Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 24, 1994                   TAG: 9410280001
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

AUTUMN HIKERS PUT THE SQUEEZE ON TRAILS

That's where you have to find a place to park your car and then scurry across busy Virginia 311, where vehicles pop up out of the valley like dolphins clearing a wave.

It is a dangerous spot, of concern for a number of years to both the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Club members aren't certain how many hikers are attracted to the Knob annually. A bear ate most of the mechanical counter erected to make that tally, said Dr. Bill Gordge, a club counselor. The best estimate is that 5,000 hikers a year climb to this Silurian sandstone outcropping which gives them the best seat in the house of scenic Catawba Valley and beyond.

Most come in October, when a bright sun and blue sky illuminate the streaks and splashes of autumn color, and cooler breezes sing in the hemlocks and pines.

"That is the big time," said Gordge. "But there is a little bit that goes on all the time."

A recent sunny Sunday attracted nearly 100 cars to a parking lot designed for about 30. The overflow spilled out onto 311.

"There are some real safety concerns up there," said Gordge. "Everybody is worried about it."

For a time, officials studied the idea of constructing a parking lot down the mountain, on the Roanoke Valley side, with an access trail leading to the AT.

"It just didn't work out," said Gordge.

Now, plans call for VDOT to widen 311 atop the mountain, providing a left turn lane for ease of getting into the trail parking lot and affording a clearer view for traffic coming up the mountain. Beyond that project, which is expected to begin after the first of the year, plans call for enlarging the parking lot.

"There will be a turning lane put in there and the sight distance enhanced so there is a little more safety for cars turning and hikers crossing the road," said Hal Cantrill, the land management supervisor for the Roanoke club.

The funds, $170,000, will come from the National Park Service, with the work under the direction of VDOT.

Fill from the highway widening will be pushed to the side for use to enlarge the parking lot, Cantrill said.

"It probably will be doubled," he said. "That has not been formally released to do. That is future."

McAfee Knob isn't the only spot where hikers confront congested parking and potential harm from vehicles. Shenandoah National Park officials are requesting the assistance of visitors to Old Rag Mountain, to deal with what officials say is overcrowding, noise, traffic, trash, illegal camping and trespassing on private property.

Old Rag, located on the east side of the park in Madison County, long has been a popular hiking destination, attracting around 100,000 visitors annually. More than 75 percent of them enter the park from Weakley Hollow on Virginia 600.

On October weekends, hikers often have a long wait to climb through some of the narrow passages of Ridge Trail because there are so many people.

"Traffic jams and congested parking in the area result in potential hazards to hikers, residents and their vehicles," said Ginny Rousseau, a park official. "This situation can impede emergency traffic."

Park officials have met with neighbors in Weakley Hollow, put up new signs, increased patrols and encouraged visitors to use an overflow parking lot, said Rousseau. Officials also are encouraging visitors to explore lesser-used areas of the park.

"There are over 500 miles of trails in Shenandoah, many ofwhich provide a genuine wilderness experience," said Rousseau. Recommendation areas to explore include Hazel Country and the Big Run Portal.

While the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club doesn't have a major campaign under way to get McAfee Knob visitors to switch to other trails, it does publish a weekend hiking schedule that explores less-known sections of the AT, said Gordge. In addition, Gordge is working on a midweek hiking schedule to provide outings other than on busy weekends.

"The place is empty then," he said.