Rocky Knob Chapter

Rocky Knob Chapter met in October to hear Rick Baker, Facilities Manager of the Plateau District speak about his years with the Parkway. As a result of his presentation, this group decided to start a recycling project for plastics and aluminum for the Parkway. The Plateau District will buy two containers for recycling and place one at the Rocky Knob Camp Ground and one at Ground Hog Mountain Picnic area. Friends will pick up the recycled products and take them to recycling centers. The aluminum will be sold and proceeds used by Friends of the Parkway to further Parkway projects. 

Rocky Knob Chapter picked up trash along the parkway during one weekend in October and will continue to pick up trash during the fall and winter months. Happily there was very little trash to collect. People do respect the parkway property. Collections from the Iron Ranger at Mabry Mill have already amounted to over $1700.00 for the 2008 season. 

All the park benches along the Rock Castle Gorge Trail have been replaced by the scouts and Rocky Knob Chapter. Plans are to complete the benches along Smart View Trail during October.

Rocky Knob Chapter has invited 10 members of the American Hiking Association to come to our area to help with trail rebuilding at Smart View in June of 2009.  

Scouts from Mebane, NC Work and Hike on Parkway

The Rocky Knob Chapter provided tools, maps and brownies to a Boy Scout Troop from Mebane, NC who repaired benches on the Blue Ridge Parkway on September 12.  Eight Scouts and 4 adults worked 12 hours and hiked 13 miles up and down the Rock Castle Gorge. This dedicated group told Rocky Knob Chair, Gloria Hilton, that they want to return next year!

 

 

FRIENDS chapter steering committee

A new FRIENDS chapter steering committee met in Meadows of Dan May 2, 2007.  This energetic group of FRIENDS accepted the challenge to form the Rocky Knob Chapter under the leadership of this Steering Committee.  Their first item of business was the collection of the donation box at Mabry Mill.  In addition, they attended National Park Service training on how to repair and replace split rail fences in areas of the Parkway that are in a bad condition.

Chapter Hosts Tim Pegram, Author of The Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot: A Park Ranger's Memoir

The Rocky Knob chapter FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway hosted Tim Pegram, former NPS ranger and author of The  Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot: A Park Ranger's Memoir. Click here for details.

CHAPTER COMPLETES 273 FENCE SECTIONS!

The Rocky Knob Chapter of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway has finished repairing 1355 rails on the split rail fences at Smart View (milepost 155) and is moving on to another site in need of fence repair -- milepost 164.5 They would love to see some new faces turn out to help them spruce up the Parkway this spring. For more information, email Gloria Hilton at gjhilton1@yahoo.com.

Winter 2007 Chapter Activities

Boy Scouts Install Benches

Rocky Knob Chapter of Friends of the Parkway was very fortunate to have Boy Scouts from Mebane, N. C. come up to help with the Rocky Gorge Bench repair project.  Kerry Hilton worked with these young men who admitted they were tired after carrying benches about 3 miles down an extremely steep slope -- but they recovered quickly.  They hope to come back in the spring to participate in some more projects.  This is a great group of young people with some tremendous leaders.

The troop spent the night at the Primitive Camping Area in the Gorge and started replacing the park benches over the weekend.  This was a huge project because part of the gorge is almost straight down and you have to walk with one foot in front of the other to get down the slope.

Chapter chair, Gloria Hilton told FRIENDS that her husband, Kerry, did a great job  setting everything up, getting supplies and equipment for them and getting them to the right places.  She says, "the scouts loved him and we loved the scouts.  They were really cute, especially the younger ones.  They had a blast and are going to go back and tell their district how great this place is.  This was the first time the scouts or the leaders had ever been to the Parkway.  We are thrilled that they want to come back in the spring and help with the fences."

Gloria presented the scouts with tee shirts or cap and they were very surprised and happy to get them.

FloydFest

The amazing Rocky Knob chapter worked about 155 hours for the festival, selling memberships, merchandise and donations.   The chapter accepted five new members and recruited nine new volunteers.  Rocky Knob, which started with 9 members, has exceeded all expectations and now counts 50 members on its roster.

Rocky Knob handed out Virginia maps, Parkway maps, trail maps and other interesting informational brochures. 

Repairing Split Rail Fences

The Rocky Knob Chapter is repairing split rail fences on the Parkway. The Chapter trained with NPS staff on restoring split rail fences which have deteriorated over the years because of winter weather, age, and farm animals. The Chapter completed all the snake fences around the Smart View entrance at milepost 155, and are moving onto a new site at milepost 164.5.

Be Prepared!

If you would like to help repair the fences, wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, heavy gloves and sturdy shoes or boots.  You may want to bring bug spray, sun screen and a bag lunch.  If you have  wire cutters, please bring them. The Parkway will furnish some wire cutters as well as plenty of the split rails.

FRIENDS will furnish bottled water, juices, drinks and some snacks.  The work lasts about six hours depending on how hot it is that day and how tired everyone gets.  You may work longer hours or shorter hours depending on your desire.  The chapter would like to  have about 5 or more teams of 3 but they will work with any number they can get.  Some of the folks have already been trained in fence repair 101 and will show everyone else what to do. 

Painting Milepost Markers

The Rocky Knob Chapter has completed painting all the milpost markers on the Blue Ridge Parkway! Loaded with paints, brushes, signage, and vests the Chapter worked long hours to make the markers more visible to the Parkway visitors.  

If you would like to view the Rocky Knob Recruitment Poster, click here.

 

First Outdoor Donation Box

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway joined its Rocky Knob Chapter to unveil the first outdoor Iron Ranger donation box on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Lester Wood and Mindy DeCesar from the National Park Service demonstrated the collection method to Rocky Knob Chapter Steering Committee Chairpersons, Gloria and Kerry Hilton.  The location of the donation box is just beside the walkway entrance to the gift shop/restaurant at Mabry Mill, Milepost 176.2.

FRIENDS Rocky Knob Chapter volunteers will collect the monies, and 100% will be returned to the Parkway.

With the cost of operating the Parkway increasing much faster than funding, these boxes could generate thousands of dollars annually to help the Parkway with activities ranging from trail construction, viewshed restoration, and volunteer support.  And, unlike many national park areas, the Blue Ridge Parkway charges no entrance fee, so they must depend upon private support and volunteer organizations to provide those services that people have come to expect from the Parkway.

Currently FRIENDS collects donation boxes at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, Peaks of Otter (indoor and outdoor donation boxes), Humpback Rocks, Moses Cone Manor, Linville Falls, and at the Mineral Museum in Little Switzerland – all collections are performed by FRIENDS volunteers.