2015 Spiders Cross Country Preseason-Mountain Lake Lodge

The view from Bald Knob at Mountain Lake Lodge.

For the past few years we have traveled to Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia for our Richmond Spiders Cross Country Preseason Train Camp. Check out our photo album from our 2015 Preseason trip located HERE.

Kayak and Canoe trip down the New River...
 trail runs to places like War Spur Overlook...
workouts at Pandapas Pond...
and a long run past the Cascades Waterfall
all welcomed the Spiders to Giles County.

From long runs on trails to endless dirt roads and over 37 miles of the New River within the county...this area of Virginia has everything those who enjoy the outdoors want...

Nightly camp fires for telling stories and roasting s'mores.

A little history...Giles County covers 360 square miles with 37 miles of the New River flowing through its center..The County itself was established in 1806 from Montgomery, Monroe, Wythe, and Tazewell counties. It is named for William Branch Giles who was born in Amelia County in 1762. Giles became a lawyer and from there was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served from 1790 to 1815. He also served on the Virginia General Assembly from 1816 to 1822. In 1827, he was elected Governor. In all, he served the U.S. and state around a total of forty years.

The county has preserved it's natural beauty and over the past several years started focusing even more on it's amazing resources...the Blue Ridge Mountains and the New River. The New River Water Trail offers some of the most amazing views found on any eastern U.S. river. Limestone cliffs call to you as you float by and watch as water fowl and the occasional bald eagle float by.

We took a 6 mile afternoon trip on the water trail with our men's and women's teams which included kayak's and canoe's rented from Tangent Outfitters in Pembroke. Talk about awesome people! Owner Shawn Hash and staff were amazing...They were waiting at the drop in point for our teams and picked us up on the other end of the 3.5 hour float trip.

Lori and Luke

Make no mistake our teams were there to run, train hard, challenge each other and to come together for the fall season. We accomplished a lot in the days we were there as we watched the coming together of soon to be lifelong friends.  As a coach, there's something about a team. You know when it happens...those moments when you see they are a team and you know they are collectively driven to achieve their best. It's the start of something... 

For us Giles County is where it begins...the great people...that laid back feeling you get when you are there...the cool mountain air...the slight altitude at Mountain Lake Lodge and the majestic mountains of Giles County keep pulling us back every year as our athletes prepare for the season.  

If you haven't been to Mountain Lake Lodge or Giles County, place it on your list of destinations.  You will find yourself going back for more...Lori and I have been doing so together for over 30 years...and hope to do so for 30 more.

War Spur Overlook on the mountain past the Mountain Lake Lodge.

A few team members on a stretch of the 37 miles of the New River in Giles County. 

The Cascades