Dressing Properly for Cold Weather

The Blue Ridge Ski and Outing Club will hold a membership meeting on Tuesday, January 13 at the Collinsville Bistro. Dinner will begin at 6:30 and special guest Aaron Daniel will discuss the importance of proper cold weather gear. Daniel is a PSIA certified level 2 (of 3) ski instructor with 12 years of instructing experience and worked in ski retail shops as a custom boot fitter for 20 years. According to Becky Hale, BRSOC President, “this is a great opportunity for those interested in skiing to come and see what our club is all about. And, it’s not just about skiing; we have all kinds of outdoor events planned and our socials give an opportunity for newcomers to meet new people.”

The Blue Ridge Ski & Outing Club started in 1979 as a non-profit organization to introduce non-skiers to active winter sports, promote safety, and provide members with ski trips at a low cost. There are a total of 180 members in the club throughout North America, and the activities have expanded to include many popular outdoor, and some indoor, group adventures and socials. For more information about BRSOC visit our website at www.BRSOC.org.

Strolling on...

The second season of Tuesday Morning Strolls kicked off this morning at Liberty Fair Mall with a group of 11 participants coming out to walk. The first walk was led by Melissa Puckett of Henry County Parks & Recreation (HCPR) and Vicky Thomas of the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA).

Upon signing in, the participants learned about the health benefits of walking from Melissa and then took a 50-minute long easy-paced walk around the mall. After completing the walk, each participant was given a punch card to register for a prize drawing on June 2nd.

Bill Mitchell of Martinsville enjoyed the walk and noted that "we have some great area trails". The Tuesday Morning Stroll program is being held indoors during the cold winter months to encourage all fitness levels to participate. Once the weather warms up in March the program will hit the trails and begin outdoor walks at locations throughout Martinsville & Henry County, including Mr. Mitchell's favorite trails at the Gravely Nature Preserve in Ridgeway.

The next Stroll will be held on February 3rd at the Martinsville YMCA. The walk leader will be Jeannie Frisco of Activate Martinsville-Henry County. If you missed the walk today, it's not too late to catch up! Everyone who participates in 4 of the 6 Strolls offered by June 2nd will be entered into a prize drawing.

The Tuesday Morning Strolls Program is presented through a partnership of the Dan River Basin Association, Henry County Parks & Recreation, Activate Martinsville-Henry County, and the Martinsville YMCA. For more information on the program, contact 276-634-2545.

TRAIL BUILDING - Jamison Mill - January 10, 2009

This coming month, the monthly Jamison Mill Trail Building session will be held on the SECOND Saturday instead of the first one due to New Years. It is Saturday, January 10th. This time we need to have a nice sized crew so we can try to finish the new front trail to the parking lot within the next two outings. Also, we would really like to have some of our earlier volunteers come on out like in the beginning - one year ago.

Please wear appropriate clothing for the colder weather.

For more information, please contact Jim Frith at jim@frithconstruction.com

Article submitted by Jim Frith
Posted and edited by Vicky Thomas

HELP THE SMITH RIVER!

Join Gateway Streetscape Foundation

FOR A WINTER SMITH RIVER
CLEAN-UP ON SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 7, 2009
1:00 P.M. UNTIL 5:00 P.M.
MEET AT THE FISHER FARM PARK
SHELTER IN RIDGEWAY
*** Note new location

Following The River Clean-Up, Join Us For
Hot Chocolate and Snacks

** In case of inclement weather makeup date
will be February 21, 2009 1p.m. - 5p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT GATEWAY STREETSCAPE FOUNDATION, INC.
(276) 634-4674 or 634-4622 (8:00 A.M. UNTIL 5:00 P.M.)

Article and photo contributed by Lois Christensen
Edited and posted by Vicky Thomas

Bicycling: For Fun, Fuel Efficiency, and Family

Do you enjoy your commute to work in the morning? Randy Daily of Collinsville does! Mr. Daily is a physical therapist that rides his bicycle to and from work each day. Visiting clients in their homes, he rides an average of twenty miles per day. I recently met Mr. Daily, and his daughter Liliana, on a chilly December day to talk about the benefits and difficulties of cycling in Martinsville and Henry County.

Mr. Daily rode bikes most of his childhood but really became a serious rider when he decided to ride from Roanoke, Virginia to the west coast with friends in the 1980s. After the 75-day trip he was hooked! It led him to a new hobby full of weekend bike rides, long distance rides, and bike races.

After getting married and having a family of four children, Mr. Daily saw that he no longer had as much time for long rides and training for races meant spending less time with his family. He opted to trade in his racing bike for a more family friendly model and taught the kids to ride bikes too. Now 7-year old daughter Liliana is his main sidekick and wants to ride everywhere that dad does. She has a tag-along seat that attaches on the rear of her dad's bike so she can ride safely. They noted that motorists are very polite when they see the duo pedaling together and allow them plenty of room. When Mr. Daily is pedaling solo he said it can be a little frighting sometime as the cars do not always give him the proper space required by Virginia law.

When riding on a highway, bicycles are considered a vehicle and must follow traffic signs, signals, lights, and markings just as a car would. According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), "motorists must approach and pass a bicyclist at a reasonable speed at least two feet to the left of the bicyclist."

Groups such as the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) and Activate Martinsville-Henry County are working together to create a network of bike lanes and trails that will provide connectivity for residents and visitors to our area. DRBA is in the process of developing the Smith River Trail System, a 45-mile long series of trails that will follow the Smith River from Philpott Dam to Eden, NC.

This series of proposed trails (shown below in light blue) includes the Fieldale Trail (shown below in green) on River Road in Fieldale, VA. One mile of trail was completed in 2007 thanks to support from the Dominion Foundation and an additional 1.5 miles of trail will open in March 2009. The Smith River Trail System will eventually link to the 4.5 mile long Rail Trail (shown below in red) being constructed by Henry County and allow pedestrians to travel from Fieldale to Uptown Martisnville without ever having to cross a busy street!

Activate plans to connect to these trails with bike lanes (shown at left in dark blue) allowing cyclists to safely maneuver busy roads such as Virginia Avenue, Liberty Street, and Kings Mountain Road. They also have future plans to create bike lanes connecting from Uptown Martinsville to the new Soccer Complex on Irisburg Road.

Together these paths and lanes will lead to a better quality of life, connectivity for non-motorized transportation, and more opportunities for recreation. All factors that will make Martinsville and Henry County a more desirable place to live and visit.

The Daily family loves cycling and go riding together as much as they can. They recommend cycling as a fun family activity for others as well. The following are tips for Safe Bicycling suggested by VDOT.

Be a responsible bicyclist - obey all traffic control devices and use proper hand signals.

Always ride with the flow of traffic.

Dress safely - wear a helmet, wear bright colored clothing, and secure loose pant legs.

Ride defensively - anticipate the actions of other road users and watch for road hazards.

Pass vehicles with extreme care - turning vehicles may not see you.

Be aware of motor vehicle blind spots whether while riding or when stopped at an intersection.

Maximize your visibility at night - wear reflective clothing and apply reflective tape to your bicycle.

Walk your bicycle when you get into traffic situations beyond your cycling abilities.

Park your bicycle so you do not block sidewalks, handicap and building accesses, or emergency drives.

Lock your bicycle - secure both wheels and the frame to a stationary object using a sturdy lock.

More information on bicycle safety can be found by clicking here.

Article and Photos by: Jennifer Doss

DRBA Hike at Tanyard Creek

It was a beautiful day for 44 hikers to enjoy The Dan River Basin Association’s (DRBA's) First Saturday Outing on January 3, 2009 held on a farm in Ruffin, North Carolina. DRBA’s president and trip coordinator, Will Truslow lead the 2 mile hike, exploring the unique geological formations, cascading waterfalls and birch covered ridges of Tanyard Creek. The “puddingstone” conglomerate formation and petrified wood in the streambed have earned the area’s listing as a North Carolina Natural Heritage site.

Paddlers on the Dan River may see igneous dikes and conglomerate formations in the river at such places as Wide Mouth and Tanyard shoals. Both of these shoals are traversed by navigation sluices constructed in the nineteenth century to enable commercial batteaux—long, narrow, flat-bottomed wooden boats—to pass safely through the rapids.


DRBA's First Saturday Outings are free and open to the public. They are held on the first Saturday of each month at various locations throughout the Dan River Basin. Trip locations are anounced one month in advance on DRBA's website.


Article and photos by: Brian Williams
Posted by: Jennifer Doss

Start Off Your New Year on the Right Foot

Now that winter is here, it's no time to hibernate! Get out and get active with Tuesday Morning Strolls.

On the first Tuesday of each month, walk leaders will guide participants on an easy paced walk at various destinations around Martinsville and Henry County.

Participants will receive a punch card to register for a drawing upon the completion of 4 walks by June 2nd and 5 walks by December 1st. Two drawings will be held each time: one for adults and one for seniors.

All walks begin at 9am and last for approximately 45 minutes. There is no charge. Walkers are asked to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Bringing a bottle of water is also recommended.



Why should you walk?
Studies show that taking a 60 minute walk can burn over 200 calories.
Walking with a group is a great way to network & make new friends.
Walking outdoors is an excellent form of stress relief.

2009 Schedule
January 6th- Liberty Fair Mall (meet inside beside Goody's)
February 3rd- Martinsville YMCA (meet at the front lobby)
March 3rd- Fieldale Trail: Phase I (3521 S. River Rd., Fieldale)
April 7th- Fieldale Trail: Phase II (same as above)
May 5th- Uptown Spur Trail (meet at the Gazebo on Lester St.)
June 2nd- Doe Run Park (270 Dupont Rd., Martinsville)- 1st Drawing
July 7th- Gravely Nature Preserve (2525 Eggleston Falls Rd., Ridgeway)
August 4th- Jack Dalton Park (3300 Kings Mountain Rd., Collinsville)
September 1st- Fieldale Trail: Phase I
October 6th- Fieldale Trail: Phase II
November 3rd- Uptown Spur Trail
December 1st- Liberty Fair Mall- 2nd Drawing

For more information or to pre-register, please contact:
Dan River Basin Association 276-634-2545 or
Henry County Parks & Recreation 276-634-4643

Event Sponsors:
Dan River Basin Association
Henry County Parks & Recreation
Martinsville YMCA
Activate Martinsville-Henry County