With a camera, that is.
Zach and I spied this guy near the base of Mill Mountain as we walked down "Old Road" on Saturday. He looks pretty healthy. He stared at us for awhile, before he ran off after a doe. Enjoy!
Oct. 25, 2009, on "the Old Road" up Mill Mountain, Roanoke, Va.
My hunch is today is the zenith of our fall colors, though it's possible I'm off by a week. So I thought I'd treat you to this pic I shot this afternoon during a hike up Mill Mountain with my son Zach, 11.
(Zach's the youngest of the four Casey kids. His older siblings are Cait, 22; Erin, 19 and Anna, 16.)
"The OId Road" up Mill Mountain is a closed street the city of Roanoke has turned into a pedestrian- and cyclist-only greenway, just a mile or so from downtown. A 2-mile climb at an average 10 percent grade, it is the most amazing road I have ever seen in a city in the United States.
Here's a little story I wrote about that road. It was my second-published newspaper column.
Workers for Kinsey Crane and Sign Co. change some of the neon bulbs on the Mill Mountain Star Friday afternoon.
The old tollgate on Prospect Road, along Roanoke's Mill Mountain Greenway
Two companies have donated part of the building materials necessary to repair the historic stone arch and tollgate along Roanoke's Mill Mountain Greenway.
John T. Morgan Roofing and Sheet Metal Co. of Roanoke has donated 10 squares of architectural shingles as well as an ice and weather shield, says City Councilman Court Rosen.
NB Handy, a commercial supplier of roofing materials based in Lynchburg, has donated 16-inch wide copper flashing for the repair project, Rosen says.
The stone arch and toll gate were damaged when trees fell on it in a February 2008 windstorm. Efforts to fix it began after this column noted its condition.
Contractors Jay Turner and Stan Breakell have offered some labor toward fixing the arch.
Materials still needed include plywood, 2x6s, 1x8x10 fascia and some other items.
Steve Buschor, director of Roanoke Parks and Recreation, is coordinating the project.
The old tollgate on Prospect Road, the
The damaged tollgate along Prospect Road on Mill Mountain is a largely forgotten piece of Roanoke history.
But recently, plenty of folks are remembering it: A small group of public officials, contractors and residents is forming to restore the beautiful stone arch and tollbooth to their former glory.
"The pieces are all there for a public-private partnership," said City Councilman Rupert Cutler, who's spearheading the repair efforts.
Built near the bottom of Prospect Road by William Henritze in the early 1920s, the gate was damaged in February 2008 when some large trees smashed into it during stiff winter winds. It knocked shingles off the small roof over the arch and tore holes in the top of the adjacent booth. Click here for the rest of the column.
Earlier this month I wrote a column about my favorite road on Earth, the 'old road' up Mill Mountain. On that page there's also a cool video by Sam Dean.
Many, many people wrote in to say they loved that column, or that they love that road, or both. Thank you for all those responses.
Those inspired me to assemble a little slideshow so folks who haven't walked that road could see some of the glorious sights they are in for. I shot these pictures and Roanoke.com producer/wizard Jordan Fifer put them all together.
Thank you, Jordan!
Both of us hope you enjoy this, and that it might inspire you to check out that road.
If this gets enough responses, it might inspire me to organize a little public hike up the moutain later this spring. We'll see.
Again, the link to the slideshow is here.
The old stone tollgate and booth was damaged by falling trees in a February 2008 windstorm.
Behind the scenes, there's a lot talk going on about some repairs that could be made to the stone gate and tollbooth on Prospect Road, aka the 'old road," aka the Mill Mountain Greenway.
Volunteers are stepping forward; some others are being recruited. It appears the chief recruiter is recently installed City Councilman Rupert Cutler. He's been seeking labor from some area contractors and do-good groups. City Councilman Court Rosen is seeking donations of materials.
According to a list distributed by City Manager Darlene Burcham, the materials cost totals about $8,500. The most expensive items on the list are wood shingles and 1x8x10 band borders (not sure what those are -- anybody know?).
Separately, an out-of-work stone mason has contacted Roanoke Valley Greenways Coordinator Liz Belcher to volunteer his services on the stone wall, which is sliding onto the road in certain places.
Other volunteers include Chip and Ashley Donahue, who formed the local family organization Kids In the Valley, Adventuring!
"We can put together a team of the finest, smallest, hardest working people you have ever seen," they wrote to Cutler in an email.
The 'old road' is an extraordinary wonder in any modern American city. It's great to see so many different people concerned about it and stepping forward to do something.
Stay tuned for a future column on this, and for a photo-by-photo blog post of what it's like to walk up that gorgeous byway.
This was outside Rockledge Mansion on Prospect Road, aka the Mill Mountain Greenway, on Monday, March 23.
This picture was taken outside Rockledge Mansion, the home to Drs. Kevin and Nancy Dye, on Prospect Road, aka the "old road" or the Mill Mountain Greenway.
The Nancy it refers to is Nancy Dye. The birthday girl was Becky Balzer, a close girlfriend. Nancy hosted the party. The others are Marty McCarthy, Tammy Dooley, Cindy Reburn and Lynn Bradshaw.
Thanks to Nancy Dye for setting me straight.
