In anticipation of running the Hokie Half Marathon this fall with Meagan on the Huckleberry Trail, I am going to take you on a run on the 5.76-mile trail that runs from Christiansburg to Blacksburg…
The Virginia Anthracite Coal and Rail Company tracks were removed and the Huckleberry Trail was built back in 1966. Bill and I love to run on the trail whenever we are visiting our alma mater, Virginia Tech. We usually park and start in the very early morning at the New River Valley Mall. Obviously this picture was taken at the end of our run, but I’m using it because I don’t have any pictures of this sign in the dark. Oh well…
Fall mornings in southwestern Virginia are usually very foggy! Look closely and you can see one of the Virginia Tech’s practice or intramural fields.
The spider that wove this web must think he’s in Richmond (University of Richmond Spiders)! My sons say if I have to explain the joke, it wasn’t worth telling!
Obviously this picture was taken on a different day. That’s Lane Stadium in the distance, my favorite place to spend a Saturday afternoon in the fall!
Much of the trail runs along 460, the major highway that takes you into Blacksburg from Interstate 81. For the most part though, it’s just far enough away that you’re not aware of the vehicles. You just see a lot of beautiful fields…
And run through some tree groves…
And between a huge cut in the rocks…
And if you’re lucky, you’ll see some red Huckleberries!
Thus the name, Huckleberry Trail…
This is a side bridge/trail that’s not part of the Huckleberry Trial. Our legs usually beg us to run on it for a little while just because it feels so good!
Like a little kid, I always hope that I will be running across this bridge when a train passes by underneath. We were luck one time and I got to wave at the engineer, but I didn’t get a picture…
Our Cruiser friend Beth was in town for a game one weekend and joined us for a run. We saw this Holstein cow, and as we were leaving we “herd” her say, “Eat mor chickin.” Can you believe she’s photo-bombing Beth’s picture?
Once we got to the Virginia Tech campus we added a few miles by running around the Drill Field and the rest of campus. I got Bill to snap a quick picture of me in front of the building where I spent the most of my time!
And finally after doing our out-and-back run, we got our finish line photo!
- Questions:
- Do you have a favorite trail that is at one of your often visited destinations?
- If you’re a runner, did you run in college (competitively or for fitness)?
- What was your college major?
What a beautiful trail! I am so jealous that you and Meagan get to run together in that race (but happy for you, too!!).
I was a Math Ed. major in college and only ran when my basketball coaches made me!! I hated it!
And look at you now! 🙂
So, so pretty!
I ran all the time in college to clear my head from all my jumbled thoughts. I loved it! But I never really ran more than 5 miles and I never tried to run fast. It was my form of brain therapy. I was a political science and environmental studies major and, yes, I thought I was going to change the world.
I just ran for fitness in college and didn’t enter any road races until after I graduated. I still regret not running cross country for VT.
I love the Huckleberry Trail! Now I am going to have to do my long run there next weekend 🙂 Did you know the Huckleberry got it’s name because back when the railroad tracks went through, the cadets from Tech would ride the train to get to Cburg. As the train made the climb to Cburg, it would go so slow that the cadets could hop off, eat some huckleberries, and then hop back on the train.
My friend Kim and I have been on the bridge when I train has gone by underneath. It wasn’t fun, though. It was windy that day and we got coal dust blown into our faces and eyes.
I love running through that rock part in the summer (around the 5 mile marker) because it’s always so much cooler in there.
Oh and I started running in college, so the Huckleberry is my first love. I ran to train for races, but never really tried to run fast. And I majored in Food Science at Tech 🙂
Just the other day when I was writing this post I read how the Huckleberry Trail got its name. Before then, I just assumed it was because there were so many huckleberry bushes along it.
[…] and I love to start our Saturday morning off with a super early run on the Huckleberry Trail before our tailgate, and hopefully football fun. As my friend Wade’s shirt […]
Great pictures..looked like you all had a great time. Our version of ‘hucklberry trail’ in the northwest is the trek up the mountain in search of our variety of huckelberries.
The Huckleberry Basket recently posted…Berry Rake Controversy
Quite different than mine!