Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 1, 1995 TAG: 9505020029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After researching nearly every foot of the 843 miles of trails in six states the book covers, author Karen-Lee Ryan said she hears a familiar question.
"Many people will say, 'OK, you have toured all of these trails. What are your favorites?' I have said over and over, the New River Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail, in part, because they are in such a beautiful section of Virginia that I had never seen before."
Ryan, who lives in Northern Virginia, is a staff member of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, which published the 281-page book in cooperation with the Saturn Corp. The conservancy was formed in 1986 to provide a national voice for turning abandoned railroad corridors into trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Rail-trails offer a new perspective for hikers who have grown up around the Appalachian Trail, a famous pathway that visits the lowland flats just long enough to make a leap toward the next peak. They prove that hiking doesn't have to be synonymous with lofty climbs.
"The railroads were able to carve through a lot of that," said Ryan. "So anybody can use them, from young children to older folk to people in wheelchairs, people on bikes, people riding horseback. They aren't limited to people who can put a backpack on and hike the AT."
At the same time, they are laced with history and scenery and even remoteness, she said. That's especially true of the 55-mile New River Trail State Park, which follows the river from Pulaski to Galax with a spur to Fries, and the 34-mile Virginia Creeper National Recreational Trail from White Top to Abingdon.
Mountain bikes are an ideal way to enjoy rail-trails, said Ryan, who used one during most of her research.
The book is designed to assist users of the trails by providing maps, access points and other data, such as the easiest direction to travel.
That's important for the Virginia Creeper Trail, which has up to a 6 percent grade.
"When I was there, the mountain laurel was in full bloom," Ryan said. "It was beautiful. A mountain stream parallels part of the trail. I think there are 50 bridges. The setting is like being in the middle of nowhere, yet not very far from civilization."
Among the key memories of the New River Trail for Ryan was the tunnels.
"One of which is curved so it is extremely dark. The couple of days I was on the New River, it was about 85 degrees and in the tunnel it might have been 50. There was this dark, cool air in there and it was a neat experience. It was a huge opening and you kind of picture a train coming out of it as you bike into it."
The book can be purchased by calling 1-800-888-7747, extension 11. The price is $14.95, plus $4 for shipping.
by CNB