DOCSLIB.ORG

Mapping Soil Erosion Risk and Safety Factors of the Massanutten Trail System Joshua R

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mapping Soil Erosion Risk and Safety Factors of the Massanutten Trail System Joshua R James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current Honors College Spring 2015 Mapping soil erosion risk and safety factors of the Massanutten Trail system Joshua R. Foery James Madison University Philip V. Sturm James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019 Part of the Sustainability Commons Recommended Citation Foery, Joshua R. and Sturm, Philip V., "Mapping soil erosion risk and safety factors of the Massanutten Trail system" (2015). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current. 30. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/30 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mapping Soil Erosion Risk and Safety Factors of the Massanutten Trail System _______________________ An Honors Program Project Presented to the Faculty of the Undergraduate College of Integrated Science and Technology James Madison University _______________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Science by Joshua Foery and Philip Sturm May 2015 Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors Program. FACULTY COMMITTEE: HONORS PROGRAM APPROVAL: Project Advisor: Carole Nash, Ph.D., Philip Frana, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, ISAT, GS Interim Director, Honors Program Project Advisor: Zachary Bortolot, Ph.D., Associate Professor, ISAT Reader: Amy Goodall, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Geographic Science Reader: Helmut Kraenzle, Ph.D., Professor, Geographic Science Reader: Wayne S. Teel, Ph.D., Professor, ISAT Abstract Public mountain biking and hiking trails can pose challenges to trail-user safety. The purpose of this project is to improve the overall safety factors on the Massanutten Western Slope, in eastern Rockingham County, Virginia, where a 15-plus mile trail system has been made available to a broad range of users. Owned by Massanutten Resort, the trail system is in a remote, forested area frequented by local off-road cyclists, runners, hikers, as well as seasonal tourists and is maintained by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC). This multifaceted project, which integrates ESRI ArcGIS, Trimble Pathfinder, USDA Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data, and the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), has the common goal of increasing the overall safety of the trail system through assessing both environmental impact in trail construction and use, as well as accessibility for first responders. Trail erosion risk was modeled in ArcGIS based on the variables outlined in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The factors of soil erodibility, slope, and vegetation cover type were used to assess erosion risk and identify areas where current trails are likely to erode and where future construction should be avoided by SVBC. Field collection of GPS locational data using a survey- grade field rover was undertaken to update trail marker signage, provide accurate locational maps for rescue efforts, and test the validity of the erosion model through ground-truthing. Cellular strength data was collected to identify areas along the trails where cellular coverage may be weak. Ultimately, first responders will be provided with maps of the trail system labeled with geographic coordinates and that identify access points. Table of Contents List of Figures….…………………………..…………………………………….Page 4 Acknowledgements………….………………………………………………..…Page 5 Introduction………….………………………..…………………………………Pages 6-7 Literature Review.…………………...…………………………………………..Pages 7-13 Objectives.………………………..…………….………………………………..Pages 13-14 Methodology ……………………………………………………………………Pages 14-25 Results/Discussion ………………………………………………………………Pages 25-33 Conclusion………………………………………………………………….…....Pages 33-34 Future Work………………………………………………………………..…….Pages 35 Unintended Consequences.……………….……………………………………...Page 36 Appendices……………………………………………….……………………....Page 37-41 Appendix I LIDAR Data………………………………………………………....Page 37 Appendix II SSURGO K Factor Aggregation Report……………………………Pages 37-39 Appendix III Trimble Data Dictionary for GPS Feature Collection………….….Pages 40-41 Works Cited……………………………..………………………………………..Pages 42-45 3 List of Figures and List of Tables Figure 1: Close-up View of the Study Area………………………………….…..…..Page 6 Figure 2: View of Planned Trail Expansion Area……………………………..……..Page 13 Figure 3: View of General Area of Trails in Relation to Harrisonburg……….…......Page 15 Figure 4: Digital Elevation Model……………………………...…………….………Page 16 Figure 5: K Factor Layer Image…………….……………………………..………...Page 17 Figure 6: LS Factor Image…………………………………………….……………..Page 19 Figure 7: C Factor Layer Image…………………………………………….…....….Page 21 Figure 8: Trail Factor Layer Image…………………………………...……..………Page 22 Figure 9: Erosion Model Layer Calculation Image………………………………….Page 26 Figure 10: Soil Erosion Model Result-Overview Image of Study Area……….…....Page 27 Figure 11: Erosion Model Layer Calculation with Trail Factor Image……………..Page 28 Figure 12: Soil Erosion Result with Trail Factor Applied-Overview Image….…….Page 28 Figure 13: Soil Erosion Result with Trail Factor-close up view……….……………Page 29 Figure 14: Coordinate Map of Massanutten Western Slope Trails…….……………Page 30 Figure 15: Cellular Coverage Comparison Result………………….……………….Page 32 4 Acknowledgements We would like to thank and acknowledge many people that helped in the completion of this project. Thomas Jenkins of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, for providing access to the Massanutten trail network, as well as for providing GIS files for our project. We would also like to extend thanks to Dr. Zachary Bortolot and Dr. Carole Nash for their guidance and support over the past three semesters. Lastly, we would like to thank our family and friends for their support throughout this project. 5 Introduction Public mountain biking and hiking trails can pose challenges to trail-user safety. Accurate maps of mountain biking trails are not only useful to the users, but also to first responders who are in charge of responding quickly to emergency situations that may arise from trail accidents. The purpose of this project is to improve the overall safety factors on the Massanutten Western Slope Trail System, in eastern Rockingham County, Virginia, where15-plus miles of trail are available to a broad range of users (Figure 1). Figure 1: Close up of general area of trails location. This view is pivoted using the tools on Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4282842,-78.7589159,10183m/data=!3m1!1e3 This trail system is owned by Massanutten Resort and built and maintained by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC). Users of the trail system, which is in use year- round, include SVBC mountain bikers and resort hikers. This multifaceted Honors project, which integrates ESRI ArcGIS, Trimble Pathfinder, PCI Geomatica, USDA SSURGO soils data, and 6 the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), has the common goal of increasing the overall safety of the trail system through assessing both environmental impacts in trail construction and use, as well as accessibility for first responders. The overall goal of this project is to better assist future rescue efforts for local first responders along the trail system, as well as aid in future trail construction by the SVBC. Both partners pursued this project for individual reasons. Phil Sturm’s interest in mountain biking as well as his desire to complete a project that showcases a wide array of technical GIS skills led to his involvement. Josh Foery chose to undertake this project for a personal reason that occurred when he was in the tenth grade. While suffering from an emergency that required EMT response, the first responders got lost due to incorrect GPS data. In emergency response situations every second matters, and although Josh’s situation was not life threatening, the slow response time due to incorrect GPS data highlights the need for accurate data, especially in remote areas such as those where mountain biking trails are developed Finally, both partners had the same goal: to complete a project that gave back to Harrisonburg and surrounding communities. Literature Review General Trail Safety Techniques and Injury Statistics Although it seems like everyone in modern society owns a smart-phone and that virtually the entire continental United States supports cell phone coverage, this technology is useless in an emergency situation if those in need of rescue do not know their exact location. This situation is magnified even more when the emergency occurs in a remote location such as on the Western Slope Trails at Massanutten Mountain. How does one inform emergency service personnel 7 where an injury has occurred so that these services can most efficiently respond to the need for rescue? The research in regards to emergency rescues in remote areas is very limited, but that which does exist focuses on injury statistics and many of the causes of mountain biking accidents. Mountain biking in the United States has rapidly grown in popularity since its emergence in the late 1970s, both in terms of competitive and recreational mountain biking (Romanow, 2014). With the increase in popularity is also an increase in mountain bike-related injuries that often occur on remote trail
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Walter Dent<Br>
    Planning.comments.f To: [email protected] [email protected] cc: s Subject: 02/07/2009 09:20 AM Submitted by: Walter Dent<br>At: [email protected]<br>Remark: After attending the last meeting I would like to stress that I believe at this time we have enough wilderness areas in the state of Virginia. Untouched areas of \"wilderness\" may seem like a good idea to some but what it really does is cut the effectiveness of the Forest Service to manage the land. As you are aware of, wilderness areas can be devastated by Gypsy moth infestation, tree diseases, ice storms and fire to name a few and the FS will be helpless to implement any recovery plans. I also believe a lot of the interest for new wilderness is not brought here by local people that actually use the forest but by special interest groups who have never been to the GW/JNF and have their own agendas. I feel that the back country designation achieves everything a wilderness area designation does with out tying the hands of the FS. I would also like to voice my concerns over OHV trails in the national forest. At this time there are a documented 244 miles designated OHV trails in the forest. Unfortunately, I and many others can\'t tell the difference between a \"High vehicle clearance\" roads and a normal fire road. We as the OHV community are all for protecting the environment and treading lightly as witnessed by all the volunteer actions such as trail clean ups, trail repairs and assisting the forest service in various OHV projects, but if a trail is maintained at a level that a non high clearance vehicle can navigate it, then the \"High vehicle clearance\" designation is moot.
    [Show full text]
  • Shenandoah Valley History the Ride Site Was Once a Prime Location for Smelting Pig Iron and As a Mineral Springs Resort Area for Wealthy Spa-Goers
    flora hillman national championship news Behind the NC: Shenandoah Valley history The ride site was once a prime location for smelting pig iron and as a mineral springs resort area for wealthy spa-goers part three of five parts p until the mid-1800s the Massanutten TALES FROM THE TRAIL remained a barrier to be crossed only History, Stories, and Legends of Fort Valley and the byU the occasional traders. The mountain Shenandoah Valley • Site of the 2006 AERC NC Rides range is so rugged that, to this day, only two roads still cross it. Yet, adventurous Europeans, lured by the excellent farmland of the Shenandoah Valley, shouldered their way over the summit to settle and fence their claims in Powell’s Fort Valley. As these newcomers often traveled in cultural groups to build and live together, towns and settlements began to quickly proliferate. The benign tolerance of the na- Burner’s White Sulfur Springs Resort, nestled in the Shenandoah Valley, is shown in this 19th century lithograph. Photo tive Indians began to evaporate with the courtesy of the Winchester (Virginia) Archival Library. increased pressure of this growing popula- tion, and while the early inhabitants of the night following, the smell of blood would the Fort Valley in search of excellent farm- valley suffered no reported fatalities from bring the wolves howling all around the land and timbering. Others, following on Indian attacks, during the French and Indian settlers’ homes. the enterprising, albeit illegal, heels of the War the settlers were in constant danger notorious Powell (see June EN), came to try from the Indians.
    [Show full text]
  • Start/Finish in Elizabeth Furnace Day Use Lot. Locate White-Blazed Botts
    Start/Finish in Elizabeth Furnace Day Use lot. Locate white-blazed Botts Trail head at southeastern (back left) edge of the big parking lot adjacent to Elizabeth's Furnace. Follow relatively level Botts Trail to junction with pink-blazed Sherman Gap Trail. (1.1 mi) Left on Sherman Gap Trail, and experience a roller coaster until the trail finally turns to ascend to the western ridge of the Massanutten Mountains. (2.6 mi) Right on combined Tuscarora and Massanutten Trails (orange- and blue-blazed) (0.2 mi) Left to descend on purple-blazed Sherman Gap trail to dirt road (Route 613/Panhandle Road). (2.1 mi; Cum = 6.0 mi) Right on the dirt road (Route 613/Panhandle Road) with general inclines to the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail head at Veach Gap (blazes are alongside the road, but be alert, as the entrance to the trail head looks like a gravel driveway) (1.8 mi) Right off Route 613 onto the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail, and ascend to junction with orange- blazed Massanutten Trail. (1.7 mi) Right on combined blue- and orange-blazed Tuscarora and Massanutten trails to junction with Veach Gap Trail at the bottom of this descent into Little Crease (two privies and a camping shelter are here; trail junction is immediately after a stream crossing) (1.0 mi) Left on yellow-blazed Veach Gap trail to parking lot at end of Veach Gap Road (Route 774). This gradual descent includes a short, early stretch where the trail is at times all but included in the Mill Run streambed.
    [Show full text]
  • Relay of the Growler Page 18 • Egypt/Tale of the Nilepage 22 • Runventurepage 28
    Publication of the Richmond Road Runners Club March/April 2017 | Volume 40, Issue 2 GATEWAYSpages 20 and 26 Relay of the Growler page 18 • Egypt/Tale of the Nile page 22 • runVENTURE page 28 RICHMOND,VA rd Saturday, June 3 Stony Point Fashion Park Start Time 8:30am Register Online at HCB2.org Sponsored by Miles and Minutes is the official newsletter for and by members of the Richmond Road Runners Club (RRRC). [ EDITOR’S LETTER ] The RRRC is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to foster fitness and a healthy lifestyle through running in the Everybody has that one race, the metro Richmond, Virginia area. The club is affiliated with the Road Runners Club one to begin them all. Our first of America and sponsors nearly 20 races throughout the year with distances 5k, 8k, 10k and sometimes half ranging from 1 mile to 50K. As a service to the community, the club contracts to provide race services. These services range from renting equipment to full- marathon or even a full marathon. computerized race timing. The club provides services for over 30 events during the year. When we get bitten by the bug, it’s Club Officers Bill Kelly President infectious and we want more of the Jim Oddono Vice President/Operations drug-like feeling that is endorphins Ed Kelleher Vice President/Communications Rosie Schutte Secretary and rush of adrenaline. Ralph Gibbs Treasurer Function Heads On the first of April, known to us Mara George Membership Director Bill Webb Equipment Manager as April Fool’s Day, the city will Jim Oddono Race Coordinator Don Garber Club Historian welcome 35,000– 39,000 runners as we take on the world’s Group Runs fourth-largest 10k race, the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k Technology, Web Rosie Schutte, Ralph Gibbs Grand Prix Coordinators presented by Kroger.
    [Show full text]
  • Adams Peak Archer Knob Beards Mountain Beech Lick Knob
    Adams Peak Archer Knob Beards Mountain Beech Lick Knob Ranger District Pedlar North River James River, Warm Spgs North River Size of PWA or Addition (acres) 8,226 7,110 10,152 14,087 CAPABILITY Categories for Basic Natural Capability Assessing Comments Elements, Values or Features Capability Comments Comments Comments Acidified streams (non-limestone streams) No No No No Presence of structural improvements Nature Camp No No 2 communication sites near NNW bdy Private inholdings No No No No Subdivisions adjacent to PWA boundary Yes No Yes No Est. percent of boundary beside pvt lands 20-25% 20-25% 80% 80% Other evidence of human Adjacent to SP with high density trail improvements improvements and human habitation Nature dominates;Nature substantially of free habitation or use No No system No Opportunities for primitive recreation, solitude, physical and 9,500 ac SP in mass; good opps for mental challenge, inspiration Not very good. About 7,000 ac of SP, but isolation and primitive rec; many narrow and along mountainside with mult knobs around perimeter help block 4,400 ac SP in central W; none on N & S; Relatively small core of 4,440 ac SP, but is ext views to pvt - cabins, farms, camps; views to private lands and potential int opps but relatively small in mass with int views in steep drains. poor configuration. future development Other pros or cons to opps for primitive rec and solitude No No primitive, unconfinedprimitive, recreation Opportunities for solitude Opportunitiesand solitude for No No National or regional heritage/historic values No No No No Presence of TESLR species, FS sensitive species or species found No No Roughhead shiner No only here that DO NOT need active management Presence of old growth stands (FS data; see also Va Mtn Treasures comments below) No No No Yes, per SELC report Presence of special area (NRT, RNA, etc) No No Rec River No Presence of special geologic area No No No No Native brook trout stream(s), miles 5 mi.
    [Show full text]
  • Tuscarora Trail Map Pdf
    Tuscarora trail map pdf Continue The far east tuscarora TrailNorthern end of Tuscarora TrailLength252 mi (406 km) LocationEastern United StatesTrailheadsSouth: Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia i3 8'17'34N 78'40'45W / 38.29278'N 78.67917'W / 38.29278; -78.67917North: Appalachian Trail near Harrisburg, PA40-17-39.9N 77'5'26.9W / 40.294417-N 77.090806'W / 40.294417; -77.090806UskinEhusionElevation change3,060 feet (930 m)High pointSauter Trailhead, Shenandoah National Park, 3,440 feet (1050 m)The lowest pointPomand the river, The National Historic Park Canal CSO, a 380-foot (120 m) WeatherWebsitehikethetuscarora.org hiking trip, is a long-distance trail in the Range and Appalachian Valley that runs through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. In the south, Tuscarora begins at the junction of the Appalachian Trail (AT) near Camp Matthews Arm, 0.4 miles (0.64 km) south of the AT Skyline Drive intersection at MP 21.1 in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. To the north, it joins the Appalachian Trail at the top of the Blue Mountains west of the Susquehanna River and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, creating a 435-mile (700.1 km) circuit known as the Tuscaloach Loop. The Tuscor Trail was built as an alternative parallel route for the Appalachian Trail. It was built further west, in a wilder corridor, because there were fears that the development would force the closure of AT, before the adoption of the National Scenic Trails Act of 1968. The tuscarora trail was originally built as two separate trails: the 142 miles (228.5 km) Big Blue Trail in Virginia and West Virginia, and the 110 miles (177.0 km) Tuscarora Trail in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Top Mountain Hike
    Three Top Mountain - Front Royal, Virginia Length Difficulty Streams Views Solitude Camping 7.6 mls Hiking Time: 4 hours with a half hour for lunch Elev. Gain: 780 ft Directions: From VA678/Fort Valley Rd, Turn right on VA771/Boyer Rd. and in 1.0 miles 771 veers left, Stay right towards Powell Fort, In 0.6 miles the road splits stay right, In another 1.8 miles the parking area will be on the right just before a gate closes the FS road. Part of the Signal Knob area in the George Washington National Forest, Three Top Mountain with it's 3.5 mile stretch along the ridge line is one of the least traveled trails in the area. The blue blazed Tuscarora Trail has been cleared and re-blazed by a PATC volunteer group, and is in much better shape than pictured here. On the return down the orange blazed FS road, which is part of the Massanutten Trail, the hiking is almost a gentle walk. To begin backtrack down the orange blazed FS road you just drove up passing the purple blazed Mudhole Gap Trail in 100 yards where it enters from the left, then in 0.4 miles the orange blazed Massanutten Trail will turn right off the FS road and begin its ascent up Three Top Mountain. Follow the orange blazed trail as it ascends the mountain and in 0.5 miles reach the intersection of the blue blazed Tuscarora Trail that enters from the right. The orange blazed Massanutten Trail and blue blazed Tuscarora Trail will join and continue straight.
    [Show full text]
  • Citizens Task Force on National Forest Management 2428 Guilford Avenue Roanoke Virginia 24015
    Citizens Task Force on National Forest Management 2428 Guilford Avenue Roanoke Virginia 24015 March 11, 2010 Maureen Hyzer, Supervisor George Washington & Jefferson National Forests 5162 Valleypointe Parkway Roanoke, VA 24019 Re: COMMENTS ON GWNF DRAFT ISSUES Dear Forest Supervisor Hyzer: The Citizens Task Force on National Forest Management has the following preliminary comments responding to the Notice of Intent to revise the George Washington National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan which appeared in the Federal Register on March 10, 2010. We will provide more detailed comments later, but we believe it is important to bring to your attention at an early date some serious deficiency with the process you are following in revising the GWNF plan. As we note below, the appropriate remedy at this time is to withdraw the March 10 NOI and reissued it to focus only on scoping for public issues and give the dates for public meeting. The NOI says we should comment on documents that are contained on the GWNF web site. A cursory count shows 37 new documents for the public to review, plus scores of old documents---the exact number is irrelevant. Documents such as the draft plan components/proposed actions, alternatives, need for change/analysis of management situation, climate change discussion, and potential wilderness/roadless area evaluations should be reviewed by the public in the draft EIS/plan stage, after analysis has been conducted under the planning process set up under the 1982 regulations. The purpose of a NOI is to begin the scoping process for the public and to notice the public about scoping meetings.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Outdoor Recreation
    GUIDE TO OUTDOOR RECREATION front cover PLAN YOUR ADRENALINE RUSH VisitShenandoahCounty.com WELCOME The Shenandoah Valley is as beautiful as its name has invoked for centuries. Its beauty has been written about in folklore, it is endlessly the subject of paintings and photography. Its mountains span the western border of Virginia and its lazy river meanders with no hurry as it bends and winds along the edge of the western face of the Blue Ridge. Travelers looking for a place where natural beauty is abundant Plan Your Adrenaline Rush . 4 and wildlife is accessible to the naked eye do not need to go further than just 90 miles west of Washington DC. In Hiking, Biking & Horseback Riding . 6 Shenandoah County, visitors are welcome to experience the outdoors at their own pace whether it is a leisurely stroll on an Camping . 12 easy trail to see birds and wildflowers, or an adrenaline rush jumping from an airplane to see the valley from 12,000 feet. Public River Access . 16 Shenandoah County is an outdoor lover’s dream on land, Fishing, Hunting, & Bird Watching . 20 water or in the air. Here you can tackle 178 miles of trails throughout George Washington National Forest on foot, on Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trails . 24. horseback, or mountain bike; you can kayak, float or fish on . 28 the North Fork of the Shenandoah River; cruise the scenic Aerial Sports backroads on a motorcycle or on a bicycle; see the beautiful Golf & Disc Golf . 30 views from the top of a mountain ski lift, or the basket of a hot air balloon; enjoy four seasons of fun on the slopes of Bryce Winter Sports at Bryce Resort .
    [Show full text]
  • Historic Architectural Survey of Rockingham County, Virginia
    HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA Mannheim (082-0005) FINAL REPORT Prepared by E.H.T. Traceries, Inc. for The Virginia Department of Historic Resources and Rockingham County, Virginia Department of Planning RFP No. 1999/2000-09 December 2000 HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA Final Report Prepared by E.H.T. Traceries, Inc. for The Virginia Department of Historic Resources and Rockingham County, Virginia Department of Planning RFP No. 1999/2000-09 (Contact: William L. Vaughn and Rhonda G. Henderson, Department of Planning 540/564-3030) December 2000 Architectural Survey Report of Rockingham County, Virginia E.H.T. Traceries, Inc., December 2000 Page ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................................ vi INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ vi MAPS ........................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Insidersecretstoexploringcentra
    Brought to you by Cabin Creekwood, Your “Truly Restful Getaway” in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Featuring nine unique cabins, From one to 3 bedrooms, Located near Waynesboro, Staunton, Sherando Lake, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. For more information, visit www.cabincreekwood.com or call (540) 943-8552. 2 © All Rights Reserved Favorite Restaurants • Ming Garden--Chinese o The Ming Garden Chinese restaurant is truly an unexpected delight in downtown Waynesboro. You'd never know, from the outside, what a delightful dining experience awaits. Bring your appetite, as this buffet is quite the spread. The Ming Garden is located in Waynesboro at 245 Arch Avenue. 540-942-8800. • Mrs. Rowes Family Restaurant o Located in Staunton, Rowes Family Restaurant has really good southern home cooking In fact, they’ve been named one of the top 7 breakfasts in the South by Southern Living magazine. Breakfast is not all they serve. There is a wide variety of dishes on their lunch and dinner menu, all at reasonable prices. Bread, biscuits, pies, cookies, cinnamon and pecan sticky buns are all baked fresh daily to Mrs. Rowe’s own recipes. 540-886-1833 http://www.mrsrowes.com • Devil’s Backbone Brewery & Restaurant o Built in the style of a Colorado Rockies lodge, the Devil’s Backbone Brewery & Restaurant is one of the higher end restaurants in the area. Menu choices are a little on the pricey side, but this is still a favorite of both locals and visitors. You’ll never go hungry with their portions, and the food is cooked to perfection.
    [Show full text]
  • Meneka Peak - Front Royal, Virginia
    Meneka Peak - Front Royal, Virginia Length Difficulty Streams Views Solitude Camping 8.6 mls Hiking Time: 4.5 hours with a half hour for lunch Elev. Gain: 2,075 ft The Meneka Peak hike in the Front Royal area of the George Washington National Forest is an abbreviated version of the Signal Knob hike. This saves about 2 miles and the 900ft second incline back up from the other other side of the ridge. The hike starts from the right hand side of the Signal Knob parking area and is marked by both yellow (Signal Knob Trail) and Orange (Massanutten Trail) blazes. Start uphill on the yellow/ orange blazed trail as it shortly passes a old stone house on your left and curves to the right around the mountain for 1.5 miles until arriving at Buzzard Rock Overlook. The trail will take a hairpin turn back to the south then in 0.7 miles turns back to the north again following a ridge and passing a couple of great camp sites before meeting the intersection of the white blazed Meneka Peak trail that enters from the left 1.1 miles further. Turn left on the Meneka Peak Trail as it continues uphill on the ridge crossing over the high point of your hike in 0.4 miles then gradually sloping down until reaching the intersection of the blue blazed Tuscarora Trail in 0.8 miles from the peak. Turn left downhill on the blue blazed trail as it winds back and forth through the Bear Wallow area and passing the pink blazed Sidewinder Trail on your right in 1.7 miles.
    [Show full text]