Shenandoah Tourism Office Assist
In early June of 2022, Brenda, the Tourism and Economic Development Coordinator for Shenandoah County reached out to CORE to ask if we had any photos or videos of The Peters Mill and Tasker’s Gap Trails that they could use in their advertising and media.
We unfortunately did not have a significant number of pictures of the trails for a variety of reasons, the primary of which was the difficulty of the trail. Peters Mill and Taskers Gap are not very difficult trails, so we often do not need to stop very much, which is when we get most of our photos and videos. These are beautiful trails, so it’s unfortunate that we hadn’t taken many pictures in the past. Given that we didn’t have many pictures, we offered the Shenandoah County folks to take them onto the trails, with the primary purpose being trail photography, to collect media that fits their needs exactly. Given that we aren’t professional photographers, the Shenandoah County folks hired a professional photographer to join us, to make sure they got the best content they could.
We met with the county folks at a gas station in Woodstock, a 7-11 at 340 W Reservoir Rd, Woodstock, VA 22664. After introductions, they mentioned that due to scheduling conflicts, they wouldn’t be able to ride-along, but that the photographer will be riding with us. We extended the offer for a future ride-along so that they could get some firsthand experience with these beautiful trails.
After that, we headed out and decided to tackle Taskers Gap first, and then Peters Mill. I had never done Taskers Gap, so it was exciting exploring a new trail for me! It has always been regarded as a very mild trail, essentially just a dirt road. When we arrived, however, we discover a very interesting trail, complete with some fun mud puddles, mild rocky bits, and beautiful scenery.
We stopped frequently for the photographer to hop out and take photos and video. After making our way to the end of the MVUM section of the trail, we took a break for lunch, which the Shenandoah County folks generously provided for us. After eating, we headed back out the way we came, and headed towards the start of Peters Mill.
We made our way along the trail as we’ve done many times in the past, but this time stopping for photos and videos along the way. It was a pleasant relaxed day, and we learned a bit about nature photography, and what the photographer was looking for.
By the end of the trail, we had what we considered a healthy collection of photos and videos, and hopefully we got what the tourism folks needed for their purposes. After dropping off the photographer, Andrew, Dawn, and I went over to the Woodstock Brewhouse for dinner and a drink, and were not disappointed! Fantastic food, ambiance, and drinks were a perfect way to end a long, but enjoyable day! We extended an offer to the Shenandoah County folks, as well as the Forest Service folks, to help in any way we can in the future.
Check out the gallery here for photos of this trip provided by the Shenandoah County Office for Tourism and Economic Development!
