Author: jbargmann47

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Abode

First class: A Waynesboro couple upgrades their airpark home

Wall removal and the installation of large windows opened up the original space, both physically and visually. “We have 180-degree mountain views of the Blue Ridge, with the aviation activity in the foreground,” the owner says. “It’s pretty cool.” Photo: Stephen Barling

Leslie and Rich Hock, a real estate agent and commercial pilot, respectively, live the way many of us can only dream of. In the garage beside their home at Eagle’s Nest Airpark, in Waynesboro, they stow their Beechcraft Bonanza, a single-engine four-seater. When they want to visit their daughter, they wing down to Austin, Texas. If Rich is craving crab cakes, he straps in for a round-trip to the Chesapeake Bay, picking up the goods from his favorite seafood restaurant, in Deltaville, Virginia. “The joke is, ‘Oh, the $200 crab cake,’” Leslie says.

The co-owner often works at the large new kitchen island, taking in the views. Photo: Stephen Barling

Life has been like this for the Hocks ever since they moved to the fly-in, fly-out community in 2001. But over time, they realized, they weren’t taking full advantage of the location of their home.

“We have 180-degree mountain views of the Blue Ridge, with the aviation activity in the foreground,” Leslie says. “If you’re an aviator, or you’re just into planes, it’s pretty cool.”

To improve these views—and make their home more comfortable and contemporary—they called on sister-and-brother design team Candace and Michael DeLoach, who have studios in Charlottesville and New York City, and Westhills Co. Builders, the local contractor that had built the house.

Candace DeLoach describes the original design as “all chopped up.”

“It was a very complicated layout with a lot of odd angles,” Michael DeLoach says. “We just felt like we wanted to clean up the space—make it feel more cohesive.”

“There was a screened-in porch in the back that had the best views, and I wanted to make the best use of that space,” Leslie Hock says. She adds that she also wanted better views from the kitchen, as well as an island there “where I could sit and work, and have a glass of wine when my work is done.”

The new vision came together quickly. The DeLoaches started designing in the fall of 2017, made a few adjustments before construction began, and the project wrapped in June 2018.

Today, the Hocks have a much-improved screened-in porch, which offers expansive views and clean construction, using 6-by-6-inch beams. The DeLoaches opted for natural materials, including cowhide and rattan. Glass subway tile, sourced from Artistic Tile, in New York, brightens up the kitchen. And the all-important island—now nine feet long—has a unique granite top from Albemarle Countertop Co.

Planes taxi on the tarmac a short distance from the outdoor deck. Photo: Stephen Barling

“Leslie was very excited when we found this stone,” Michael says. “The finishing process is called leathering—it looks like a weathered piece of stone that was just carved out of the mountain.”

The Hocks now have the home they really wanted—even if they couldn’t fully envision it when the renovation started. Although Leslie has a new office, she confesses that she doesn’t use it often, opting instead to sit in the kitchen and work, her laptop propped on the island and the beautiful views spreading out in front of her.

 

Categories
Abode

Roof with a view: Well, it’s actually the third floor, but outside the glass doors the scene is all sky and mountains

While there are many things to recommend this dwelling, the third floor trumps them all. Perched high like an osprey’s nest, the room is the inverse of a man cave. Photo: John Hancock Productions

An interesting housing experiment called Lochlyn Hill is taking shape about two miles east of the Downtown Mall, on the Charlottesville-Albemarle line by Pen Park. Five custom builders currently have a stake in the development, which the promotional material is careful to describe as a neighborhood or community. The architectural portfolio includes country-style homes with wraparound porches, stuccoed boxes with a contemporary Southwestern feel (think Las Vegas or Phoenix), tidy clapboard structures in the Craftsman tradition, bungalows, and contemporary rowhouses.

On the first floor, large windows, exposed beams, and plenty of reclaimed wood create a bright space with an urban farmhouse feel. Photo: John Hancock Productions

The answer to whether this rather tightly bunched collection constitutes a pleasing mélange or a dog’s breakfast is in the eye of the beholder, and only time will tell whether the development ultimately functions as a neighborhood or community. Regardless, whoever lives there will pay handsomely for the privilege, from $420,000 to $834,000 as of mid-April.

Falling roughly in the middle of that range are six townhomes by Charlottesville’s Stony Point Design Build. Standing in an east-facing row, the residences have oversized windows overlooking much of the development, which, when complete, will include 210 homes. The unit I toured is impressively appointed, with reclaimed oak floors, a kitchen with a Wolf range and high-end Kitchenaid appliances, a two-car garage opening directly into a big mudroom, a full-sized elevator, and a master suite with rolling barn doors concealing a large bathroom with heated stone floors. George and Jane Jetson would be comfortable in this high-tech nest. Imagine you are falling asleep in your king-size bed, and you have to get up early the next day. “Alexa, turn on the shower at 6:30am set to 99 degrees,” you command. Rest easy—the water will be running and waiting for you in the morning.

The unit is highly efficient, with a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating of 55; by comparison, a standard new home that meets code would score 100. Solid, tight construction contributes to the townhome’s efficiency, as does the design. The open-riser staircase forms an interior shaft, above which a skylight can be opened, promoting thermal air circulation throughout the house—like the home prices in Charlottesville, hot air rises.

The open stairwell and a skylight that cranks open enhance air circulation throughout the townhome. Photo: John Hancock Productions

While there are many things to recommend this dwelling, the third floor trumps them all. Perched high like an osprey’s nest, the room is the inverse of a man cave, although it does have a gas fireplace, enough space for a small fridge to chill beverages, a big wall-mounted TV, and easy access to an outdoor deck for searing meat on the grill. Tall glass doors fold back, the vertical panes stacking like playing cards and disappearing from sight. Framed by the open doorway, the expansive sky and mountains in the east present a mesmerizing view. If you sit on the couch against the west wall and take in the scene, no other house is within sight.

But what do you call the assemblage of closely packed houses, streets, and greenspace below? Is it a development, community, or neighborhood? Do you care?

Maybe it’s just time to close the thesaurus, ignore the marketing lingo, and take a deep breath.

Caption 1: The third floor consists of a cozy living room with a fireplace and an expansive deck for entertaining and enjoying the mountain views.

Caption 2: On the first floor, large windows, exposed beams, and plenty of reclaimed wood create a bright space with an urban farmhouse feel.

Caption 3: With lights glowing in its recessed base, the kitchen island appears to be floating above the floor.

Photo credits (all): John Hancock Productions

Categories
Unbound

The View: River of history

The beauty of the James River, here partially shrouded in fog, is matched only by its storied past. Photo: Robert Llewellyn

Upon finding the source of the Jackson River, parent to the James River, Earl Swift writes in Journey on the James: Three Weeks through the Heart of Virginia: “From this trickle grows a river that offered sustenance to Indian and early colonist, carried pioneers to new lands of the West, bloomed red with the blood spilled in three wars. No other feature of American topography has so witnessed the country’s history. The continent’s first permanent English settlement, Jamestown, rose on the river’s bank. George Washington explored it, fought on it, and hatched plans for a grand canal system along its shore. On the run  from the Redcoats, Thomas Jefferson may have holed up in a cave in its bluffs.”

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Unbound

That dog will hunt: The poodle returns to its roots as a water retriever

AKC champion standard poodle Clapton, of Louter Creek Hunting Poodles, sports a Historical Continental Clip while fetching a duck. Photo: John Carelli

Poodles get a bad rap as frilly leash candy. For this, we can blame the French.

Forget Best in Show. The poodle has hunting-dog roots, which were developed in central Europe—particularly, in the area that would become Germany—in the 16th and 17th centuries. But during the 18th century, the breed became popular among French nobles, who, vainly imitating their own ornate hairstyles, had their pets’ coats elaborately clipped and primped.

It’s little wonder that when the American Kennel Club first registered the poodle in 1887, it fell into the non-sporting group. Over the years, the poodle’s hunting instincts had diminished, because it was bred for companionship and as a show dog. Poodles also have hair instead of fur, which—given enough Aqua Net—makes it possible to sculpt them like topiary. But it’s also interesting to note that they are the only non-sporting AKC dogs eligible for retriever hunting tests.

Searching online for a Virginia breeder of hunting poodles, I came across Four Oakes Kennels in Danville, which produces the pudelpointer—a cross between a poodle and an English pointer. Close, but no zigarre. Fortunately, I also came across the story of Charlottesville-area hunter Jason Pittman, who had acquired his dog, Walker, from Louter Creek Hunting Poodles, near Atlanta. Louter Creek is the South’s premier breeder of these specialized dogs. They are ideal for a hunt. Their webbed feet make them good swimmers, and they demonstrate agility, obedience, and eagerness to complete a task, such as fetching a bird shot out of the sky.

“Guys would laugh when they saw Walker come out of the truck,” Pittman said in the Garden & Gun article. “My joke was ‘Laugh now, but you’ll be crying after you see him work.’” In AKC competitions with Pittman, Walker has earned Junior Hunter and Senior Hunter titles.

I spoke with Rick Louter, who owns and runs Louter Creek with his wife, Angie. The couple has been breeding poodles as working dogs for close to 15 years, during which time they have also trained about 200 of them for water-fowl and upland-bird hunting. In early April, the Louters were in the midst of putting 12 seven-month-old standards through a four-month program.

“A poodle makes a fantastic bird dog,” Rick Louter tells Unbound. “They’ve got such a good nose—I’d put ’em up against any of the more popular hunting breeds for that alone. There’s more to it than that, of course—and people are catching on. We are seeing an uptick of poodles in hunting trials.”

All dogs, except those corrupted by humans to behave badly, deserve praise. But I challenge any breed to both rock the show ring and fetch a duck like a poodle.

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Unbound

Devils’ dogs: Adventure dogs are on everyone’s mind

Devils Backbone trade marketing manager Elizabeth Van Noppen shares a tent with June, a yellow Labrador retriever, at the brewery’s basecamp in Roseland. Photo: Devils Backbone Brewing Company

Many years ago, in a different life, it seems, I steered a little aluminum boat with an outboard motor across the glistening surface of a lake. The memory is so vivid that it includes the oily smell of the exhaust swirling around my head and mixing with piney puffs of the soft summer air. In the prow of the boat stood my deep-chested standard poodle, Muddy, staring resolutely ahead while the breeze ruffled his ears and curly chestnut-brown coat. He looked so heroic that it was comical.

He sprang from the boat when we reached our destination, a rocky little island studded with trees. I secured the skiff, grabbed my fishing pole, and joined Muddy on dry land. Within 15 minutes I had hooked my first catch. As I reeled it into shallow water, the fish, a decent-sized bass, came into view, and my dog splashed toward it, furiously wagging his stubby tail. Muddy lunged toward the fish as I lifted it into the air, and I gently pushed him away, not wanting the hook to snag him.

After I freed my catch from the line, I held it up for Muddy to inspect. He sniffed it, barked at it, and finally, licked it. Catching the fish had been fun. Witnessing Muddy’s reaction was pure joy.

These scenes played in my mind like a home movie when I hatched the idea for this magazine’s cover story last January. Then, a few weeks later, a co-worker emailed me a link to the Devils Backbone Brewing Company website—specifically, to the page calling for entries to a photo contest called Adventure Dogs. Clearly, something was in the air.

When I called Marisa Black, Devils Backbone’s marketing director, I could tell that her enthusiasm for the subject of adventure dogs, and their owners, matched mine. She was a little breathless on the phone. “We’re really overwhelmed and excited by how many people have been interested in the contest,” Black said. “We got the idea based on how many people come to our brewery with their dogs, a lot of them after a day of hiking.”

Limited to residents of 15 states, including Virginia (of course), the contest started—and people began sending in photos of their dogs, along with heartfelt accounts of spending time outdoors with them—ran from February 25 to April 1. According to Black, the final tally reached 6,054 entries and 86,674 votes. “That’s way, way more than we ever expected,” she said.

The winners, which received between 3,000 and 4,000 votes each, are Archie, a golden retriever, Pokie, a Jack Russell terrier, Clementine, a bulldog, Brody and Valor, labradoodles, and Murphy, a collie. The dogs will be rendered by an illustrator and have their images printed on cans of Gold Leaf Lager. The beer, in 15-packs, hits the market June 1 and will be on shelves for four months. For each sale, $1 will be donated to Devils Backbone’s charitable partner, Washington, D.C.-based City Dogs Rescue and City Kitties. The nonprofit rescues animals from high-kill shelters and fosters them until they are adopted.

Black says the contest has inspired her, and confirmed the genuineness of the connection between dogs, their humans, and outdoor adventure (and beer, natch). “It’s been really cool to hear from the owners about how dogs enhance their lives, about the special relationship they have with them,” she said. “The heartstrings part of this has been endearing.”

I can relate. It’s been 14 years since my fishing adventure with Muddy, who crossed the rainbow bridge, as they say, on July 24, 2017. I will never forget that day, and I will always love Muddy.

Now, I’m going to cry into my beer.

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Unbound

Riding lessons: A cyclist learns a lot about himself—and America—on an epic tour

A man and his rig: When fully laden with gear, Register’s bike weighs 125 pounds. Photo: Eze Amos

On six-week jaunts over several years, Charlottesville’s Chris Register crisscrossed the country on his bike, interviewing people for his book series Conversations With US: Two Wheels, Fifty States, Hundreds of Voices, One America. The first volume, published in early 2019, is based on his 1,916-mile trip through the Midwest and Great Lakes states. Here, he offers a personal account of his journey and mission.

When I graduated from law school in Washington, D.C., in 2009, partisanship and political bickering were the worst I’d ever seen. I thought it would be cool to get out there, talk to people, and find what’s really going on. I did my first tour in 2010, nearly 2,000 miles, interviewing at least one person a day about their views on America.

After that tour, I took a break to work and save up my money, always knowing I’d get back to my tours and writing. In 2015, I quit my job and started my second tour. That’s recorded in the first volume.

Register’s book and more information about his travels are available at conversationswithus.com.

I’ll write about Charlottesville in the book that covers what I call Appalachia and bluegrass country. I remember coming down out of the Shenandoah mountains and riding straight to the Lawn. I interviewed two students—one of them came to the book-release party. That was cool. The next day I rode up to Monticello and spoke to Linnea Grim, the director of education and visitors’ programs. I ended up settling down here.

In all the ground I’ve covered, two stories really stand out. One is about the vastness of this country, and the other is about learning to walk in another person’s shoes.

I’m 39, so I grew up well after the civil rights movement. Most people my age or a little younger haven’t actually talked to someone who had to sit at the back of the bus. But when I was in Elgin, Illinois, I interviewed Ernie Broadnax. Ernie was the only black player on his debate and basketball teams in high school and community college. He told me, after a win, his white teammates would celebrate at a restaurant, but one of them would have to bring his meal to him on the bus. That upsets me. It gets me in the gut.

The other story unfolded at the Grand Canyon. I arrived at dusk. There was a full moon rising. After I set up camp on a rock outcropping at the edge of the canyon, I looked down and thought I saw the haunch of a large, brown animal that had moved around a rock. An hour later, after sunset, the moon was bright. I stood up and was looking out over the canyon. There was a sort of gray-blue hue to everything. I was soaking it all in. It was beautiful, an endless view. I looked to my left and saw bright flashes, like Morse code: dot, dot, dash. I finally realized what it was—a mountain lion. It had looked right at me, and the moonlight reflected off the lenses of its eyes. I never saw it again. If he wanted to get me, he would have. But he didn’t.

Ultimately, I’ve learned that I can do more than I ever thought I could. I climbed 12,000 feet to Independence Pass, outside Aspen, Colorado. My bike and gear are 125 pounds in all, and the oxygen gets kind of thin up there. I pressed on slowly, and I made it. Writing is like that, too. If you just keep going, you can do anything. Determination is the most important factor in success.
—Chris Register, as told to Joe Bargmann

Chris’ stats

15,769 miles

6,307,600 crankshaft revolutions

376 interviews

355 days on the road

47 flat tires

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Magazines Unbound

Trail master: Trek’s Slash 9.8 will get you there—and back

The Slash 9.8’s high-tech features include a central shock absorber developed in collaboration with race-car engineers. Photo: Courtesy of Trek

When we asked Shawn Tevendale, owner of Blue Ridge Cyclery, to recommend a killer trail bike to feature, he emailed a link back within a minute to the mechanical wonder you see here. “It’s like a monster truck,” Tevendale says. “It’ll go anywhere you want it to, and crush it.”

Tevendale also gives the Slash high marks for durability, which is good, since it costs more than $5,000. “This isn’t your first mountain bike,” he says. “Maintain it properly and it’ll last for a good five or six years of hard riding.”

Money matters and endurance aside, we’re keen on this bike for its purpose-driven design, high-tech fabrication, on-the-fly adaptability, and safety features, including hydraulic disc brakes.

It also looks pretty sweet, which is good, because who wants to ride an ugly bike?

 

Trek Slash 9.8 specs

Frame material Carbon fiber from stem to stern. “It’s the miracle material,” Tevendale says. “Optimal weight-to-strength ratio.”

Frame fabrication  The carbon fiber is laid up in different directions at various points, providing rigidity and strength where they’re needed most, and a degree of flexibility to facilitate responsiveness and make the rider feel more connected to the terrain.

Downtube and chain shields Armor deflects potential hits to the damage-prone  chain and lower part of the frame.

Drive train A single-trigger system allows for quick changes through 11 gears.

Wheels Light, stiff, and more durable than metal, the carbon-fiber wheels provide a strong foundation. They are also 29 inches in diameter, for higher ground clearance and a smoother ride, owing to the better approach angle on obstacles such as roots and rocks.

Tires The knobby treads form a traction pattern that grips well in loose
leaves, slippery rocks, gravel, and more.

Front fork Dual air shocks with high-performance dampering  systems are super responsive and can be tuned for better handling, but also absorb hard hits while riders descend.

Dropper post Adjustable by several inches—down for a lower center of gravity when descending, up for a better pedaling angle when climbing or on flat terrain.

Brakes
Dual hydraulic pistons drive the caliper to provide strong stopping power, and the discs are specially shaped and perforated to dissipate heat caused by friction with the pads.

Central shock
A traditional shock absorber is a canister that’s sealed on one end and has an internal, spring-loaded shaft extending out of the other end. Upon impact, pressure exerted on the shaft compresses the spring, which then rebounds. This process takes time. It causes lag and a rougher ride. The Trek shock, developed with race-car engineers, is open on both ends, and the shaft extends all the way through. During and after impact, the shock’s internal pressure remains constant, eliminating lag, smoothing out the ride, and increasing control.

Handlebars
They’re made of carbon fiber for weight reduction. “They also have some flex to take a bit of the sting out of your hands on impacts, but with the suspension this bike has, you really shouldn’t feel much sting in your hands, anyway,” Tevendale says.

 

Five great places to ride

Rivanna Trail: “It’s right here in the city, and you can do anywhere from one to 35 miles,” says Daniel Sebring of Blue Ridge Cyclery. He recommends O-Hill for “technical stuff” and  Carter Mountain for “good climbs.” rivannatrails.org

Sherando Lake Recreational Area: Sebring calls it a “gold mine of trails” in the George Washington National Forest, with “lots of big climbs, 360-degree views, and expert rides.” fs.usda.gov/gwj

Claudius Crozet Park: “Start at Claudius Crozet Park and follow the trail down past the dog park along Licking Hole Creek,” says Cor Carelesen of Crozet Bicycle Shop. “The loop is about seven miles total.” crozetpark.org

Mint Springs Park: “Features various loop trails, about five to six miles in total,” Carelsen says. “It’s very accessible and has lots of elevation changes, so you can really challenge yourself.” albemarle.org

Preddy Creek Trail Park: It offers more than eight and a half miles of trails, with plenty of beginner rides, in 571 acres of wilderness, says Dave Stackhouse, former president of the Charlottesville Area Mountain Biking Club. albemarle.org

Categories
Knife & Fork

Happy return: Sweethaus is back with a new name

Vivi’s Cakes and Candy is the reincarnation of the much-loved Sweethaus. Photo: Morgan Salyer

When Sweethaus abruptly closed last December, the year ended on a sour note for fans of the bakery’s cheerful confections. But the new year turned out sweetly for Charlottesville, as former manager Billy Koenig and his team opened Vivi’s Cakes and Candy in the former Sweethaus space on Ivy Road, with the same recipes and Koenig as sole proprietor. Named for his 9-year-old daughter, Vivi’s brings back the whimsy and joy that made Sweethaus so beloved. The new spot offers candy, cupcakes, and cakes—no surprise—but Koenig says he hopes to do more special-order business, making cakes for weddings and other sweet occasions. Vivi’s gives us one more reason to be grateful this spring.—Joe Bargmann

Vivi’s Cakes and Candy, 2248 Ivy Rd., 242-9511

Categories
Knife & Fork

Spotlight: Wisdom Oak Winery

The winery’s namesake tree stands among the vineyards. Photo: Courtesy Wisdom Oak Winery

Jason Lavallee would like to thank everyone for being so nice. It’s not what a guy expects when he parachutes into town and opens a winery with his wife, and they’re total newbies to the industry, and he starts knocking on doors and asking established winemakers a lot of questions. “I was pretty open, like, ‘Hey I don’t know what I’m doing—can you give me some advice?’” Jason says.

The advice poured out by the barrelful. And then came the customer referrals from other wineries and tour companies. Today, less than two years after he and Laura opened their doors, they run a real business, with both the tasting room’s public space and production facilities more than doubling in size. Wisdom Oak’s ascent has been just as steep as the learning curve they faced.

Take this year, for instance. The couple had planned to close the North Garden winery and relax for the winter, but no dice. “People just kept showing up, so we decided to open the tasting room,” Jason says. “We’ve been busy since February 9.”

Wisdom Oak’s first wines, from the 2015 harvest, were not very good, Jason admits. So, he fortified them and made a port-style wine. He learned from his mistakes, and now makes about a half-dozen wines, including chardonnay, cabernet franc (red and rosé), vidal blanc, petit verdot, and petit manseng. The 2017 vintage of the latter won a Double Gold award in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

He and Laura couldn’t have done it without help from the local wine community. “It’s been overwhelming, and humbling,” Jason says.

3613 Walnut Branch Ln., North Garden. 984-4272. wisdomoakwinery.com

Categories
Knife & Fork

My favorite bite: Pirate’s bounty

Jill Myers is an olive oil sommelier and importer. Photo: Eze Amos

“It will be two years in July since I had this meal, and it was great not only because of what I ate, but also because of the beautiful setting. I was traveling with seven friends, two from Palermo, Italy, and the rest from the Charlottesville area. I remember it was very hot, about two in the afternoon, but there was a nice breeze because we were on a ship. It was a real pirate ship, no kidding. It had been rescued from the floor of the sea and put back to sail. A scruffy Italian guy—he actually looked like a pirate—led us on a tour, sailing off the coast of Agrigento, Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea. The sky was as blue as blue could be, and so was the water. The sails were billowing in the breeze. We were on the deck, enjoying the scenery—mainly the Scala dei Turchi, the white, rounded cliffs that look like they have giant steps cut into them. Our guide started cooking. He had a one-burner stove and a really large skillet. As we were gliding past the cliffs, he heated up the pan and put in a rich, robust Sicilian olive oil, garlic, some salt and pepper, and fresh fish—I believe it was either sardines or anchovies. He made a paste out of the ingredients, then added some white wine and fresh pasta. He mixed it all together and grated a generous amount of cheese on top. It was very hard, sharp, and fresh-tasting—my guess is it was a sheep-milk cheese. He ladled a serving onto a plate for each of us, and handed us a glass of white wine. I’ll never forget it, the smell of the food and the salty air, the incredible scenery. It was the most delicious thing ever.”—Jill Myers, as told to Joe Bargmann

Jill Myers is an olive-oil importer, sommelier, and distributor who lives in Albemarle County. She sells her products online, to local chefs, and she helps stock the shelves at places like The Spice Diva, Foods of All Nations, and Mona Lisa Pasta.