Greetings on behalf of Pathfinders For Greenways! As we near the end of my first year as president of the Board of Directors of Pathfinders, I am grateful for the countless hours and abundant energy put into action by our dedicated volunteers that help build and maintain our trails and greenways and the numerous financial donors that support Pathfinders. The results of these efforts allow the interconnected paved and natural surface trail system in the Roanoke Valley to continue to expand and provide a destination for recreation and safer alternative transportation routes.
Since coming to Roanoke twenty years ago, my wife and I continue to marvel at the transformation of the greenway system. While training for the 2004 Chicago Marathon, our “long runs” frequently took place on the Blue Ridge Parkway and speed workouts were on the track inside Victory Stadium. Today, we could run an entire marathon on connected greenways through the Roanoke Valley!
Notable work taking place this year includes fundraising for our new Arts and Amenities Fund to support public art, murals and other amenities on our greenways, trail building at Carvins Cove at the Rock-n-Roll trail extension and the new Laurel Canyon trail, and assisting VDOT with clearing of the Craig-Botetourt Scenic Trail corridor. Additionally, Pathfinders provided funding to support the Roanoke Parks Foundation Mill Mountain Trail Project. Wow, that’s a lot of ‘irons in the fire’! To keep the fire going, please consider supporting the work of Pathfinders by volunteering with us or by making a financial contribution.
In closing, I want to highlight two of our board members: Past-President and current Secretary, Brian McCahill – thank you for your service during your three-year term as President; and long-time board member, Guy Byrd – thank you for your dedication to Pathfinders since 2007!
Thank you all for your continued support of Pathfinders For Greenways. Craig Favor President Pathfinders For Greenways, Inc. |
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Volunteer Accomplishments 4,078 Total Volunteer Hours 112 Total Project Days Main Projects: – Laurel Canyon Trail, 18 days, 1,237 hours – Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail, 18 days, 819 hours – Rock-N-Roll Trail, 39 days, 818 hours – Craig County Greenway, 7 days, 327 hours
– Crown Pointe Trail, 5 days, 304 hours – Big Spring Park Trail, 5 days, 216 hours – Fern Trail, 4 days, 210 hours – Greenway Litter pickup, 12 days, 91 hours – Happy Valley Fire Road, 4 days, 56 hours |
| Volunteering for litter pickup |
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| Interested In Volunteering? No Experience Necessary! – Please join us every Tuesday for Trail Care in Carvin’s Cove
– Help us clean up the Greenways the first Thursday of every month – Support staff at local events |
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Annually, the Pathfinders tries to choose a volunteer who had the biggest impact on the trail work that year. In 2024, it couldn’t be truer because if Woody Lipps had not been so persistent in trying to make the Craig-Botetourt Scenic Trail a reality, the project may not exist at all. His efforts to bring the trail to fruition goes back decades, and his steady and calm demeanor has made the project move faster in more recent years than anyone could have imagined. He chairs the Craig County Trails Committee, he joined the Pathfinders Midweek Crew to clear many miles of the corridor this Spring and he proved to be a one-man debunker of myths throughout the process. It is for these reasons and many more that Woody Lipps was honored at our annual picnic as the Volunteer of the Year.
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| Volunteer Of The Year 2024:
Woody Lipps |
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Every year, when I sit down to write this letter, it provides a chance to raise my head above the daily work and take stock of what all has been accomplished. It’s a chance to see that all the meetings, conversations, emails and follow ups can start to amount to on the ground change. As 2024 comes to an end, the Roanoke Valley Greenways have moved closer to our biggest goal and we also received a reminder of why we do all this work in the first place.
When the Greenway Commission and the Pathfinders started in 1997, the localities were united in a vision of a connected Roanoke River Greenway. I am excited to say that this year, we saw Roanoke County start major phases of their sections, adding over 3 miles of trail to be opened in the next 6 months. Salem and VDOT also moved closer to beginning the “golden spike”, the section of trail that will finally connect the major portions of the Roanoke River in both localities, making for some 16 miles of connected trail.
In September of this year, we all got a reminder of why the Greenways came to be in the first place, as Hurricane Helene dumped 6-9 inches of rain in our Valley. Thankfully, we were spared the biblical deluge that NC received, but more importantly, the Greenways did what they were designed to do; allowing for the river to breach its banks and dissipate the energy before it caused catastrophic damage. On sunny days, we may think the greenways are there for our enjoyment, but on rainy days we realize they are there for our protection.
This year also marked a new chapter for Pathfinders, as they have created a new fund to help focus on making the Greenways more inviting places. With the launch of the Arts Fund, the Pathfinders partnered with the City of Roanoke Arts Commission to deliver two new murals along the Greenway, one at the Walnut Ave bridge along the Roanoke River, and the other on the 10th St viaduct on the Lick Run Greenway. Both projects engaged the neighborhood in both design and implementation and showcase the pride that people have in the greenways. Going into 2025, we look forward to more opportunities to continue to make the Greenways a welcoming place for all.
Best, Frank Maguire Roanoke Valley Greenway Coordinator |
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The MidWeek Crew works on Wednesdays year round to build new trail, as well as maintain existing trails. This year the Crew built Fern Trail at Happy Hollow Park, Crown Point Trail on Mill Mountain, over a mile of Laurel Canyon at Carvins Cove, and an outside classroom at Big Spring Park Trail. Our big maintenance effort was focused on Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail. Using both personal and Pathfinders’ equipment, we were able to clear brush and cut trees on multiple sections, allowing VDOT better access to assess condition of culverts and bridges and complete engineering. This trail is entirely owned by VDOT and is funded by the state to become a rail-to-trail for bicyclists, equestrians and hikers. The trail is only an hour from Roanoke and will become a 26-mile addition to our regional opportunities!
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MWC creating an outdoor classroom in Fincastle for the Big Spring Trail |
| MWC at Bridge 66, while clearing on Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail |
Cleanup after Hurricane Helene |
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Fallen tree damage on Songbird Trail |
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The Rock-N-Roll Crew got back to working on the Rock-N-Roll trail this year after spending most of last year on improving the most rutted half of Arrowhead trail. We worked on improvements to the jump line which connects Rock-N-Roll to Schoolhouse (name may change in the future) and extending Rock-N-Roll towards the boat dock. We had three drainages to cross in very rough terrain, in addition to, a flat, wet area that had to be well-drained and raised up. There was lots of dirt moving and rock work on this section, which is nearly complete. Additional trail has been laid out where we will be working the rest of this year and in 2025.
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Rock-N-Roll Trail Jump Line Improvements |
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Our Contributions in 2024 – Roanoke Parks Foundation Mill Mountain Trail Project: $25,000 |
| Call for Board Members
Want a bigger voice in the process? Please join our Board! Email pathfinders@greenways.org to learn more. |
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Happy Valley Fire Road repair & 6 months later |
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| 10th Street Viaduct Mural |
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New Belgium Bicycle Giveaway! This beautiful New Belgium Brewery bicycle will be awarded to the donor giving the largest donation from Nov. 15 thru Dec. 20, 2024! |
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Pathfinders for Greenways is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your donations are tax-deductible. In addition to donating online via the button above, you can mail a check to the return address listed below. We welcome donations of stock shares, too! Please email us to facilitate the transaction.
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