Our Valley - July 2023

Our Valley

Our Valley

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Harleigh Cupp / DN-R

RECREATIONAL RIVERS

Exploring The Valley’s Best Blueways

By HARLEIGH CUPP Daily News-Record

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY — Some of America’s oldest roadways are its rivers. Also called blueways, the same winding and flowing rivers that carried settlers deep into the heart of Virginia now offer countless recreational opportunities for visitors and locals alike. There are four main rivers that flow through parts of Rockingham County, but each eventually empty into the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Together, the rivers also provide habitat for a long list of native animal species — some more commonly seen than others — including turtle, muskrat, heron and salamander.

Rivers flowing through the Shenandoah Valley are unique because rather than flowing north to south, they flow south to north and explains why most locals refer to going south as traveling “up the Valley,” according to Virginia.org.

The North River is an extremely diverse fishery that originates high up in the Allegheny Mountains. Its headwaters are cool enough to harbor trout while its downstream sections lend themselves to warmwater fish species such as smallmouth bass, sunfish and rock bass. The easiest public access point is from a recently constructed kayak launch in Mount Crawford

where paddlers can float seven or eight hours to the boat landing at Port Republic — where the North joins the South River to form the South Fork of the Shenandoah.

Not to be confused with the falls in Shenandoah National Park, the 50-milelong South River can be traced to just south of Greenville where it flows as little more than a stream until it passes through Waynesboro and Grottoes. While there are many fishing opportunities along the South River, fish consumption is not advised due to a long history of mercury contamination, according to the Department of Wildlife Resources. Popular access points include Crimora Park, Grand Caverns and the boat launch at John E. Painter Park.

The North Fork of the Shenandoah River moves through the opposite side of the county and covers 116 miles from northern Rockingham to Front Royal — where it joins the South Fork to form the Shenandoah River. While many consider this river a canoe paddler’s dream, the North Fork is shallower compared to others and excessive nutrients in the watershed promote the growth of algae and aquatic plants during the summer and fall months, according to the Department of Wildlife Resources. A kayak launch at Memorial Park allows access the the North Fork from Timberville.

Also

Lumber Jack grilling pellets

Harleigh Cupp / DN-R

Four main rivers — also called blueways — flow through Rockingham County, providing countless opportunities for recreation.

The South Fork of the Shenandoah River begins at the confluence of the North River and South River near Port Republic and flows 97 miles through flat pastureland. A majority of the land bordering the river is private property, but there are several public access points along the way including Island Ford, Elkton and Shenandoah.

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources offer helpful information for each of these waterways and more on their website at dwr.virginia.gov.

Massanutten River Adventures — founded by Stephen Nichols and his wife in 2000 — provides guests with easy access to their favorite stretch of the South Fork by renting canoes, kayaks and tubes, and transporting adventurers to and from Massanutten Resort and different launch points along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Having been a resort employee for years, Nichols responded to demand and expanded activities and amenities for its guests. He purchased a few boats, and business has been steady flowing ever since.

Massanutten River Adventures operates independently from Massanutten Resort, but during the peak of summer vacation time, the business shuttles nearly 100 guests to and from the river each day.

“I get out there myself,” remarked Nichols, “and have found that the most

intriguing thing about a river trip is that it is all-encompassing and all-engaging in a way that is not found in normal life. Pick a beautiful day, be prepared and just enjoy.”

One memory Nichols recalled from taking his children — who now constitute the second generation of Massanutten River Adventures employees — on the river was challenging them to a turtle count. It’s like the old-school license plate game, but boat style, explained Nichols.

“You can go on the same stretch of river over and over again and still see new things,” Nichols said. “It’s the beauty of the countryside we’re paddling through [that makes the rivers in this area so unique], and we’re super blessed to have such a nice section of river so close to our business.”

To make reservations for a trip along the South Fork this summer or fall, visit Massanutten River Adventures online at massadventures.com.

From kayaking on chilly spring mornings when the tributaries and streams flow heavy with early season rains to tubing down the wide, deep water on a hot summer day to canoeing through reflections of colorful foliage in the fall, the Shenandoah Valley provides the ultimate connection to solitude on several blue-ways that have been nourishing the land for generations.

Contact Harleigh Cupp at hcupp@dnronline.com

Blueways

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Harleigh Cupp / DN-R

A young paddler accesses the North Fork of the Shenandoah River from a kayak launch in Timberville.

Hiking Safety And Locations

By LISA LANDRAM Daily News-Record

As summer wanes and turns into fall, the area turns into an autumn treeline. The Shenandoah National Park has some tips and tricks to help hikers and photographer be safe.

“Harrisonburg is a great location for accessing the Shenandoah National Park. If you head 33 East, it will take you to the entrance of the park,” according to Claire Comer, public information officer for the Shenandoah National Park, “between the central district and the south district.”

Shenandoah National Park offers a variety of activities for different types of adventures, according to Comer.

“Take a left and go north on Skyline Drive,” Comer said.

That is the central district — the busiest, most popular part of the park, according to Comer. The area has activities, places to eat, the visitor center and “some of the best hikes,”Comer said.

According to Comer, going right into the south district is a wonderful choice.

That area is away from the crowd and offers a more solitary experience.

“I think some of the most beautiful views are in the south district, and some really wonderful hikes are there as well,” Comer said.

To help keep hikers safe in the Shenandoah National Park, Comer provided some tips.

Follow the speed limit. The roads are curvy, and hikers, bicyclists and animals are in or near the roadway, according to Comer. There have been some bad wrecks in the area. Comer said 35 miles per hour speed limit is the number one key to safety.

She also suggested hikers be prepared and plan ahead. Do research on the type of terrain and consider the physical abilities needed, she said.

Packing for a trip is also important and Comer recommended having water packed and having enough for a quart per hour. She stated that when people are not properly hydrated, they can feel weak, get a headache or have major health problems.

She also recommended having a flashlight or headlamp.

“It is something that does not take up much space in your bag,” she said. “This does not include the flashlight on your cell phone.”

The National Parks website has a link called Ten Essentials, at https:// www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials. htm, which is a guide to prepare hikers.

Staying on a trail is another safety measure that Comer recommends.

“Our worst accidents happen at the waterfalls. People are climbing around on the slippery moss-covered rocks and fall,” Comer said.

Wildlife can also pose safety concerns to hikers and photographers. Comer stated that it is important not to approach animals and to use a zoom lens when photographing them.

For the hiker and photographer looking for the perfect view or photo, Comer said there is a trail in the south district called Blackrock.

“The hike out there for the sunset is gorgeous,” she said.

The National Parks website and app has information about how long trails are, the terrain type and if dogs are permitted on the trail.

“You can look at hikes, search by the name of a hike, search by the type of hike,” Comer said.

According to Comer, there are also kid friendly hikes and a scavenger hunt.

Shenandoah National Park’s website is https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm. The app is also available for download. Comer said to make sure to look for the arrowhead logo. That is the correct logo for the app.

Comer suggests that when downloading the app, make sure it is downloaded for offline use because there’s lots of places in the park that don’t have service. The app is interactive and when hiking, the app can help track where the app user is.

“There’s a little bubble that tracks you so that if you get to an intersection, and you’re not sure which way to go, it shows you which way to go,” Comer said.

Guests can also obtain a paper map by downloading it or asking for a map at the entrance of the park.

Contact Lisa Landram at 540-574-6299 or llandram@dnronline.com. Follow Lisa on Twitter @LisaLandram.

Landram / DN-R

Lisa Landram and Matthew Kirby at Blackrock Summit.

CONTEMPORARY QUILTS

Virginia Quilt Museum To Display Works By Susan J. Lapham

By RHYS MCCLELLAND Daily News-Record

Contemporary Quilter Susan J. Lapham will open a new exhibit titled “Play Land” at the Virginia Quilt Museum on July 7.

Lapham, who spent her career working as a statistician for the federal government in Washington, D.C., now spends her time deep in creativity in her home studio in northern Virginia. Lapham produces quilting works that “push the limits of balance, proportion and symmetry.” Her works have been displayed and recognized nationally with awards, commendations and sales to both collectors and The International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The “modern quilting” movement has recently experienced growth to a $5 billion-a-year industry as more young people enter the quilting world, according to Lapham, and it is seeing a new wave of creativity, new designs and experimentation. She said this show will be a demonstration of the potential of quilting for telling deeply personal stories through perhaps unexpected designs.

While quilting has historically been a hereditary craft, passed down by generations, Lapham was self-taught in her youth, beginning with other needlecrafts.

“Neither my mother or grandmother did quilting. My mother was very much into women’s liberation and wasn’t going to do any of this ‘woman’s stuff,’” Lapham said. “But I taught myself to sew and crochet and weave and all sorts of crafts.”

It was in high school that Lapham found the inspiration to try quilting.

“I have four brothers. At some point in high school, I wanted to make each of them a quilt, so I taught myself to quilt and made them each one. And I’ve never stopped.”

Until the early ‘90s, Lapham focused on what she referred to as “useful quilts” before transitioning into “art quilts” for wall display.

The exhibit, which runs until Oct. 4, will feature works from three different collections created by Lapham.

She said that inspiration guides her toward grouping works into thematic series.

“The primary focus of the exhibit is pieces from my Play Land series,” she said. “Play Land was a 2020 project. At the beginning of the year, I said, I’m going to make 10 pieces that are approximately seven feet by seven feet.”

Delving deep into cherished childhood memories, Lapham based each of the pieces on recollections of time spent at the Playland amusement park in Rye, New York, where she spent many after-school evenings and weekends with her brothers.

“Each of the pieces represents some aspect of the park. There was a huge ice arena that was attached to the park. Play Land number one is about the ice arena. Play Land number two is about the bumper cars. Play Land number three is about the boardwalk,” she said.

On why childhood memories play such a large part in her creativity, Lapham explained, “We grew up overseas. My parents were doing peace corps type work before the peace corps existed. They worked with refugees, so we were all born overseas. And we really only had each other because we moved around a lot, so my brothers and I are very close.”

The second main focus for the exhibition is the series “Oh Brother!” — which is a more personal and intimate exploration of the deep relationship Lapham has to this day with her four brothers, but also the experience of being the only female in the group.

See QUILTS, Page 7

Photos by Daniel Lin / DN-R Vienna quilter Susan Lapham rolls up a piece as she hangs her exhibition in a gallery at the Virginia Quilt Museum.

“I have a quilt that is the start of the series called ‘I [heart] my brothers’ then one quilt for each of my four brothers, then one quilt that I called ‘The Only Girl,’” she said. “It’s very moving for me. They just finished hanging them and I’ve not seen them hanging together ever yet, so it’s really nice to have that opportunity.”

Lapham has a home studio that contains a 25-foot wide design wall, where she can craft the composition before sewing, allowing freedom in creativity.

“I love the design aspect, the composition,” Lapham said. “So all these various compositional aspects are also floating around my head. Is there balance, proportion, depth, value?”

Often using scraps of material, and with a passion for reusing and recycling, Lapham said some pieces can have thousands of individual pieces of fabric in one piece.

Then the process engages the scientist and engineer in the artist with what Lapham refers to as the ‘Engineering’ stage — stepping back from a design and undergoing the logistical steps of sewing and quilting.

Lapham cited the support of her husband John Tsiaperas as the reason she can be so productive in a year.

“I design all my own quilts and sew them, then the quilting of the three layers my husband does,” she said. “He has what is called a long-arm sewing machine. It’s 14 feet wide and has this huge sewing head on it. He has

a long arm business where he quilts for other people too, so that frees me up to do a lot more of what I love to do in the design.”

“You have to dig really deep into your soul to find what drives you, to find inspiration. The deeper you dig the better artist you become, and it’s hard because you are bearing your soul to the world, making yourself vulnerable by putting your art out there,” Lapham said. “I feel like it’s my mission to encourage, especially women who might not have a lot of confidence in themselves, that anybody can be creative. You just have to take that leap into believing in yourself, and start, get something on the wall, get something on the table. There is creativity in everybody, you just have to believe it.”

For more information about Laphams’ works and inspiration, visit her website at https://www.susanjlapham.net/.

Play Land can be seen at the Virginia Quilt Museum, opening July 7 through October 4. The museum will be open to guests Tues — Sat: 10:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M for $8 admission, $7 for seniors, $5 for students, and children under 12 are free.

Virginia Quilt Museum also offers annual memberships that can be purchased on the website. For more information visit https:// www.vaquiltmuseum.org/ or follow the museum for updates on Facebook by searching Virginia Quilt Museum.

The Virginia Quilt Museum is located at 301 S. Main St., Harrisonburg.

McClelland at 540 574 6274 or rmcclelland@dnronline.com

540-896-2880

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Do You Know The DANGEROUS DIFFERENCE?

If you see winged, ant-like insects flying around your property, you need to know whether they are ants or subterranean termites. Your house could be in danger! Carefully compare the insects flying around your house to the illustration below. If you’re uncertain, call us for positive identification. If the insects are termites, CALL US IMMEDIATELY. We will eliminate their colony and protect your house.

Ants vs. Termites

Vienna quilter Susan Lapham rolls lint off a piece as she hangs her exhibition in a gallery at the Virginia Quilt Museum.