Walking with the Walrus

TANGLEWOOD PARK NC USA VOLKSMARCH/SWIM
JUNE 23, 1997 - 1997 AVA CONVENTION

by Kevin Shaw
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner
Greetings! I come to you from the Winston Salem area, in Clemmons NC, where my daughter Robin and I participated in the 1997 AVA convention walk and swim at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons NC. My daughter and I worked first helping to set up the event, as our home club, the Seneca Valley Sugarloafers were the sponsoring club for the walk. We helped out on the sales tables, and wherever needed during setup. This was my first ever convention walk to participate in. Because of my old knee injury and uncertainties, I did not register ahead of time for the full convention, and am attending only a few of the convention activities.
I walked later on, starting about 6 pm, towards the end of the 4-7 pm window to start with. The swim window was 6-9 pm, so I figured when I got back from the walk Robin and I could still do the swim. Robin stayed back and worked, declining to do the walk. I set out with directions, but really did not need them, as the trail was totally marked with yellow streamers. But since I am a mapmaker by trade, I always enjoy looking at a map, and helping me remember the interesting spots along the trail.
The trail went in and out of the woods in the park on a combination of paved roads, gravel roads, and natural-surfaced paths. We passed by athletic fields, fragrance gardens, horse stables, campgrounds, the beautiful golf course, and lots of shady woods especially near the front gate and also along the Yadkin River, which was a relief on a hot day. Plenty of water at the three staffed checkpoints, and plenty of energy reviving candy. Nice to see all the people too! I headed out alone, but caught up with some nice people from California and Kansas before the first checkpoint. I walked with the Kansans the rest of the walk which was great to have someone to talk to and find out about walks in the Great Plains. We passed a Concert shell which unfortunately was empty, but added to all the sights to see!
Near the end, after passing this great 1894 locomotive on a corner right near the finish we made a final loop in a different section where the most significant hill of the walk surprised us, first going down, then up after the third checkpoint at the beautiful Mallard Lake. I took a few pictures on the trail,and this was one great photo spot. The ice cream shop unfortunately closed at 8 pm, just before we got there. But we filled up our water bottles and that helped on that final hill.
While working before the event started, I got to see all the great AVA organizers and elected officials, like AVA president Lynn Clark, who wondering where my pooches were (at home staying cool, actually), and finally getting to meet AVA vice president and walklist owner Wendy Bumgardner and Volksware seller Elizabeth Ireland Mitchell in person , who were walking together. We even had an impromptu photo session! Hope they come out! And plenty of others on the walklist. What a great one!
There were several hundreds attending the walk, I really could not get a count. There was quite a backup of walkers waiting for the 4 pm official start, and they stopped punching start numbers to get everyone through and out on the trail. I do know that there were almost 400 swimmers for the volksswim. The Tanglewood pool, a large outdoor one, felt great after the hot walk, and my daughter Robin was getting informal, impromptu diving lessons when she was supposed to be doing the swim. I managed to swim all 5 laps to do the full 300 meter swim distance. Thanks to the Walk-n-mass Volksport Club and the Northeast Region for providing support in putting on this swim event. There are two more swims taking place on Wednesday evening at this same venue, a welcome cooling relief after the hot trail!
Thanks so much to my host club and to the North Central Region and to Fred Lopez, Nancy Stenger and the rest of the Convention committee for doing all the great work to make this event a big success! See you on the trail soon! (Unfortunately the 6-9 am starts for most of the rest of the events don't fit into my pm lifestyle, but is understandable in the heat of the summer!)

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