Rough Ridge Celebration!
Twenty-five people representing numerous Blue Ridge Parkway partnerships met at one of the most scenic Parkway vistas to celebrate a new era of collaboration.
Stephanie Gemache called from North Augusta, S.C. the day before to make sure there would be enough parking, but also to tell Lynne Fletcher at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, “I have only made one gift to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it was for Rough Ridge.” Stephanie stayed at a local hotel the night before so that she could be on hand for this special event.
The occasion was to celebrate the re-decking of the boardwalk straddeling this fragile ecological landscape, but also to honor the Blue Ridge Parkway Corp, a formal association of student volunteers from Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Program who have been formally trained to monitor the area and offer advice to visitors on how to protect the locations fragile vegetation, but also to remind them to “stay on the trail” and limit rock-hopping to the newly accessible “view rock”.
Greg Brown, president of Friends of the Parkway, talked about the opportunity to the park of what so many volunteers could do … and the addition of new chapters being added to the quiver of many. One of the most recent chapters is the Boone / Blowing Rock chapters was represnted by Mike Kebelbeck who is already working to engage volunteers to complete a handicapped access walk around the circumference of Price Lake.
Susan McCracken, Vice-President of Community Relations at Appalachian State University, talked about the how the idea of a “Blue Ridge Parkway Institute” could provide the catalyst as well as the framework for managing so many collaborative relationships and opportunities to the Parkway. Eric Furman added that funds could become available through federal assistance programs to compensate students for summer work.
The guest presentation was delivered by Randy Johnson - author, writer — who crafted the wilderness trail system for Grandfather Mountain and owner, Mr. Hugh Morton decades ago. Randy was also on the team who designed the Tanawha Trail which stretches from Beacon Heights to near Price Lake, a part of which is the Rough Ridge segment. Randy applauded what he saw was a new era of collaboration among many and more partners who could collectively and positively impact the health of the country’s most visited national park.
The event was hosted by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
"Poleing Day" on Wilson Creek
L to R: Susie Hamrick Jones, executive director of the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, which has secured a number of conservation easements on Wilson Creek; Houck Medford, founder and chief executive officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation; Martha Townes, wife of “B” Townes; Congressman Ballenger, who has led several Foundation’s funding efforts; “B” Townes, a Foundation and Conservancy donor, as well as a member of the Blue Ridge Conservancy board of trustees, also a member of the Edgemont Fishing Club which has donated a conservation easement on Wilson Creek; and DeeDee Weaver, daughter of Congressman Ballenger.
On May 11, 1999 Congressman Cass Ballenger introduced H.R. 1749 to designate the Wilson Creek drainage a National Wild and Scenic River. The bill eventually became law. He had never returned to Wilson Creek which drains from the southern slopes of Calloway Peak on Grandfather Mountain until November 2, 2010. This arranged visit coincidentally synced with election day, and the event was playfully named “Poleling Day”, appropriate for this Congressman who represented North Carolina for more than 20 years and caught his first fish from Wilson Creek on this visit. The day was arranged by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
Appalachian Mountain Photo Contest featuring special category on Parkway trees …
Competition Organizers are excited to announce this year’s Blue Ridge Parkway Share the Journey ® Category theme: The Parkway Tree Project. The areas comprising the Blue Ridge Parkway boast nearly 100 tree species that contribute to ecological zones of unsurpassed diversity. The Parkway Tree Project seeks to bring greater public awareness to the rich natural resources of the region and to document significant trees that contribute to the character, environment, and/or aesthetic of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Photographers are encouraged to capture images of trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway that stand out as the most beautiful, the oldest or largest, trees that tell a story or have a place in history, and those that are unique for their shape, species, or character.
Those submitting images to the Parkway Tree Project will be asked to identify the tree species, document the tree’s location (e.g. GPS coordinates, Parkway Milepost, or other identifying indicators of the tree’s location), and describe in a short story of a paragraph or more why the photographed tree is of particular significance. Entries will be judged on impact, subject matter, center of interest, and storytelling – effectively sharing the journey by celebrating trees along the Parkway.
Photo from Doughton Park, hike to Bluff Mountain from lodge
Blue Ridge Parkway historic landmark, Bluffs Lodge and Coffee Shop, could remain closed indefinitely
Economic conditions and planned road closures due to guidewall restoration will likely keep the favorite-destination lodge and coffee shop closed for the foreseeable future. The operating concessioner (lessee), Forever Resorts (Scottsdale, Arizona)has indicated that they will not be renewing their lease arrangement with the park service next year. Other properties that will be affected by their pulling out of the Blue Ridge are Mabry Mill, Rocky Knob Cabins, the boat rental operation at Price Lake near Blowing Rock, N.C. and the Crabtree Falls Coffee Shop south of Little Switzerland, N.C.
The guidewall restoration project will require sections of the motor road in the Doughton Park area to remain closed until 2012. Experience with road closures from Hurricane Ivan when road slides have occurred and parts of the Parkway have been closed, visitors are very reluctant to venture beyond detour signs to visit an attraction or Parkway landmark.
Road closures at Doughton Park will not begin until after November 1 when the lodge formally closes for the season.
Up to date closures can be found on the Blue Ridge Parkway website, or by calling 828-298-0398
Facilities like Bluffs, the Pisgah Inn, and the Peaks of Otter Lodge are managed through concession agreements which can be favorable to the invested parties i.e. the concessioner and the park service when there are conditions of annual profitability, a long-term return on investment, and good visitation numbers for the concession operator.
The National Park Service (Blue Ridge Parkway) is accepting inquiries from interested parties through November 8.
The economic downturn and diminished Parkway visitation compared years past has affected concession decisions.
No one knows what the future may hold.
Guidewall Replacement at Milepost 243 with Survey Reference Marker
Constructed in the 1930’s, the rock masonry guide walls that line the Blue Ridge Parkway are a significant feature defining the historic and visual character of the Parkway. This project involves the rehabilitation of 32,000 linear feet of guidewalls from Milepost 417 to 425. This project is confined to the area of Doughton Park, near Sparta, NC. A significant portion of these walls has deteriorated due to settlement and the freeze thaw cycles over the last 75 years. This project rehabilitates and reconstructs the most deficient wall sections and will restore the structural integrity and the historic appearance of this important cultural resource.
Parts of Doughton Park will be closed consistently through early season of 2012.
Houck's Profile
