ADVENTURE WILD THINGS
A mom’s joy & fear as her girls explore
THINK OUTSIDE.
SPRING/SUMMER 2019
DOGS!
THAT SINKING FEELING
Earl Swift on the lessons of Tangier Island
SHE’S GOT THE POWER
Meet the strongest woman in town
Biking, boating, hunting, hiking... Furry friends make the great outdoors even greater
We’re here... So you can be there.
Nancy Handley, DVM
Mike Fietz, DVM
200 Georgetown Way
Donald Peppard, DVM
Heidi Stone, DVM
434-977-4600
Celebrate the best of Virginia wine & food. Award-winning wines. Live music. Events. Seasonal menus, locally sourced. Details at earlymountain.com.
Ashley Cox Photography
Come visit us in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
6109 Wolftown-Hood Road • Madison, VA 22727 • 540.948.9005
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A N N U A L
Saturday, Oct. 5th 10am - 5pm Sunday, Oct. 6th 10am - 4pm
2019
Fall Fiber Festival & Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials At James Madison’s Montpelier at Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia We will bring ewe great workshops for adults and children, animal exhibits, sheep dog trials, crafts demonstrations, a fleece sale, fiber and crafts vendors, music, food court and more!
www.fallfiberfestival.org
or call Michele Mangham (434) 882-2222
LIVE BOUNDLESS SOLD - This particular property was chosen in the 1800's by Charles P. Mancure for its rich nutrients, tillable acreage, frontage on the Rapidan & Robinson Rivers, and set in The Piedmont. The farm remains as one of Virginia's most highly productive. With over 700 acres of fields, gently rolling hills, and vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an exclusive opportunity awaits.
frankhardy.com The Horseshoe | Land Parcel | SOLD Š MMXVII Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby's International Realty and the Sotheby's International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC.
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Best friends
Dogs enhance our lives in innumerable and immeasurable ways. They are steadfast companions, fierce protectors, uncanny empaths, and a constant source of comfort and amusement. They are our buddies. Perhaps no humans have a greater appreciation for this than outdoor adventurers, many of whom wouldn’t think of stepping into the wilds without their furry friends. Certain dogs are more suitable than others for some activities. For instance, hiking the Appalachian Trail with a Pomeranian might not be such a good idea—unless he’s in a doggy backpack. But if you’ve got a tireless terrier, she’s likely to be game for leading you on a trail-biking excursion (see Pippy, page 36). On the other hand, if you’ve got a hound that’s getting on in years, maybe he’d be happy just sticking by your side while you cast a line in the water (see Jack, page 40). Regardless of your chosen activity, it’s time to get outdoors—just be sure to bring along your four-legged friend.—Joe Bargmann
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THE
VIRGINIA CONSORT
THE VIRGINIA CONSORT AND THE VIRGINIA CONSORT YOUTH CHORALE AND
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JUDITH GARY, CONDUCTOR JUDITH GARY, CONDUCTOR
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Bach: Magnj/icat (selections) nj/iHebrew cat (selections) Bach: MagFive Whitacre: love Songs with cham.ber orchestra Whitacre: Five Hebrew love Songs
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Rutter, Chilcott, and more...
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2019
7:30PM SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2019 SATURDAY, 7:30PM MAY 18, 2019 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURC 500 PARK STREET, CHARLOTTESVILLE
ADULTS $25, STUDENTS $15 7:30PM
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURC Tickets: Greenberry's, New Dominion Bookshop, on 500 PARK STREET, CHARLOTTESVILLE 500 CHARLOTTESVILLE or atPARK the door,STREET, if available. Call for handicapped parkin Information: 434-244-8444
ADULTS $25, STUDENTS $15 The Virginia Consort is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts
Adults $25, Students $15 and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets: Greenberry's, New Dominion Bookshop, on
Tickets: Greenberry's, or at the door, if available. Call for handicapped parkin Information: 434-244-8444 New Dominion Bookshop, online at virginiaconsort.org, The Virginia Consort is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. or at the door, if available. Call for handicapped parking. Information: 434-244-8444
DEVIN FLOYD
Rutter, Chilcott, and more...
GET OUT! 11 The accidental environmentalist A Q&A with Earl Swift, author of the prescient Chesapeake Requiem.
Kids on the loose 15 The joy and fear of introducing your children to outdoor adventure.
Urban wilderness 17
Trail master 20 This mechanical work of art costs $5,000-plus. Riders know it’s worth it. Riding lessons 23 What one cyclist/author learned while pedaling 15,769 miles of U.S. roads.
Rent a road trip 24 Finally, someone figures out how to get Airbnb on the highway.
Outsider art 27
Creating an oasis of biodiversity in a Charlottesville neighborhood.
Our favorite public murals and sculptures in and around Charlottesville.
She’s got the power 19
Calender of events 29
Monica Johnson is the strongest woman in town. Got a problem with that?
A dozen good excuses to get outdoors this spring and summer.
THE VIEW 50 Photographer Robert Llewellyn takes a shot at capturing local natural beauty—and nails it. The Virginia Consort is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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ON THE COVER: Golden retrievers Aspen and Koa have no fear of heights. Photo: Samantha Brooke COMMENTS? Email the editor at joe@c-ville.com.
For more information visit www.charlottesville.org/parksandrec
Y OU R P R E M I ER S O U R C E F O R B O DY C ON TOU R I NG , S K I N R EJ U V EN ATI O N A N D A GEL ES S B EAU T Y …
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GET OUT The accidental environmentalist
AMY AND JACKSON SMITH
Author Earl Swift could go on about the ravages of climate change. But really, he’d rather be hiking. By Jennifer MacAdam-Miller
Earl Swift visits the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Afton Overlook, elevation 2,054 feet, with the Rockfish Valley sprawling below.
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GET OUT
E
arl Swift is the author of seven books, including the urgent and poignant ocean does the same thing. I don’t know whether it’s because of the Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier perspective you have when you’re on a mountain, or the animals you run Island. It was named a best book of 2018 by NPR, The Washington Post, into at any given moment. Outside, Bloomberg, and Smithsonian, among others, and recently won a Reed Environmental Writing Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center. Such as? Currently a Virginia Humanities fellow at UVA, Swift, 60, of Afton, is among Well, I never get tired of seeing deer. It’s always exciting to see a bear. But America’s best nonfiction writers. During his 21-year tenure at The VirginI don’t much like seeing rattlesnakes. ian-Pilot, six of his stories were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, as were two of his books (Chesapeake Requiem and Autobiography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Bears don’t scare you? Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream). He’s also been in the running We live in a very bear-y stretch of mountain here. Most of the time, they’re just for National Magazine Awards and (twice) for the National Book Award. plain fun to see—but they always demand respect. Three or four years ago, I In the course of doing his job, he’s searched for missing soldiers in the was hiking with a friend and her 10-year-old son, Lincoln. We were on the jungles of Southeast Asia, kayaked the perimeter of the Chesapeake Bay, Albright trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway. About 300 yards after setting out, I and spent three weeks canoeing and camping along the James river. He heard Lincoln say, “Oh, it’s a bear.” I took time off to thru-hike the entire 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail— turned to find that I’d walked right past a bear standing two feet away, but ended up writing a story for Outside about pair of hikers he met along on the edge of the trail—an adolesthe way who were murdered in a camping shelter. It’s tempting to draw a direct line from Mark Twain’s semi-autobiographcent, and not huge, but bigger than ical travelogues in Roughing It to Swift’s narrative nonfiction (in part beme. I did everything you’re supposed cause he’s originally from Missouri, where he started his journalism career to—raised my hands over my head to at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat). In the digital age, when a lot of what make myself look bigger, and spoke qualifies as news feels either manufactured or regurgitated, Swift adheres to the bear in a firm and commanding voice. It couldn’t have cared less. to one of the first tenets of journalism: reporting on experience. But Swift’s hunger for experience and “getting out of the building,” as We had a standoff for a long moment before I started yelling at it to get the he calls it, doesn’t just make him a great reporter. He is a role model for hell out of there. Finally, it did, but outdoor adventurers. As someone who hikes the AT almost every day, his familiarity with the trails and wildlife of the area is a valuable resource (Ed. very slowly. He was like, yeah I’ll note: loves deer, hates snakes, faced-down a bear). He also has a reverence leave, but on my own terms, and sauntered into the woods. for the natural world that is infectious and reminds us it’s not something we should take for granted. Swift would cringe to read all of this about himself. He is humble, self-effacing, and pretty damn funny. We sat down with him recently in a Crozet coffee shop to talk about writThe author says his side gig as a salesperson at Great Outdoor Provision Co. in ing, hiking, and enjoying “achievable the Barracks Road Shopping Center “gives me a chance to talk to people who adventures” while they’re still out are about to have adventures and give them advice.” Here it is, in a nutshell. there for the taking.
Swift’s tips for surviving achievable adventures
Why do you choose to live in Afton? The short answer is that I live a mile from the Appalachian Trail, and on most mornings I go up and hike. I also lived for 25 years on or near the water, in Hampton Roads, and felt very connected to it. My fiancé, Amy, and I often walk the sandy trails of First Landing State Park, near her home in Virginia Beach. But there’s something about the mountains that trumps my love of water. I am rebooted every day on the trail. Regardless of whatever problems I might be dealing with, when I get out there and take on a tough uphill it balances everything. Being connected to the outdoors seems vitally important to you. I’m not a churchy guy, but being out in the woods connects you to something bigger—and, of course, the
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“Bring water. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in the Humpback Rocks’ parking lot and seen people heading up there, and they’re not carrying water. Every time I see someone doing that, especially if it’s an older person, I’ll say, ‘You know, you need to rethink this.’ Just because the sign says ‘40-minute walk to the rocks’ doesn’t mean it’s going to be a garden stroll. Do not be fooled by that sign. You need water. You need lots of water.” “Never wear cotton while hiking. Cotton will kill you. Cotton absorbs eight times its weight in liquid. If it gets wet it takes forever to dry out. And it will suck the heat out of you fast. If you’ve spent a sweaty day climbing to an overlook, and a wind’s blowing, it might be 60 degrees but if you’re wearing a soaked cotton T-shirt, you are a prime candidate for freezing to death. There are probably more people who freeze to death in that kind of weather than in bone-cracking cold. If you go hypothermic and you’re a mile up the mountain, you’re in serious trouble.” “Wear wool or polyester, instead. You might think wool would be too hot in the summer. Not true. A light
merino wool T-shirt will keep you cooler than cotton in summer, and warmer in winter.” “Always pack a waterproof shell, even if it’s sunny. It’ll protect you from the deadly effects of wind when you’re sweaty and tired.” “Wear wool socks year-round. There is no reason for anybody to wear cotton socks at any point in their entire lives. Wool socks wick sweat. When you wear them your shoes will never stink. You will not get blisters to the degree that you do with cotton socks. We spent generations trying to come up with a man-made fabric that could replicate what wool does, but we’ve never quite managed to do it. Wool is the miracle fabric.” “Bring sunblock, wear a hat, and bring bug spray. I still think DEET might be unparalleled in its effectiveness, even if you can hear your chromosomes snapping as you slather it on. But last summer I experimented with picaridin. It smells a lot better. It seems to be effective against ticks and mosquitoes. And it won’t eat away at your gear the way DEET does. So, I think I may be capable of change, even with my strong opinions. I’m doing a slow turn.”
ADREES LATIF/REUTERS/NEWSCOM
Storm-driven erosion and sea-level rise threaten Tangier Island’s future.
Did that put you off of hiking for awhile? Not at all. Hiking is pretty much my gym. The AT is so close to my house that I just go from Rockfish Gap either north or south, usually south. There’s a five-mile stretch that leads down to the Wolf Shelter and throws a little of everything at you. It’s a good interval workout. And right [about] now, in early spring, it’s beautiful. There’s nothing between you and this incredible view of the Rockfish Valley. You can go with earbuds in and not worry about listening for a rattle, and just cruise. Once summer comes and the snakes arrive, I leave the earbuds at home. I thru-hiked the trail in 1990 and have very fond memories of lots of places in Virginia that I would like to get back to—and eventually will. I heard you found a plane-crash site near the AT. I didn’t discover it, but I did get to it. It was an old radial-engine Marine Corps trainer that had been flying to Nashville from the East Coast. It lost oil pressure over the Blue Ridge. The guys bailed out and both survived. The wreckage is about 600 feet off the AT at the bottom of a steep decline. I knew it was on the south side of Humpback, probably on the flank that faces east. That’s a big mountain, but after a lot of bushwhacking I found the plane, in big identifiable pieces. It’s work to get to it, and even more work to get back out—you almost have to go hand-over-hand. Along the way I found a lot of other stuff too. Weird poems written on boulders—it was little creepy, a little Blair Witch-y. What’s the most extreme situation you’ve been in? You mean, when I was sure I was gonna die? There are a lot of competitors for that. The Pilot once sent me around the Chesapeake Bay in a kayak for six weeks, and I was filing stories as I went. One night I camped on this tiny spit of sand called Honeymoon Island, about a quarter mile from land. I pitched my tent, an aluminum-frame North Face Bullfrog. I was settling down for the night when I heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. Five minutes later, there’s another snarl of thunder, and this one’s close. I felt the ground tremble. And then, suddenly, the tent is slammed by this gale-force wind and flips over. The storm brought lightning that hit so close I would actually leave the ground. In an aluminum-frame tent with the nearest taller object a quarter mile away, it seemed impossible that I wasn’t going to get struck by lightning. It was 25 minutes of sustained terror. Why do put yourself in these extreme situations and write about them? Nothing I do is that extreme. I mean, there are people who do crazier things. Mountain climbers? That is some bat-shit crazy stuff. CONTINUED ON PAGE 47
Trails
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GET OUT
Confronting the risks of a free-range childhood
G
By Erika Howsare
o play outside!” is one of those phrases that pops out of parents’ mouths as though it comes from a deep well of universal wisdom. Along with eating your vegetables and not waking the baby, playing outside seems so obviously the right thing for kids to do. Once they cross the threshold into the great outdoors, though, what exactly will happen? For my kids, playing outside can mean throwing a Frisbee in the side yard, riding scooters in the driveway, or scratching up the dirt in their little gardens with a kid-size rake. But it can also mean something more like a real adventure—fording the creek, climbing a steep mountainside, and trekking through the woods to a tipi village they constructed beside a big boulder. We live in a rural spot with thousands of acres of forest outside the back door and a swift-moving creek along the edge of the property. Our house is 87 years old, and the generations who lived here before us dropped more than their share of glass and metal onto the land. Neighbors hunt in the fall. Poison ivy and ticks are rampant in the summer. In other words, there are plenty of dangers to worry about, and the further my kids venture from the house, the longer grows the list of things I might warn them about. Little mishaps began early. I remember when our older daughter was just a baby, not yet walking, and we were sitting with her in the grass when we started noticing ants on her chubby legs. Quite a few ants! More and more ants! It turned out she’d been plopped down right on an anthill. She even had ants in her diaper. Another time, she waded to the far side of the creek while I was helping her younger sister, then a toddler, on the near side. Suddenly she screamed a real scream and I looked up to see her face to face with a snake— which species, I never determined. They backed off from each other with no harm done. I could go on—there was the time a tree fell near where she was playing, and the time a rattlesnake appeared on our deck in the midst of the kids and their friends, and all those tick bites and bruises—but the point is clear: Outside play, especially free play, is certainly more risky than a life of screens, books, and
Adventurous kids can be fearless, inspiring both pride and trepidation in a parent.
ANDREA HUBBELL
Kids on the loose
couches. It’s probably more risky than organized sports. Letting kids roam independently makes us parents confront our tolerance for that risk again and again. My instincts tell me that the risk is well worth it. But sometimes it’s hard to listen to instincts above the roar of societal disapproval. A well-meaning woman once warned me in a park that my kids were wading in the creek, and she clearly thought I was crazy when I didn’t immediately jump up to rescue them. At times like those, I get backup from Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, who reminds us that there are different kinds of risk: “An indoor (or backseat) childhood does reduce some dangers to children; but other risks are heightened, including risks to physical and psychological health, risk to children’s concept and perception of community, risk “Do you read me?” to self-confidence and the ability to discern true danger.” To stay in touch with your For me, the key has been to take the risks alongside kids if they trek out of sight, my kids during their youngest years. We walk in the walkie-talkies can do the creek together, we scramble up steep slopes, we hike trick. Cheap models can be and climb trees. I want them to know weather and toglitchy, so we recommend a pography and their own bodies, so I’ve accompanied step up. Rechargeable via a them on the journey as their guide and safety officer. USB connection, Midland’s If you could listen to my thoughts during those adX-Talker T51VP3 claims a ventures, you’d hear the sound of continual reckoning: range up to 28 miles and “Should I warn her that rock she’s climbing is slippery? comes with a three-year She seems pretty stable. Ack—she’s getting to the slickwarranty. $49.99. Field & est part. Look at her toes gripping it, though. She’s a Stream, 5th Street Station good climber. But if she fell…oh, never mind, she’s already at the top.” And then my voice, out loud: “Watch out for stinging nettles up there!” I always knew a time would come when they’d take off and explore on their own. And recently, that day arrived. They packed little backpacks and took off for that village on the mountainside they’d built, without us. My husband and I watched them go, feeling proud and unsettled all at once. The ongoing process of making peace with danger continues. Also, we sent them out with walkie-talkies.
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Welcome spring with the beautiful outdoor living you’ve been dreaming of. Photo courtesy of Cambridge Pavers
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GET OUT
W
PHOTOS: DEVIN FLOYD
hen Devin Floyd and his team at the Center for Urban Habitats design gardens, they don’t just think about which plants will bloom in which season. Their approach is far more complex, encompassing the request that client David Wimberley made when he first hired them in 2014. “He came to us because he wanted to maximize the natural potential of his property to support wildlife,” Floyd says. Supporting wildlife means supporting a whole food web, which starts with native plants, in particular species that form plant communities. Those communities, in turn, must be suited to the conditions where they’re planted—sun exposure, drainage, soil types. It goes, literally, as deep as the bedrock. “The basic Piedmont Prairie occurs on greenstone bedrock,” says Floyd. “It’s really rich.” In re-establishing a prairie plant community on Wimberley’s Park Street neighborhood property, CUH worked from lists of the indicator species for that ecosystem: “Little bluestem, early goldenrod, butterfly milkweed, narrowleaf mountain mint, Indian grass, big bluestem, and more,” Floyd says. “It’s a really diverse assemblage— at least 100 species growing with those others.” Beginning the project with a survey of the niche habitats on Wimberley’s land, CUH realized that it was looking at a wide variety, from upland forest (in the front yard, under a huge white ash tree) to prairie to wetlands.. Wimberley envisioned most of his half-acre being devoted to native gardens, which would absorb any stormwater. Characteristically, CUH did not take a conventional approach to this problem. “You can handle a lot of stormwater if you dig a deep hole and fill it with rocks,” says Floyd. Instead, the team performed some shallow grading to create low spots where water could be absorbed by plants well-suited to that task: several different sedges, white turtlehead, cardinal flower, golden ragwort, swamp rose, winterberry, and wild indigo shrub. Heavy rain overwhelmed the initial designs and plantings, with water draining into a pond on a neighboring property. “It’s a continuous landscape; there’s
Urban wilderness Creating a native habitat in town By Erika Howsare
Establishing a robust ecosystem in an urban setting requires more than 100 plant species, including Carolina rose (far left) and golden ragwort (left).
no hedge or fence,” says Floyd. “We got a contract to do plant-community restoration on that property as well. It’s a fairly big pond and it’s been there at least 150 years. Prior to that it was probably an upland swamp.” When he and his team found species lurking from that old community, they shepherded them. Five years into the project, the landscape hums with life and color. “Diversity in flora translates directly to diversity in insects,” says Floyd. “The sheer numbers of species of beetles, flies, bees, and butterflies is really high, and on the back of that come the predators—assassin bugs, jumping spiders. It trickles up very quickly. There’s bird, amphibian, and reptile diversity.” Wimberley has even photographed red foxes through his living-room windows. “It is a much more subtle landscape than a traditional professionally landscaped yard,” Wimberley says. “It helps to have a real interest in the specific plants, the plant communities, the plant and animal interactions.” Along the front of the property, the challenge is different: to plant a native garden that won’t rile the neighbors or earn Wimberley a citation under the city’s weed ordinance. Floyd and Wimberley have worked with city officials more than once to get penalties waived. “There are some hurdles to overcome,” Floyd says. “Insofar as truly supporting wildlife, it has to become easier for people to do. The definition of ‘weed’ within city code is a problem.” “The idea that we can coexist with wildlife even in urban spaces is very plausible, and it can happen very quickly,” Floyd adds. “It just comes down to making room for nonhumans in an intentional way.”
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bikes in Charlottesville
Photo: Jen Fleisher
We’re your source for
Family Bike Fest! Strider Course, Decoration Station and Bike Handling Skill Courses for riders of all ages. Information from local city and nonprofit organizations on-site.
Sunday, May 19, 2019 10am - 1pm Blue Wheel at IX Ctr. 434-977-1870
«Bring your bike and helmet!»
www.bluewheel.com
Best New Restaurant! Local and made from scratch! Breakfast and Lunch and now serving beer, wine and mimosas! Ice Cream Shack with hand-dipped ice cream, shakes, malts, sundaes and smoothies Fresh baked goods and custom bakery orders as well as a full catering menu
✔ Wide variety of local meat and dairy
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✔ Gifts, homewares, toys, nostalgic candy and retro glass bottled sodas
Barefoot Country Store is located at 635 Valley Street • Scottsville, VA 24590
434-286-4200
Between Doug’s Maytag and the James River Brewery
www.barefootcountrystore.com 18
GET OUT
She’s got the power Meet Monica Johnson, the strongest woman in Charlottesville
AMY AND JACKSON SMITH
I
’ve been doing strength competitions for just about a year and a half, so I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. My current national ranking is second in the women’s amateur heavyweight division. That’s according to the Arnold Corporation, the governing body for Strongman and Strongwoman events. I’m 32 now, and I feel I have some time to reach my true potential. I have a master’s in social work, so my jobs keep me busy—as a clinician on Region Ten’s PACT (programs of assertive community treatment) team, and a part-time counselor at Tandem Friends School. But I make working out a priority—I have to, in order to compete. My next meets are East Coast Most Powerful, in June, in Baltimore, and the North America National Championships, in West Palm Beach, in September. Growing up here in Charlottesville, I was a tomboy and always strong when fighting with my guy friends. My idea of sports was mainstream—I played basketball, field hockey, and lacrosse in high school. I knew that lifting weights was necessary for conditioning, but I never realized that powerlifting, let alone strongman, was a sport. I found out for sure in 2016, when I joined a local powerlifting gym, Primal Strength. I did a charity powerlifting meet that fall, and my first Strongman competition, Rumble in the Jungle, in July 2017. I won that one, and the next two, the same year. In my most recent competition, this past March, I placed fourth—that was the Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championships. Each training cycle for a competition is 12 to 16 weeks long, so I feel like I’m cranking it out the entire time, five days a week. The goal is to reach maximum strength and meet the weight requirement, which is 180.5 pounds in my division. I do not count calories, and focus on water and protein intake, and eating three meals and two snacks
Johnson works two jobs but still makes time to work out five times a week.
a day. It gives me the fuel I need to train. I also make sure to sleep eight hours a night, and icing and stretching are key to my recovery. I put my body through a lot of stress, so it needs a chance to heal. By stress, I mean, I can deadlift 480 pounds, bench press 195, and squat with 425 pounds on my back. I still struggle to believe in my full potential. However, at the end of the day I love seeing how far I can push my body, as well as discovering self-love for my body. I’ve gained 40-ish pounds since I’ve been competing, which is difficult for a woman who was a lean, avid runner. So whenever I’m feeling down, I remind myself of what I’ve accomplished. I tell myself, “Monica, you pulled a truck that weights over 12,000 pounds. You’re amazing!” When I’m competing it’s like going to another zone. Nothing is more exhilarating than going onto the floor with my training partner, Shaun, and knowing that we are among the few people of color—typically, the only people of color—able to compete at a high level in our sport. That alone pushes me to keep striving for my best. Competing has taught me to be mentally tough. I used to always think that it was bullshit when people would say that it is more mental than anything. However, watching my growth and seeing me pushing numbers in competitions that I could not in training shows the power of the mind at play. My advice to anyone who wants to get into this is just do it—what do you have to lose? You’re only going to become a better version of yourself mentally and physically.—Monica Johnson, as told to Joe Bargmann
Whenever I’m feeling down, I remind myself of what I’ve accomplished. I tell myself, “Monica, you pulled a truck that weights over 12,000 pounds. You’re amazing!”
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GET OUT
Trail master
Trek’s Slash 9.8 will get you there—and back When we asked Shawn Tevendale, owner of Blue Ridge Cyclery, to recommend a killer trail bike to feature, he emailed a link back within a minute to the mechanical wonder you see here. “It’s like a monster truck,” Tevendale says. “It’ll go anywhere you want it to, and crush it.” Tevendale also gives the Slash high marks for durability, which is good, since it costs more than $5,000. “This isn’t your first mountain bike,” he says. “Maintain it properly and it’ll last for a good five or six years of hard riding.” Money matters and endurance aside, we’re keen on this bike for its purpose-driven design, high-tech fabrication, on-the-fly adaptability, and safety features, including hydraulic disc brakes. It also looks pretty sweet, which is good, because who wants to ride an ugly bike?—By Joe Bargmann
Dropper post Adjustable by several inches—down for a lower center of gravity when descending, up for a better pedaling angle when climbing or on flat terrain.
Frame fabrication The carbon fiber is laid up in different directions at various points, providing rigidity and strength where they’re needed most, and a degree of flexibility to facilitate responsiveness and make the rider feel more connected to the terrain.
Frame material Carbon fiber from stem to stern. “It’s the miracle material,” Tevendale says. “Optimal weightto-strength ratio.”
Drive train A single-trigger system allows for quick changes through 11 gears.
Central shock A traditional shock absorber is a canister that’s sealed on one end and has an internal, spring-loaded shaft extending out of the other end. Upon impact, pressure exerted on the shaft compresses the spring, which then rebounds. This process takes time. It causes lag—and a rougher ride. The Trek shock, developed with race-car engineers, is open on both ends, and the shaft extends all the way through. During and after impact, the shock’s internal pressure remains constant, eliminating lag, smoothing out the ride, and increasing control.
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GET OUT
Five great places to ride
Handlebars They’re made of carbon fiber for weight reduction. “They also have some flex to take a bit of the sting out of your hands on impacts, but with the suspension this bike has, you really shouldn’t feel much sting in your hands, anyway,” Tevendale says.
Rivanna Trail: “It’s right here in the city, and you can do anywhere from one to 35 miles,” says Daniel Sebring of Blue Ridge Cyclery. He recommends O-Hill for “technical stuff” and Carter Mountain for “good climbs.” rivannatrails.org Front fork Dual air shocks with highperformance dampering systems are super responsive and can be tuned for better handling, but also absorb hard hits while riders descend.
Downtube and chain shields Armor deflects potential hits to the damage-prone chain and lower part of the frame.
Brakes Dual hydraulic pistons drive the caliper to provide strong stopping power, and the discs are specially shaped and perforated to dissipate heat caused by friction with the pads.
Tires The knobby treads form a traction pattern that grips well in loose leaves, slippery rocks, gravel, and more.
Sherando Lake Recreational Area: Sebring calls it a “gold mine of trails” in the George Washington National Forest, with “lots of big climbs, 360-degree views, and expert rides.” fs.usda.gov/gwj Claudius Crozet Park: “Start at Claudius Crozet Park and follow the trail down past the dog park along Licking Hole Creek,” says Cor Carelesen of Crozet Bicycle Shop. “The loop is about seven miles total.” crozetpark.org Mint Springs Park: “Features various loop trails, about five to six miles in total,” Carelsen says. “It’s very accessible and has lots of elevation changes, so you can really challenge yourself.” albemarle.org Preddy Creek Trail Park: It offers more than eight and a half miles of trails, with plenty of beginner rides, in 571 acres of wilderness, says Dave Stackhouse, former president of the Charlottesville Area Mountain Biking Club. albemarle.org
Wheels Light, stiff, and more durable than metal, the carbon-fiber wheels provide a strong foundation. They are also 29 inches in diameter, for higher ground clearance and a smoother ride, owing to the better approach angle on obstacles such as roots and rocks.
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Get in the Swing Come Play at Wintergreen!
Wintergreen, Virginia’s Premier Blue Ridge Mountain Resort, offers year-round outdoor adventures starting with two outstanding golf courses, Devils Knob and Stoney Creek. Combining 45 holes of golf with two completely different course designs, Wintergreen Resort offers a unique golf experience. Devils Knob opened in 1976 and it is the resort’s member and resort guest-exclusive mountaintop course. Defined by tree lined fairways, speedy and undulating greens, and perfect playing conditions, Devils Knob, at 3850 feet, defines the ultimate mountain golf experience. Just a short ride down the mountain, the Stoney Creek course provides 27 holes of championship golf. Built in 1988, Rees Jones designed a course that provides challenge and opportunity yet still favoring the mountain backdrop as a Mid-Atlantic favorite. Whether you’re looking for a day outing or an affordable overnight package, we invite you to come and enjoy the unique golf experience that Wintergreen offers.
855.845.1585 wintergreenresort.com
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GET OUT
Riding lessons A cyclist learns a lot about himself— and America—on an epic tour. On six-week jaunts over several years, Charlottesville’s Chris Register (right) crisscrossed the country on his bike, interviewing people for his book series Conversations With US: Two Wheels, Fifty States, Hundreds of Voices, One America. The first volume, published in early 2019, is based on his 1,916-mile trip through the Midwest and Great Lakes states.
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Chris’ stats 15,769 miles 6,307,600 crankshaft revolutions 376 interviews 355 days on the road 47 flat tires
EZE AMOS
hen I graduated from law school in Washington, D.C., in 2009, partisanship and political bickering were the worst I’d ever seen. I thought it would be cool to get out there, talk to people, and find what’s really going on. I did my first tour in 2010, nearly 2,000 miles, interviewing at least one person a day about their views on America. After that tour, I took a break to work and save up my money, always knowing I’d get back to my tours and writing. In 2015, I quit my job and started my second tour. That’s recorded in the first volume. I’ll write about Charlottesville in the book that covers what I call Appalachia and bluegrass country. I remember coming down out of the Shenandoah mountains and riding straight to the Lawn. I interviewed two students—one of them came to the book-release party. That was cool. The next day I rode up to Monticello and spoke to Linnea Grim, the director of education and visitors’ programs. I ended up settling down here. In all the ground I’ve covered, two stories really stand out. One is about the vastness of this country, and the other is about learning to walk in another person’s shoes. I’m 39, so I grew up well after the civil rights movement. Most people my age or a little younger haven’t actually talked to someone who had to sit at the back of the bus. But when I was in Elgin, Illinois, I interviewed Ernie Broadnax. Ernie was the only black player on his debate and basketball teams in high school and community college. He told me, after a win, his white teammates would celebrate at a restaurant, but one of them would have to bring his meal to him on the bus. That upsets me. It gets me in the gut. The other story unfolded at the Grand Canyon. I arrived at dusk. There was a full moon rising. After I set up camp on a rock outcropping at the edge of the
A man and his rig: When fully laden with gear, Register’s bike weighs 125 pounds.
Register’s book and more information about his travels are available at conversationswithus.com.
canyon, I looked down and thought I saw the haunch of a large, brown animal that had moved around a rock. An hour later, after sunset, the moon was bright. I stood up and was looking out over the canyon. There was a sort of gray-blue hue to everything. I was soaking it all in. It was beautiful, an endless view. I looked to my left and saw bright flashes, like Morse code: dot, dot, dash. I finally realized what it was—a mountain lion. It had looked right at me, and the moonlight reflected off the lenses of its eyes. I never saw it again. If he wanted to get me, he would have. But he didn’t. Ultimately, I’ve learned that I can do more than I ever thought I could. I climbed 12,000 feet to Independence Pass, outside Aspen, Colorado. My bike and gear are 125 pounds in all, and the oxygen gets kind of thin up there. I pressed on slowly, and I made it. Writing is like that, too. If you just keep going, you can do anything. Determination is the most important factor in success. —Chris Register, as told to Joe Bargmann
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GET OUT
Rent a road trip Outdoorsy is Airbnb for RVs. By Nathan Alderman
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f the open road is calling you—or if you’d like to spend a few nights communing with nature without, you know, getting eaten by any part of it—Outdoorsy’s here to help. The online service matches owners willing to rent out their pop-ups, Casitas, trailers, and RVs with road-warrior vacationers. Launched in 2015, the company has received more than $81 million in investment funding, and appears to be riding a trend in DIY adventure travel. Here’s why this new vacation option has piqued our interest.
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1.
2.
A wide range of prices and vehicles. Though Outdoorsy’s still filling out its roster in the Charlottesville area, your choices hereabouts already range from a $50-a-night mini-trailer to a massive, fully loaded RV for $240 a night.
Easy travel for renters. You’ll see a rental’s list of amenities upfront, with all associated charges listed, so you know exactly what you’re getting. Got a question? Ask the owner via Outdoorsy’s messaging system before you rent. Outdoorsy offers add-on trip insurance in case a cancellation-worthy event arises. And you can throw in comprehensive 24/7 roadside assistance, technical support, and concierge service for $15 per day.
If you go:
Learn the ropes with membership services like Good Sam Club (goodsam.com) and RV Trip Wizard (rvtripwizard. com). Whatever you pay to join, you’re likely to get it back by making your travel more efficient.
#1 Ranked Tennis Academy
When you calculate the travel time to your destination, account for a 20 percent slower pace than if you were going by car.
Invest in paper maps. Getting outside cell-service range is part of the point, isn’t it?
Wintergreen is the top ranked tennis academy in America and the #13 tennis resort in the world with year-round instruction for all levels of play. Dogs are allowed on some Outdoorsy adventures but may require an additional fee. Check before you go.
LYNNE BRUBAKER
3.
4.
No alarms or surprises. Renters and owners walk through the RV before it’s picked up and after it’s returned, jointly signing off on its condition. Both parties can also leave reviews for each other, which helps to steer great renters and owners toward each other and keep everyone honest in the process.
Abundant add-on options. Depending on the model and the owner, renters can chip in a little extra for linens, accessories packages for camping, tailgating, or beach trips, or having someone else clean the vehicle for you at the end of your trip. Some rentals even include satellite TV and/or video-game consoles, in case the great outdoors get a little too outdoorsy for you.
Bring your group or come on your own to elevate your game with weekend or midweek academies, private lessons, and group clinics. Plus – golf, nature hikes, spa, and superb dining and sipping. We offer convenient lodging from studio rooms to luxurious private homes.
855.845.1585 wintergreenresort.com
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OUTDOOR LIVING
Annie Gould Gallery A unique art gallery located in the heart of Historic Downtown Gordonsville. Offering an assortment of works by artists from around the country. 121-B South Main Street Gordonsville • (540) 832-6352 www.facebook.com/anniegouldgallery 109 S. Main Street, Gordonsville, VA www.instagram.com/anniegouldgallery
(540) 832-6352
anniegouldgallery
Jane Skafte
Jennifer Ansardi
Sue DuFour
Growing our own since 1971 Open 7 days a week
3.4 miles south of I-64 on 29S (turn right at the haybale) 434.295.2488 • www.eandtgreenhouses.com
OUTDOOR DRINKING Kopper Kettle & Virginia Lightning America's First Craft Whiskey DistiUery
Dark Chai Spice Rum • Vodka Golden Gin • Virginia Whiskey Apple Whiskey • Corn Whiskey Moonshine • Apple Pie Moonshine Peach Moonshine • Butterscotch Moonshine • Cherry Moonshine Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bonded Whiskey • 25 Year Special Reserve Whiskey
TOURS & TASTINGS GIFT SHOP & MUSEUM TUESDAY - SATURDAY 11: AM - 5:00 PM OPEN FIRST SATURDAY IN APRIL UNTIL DECEMBER WWW.BELM0NTFARMDISTILLERV.C0M 540-825-3207 13490 CEDAR RUN RD. CULPEPER. VIRGINIA
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GET OUT
Outsider art Our favorite plein-air murals and sculptures By Erika Howsare
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n a self-styled art town like Charlottesville, you don’t have to step into a gallery to have an art encounter. There are lots of places to see murals, sculptures, and even interactive works from your car or the sidewalk, or while strolling through the IX Art Park. Increasing the accessibility, the Charlottesville Mural Project—which has installed more than 20 murals since 2011—has a new interactive map to help you locate beautifully painted walls around town. Here are six of our favorite outdoor art pieces.
“Rivanna River by Poseidon”
5th Street Station Influenced by both graffiti art and classical mythology, this large installation by PichiAvo, two collaborators from Valencia, Spain, has inspired love and hate in equal measure from locals. Where do you come down?
Free speech monument
East end of the Downtown Mall Some might argue that the nearby Belmont bridge graffiti wall is the true monument to free expression. But we prefer the mall’s public chalkboard for its visibility and ease of use: just scrawl whatever deep or banal thought lurks in your mind, and you’ll have contributed to public discourse in Charlottesville.
IX Art Park Of all the murals, sculptures, and ever-changing craziness at IX, we love the vegetated dome by Kasia Borek the best. It’s inviting in such a simple way, and we have a soft spot for art that photosynthesizes.
SKYCLAD AERIAL
“The Nest”
“The World Called And I Answered”
Barracks Road mural
Barracks Road and 250 Bypass Of the nearly 40 murals listed on the CMP interactive map (charlottesvillemuralproject.org), this one by Chicho Lorenzo deserves a shout-out for its location in a place where people would otherwise be totally distracted by cell phones and traffic. Thanks for waking us up.
“The World Called And I Answered”
1309 W. Main St. Artist David Guinn has some amazing murals to his credit. Oh yeah, and poet Rita Dove—whose “Testimonial” inspired this one—is kinda famous, too. The poem’s full text is painted at street level on an adjacent wall.
SKYCLAD AERIAL
“Spirits of the Piedmont”
“Rivanna River by Poseidon”
Georgetown and Hydraulic roads Albemarle High School students commissioned and helped to paint this one by Emily Herr and Eleanor Doughty. We’re impressed with its beauty and sheer size—the length of a football field!
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CINE Golden Eagle Award
NY Festivals TV & Film
PEABODY Award Winner
Best Student Program
SUN VALLEY Film F e s t i v a l Hot Shot Winner
ALBANY
Film F e s t i v a l official Selection
LIGHT HOUSE STUDIO at Vinegar Hill Theatre
young people telling stories through filmmaking Take a film workshop Rent the theatre Attend a film screening
www.lighthousestudio.org 434.293.6992
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GET OUT
Calendar of events Places to go, art to see, bands to hear Dogwood Track Classic Friday, May 3-Saturday, May 4 The longest-running (pun intended) and most prestigious high-school track meet in the South draws athletes from 11 states and Washington, D.C. Free. 5pm Friday, 11am Saturday. UVA’s Lannigan Field, Copeley and Massie roads. cvilledogwood.com
Monticello Wine Trail Festival Monday, April 29-Sunday, May 5 Various times Events comprising this bacchanal of local wine and food take place at several different locations throughout the week, but if you choose to attend just one, try Saturday’s Grand Tasting at the Sprint Pavilion, featuring wines from 25 vineyards. All who pony up the $35 admission will enjoy live entertainment and tastings from 25 wineries. $35-80 Downtown Mall. monticellowinetrailfestival.com
Charlottesville Festival of Cultures Saturday, May 11 10am-4pm Now in its 16th year, this event celebrates Charlottesville’s cultural and linguistic diversity through food, crafts, performances, and demonstrations. Free. Booker T. Washington Park, 1001 Preston Ave. festivalofcultures.org
Know Good Beer and Bourbon Spring Festival Saturday, May 11 2-6pm IPAs, browns, reds, stouts, ales, ciders, sake, craft liquors—and lots of it. $40-80 for drinkers, $20 for designated drivers. IX Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. knowgoodbeer.com
Kids and Nature Festival Sunday, June 2 10am-1pm A petting zoo, a parade, live music, a raffle— those are just a few of the fun things kids will encounter at this event. See website for ticket prices. IX Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. ourlittleplanets.com
James River Batteau Festival Saturday, June 15-Saturday, June 22 A week-long voyage down the James, beginning at Lynchburg’s Percival’s Island.
Lockn'
Visit one of the stops to see bateaux crews dressed in 18th-century period costumes. Free, but see website for camping fees. vacanals.org/batteau
July 4 at Monticello Thursday, July 4 9am-noon This annual Independence Day celebration includes a moving Naturalization Ceremony for new U.S. citizens. Free. Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org
Red Wing Roots Music Festival Friday, July 12-Sunday, July 14 What is this, Woodstock? A whopping 48 bands perform, and you can also enjoy morning bike rides, hikes, or yoga sessions. Three-day general admission $139. 94 Natural Chimneys Ln., Mt. Solon. redwingroots.com
African American Cultural Arts Festival Thursday, July 25-Saturday, July 27 Various times each day Now in its 30th year, this festival celebrates African American culture, from literature to food to music. Free admission, registration required. Carver Recreation Center, 233 4th
St. NW, and Booker T. Washington Park, 1001 Preston Ave. cvilleafricanamfest.wordpress.com
Lockn’ Thursday, August 22-Sunday, August 25 Bring your sleeping bag for four nights of live performances by Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers, Gary Clark Jr., Chris Robinson Brotherhood, and many more. $229-$2099. Infinity Downs and Oak Ridge Farm, Arrington. locknfestival.com
Charlottesville Women’s Four Miler Saturday, August 31 8am In support of UVA Cancer Center’s Breast Care Program, this annual race draws thousands of participants. Adults, $45, youth/ student, $30. Arrival 6:30am. Foxfield, Garth Road. womens4miler.com
Best of C-VILLE party Friday, September 7 7-11pm This is the best party of the year (if we do say so ourselves). Unlimited food and drink, and a front-row seat for local music performances. Check website for ticket prices. McGuffey Art Center, 201 2nd St. NW. c-ville.com
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SWEET ON C-VILLE?
July 7-August 4, 2019 Held at Wintergreen Resort and neighboring wineries, cideries, and breweries. Tickets and weekend experiences on sale now.
More like tweet on C-VILLE. Get the scoop on our news, arts, and living content before anyone else. Follow us on Twitter @cvillenews_desk, @artscville, and @eatdrinkcville to find out what we’re covering this week!
Wintergreen-Music.org 434.361.0541
The Rivanna Conservation Alliance encourages you to get out and experience your local waterways this summer!
A clean and healthy Rivanna River starts with you!
•
Reduce harmful bacteria like E. Coli by picking up pet waste.
•
Prevent run-off by installing rain barrels and planting rain gardens.
•
Protect aquatic life by limiting usage of lawn fertilizers and chemicals.
•
Keep plastics out of our waterways by reducing reliance on single-use plastics, like grocery bags.
For more information or to volunteer, visit www.rivannariver.org
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Become a Rock Star!
CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE! www.crystalconnectionva.com • 434.973.3398 Seminole Square Shopping Center 345 Hillsdale Drive Charlottesville VA 22901
Toys, Treats, Gifts and Apparel for people and pets
www.pawprintsboutique.com
The Downtown Mall 201 East Main Street • Charlottesville, Va
Fully Accredited by Assistance Dogs International
Change a Life!
DOWN IN
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Join our organization as a puppy raiser, nights and weekends volunteer or a corporate sponsor and help change lives, including your own. For volunteer opportunities contact: linda@servicedogsva.org For corporate sponsor information
S E RV I C E D O G S OF V IRGINIA
Because life can change in an instant
PO Box 408 | Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 295-9503 | www.servicedogsva.org
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PHOTO: TOM DALY
contact: sally@servicedogsva.org
Showcasing the famous and almost famous since 1989. A weekly events calendar, reviews, expert picks, and choice insight on the local music scene. Highbrow to lowbrow.
This is our town.
.com
travelwv.com
304.264.8801
ADVENT
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LEFT: SAMANTHA BROOKE; RIGHT: LOUTER CREEK HUNTING POODLES
TURE
Nothing beats being in the great outdoors—except being there with your best fourlegged friend
DOGS!
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Science has proven the extraordinary connection between humans and dogs, but perhaps the best evidence of the bond is easier to find—when people and their pups get outside and play.
E
arlier this year, dogs made headlines for astonishing outdoorsporting feats, much to the joy and gratitude of their human friends. In mid-March, the story broke about a stray Tibetan mastiff-Himalayan sheepdog mutt that joined guide Don Wargowsky, of Seattle, and his climbing expedition in the early days of their month-long ascent of Baruntse, a Himalayan peak. Before the final push to the top, the dog— later named Baru, after the mountain— put in for the night at basecamp in Wargowsky’s tent. He left Baru behind, planning to rejoin her on the descent, and set out in the pre-dawn darkness. But when the climbers reached about 22,500 feet, Baru was waiting for them. She stuck with them all the way to the 23,389-foot summit, and was adopted by a Nepalese local at the end of the expedition. On March 17, Thomas Panek, 48, of South Salem, New York, became the first blind man ever to complete a half-marathon. Taking turns leading him along the 13.1-mile course in New York City were yellow Labrador retrievers, Waffles, Wesley, and Gus. “You probably don’t want the dog who wants to cuddle by the fireplace as your running guide,” Panek said after the race. “But there are some dogs who just love to run.” As any dog owner and outdoor enthusiast will tell you, there are also dogs who love to swim, fish, camp, hunt, compete in agility trials, and lead the way on mountainbiking rides. For every outdoor adventure—with the exception of sheer-face rock-climbing, perhaps—there is a dog that will join you. We’d like to introduce you to just a few from the Charlottesville area, and their owners, too.
By Shea Gibbs
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Pippy, a terrier mix, can run for hours with her owner, Gordon Wadsworth, and Wadsworth’s wife, Emily Hairfield (wearing pink socks), but also knows how to chill.
THE TRAIL RUNNER
Pippy BREED: Terrier mix
OWNER: Gordon Wadsworth
ADVENTURE: trail-biking
G
ordon Wadsworth and his wife, Emily Hairfield, see the trails they bike through the eyes of a dog. And they owe it to their tireless terrier Pippy. “Her love of the forest and being outdoors totally changes our mindset,” Wadsworth says. “Whatever is going on in our life, being outside, life is good.” Wadsworth, a professional mountain biker and three time national champion,
and Hairfield, also a competitive rider, had been looking for a dog to join them on mountain biking trails for about a year when they saw a notice for a wire haired female terrier-schnauzer rescue in 2014. They called the shelter in Raleigh, N.C., asked a few questions, and had to have her. They climbed in the car on Valentine’s Day and drove seven hours through a storm to bring Pippy home. “We knew we wanted a dog that could handle bikes and running, and terriers are good dogs for that,” Wadsworth says. “She has outshined what we expected.” A scruffy salt-and-pepper pup standing a foot and a half tall and weighing about 30 pounds, Pippy has faithfully followed Wadsworth and Hairfield for as many as 25 miles through rugged
ADVENTURE
THE GO-GETTER
Bootlegger BREED: Labrador retriever
OWNER: Alex Toomy
ADVENTURE: Wingshooting
A
lex Toomy was duck hunting with his dog Bootlegger when the wind started “blowing like crazy,” he says. Toomy, co-owner of distillery Ragged Branch on Taylor’s Mountain, sent Boot to retrieve a duck, and the male black Labrador retriever promptly brought it back. Another duck was down, as well, but it was in high chop in Lake Anna. Toomy was worried his loyal hunting dog might drown if he tried to retrieve it. He told Boot to stay put, and the dog obeyed. “He is just a really intelligent dog,” Toomy says. “He can figure out what’s going on in any different situation and just go with the flow. He never goes running off.” Boot was built for hunting, Toomy says, coming from a line of duck dogs in Delaware. He’s on the small side for a male lab
DOGS
at about 70 pounds, but he’s relaxed, obedient, and a great swimmer. “I’ve hunted with other dogs that are crazy, and he respects them when they are going to retrieve,” Toomy says. “A lot of times dogs are a pain in the ass to hang around [with] when hunting—guys yelling and screaming at them. It’s very stressful. With Boot, it’s not like that.” According to Toomy, Bootlegger knows where to position himself during a hunt, waiting along the banks prior to shots fired or sitting quietly in a blind or walking through fields. He looks to the skies as soon as he hears the sound of a safety click off, and he waits to retrieve until he’s released. “The key to making a great hunting dog is, when he’s a puppy, keep him in with you all the time,” Toomy says. “Other- wise, you have to blow a whistle at him all the time, and he’s like a robot.” Visitors to Ragged Branch, about 15 miles west of downtown Charlottesville, know Bootlegger for more than just being a great hunting dog. He’s the distillery’s brand ambassador and “official greeter,” Toomy says.
When Ragged Branch distillery co-owner Alex Toomy hunts, his black Labrador retriever, Bootlegger, is completely in tune with him.
AMY AND JACKSON SMITH
GORDON WADSWORTH
terrain. Her average run is 8 to 12 miles, Wadsworth says, and she always shows great trail manners. Wadsworth credits Hairfield for training Pippy to stay out of the way of her riders as they’re exploring the outdoors. Pippy checks her speed when the bikes are climbing and dutifully sneaks aside as they tilt downhill. Wadsworth says Pippy started hiking and running before making the transition to hanging with humans on wheels. “She is a great size for it—she’s amazingly healthy,” Wadsworth says. “It’s less about the bike training than just being outside with the family. You have to have everyone in mind when you’re on the trail with an animal. That’s the goal—it’s about family.”
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DEVILS BACKBONE BREWING COMPANY
ADVENTURE DOGS
Devils Backbone trade marketing manager Elizabeth Van Noppen shares a tent with June, a yellow Labrador retriever, at the brewery’s basecamp in Roseland.
Devils’ dogs
Adventure dogs are on everyone’s mind. By Joe Bargmann
M
any years ago, in a different life, it seems, I steered a little aluminum boat with an outboard motor across the glistening surface of a lake. The memory is so vivid that it includes the oily smell of the exhaust swirling around my head and mixing with piney puffs of the soft summer air. In the prow of the boat stood my deep-chested standard poodle, Muddy, staring resolutely ahead while the breeze ruffled his ears and curly chestnut-brown coat. He looked so heroic that it was comical. He sprang from the boat when we reached our destination, a rocky little island studded with trees. I secured the skiff, grabbed my fishing pole, and joined Muddy on dry land. Within 15 minutes I had hooked my first catch. As I reeled it into shallow water, the fish, a decent-sized bass, came into view, and my dog splashed toward it, furiously wagging his stubby tail. Muddy lunged toward the fish as I lifted it into the air, and I gently pushed him away, not wanting the hook to snag him. After I freed my catch from the line, I held it up for Muddy to inspect. He sniffed it, barked at it, and finally, licked it. Catching the fish had been fun. Witnessing Muddy’s reaction was pure joy. These scenes played in my mind like a home movie when I hatched the idea for this magazine’s cover story last January. Then, a few weeks later, a co-worker emailed me a link to the Devils Backbone Brewing Company website—specifically, to the page calling for entries to a photo contest called Adventure Dogs. Clearly, something was in the air. When I called Marisa Black, Devils Backbone’s marketing director, I could tell that her enthusiasm for the subject of adventure dogs, and their owners,
matched mine. She was a little breathless on the phone. “We’re really overwhelmed and excited by how many people have been interested in the contest,” Black said. “We got the idea based on how many people come to our brewery with their dogs, a lot of them after a day of hiking.” Limited to residents of 15 states, including Virginia (of course), the contest started—and people began sending in photos of their dogs, along with heartfelt accounts of spending time outdoors with them—ran from February 25 to April 1. According to Black, the final tally reached 6,054 entries and 86,674 votes. “That’s way, way more than we ever expected,” she said. The winners, which received between 3,000 and 4,000 votes each, are Archie, a golden retriever, Pokie, a Jack Russell terrier, Clementine, a bulldog, Brody and Valor, labradoodles, and Murphy, a collie. The dogs will be rendered by an illustrator and have their images printed on cans of Gold Leaf Lager. The beer, in 15-packs, hits the market June 1 and will be on shelves for four months. For each sale, $1 will be donated to Devils Backbone’s charitable partner, Washington, D.C.-based City Dogs Rescue and City Kitties. The nonprofit rescues animals from high-kill shelters and fosters them until they are adopted. Black says the contest has inspired her, and confirmed the genuineness of the connection between dogs, their humans, and outdoor adventure (and beer, natch). “It’s been really cool to hear from the owners about how dogs enhance their lives, about the special relationship they have with them,” she said. “The heartstrings part of this has been endearing.” I can relate. It’s been 14 years since my fishing adventure with Muddy, who crossed the rainbow bridge, as they say, on July 24, 2017. I will never forget that day, and I will always love Muddy. Now, I’m going to cry into my beer.
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Jack
BREED: Hound mix
OWNER: Brennan Gilmore
ADVENTURE: Fishing, boating
B
rennan Gilmore doesn’t have much time left with his best friend and fishing buddy, Jack. The 10-year-old hound was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer only a few weeks ago. Gilmore’s been taking Jack on adventures since 2011, and says he plans to make the most of the coming months with his pup. “We’re going to spend this entire spring giving him as much fun as he can have,” he says. Gilmore met Jack at the SPCA in Rockbridge County. He was looking for a traveling companion before taking off for the Central African Republic. For two years, Jack prowled the dangerous jungles and streets of Bangui alongside Gilmore, who worked at the embassy there. The 70-pound dappled hound dog was happy to be home when he and Gilmore returned to Virginia, his owner says. Gilmore, who runs Clean Virginia and competes in bass tournaments in his spare time, has taken Jack hunt-
ADVENTURE DOGS
THE BOATER AND THE HIKER
Aspen and Koa BREED: Golden retriever
OWNER: Samantha Brooke
ADVENTURE: Kayaking
S
amantha Brooke immediately pegged her male golden retriever, 6-year-old Koa, for a boater. She started putting him in her kayak when he was just a puppy, trying to get him used to the feel. But from 6 months on, Koa couldn’t sit still in the boat. He’d stand up, wobble around, shake the whole kayak. Brooke’s 65-pound female retriever Aspen, on the other hand, came to boating naturally. Brooke was camping with friends in western Virginia when she tried to leave the now 3-year-old pup on shore as she kayaked out to take pictures. Aspen, Koa’s half sister from the same mother, wasn’t about to be left alone. “She started racing after me,” Brooke says. “She likes to swim but is not the strongest. I thought she was going to
A faithful companion since his rescue 8 years ago, Jack the hound dog catches a scent while his owner, Brennan Gilmore, tries to catch a fish.
Aspen the golden retriever takes to a kayak like a fish to water. Her half-brother, Koa, prefers terra firma.
SAMANTHA BROOKE
ing, camping, and hiking over the years. But their favorite activity has always been fishing. “He prefers the fly fishing because we’re out moving around,” Gilmore says. Jack also happens to know his way around a hootenanny. Gilmore dabbles in bluegrass music, and Jack has become a talented singing dog. Gilmore says he spent a good amount of time training Jack while the pair patrolled Central Africa, but mostly he’s been a natural for outdoor sports. He no longer wades into the fishing hole to scare off Gilmore’s fish, he’s figured out the grass mats on tidal pools aren’t good for standing, and he’s learned the hard way that a slick dock can send him careening into the water after jumping off the boat. He even mostly stays away from lures as Gilmore sends them arching back and forth at the end of his fly rod. “He’s super chill and used to being around fish,” Gilmore says. “He knows his way around the boat.” Gilmore says he couldn’t ask for a better companion in the outdoors. “Being out in the natural world with a dog, it draws your attention to things you wouldn’t otherwise see. He is constantly searching the woods for interesting smells,” Gilmore says. “He is definitely my best friend.”
drown. As soon as she got in the kayak, she was content. That was day one of her kayaking story.” Brooke says she, her husband, and their 6-month-old son had their eye on goldens from the beginning, looking for dogs that would be good with kids and willing to go on long runs. Aspen and Koa have fit the bill as far as the family’s concerned, but they “are not big into endurance sports,” Brooke says. Aspen and Koa are fine with some light hiking, their owner says, often going as many as six miles, but Aspen’s true love is the kayak. Whereas Brooke tried to entertain Koa on the boat with toys and bones, Aspen sits or lies quietly while they glide along the water. Brooke says Aspen and Koa have made ideal companions for her lifestyle as a full-time PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant and part-time photographer. After a long week of consulting, sometimes on remote projects, Brooke says the chance to head outdoors with her pup pals is the ideal release. “With my dogs and my son—it allows that forced downtime,” she says. “In the world of consulting, that reset is very much needed, and it allows you to set that boundary.”
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A speedy Whippet in full stride.
The right dog for the job Looking to have some adventures with your canine compadre? Make sure your pup is a good fit for your favorite activity.
Doga
Bulldog So you’re into downward facing dogs, and your dog’s into lying around. Doga is definitely for you and your best bud. If you’re more interested in the “dog as prop” style of the practice (some folks prefer to pose actively with their dogs) the docile, zen-like bulldog is the perfect partner. Whippet Whippets hold most of the world’s records for Frisbee fetch, and it’s no wonder—the American Kennel Club says they’re exceptionally athletic due to their deep chest, trim waist, long neck, and slim legs. In other words, if you want a good disc dog, you must whippet.
Hiking
Burmese Mountain Dog Dogs love hiking—except they just think of it as walking. Depending on the difficulty of the hikes you’re planning, a Burmese mountain dog might be the perfect companion. They excel on short hikes through rough and rocky terrain, according to the veterinarians at PetMD.
Swimming
Newfoundland Newfoundlands are in the AKC’s working group, and the breed experts say they’re just as comfortable “working” in water as on land. The large dogs originally come from the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, the area from which Labrador retrievers also hail, and were bred to tow ship lines in harbors.
Trail Running
Weimaraner Most dogs love to run, but each breed has its specialty. Sure, greyhounds are lightning fast, but they’re not ideal for the trail. For long, steady runs, the AKC says the Weimaraner’s a winner, owing to its high energy and medium, muscled build.—S.G.
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LISA JACOBS, LYNNE BRUBAKER
Frisbee fetch
THE TIRELESS TRIO
Leica, Zeiss, and Jewels BREED: Border collie
OWNER: Lynne Brubaker
ADVENTURES: Agility trials, exploring
F
or border collie owners without acres of land and hoofed animals to herd, there’s only one thing to keep the canines capable—agility courses. Collies like photographer Lynne Brubaker’s Leica, Zeiss, and Jewels, are working dogs. According to the American Kennel Club, they’re constantly on the move, looking for something to do. They’re quick-footed, balanced, fast, and focused. Indeed, a border collie holds the current speed record for the Westminster Kennel Club’s Master Agility Championship.
And while Brubaker’s collies aren’t record holders, they’ve held their own in competition. Leica, a small, black and white female, is 11 years old. She’s now in retirement but was “quite successful” during her career, Brubaker says. Zeiss, a large 7-year-old, is in semi-retirement from competition after injuring his shoulder. And Jewels, a 2-year-old female, has just begun “trialing.” The young red and white collie started training at 8 weeks and is tougher in temperament and beefier in body than the rest of Brubaker’s brood. “You are constantly training the dog, learning new skills,” she says. “There are always new things to learn in agility as
ADVENTURE
DOGS
That dog will hunt
JOHN CARELLI
The poodle returns to its roots as a water retriever
Clapton, of Louter Creek Hunting Poodles, sports a Historical Continental Clip while fetching a duck.
By Joe Bargmann
Jewels chomps on a red fetching disc while Leica (middle) and Zeiss (front) laze in the grass. Zeiss leaps during an agility trial. The three amigos, Jewels, Zeiss, and Leica (left to right) get their paws wet.
course design changes, and that requires different kinds of handling techniques.” When they’re not working on agility or competing against other doggy daredevils, Leica, Zeiss, and Jewels stay fit hiking the trails around Keswick, where Brubaker has friends with farmland. They’re partial to hiking Montpelier, as well, but avoid the more difficult area hikes like White Oak Canyon. “I take them to places where I know it is really safe for them,” Brubaker says. Brubaker takes the time to capture photos while she’s on day hikes with her collies, and the dogs take the time to stay mentally sharp and physically fit. Sometimes the lot of them will jump in Brubaker’s Airstream for overnight adventures. “It makes life very enjoyable having a dog in it,” she says.
P
oodles get a bad rap as frilly leash candy. For this, we can blame the French. Forget Best in Show. The poodle has hunting-dog roots, which were developed in central Europe—particularly, in the area that would become Germany—in the 16th and 17th centuries. But during the 18th century, the breed became popular among French nobles, who, vainly imitating their own ornate hairstyles, had their pets’ coats elaborately clipped and primped. It’s little wonder that when the American Kennel Club first registered the poodle in 1887, it fell into the non-sporting group. Over the years, the poodle’s hunting instincts had diminished, because it was bred for companionship and as a show dog. Poodles also have hair instead of fur, which—given enough Aqua Net— makes it possible to sculpt them like topiary. But it’s also interesting to note that they are the only non-sporting AKC dogs eligible for retriever hunting tests. Searching online for a Virginia breeder of hunting poodles, I came across Four Oakes Kennels in Danville, which produces the pudelpointer—a cross between a poodle and an English pointer. Close, but no zigarre. Fortunately, I also came across the story of Charlottesville-area hunter Jason Pittman, who had acquired his dog, Walker, from Louter Creek Hunt-
ing Poodles, near Atlanta. Louter Creek is the South’s premier breeder of these specialized dogs. They are ideal for a hunt. Their webbed feet make them good swimmers, and they demonstrate agility, obedience, and eagerness to complete a task, such as fetching a bird shot out of the sky. “Guys would laugh when they saw Walker come out of the truck,” Pittman said in the Garden & Gun article. “My joke was ‘Laugh now, but you’ll be crying after you see him work.’” In AKC competitions with Pittman, Walker has earned Junior Hunter and Senior Hunter titles. I spoke with Rick Louter, who owns and runs Louter Creek with his wife, Angie. The couple has been breeding poodles as working dogs for close to 15 years, during which time they have also trained about 200 of them for water-fowl and upland-bird hunting. In early April, the Louters were in the midst of putting 12 seven-month-old standards through a four-month program. “A poodle makes a fantastic bird dog,” Rick Louter tells Unbound. “They’ve got such a good nose—I’d put ’em up against any of the more popular hunting breeds for that alone. There’s more to it than that, of course—and people are catching on. We are seeing an uptick of poodles in hunting trials.” All dogs, except those corrupted by humans to behave badly, deserve praise. But I challenge any breed to both rock the show ring and fetch a duck like a poodle.
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JUNE 8
JULY 13
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OL SHIRT AND MEDA
RUNNERS GET A CO
EST. 1976
AUGUST 17 46
OCTOBER 12
Summer Reading Challenge Fun for all ages!
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
Okay, but you seem to gravitate to writing about people in extreme situations, like the Tangier watermen. Why is it important to know about these people and these environments? Most of it is not by design, or maybe it is and I’m just not aware of it. I’m an extremely geeky guy. The kind of story that interests me isn’t necessarily a life-or-death struggle to survive. Those elements pop up along the way. It’s not like I go looking for them. For example, I was on Tangier when the Henrietta C. went down and Eddie Jacks [Charnock] drowned, so it was clear that would be part of the book and probably also a magazine story. I met my book deadline in October 2017. In November, I went back to Tangier and re-reported the Henrietta C. sinking for Outside. I liked the way the magazine story turned out so much that I pulled Chapter 22 out of the book and substituted it with much of what I’d written for the magazine. Had I not been there, I’m not sure I would have written about it. So, adventure finds you? Oh no, I can see the headline now. Don’t do that to me! [laughs] The key is to leave the building. If you leave the building—if you project yourself into the world—stuff will happen, and you’ll have things to write about. You’ve had this moment of being the expert on Tangier Island, which is slowly being engulfed because of sea-level rise. It strikes me as a very important story for our time. Unfortunately, it’s one of those stories that people won’t realize how important it is until the wider implications of climate change become all too apparent. Tangier is the proverbial canary in a coal mine. It’s just the first of hundreds, if not thousands, of towns that will face the same fate. And not long from now. We’ll live long enough to see it begin, and our kids will live plenty long enough to see this at its worst. The importance of Tangier is not that it’s a town of 460, or even that it has a lifestyle that sets it apart from any other place in America. It’s that it’s the first of many. And how we respond will inform what we do the next time and the time after that. It’s analogous to this French parable: There’s a pond with a lily pad on it the size of a silver dollar, and every day the lily pad doubles in size. After 30 days, the lily pad covers the entire surface of the pond. And the parable asks, on what day did the lily pad cover only half the pond? The answer is, on the 29th day. That’s where we are. That’s why I think Tangier is important. It’s a wakeup call. It should be, anyway. Circling back to you in the outdoors, and adventure. Looking at your work, those seem to be focal points. But you claim they’re not. I would not necessarily qualify myself as an environmental writer, though it’s certainly one of my passions. But I try to stay resolutely general assignment and not get pigeonholed. Journey on the James is, on the one hand, an adventure memoir, but on the other hand it’s a history book—much of it about the French and Indian War—masquerading as an adventure memoir. It’s a very different book from Chesapeake Requiem, which is not on its face an adventure story, although being there, I guess you could argue, was an adventure. It’s experiential. It’s deep immersion. If there is a common denominator in my stories, it’s that. There’s also a thread about having these places available to you, that these things are there for the taking. That’s an interesting point, because none of these are experiences are beyond the means—physical or financial—of most people who read about them. Going on the James River in a canoe is not exactly like going to the river of no return. I’m no Teddy Roosevelt, and I did it. It’s an achievable adventure. And people are really attracted to that kind of thing. And also because, I’m chicken. I’m not looking to kill myself. I want to live a long and boring life.
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THE
VIEW
The beauty of the James River, here partially shrouded in fog, is matched only by its storied past.
River of history Upon finding the source of the Jackson River, parent to the James River, Earl Swift writes in Journey on the James: Three Weeks through the Heart of Virginia: “From this trickle grows a river that offered sustenance to Indian and early colonist, carried pioneers to new lands of the West, bloomed red with the blood spilled in three wars. No other feature of American topography has so witnessed the country’s history. The continent’s first permanent English settlement, Jamestown, rose on the river’s bank. George Washington explored it, fought on it, and hatched plans for a grand canal system along its shore. On the run from the Redcoats, Thomas Jefferson may have holed up in a cave in its bluffs.”
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