August 16 2020
Since work began on
ERTS State Park last year, we've been trying to keep up with
the progress. As fast as the contractor is rolling, that's
hard to do.
Also, to help the reader understand a little better, we divided the Clayberry portion of ERTS into three sections. Upper section starts at Nottingham Store (Duck) and ends at the Ivydale bridge.
The Middle section runs from that same bridge down to Dundon for now. That 11.8 miles or so is also open and has been open for a little over 3 weeks. Work from Dundon to Hartland is in full blast progress with some new rock base and some top coat already down. Last time we rode that section, there was some kind of hang up from Leatherwood Creek, North.
Both those sections have been getting great use by hikers and bikers and most recently, a few equestrians were seen enjoying W Va's long and narrow State Park.
When we say "it's completed" , we should be saying, the trail is 100% ready to go. Sometime later, campsites will be added as well as rest benches and even some jons, not porta potties or outhouses, but jons. Something else is missing. Signs to guide people to the trail heads have yet to go up. Out of county adventurers need to those signs badly to get to ERTS. According to RR Big Cheese Frank Jorgenson this morning, the DNR is now working on those much needed signs.
The contractor now has a crew working on the Lower section of ERTS, from the Hartland bridge south to Queen Shoals. By all reports, this section is the toughest to do because of a number of encroachment issues. One family told us this week, they had received their notice to move off the RR land. Stuff like motorists using the old RR bed for everyday use and doing so for probably 50+ years, also comes to mind. There are a number of structures, fences and crossings on the railroad property that have to be removed.
From the git go, RR officials have said, it may take some real nudging to reclaim their property plus, getting vehicle travel redirected off their holdings, those are big hurdles.
By the way, we're naming the part of ERTS North from Duck, the Northern section. For the fun pike below Queen Shoals, and heading into Kanawha County, that's the Southern section.
Now for this update, we're talking about the Lower Section. Here goes.
Also, to help the reader understand a little better, we divided the Clayberry portion of ERTS into three sections. Upper section starts at Nottingham Store (Duck) and ends at the Ivydale bridge.
The Middle section runs from that same bridge down to Dundon for now. That 11.8 miles or so is also open and has been open for a little over 3 weeks. Work from Dundon to Hartland is in full blast progress with some new rock base and some top coat already down. Last time we rode that section, there was some kind of hang up from Leatherwood Creek, North.
Both those sections have been getting great use by hikers and bikers and most recently, a few equestrians were seen enjoying W Va's long and narrow State Park.
When we say "it's completed" , we should be saying, the trail is 100% ready to go. Sometime later, campsites will be added as well as rest benches and even some jons, not porta potties or outhouses, but jons. Something else is missing. Signs to guide people to the trail heads have yet to go up. Out of county adventurers need to those signs badly to get to ERTS. According to RR Big Cheese Frank Jorgenson this morning, the DNR is now working on those much needed signs.
The contractor now has a crew working on the Lower section of ERTS, from the Hartland bridge south to Queen Shoals. By all reports, this section is the toughest to do because of a number of encroachment issues. One family told us this week, they had received their notice to move off the RR land. Stuff like motorists using the old RR bed for everyday use and doing so for probably 50+ years, also comes to mind. There are a number of structures, fences and crossings on the railroad property that have to be removed.
From the git go, RR officials have said, it may take some real nudging to reclaim their property plus, getting vehicle travel redirected off their holdings, those are big hurdles.
By the way, we're naming the part of ERTS North from Duck, the Northern section. For the fun pike below Queen Shoals, and heading into Kanawha County, that's the Southern section.
Now for this update, we're talking about the Lower Section. Here goes.
A couple weeks
back, a construction crew pushed thru, underneath the Hartland
bridge. In the above shot, we can barely see the girders
underneath that bridge. Before this work began, the brush was
so thick, you couldn't even see the aging tracks. Now, all the
rails and ties have been dug up and stacked away.
Standing in that
same spot but turning to look down river (S), that's the AEP
substation on the far right. There appears to be an access
problem for the electric folks.
A couple years
back, a big slip came in Hartland Road forcing the much
used artery to be closed. With the slip repaired, Hartland
Road reopened August 1 2019.
Here's looking over
the edge of the repaired slip. Down there at the bottom is the
cleaned out rights of way for the ERTS Park. When the State
Road gang made those repairs in 2019, they placed large
boulders at the base and on the RR rights of way. To
reopen the that stretch of ERTS, all the boulders had to be
removed ... actually rolled over the river bank. That created
a real problem.
The foundation for the slip repair is now gone. Sometime soon, most likely after a heavy rain, there's a real chance, the 2019 slip repair will go sliding down the embankment.
Is the RR responsible for such a catastrophe, IE: moving the big rocks? Nope. The RR is responsible for their own property and not that of the State Road. Putting 6 and 2 together and coming out with 9, that means, the State has to come in and build a new retaining wall at the bottom of the slip.
The foundation for the slip repair is now gone. Sometime soon, most likely after a heavy rain, there's a real chance, the 2019 slip repair will go sliding down the embankment.
Is the RR responsible for such a catastrophe, IE: moving the big rocks? Nope. The RR is responsible for their own property and not that of the State Road. Putting 6 and 2 together and coming out with 9, that means, the State has to come in and build a new retaining wall at the bottom of the slip.
Just past the slip,
down the hill, brush, rail, and tie removal
stopped. Remember us talking about encroachments and
people driving on the rights of way for decades, here comes
the first big em pass.
Here's the RR
rights of way where the old tracks used to be. That's Mr
Taylor's home on the left and the Elk River on the
right. With the tracks gone decades back, locals
starting driving on the ballast instead of driving a much
longer route, way around the hill.
So, the contractor has equipment and crew at the ready but, what are you going to do about this "road" being the only way in and out for many residents in that area? Once again, keep in mind, Bright Enterprise, Elk River Railroad, has NEVER given away their land and has no responsibility to build new roads for the locals to drive on. That means, the State Road is the responsibile party and they have to kick into gear and making a roadway for vehicles and off the rights of way.
We think progress in the Lower Section, this section, will cease until court battles run their course. That might take awhile.
While in a holding pattern, from Duck to the Hartland bridge, around 30 miles more or less, will be open for business by the end of August if all goes well. Something else if you please. If we ever get some snow, ERTS will be a great stretch for cross country ski enthusiasts.
Between kayaks on the Elk, four wheelers in the back country, Lake Sampson near Wallback, and ERTS ready enough to use, our new tourism economy is now reality.
Already several new businesses have opened this year. Those are new jobs and opportunities in Clayberry.
One old fart keeps yelling, there's no new $$ in the county unless we have a luxury tax and or a B/O tax.
Without those taxes in place, that means, all those new tourism dollars are going to the people that took the chance to build a business and work the struggling economy. Seems fair to us!
AW
So, the contractor has equipment and crew at the ready but, what are you going to do about this "road" being the only way in and out for many residents in that area? Once again, keep in mind, Bright Enterprise, Elk River Railroad, has NEVER given away their land and has no responsibility to build new roads for the locals to drive on. That means, the State Road is the responsibile party and they have to kick into gear and making a roadway for vehicles and off the rights of way.
We think progress in the Lower Section, this section, will cease until court battles run their course. That might take awhile.
While in a holding pattern, from Duck to the Hartland bridge, around 30 miles more or less, will be open for business by the end of August if all goes well. Something else if you please. If we ever get some snow, ERTS will be a great stretch for cross country ski enthusiasts.
Between kayaks on the Elk, four wheelers in the back country, Lake Sampson near Wallback, and ERTS ready enough to use, our new tourism economy is now reality.
Already several new businesses have opened this year. Those are new jobs and opportunities in Clayberry.
One old fart keeps yelling, there's no new $$ in the county unless we have a luxury tax and or a B/O tax.
Without those taxes in place, that means, all those new tourism dollars are going to the people that took the chance to build a business and work the struggling economy. Seems fair to us!
AW