FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRONT ROYAL/WARREN COUNTY APPALACHIAN
TRAIL COMMUNITY™ AWARDS FIRST QUESTING PRIZES
Front Royal, VA/July 30, 2012 –
Over the
July 21 weekend, two teams of Questers were awarded the first of 200 specially
designed patches for completing all five of Warren County’s
inaugural Quests. Quests are community-designed
treasure hunts that teach people about local history and special places. A program of the Front Royal/Warren County Appalachian Trail Community™
Steering Committee, Questing was launched at the community’s designation day
festival on April 21.
To earn their patches, the Questers purchased Questing passports for one
dollar at the Front Royal/Warren County Visitors Center and downloaded the
Quests from www.discoverfrontroyal.com. To win the patches, Questers completed all five of the qualifying Quests
by finding the hidden treasure box at the end of each walk. As proof of completion, Questers stamp their
passports with the stamps found in each treasure box (and leave their own
unique stamp behind in the log book).
“We’ve
sold more than 150 passports since the program’s launch,” says Gail Criger of
the Visitors Center. “And people are very
enthusiastic about doing the Quests.“
 |
| Alex Ichiuji shows off his passport and badge. |
Five-year-old
Alex Ichiuji, a student at Mountain Laurel Montessori completed the Quests with
his parents Melissa and Doug. When asked
about his favorite, Alex says, “The one where we walked all the way through the woods to
the swimming holes.” (Thompson
Hollow Quest, designed by Girl Scout troop 40333). Alex, who plans to put
his patch on his daypack, adds, “I saw waterbugs and tadpoles!” And the highlight of any hike: bear poop! Alex
also liked the Battle of Front Royal Quest designed by the Warren Heritage
Society: “The big cannon at the Confederate museum was huge! I saw it and said,
‘Whoa!’”
“About the Downtown Architecture Quest designed by Maggie Sill of the Heaven Sent Shoppe for Downtown Front Royal, Melissa Ichiuji adds, “I was amazed to learn so much about the historical buildings right downtown. Structures that I pass everyday are so rich with history.”
“About the Downtown Architecture Quest designed by Maggie Sill of the Heaven Sent Shoppe for Downtown Front Royal, Melissa Ichiuji adds, “I was amazed to learn so much about the historical buildings right downtown. Structures that I pass everyday are so rich with history.”
 |
| Quest designers Nathan, Cindy, and Madison Courtney. |
Cindy
Courtney and her children, Nathan and Madison not only completed the five
Quests but also designed a new one, the Hemlock Hollow Trail Quest at
Shenandoah River Raymond R. “Andy” Guest State Park.
“We’ll be
launching the Courtneys’ quest at RiverFest on August 11,” says Appalachian
Trail Community steering committee member Jennifer Keck, also an event
organizer. “It was just a lucky
coincidence that their Quest is located at Andy Guest, where Riverfest will
take place. The Appalachian Trail Community
Committee will have a booth where people can buy passports and make stamps of
their own.”
By
designing the first new Quest beyond the inaugural five, the Courtneys have
also won a one-night stay at Skyland Lodge in the Shenandoah National Park,
courtesy of ARAMARK and the Front Royal/Warren County Appalachian Trail
Community™ program.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRONT ROYAL/WARREN COUNTY TO CELEBRATE APPALACHIAN
TRAIL COMMUNITY™ DESIGNATION APRIL 21
Front Royal, VA/April 3, 2012 –
Join the
Town of Front Royal and Warren
County, Virginia for a full day of activities
celebrating designation as the nation’s 15th official Appalachian Trail Community™. The day will begin
with a 9:00am 5.5-mile guided hike along the Appalachian
Trail with Tom Johnson, trail historian and former president of the
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which maintains 240 miles of the Trail. “All but a half-mile or so is downhill,” he
says. “We’ll visit a shelter, speak with a maintainer working on-site that day,
and enjoy some snacks from the Apple House at the end of our walk. Space is
limited, first come first served.”
From 9:00
to 2:00, a variety of outdoor games and crafts will take place on the Town Square. “Most
of these are designed to teach a skill,” says steering committee member and
thru-hiker Sonja Carlborg. “For example, PRO Physical Therapy will be teaching
people exercises to strengthen knees and hips for injury-free hiking. The
Venture Crew will set up a model campsite with demonstrations on bear-proofing
your food and other camping skills.
They’ll also set up an orienteering course and teach people how to use a
compass. Front Royal Canoe Company will have a variety of boats on hand,
showing people how to paddle a canoe or kayak – and there are lots of other
activities. We’ve been fortunate in
attracting dozens of great partners for this event.”
The Girl
Scouts of Troop 40333 will be teaching visitors about Questing, five
community-developed treasure hunts scheduled to launch that day. “The girls
have been working toward their Silver Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts,”
says Troop co-leader Amanda Shenk. “At their booth, they’ll be helping people
make their own personalized rubber stamps. Questers use these to stamp a log
book when they reach the treasure box, proving they’ve completed the Quest.”
Completing all five inaugural Quests by October 15 will qualify Questers for
one of 200 limited-edition commemorative patches.
“We’ll
also be kicking off a Questing competition on April 21,” says Gail Criger of
the Visitor Center.
“At that point, anyone who wants to can develop a Quest of their own in Warren County
– anyone who wants to share a special place with others. Each competitor will
be responsible for developing clues and a map for their Quest by July 15. Then everyone will be invited to test the
Quests and vote on a winner, to be announced on September 29, Appalachian Trail
Family Hiking Day.”
“In
addition to our Trees Are Cool craft booth, we’ll be leading an 11:00 guided
Quest through the Happy Creek Arboretum,” says Peg Thursland of the Front
Royal/Warren County Tree Stewards. “And at the end, they can celebrate with a
piece of cake for our mascot, Stewart the Squirrel’s birthday.” Virginia
state trainers for Leave No Trace and the Boy Scouts round out the game
leaders.
Guests can picnic on the grass and enjoy the harp and washtub bass
“trekking” music of John Kovac and Jennifer Buff, the Appalachian Duo. Many
local merchants have developed special picnic offerings for the day. At 2:00, a Girl Scout color guard will escort
Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts to her campsite on the Town Square for “Daisy’s
Girls,” a one-hour performance about this charismatic woman. Low will be played
by Betsey Means, a Chicago-based actress with her own company, WomanLore,
dedicated to portraying women who should be better known in history. Following her performance, the Boy Scouts and
Venture Crew will present colors and lead speakers to the Gazebo for the
designation ceremony at 3:30.
Speakers
will include Front Royal Mayor Timothy Darr, Archie Fox, Chairman of the Warren
County Supervisors, National Park Service
Superintendents Pam
Underhill (Appalachian National Scenic
Trail) and Martha Bogle (Shenandoah
National Park), and
Appalachian Trail Conservancy Executive Director Mark Wenger. Local resident Jamie Sullivan hopes to finish
the last few miles of her thru-hike in time to receive her 2000-miler
certificate during the ceremony.
Says
George McIntyre of The Apple House in Linden,
“From the economic
side the designation is a HUGE business and tourism stimulus. From the ‘beauty
of nature side’ it makes us all aware of the very simple things around us and
how grateful we are to have this wonderful resource in our home. From the personal side it makes me SMILE each
time we have a visiting hiker/camper and friend from the forest come for a
visit in our shop. We're lucky!”
About the Appalachian Trail
Community™ Program:
Designation as an
Appalachian Trail Community™ and participation in the program is intended to
- Engage community residents, Trail visitors, and stewards
- Thank communities for their decades of service to hikers and Trail visitors
- Catalyze sustainable economic development around outdoor recreation and tourism
- Aid municipalities and regions with conservation asset mapping and planning
- Promote the Trail as a community resource and asset
To qualify for the
five-year renewable designation, communities are asked to complete two of the
following:
- Form a steering committee
- Host an annual trail project, celebration, or event
- Offer a Trail-related service-learning or educational project
- Include Trail-protective language in land use planning documents, tools, or processes
About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The
Appalachian Trail Conservancy was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal
officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian
Mountains. Traversing 14 states from Maine
to Georgia, the Appalachian
Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world and the
most significant conservation corridor east of the Mississippi
River. Hosting 550 miles, Virginia
is the state with the most trail miles. Approximately 6,800 volunteers donate
more than 220,000 hours a year on trail-related work, and 2 to 3 million
visitors walk a portion of the Trail each year. The ATC mission is to preserve
and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring
that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and
enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. For more information please visit www.appalachiantrail.org.
LOCAL HISTORIAN TO
PRESENT ROLE OF FRONT ROYAL/WARREN COUNTY IN APPALACHIAN
TRAIL HISTORY
Front Royal, VA/March 26, 2012 –
 |
| Tom Johnson |
A backpacker as a boy, Johnson got involved with hiking again during two
years working for the Defense Department in Japan. Upon returning the United States in 1991, he became
involved with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), serving as that
organization’s president or vice president for 12 years. One of 31 volunteer
trail clubs that maintain the 2,185-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the
6,700-member PATC oversees maintenance of 240 miles, from Waynesboro
to Pine Grove
Furnace State
Park in Pennsylvania, and numerous
others that lace across Warren
County, including the 80-mile
Massanutten loop and the 250-mile Tuscarora Trail.
Now a member of the Front Royal/Warren County Appalachian Trail
Community™ steering committee, Johnson has been researching the Trail’s history
for a possible future book. “The idea
for the trail came from Benton MacKaye (rhymes
with ‘sky’), a New Englander, and, at that time, there was no connected trail
system south of New York.
Prior to the Appalachian Trail,” he says, “there were a lot of little trails,
like Jeremy’s Run and Hazel
Mountain, mostly loops or
remnants of trans-mountain roads, but no long-distance connections.” Based in New York, where the first section was laid across Bear Mountain, MacKaye co-founded the Appalachian Trail
Conference (now Conservancy) in 1925 to oversee the Trail’s routing and
construction.
Since the Trail’s earliest days of inception, Warren County
has played a critical role in Trail history. It was only when Connecticut
lawyer Myron Avery moved to Washington,
D.C., that the trail project
really took fire. Avery especially
proved to be a dynamo. As first president
of the newly formed PATC, he was first to hike the trail’s entire length as he
drove the project to completion, measuring the distance with his trademark
bicycle-wheel odometer. “Avery also had a hand in forming most of the trail
maintenance clubs south of New York,”
adds Johnson. During the process, Avery
and MacKaye became estranged over the decision to route the new Skyline Drive along
the recently created trail. MacKaye went
on to co-found The Wilderness Society, which successfully blocked a similar
parkway running along the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
where the Appalachian Trail reigns today. The Appalachian Trail Conference then became a
protégé of PATC until it moved to Harpers Ferry
in the 1970s.
Three PATC lawyers spearheaded the drive to pass the National Trails Act,
which was achieved in 1968. The Act
federalized the Appalachian Trail, now a unit
of the National Park Service, and laid the groundwork for major land
acquisition, which would permanently protect the corridor. “They wanted the Act to pass largely because
of what was happening right here in Northern Virginia.
Reacting to rumors of federalization, private
landowners, primarily weekend residents with properties between Snickers Gap
and Manassas Gap, closed a 27-mile stretch of the trail by 1973. At the time,
National Parks were formed mainly by state contributions of land to the
Department of the Interior. In the case
of the Appalachian Trail, when Virginia
failed to purchase and cede land over the mandated two-year period, the push
for the National Trails Act become acute. The result was that, in most cases,
the trail had to be rerouted and allocations from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund used to acquire the right-of-way. But in some areas, land was condemned and
landowner relations were strained. One
of these parcels, the Ovoka Tract, up near Sky Meadows
State Park, was acquired
only recently, at a steep price.”
But the Trail had major supporters in the area as well. In Warren
County, PATC received a
generous donation of land from Mary Keyser who owned about 2000 acres on High
Knob, where Johnson lives today. “PATC
volunteers harvested her apple crop for her during World War II, when labor was
scarce. Out of gratitude, she deeded a
significant parcel of land to PATC for the Trail.”
For those who wish to experience the Trail firsthand, shuttles will leave
from the Gazebo on Main Street
in Front Royal at 9:00am on April 21 for a 5.5-mile walk from the Compton Peak parking area to Route 522. “The route is mostly downhill,” says Johnson,
“and passes many places of natural and historical interest, including the
Possum’s Rest overlook and Tom Floyd shelter.” George McIntyre, Apple House proprietor and
father of a 2010 thru-hiker, will reward hikers with a snack at the finish
line.
And for
more about the “people’s path,” Tom Johnson’s presentation will take place at
6:30pm on April 12 at Samuels Public Library, 330 E Criser Road in Front Royal.
FRONT ROYAL/WARREN
COUNTY LAUNCHES APPALACHIAN TRAIL COMMUNITY™
QUESTS
Front Royal, VA/March 12, 2012 –
Be careful as I’m armed with thorns,
White blossoms show on springtime
morns
My leaves are lobed in 3’s and 5’s
In fall my foliage comes alive
And also shows bright berries red
I’m named after a president
long-time dead.
Can you find the answer
to Tree Steward Marsha Burd’s clever riddle? On April 21, the Appalachian Trail
Community™ steering committee will launch a series of community treasure hunts,
called Quests, designed by Girl Scout Troop #40333, Heaven Sent Bible,
Book & Gift Shoppe, Tree Stewards of Front
Royal/Warren County, Warren Heritage Society, and steering committee members. You
can find the answer to Marsha’s riddle by checking out the Trees Are Cool booth
at the Front Royal/Warren County’s Appalachian Trail Community™ designation day
celebration at the Village Commons. Just ask for the Happy Creek Arboretum
Quest and you’ll be on your way to the treasure box with a map and a list clues.
Similar to geocaching, and adapted
from the 150-year-old English tradition of “letterboxing,” Questing is a great
way to learn about and celebrate the special places, people, and history that
make our home unique. From11 to 2 on April 21, you are invited to join the Girl
Scouts and steering committee members on the Village Commons in making your own
Questing passports and stamps. Materials
will be supplied. Come with an idea for
a custom logo you can take with you on your Quests. When you’ve figured out all
the clues, you stamp the log book on-site to verify you’ve finished the Quest,
and use the one in the Quest treasure box to stamp your passport. Stamps from all of the inaugural Quests will
earn you a special Appalachian Trail Community patch, redeemable at the Visitor Center.
Don’t worry about doing them all in one day. Each Quest is monitored by community
volunteers and will stay in place until October 15.
Girl
Scouts in Troop #40333 are earning their Silver Award by designing a
Quest along Thompson Hollow Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. As the highest award a Girl Scout
Cadette can earn, the Silver Award requires approximately 50 hours of
commitment to achieve a project that will build partnerships and make an
improvement in the local community. Girl
Scouts participating earning their Silver Award wit the Quest include Maddie
Burke, Macie Clerkley, Savannah McNey, Chloe Shenk, and Kristen Snitchler. As part of their project, the Scouts will
host the passport and stamp-making activities, followed by a 2:00 fireside chat
with Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts (actress Betsey Means of
WomanLore).
Quests
under development include one along the Appalachian Trail,
Questing
Architectural Heritage in the Downtown Front Royal Historic District, the
Happy Creek Arboretum Quest, and a Quest celebrating our community’s history,
by the Warren Heritage Society. And if
you would like to create a Quest to celebrate your favorite walk or place,
you’ll soon have your chance. The
Appalachian Trail Community™ steering committee will be announcing a summer
competition to design new Quests. Everyone will be eligible participate:
groups, individuals, families, businesses.
Rules will be available at the Visitor Center
on designation day.
This year, the Tree Stewards have
decided to join their annual Trees Are Cool celebration, typically held on
Arbor Day, with the designation day festivities. Says
Peg Thursland, chair of the Trees Are Cool event, “We’d been thinking about a
way to partner with another group or event around this celebration. By
partnering with the designation day team, we believe we can reach more kids
with educational games, like the Happy Arboretum Quest, that teach about the
importance of our urban forest and how to respect trees in public places.”
Updates can be obtained by
calling the Front Royal/Warren County Visitor Center at 1-800-338-2576.
FRONT ROYAL/WARREN
COUNTY DESIGNATED AN APPALACHIAN TRAIL COMMUNITY
Front Royal, VA/February 27, 2012 – On April 21, Front
Royal/Warren County will become the newest Appalachian Trail Community™
designated by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Following a full day of family-oriented celebratory
activities, Front Royal Mayor Tim Darr, Chairman Archie Fox of the Warren
County Board of Supervisors, National Park Service superintendents Pam
Underhill and Martha Bogle (Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Shenandoah
National Park respectively), and representatives from the Appalachian Trail
Conservancy will participate in a proclamation-signing at 3:30 on the Village
Commons in historic downtown Front Royal.
This effort has been led by a steering committee composed of community
members from the tourism office, local business, Boy and Girl Scouts, Potomac
Appalachian Trail Club, and other interests.
The
Appalachian Trail Community™ designation is a program
of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the nonprofit responsible for management and
protection of the estimated 2,185-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
Launched in 2010, this program recognizes communities for their part in
promoting awareness of the Appalachian Trail as an important local and national
asset. Front Royal/Warren County’s
designation day will include family activities such as a 5.5-mile guided hike
along the Appalachian Trail by hike leaders from the Potomac Appalachian Trail
Club, outdoor skills-building games on the Village Commons, and the launch of several
Quests, community-based treasure hunts designed by groups ranging from the Girl
Scouts to the Front Royal/Warren County Tree Stewards and Warren Heritage
Society.
At 2:00, actress Betsey
Means of WomanLore will perform Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, founder of the
Girl Scouts of America, in an interactive campfire talk at the Village Commons.
The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year
with an Appalachian Trail “thru-hike in bits
and pieces” from March through October (http://www.gshike.org/). Following the WomanLore performance, local
Boy Scouts have been requested to present an honor guard ceremony.
Designation as an
Appalachian Trail Community™ and participation in the program is intended to
- Engage community residents, Trail visitors, and stewards
- Thank communities for their decades of service to hikers and Trail visitors
- Catalyze sustainable economic development around outdoor recreation and tourism
- Aid municipalities and regions with conservation asset mapping and planning
- Promote the Trail as a community resource and asset
To qualify for the
five-year renewable designation, communities are asked to complete two of the
following:
- Form a steering committee
- Host an annual trail project, celebration, or event
- Offer a Trail-related service-learning or educational project
- Include Trail-protective language in land use planning documents, tools, or processes
“Most people do not
realize that the trail’s originator, Benton MacKaye, never intended the
Appalachian Trail to be a mere footpath, but also a way to build a long linear
community where people could renew body and spirit through outdoor recreation,
education, and volunteer activity,“ says Sonja Carlborg, steering committee
member and consulting grant writer to the Conservancy.
The Appalachian Trail
Conservancy is proud to celebrate communities that are helping to protect
and promote the Appalachian Trail,” states Julie Judkins, Community
Program Manager for the
Appalachian
Trail Conservancy. “These new partnerships will increase local
stewardship of public
lands, support community
initiatives for sustainable economic development and conservation
planning as well as
support healthy lifestyles for community citizens.” Front Royal will join 23 other designated
communities, including Harrisonburg and Waynesboro.
About the AppalachianTrail Conservancy
The
Appalachian Trail Conservancy was founded in 1925 by volunteers and federal
officials working to build a continuous footpath along the Appalachian
Mountains. Traversing 14 states from Maine
to Georgia, the Appalachian
Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world and the
most significant conservation corridor east of the Mississippi
River. Hosting 550 miles, Virginia is the state with the most
trail miles. Approximately 6,800 volunteers donate more than 220,000 hours a
year on trail-related work, and 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the
Trail each year. The ATC mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty
and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and
for centuries to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment