Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 29, 1993 TAG: 9311300359
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Cochran
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With the leaves gone and - hopefully - a little more flow in the streams, December is an excellent month to view the beauty of waterfalls. The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club has scheduled two ``waterfalls'' hikes Sunday. One is Balcony Falls, where the James River makes its most gallant leap before heading into the Piedmont. The other is the Apple Orchard Falls, a scenic piece of water in the Jefferson National Forest down the ridge from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Balcony Falls trip starts at 9 a.m. and covers an eight-mile course that is rated moderate. The leaders are Mary Stewart, 342-1782, and Dick Clark, 989-7053.
The Apple Orchard Falls trip begins at 1 p.m., is seven miles in length and rated moderate. The leaders are Jill Rosekrans, 362-3287, and Anne Hanna, 703- 965-3521.
\ How to manage your forest
11 If you want to play a role in managing the Jefferson National Forest, you'll get the chance Dec. 11 during the agency's seventh annual Public Involvement Conference at Virginia Tech. The theme this year is ``Jefferson National Forest into the Next Century.'' The emphasis will be on the Forest Plan Revision, with forest officials attempting to involve as many individuals, groups and organizations as possible.
Forest Supervisor Joy Berg also will take a look at the past year and offer expectations for the upcoming year. There will be reports from ranger districts on upcoming projects. Berg promises plenty of time for questions, and even one- on-one discussions.
Registration begins 8 a.m. with the program set for 9 to 5. It will be held in Litton-Reaves Hall. If you need additional information, the forest headquarters phone number in Roanoke is 265-6054.
Time to head for the slopes
12 The Roanoke Ski Club has more than a dozen trips planned to resorts in Virginia and West Virginia, and even a couple out West, to Ski the Summit in Colorado and Lake Tahoe. The first is a Dec. 12 trip to Snowshoe/Silvercreek. The cost is $40, the leader Jill Rosekrans, 362-3287.
Other trips set for December include a Dec. 18 outing at Snowshoe/Silvercreek, $50, Chris Miller, 563-9268; and a Dec. 30 outing to The Homestead for night skiing. That one costs $30 and the leader is Frank Cook, 989-5940. Other destinations for club trips include Winterplace, Canaan Valley, Wintergreen and Massanutten.
\ Taking aim at Christmas joy
12 The Sherwood Archers Club doesn't schedule many shoots this time of the year. Most members are busy bowhunting. But on Dec. 12 members will come out of the woods and into the club's indoor range near Hanging Rock for one of the most important shoots of the season. It is the annual Toys for Tots match. The entry fee is an unwrapped toy, which will be donated to a needy youngster. The shoot starts at 1 p.m.
``We normally have 30 to 40 shooters, but we would like to have more,'' said Steve Smith the club's vice president. For additional information, contact Smith at 345-4945.
\ Christmas wrapped in silver
15 The hot dry weather, coupled with a mild fall, has delayed the late season striped bass fishing at Smith Mountain Lake. Guide Dale Wilson predicts that the peak action might not occur until mid-December. When it does, Wilson said, anglers can expect two to three weeks of excellent sport.
Some of the best late-season fishing traditionally occurs in the upper reaches of the lake. The fishing can be the hottest when the water temperature hit 50 to 55 degrees
\ Partridge in a pear tree
18 Birders in the Roanoke Valley, and across the continent, will be out for the annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count, the premier birding event of the year. The Roanoke Valley Bird Club has scheduled three events: The Roanoke count, Dec. 18; the Fincastle count, Dec. 19; and the Peaks of Otter count, Dec. 21. Additional information is available from Peggy Spiegel, at For the Birds, 345-9393.
The Christmas count provides fun and fellowship for birders who delight in honing their bird identification skills, but it also has a serious side. Ornithologists use it to make a spot check on bird populations.
by CNB