North Bank Trail Work – Stump Dump Bridge

  May 21, 2013 - 9:50 pm |
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The “Stump Dump” bridge at Hollywood Cemetery on the North Bank Trail will be closed for repairs starting Wednesday, May 22nd.  There will be a walk/ride around, but please use caution in the area.

On Saturday, May 25th, there will be a volunteer work day to complete the restoration of the bridge. The east end of the bridge has been sinking into the ground over the years and  has gotten covered in dirt.  We will be replacing the eastern end of the bridge and placing it on a more solid foundation. Please come out and help – and bring your friends. If we get a large turnout we should have the new bridge open for the rest of the Memorial Day long weekend.

When: 9am – 1pm, Saturday, May 25th

Where: North Bank Trail – “Stump Dump” bridge

Park in Hollywood Cemetery or Oregon Hill – map

Bring: Water! Snack, Gloves, Sturdy Shoes, Friends

 

Powhatan State Park Work Day

  May 19, 2013 - 10:26 pm |
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The Friends of Powhatan State Park
invite you to join us for our 1st Annual
Volunteer Day
at Powhatan State Park
4616 Powhatan State Park Road
West of Rt. 522 on Old River Trail Road
Powhatan, Virginia 23139

Saturday, June 1, 2013
10 am – 4 pm

Wear work clothes and shoes and bring sunscreen, gloves, bug repellent and
a willingness to help be a part of history as we prepare for the grand opening

Hot Dog Lunch and brief organizational meeting of the
Friends of Powhatan State Park at Noon

RSVP at Gaston.rouse@dcr.virginia.gov<mailto:Gaston.rouse@dcr.virginia.gov> if you will be attending

Organizing leaders of the Friends of Powhatan State Park
Sally Aungier, Rick Gideons, Maureen Moslow-Benway, Rick Cole, Bobby and
Mary Anna Wilcox, Carson Tucker, John Rothert, Clint Arrington, Steve Forrest, Bob Reilly, Julie Kacmarcik,
Ken and Nancy Davis, Alice Youngblood and Cecil Youngblood, Chris Gowin, Lauren and Susie Willis, Joyce Whitley,  Scott Stottlemyer

Thursday Rides

  May 14, 2013 - 12:46 am |
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This Thursday there are two great rides we wanted to let you know about.

At 6pm, Team LUNA Chix are hosting their first downtown ride of the season. This is a ladies only ride that will be starting from the Reedy Creek Parking Lot on Riverside Drive. They will be breaking into groups based on ability levels so they’ll have beginner friendly options that will focus on the James River Trails and Belle Isle. Remember to bring your helmet, water and a spare tube. If the weather looks iffy, check there Facebook page for any cancellation notices.

And for you night owls, there is a night ride at Pocahontas Sate Park. The ride will start at the conclusion of the Friends of Pocahontas meeting that starts at 6pm, so why not stop by the meeting too and find out about this great group that helps care for the trails down at Pocahontas. Night riding lights and helmets are required (not headlamps, not flashlights).  You must be able to ride for 1-2 hrs, and your bike should be in good working order prior to the ride. The FoPSP monthly meeting will be held at the Heritage Center, starting at 6:00 p.m.

If you like these rides, don’t forget to sign up for our group ride mailing list:

http://www.meetup.com/RichmondMORE/

And while you’re at River Rock this weekend, please stop by the Richmond MORE booth, say hi, and sign up or renew your membership.

Scout Camp Trail Work – Postponed

  May 5, 2013 - 9:43 pm |
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With the heavy rains over the past few days and the threat of more rain in the coming days, we have decided that we would rather not spend our Saturday morning playing in the mud, so we are postponing the Scout Camp Trail Work to a later date.

The work still needs to be done, so we’ll let you know when we have a new date.

-Richmond-MORE

 

Trail work this week will be out at the Scout Camp. We started a reroute during out last work session a few weeks ago and we’re going to try to finish it up on Saturday. We need to do a lot of digging, so please bring any digging tools that you may have such as shovels, picks and your friends.

We’ll be meeting at the Cub Adventure Camp (1723 Maidens Rd, Maidens, VA - turn right upon entering camp) at 9am on Saturday, May 11th.

Clark will be heading up this effort while Ed is on the mend from knee surgery, so let’s have a huge turn out and finish up this project.

James River Park Manager Named

  April 29, 2013 - 10:06 pm |
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Richmond, VA – The City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities has named Nathan J. Burrell as manager of its James River Park. Burrell follows in the footsteps of the well-known Ralph White, who worked for the park for more than 30 years until his retirement in December 2012. His appointment comes after a nationwide search and review by a citizen advisory committee.

“I am confident in Mr. Burrell’s ability to manage and maintain the James River Park, which is one of the city’s greatest assets and widely appreciated by so many Richmond-area residents as well as outdoor enthusiast from across the country,” said Dr. Norman C. Merrifield, director of the city’s parks and recreation department.

Burrell has worked for the department in the James River Park as trails manager since 2003. He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in parks and recreation management and a minor in environmental studies.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to help in making Richmond one of the most livable cities in the U.S. with my focus on the management and development of one of our greatest resources, the James River Park,” said Burrell. “In addition, I am especially committed to maintaining a balanced approach between adventure recreation and environmental stewardship, which is critical to the future of the park.”

Burrell, who is an instructor in training for the League of American Bicyclists, is also a state certified erosion and sediment control agent. He is a member of the Mayor’s Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Trails Planning Commission and the James River Branch Rail-Trail Advisory Committee; a board member of the Ground Works RVA Steering Committee; a technical advisor to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for their “Trail Tool Box;”and sits on the Richmond Strategic Multimodal Transportation Plan Advisory Committee.

In addition, Burrell has presented at six national and state Trail and Greenway Conferences and won several awards, including being named as one of Richmond’s “Top 40 Under 40” by Style Weekly in 2011 and named Richmond’s #1 Object of Affection by Richmond Magazine in 2007. He has also received two recognitions by Richmond City Council, one for the development of the trails in Larus Park and the other for the development of the 14th Street White Water Take Out on the James River.

Richmond Expanding Bike Trails To Include Handcycles

  April 16, 2013 - 11:48 pm |
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“The trails will be designed as a series of loops with varying difficulty and a total length of five to six miles. They will emulate traditional off road mountain bike trails to give users a unique opportunity to explore the park and create an outdoors experience for many who may have never had this type of access. ”
http://www.richmond.va.gov/docs/ATSpring2013v2.pdf

JROC Gear Sale

  April 16, 2013 - 12:24 pm |
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Buy and sell slightly used outdoor recreational gear, for example, bikes, kayaks, camping gear, hiking equipment, and accessories. Register your gear at the event or print forms at www.jroc.net or check for updates on JROC ‘s Face Book page. You set the price and our volunteers will provide the forum for sale and collect cash, check and credit card payments to James River Outdoor Coalition. We will then mail a check to you based on total gear sales, less 20% of proceeds, which will go to fund JROC’s James River Park System improvement projects, for example, the JROC funded river access projects at various park locations, interpretative signage, improvements at the Manchester Climbing Wall, etc. If you’re buying gear, you are responsible for arranging transport. Come early, as the bargains don’t last long. jrocmail@gmail.com

1st & Hull St., near the Train Museum, just south of the 14th St. Bridge

Volunteers should plan to arrive at 10 am.

Gear Drop of time from 10:30-11:00 am.

Sales 11:00 – 3:00

Unsold Gear must be picked up by 3:30 pm

April Club Meeting and Social

  April 8, 2013 - 11:13 pm |
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Please join Richmond-MORE for our April Club Meeting and Social at Hardywood Craft Brewery on Tuesday, April 16th from 6-9pm.  The event is open to everyone.

Please join us for roundtable discussions about Richmond MORE’s plans for 2013.  We’ll be discussing:

  • Advocacy
  • Trail building and design
  • Rides
  • Special events

As a bonus, Hardywood Park will be offering a $5 gift card for any new members that sign up that Tuesday night.

Hardywood Craft Brewery is located near the Diamond at 2408 Ownby Lane
Richmond, VA, 23220 and will have several craft beers on tap for tasting.

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Earth Day Ride – April 20th

  April 4, 2013 - 1:11 pm |
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Let’s celebrate Earth Day (April 20th) this year with a ride on the James River Trails. We will meet at Coqui Cycles at 9:30 a.m. and be ready for a 10:00 a.m. start.

From Coqui, we will head down through Forest Hill Park to Reedy Creek and then pick up Buttermilk trail, heading west. After crossing the Nickel Bridge, we’ll hit Dogwood Dell and then North Bank towards the city. Once we get to Tredegar, we’ll swing by the 17th Street Farmers’ Market where the Earth Day Festival is being held (please note that there are two separate Earth Day Festivals this year; 17th Street is the official City of Richmond festival and the other is over in Manchester that is held by Style Weekly).

There will be bike parking at the festival and a bike demo held by Giant Bikes, along with other vendors such as eco-friendly businesses, non-profits, farmers and artists. From the festival, we’ll head over to the Belle Isle trails and skills area and then onto Buttermilk and Forest Hill back to Coqui Cycles.

This ride is open to all skill levels and crazy Earth Day costumes are encouraged to show your Earth Day spirit (I know Lorene will be wearing hers!). We will break up into 2-3 smaller groups depending on the turnout for the ride.

For more information on the festival, please visit the following website:
http://earthdayrichmond.org/

What to bring:
• Helmets are required! You will not be allowed to ride without a helmet.
• Bike gloves are recommended. So is protective eye wear.
• Water & snacks
• Spare tube and tools
• Cash for the festival