti Hike on January 18 of 2020 with a hike up Madison Fire Road. Hope to see everyone there.
Ron Radloff
*The club would also like to thank Ron for being one of our leaders for organizing our Wednesday hikes each month.
My wife, Ann and I met on a PATC hike in 1989. It would be 2 years later in June of 1991 that we were married.
Back in the 1990’s, Ann was the treasurer of the SSVC and we both published and mailed the SSVC PATC bulletin in the pre-computer days. We have enjoyed the companionship of older hikers who are no longer with us as well as current members.
In January of 1991, we hosted the first Spaghetti Hike. We began the tradition of meeting at our house for spaghetti and pot luck after a short winter hike. We will be hosting the 30th Annual Spaghetti Hike on January 18 of 2020 with a hike up Madison Fire Road. Hope to see everyone there.
Ron Radloff
*The club would also like to thank Ron for being one of our leaders for organizing our Wednesday hikes each month.
Ron and Ann at White's Wayside after a hike with the club.
Upcoming hikes/worktrip for January
Also, be on the lookout for our weekly email reminders.
Wednesday, January 8: Montgomery Hall Park trails, 3-4 miles. Meet near the Sprint Store at the Staunton Mall at 9:30AM. Call Theresia Barger at (540)337-1567 if interested.
Saturday, January 11. Trimble Mountain Trail. Forest Service Trail # 375 loop trail in George Washington National Forest, 3.9 miles with about 1,100 foot elevation gain. Depending on trail conditions, micro-spikes or snow shoes might be required. Will cancel if bad weather or driving conditions, so be sure to check with leader. Meeting at bank parking lot behind the Tastee Freeze in Chruchville at 9:30 or at the Wild Oak Trailhead parking lot on FR 95 near Stokesville at 10:00 AM. Hike leader is John Kolp (JLKolp@yahoo.com, 540-887-1235 or 917-288-2622).
Saturday January 18. Spaghetti Hike. Hike will be 4-5 miles on the Madison Run Fire Road. Meet at Grottoes Food Lion on Route 340 at 10:00 AM. Contact hike leader Ron Radloff at radloff.ronald@gmail.com or (540) 269-8131 to let him know if you are coming for the hike and/or to Ron’s and Ann’s house for lunch/dinner afterwards and to see what you can bring to accompany the spaghetti: salad, bread, dessert, hors d’oeuvres or drinks.
Saturday, January 25. Old Rag (Easiest Route). 5.4 miles out/back hike, strenuous. Do you want to see the summit of Old Rag, and avoid the rock scramble? Leaving from Berry Hollow Parking area, this is considered to be the easiest route to Old Rag summit.. It is still rated a strenuous hike by Shenandoah National Park. Meet at Verona Park and Ride at 8:30 or Massanutten Presbyterian Church at 9:00. Leader: Pam Heinrich, pamheinrich13@gmail.com, (540) 290-5595.
Saturday, January 25-Sunday, January 26. Disaster/Travel/Wilderness First Aid Course
SSVC is co-sponsoring this wilderness first aid class, along with Walkabout Outfitter. It will be held in Bridgewater. Hike and worktrip leaders would benefit from this. If you are a PATC-SSVC member and are interested, contact Malcolm Cameron at malcolmgcameron@gmail.com.
Please call or email ahead of a hike to let the leaders know you are coming and to find out about any changes in hike location.
