Bear Creek Triathlon a Dirty Job, but Somebody Had to Do It

Any day that ends with the mountain bike plastered with mud, hiking boots caked with dirt and hands reeking of fish, I count as a good day.

Such was the scene Monday when the sun set on my Bear Creek Lake State Park triathlon. And despite the warnings of Park Ranger Craig Guthrie that the facility was not in prime shape, I’d had a blast.

My status as a triathlete might be in question, since hiking, biking and fishing aren’t the standard iron-man ingredients. But my exploits found a perfect setting at Bear Creek Lake, where a colorful history, rich present and promising future stand in particular clarity.

As Guthrie advised, the park was neither ideal nor idyllic. The woods teemed with work crews tending to an impressive to-do list: clearing land beside the archery range (which is closed) for a 2,100- square-foot meeting and conference facility; digging trenches for water and sewage lines; and laying the groundwork for six cabins.

The improvements, among numerous projects approved in the 2002 bond referendum, will cost about $4.5 million and be completed in about a year, said John Zawatsky, park manager.

The upgrade should be worth the inconvenience.

“Sometimes you’ve got to put up with a little turmoil to see the sunrise over the horizon,” he said. “Even with all the activity going on, people can still come here and enjoy the outdoors.”

The rattle and hum of construction made me think of the park’s beginnings during the Great Depression. It evolved in conjunction with the surrounding Cumberland State Forest, which was shaped from land purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, mostly from private landowners.

Developing the property provided employment for many men in the late 1930s.

“They were simply carpenters, farmers and unskilled laborers seeking jobs,” reads the official park history.

In 1939, the facility was turned over to the state and a year later was opened as a day-use recreation area. It became a state park in 1962.

Bear Creek Lake became an instant fishing mecca in 1940. The waters had been stocked with robust bass, and anglers from far and wide showed up to dip their rods.

“When the season opened June 15, hundreds of fishermen from all over Virginia caught the legal limit of 10 bass there, so that it is estimated about 700 large bass were taken out of Bear Creek Lake within the first few days of the season,” reads one newspaper account.

Like any good journalist, I wanted to ascertain for myself that the stock has since rebounded, but let’s not put the kayak before the bike.

The first stop was the Cumberland Multi-Use Trail. This 14-mile network intended for hikers, bikers and horse-riders winds mostly through the 16,200-acre state forest, but the park also provides access.

The trail follows a series of fire roads and woodsy paths that combine environments – oak and hickory along one section, followed by stands of loblolly pine that carpet the trail with needles. The ride might not challenge hardcore single-trackers, but the rolling hills provide plenty of exercise and gear-shifting fun.

High water made some stream crossings funky, and the ground had been churned to mush in certain sections. Those who disdain mess might wait for a hard freeze or drier times.

After two hours of slogging along merrily on my bike, I was ready to sally forth in the kayak. The 40-acre lake quickly assured me its bass population has fully recovered from the 1940s by providing a largemouth volunteer for camera duty. Crappie, bream and channel catfish also call the lake home, and the Willis River adds to the angling opportunities if you have a small boat.

After kayaking, some hiking limbered the legs and provided a welcome way to end the day. I had hoped to explore some of the 16- mile Willis River Trail, where 150 or so athletes will be running Sunday in the Swinging Bridge Trail Runs. Instead, I stayed inside the park, where several clearly marked routes trace a path along the lake, though one, the Lost Barr Trail, is closed (that’s where the cabins are going).

So while in one sense I couldn’t have been at the park at a worse time – facilities closed, sections of trail turned to mush, the fish lethargic, the trees barren of leaves, cranes and trucks shredding the quiet – it was also the best of times.

Bike plastered, boots splattered and lures battered, I’d won the triathlon crown – a day of fun and a period of peace.

THE BEAR FACTS

Bear Creek Lake State Park spans 326 acres and offers many year- round and seasonal amenities, including camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, boating and biking (boats and bikes bikes available for rent in season).

The park also has a 10-target outdoor archery range (temporarily closed), and Cumberland State Forest offers a 10-station sporting clays range (closed during general firearms season).

The park is about 4 1/2 miles northwest of Cumberland. From Richmond, take U.S. 60 west, turn right on state Route 622 and left on Route 629.

For details, call (804) 492-4410 or go to www.dcr.virginia.gov.