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members network
We’d like to hear from you.Write to “Members
Network,” Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2121Ward
Ct., NW, 5th Floor,Washington, D.C. 20037.
Or e-mail:
Letters may be edited for publication.
Wonderful Black Hills
Not long after reading your story about
the George S. Mickelson Trail in South
to visit friends in the nearby city of
Spearfish. I was particularly interested in
visiting the Moonshine Gulch Saloon in
Rochford. I was able to go and partici-
pate in a song circle and even did some
North Carolina “flatfooting.”
Later, I drove up to the Mystic trail-
head and biked to Rochford for lunch.
It’s a beautiful trail through gorgeous
landscapes, and it is so well maintained.
Carol Thompson
GREENSBORO, N.C.
Inaugural Trail Ride
After reading about Illinois’ Tunnel Hill
S
S
,
and I decided to go there for our inaugu-
ral rail-trail ride, the start of a grand plan
to ride as many rail-trails as possible.
The day was warm, and the trail won-
derfully shady and well-maintained. We
made an edifying side trip to the Cache
River Wetlands Center.
Bob and I arrived at Stonefort at
lunchtime and enjoyed a delicious rib-
eye sandwich, fresh salad and a cold soda
at the Stonefort General Store.
The 543-foot tunnel for which the
trail is named was an interesting expe-
rience without lights, but we made it
through without walking!
At the end of our ride, we took the
spur toward the wetlands to round our
trip up to 50 miles. It was an enjoyable
ride, perfect for a first time rail-trail
experience.
Nancy Raney
FT. SMITH, ARK.
Got the Facts
Your article about the Bloomingdale
was very well-written! A long article
about the same trail was featured in a
recent Sunday’s
Chicago Tribune
.
I read
that article first, and although the pic-
tures were nice I garnered very little fac-
tual information about the trail. Puzzled
and curious, I read your article next and
was pleased to learn things I had not
found in the Tribune article.
Keep up the good work!
Julie Barcal
BERWYN, ILL.
More Maps…
The Fall 2013 edition has two stories
with maps and two without. I get more
out of the articles when you include at
least a general map. Please include them.
Adam Piceno
FALLS CHURCH, VA.
More Magazines
When
Rails to Trails
magazine arrives it
is truly the highlight of my day. Alas, it
arrives only once every three months.
What can we supporters do to make it
become a monthly treat?
Steve Jacobs
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF.
What a wonderful world this would be!
Yes, we love the maps in the magazine,
too. They do, however, require some time
and expense to produce. Luckily, our trail-
finder website, TrailLink.com, has verified
GIS maps of more than 24,000 miles of
trails across the country. And it’s free. Nice.
As for a magazine each month…Well,
that might be beyond us at the moment.
But you can sign up for our eNews! Trail
news every month delivered to your inbox:
railstotrails.org/eNews.
Shout-Outs from Ohio
As “Trailblazer” volunteers in the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP),
my wife and I are familiar with most
of the northern locations mentioned in
climb out of the Cuyahoga Valley into
Akron passes through a wonderful and
historic area. These sections of trail are
well-travelled and very well-maintained
by CVNP, Summit County, and Akron.
John and Kathy Beck
WADSWORTH, OHIO
I am blessed to live within about a mile
of the Little Miami Scenic Trail and ride
my bike on it whenever I can. I love the
trail so much I also volunteer with the
Friends of Little Miami State Park to
help maintain and improve it.
We have more than a dozen volun-
teers who work on our 6.5-mile long
trail section.
Yesterday I met two cyclists at a rest
stop who earn a living as roofers. They
took a day off and drove all the way
from Lexington, Ky., about a hundred
miles, to ride the trail because they enjoy
it so much.
Don Hahn
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, OHIO
Credit Where Due
Thanks go to Pattie Heldt and Friends
of the Weiser River Trail for their activi-
ties to develop and maintain the trail
But how can you say they’ve done this
without the support of municipali-
ties or a county or state agency”? The
article references Idaho Department of
Agriculture’s funding and also matching
grants administered through the Idaho
Department of Parks and Recreation.
In this era of anti-government senti-
ment, it is important to acknowledge
what our government does for, and by,
all of us.
Bill Marker
BALTIMORE, MD.