Poe’s Wild and Dreary Hike

OVERVIEW

Let’s go get loopy 7 miles around a forest-lined water reservoir that’s just minutes from UVA, and climb 1100 feet or so while we’re at it.

“The Ragged Mountains. ‘Wild and dreary’ is how Edgar Allan Poe describes the landscape in ‘A Tale of the Ragged Mountains,’ a mystical story allegedly aspired by his jaunts through the countryside while a student at UVA in the 1820s. … In 1885, the city of Charlottesville and UVA constructed the area’s first public water supply at the northern end of this region.”
[ – source: Ragged Mountain Natural Area brochure / trail map, circa 2007]

Fast forward: around 2010 or so, a bunch of city and county officials gave themselves a bunch of wedgies freaking out that city/county residents might not have enough of a drinking water supply in the year 2050 (that was, 40 years into the future). They polarized our community with highly-publicized debates, and ended up spending $36 Million to raise the original dam at very-nearby Ragged Mountain Natural Area, flooding many of its nature trails and more. Yours truly spoke up at one of the pre-build debates and suggested why not instead spend something like just $1 Million of taxpayers’ money to employ plumbers to go to every house and replace water-guzzling shower heads, install faucet aerators, and repair or replace leaky toilets with water-saving ones. And then spend the rest of those Millions of dollars housing and feeding the homeless and helping them get back on their feet. Or some other helpful and worthy project. Alas, they decided to spend 36 Million to enable everyone in our community to waste much more water. Now you can see the water that’s ready to be wasted, when you go for a westward roll on the six fo (64), off to the right very shortly after leaving Cville. At least their plan included building new trails so we don’t have to scuba-dive to complete the original loop around the reservoir.

Anyhoo, that’s the past, let’s go see what this trail system has to offer us now. There will be ups and downs, jaunts through forest to shoreline views and then back into the forest. We’ll get to check out and walk over a floating bridge, and maybe even walk on the new dam itself.

The most relaxed-pace hiker (the caboose) will carry one walkie-talkie while hiking at minimum pace 3 out of 5; I’ll carry the other walkie while hiking at pace 3.5 or 4 (out of 5). Those of you who have hiked with me before: same pace.

This adventure starts out with everyone waitlisted, and then as drivers sign up, folks will get off the wait list.

WITHDRAW/CANCEL-PARTICIPATION DEADLINE is the same as the posted signup deadline for every club adventure unless otherwise noted. If you are on the wait list and make other plans, please withdraw ONLINE (otherwise if you get off the wait list last-minute and don’t show up, and someone else could have gone in your spot, that’s a problem).

Drivers needed and greatly appreciated (a whopping 6 miles round trip). That’s about 50 cents in gas. Out of my personal bank roll, I will double that and personally thank each driver with a full George Washington.

Wear non-cotton clothes, and pack: __ multiple layers of clothes to put on / peel off as needed, __ 2 L water, __ snacks, __ meds, __ extra corrective lenses if applicable, __ rain gear, __ whistle, __ flashlight / headlamp (not your cellphone light), __ hike poles? __ camera? __ sunscreen and hat? __ sunglasses?
Sorry doggy, no doggies allowed at this preserve.

Meeting / departure location is: on Jefferson Park Avenue (JPA) at the Free Trolley bus stop just before that bus turns right onto Maury Avenue. If you’re on JPA facing Fry’s Spring Station restaurant (which is on the NE corner of JPA and Maury), we’re meeting at the bus stop / grassy area that’s on JPA to the right of that restaurant.

This trip’s leader is a Geo Medic and Wilderness EMT, is the instructor of the Wilderness First Aid & CPR courses posted in the club, and will be happy to help anyone in need.

~ father shred