- Saturday, September 21: Shenandoah Section Hike- Part 2Needs location
Come section hike the Shenandoah with us! This is Part 2 of a 7 part series of overnight section hikes.
We will park at Elkwallow Wayside (location, won't let me input:)
38.738628, -78.310960 then shuttle to our starting point, a parking lot off Skyline Drive.We will camp overnight at Pass Mountain Hut- it has a piped spring, tenting, privy, bear box and bear pole.
The overall length of this section is about 15.55 miles with 2,969 ft total elevation Gain.
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/shannies-2-167434f?u=i&sh=mkn9ym
There will be a fee to the shuttle driver(s), so that will be posted in the comments later on once the final head count has been determined. The cost will be split evenly amongst those going.
This is not a beginner friendly trip. Everyone must register themselves for an overnight backcountry pass in the Shenandoahs individually, as there is now a small fee. Link here: Backcountry Permit & Regulations - Shenandoah National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
This trip is cross posted with Rivers Rocks Roots and Virginia Outdoor Adventures.
- Sept. 21, all day: Barrel racing and stargazing at Lexington & Natural BridgeNatural Bridge State Park, Natural Bridge, VA
This all day meetup begins with two horse shows at Virginia Horse Center and concludes with stargazing at Natural Bridge State Park located 14 miles from VHC.
The two horse shows are:
- VA State Barrel Show Finals (Barrel racing)
- Starter Trials & cross country schooling. (Dennis will be a cross country jumping judge on the outdoor course)Address for Virginia Horse Center
487 Maury River Road, Lexington, VAHere's their site.
https://vahorsecenter.org/about/Then at 8 pm at Natural Bridge State Park join park rangers for an exploration of our night sky at this International Dark Sky Park. Pick out constellations, observe planets and nebula through a telescope, and take in the silhouette of the star-lit Blue Ridge Mountains.
Sept. 21 will feature Stargazing and Mountain Moonrise.
Bring something comfortable to sit on. Meet rangers at the Skyline Trail parking lot. A moderate 10-minute hike will be necessary once the program begins.
All programs are weather dependent. If a program is cancelled due to weather, we will have alternative Dark Sky programs offered indoors. Monitor our website or call the park to receive real-time information at (540) 254-0795.
Skyline Trailhead: https://maps.app.goo.gl/j7Dkv3...
- Sept. 21, 11 am: Powhatan State Park Pawpaw FestivalPowhatan State Park, Powhatan, VA
Celebrate the park’s eleventh anniversary by attending the second annual PawPaw Festival. Find out what a pawpaw is. There may be free samples; plants and seeds to purchase. No guarantee though. Come early for best chance. There will be music, food, beverages from Fine Creek Brewery (possibly pawpaw saison), ranger led programs (including limited pawpaw foraging), animal encounters and local vendors. There is a $20 fee per car to enter the park and festival or $10 with a state park pass. Anyone who volunteers for two hours will be admitted free. Volunteer opportunities are available at the Friends of Powhatan State Park Meetup site.
This is an informational Meetup. I will be at the festival but will be volunteering. Direct message me if you have any questions about volunteering or about the festival. Please come by to say hello. I will likely be at the beer ID check, ticket sale table or Friends of Powhatan State Park table. This event was very popular last year and became one of the most successful first time events in Virginia State Park history. It is recommended that you arrive early during the festival to avoid congestion getting into the park.
- Sept. 22, 7 am : Be a judge for cross country jumping horsesVirginia Horse Center, Lexington, VA
Normal people who have no experience with horses can do this.
Dennis knows because he's done it 4 times, and it was a real hoot.Instruction for volunteers will be provided. Lunch will be provided.
$20 credit per full day to James River Hikers for each volunteer
Here's a link to the Virginia Horse Center
https://vahorsecenter.org/about/The event is titled Starter Trails & XC Schooling
A link for volunteers to sign-up will be activated when the date is closer to September 22. It will be like this.
https://www.eventingvolunteers.com/events/3058/signup
Here is a link to training videos.
https://useventing.com/events-competitions/volunteers/volunteer-videos
Justine Montgomery is the volunteer coordinator. Feel free to call her at
434-825-5231The Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia is a 2 hour 10 minute drive from the Fan of Richmond.