Revitalizing Green Spaces by Building a Trail

Trail head sign

Southern Montgomery County, adjacent to DC, is a densely developed and populated area with patches of green space scattered to provide recreation and respite from the active lives of its citizens. The largest green spaces in the down county are Sligo Creek Park, Northwest Branch Park, and Rock Creek Park; all with trail systems but non connecting to each other; until now.

For two years, multiple organizations (Northwood High School, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Neighbors of Northwest Branch, Friends of Sligo Creek, MD State Highway Administration, Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection) partnered to build the one and half mile Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail that connects Sligo Creek and Northwest Branch Parks together. In 2009, the State Highway Administration was persuaded to bank 15 acres of their land for environmental protection. This property is adjacent to Northwood High School. It was used for many years as an unofficial community landfill. With money from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, students and community volunteers removed 11,000 pounds of trash, built a three-quarter mile interpretive trail about the Chesapeake Bay watershed, removed invasive species and planted native trees and plants. This first phase was completed with a National Trails Day celebration in June 2010 with a 5K community fun run and hike.

In April 2011, volunteers constructed more of the trail to University Ave with hopes of extending it further into Breewood Park to reach Sligo Creek Park. As lead organizations, Northwood and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club worked with Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection for a year to gain permission and plan the trail extension. In November, 25 students and community volunteers built the half mile extension of the Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail in Breewood Park.

Anne Ambler of NNWB and Erol Miller of Northwood HS

The Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail now connects Sligo Creek Park just below University Avenue (on the Parkway across from the last playground) to Northwest Branch Park at the Loxford Terrace connector trail. The trail is blazed in red for Northwood High School. Furthermore, it is posted with a trail sign on Sligo Creek Parkway, University Ave, Northwood High School and in Northwest Branch Park.

The Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail project is a successful example of a public, private partnership which has left a positive legacy in an urban area with scattered but valuable green space. Montgomery County residents greatly regard their county parks with trails being the most valued resource. This successful public, private partnership protected land for green space and environmental education, restored land to improve the ecosystem’s health including the watershed and built a recreational resource that ties the community to the land creating ownership and pride; creating legacy.

Be Careful or You'll End Up on Your Butt

After the post Thanksgiving stuffing, my husband, kids, parents and I took a hike on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland to Weaverton Cliffs, north to the Ed Garvey Shelter and back. The leaves are off the trees and ankle deep on the trail. I forgot that freshly fallen leaves are slippery when I almost fell on my butt; however, I managed to catch myself before falling on the edge of a rock. That got me thinking about what are the hazards of hiking after the leaves have just fallen.

• Hiking on freshly piled leaves is liked walking on a newly polished floor with high heals; the wax provides a perfect opportunity to skid out. The waxy, protective coating on leaves is similar, particularly going down hill. To prevent this, I stepped from rock to rock because of their textured and abrasive surface. Furthermore, while hiking down hill, I took smaller steps and used my quad muscles as brakes.
• The ankle deep leaves messed with my depth perception and where the best spot was to place my foot on the trail tread. The rocks and tree roots played peekaboo, tricking me with my involuntary decisions to make the right choice.
• Often times when I hike, I rely on the trail tread to lead me in the right direction and check for blazes at turns and intersections. However, I found myself looking for the white blazes a lot more because the trail tread mimicked the forest floor.

The winter is one of my favorite times of the year to hike because the views are expansive through the woods and the trails are a lot less crowded in the DC area, except for the occasional burst of southwestern air that infiltrates our region in the winter. This causes people to stop hibernating and leave their dens to seek the fresh air of the trail.

Camping at Rocky Gap State Park

   Friends in my neighborhood gather every September to go camping for fellowship and fun in nature. For the past nine years, we have camped at a county park, Little Bennett. This park has beautiful nature, great facilities and is a half hours drive from our homes. Camping at this park allows us to participate in our kids weekend sports activities and be close to home for families who are new to camping. Each year, there are the regulars and some families trying camping for the first time. Two thumbs up for them! Sometimes camping for the new families has been successful and they have become regulars but others have packed up in the middle of the night to return home.

   This year on our tenth anniversary, the regulars decided to mix it up and change the location and duration. Instead of one night, we camped the weekend at Rocky Gap State Park. It is a gorgeous park tucked in the mountains of Western Maryland very close to the Pennsylvania border. The park offers an outdoor experience for the novice to the expert: a resort lodge to a campground and mountain bike trails.
I reserved six campsites on Lake Habeeb, each site with their own access and view of the crystal clear lake. We arrived at night to see a mystical fog hover over the lake in the moon light. The kids immediately had a blast exploring the trails to the lake with their flashlights. After hot and humid summer days, we experienced the crispness of fall. Something our bodies were not physically used to. We layered our fleece both morning and night to sit by a campfire and chill while the kids kept warm with a pretend game of Star Wars in the woods - boys against girls! Morning coffee never tasted so good. As the day passed, the sun peeked through the sky providing some warmth. The sun encouraged us adults to move. Some hiked the lake loop while others mountain biked it. To complete my outdoor adventure, I put on my wetsuit for an open water swim in the lake. Refreshing but chilly, as the sun descended over the mountains. As day turned into night, no camping trip is possible without roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire. Before quiet time descended over the campground, the kids lead us in song from yesterday and today.
   Living in a neighborhood with an "it takes a village" mentally is a true blessing in life; where a sense of community is real and shared by all. The gift is even great when the same sense of community can be shared in nature.

Trail Discovery for Kids

August Highlighted Hike
Stone Bridge Loop Trail
Manassas Battlefield National Park
Manassas, VA

Hike Information
* 1.1 mile circuit hike on a wide trail with crushed gravel and raised wooden walkways.
* The hike has one moderate hill to ascend and descend, hiking clockwise or counter-clockwise. Each has steps that are widely spaced.
* After the Stone Bridge, turn right or left to start the circuit hike.
* An extra 1/4 of a mile may be added to the hike passed the Van Pelt Site along the field to Bull Run (hiking counter-clockwise).
* Hike both in the woods and open field.
* Trailhead and parking lot on Rt. 29 two miles east of Sudley Rd.
* Trail map.

Age Appropriate
This circuit hike is appropriate for all ages because it is short and jogging stroller passable for toddlers. However, it can be a section of a longer hike for children elementary age and older.

What is fun for kids?
* Easy access to Bull Run to play in the stream or throw rocks.
* Great Civil War interpretive signs of the First Battle of Manassas. Being able to use the natural environment to play act the battle.
* Activities in the Park: Stone House, Henry House, and the museum and movie about the Civil War at the Visitor's Center.

Caution
* No bathrooms at the trailhead/parking lot.

Camping in the Rain

   I love to camp but have to admit that camping in the rain sucks. Twice this summer, my kids and I have done it; once at Ohiopyle State Park and the second time in Acadia National Park. Gaining some experience, I have noticed how people protect themselves differently from the elements. The most important is to have a dry tent. The second is to have a dry area to congregate and eat.
   About ten years ago, I purchased our first family tent when my daughter was born, a four-person Eureka. I love this tent. It has held up in lots of rain. The rain fly is attached to the body allowing for rain to drain away well. We were expecting rain in Acadia; therefore, placement of the tent was really important particularly since the site was sloped (made it fun to sleep also!) I staked it on the up slope against a large log that cribbed the site. My daughter and I dug drainage ditches at the ends of the log out away from the sides of the tent. Lastly, I dug a small drainage ditch at the edge of the vestibule on the up slope side. When rain drained off the vestibule, it pooled at the corner.
   At any campground, it is hard not to notice the different styles and strategies people use for car camping, particularly when it rains. Tents are all different shapes, sizes, and colors: A-frames, domes, pyramids, rectangles, and many more that can't be summed up in one word. Each tent and owner protects their bags and pads differently from rain: a fly at the apex of the tent, full coverage staked away from the body, vestibule flies, and supported screened vestibules and flies. Knowing the rainy forecast, many people hung large tarps in addition to the flies above their tents for extra protection. Some choose to do the combo of tarping their picnic table and the entrance to their tent, creating a covered walkway. Those who didn't protect their tent sufficiently were forced to sleep in their cars (love being a fly on the bathroom wall after rain). Thankfully, our family was not one of them. We had a dry tent!
   Just like with tents, campers use varying strategies for protecting a congregating/eating area. Some use canopies, while others put up screen houses for both rain and bugs. I placed the picnic table under some trees. Thankfully someone had left a line across the site where I hung a trap from and tied off the corners. A slope in the tarp is important to wick away the rain. If not, then a big, sagging pool of rain collects and it becomes extremely difficult to drain. Looking around, I noticed some staked one or two sides to the ground or placed poles in the grommets and tied the other corners to a tree, others tied three ropes parallel and hung the tarp with flaps on each side to ward off diagonal rain, and yet another tied one corner to the hitch of their car. Hanging and tying a tarp involves problem solving to achieve the best set-up to ward against the elements. This summer I have gained more practice than I've liked in hanging a tarp.
   I have to admit, I considered a hotel room after 20 hours of constant, steady rain in Acadia because my kids and I were wet and cold. However, our tent stayed dry and we opted for a hot shower instead (coined operated outside the park). Clean, warm and in our jammies, we quickly negotiated the rain and climbed into our sleeping bags. The pitter patter of the rain on the tent peacefully and gently put us to sleep. Even though I don't like camping in the rain, I love listening to the rain on my tent!

Family Meals and Packing: Backpacking Style

   This past weekend, my family and I did a kid-friendly backpacking trip to Green Ridge State Forest with some friends. We hiked two miles to our wilderness campsite at a great swimming hole along Fifteen Mile Creek. To get there, we needed to bushwhack off the trail before it ascended a steep ridge. It was a beautiful spot where the kids had fun playing in the water and cooling off from the hot sun. Packing for a successful trip is time consuming, particularly when I do it occasionally and for the family.

   Our camping gear is in three bins in the basement. They are easy to pull out and separate backpacking supplies from car camping supplies. For me, meal planning is most time consuming, particularly creating the dinner menu. Time is spent: planning the menu, making the grocery list, going to the store, and then repackaging it to reduce the waste and weight.

    Our standard breakfast menu is instant oatmeal and bagels with cream cheese (bought in the plastic tub). I didn't take bagels this time to reduce space. To add protein to the oatmeal, I chopped almonds and put them in a zip bag with craisins. Coffee is a must to get my husband and I going in the morning. Starbucks Via packs are as good as coffee grounds without the clean-up.

    Lunch is easy and packed with protein - cheese (smoked Gouda works well and doesn't get greasy) and salami or pepperoni. We eat them with Naan bread and apples or baby carrots. Naan is a great alternative to pita and bagels. It stays moist long and doesn't crumble or take up lots of space. Something sweet is a must and a dark chocolate bar hits the spot.

    Burritos, tacos, or fajitas are a standard camping meal particularly when car camping because it is a very simple meal. However, making this meal while backpacking causes a lot of clean-up. This is my least favorite chore whether camping or at home. Therefore, I like to minimize the dish washing. I really like freezer bag cooking which allows you to make a one-pot meal in a freezer bag.

    I made two freezer bag meals: one recipe I got from trailcooking.com, Italian mashers with chicken, and a second I created, tuna polenta casserole (see recipe below). I prepped both meals at home combining the dry ingredients in freezer bags and wet ingredients in another.  Instead of cooking the meal in the freezer bag, I cooked them in one large pot for a hungry family of four. Freezer bag cooking is great for one or two servings in a gallon size bag but cooking for four in one is difficult to stir and get all the ingredients combined. My family loved the tuna polenta casserole. Clean-up was easy with four bowls and sporks and one pot and spoon. Just the way mom likes it!

Tuna Polenta Casserole - 4 servings

I measured some ingredients and eyeballed others. Therefore, you will need to adjust based on your own taste buds.

1 1/4 cup polenta

5 cups of water

3 stalks of celery chopped

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Onion flakes

Black pepper (no salt, bouillons have lots)

2-5 oz. Packages of tuna

Cheddar cheese

   Combine the polenta, onion flakes and bouillon cubes in a freezer ziplock bag. Chop the celery and place in a small zip bag. At the campsite, combine water and celery in the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and slowly add the dry ingredients while stirring. Once polenta is mixed in, then add the cheese and tuna and stir. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir again before serving.

Just as good as mom's tuna noodle casserole!

Eyeball to Eyeball

   On Wednesday, my kids and I went tubing down the Shenandoah River outside of Harpers Ferry with some friends. It was a glorious day of bright sunshine and crystal blue skies; not the normal humid DC haze. The highlight of the adventure for my kids was leaving the safety of their tube and frolicking in the swallow river. They swam, splashed, chased each other, and jumped off rocks to their hearts content.
   The highlight of the day for me was being eyeball to eyeball with a damselfly. I am not sure what it was about my arms; a great landing pad on top of the bright orange tube but I had many visitors. At one time, I had five of them lined up on my right forearm. The leader and I stared at each other. I loved looking into its big black, bulbous eyes each positioned slightly off center. We stared at each other for a while until a splash hit my arm and all five lifted in flight with their delicate clear, cellophane wings. I wonder what the leader damselfly was thinking as we stared at each other. I was thinking, "you are beautiful."