Weather Info
- Saturday's Events are canceled
- Concert moved to Sunday
The Rain Plan
- SATURDAY CANCELED
- CONCERT MOVED TO SUNDAY
Due to the high likelihood of prolonged rain, we have made the difficult decision to CANCEL all TRAIL EVENTS on SATURDAY.
This decision was not easy. We know a little rain never hurt anyone, but it’s not looking like a little rain… it’s looking like a fairly significant amount.
We’re also expected to see cooler temperatures and high winds. We don’t feel we can safely or enjoyably put participants on trails, leave volunteers in the cold, or introduce new trail ambassadors to our beloved RT in such questionable conditions.
Even a few feet and bike tires, let alone hundreds, on muddy terrain will destroy the trail and create a lot of problems for future use.
And we don’t want that. We are friends of the trail and we know you are, too.
But it’s not all bad news! Weather permitting, we’re gonna hit the trail and party on Sunday and you’re not going to want to miss it!
It's still a party, folks!
- new schedule
- Sunday, September 24, 2023
- NOW @ Rivanna River Co.
To provide a better experience for our participants, volunteers, supporters and concert goers, we’ve decided to move everything over to Rivanna River Co. for Sunday.
To stay on parts of the trail less susceptible to damage in wet conditions (paved, gravel, etc.) and to better align with the rescheduled concert, we’ve modified the schedule of events for Sunday:
We’ll have pancakes, berries and cold brew coffee, courtesy of our generous sponsors at CAMBC and Snowing in Space!
And no, you do not have to be registered for a trail event to eat pancakes with us!
If you’d rather land on the lunch end of the spectrum, Hogwaller Brewing will be serving lunch and it’s right across the parking lot.
Our friends at Wildrock will be hosting a Kids Zone with hands-on activities, starting at 1pm.
Due to the amount of rain, Sunday’s trail conditions on the River North Trail will be too wet to ride without doing damage.
Distance: 4 miles*
Hiking time: approximately 2 hours. This is variable due to rest stops and hiking speeds. We are not out to set any time record, but will keep a steady pace.
Start: Arrive at RRC about 30 minutes prior to start – we’ll head out promptly at 3:00 pm. You can register / check-in onsite day-of.
*You can also turn around whenever you like to head back if you don’t want to do the full 4 miles.
Distance: 5 miles
Run time: approximately 1-1.5 hours. We will keep a steady pace, but this is a no-drop group run.
We will start at Rivanna River Co. for an out-and-back run (route TBD), returning to RRC in time for the concert.
Start: Arrive at RRC about 30 minutes prior to departure time. We’ll leave promptly at 3pm.
Finish: We’ll end back at RRC around 4:00 pm, with plenty of time to get some food and drink before the concert starts at 5pm.
By joining us for this run, you:
- Acknowledge having read the above description.
- Acknowledge inherent risks, hazards, and dangers of this activity.
- Assume and accept any and all risks associated with participation.
- Attest that your physical and mental health are adequate for safe participation.
How to participate: No cost. You can register / check-in onsite day-of.
At 3:00pm, food and beverage sales will begin.
Arepas on Wheels food truck will be onsite and Selvedge beer (including the limited edition Infi-Knit Trail beer!), Random Row beer, Potter’s Cider, and wine will be available for purchase.
No trail participation is required to attend the concert — bring friends and family and let’s party!
Cheer for our runners, hikers and mountain bikers arriving back from their trail adventures!
Beer and food can be purchased at Hogwaller Brewing prior to 3:00 pm. Local beer, wine, and food trucks will be on-site at Rivanna River Co. starting at 3:00 pm, with the concert beginning at 5:00 pm (RC Sound System) and Mighty Joshua going on stage at 6:00 pm.
Registration is not required for the concert.
Location: The Rivanna River Co. is at 1518 E High St (behind the new Hogwaller Brewing). Parking is available along Riverdale Drive and in the Burnley-Moran Elementary school parking lot, across High Street.
The Trail will go on - get out there when it's safe
We would be remiss without sending out a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to the many volunteers and trail ambassadors who helped with trail maintenance and clean up over the past two weeks.
The trail has never looked better! So, if not this weekend, we encourage you to enjoy any or all of the RT when it’s safe to so.
When might that be? An inch of rainfall on the trail takes about 24 hours of dry conditions to soak into the ground, making it safe to ride, run and hike again.
More than an inch over a 24 hour period might mean an extra day of dry conditions before the trail can be used without causing damage.
Thank you for both enjoying and respecting our precious resource — we hope you can get out there soon!
Parking
On Sunday, all events will now be held at Rivanna River Co., at 1520 E High St, Charlottesville, VA 22902.
Handicap parking is available at Rivanna River Company.
Parking is available along Riverdale Drive and in the Burnley-Moran Elementary school’s lower and upper parking lots.
Burnley-Moran Elementary School lower parking lot (HIKERS/RUNNERS) — Directly next to Fabio’s Pizza, drive up Riverdale Drive. This will take you directly into the lower parking lot of Burnley Moran Elementary. Walk back down the hill and use the lighted crosswalk to cross E. High Street to the Rivanna River Company’s location directly behind Hogwaller Brewing.
Burnley-Moran Elementary School upper parking lot (RIDERS/OVERFLOW) — Best driving access to this lot is from Route 250 when driving east. From E. High Street, take Hazel Street to St. Claire Avenue to Mowbray Place. After parking, walk back down the hill and use the lighted crosswalk to cross E. High Street to the Rivanna River Company’s location directly behind Hogwaller Brewing.
Please DO NOT park in the Cosner Brothers Body Shop lot — they are under new ownership and you will be towed.
The Rain Plan
We are actively keeping an eye on the forecast and will make an official decision about Saturday’s events no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, September 22. That update will be posted right here on this page.
Many of Sunday’s events can be held indoors and will go on as planned regardless of weather, but we will update you on Sunday’s trail events once we assess trail conditions on Saturday.
How much rain is too much rain?
Great question. It’s a hard one to answer.
Our top priorities are keeping our participants and volunteers safe, and preserving the trail we love so much.
We know that many of you would rally and support the event in the rain, anyway, and we LOVE your spirit… AND, we also need to be mindful that even a few feet and bike tires, let alone hundreds, on muddy terrain will destroy the trail and create a lot of problems for future use.
We don’t want that.
Light rain and/or short periods of rain would put us in a position to continue with all trail activities, but it’s just hard to tell right now how much rain we may be getting.
What is the decision to postpone/cancel based on?
Currently, there are different forecasts from different weather apps and sources (we’ve seen them all, we promise!) with somewhat conflicting information.
Our decision will be based on these things:
- How heavy the rain is forecasted to be (and its forecasted accumulation over the day)
- How long the rain is supposed to last
- Temperatures accompanying the wet weather
- The safety and enjoyment of our volunteers, participants, staff, and entertainment
- The projected negative impact on trail conditions and preservation
So... what is the rain plan?
We will announce the plan for Saturday by 5:00 pm on Friday, September 22nd, here on this page.
If there is too much rain to hold the trail events, they will be canceled.
If rain is forecasted during the scheduled Mighty Joshua concert (6p to 8p), the concert will be rescheduled for the following day, Sunday, September 24th at the same time, also at Rivanna River Co. Food and drink will also be available for purchase onsite if the concert is moved to Sunday.
Sunday’s weather is looking quite nice for now, but we will need to assess the trail conditions after we see how much rain we get on Saturday. Food, beer, Trail Talks, awards and closing ceremony, and music will be held indoors at The Wool Factory, regardless of weather.