NN Park (Richneck Rd.) 1/31/23
Photos by Sherri
Another great hike today with the Tuesday Group, wish everyone could have been there. We did have a good size group with 20 that showed on a cloudy, foggy, with a little mist-T-rain day. There was Sharon R, Sharon “Sherri”Mc, Bob M, Bob A, Margaret J, Melissa C, John & Jane O, John M, Gayle O, Sandy C, Henry R, Phyllis N, Mark B, Jim N, Andy G, Bill L, Norman C, Lance D, and me. We also had 3 dogs with us today, Sandy and Phyllis brought there’s. I had checked out the trail a week ago, but we did have some rain on two days, and it did swell up the water holes just a little, but none we couldn’t hike around. We started about 9:35 heading south from the parking lot. The crazies think happen to my GPS; it would not show any information while we hiked down the trail from the parking lot down to the woods. I wasn’t sure if it was the fog or walking under the power lines that kept it from showing any information, but as soon as we reach the wood line it began to work, this was about half-a-mile into the hike.
There was a paved parking lot behind a new development that they were still working on, and I wanted to show everyone in case they wanted to stop there sometime to go hiking, it was off of Denbigh Blvd. this was our first stop of the day. I had put together a small contest for everyone with 3 objects for them to be looking for on the hike, and there would be prizes for the one that found one of those. The first thing to be looking for was a sign stating for horseback riders to stay off of this one trail, and Sharon R. found it. Some of the trails here are paved, and it runs out into the wood for about half a mile, and then turns back into gravel and hard pack dirt the rest of the way. In this area we hiked over 6 beautiful bridges that were built over some of the low areas there in the woods.
There is a very large open area that runs about the distance of the park, and they have Water Lines, and Natural Gas Lines running under ground here. We headed down this way for about 150 yards then turn back into the Forrest for the next 3.5 miles. About the two-mile point was the second object for the group to be looking for, and this time Bob A. found it, which was an old, rusted barrel that had been left there for many years. At this point in the hike was a tunnel that goes under Denbigh Blvd., so we made a short detour about one quarter mile to see it, and walk through, of course, then back onto our trail to finish our hike. We had hiked a little over 3.5 miles by now, and I had another area to show the group, but with the distance we still had to go, I decided to skip it, the hike was only to be 6 miles total. About the four-mile mark was the 3 objects, which was a 16 in. Zenith T V box that had been left there on the ground for many years. This time Sherri M. was the one that found it, and she had a few pictures taken with her giving the 6 A.M. news forecast for the day. By now with all 3 objects found the only other thing was a small 4in.X 16 feet long log that I wanted some to help moved it out of the trail, after all we are “Trail Maintainers” for the A T and all local trails. We made quick work out of this, and 5 of us picket it up and laid it off of the trail.
It was about 12:15 P.M. when we reached the Picnic tables there at the Radio-Control-Airport, with a shelter built over them. I had asked the week before if we could eat our lunch there, and they said it would be O K, and that they may be there flying their planes, but with the fog, and a 40 percent chance of rain, no one show up. We ate our lunches which each person brought along with them, and Margaret passed some Chocolate around for all, talked about the hike, and I pasted out the prizes to the 3 winners of the contest. From here it was only about one quarter of a mile back to our vehicles’ which we did get to before any rain came down. With all the extra little trips we took along the way, the total distance was about 6.5 miles, but all said they loved the new place to hike and wanted to make a return trip later on this year, hopefully it will be a little dryer next time. Bob A. spotted a Bald Eagle up on one of the tall electric poles just as we made it to our vehicles. Next week we will be hiking at First Landing State Park, so hope to see you there. Bruce
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Thanks, Bruce!
TATC Tuesday Group: Newport News Park 2023_0131
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Uae5DA9joPKaVYj68
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Sharon McQueen, Ph.D.