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2007 Tour de Cut events
Normally a once-a-year event, we will be conducting three
Tours this year, in order to educate people about the theme, “Inspiring
A Long Term Vision - the New George Washington National Forest
(GWNF) Plan” (see below).
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Little River Roadless Area
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(c)Sherman Bamford, 2007
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The annual Tour de Cut is a
hiking event highlighting the threats (logging, roadbuilding,
etc.) to our Virginia National Forests and the amazing beauty of
some of the more pristine locations of the Forest. It is a great
opportunity to learn more about the GWNF and to meet other
concerned citizens.
We are already off to a great start. About 15 citizens joined us
for the first Tour de Cut on May 20, 2007. We
visited the site of Sours Supin, a 243 acre even-aged timber
sale.
The day’s events included a drive by the site of the
proposed Big Run timber sale and a hike on the Little River
Trail, in the heart of the 27,000 acre Little River Roadless
Area.
The second Tour de Cut was on July 14
and 15th. It took place on the northern portion of the
George Washington National Forest, close to northern Virginia,
Washington DC, Winchester, and Harrisonburg. We hiked the
Vances Cove Trail and portions of the long-distance Tuscarora
Trail in the Great North Mountain Virginia Mountain Treasure
area, just outside of Big Schloss Roadless Area.
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Forest Service logging over stream and riparian area,
Paddy timber sale, from July 2007 Tour de Cut hike
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(c)Sherman Bamford, 2007
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The 36,526 acre
Big Schloss RARE II area in the GWNF was once the third largest
roadless area on national forests. The area is part of a cluster
of wild backcountry areas encompassing 71,000 acres – to be
featured in the soon to be released book: “Virginia’s
Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wildlands of the George
Washington National Forest,” (The Wilderness Society et
al.). Great North Mountain and other unroaded Virginia Mountain
Treasure areas may not receive the protection they deserve unless
citizens speak out for them.
October 6 Tour de Cut hike
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On October 6, we are planning a Tour de Cut hike in the
Alleghany Highlands, a beautiful area in mountainous Virginia’s
famed warm springs and resorts region. The Tour de Cut is a
hiking event highlighting the threats on our Virginia public
lands and the outstanding features on these lands. The theme of
the Tour de Cut this year is "The George Washington National
Forest: Protecting the Forest in Your Backyard." It is a
great opportunity to learn more about the George Washington
National Forest (GWNF) and to learn how you can personally make a
difference in protecting the GWNF. This is the last
of 3 special hiking events this year celebrating the GWNF so
don’t miss out on our fall hike!
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View - Village of Warm Springs from White Rocks, Warm Springs Mountain
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(c)Sherman Bamford
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The 1.1 million acre GWNF contains significant backcountry areas,
wildlife habitat, and water resources that are unrivaled among
eastern national forests. The GWNF
plan revision, setting the direction for the Forest for the
next 15 years, was begun in February, 2007 and is expected to
continue until 2009 or 2010. Already, initial drafts of the plan
give the Forest Service much more leeway to log, build roads, and
develop minerals on public lands and fail to protect special
places that the public would like to see protected, like
citizen-identified “Virginia Mountain Treasure” areas
and Virginia Natural Heritage Program-identified habitats. See http://virginia.sierraclub.org/
(go to “Protect the George Washington National Forest”)
and http://www.forestsforthefuture.org/
for more information.
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View - Warm Springs Mountain Virginia Mountain Treasure area and
Warm Springs Mtn Nature Conservancy Preserve from White Rocks
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(c)Sherman Bamford
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We have already visited some great places during 2007’s Tour
de Cut season. In May we hiked in Little River Roadless Area and
in July we hiked on the Tuscarora Trail in the Lee Ranger
District.
Our fall hike will feature a morning walk to Hoover Creek, a
centuries-old forest in Alleghany County that was partially
logged by the Forest Service a few years ago, or another recently
logged tract. We will break for lunch (please bring your own).
Then, in the afternoon, we will hike in the vicinity of the 7,800
acre Warm Springs Mountain area, a highly scenic Virginia
Mountain Treasure Area abounding with old growth, trails, and
important rare fisheries habitat.
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Piney Mountain Trail, Warm Springs Mountain
Virginia Mountain Treasure area
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(c)Sherman Bamford
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Meeting Time: 9:30AM
Meeting Location: From I-64, take Exit 55
(Lexington, Va.). Go north on Rt. 11, North Lee Highway (away
from Lexington). We will meet at the parking lot in front of the
Dollar Tree store along US 11, located just beyond the turn-off
to US 39.
Let us know if you are interested or have questions. Contact
Sherman Bamford at (540) 343-6359, bamford2@verizon.net, and
watch the Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter website for updates.
People with a wide range of hiking skills can participate in
these events, but there will be some short steep or rough
sections. Most of the hike is classified as moderately strenuous,
with some short strenuous sections. As always, bring
sturdy boots, water, food for lunch, and rain gear.
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Little Allegheny Roadless Area, in the Alleghany Highlands region
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(c)Sherman Bamford
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