ERTS Update
Aug 12 2022
New Cairns are popping up all along ERTS
Have some fun and make your own remembrance.
In August 2022 we've been on
three sections of ERTS, Ivydale South, Ivydale North, and
Nottingham Store north passed Strange Creek Church. We can
report there were no trees or mud slides blocking the trail.
Here's our update from what we saw August 1
It appears the State has invested
in some new tools to keep ERTS in better repair. This flaying
mower can be slid to the right side to cut weeds well beyond
the walking surface. You can already see what a difference the
equipment is making. It's nice to have that extra 2 foot of
cut grass on each side... makes seeing snakes much easier too.
Might even help keeping the ticks at bay!
Not sure what to call this new
scraper but it's suppose to smooth out the trail.
Unfortunately with the top coat being so shallow (2 inches or
so), when scraped, all the larger rock base starts poking thru
the smooth covering. When those larger base rocks get exposed,
so goes the smooth ride for bikers.
Our best guess is, around 30 tons
of limestone dust and gravel are piled up behind the old
Ivydale School. Some has already been applied on ERTS.
Whatever that top coat is called, it's working much better
than "crush and run" stuff they tried earlier this Summer.
We checked out the $47,000
outhouse at milepost 45.3, near the Jumping Gut bridge. In
addition to being spotless clean....
There's even toilet paper on the
wall! True they are there for restroom needs, during heavy
rains, they make a welcome shelter. One guy wondered why the
three crapper units were built so far from the rail heads.
Answer: Locals and the homeless would take up residency, call
em home or at the very least, would become party centers every
Saturday night!
For those considering a
bike purchase, how about a tip. Make sure that new ride has
fenders. With horse riders and those pulling wagons, those
road apples splatter everywhere when run over. That
"everywhere" includes your clothes and face without fenders to
deflect the juicy apples.
For those considering the purchase of an e-bike, a couple notes. Even on the flat ERTS ground, you want that motor to be at least 500 watts, the battery to be at least 48 volts with 14 amps of power. With that set up, you should be able to travel at 25 miles on one battery charge.
So far, we know of one bear seen on ERTS this Summer and a whole gaggle of snakes. That little brown, short haired dog seen around the Duck area, he's a bunch of fun and often follows hikers and bikers for miles.
On Aug 12th we noticed several vehicles parked at the Strange Creek / Duck trail head. Plates included one from Maryland and another from Montana. When on that section of the trail, be sure to check out the 100+ year old Nottingham Store. It's one of the few general stores left in the area and is complete with fresh food prepared on the spot and soft serve ice cream.
----For those considering the purchase of an e-bike, a couple notes. Even on the flat ERTS ground, you want that motor to be at least 500 watts, the battery to be at least 48 volts with 14 amps of power. With that set up, you should be able to travel at 25 miles on one battery charge.
So far, we know of one bear seen on ERTS this Summer and a whole gaggle of snakes. That little brown, short haired dog seen around the Duck area, he's a bunch of fun and often follows hikers and bikers for miles.
On Aug 12th we noticed several vehicles parked at the Strange Creek / Duck trail head. Plates included one from Maryland and another from Montana. When on that section of the trail, be sure to check out the 100+ year old Nottingham Store. It's one of the few general stores left in the area and is complete with fresh food prepared on the spot and soft serve ice cream.
Aug 12th ERTS NORTH
Here's a brief on ERTS around the Strange Creek / Duck section. On Aug 12th, the trail hub and parking area was pretty full. One vehicle hailed from Maryland while another sported Montana plates.
Just North of the hub is Nottingham Store where vittles can be purchased. There is seating under an umbrella and more seating in the trail side shade... a great place to enjoy some hot dogs and ice cream.
That section of ERTS, we call it the Northern section, is the nicest, cleanest, quietest, area of the trail. Right beside ERTS is the Strange Creek Church right on the banks of the Elk River.
---
BC&G RR SPUR UPGRADES
The old Cressmont trestle was provided a new surface back in May 2022. That's a good thing.
Since then, the spur line running nearly to Widen, we don't see much in the way of upgrades.
Actually, we haven't seen much in the way of ANY work being done this entire Summer!
Above the old Town of
Swandale, the rails and walking trail were suppose to be
completed in May 2022. That deadline was extended thru June
and then July. Still, you can see the pic just above, that
mushy dirt thang in the foreground is suppose to be the
walking trail but only extends .8 miles instead of 4 miles.
Way over in the tall grass are the railroad tracks.
Mitch DeBoard addressing Clay Town Council August 9 2022
Here's the biggy for this ERTS
update. During the August 9th Town Council meeting,
BDA Chair, FEMA Co-Oordinator, and now ERTS Badge, Mitch
DeBoard was on hand to lend support to raising sewer rates out
the ying yang.
His narrative included the trail and some upbeat ideas for the future.
Like: DeBoard told the assembled, he knows a person willing and considering to invest $500,000 in a steam engine ride for ERTS BC&G RR spur line, 18 miles in length. There is little doubt, a steam engine ride would draw in more visitors than a jitney ride. An alternative to a costly and dangerous steam boiler engine would be a solar powered rail bus on Buffalo Creek.
The lad is interested BUT, there's always a but, he may shy away unless the Town cleans up its act and makes the place presentable. The feller wants to see a hotel, store fronts cleaned and painted, and a restaurant established before he will drop a penny on us.
Can't blame the lad either. Tourists don't want to see trashed out places. You might get em here once but that's it, never a second chance, never a return visit
The Town of Clay, Main Street, is trashed out, run down, and without a place to even buy a cup of coffee. On weekends, there's hardly a store open to suck in tourist dollars. On weekdays, it ain't much better! There's no signs on the trail informing tourists how to get into downtown Clay, not one wooden arrow reading, spend your $$ this way.
And then the dark side came.
Mitch gave strong support on taxing the shirt out of tourists, fine the H out of property owners that don't cut their grass, put the whamy on owners that don't paint their buildings. If that ain't enough, DeBoard said to put an ordinance on or against everything, put Badges on every corner, find a big fat Judge and start raking the loot all in the name of tourism. He didn't really say that last part but that's what he meant.
He told Council, "Grow some balls and make the changes".
Here's the real problem readers.
There hasn't been a new West Virginia State Park set up in decades. No one on the State level and certainly no one locally knows how to get the ball rolling. Without someone with experience in tourism, there are going to be disastrous blunders. We have a real chance to see the place as a tourist hub with a thriving economy. We also have a chance to blow it all down the tube if we're not careful.
We don't have to invent the wheel. That's already been done through out America. We just have to look around and see what is working. Our guess, no one on Town Council, the BDA, County Commission (and on and on) have taken the time to go to West Virginia tourism hubs like Fayetteville, Lewisburg, or Shepherdstown and talk to those leaders. To ask them how they did things.
Other things mentioned while DeBoard had the attention of Town Council included: ERTS will eventually run from Gilmer Station to the Farmer's Market in Charleston; FEMA dollars have all been spent; State Government is footing the bill on completing the BC&G RR repair job; all of ERTS will be purchased by the State in the next month or so; and, the first ERTS marathon and half marathons will be held this year during the 2022 Apple Festival.
AW
His narrative included the trail and some upbeat ideas for the future.
Like: DeBoard told the assembled, he knows a person willing and considering to invest $500,000 in a steam engine ride for ERTS BC&G RR spur line, 18 miles in length. There is little doubt, a steam engine ride would draw in more visitors than a jitney ride. An alternative to a costly and dangerous steam boiler engine would be a solar powered rail bus on Buffalo Creek.
The lad is interested BUT, there's always a but, he may shy away unless the Town cleans up its act and makes the place presentable. The feller wants to see a hotel, store fronts cleaned and painted, and a restaurant established before he will drop a penny on us.
Can't blame the lad either. Tourists don't want to see trashed out places. You might get em here once but that's it, never a second chance, never a return visit
The Town of Clay, Main Street, is trashed out, run down, and without a place to even buy a cup of coffee. On weekends, there's hardly a store open to suck in tourist dollars. On weekdays, it ain't much better! There's no signs on the trail informing tourists how to get into downtown Clay, not one wooden arrow reading, spend your $$ this way.
And then the dark side came.
Mitch gave strong support on taxing the shirt out of tourists, fine the H out of property owners that don't cut their grass, put the whamy on owners that don't paint their buildings. If that ain't enough, DeBoard said to put an ordinance on or against everything, put Badges on every corner, find a big fat Judge and start raking the loot all in the name of tourism. He didn't really say that last part but that's what he meant.
He told Council, "Grow some balls and make the changes".
Here's the real problem readers.
There hasn't been a new West Virginia State Park set up in decades. No one on the State level and certainly no one locally knows how to get the ball rolling. Without someone with experience in tourism, there are going to be disastrous blunders. We have a real chance to see the place as a tourist hub with a thriving economy. We also have a chance to blow it all down the tube if we're not careful.
We don't have to invent the wheel. That's already been done through out America. We just have to look around and see what is working. Our guess, no one on Town Council, the BDA, County Commission (and on and on) have taken the time to go to West Virginia tourism hubs like Fayetteville, Lewisburg, or Shepherdstown and talk to those leaders. To ask them how they did things.
Other things mentioned while DeBoard had the attention of Town Council included: ERTS will eventually run from Gilmer Station to the Farmer's Market in Charleston; FEMA dollars have all been spent; State Government is footing the bill on completing the BC&G RR repair job; all of ERTS will be purchased by the State in the next month or so; and, the first ERTS marathon and half marathons will be held this year during the 2022 Apple Festival.
AW