Hike the Fiedale Trail with Friends

Or Canoe to Collect Mistletoe

DRBA will conclude the year's First Saturday Outings with a December 5 hike on the Fieldale Trail in Fieldale, VA, led by members of Friends of the Fieldale Trail. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Fieldale Park, the out-and-back hike can total 6 miles, but hikers may choose to walk shorter distances. The entire trail is flat and easy to walk.
Boaters may wish instead to join other paddle clubs in the 27th annual Sprig Outing to collect holiday greenery in the swamp of the Upper Little River near Lillington, NC. Details are at http://www.danriver.org/ .

Described by its Friends as "a golden opportunity to see Mother Nature up close and personal right in our own backyard," the Fieldale Trail hugs the bank of the Smith River. The graveled upper section winds through woods and open fields to the trailhead at the Fieldale Canoe Access, where a restroom is available. From there, the natural-surface lower section enters the riverside forest and skirts rhododendron bluffs alongside the river to its downstream terminus. Towering sycamore trees shelter the trail, and gravel bars and rock formations in the streambed give voice to the river.

Envisioned at a 2005 planning retreat of DRBA's affiliate, the Rivers & Trails Group, the Fieldale Trail is the ongoing project of DRBA and many partners. A special feature of the trail is a 54-foot section salvaged from the landmark 1931 Fieldale Iron Bridge and being installed as trail art, thanks to dozens of donors and generous corporate gifts of time and materials. Paula Wyatt, trip coordinator, and Jennifer Doss, DRBA's Rivers & Trails Project Manager, will bring hikers up to date on plans for the bridge section and future plans for the trail.

Please meet at 10:00 a.m. at Fieldale Park, 188 Field Avenue, at the intersection of Field Avenue and South River Road (GPS coordinates: North 36.42, 076 West 56.021, 079). Bring lunch and water, wear comfortable shoes or hiking boots, dress in layers of water-shedding artificial fabric or wool, and be prepared for rain or wind. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver form.

Directions: From US 220 take the VA 609 exit towards Fieldale. Turn right at Dillon's Fork Road, continue on Virginia Avenue, continue on Patrick Avenue, turn right at Field Avenue. Turn right at South River Road, and immediately turn right into the parking lot of the Fieldale Park.

More information: Paula Wyatt, 276-647-3274 or pwyatt1@embarqmail.com.

Film Festival Replay Held at Philpott Lake

Several audience members pose for a photo
overlooking Philpott Dam after the show.

Saturday was a beautiful day and more than a dozen people gathered at the Philpott Lake Visitor's Center to see a second showing of the Smith River Film Festival. This series of short films was originally played at the Rives Theater in Uptown Martinsville during Labor Day Weekend.  Watching the films enticed several audience members to learn to paddle and showed others the rich beauty found within the Smith River Valley. Everyone agreed that the films were great and the scenic view of Philpott Lake was well worth the drive!

The Second Annual Smith River Film Festival will be held on September 3rd, 2010. Mark your calendars and start filming your outdoor adventures today. Your short film just might be the next winner! 

The Perfect Holiday Gift Idea

The holidays are just around the corner and if you are searching for the perfect gift, consider giving the person you love a plaque to be placed on the Historic Fieldale Iron Bridge. Plaques start at just $100 each, and will be prominately displayed along the trusses in Fieldale Park. The donation is tax-deductible and your gift will help protect a piece of local history.  To learn more about purchasing a plaque, contact jdoss@danriver.org.  As of today we are at 87% of our fundraising goal; only $1,500 is needed to complete the project.

Purchase a plaque for someone special in your life like these individuals did...

In Honor of

Noel & Dovie Adams
by Barbara Purcell

In Honor of

Fieldale Baptist Church, Est. 1919
by the congregation

In Honor of my Mommy and Daddy

"We fished the Smith River in 2009."

by Jeremiah Keith Bullard

In Loving Memory of Jean Clarke Fuller
Fieldale High School Teacher & Friend
by Elva Adkins Adams

“Mrs. Fuller taught for many years at Fieldale High School.
She had no children of her own and I think we were her adopted
family. She coached the girls basketball team with great enthusiasm.
She was a great friend and she also knew how to pose for a great picture!”