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Contents
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Lookout!
Get a 360° mountain view from one of the area's fire towers
The Bristol Magazine is a commemorative publication published by the Bristol Herald Courier®, a BH Media Group newspaper, at 320 Morrison Boulevard, Bristol, Va. Periodicals postage paid at Bristol, Va. All Rights reserved. The contents may not be reproduced without prior written consent of the newspaper. ISSN 8750-6505.
Publisher: Jim Maxwell 276-645-2552 jmaxwell@bristolnews.com Editor: Rob Walters 276-645-2513 rwalters@bristolnews.com
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The Sky's The Limit
ZIP ACROSS THE SKY 300+ feet above the ground at roughly 40 mph.
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20
Shoot the rapids!
Are you "bould" enough?
Get wet, go fast, have fun
Put your problems on hold and just climb
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Ride like the wind!
Grab your bike and head to "The Creeper"
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Things that go bump in the night... Give your adrenaline a fright night
No roads? No problem!
MUD-SLINGIN' dirt-dealin' adrenaline pumpin' back woods adventures.
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Take the plunge!
Dive into the Gray Quarry and view the world as few have ever seen
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Rev it up a notch... or two!
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Blast off!
Take to the lake or the slopes for a high-octane energy boost
SLIDE ONTO THE "Back of the Dragon" or try to tame "The Snake."
Advertising: Scott Maxwell 276-645-2521 smaxwell@bristolnews.com Images Editor: David Crigger Design & Layout: Missy Hale Contributors: David McGee, Earl Neikirk, Andre Teague, Alyssa Oursler, Robert Sorrell, Joe Tennis, Lurah Spell, Dalena Mathews, Tammy Childress, Paul Rice, and Chelsea Gillenwater Website: Paul Rice Extra and back copies of the Bristol Magazine are available for $2.95 each. Just Call: 276-645-2557
ADVERTISING
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CIRCULATION
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17 10
Feel the Thunder!
RUN THE QUARTER-MILE at Bristol's Street Fights 2 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
Puzzle This!
Bristol Herald Courier trio takes on the Escape Game
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Ready, Aim, Fire!
Experience the rush of hitting a bullseye from 100 yards away
Design and all staff-produced material copyrighted. Postmaster: Send corrections to Bristol Herald Courier, P.O. Box 609, Bristol, VA 24203
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Go ahead... The sky's the limit! Zip across the sky 300+ feet above the ground at roughly 40 mph
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com BY JOE TENNIS
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PHOTOS BY EARL NEIKIRK/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Whether you are young or old, there is a zipline adventure waiting just for you to have the high-flying time of your life.
4 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
e climbed to the Towers Overlook and prepared to launch at the lip of the Grand Canyon of the South. This marked the second stop on our Tarzan-ish tour of The Breaks, where you can now get an eagle’s eye view of the gorge on the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River. Take a zip. And you’ll soar above trees at roughly 40 mph. “The speed is hard to guess,” said Breaks Interstate Park’s Tim Cleary. “It depends on how big you are and how aerodynamic you are as to how fast you get across.” What you can gauge is the fun factor of this recently installed zip line course at Breaks. Cost is $50 per person. “Awesome!” said 19-year-old zip line guide Dalton Sawyers of Lick Creek, Kentucky. “That’s all I can say — especially the adrenaline that you get if you’re afraid of heights.” Cleary echoed Sawyers’ sentiment. At 31, he’s the director of adventure tourism at Breaks Interstate Park. And it’s his job to oversee the zip line — from guiding guests to serving as safety inspector. This course was built to merge with its
Just Zip It! Breaks Interstate Park, 627 Commission Circle Breaks, Virginia, lies about eight miles north of Haysi, Virginia, near the Virginia-Kentucky border in Dickenson County. 276-865-4413, www.breakspark.com
Hungry Mother Adventures, 2382 Old Lake Road, Marion, Virginia. 276-791-0743, www. hungrymotheradventures.com Off the Grid Mountain Adventures, 1825 Highway 19E-North, Elizabethton, Tennessee (on road between Bristol and Elizabethton). 423-707-6022, www. offthegridmountainadventures.com
surroundings, said Cleary, of Elkhorn City, Kentucky. “It’s not big, ugly towers that don’t fit in. As you can see, you can barely see our platforms. They’re brown, and they fit in. And it just runs from overlook to overlook,” Cleary said. “So there’s already small development where they are, like the fencing and stuff like that. So it just fits into the landscape.” Feel like flying Breaks Interstate Park added the zip lines in October — just in time for the leaf-peeping season. The first zip line stretches 570 feet from a secluded launch to the Towers Overlook. The next runs 850 feet from Towers Overlook to Millrock Point. “And the platform that you land on is kind of like an eagle’s nest up in a tree,” Cleary said. “It just kind of sticks out, so it does give it that almost-pillar feel to it.” The third goes from Millrock Point to Lovers Leap, spanning 740 feet. “Then we shuttle you back up in a van,” Cleary said with a smile. The zip line course does not actually cross the gorge. “You are over a lot of the gorge,” Cleary said, “and you feel like you are out further than you are.” You also feel like you’re flying. “You’re not just going over a field,” Cleary added. “You’ve got that big gorge, and you feel a lot more exposed.” Best of all, these lines do not require the rider to hand-brake, said Cleary. “Basically, all you have to do is ... have a good time.”
‘Adrenaline-rush package’
between 90 and 265 pounds. The largest span, Line No. 3, stretches nearly 1,300 feet in length, with riders flying over fully mature trees. Line No. 3 offers “exhilaration,” Giaquinto promised. “You feel like you are part of the mountains and into the clouds. As you turn to the left, you really are flying high, and you see the entire mountain range. You see what the entire beauty of Southwest Virginia looks like.” These zip lines have proven popular with all kinds of visitors — from amputees and kids as young as nine to adults in their 80s. It is also easy: You sit down in the harness and take a ride. And it’s totally automated, Giaquinto said. “The only thing you have to do is have fun.”
Highway speeds The same goes for the zip lines at Off the Grid Mountain Adventures in Northeast Tennessee. Here, owner Monie McCoury is luring swingers to U.S. 19E, the four-lane highway linking a pair of Tennessee towns — Bristol and Elizabethton. “Zip lining is fun. It’s great. It’s exciting,” said McCoury, 56. “And this one is more adrenaline-based. It really gets your heart pumping.” Open since April 2016, Off the Grid Mountain Adventures features dual, 3,000-foot zip lines near the center of a 76-acre property. “We take you up, and you zip — this mega-big zip,” McCoury said. “And it goes all the way across the mountain at speeds of up to 60 mph. You really feel that speed. When you’re going highway speeds on a cable, that’s pretty crazy.” Yes, it is. You feel like you are in flight over a leafy green forest, about 300 feet off the ground.
You can also be the big pretender in the woods of Smyth County: Fly like JOE TENNIS/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER Peter Pan. Dustin Sawyers, 19, from Lick Creek, Kentucky, said the adrenaline rush was "Awesome!" as he soared over Consider the high-flying action of the forest during his turn zipping from tower to tower at eight zip lines installed in the forested Breaks International State Park. jungle near Marion, Virginia. The site’s “mini-zip” is geared for kids as well as beginners. WHEW! “Adults can ride it,” said Lenny Giaquinto, 47, a co-owner of One recent rider was a 93-year-old woman. Hungry Mother Adventures. “Zip lining, when done right, when you’re not doing your “And we have the five lines for adults,” Giaquinto added. “We’re not your traditional canopy tour but rather a ridgeline own braking, when you have a sender and a braker, and you’re fully engineered, is one of the safest things that you can ever tour, soaring from mountaintop to mountaintop,” Giaquinto said. “And we boast that we are the highest, tallest, fastest zip do,” McCoury promised. “So if you can get on a wheelchair and ride across a parking lot, you can ride a zip line.” line in the state of Virginia.” And, that big line is also not the end of the line for this $39 Hungry Mother Adventures also features a 25-foot-high stunt jump and a climbing wall. “And we have the ‘adrenaline- tour. After taking the plunge, you then zip back across the mounrush package’ that includes all eight lines plus the stunt jump tain, eventually reaching a lookout tower. and the rock wall,” Giaquinto said. “It is $80.” New for 2018: McCoury has added “The Whoosh!” — a stunt On a summer’s day, I tried “the mini-zip.” And, yes, I bag that breaks the falls of jumpers from that tower. whipped up a breeze like Tarzan through the trees. “So this is kind of taking it to the extreme,” McCoury said The park’s outpost stands within a mile of Hungry Mother State Park on the outskirts of Marion; the actual zip line site is with a smile. “And you zip line into the sunset,” he added. “That wasn’t by about two miles away. design. We were just blessed enough to have an east-western Hungry Mother Adventures opened in October 2016. You can ride the five largest lines for $55 — so long as you weigh zip.” BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 5
BY DAVID MCGEE
No roads? No problem!
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romotional materials for Spearhead Trails state that with 400 miles to ride, the greatest challenge is choosing where to start. They aren’t kidding. The state-supported trail network covers a large portion of Southwest Virginia and offers five distinct routes for the adrenaline junkie. The Spearhead Trails project began about a decade ago with the Mountain View trail near St. Paul and the original Pocahontas Trail in Tazewell County — and both remain key parts of the network. More recent additions include Haysi’s Ridgeview trail and Stone Mountain trail near Pennington Gap. All trail description information is gleaned from the Spearhead Trails website. The trails are overseen by the Southwest Region Recreation Authority, which uses the trail program to promote tourism and economic development for the region, according to its website. A 2017 study showed the trail network generated between $18 million and $22 million in impact in its first five years of operation, including $5.3 million for fiscal 2016-17. Clearly, lots of folks are slinging mud in Southwest Virginia. All trail systems are open to dirt bikes, mountain bikes and hikers, but horses are not allowed for their safety.
Mud-slingin' dirt-dealin' adrenaline pumpin' back woods adventures
Degree of difficulty: Each trail is marked for degree of difficulty so riders should know what trail colors mean.
GREEN: Easy BLUE: Moderate Check out the video at
BLACK: Hard
HeraldCourier.com PHOTO COURTESY SARAH HAUSER
The Spearhead Trails offer family-friendly ATV and equestrian trail systems, a world-class riding destination with over 500 miles for every skill level.
6 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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ONLINE
spearheadtrails.com
Mountain View Mountain View is a 100-mile multi-use trail system designed for ATVs and sideby-side vehicles. It has two trailheads, one at Maggie Way campground in the town of St. Paul and the other in the town of Coeburn at Dan Hall Mountain, both of which offer convenient dining and lodging
options. Riding options range from easygoing to heart-pounding, plus 17 miles of trails just for dirt bike riders.
Original Pocahontas The original Pocahontas trail system is located near the town of Pocahontas. It provides visitors with an exciting deep woods experience along with rest stops and stunning views along its 73-mile route. The trail has two trailheads: One near the town park offers a small parking lot and access to town, and the other trailhead, at Boissevain Park, offers a large parking lot, bathrooms, a shelter and access to fuel and food.
views of the mountains. The trailhead is just outside the town of Haysi at Kiwanis Park, with parking available for trucks with trailers.
Stone Mountain Stone Mountain trails in Lee County offer 32 miles of challenging trails for more experienced riders with nine overlooks, many which have rest areas and picnic tables. The trail is considered more technical than others in the network. The trailhead is at Leeman Field Park, which offers full service RV sites, picnic area, a permit office and other amenities.
Coal Canyon The largest of the Spearhead trail systems, Coal Canyon is a 112-mile multi-trail system on 5,600 acres. Located near Poplar Gap Park in Buchanan County, developers hope to expand Coal Canyon to include up to 500 miles of continuous trails. Coal Canyon connects to the town of Grundy and the Ridgeview Trail System with its trailhead near the town of Haysi. Coal Canyon is considered a good choice for riders of all skill levels. Southern Gap Outdoor Adventures, which is located at the trailhead, offers tent camping, full service RV sites, cabins and ATV rentals. The staff organizes elk viewing tours and other events.
Ridgeview ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Dirt bike enthusiasts love to get dirty on one of the many available trials in the Spearhead trail system.
Haysi’s Ridgeview trail system opened last year and includes more than 75 miles of trails for all experience levels and open ridge riding with great
Trail Rules: ➽ Permits are required and every rider and passenger must have a permit ➽ Trail systems are open from daylight to dark ➽ DOT or SNELL Helmets must be worn at all times by all riders ➽ Day Pass wristbands must be worn at all times ➽ Stay on designated trails — failure to do so will lead to arrest and will ruin all your fun ➽ No doubling except on machines designed for two ➽ Annual permits shall be visible on left side of helmet ➽ Don’t litter ➽ Ride only on trails within your ability. Trails designated black are most challenging. ➽ Absolutely no alcohol or firearms are allowed on the trail at any time
Quad riding is fun for the whole family — if you don't mind getting covered in mud.
CONTRIBUTED
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 7
Rev it up a notch... or two! Slide onto the "Back of Dragon" or try to tame "The Snake"
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com
Back of the Dragon
The "Back of the Dragon" is touted as a must-see, must-ride for motorcyclists.
3 mountain ranges. 32 miles of asphalt. 438 curves.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SMYTH COUNTY TOURISM, PHOTOGRAPHER CAMERON DAVIDSON
BY JOE TENNIS
Y
ou know what you want when you ride the iron: a smooth surface with lots of curves. And great scenery should be served with plenty of cool spots to stop. Rev up your engines, motorcycle fans, because that’s what you’ll find in the Mountain Empire. Ride your bike to Southwest Virginia to discover the “Back of the Dragon.” Or roll to Northeast Tennessee to slip across “The Snake.”
‘Back of the Dragon’
JOE TENNIS/BHC
8 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
JOE TENNIS/BHC
The Snake
From Marion to Tazewell, you cross three mountains in Southwest Virginia, just like the three humps of a dragon’s back. Talk about curvy: A CocaCola bottle or even Marilyn Monroe’s figure has nothing compared to the 32 miles and 438 curves of state Route 16, connecting U.S. 11 to U.S. 460 while crossing
3 mountain ranges. 37 miles of asphalt. 489 curves.
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ONLINE
www.visitvirginiamountains.com www.thesnake421.com
Tazewell and Smyth counties. This scenic byway has been dubbed “Back of the Dragon,” and it’s being touted as a must-see, must-ride for motorcyclists. “What’s great about this road is not only is it a motorcycle haven,” said Ron Thomason, the director of Smyth County tourism, “there’s an abundance of wildlife on it.” Simply consider the scenery: Rows of wild mountain ranges called Walker, Brushy and Clinch separate places called Thompson Valley and Tannersville. “Nice asphalt, three mountain passes, nice and curvy,” said 54-year-old Mark Prater, who sells “Back of the Dragon” T-shirts at his Atkins Camp store near Marion. “It’s a nice, cool ride,” Prater said. “Anybody can ride it.” Along the way, you pass the ultra-scenic Hungry Mother State Park near Marion, along with many ups and downs, switchbacks, old barns and long-range views. “All of these roads wander through the peaks and valleys of this area,” Thomason said. “And ‘Back of the Dragon’? This is the premier ride.”
421 since 2014. Last year, the pavement on “The Snake” was freshly topped, Dugger said. “And I’ve been advertising, ‘The snake has new skin.’” Dugger makes it a tradition to reopen her store in Johnson County, Tennessee, each April 21. EARL NEIKIRK/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER “See? 4-21?” Dugger Bikers gather at the Shady Valley Country Store along U.S. 421 to relax and hang out. said. “Isn’t that kind of clever?” Inside, the Shady when you’re done.” Greer, 58, while his Harley-DaValley Country Store sells Those curves — crossing from vidson Electra Glide sat parked T-shirts — “thousands,” said Shady Valley to Mountain City outside the Shady Valley CounDugger — and caters to biking — are a big reason why biker try Store. enthusiasts with information Todd Greer bought a retire“On the straight-aways,” on “The Snake” and motorcycle ment home at Mountain City. Greer said, “the fastest I displays. “Some of the curves are probably got was up to 45 — “This is where they come to tighter than others,” said maybe.” relax. These people come to
421 to relax and play and get away from the world,” said Dugger, a longtime resident of Shady Valley. “The Snake,” according to Dugger, runs from Corn Creek in the Mountain City area to a now-closed store along U.S. 421 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, just west of Holston Mountain. On that western end, Dugger said, “The last curve we officially recognize is known as Jack’s Corner — a ‘The Snake’ big, long sweeping curve.” One thing’s for sure: The Yet other maps suggest motorcycle route called “The Snake” slips through Shady Val- “The Snake” may roll west ley, Tennessee, and rolls east to on U.S. 421, passing South Mountain City on U.S. Highway Holston Lake, and nearly reaching Bristol, Tennessee. 421. Some also contend the route Where it goes west, north may run north to Damascus, or south, still, may be up for Virginia, or follow south debate. But this much is known: The toward Elizabethton. Primarily, Dugger considers Snake contains curves — lots of “The Snake” a Route 421 ride. ‘em — and certainly deserves “You can kind of tell when its name for its Mountain Citythe curves start,” Dugger to-Shady Valley connection. said. “And after you get off “It’s 421,” said Avery Dugger, 33, the owner of the Shady the mountain, it straightens Valley Country Store along U.S. out. So you can kind of tell
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Feel the Thunder! Run the quarter-mile at Bristol's Street Fights
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BY DAVID MCGEE
weaty palms grasp the steering wheel as the top yellow light of a contraption in the track’s center flickers on. Ease off the brake pedal and allow the car to creep forward until the next light does the same. Steal a glance toward the opposite lane and then refocus straight ahead at the rows of lights stacked in the middle of a long, straight ribbon of concrete and asphalt. A trio of amber-colored lights flash on and off before yielding to green. It’s go time as your right foot shoves the accelerator to the floorboard — just like in faded dreams of stoplights past — and your beater, daily driver, motorcycle, muscle car, pickup truck, SUV or minivan lurches forward and gains speed. You are now drag racing — at Thunder Valley — one of the most famous, most renowned drag strips in the world. And in less time than it took to read the last two sentences, you covered the quarter-mile course and crossed the finish line.
Upcoming Street Fights Saturday, June 30 Saturday, Aug. 4 Saturday, Sept. 8 Gates open: 5 p.m. Racing begins: 6 p.m.
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ONLINE bristoldragway.com/ tickets/street-fights/
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Bristol’s Street Fights is a miniature version of the Thunder Valley Nationals where participants can run the quarter-mile in any vehicle of their choosing. New this year is a car show and drifting. 10 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
While there are no trophies, beauty queens or live TV interviews waiting at the end of your run — if you hurry back to the lanes — you can do it all over again. Welcome to Bristol’s Street Fights, a miniature automotivethemed circus that plays out on the same stage as the Thunder Valley Nationals — where the likes of John Force, Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps regularly exceed 330 miles per hour, and legends of the past are enshrined on the skyboxes overlooking the starting line. “There was a need to give local, regional people an opportunity to come out and have fun. It’s the minor league baseball version of everything we do. It’s affordable, it’s very laid back,” said dragway business manager Brandon Cross. “We try to do something for everybody. We’ve added drifting this year, and we’ve added a car show. It’s more than just for people interested in their cars but for people who just want to watch or check out the drifting or check out the car show. It’s more of a full event now than it ever has been.” For more than 15 years, officials at Bristol Dragway have managed the Street Fights program designed primarily
for amateurs who want to see how quickly and fast their street-legal machine can run. After years of running a combination of weeknights and weekends, for 2018, the Street Fights program shifts to an all-Saturday schedule with gates opening at 5 p.m., and cars hitting the track at 6 p.m. “Saturdays have always been a big request from people who do participate or people who can’t participate because they can’t ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER Motorcycles are welcome at the Street Fights to see how they stack up to the pros. make it on a weeknight. We’ve always tried to balwanted to learn how to do the ance what the right number of determined by the track’s Compulink computerized timlights and improve her reaction Street Fights are. Some years ing system — an audio competime. It was a reminder of why we did too many, and some tition for machines capable of we do it. It’s an opportunity for years we didn’t do enough running 125 and 150 miles per people to come.” — and you never know what hour. Among the regulars — and the weather is going to do,” Everything from diesel pickalways a crowd favorite — is Cross said. “We’ve had two, up trucks and motorcycles to 90-year-old Willard Kinzer and we’re really happy with muscle cars, such as Camaros of Allen, Kentucky, a former the turnout and we’ve been and Challengers, to minivans national motorcycle hill climb blessed with good weather.” appear on the race track. champion who developed an At this writing, three events “It really is for everybody. affinity for Pro Modified-style remain on the track’s 2018 drag racing in the past decade schedule — June 30, Aug. 4 and You get guys who trailer their cars in that will be pretty fast or so. Kinzer is typically the Sept. 8. race cars. They’re not street fastest car at Street Fights, Besides just making runs legal cars,” Cross said. “From regularly running nearly 200 down the drag strip, entrants that side all the way to one miles per hour. He was the can compete in special chaltime we had an 80-year-old Street Fights Power Hour lenges including Perfect Light lady in her minivan whose champion last year at age 89. Day, when racers try to have grandson was there and who While the Street Fights proa perfect reaction time — as gram continues evolving, one of its core benefits remains unchanged — offering performance fans a safe, legal place to race their cars and keeping illegal racing off the public roads, Cross said. “Street Fights has been around, and people know what it is, but we want to educate more people that it is the option,” Cross said. “It’s great you want to go race your buddy but remember there is an affordable, safe way to do that and a legal way to do that at the race track, where you have personnel there to monitor it and are prepared for anything that can happen. I think that’s the posiANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER tive impact overall.” Racers line up in the starting lanes at Bristol Dragway for the opening day of Street Fights. BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 11
Shoot the rapids! Get wet, go fast, have fun
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com
P
BY JOE TENNIS
atrick Mannion makes his cash making a splash. Mannion rolls on the rivers of Northeast Tennessee. And, come summer, you might find this easygoing captain wandering the Watauga or navigating the Nolichucky. At 40, Mannion helps oversee the Wahoo’s Adventure Watauga Outpost on the outskirts of Elizabethton. Tours span about five miles on the Watauga River, starting just below Wilbur Dam. “We’re on the water here about an hour and a half with class II to III rapids,” Mannion said. “This is kind of our family-level trip. We splash, paddle — and giggle our way on down to here.” Mannion promised: This section is suitable for nonswimmers. “And if they want to step up the adventure,” Mannion added, “we even have inflatable kayaks that folks can take.”
‘Splashy whitewater’ Wahoo’s has operated tours on the Watauga since the 1980s, Mannion said, and established this outpost 12 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
PHOTOS COURTESY WAHOO'S ADVENTURE
From floating down the Watauga on a raft, to braving the rapids on the Nolichucky, there is fun to be had by the whole family on the white water.
Make A Splash! Wahoo’s Adventure 800-444-7238, www.wahoosadventures.com
Breaks Interstate Park 276-865-4413, www.breakspark.com
nearly 10 years ago. “Folks enjoy that this is splashy whitewater. It is exciting, especially the first couple of miles.” And then? “It tames out,” Mannion said with a grin, “and we tend to have a lot of water fights with water guns and buckets of water and things like that toward the bottom.” Wahoo’s is one of a handful of river-rafting companies in operation across Northeast Tennessee, including runs on the Nolichucky River at Erwin. Compared to the Watauga, raftin’ the Nolichucky is a much more adventurous ride, Mannion said. “The Nolichucky is pretty cool. We do nine-and-a-half miles from Poplar, North Carolina, down to the south end of Erwin,” Mannion said. “The Nolichucky is class III and IV whitewater. There are 27 named rapids on that section
of river.” Mannion smiled and said, “The Nolichucky is the steepest, the deepest and the most remote river canyon that is commercially rafted east of the Mississippi.”
The Breaks But, wait — what about The Breaks? The fabled “Grand Canyon on the South” of Breaks Interstate Park lies along the PHOTO COURTESY RUSSELL FORK ADVENTURES Virginia-Kentucky Kayakers prepare to navigates the Russell Fork River through the Breaks Gorge. border with a gorge the 1,000-foot-deep gorge at son County, Clearly added. known for its Class VBreaks, said Tim Cleary, the plus rapids dubbed “Fist” and And you can go west of the park’s director of adventure “El Horrendo,” Mannion said. gorge to raft on the Kentucky tourism. Kayakers seasonally run side of the park, starting at the “It’s really pretty much for through the gorge when water Ratliff Hole. professional boaters,” Cleary levels are high in October, That Kentucky section, thanks to water releases from said. “It’s a very dangerous according to Cleary, includes the John W. Flannagan Reser- section of river.” a couple of Class III rapids Still, you can find whitewavoir. ter rafting from Bartlick to the dubbed “Meatgrinder” and Yet that river is not being park’s Garden Hole in Dicken- “Pinball.” commercially rafted through
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BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 13
Upcoming Event:
Take the plunge!
On July 21, there is a free women’s dive day at Gray Quarry. The event is open to all women 18 and over, whether certified in diving already or not. The event is first come, first serve, as space is limited. Sign up here: https://goo.gl/forms/yxhosFKOcuJcDIVs2
Dive into the Gray Quarry and see the world as few have ever seen
C
BY ALYSSA OURSLER
atching a glimpse of the Gray Quarry sign from Interstate 26, you’d never guess all that lies beneath the surface. In the 1960s, the quarry helped build interstates 81 and 26, according to Carden Warden, one of Gray Quarry’s five owners. But in December 1970, he said, they hit water in the bottom, and the quarry flooded. The newfound lake remained abandoned until 2005. The quarry then changed hands among a few private owners before Warden and four others turned it into a local scuba diving spot — with a school bus, airplane, statues and more situated in its depths — in 2015. At its deepest point, the water stacks to about 70 feet. At most dive spots, the
Dive In! Smokey Mountain Divers 423-239-7333 smokymountaindivers.com
Immersed Scuba 423-268-2633 immersedscuba.com Check out the video at
Adventure Diving 423-878-3483 adventurediving.com
HeraldCourier.com
PHOTO COURTESY GRAY QUARRY
Gray Quarry is used by recreational divers as well as area agencies in training for deep water rescues. 14 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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ONLINE www.grayquarry.com
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 15
water gets colder three drownings that as you get deeper, a took place within two phenomenon called months of each other, thermo climate. he said. “Basically, in standPeople also call on ing water, normally, his experience for like down to 15, 20, other tasks, such as 25 feet, the water’s a finding vehicles in certain temperature. water, righting overAnd then it builds this turned houseboats, layer and it’s like 10 or recovering items to 15 degrees colder dropped off boats — below that — and usukeys, false teeth, you ally oxygen doesn’t name it. go below that either,” According to LinkWarden explained. ous, people interBut Gray Quarry ested in diving should is equipped with an first choose a local aerator, which turns ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER dive shop. Members of the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office Underwater Investigations Unit get ready for a the water over and “There’s an online training dive at the Gray Quarry SCUBA Center. keeps the temperacourse you can sign He started diving in 1970 — after, he said. ture more or less consistent up for — the academic porthe same year those digging Fast forward almost 50 throughout. As a result, a lot of tion,” he said. “Then we do in the quarry hit water. He was years, and Linkous doesn’t dive shops — some from as a the pool portion. There’s five traveling with his band when just train recreational divers. far as Virginia Tech and Georpool sessions, then there’s they passed through Brainerd, He also helped start the ungia — like to bring their new two days of open water dives, Minnesota, and he saw, as he derwater investigations team and we’ll do two dives each students to Gray Quarry. There’s also good visibility, put it, a “real dive shop” — the of the Sullivan County Sherday. That completes your Minnesota School of Diving. iff’s Office in 1995 and contin- certification. That’s the first Warden said. He and his drummer deues to work with them. Alan Linkous, who owns step.” cided to take lessons. He got When someone drowns, he Adventure Diving in Bristol, After that, more advanced certified to dive that year and said, they help figure out why. or specialized certifications takes students to the quarry became an instructor the year Last summer, they worked on are available. through his dive shop.
Gray Quarry is a three-acre quarry lake and local dive spot in Gray, Tennessee, with a school bus, fire truck, airplane, and more under the water’s surface. Carter Warden, Brian Turner, Wayne Bartley, Brian Chandler, and Doug Vicars own the nonprofit Gray Quarry Inc. Diving is organized through local dive shops, such as Adventure Diving and Smoky Mountain Divers. PHOTO COURTESY GRAY QUARRY
16 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
Puzzle This! Bristol Herald Courier trio takes on the Escape Game
PHOTOS BY DAVID CRIGGER/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
The Escape Game on State Street offers three different rooms for participants to try and escape from.
Check out the video at
i
ONLINE tricitiesescapegame.com
Bristol Herald Courier's own Dalena Mathews, Paul Rice and Chelsea Gillenwater try their hand at conquing the Leviathan Lab.
Dinosaurs, puzzles and … ice cream? Oh my!
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BY DALENA MATHEWS
y first trip to an escape room was completely different from what I expected. Three of my co-workers and I signed up to conquer the Leviathan Lab adventure at the Tri-Cities Escape Game on State Street — the hardest game they have available. The scenario of the game places a group of “lab partners” — in this case my coworkers, a father with his two sons and myself — on a secret island that has recently been clipped by a passing hurricane. The only way to protect our research, and our lives, is to complete a series of tasks in order to restore power to the laboratory before time runs out. With less than a 30 percent success rate, I have to admit that I didn’t have high hopes of making it out alive. The room was mildly dark — we were in a secret lab damaged by a cyclone after all — but it was bigger than I anticipated. A small television screen roared to life, See MATHEWS, Page 18
HeraldCourier.com
Tick, Tick, Tick
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BY CHELSEA GILLENWATER
rom the moment we set foot in the Tri-Cities Escape Game, a two-story building along the main drag of State Street in Bristol, Tennessee, it was obvious that we were entering a world where normal rules no longer applied. “We’re going upstairs to the underground bunker,” our game master said with a laugh. “Just play along.” Half an hour later, a middle schooler I’d never met was yelling numbers at me from across the room, holding dinosaur eggs in his arms, while I scrambled to wheel the code into a padlock. Click. The lock came free. “Got it!” I yelled back. I pushed open the panel. All seven people in the room crowded around to look at the newest puzzle, the final test before we could escape. Normal rules were definitely out the window. But I was having the See GILLENWATER, Page 19
...eight ...seven ...six ...
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BY PAUL RICE
ith 30 seconds left, the room goes dark except for a series of red flashing lights. The sounds of a roar get louder as a voice counts down: “eight … seven … six …” That’s how things ended at the TriCities Escape Game Leviathan Lab when three colleagues and I took on over 18 different locks, riddles, and the fear of dismemberment. Tri-Cities Escape Room has been open on State Street since April 2016, and it features three escape rooms. The business is part of a national game trend: Up to eight people are locked inside a themed room where they solve puzzles and work together to escape. The room comes equipped with cameras and an emergency key. Leviathan Lab looks like a set piece from “Jurassic Park,” with three rooms separated by keypad-linked bars. A radio tower control board, aquarium, velociraptor egg incubator and microSee RICE, Page 18 BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 17
MATHEWS explained our mission and then the countdown began. The first of our three missions probably took the longest to complete. Only two of the seven people in our group had done an escape room before — so I chalk it up to getting our sea legs. Locks, blocks and tons of letters later, we asked for our first clue. Yes, you get clues, only three per game though — unless you’re willing to take a time penalty. The clues are a lifesaver — well, they’re at least a life-prolonger. The second mission seemed to go a little faster, but by the time it was over, we had close to 10 minutes left to complete our third mission. We had to ask for another clue and the amount of numbers we had to unscramble was overwhelming. Seriously, we all talked about how the numbers haunted us even after we got back to work. The last mission went the quickest for our group. We were in the final step with only seconds left. I could almost hear the door unlock. “You have one number wrong.” WHAT?! HOW?! The lights start flashing. 10 seconds left. 9. 8. “Try this one!” “You were closer before.” 7. 6. 5. “Time’s up.” Yep. We were only 2 seconds away from survival. If only we had gotten that one number right. On the plus side: A trip to the escape room also means discounted ice cream from the Slow Churn across the street — perfect for a summer adventure out of the heat. As long as you don’t get locked in. 18 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
One of many possible clues in the Leviathan Lab that could aid a participant to safety.
RICE Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com
Can you Escape? Location: 642 State Street, Bristol, Tennessee Prices: $21.95 (weekdays); $23.95 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Contact Info: Call 423-573-2114, or email info@tricitiesescapegame.com.
DAVID CRIGGER/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
We unlocked the other room at 21:57. scope — almost all used in By 13:00 were speaking the game — complete the only in terse phrases. look. Our group had split into As the countdown clock two main groups at 03:00, appeared, our group of each working on a chalseven scrambled indilenge, when we first heard vidually to find clues to our a regular, booming sound: first of three challenges. T. Rex steps. I struggled with a locked “Come on!” container. With one minute left, we At first, our progress was had one more puzzle to slow. We’d found a few solve, but … answers and unlocked one I’ll cut to the end: We compartment by 45:00, didn’t make it. We were but nothing to solve a chal- close, but you know how lenge, so we requested a the saying goes, and hint. We gradually started hungry dinosaurs aren’t a to communicate more game of horseshoes. and solve puzzles faster Even so, this escape as the minutes wound game was a solid hour of down. Phrases like “I need steadily increasing adrenaa five-number code” and line and an excellent team “Did you turn that knob?” exercise under pressure. whirled around the room. Don’t miss the dinosaurs At 32:36, we requested on State Street — but do more hints. try to escape.
GILLENWATER time of my life. I was there with three fellow Bristol Herald Courier employees, only one of whom had ever been in an escape game before. Escape games have exploded across the country in recent years, as evidenced by a map of the United States hanging in one of the Tri-Cities Escape Game’s waiting rooms, which is covered with multicolored pins that show clusters of escape games springing up in every state. Escape games are highstress logic puzzles normally played in a group. In each room, participants slowly uncover clues, numbers, ciphers, locks and puzzles that will eventually help unlock the final door, allowing them to “escape.” Easier said than done. Every escape room is different, especially at the Bristol business, which develops its own games instead of buying a pre-existing challenge. Our group was tackling the hardest game they had, Leviathan Lab, which only 25 percent of players manage to complete. When you step into the Escape Game, the first thing you see are the record times for each room, with photos of the teams after they’ve finished. In Leviathan Lab, participants are given three tasks to complete within an hour (at which time, the story goes, the island’s back-up power system will shut down, revealing the secret location of your genetic experimentation to the world). Those stuck in the underground lab have to switch on power to the radio towers, get the remaining dinosaur eggs into a cryochamber and reboot the island’s power grid before time runs out. To accomplish those tasks, game players use everything from black lights to the biblical book of Job, tools and hints
DAVID CRIGGER/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
If you can open several locks — whether it be wit, will or just plain good luck — you will find clues on how to escape.
scattered around what at first looks like a perfectly normal control center. All we had at the start of the game were a couple of loose lab coats and plastic dinosaur toys. Our group was working in a team of seven — three BHC employees and a dad and his two sons who had joined us at the last minute, celebrating the boys’ graduation from middle school. Going into the game, I was nervous — I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I was afraid I would become too easily frustrated and give up too quickly. And I probably wasn’t alone in that. For the first few seconds, everyone just blinked at each other, eyes adjusting to the dim light in the dino lab. With seven people in a room, we tried to give each other some space, each person going to a separate corner and examining our environment. There were posters along the wall, some potted plants, plastic vials full of “chemicals” and a lot of visible locks. We’d have to find the key or code to each one if we hoped to get out.
It was hard to know where to start. But the clock was ticking. The best moments were the puzzles that required teamwork. One in particular had two people crouched over a piece of paper on the floor, while another held open a book, while another wrote down numbers that a pair of people were reading from a poster on the wall. Another person wheeled the numbers on a lock or stretched up on their toes to see one last clue. The minutes ticked by. We had asked for a few clues, which our game master happily provided over a computer monitor, but we were nearing the home stretch. None of us were leisurely roaming around now; we were squeezed in together, barking orders and asking for the time — how much time is left? We were down to five minutes. After one of the middleschool boys called out the code, I got that last lock open. I knew this was the last puzzle, the one that would turn on the power to the “island” and get the door open. As we worked,
one by one, the lights on the power grid came to life. There was just one more row to complete. Someone on the other side of the room called out the code. I tried to punch it in. Nothing. Something was wrong. I tried flipping some switches randomly, hoping we were close enough that I could just guess the last bit. It wasn’t working. Quick, someone go check this code! A buzzer sounded. The door opened. Our game master came in, hands pressed to her face. “You guys were so close!” she said. “Ten more seconds and you would have gotten it!” She let us pose for the photo like winners anyway. Close enough.
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 19
Are you "bould" enough? Put your problems on hold and just climb
PHOTOS COURTESY JESSE CHEERS
Stewardship weekend up at the AVP boulders at Grayson Highlands.
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BY ALYSSA OURSLER
andi Goodman was relatively new to rock climbing when she tried a problem — as climbers call the routes they’re attempting — called “Robot Love.” It’s located at Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County, Virginia, where Goodman goes bouldering with her boyfriend Jesse Cheers about once a week in the summer. “The first time I tried it, I could get through most of it,” she said of the route. “The top-out is just a committing move. I was new to bouldering, and I didn’t have that in me yet.” She tried Robot Love again a few months ago and was able to complete it. That sense of progress and accomplishment, she and Cheers said, is the best part of the sport. Rock climbing is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Goodman said one of the biggest misconceptions about the activity is that you need immense upper-body strength to be good. “You don’t have to be able to do a pull-up! I’ve been climbing for over a year, and I still can’t do a pull-up,” she said with a laugh. “I’m not trying to muscle my way up. I finesse 20 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com
Go down under! Rather go underground than high above the ground? Try a wild cave tour instead of rock climbing. Tours at Appalachia Caverns in Blountville, Tennessee, for example, take you deep underground. Things get especially interesting with the “explorer” and “wild” tours, according to its website. Both take participants through undeveloped areas of the cavern, required people to crawl through tight spaces. Wear long sleeves, pants and closed-toe shoes; helmets and gloves are provided.
Outdoors... Breaks Interstate Park, on the border of Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky, has over 70 established climbing routes — sport and traditional (which is when you carry and place their own protection as you climb).
Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County offers great bouldering and cute ponies. What more is there?
ner friendly and the least expensive [outdoor sport] to get into,” Goodman said. A gym is a great place to start, according to Cheers, because you can rent shoes and there’s more padding. But for those who want the full outdoor experience, Grayson Highlands is a good bet. You can rent crash pads, as they’re called, for just a few bucks, Cheers said. Buying a pad, you’ll shell out hundreds. The other challenge is identifying the problems on a specific rock, but there are pamphlets and guidebooks available to help.
Ropes and harnesses
When many people think of rock-climbing, though, they picture harnesses and more height. That’s Hidden Valley is the closest rope or sport climbing. Kyle King, outdoor climbing spot to Bristreasurer of the Central Appalachia tol. It’s just north of Abingdon Climber’s Coalition and co-owner of and mostly offers bolted sport White Birch Juice in Abingdon, Virclimbing routes. ginia, prefers rope climbing because he likes doing bouldering moves The Guest River Gorge outhigh off the ground. side of Coeburn and Norton “That’s just another element of has “stellar boulder problems scary,” he said. and a worthy amount of Sport climbing refers to climbing roped routes,” according to a route where bolts and anchors are the Southwest Virginia Culturfixed into the rock; top-rope climbal Heritage Foundation. ing is when the rope runs from a belayer (either another person or, if Flag Rock Recreation Area you’re in the right gym, a machine) (nicknamed “Norton’s Mounup to an anchor at the top of the tain Masterpiece, according route, then back down. The belayer to The Mountain Project) is ensures there is always tension in on the lower slopes of High the rope, which keeps the climber Knob, just three miles from safe. downtown Norton. It offers Climbing is especially scary in the great bouldering. According beginning, King said. to climber Jesse Cheers, Nor“You don’t trust the gear; you ton is going to “blow up” as a don’t know what you’re getting into. climbing spot. It’s just sort of a big unknown,” King explained. “But it trains you to set goals and fight to accomplish them. my way up,” she said. “On a boulder, It’s you against yourself; it’s not you there’s problems — and that’s different against anyone else. So it’s not like ways to get up the boulder. Some are your traditional team sport.” harder and some are easier, but it really is King has been rock climbing since problem-solving. The way that I climb is 2009, when he moved to the area to completely different from the way Jesse attend Emory & Henry — a school he climbs.” chose specifically for its outdoor proBouldering, for those less familiar, is gram. This year, he went to Mexico as basic as rock-climbing gets. There are for two weeks to climb in El Potrero, no ropes or harnesses involved, because you’re not going for height. The routes are where the rock was limestone. King also suggested rock-climbing shorter and harder, generally speaking. You just need climbing shoes, some chalk and a gyms as the best way to get started. “The gym is the No. 1 way that pad in case you fall. It can be done in a gym we’re producing climbers as a counor outside on a real rock. “Bouldering is probably the most begin- try,” he said.
Gyms themselves are a kind of climbing community, and CACC and forums like the Tri-Cities Climbing Group on Facebook can also be good resources. CACC recently had a trail day at Grayson Highlands, for instance, where climbers improved trails to popular bouldering spots and added signage. According to participants, such events are a great way to meet fellow climbers. “It’s such an incredible community,” King said. “It’s pretty easy to meet people and borrow gear, get involved that way. It’s an incredible, mentally challenging, physically challenging [sport].”
or indoors There are a few rock climbing gyms less than two hours away. If the gym doesn’t have auto-belay devices, you’ll need a second person (who has been certified) to belay you by hand for top-rope climbing. Most gyms offer classes on belaying.
Climbmax Climbing in Asheville, North Carolina Climbmax has two locations in Asheville. According to its website, a day pass, which includes bouldering and auto-belay for top-rope climbing, is $16. That price does not include renting equipment. Shoes are $5; a harness is $4.
Onsight Rock Gym in Knoxville, Tennessee Onsight also has bouldering and top-rope climbing, including seven auto-belay systems in its kids and beginners climbing room and four in the main area. A day pass is $16, though you can save $4 if you check in before 4 p.m. on weekdays. Shoes are $4; harness is $3.
Center 45 in Boone, N.C. Center 45 is a bouldering gym with new routes set up each week. A day pass is $14, with shoe rentals costing $4. The gym also offers $10 Tuesdays and a discounted price for ladies on Wednesdays. BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 21
Lookout!
A
handful of fire towers can be found scattered across the higher elevations of the Mountain Em-
pire. Krissy Reynolds, director of the Virginia chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association, has been to 48 towers. In Virginia alone, she’s been to 41. “Basically, I love hiking and it started out with me looking for lost communities or abandoned buildings, and I stumbled across the Virginia listing of towers about eight years ago.” A number of lists can be found online of fire towers that hikers can visit. Many of the towers — which were once manned by male and female lookouts to watch for fires in the mountains — have long since been abandoned. Very few fire towers are still manned today, practically none east of the Mississippi River. The government counts on high-tech equipment, airplanes and people on the ground to watch for flames and smoke. Most local fire towers — such as the Mendota Fire Tower along the Russell and Washington County line in Virginia, the Hayters Knob Fire Tower at the Channels State Forest, and the Holston High Knob Fire Tower east of Bristol, Tennessee — are run down and deteriorating. A few have been restored or rebuilt, such as the Pinnacle Fire Tower off Interstate 26 in Unicoi, Tennessee, and the High Knob Fire Tower near Norton, Virginia. Located at 3,500 feet on top of Buffalo Mountain, the Pinnacle Fire Tower is 40 feet tall. From the top, visitors can see much of Unicoi and Washington counties in Tennessee. To visit the tower, visitors can park at the lot along Interstate 26 in Unicoi. Visitors must hike more than 5 miles up a mountain path to reach the tower, which opened to the public in 2011. There’s also a forest service road that reaches the tower from Dry Creek Road outside of Johnson City. Efforts are underway to restore a few other area towers, including the Kettlefoot Fire Tower on Doe Mountain in Johnson County, Tennessee, as well as the fire town on Holston Mountain. “I thought it would be neat to see how many were left in our state,” said Reyn-
Get a 360° mountain view from one of the area's fire towers
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com ROBERT SORRELL/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Holston High Knob Fire Tower in Elizabethton, Tennessee is one of the tallest in the area. 22 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
BY ROBERT SORRELL
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ONLINE www.firelookout.org
PHOTOS BY ROBERT SORRELL/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
From top: Wayah Bald Fire Tower, Panther Top Fire Tower and Little Snowball Mountain Fire Tower.
olds, who visits the towers with her husband and son. “My grandpa was also in the Forestry Department for 35 years, so I grew up outside on mountains.” Area hikers, like Reynolds, enjoy visiting fire towers — whether you can climb them or not. Many of the more deteriorated towers can be viewed from the base of the structure, but some, such as the Pinnacle, can be climbed. A number of area fire towers are located on national forest property and feature “no trespassing” or “keep out” signs. Officials have removed the bottom steps for many area towers so people cannot climb them. No matter the circumstances, Reynolds said she always gets an adrenaline rush when visiting fire towers, especially ones she sees for the first time. “It’s a mix of adrenaline as well as happiness that I found one still standing,” said Reynolds, referring to a number of area towers that have long been removed and dismantled. “The views are always the best part. The first time you go to one and realize how different it is to see a view from the top of a tower not just the top of the mountain, it makes you want to find more.” Plan to visit a fire tower? Take the necessary hiking gear, such as water, sunscreen and bug spray. Reynolds also suggests hikers take a hard copy of directions and a compass or handheld GPS. Cell service can often be lost at the higher elevations. “Some of the towers are very much off the beaten path,” she said. “I would say for Virginia towers, a lot are not in perfect condition and are climb at your own risk. Stay aware of signage letting you know if a tower is public or private.” Most importantly, bring a camera.
Watch Out! Holston High Knob Fire Tower From Elizabethton, Tennessee, take state Route 91 about 10 miles east through Stoney Creek. Turn left at Panhandle Road, which begins as a paved road, but becomes a gravel road once it enters the Cherokee National Forest. About 4.5 miles up the road, the route splits and there is a gate. Park there and walk about a mile up the path to the tower.
Mendota Fire Tower From the Mendota, Virginia, post office and library, take Mendota Road east, then left at Pinnacle Road. The road passes through a gap, where fire tower guests can park. The tower is a short distance to the north from the road.
High Knob Fire Tower From Norton, Virginia, and U.S. Highway 23, get off at 12 Street SW and travel up state Route 619 toward the Flag Rock Recreation Area and High Knob Tower site. Signs direct visitors to the site. Bays Mountain Fire Tower The Bays Mountain Fire Tower can be reached by an approximately 5.6 mile loop trail at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport, Tennessee. Pinnacle Fire Tower The Pinnacle Fire Tower, which is visible from Interstate 26, is located just off Exit 32. A small parking lot is located at the trail head. Hayters Knob Fire Tower Located within the Channels Natural Area Preserve, the fire tower can be accessed via trails from state Route 80. A three-mile hike begins from the parking lot on Route 80 on dirt roads.
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 23
Ride like the wind! Grab your bike and head to "The Creeper"
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BY JOE TENNIS
I
t’s late morning. The shuttle van has just pulled away. And now it’s my job to pedal 17 miles back down to Damascus. Emphasize that direction — down. Where logging trains once huffed and puffed, I pedal past the replica of the Whitetop Train Station. Then, just after a road crossing, it’s like a sudden ... WHOOSH! Free as the wind, I’m rolling in unison with a dozen other riders, blasting just above the tri-state corner of Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Turns out, turning the wheels of a bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail is a cinch. Why, I do not even need to pedal this part, shouldered by trees and highlighted by a curved trestle en route to an original train depot at Green Cove, built in 1914. “The Creeper,” as it’s commonly called, connects the heart of Washington County at Abingdon to the
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ONLINE www.vacreepertrail.org
24 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
DAVID CRIGGER/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
A morning ride is just the thing to get your day started off right. Cathie Dean and her husband, Joe, cross Trestle #1 at the trail head in Abingdon.
Let's Ride! Mount Rogers National Recreation Area 800-628-7202 www.friendsofmountrogers.org
scenic high country at the foot of Whitetop Mountain.
Long journey Established in the 1980s, the Virginia Creeper Trail spans 34 miles from its trailhead in Abingdon to its terminus at the North Carolina border; it also attracts about 250,000 visitors a year. Walkers may be best at home on the Damascus-toAbingdon half of the trail while bike riders surely rule the rail-trail road from Whitetop Station to Damascus. Occasionally, you’ll see a few die-hard cyclists taking on the trail for its uphill climb, going from Damascus to Whitetop Station. Still, bike shuttle services estimate, about 95 percent of all bike riders simply take off at “The Top” — or “Whitetop” — and then return to Damascus. Trains quit running March 31, 1977, but controversy loomed as Virginia Creeper Trail proponents faced landowners along the line of what was once called the Abingdon Branch of the Norfolk and Western Railway. Some landowners opposed building a trail. Others favored the idea. Ultimately, after a string of squabbles, lots of work and at least one case of arson, the Virginia Creeper Trail officially opened in 1987. And now? Well, reaching Green Cove is really the first great stop on the journey. Green Cove’s depot once served as a station for loading lumber and other freight. It housed a telegraph office, post office, general store and polling place. Community members gathered here to share news, swap stories, catch trains and pick up their mail. Today, it’s still a communal gathering ground — on the Virginia Creeper Trail. It also looks like a museum
JOE TENNIS/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Green Cove station is one of many great stops on your journey down the Virginia Creeper Trail from Whitetop.
— with all kinds of vintage items, not for sale, having been left behind by the late William Buchanan, the station manager, who operated a general store in this building in the mid-1900s.
In no time, you’ll find the journey complete — in downtown Damascus. From Abingdon to BY THE Whitetop Station, the Virginia Creeper Trail NUMBERS has spawned businessLongtime landmark es along its route — Leaving Green Cove, I roll including a new cafe at through a gorge with handAlvarado and about a some rock walls then coast dozen shuttle services, down the giant trestles of largely in Damascus. Creek Junction before hitting “The Creeper” was miles from Abingdon to Whitetop. Taylors Valley, an isolated also cited as an influhamlet that is now a popular ence for building the stopping point for ice cream Salt Trail between hours to ride entire trail. breaks. Glade Spring and Keep pushing. Saltville; the Dahlgren It’s all easy. Railroad Heritage Trail elevation at Whitetop Station. And, according to elevation in King George County, charts, it’s virtually all down- near Fredericksburg; hill to Damascus. elevation at Damascus and the Tobacco “It just has a reputation of Heritage Trail, which being a downhill trail,” said links 17 miles along an Gary Greer, 57, the owner of abandoned railroad days open a year. the Creeper Trail Bike Rental corridor from South SOURCE: vacreepertrail.org and Shuttle. “So that attracts Hill to Lawrenceville in people with kids.” Southern Virginia. Pass Whitetop Laurel Falls In 2014, the Virginia and a few swimming holes; Creeper Trail was included as a Ocean to the Cumberland Gap wave to the fly fishermen; and corridor in the proposed state- on a system of Virginia trails, including rail-to-trail projects carefully cross state Route 91 wide Beaches to Bluegrass Trail, connecting the Atlantic paralleling U.S. 58. near U.S. Highway 58.
34.3 5.5
3500 ft. 1900 ft. 365
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 25
Things that go bump in the night... Give your adrenaline a fright night
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Donnamarie Emmert tells tales in front of the Tavern in Abingdon.
BY JOE TENNIS
S
o maybe your adrenaline needs a fright night or a happening with a haunt. Do scary spiders make you tingle? How about a snake? Well, slate your weekend nights in October for a journey to the woods of Wise County; the sidewalks of Abingdon; and three, reallife haunted houses that offer tours — and lore.
Nickenson Snead House, Glade Spring
DAVID CRIGGER/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
The Anderson Townhouse is one of the stops during an Appalachian Ghost Walk tour in Blountville. 26 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
Ronda Caudill makes no apologies for the bloody mess inside the doctor’s office of the Nickerson Snead House — even when you see a patient who looks like he has melted. This is all just part of the fun at this haunted house that is, well, actually purported to be haunted. Come Halloween in Glade Spring, the 40-something Caudill opens this circa-1835 brick house for tours at the crossroads of U.S. 11 and state Route 91. And while the vague tales of actual spirits add to the attraction, what really makes guests get gung-ho for ghosts are the props and actors of the house. “I’ll never get tired of Halloween,” professed Caudill, an author of paranormal romance novels. “I was married on Halloween. … I would love to see Halloween all yeararound.”
Haunted Holler, Bristol, Virginia
it takes an hour or more to complete the popular tour of the mansion and its grounds You can zap zombies on freaky Fridays or spooky Satur- — with sites known as “The days at the Haunted Holler. Or Asylum” and “The Bloody Barn.” Ever expanding, the acyou can just stand in awe as a “Hell Hound” lunges forth or a tion now extends beyond the figure appears to fry in an end- brick Major Graham Mansion, a house listed on the national lessly engaged electric chair. historic landmark register and Scared yet? built in the 1840s. Well, boo! That’s just the brim of the Haunted Forest, brew at this haunted house on Big Stone Gap, Virginia the outskirts of Bristol, VirStanding outside the Corpse ginia. Cafe, you’ll hear the inviting Major Graham Mansion, cries: “Come on in!” the café Grahams Forge, Virginia staff sings. “Come on i-i-i-i-i-nn-n-n-n-n!” Even before it became a It’s chilling — and yet invithaunted attraction a decade ing. ago, rumors swirled that the “Come on in!” the shouts Major Graham Mansion was continue. haunted in Wythe County, But wait: Don’t expect to Virginia. see a menu that’s anything Later, said owner J.C. more than a bloody mess — Weaver, now in his 70s, it appeared as if spirits would hum with scattered body parts along with the music he played lying around and a staff that inside the mansion. likes to scream. As an eatery, Today, during fall weekends, this place looks just wickedly
wrong at the “Haunted Forest” on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College. The forest is a longtime tradition on the college campus. It’s a fun fundraiser, where participants may meet their college classmates — in costume.
much like a town gossip focused on phobias, strange happenings and ghostly gallops. Emmert has, in turn, become the storytelling superhero of Abingdon, draped in a cape and marching on brick sidewalks, year after year, sharing Abingdon Spirits Tour spooky stories of Washington When it comes to HallowCounty’s courthouse town. een, it is tradition to tour the “And these are great stories. streets of Abingdon, Virginia, This is really good stuff,” Emwith “The Haintmistress,” mert said. “And autumn, it’s Donnamarie Emmert. A 1977 graduate of Abingdon my favorite time of year.” For more information, call High School, Emmert has been leading tours of Abingdon for 276-706-6093 or visit haintmisdecades with a focus on the tress.com. people of the past. Emmert starts her march on Main Street at the “Fairy Fountain,” just across from the Barter Theatre. From there, it’s a two-hour journey of roughly Haunted Mansion at one mile — and about 250 the Nickerson Snead years of history. House, 33361 Lee Every few houses, Emmert Highway, Glade Spring, stops to share another story, Virginia, near I-81 Exit 29. Call 276-451-8596 or email thenickersonsneadhouse@gmail.com.
BOO!
Haunted Holler, 15128 Lee Highway, Bristol, Virginia. Call 276-2854661. Haunted Graham Mansion, 2115 Major Grahams Road, located off I-81 Exit 84, near Grahams Forge, Virginia. Call 276284-0006 or visit www. hauntedgrahammansion.com.
Haunted Forest, Mountain Empire Community College, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Call 276-523-2400.
ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Don Droke is portraying James Keeling- the Horatius of the South- in the East Hill Cemetery Ghost Walk.
Abingdon Spirits Tour, call 276-706-6093 or visit haintmistress.com.
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 27
Blast off!
F
BY LAURAH SPELL
or the adrenaline junkies out there, getting out on a lake or hitting the ski slopes is probably a must. On the lake From water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, boating, standup paddleboarding, kayaking, jetblading to fun on aqua parks, options abound on South Holston Lake to fulfill your adrenaline-pumping craving. Jimmy Ashby’s SoHo Xcursions, at Sportsmans Marina in Abingdon, Virginia, is home to an aqua park and jetblading. Kayaks and standup paddleboards are also available to rent. An aqua park is an inflatable jungle gym that floats on the water. Ashby’s park includes slides, trampolines and banana boat rides. Most people who are good at water skiing or wakeboarding can master jetblading, which is like wakeboarding in the air. Ashby said people who try jetblading have been able to get as high as above the roof of the marina’s restaurant. Ashby said standup paddleboarding is the most popular water activity on South Holston. SoHo Xcursions is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/sohoxcursions for rates and operating hours.
Take to the lake or the slopes for a high-octane energy boost
On the slopes If you prefer snowy mountain ski slopes over muggy summer days, a couple of ski resorts are nearby in North Carolina: Sugar Mountain Resort in Sugar Mountain and Wolf Ridge Ski Resort in Mars Hill. Both are near Asheville. Both resorts offer ski and snowboard group and private lessons. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, you can snow tube at the resorts. Sugar Mountain also offers ice skating and snowshoeing. A snowshoe guided tour can be a casual walk or an intense workout, according to Sugar Mountain’s website. Wolf Ridge is closed for the season, but you can visit www.skiwolfridgenc.com to buy tickets and season passes. You can spend the summer at Sugar Mountain on its hiking and biking trails. For details, visit www.skisugar.com and navigate to skisugar.com. SoHo Xcursions has a JetBlade available to rent at Sportsman Marina. 28 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
SOHO XCURSIONS
Ready, Aim, Fire!
Experience the rush of hitting a bullseye from 100 yards away
Check out the video at
HeraldCourier.com EARL NEIKIRK/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
It’s important for gun owners to continually practice shooting because everyone experiences some type of adrenaline rush when shooting. BY TAMMY CHILDRESS
I
f you get a rush from firing a weapon you might want to visit one of the several firing ranges in the region. Tactical Advantage Concepts 2000, or TAC2, Owner Clifford “Doc” Bryant said it’s important for gun owners to continually practice shooting because everyone experiences some type of adrenaline rush when shooting. “Physiologically people’s bodies do certain things when adrenaline kicks in,” he said. “Some people experience a loss of fine motor control, get herky jerky, tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, or experience an altered perception of time. But if people practice firing their weapons, learn the proper stance, movement and way to grip their weapon ― they can learn how to better control those rushes ― and if they don’t someone could get hurt or killed.” TAC2 is an outdoor shooting range where expert marksman and novice shooters gather to compete against themselves. They also train by shooting handguns or rifles through six different shooting bays, numerous steel, stationary and reactive targets, paper target stands and barricades, and a building mock-up with doors, rooms and hallways. There is also a range car to shoot from and around and another to shot into with steel head-shot targets inside. There is also a forest course for moving, finding and engaging targets through the woods.
Down Range Tactical Advantage Concepts 2000 1610 Robert Harmon Rd. Greeneville TN 37745 www.tac2.com
Kettlefoot Rod and Gun Club 21101 Kettlefoot LnBristol, VA 24202 276-466-6521 www.kettlefootgunclub.org Shooter's Edge 413 Century Ct, Piney Flats, TN 37686 423-538-3343 www.myshootersedge.com Cherokee Rod and Gun Club 4280 Reservoir Rd, Kingsport, Tennessee 423-348-8004 www.cherokeerodandgunclub.com
BRISTOL MAGAZINE | 29
Bristol, Tennessee native Harvey Riner, 69, competed in an International Defensive Pistol Association, or IDPA match, at TAC2 with 30 men and four women on the last Sunday in May. “You can put a gun on a table and it won’t hurt anybody,” he said. “But it only takes one individual to get his hands on it without safety training or who chooses to use it in the wrong way, and people get hurt.” IDPA matches are either self-defense scenarios or standard exercises. The selfdefense scenarios are simulations of actual or possible real world confrontations which often require the shooter to change firing points and shoot from awkward positions. Standard exercises are designed to test specific
shooting and gun-handling skills. The matches test the shooter’s accuracy and speed. Riner said he believes it is especially important for women to shoot on a regular basis. “Women will qualify to get their conceal carry permit and EARL NEIKIRK/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER either put the Michelle Bailey is practicing for her gun carry permit. Being prepared for self-defense includes weapon in lots of time at the shooting range to familiarize Bailey with how her weapon behaves while firing. their purse or selves with their weapon they in with an attitude that they not carry at want to learn, so they pay all ― and if they do carry they won’t know how to use it if they have too.” attention, take instruction don’t practice,” he said. “And Tennessee resident Kelly and end up being a lot more by not familiarizing themStyles, who shoots a accurate than men.” 22 caliber rifle, said The Service Pistol Team is she loves to shoot. comprised of precision pistol “It’s [shooting] fun marksmen firing .22 caliber, and it’s something 9 millimeter and .45 caliber my husband and I can weapons. The caliber of a do together,” Styles firearm is the approximate said after shooting at internal diameter of the gun five targets downbarrel, or the diameter of the range from inside a projectile it shoots. shooting bay fashBryant, who is also the ioned after the inside director and chief instructor of a jail. at the range, said just like “If heard a lot of anything else you get out of women say they’re shooting what you put into it. afraid of guns,” Styles “If you do nothing ― that’s said. “But as far as I what you’re going to get if know they’ve never you haven’t prepared ― nothshot a gun, and if ing,” he said. “And at the end they’d give it a try I of the day I’m going to go think they’d enjoy it.” home to my family.” Riner, who is a Other ranges in the region retired trainer for the are Cherokee Rod and Gun U.S. Army US Army Club, which is a members-onReserve Service Pistol ly non-profit outdoor shootTeam, agreed saying ing range, Kettlefoot Rod and that it’s his experiGun Club, which offers several ence that women are different disciplines for the better shooters than shooting enthusiast includmen. ing: trap, skeet, five stand, “Women have a archery, and vintage rifle, and better ability to focus Shooters Edge, which is an TAMMY CHILDRESS/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER and concentrate,” he indoor public range in Piney Clifford "Doc" Bryant, owner of TAC2 in Greeneville, Tennessee, talks with Kim said. “They also come Flats, Tennessee. Styles, who was particitpating in the IDPA match.
30 | BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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