SNP south: Jones Run & Doyles River

What began as a bushwhack to icy Dry Run Falls in early December evolved into a month long ice falls quest. Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon the following week had me hooked, and trekking on virgin snow and icy trail to three falls a week later just fueled the fire. These were all cloudy cold hikes, and the prospect of another cold and cloudy hike Christmas Day overcame the desire to venture out. Of all the major trail-accessible falls in the Park, I've seen all but those of Jones Run and Doyles River icy or frozen. With the forecast of a warm (relatively) and sunny (partly) New Year's Eve, this would be the day to seek them out.
Getting there... Skyline Drive was not an option, as it would surely be closed. Even if open, the hike needed to start early, and normal nightly closures would prevent that. There were two options- access from the west side near Grottoes or east side on Browns Cove Road. The SNP boundary access guide lists Browns Cove access as "poor", so opted for the longer drive but very familiar route in at Madison Run fire road. Would there still be ice in the falls? My brother John and I would soon find out.
It was supposed to be a warm day, but it didn't feel anything but cold starting out on Madison Run fire road at 8am. I hadn't planned to haul much cold weather gear, but the chill forced it. The warm up came fast on Furnace Mountain Trail though, not from the climb (of which there's a lot), but from simply getting out of the valley. The cold air drainage was in just a shallow layer, and less than a hundred feet up it was considerably warmer. At the end of the hike hours later, it was still much colder down here along Madison Run.
The trails still had snow and ice, the snow mostly under two inches, but occasional drifts somewhat deeper on ridgeline. The route to Furnace Mountain summit had been trampled to packed snow and ice, and the trail beyond the summit spur had seen more hiker traffic than expected. There were as many dog tracks as people tracks; no coyote tracks found. There were signs of backpackers as well- an unfortunate sign at that- a set of tent poles on the trail. There was no way to tell if these fell hiking in or hiking out. I can only imagine the agony of discovering no tent poles late in the day on a winter hike. We left them as we found them, and saw no backpacker.
The trail was slippery at times, but for climbing it wasn't a concern. We both had Micro-spikes, and I would use mine later on the Jones Run downhill. It was great to be hiking uphill at full pace without having to worry about cold weather moisture management. The views north from Furnace summit were superb, with Madison Run fire road visible as a thin trace of white. That would be our exit route, by then the snow would be gone leaving just a sloppy road bed. The Furnace Mountain Trail climb continued towards Trayfoot, with decent winter views south of Abbott Ridge. Cresting just below Trayfoot, the hike's climbing was two thirds done. We took the longer Trayfoot route instead of the Blackrock Spur shortcut in order to get excellent views of Trayfoot at the large scree slope. We had Blackrock to ourselves. I built a miniature snowman atop Blackrock, but in the warm sun I don't think he lived very long.
Trekking downhill in the snow on the AT was a breeze. A fast pace on gentle slope, slipping every so often just made the fast going fun. And it was sunny and warm! A deer watched as we crossed snow-coated Skyline Drive. It had the same surprised look as the deer at Big Meadows had two weeks earlier. The initial descent of Jones Run was easy, taking advantage of occasional downhill slippage. This trail had seen little traffic, and a few bear tracks were visible. After a couple slips beyond comfort, I attached the Micro-spikes. There was ample ice in Jones Run. With the east exposure, very little melting had occurred here. Jones Run Falls was spectacular! Thick blue ice surrounded the thin ribbon of water at the core. The flow was obviously much less than it had been, as the water was well recessed from the ice dome. Large icicles draped cliff walls. It looked like winter here.
Bottoming out and climbing south facing Doyles River, winter abruptly ended. The trail was generally snow-free, through Doyles River was still mostly ice. This was t-shirt weather. If not for the mud, it would have been shorts weather as well. Off came the Micro-spikes for another fun climb. Lower Doyles River Falls was frozen! I had never gone down the path to the falls, as there has always been too many people there. No other people this time, and I was able to get very close to the falls. I stood under large overhanging icicles, walked on ice and over boulders to get up close and personal with these falls. What a treat! This was another of those places you hate to leave. The upper falls were frozen as well, and I climbed on up next to them. I could look down into the blue ice-rimmed pool at the base as I stood beside a curtain of ice. John sat on the log at the bottom of the established side trail, waiting patiently.
A surprise at the upper falls- other hikers! The couple had come in from Browns Cove Road, parking their 4WD about a half mile from the gate and bushwhacking down to lower Doyles River. They were hiking up and would take the fire road downhill back to their vehicle. Our route would be up the fire road to Browns Gap, another new-to-me segment of trail in the Park. The SNP sign calls the gap "Brown Gap". So, what is the preferred/correct name? The hike ended with a nearly seven mile fire road walk, just under two miles up to Browns Gap and just over five miles down Madison Run fire road. It's quality fire road- we covered the distance in a little over two hours.
Access via US-340 from Elkton provides a unique view of the south district's west side, from Hanse Mountain to Beldor Ridge to Rocky Mount to Brown Mountain to Rockytop and on down. On the drive out (in daylight for a change), King and Queen Rocks on Brown Mountain stood tall. I hope to visit them some day.
Only one bear sighting in nearly 900 miles of hiking in 2010. Where has my bear mojo gone?
Pictures

SNP central: Rose River Falls, Lewis Spring Falls, Dark Hollow Falls

The winter icy waterfall hike series continued this past Saturday. It was a cold start, though not as cold as forecast thanks to a cloud cover. The past few hikes have been cold and cloudy... I miss blue sky. Fellow hiker Steve and I set out on Rose River fire road in the central district, the target falls being Rose River, Lewis Spring, and Dark Hollow. There was about three inches of snow on the ground, enough to use the Kahtoola MICROspikes. Perhaps not needed on the fire road, they were a necessity later when we were walking on ice.
We saw no one all day. Other than boot tracks in the snow on the first half mile of Rose River fire road, no other human tracks were seen. There were tracks though, many tracks: bear, coyote, bobcat, deer, wild turkey, fox (perhaps), and assorted bird. Bears don't care much for switchbacks. They seem to take the shortest route between two points. Most of the bear tracks were on lower and middle Rose River fire road. Tracks across the trail in the switchbacks were likely from the same bear, but we figure we saw tracks of a half dozen bear. I would say coyote are doing well in the Park; their tracks were numerous.
We found the shortcut down to the Rose River, along an abandoned trail. The route is mentioned in the AT guide book for SNP and shows on USGS maps. I had the route trace on my GPS, but didn't need it- there's an unmarked concrete post on Rose River fire road at the old trail junction, and looking downhill, cut trees were visible along a distinct old road bed. This was our shortcut, just over a quarter mile and 170 feet downhill. We had to work around numerous deadfall, but eventually emerged onto Rose River Loop Trail at the bridge over Hogcamp Branch. I had looked for this shortcut once before from the Rose River Loop Trail but had failed to find it. Finding the shortcut was critical on this hike, saving nearly two miles.
There was plenty of ice in Hogcamp Branch and Rose River. Rose River Falls was not frozen, but curtains of ice surrounded the falls. It was very pretty with the snow covering the ice. We continued upstream and eventually turned away from Rose River, headed for Fishers Gap. I came upon a trampled patch on Rose River Loop Trail. What had happened here? The patches of deer hair and blood in the snow told the story. Coyote tracks led in and out of the kill zone. Did coyote take down this deer, or had it already fallen? Coyote, turkey vultures, and perhaps other scavengers had left nothing, not even bones, just hair and blood-stained snow. This had occurred within the past 36 hours. Later at Big Meadows, we could hear two packs of coyote howling in the distance towards the southeast. They're out there!
Nearing Fishers Gap, we took the horse trail south to the Drive crossing, then ventured into Fishers Gap Overlook. This small trail segment had been bypassed last time here, and felt I needed to complete it. Skyline Drive had been plowed but had had icy patches and was obviously closed. There were several deer at the overlook. Just us, the snow, and the deer. The sun was dimly visible through the overcast. It was cold and quiet, no wind. Hold the breath and just listen to the silence. Awesome!
Onto the AT, southbound to Big Meadows, following deer and coyote track and making my own, trying not to ruin the animal tracks (so later hikers might enjoy). There's something special about being the first to hike on a snow-covered trail. We rounded Big Meadows campground, stopping at site 53 for a food break, then branching off and descending Lewis Spring Falls Trail. It was on this trail that the MICROspikes proved crucial. Much of the trail was on snow-covered solid ice sheets. There was no way to do this trail without traction aid. Even the wildlife was having trouble here, as could be seen in their track slippage.
Lewis Spring Falls was nearly frozen, with only a narrow channel flowing. We viewed the frozen falls from the observation platform. These are pretty falls, I should visit here more often, but so near the campground, finding them people-free is unlikely. Thick blue ice curtains and countless ice formations surrounded the falls. There was a nice view west from the ledge above the falls. This was one of those places you hate leaving, but time and cold fingers eventually forced us to move on. It's a rather steep climb to Skyline Drive, and I was ahead of Steve here, so gave Tanners Ridge Overlook a visit, again fine views west.
Expansive Big Meadows was ahead, with Fork Mountain visible off the the east. There were many deer near Big Meadows Wayside. Perhaps here in the open to better feel the surroundings, or perhaps here out of habit for the food found here much of the year, or perhaps they are safe here, as coyote likely avoid this human-infested zone. We stopped for a snack break at the wayside before the long downhill along Hogcamp Branch and Rose River. Just us, the snow, and the deer. The frost-free hydrant was dry, as it had been last time here. The sky had that wintry look that I'm growing used to but tired of on recent hikes. The overcast was thin enough to make the sun's disk visible, and a few breaks allowed low angle sunlight through making for a reddish sky.
Ice lined Dark Hollow Falls Trail, but we were immune with the MICROspikes. We passed a rock wall that was covered with thick sheets of ice. We'd seen several during the hike, and of course had to get some pictures. Part of Hogcamp Branch was flowing under the snow-covered ice, with occasional holes showing the swift current beneath. Dark Hollow Falls was an impressive mix of water, ice, and snow. We reached Rose River fire road near sunset, with low angle sun casting a warm hue. This wouldn't last long and quickly twilight turned into night. We had over five miles of rocky fire road to finish the hike. We made it a good distance under the pale milky full moon, but increasing clouds dimmed that light and out came the LEDs. Rose River fire road is one rocky road. It would be a favorite walk if it weren't for those rocks! The rocks were torture, and the road seemed to go on forever. This 18 mile hike took nearly 11 hours. Not sure where all the time was spent; hiking on snow and ice certainly takes extra time, as does taking nearly 200 photographs.
With Skyline Drive closed this seemed to be the best access route to reach the falls. Over half the hike was on Rose River fire road. With Drive access, this could be a great short loop hike. Looking at the map, I see there was an easier access- Tanners Ridge Road on the west side. A longer drive to get there, but would have cut out the excessive rocks. But those bear and coyote tracks made the extra miles worth it.
Snow makes picture taking a challenge. Exposure compensation, white balance, I tried numerous combinations. With a little tweaking of color temperature, fill lighting, and contrast, here are the pictures from this hike.

SNP central: Icy Cedar Run & Whiteoak Canyon

It must take some really cold temperatures to stop a waterfall in its tracks. Well, it hasn't been cold enough long enough (sure felt like it), but cold enough long enough for some impressive ice formations. Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon would provide icy falls with easy access, the target for this hike.
It was a chilly start from the Whiteoak parking lot in Berry Hollow Saturday morning as fellow hiker Steve and I set out. Another cold cloudy day looked in order, but at least winds would be light. A couple other hiking parties arrived as we were gearing up. I figured we'd be the only ones out this early. The route would be a standard- up Cedar Run to Hawksbill, down to the AT, north to Skyland, and a return down Whiteoak Canyon. Add in Crescent Rock and Bettys Rock, and you've got one nice 15-miler. Plenty of daylight to get it all in, right? Well, not if you find yourself walking in a winter wonderland.
It was obvious before we got to the Park that the falls would not be completely frozen. I've seen Overall Run Falls and South River Falls frozen, and was hoping to find these frozen, but was not the case. There was a lot of ice though, not just in the runs, but hanging above and beside the trail, icicles 20 feet long (at least), icy cascades with crazy ice formations from the splashing water and spray. Cedar Run's two crossings were easy, water level down a few inches since the initial ice formed. For the most part there was very little ice to deal with on the trail. At one point, we came close to passing under giant ice daggers, not something you'd want falling on you. There had been a light snow the previous day, and it became more noticeable higher up. It was a fascinating hike up Cedar Run, and we spent more time here than usual.
A motorcycle passed by on Skyline Drive as I approached Hawksbill Gap. Hawksbill Gap though was empty, not something you'd ever find late on a Saturday morning with the Drive open. Perhaps the cyclist was out for a joy ride. Later, we'd find the Whiteoak Canyon lot across from Skyland stables deserted as well, another sure sign the Drive was closed. Not the norm, I took my time getting up to Hawksbill. Getting damp from sweat then freezing up on Hawksbill didn't seem too appealing. It was cold on Hawksbill, but tolerable. I added a layer or two there. The gray December haze under a wintry sky made it feel rather bleak and lonely up here.
After a break on Hawksbill, it was down the Salamander trail to the AT, then north around the cold icy north side of Hawksbill. We met a lone hiker near the tricky talus slope. He had seen us in the parking lot and had come up Whiteoak Canyon. We traded trail conditions and continued on. We met a hiking group (the other party assembling in the parking lot) near Hawksbill Gap. They mentioned an icy patch ahead for us... and icy it was. Drainage from Crescent Rock Overlook flows down across the AT, and a solid stretch of ice was blocking the trail. It had enough slope to not be walkable, and the Micro-Spikes were back in the car. Up or down and around wasn't an option (it was a large ice flow), the only way across was seated sliding frictionless from one rock to another, hoping not to lose grip in between and end up who knows where. That one small stretch would have been enough to justify carrying traction aids.
Crescent Rock Overlook is under construction. We could hear work going on there from atop Hawksbill. It was quiet by the time we got there, so we didn't let the orange plastic barricade stop us from a Crescent Rock stop. They've got a tent-like structure set up to work in while rebuilding the overlook's rock wall. Lumber and piles of debris were all around, with just a small portion of the new wall in place. The source of the ice flow was easy to identify- a drainage pipe under the pavement. Makes for pretty ice falls but sure makes the AT below a challenge. Bettys Rock provided a decent spot for a snack break, then it was back to the AT headed north to Skyland. Soon after resuming the AT, we met a father and son backpacking and alerted them of the upcoming ice patch. They were aiming for Byrds Nest up on Hawksbill for the night, but after hearing that the fireplace had been removed (and, oh, by the way, it's supposed to be day-use only), we think they opted for Rock Spring Hut instead.
Skyland was deserted. I did locate the frost-free hydrant that I knew was there somewhere. It's located around the north end side of the stables, a blue-handled hydrant. It ran muddy at first, then clear. We took a short break at the picnic table by the stable, then set out for the five mile descent via Whiteoak Canyon. As we crossed the eerily quiet Drive, I noticed two lonely looking deer watching us. Other than a squirrel or two, this was about it for wildlife. Some obscured tracks in the thin layer of snow on the way up Hawksbill indicated that there's plenty out and about.
The sky had that wintry look much of the day- grey overcast with the sun's disk dimly visible. Earlier it had been veiled sun through high clouds but now it looked as though it could snow any moment, but by Pollock Knob, clearing was appearing to the southwest. By sunset it was mostly clear, and there was enough moonlight to finish the hike nearly an hour after sunset without the need for artificial light.
Oh no! Whiteoak Canyon's falls in the dark... again? No, we made good time on the AT to Skyland and even better time to the upper falls of Whiteoak Canyon. There was less overhanging ice in Whiteoak Canyon than expected. Perhaps this was a good thing. Some had fallen during the day, as it did warm to near 40 at lower elevations. There were occasional mounds of ice below the cliff walls. As I stopped to take a picture along the "weeping wall", two ice slides landed several feet away. Maybe this wasn't the safest place to be standing. We reached the middle falls near sunset. I wanted to venture there, but my legs would have no part of that. There were no icy patches on the trail down canyon, so we zipped right along, reaching the lower falls 20 minutes after sunset, hiking by twilight and moonlight. I briefly thought about dropping down the rocks at the lower falls to get the perfect view (and picture), but someone with tripod and camera was already there in that perfect spot, getting my perfect shot. Still, my picture of the lower falls is one of my finest. The picture was overly blue from late twilight, so I present it in black and white. The light reflecting off the ice must be moonlight. Pretty cool!
I was prepared to leave the hiking poles at home. The hands get too cold holding them. I started the hike with them minimized and strapped to the pack, but this was Cedar Run, and the poles came out within minutes. With the icy patches on the AT, I wouldn't have wanted to be without the poles.
The old vintage 2003 Canon G3 camera didn't like the cold, but worked with a little persuasion. Going on nearly 12000 pictures and suffering almost as many bumps as falls as I have, it's been quite the performer. It served me well this hike: https://goo.gl/photos/naZzj9QwBxrYLy8w8

SNP central: Entry Run, Lost Cliffs, Dry Run Falls

Lost Cliffs. It's marked on the PATC central district SNP map, west side, down Dry Run Falls fire road. Each year, I plan to go the short distance down the fire road and check them out, but never do. Years come and go. I wasn't going to let another year slip away without giving it a look, and as long as I'm down the fire road, why not attempt Dry Run Falls as well? The PATC map shows three falls along dry Run, USGS maps show just the middle falls, which would be the target for the hike. Not much information out there about either. From what I did find, it sounded like both were difficult, particularly the falls. I've got a mental defect about doing short hikes, so it would have to be part of a larger hike. With nightly Drive closures in effect, the hike would have to be from the Park boundary. Entry Run seemed a good choice, though the hike would be a 17+ miles. My brother saved the day by joining me and Steve, so with two vehicles, a more manageable 15 miler was set.
After a shuttle to leave a vehicle at Swift Run Gap, we were at the Entry Run trailhead near John's Rest around 9am. It's winter now, and this was our first really cold hike of the season. It doesn't seem to matter how many layers one has, it's cold! It takes about 15 minutes of uphill hiking for the hands to warm, and this hike started with quite an uphill- 1700' on the Entry Run Trail, broken only once as the trail drops to PATC Rosser-Lamb cabin (a house, actually). There was a trace of snow here and there from snow showers the previous day. The sun was veiled and provided little heat and there was enough of a breeze to add that extra chill. Frost heaves made the trail very pretty, though rather crunchy with crumbly footing. Entry Run is a well graded high quality trail, with several switchbacks on the final climb to Pocosin fire road.
Layers removed earlier were put back on after leveling out onto Pocosin fire road. It was "Hot Hands" time for me. Those really save the day when the fingers go cold, which usually happens after topping out after a climb. We followed the fire road to the AT, passing the Pocosin Mission ruins and icy runoff streams along the way. After a snack break out front at Pococin Cabin, it was south on the AT up and over Bald Face Mountain. The trail was a path of frost heaves, icy fingers that grow from the ground, lifting soil and rocks. This can make for a minor challenge, as the ice may give way under foot.
We'd met no other hikers until encountering a backpacker resting on the ground by a tree. Surely a section hiker, but no, a thru-hiker! Northbound? "The Compassionater" had started from Springer May 28th, but had left the trail twice due to family tragedy, and was on his "victory lap" to Harpers Ferry to complete his journey. He had met Ewok, the thru-hiker we had met on his first night on the trail, on Ewok's third day on the trail and later at Harpers Ferry. We had missed meeting Compassionater by a day or two, or perhaps we passed without knowing. The Compassionator has raised over $100,000 for Tulsa area charities on his journey. He is quite the inspiration. The story of his quest is at http://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/wetrt/article/2011jun22.pdf
The clouds were thickening by the time we reached the view on Bald Face Mountain. There was snow in those clouds, it was just a matter of time before some would reach the ground. Fortunately, the wind had slackened, and it didn't feel quite as cold. We took South River fire road to the Drive, and crossed over to descend Dry Run Falls fire road. This would be my first trek down this road. First up is "Lost Cliffs" three quarters of a mile in. I had built it up in my mind as bigger, but still, it towers a hundred feet over the surrounding flat ground. What was billed as a difficult scramble was actually quite easy from either end. On top, the views west and south are superb. Why had it taken so many years to get here? We stayed here a good while.
I was ready to abandon the search for Dry Run Falls- the limited reports on the web call it an ugly bushwhack. Would we find it? Would it be worth it? Steve said go for it, which we did. The fire road crosses Dry Run then parallels the run as it drops in cascades. Soon after the point where the road veers away from the run is supposedly the best access to the falls. An ugly scramble it is. A bushwhack down a steep slope, then a treacherous drop at an unending slippery ledge. The falls were in view, but there was no easy drop down point. Somehow we managed to reach the base of the falls, class 3 bushwhacking indeed! We were in a winter wonderland, with icicles draped along the ledges above the falls, and spray from the falls freezing on rocks and limbs. It was beautiful here! It was one of those places you don't want to leave. Eventually came the dilemma of getting out... gravity was not our friend. After exploring options, we exited the same route we came in, and it was not easy. Don't attempt Dry Run Falls unless you're ready for some serious bushwhacking.
Back on the fire road, hiking seemed too easy. Had I really just done what I did? Man, that was fun, and quite the challenge! We rested a spell at South River picnic area, then resumed the hike south on the AT to Swift Run Gap. The hike ended nearly an hour past sunset (I never used my light!). No snow, just flurries on the drive home. From seeing The Compassionater's pictures, it looks like Shenandoah got a dusting. One thing's for sure- it's brutally cold there this week. Ya know what that means, don't ya?... frozen waterfalls!
Hiking poles- love them, but should have left them home for this hike. Already cold hands just get colder holding the poles, and they only got in the way on the scrambles. Wound up carrying them tucked under the arm a good portion of the hike.

Pictures

SNP central: Staunton River, Fork Mountain, Jones Mountain

No thru-hiker meet-up this past Saturday, as they were taking a zero in Waynesboro after finishing SNP. Instead, fellow hiker Steve and I set out for an 18 miler in the central district, accessing the Park from the Graves Mill trailhead at the end of route 662 north of Wolftown. Out my door at 6am, we were on the trail by 8:15. First up is the the gentle uphill along the Rapidan River on the Graves Mill Trail, followed by the four mile climb to Fork Mountain Road on the Staunton River Trail. There were numerous cascades along both rivers and the sound of the rushing water was most pleasant, very mind-soothing. The crossings weren't difficult, and we had the trail to ourselves. More often than not, there's a vehicle parked at the trailhead on Fork Mountain. This time it was a tractor. Fork Mountain Road climbs to "The Sag" then on up to Fork Mountain. This would be my first time to continue past The Sag and to the top of Fork Mountain.
I do like long unbroken climbs. Cedar Run to Hawksbill, a favorite, gains 2900' over four miles. On this hike, I found another long unbroken climb, 2950' over six miles, from the Park boundary, up the Staunton River Trail and Fork Mountain Road to the top of Fork Mountain. Fork Mountain, the one with the towers, sits just outside the Park boundary on the east side in the middle of the central district. At the powerline clearing on the top is a great view north of Doubletop and Old Rag. The steep rocky face of Doubletop's second peak stands out, and looking down the spine of Doubletop, there are at least seven distinct peaks as it descends to the Rose River. Sure, you're amid towers and power lines, but you'll likely find yourself alone here.
Descending back to The Sag, it was down Fork Mountain Trail (an old switch-backed road) to Laurel Prong. Camp Hoover, at the junction of Mill Prong and Laurel Prong, makes for a fine break spot, and would be an out and back on this hike. Relaxing on the benches on the deck of the Brown House, in the sun and sheltered from the wind (should there be any), is the ideal place for a mid-hike rest. We met a group on horses as we approached Camp Hoover, and met them again as we were leaving. On first meet, they asked where the trail went. To Laurel Gap; Cat Knob left, AT right, with Fork Mountain just ahead, I replied. Soon after, I realized I forgot to mention that Laurel Prong was blue-blazed beyond Fork Mountain. On second meet, they asked where we'd come from. We pointed up to Fork Mountain, which looms above Camp Hoover, and said we'd come up the Staunton River Trail. I had pronounced "Staunton" with the "u", but was corrected that it's "Stanton", without the "u". I seem to recall that the "Stanton" pronunciation is correct from reading the Jones Mountain book.
The second climb of the day followed, Laurel Prong to Laurel Gap, then steeply up Cat Knob. This was followed by the slow descent along the Jones Mountain Trail. We met three hikers on Jones Mountain, the only other people we'd see other than the horse folks and two hikers resting at Camp Hoover. The pink-blazed RWMA trail that leads down to Conway River Road is still evident. The blazes looked fresh, but the trail is overgrown. Do I still intend to do this trail someday? We eventually reached Bear Church Rock after several knobs. For any first-time hiker coming this way to Bear Church Rock, they must wonder where in the world is this place! Shadows were getting long at Bear Church Rock, so we didn't linger long. Earlier on Jones Mountain, dry leaves had made descents quite tricky, but the steep descent to the Staunton River was clear and easy. From here, it was a retrace along the Staunton River Trail and Graves Mill Trail to finish the hike. We reached the trailhead parking shortly after sunset. Yet another superb hiking day.
Along the Graves Mill Trail, there was a strong earthy odor which reminds me of valerian root. Valerian root extract is supposedly an herbal aid for insomnia. I've tried it with little or no success, but it sure drives my cats crazy. It's quite pungent. I've noticed this odor before during hikes, I think always at this time of year, but have never tried to locate the source. Perhaps its just decaying leaves.

Pictures

AT, nVA & SNPn: thru-hiker meet-up

A preeminent hike- hiking with the thru-hikers met earlier this year. Long hoped for, it was finally happening Saturday. My brother John couldn't make it, so it would be just be me and fellow hiker Steve. Of the thru-hikers encountered on the AT in GA & NC during a 2-week backpack earlier this year, I was following two. Ewok was about to enter Shenandoah, Pusher had finished but lives nearby.

I had met Ewok on the AT at Stover Creek Shelter in Georgia. It was his first night on the trail. He made it to Hot Springs then left the trail for a few weeks. Upon resuming, he found conditions dangerously dry, so he flipped and headed south from Katahdin. He plans to reach Hot Springs by New Years, but may continue with companion Sissy to Springer. The winter will be challenging, particularly the Grayson and Roan Highlands and the Smokies. As a Florida native, this will be Sissy's first winter. She started out solo (well, with her dog Mabel) SOBO from Katahdin, encountering Ewok in New York and they've been hiking together since. They've had some amazing experiences out on the trail.

Pusher, the other thru-hiker I met on the AT in Georgia and later in North Carolina, completed his thru-hike on October 15th, the last day Baxter is open for legal hiking. His final days in Maine were pretty rough. I'd been following him (and Ewok) on Facebook. He lives nearby in Opal, and I had contacted him to let him know about this hike. Ewok knew of him even though they met only in passing on the trail, as I had asked Ewok to keep an eye out for him (it's fun being an armchair thru-hiker!). Sissy remembered him, as Pusher had carried a guitar, and played "House of the Rising Sun" for her months earlier. After a couple texts, he was going to come out for post-hike beer and pizza at Gravel Springs Hut. This hike was one I had been looking forward to for over five months! How cool is it to hike with "your" thru-hikers?!

Ewok and Sissy would be starting the day SOBO from Jim & Molly Denton Shelter, Steve and I would start out NOBO from US-522 near Chester Gap, meeting (hopefully) halfway. We started a bit early, they a bit late. We waited a spell at the top of the thousand foot climb, then slowly continued north. The few southbound hikers we met said there were only hunters ahead. About the time I was getting concerned, they appeared! A warm greeting, then we all hiked south.

We had donuts and apple cider waiting for them at Chester Gap. The donuts were from "The Apple House" in Linden, half pumpkin, half apple. They make the donuts right there (you can watch them being made). They are delicious! Turns out Ewok and Sissy had eaten there the previous day during a mail-drop pickup in Linden. The donuts are a bit on the small side, so we should have bought a dozen, not eight. Ewok and Sissy each had three plus assorted candy and could have eaten more. Never underestimate a thru-hiker's appetite. Oh well, we'd make up for that later with beer and pizza, right? They weren't planning to go as far as Gravel Springs Hut, but for beer and pizza, absolutely!

The long climb into Shenandoah followed. There was still fine color in the lowlands, tapering off as we climbed. It was warm in the sun, the forest had that nice autumnal smell, and the crunch of the dry leaves made for great hiking, though at times difficult to hear all. At each rest break, Mabel would be zonked out almost immediately. The steep climb ended at rocky Possums Rest, but there were people here with two large dogs that weren't very friendly towards Mabel, so we didn't linger long at the viewpoint, and entered into Shenandoah National Park ("The Shennies" as thru-hikers call it). We talked about all our trail adventures. One sad item was that the mayor of Unionville, New York had to sell his house, so it's no longer a thru-hiker's stopping place. We hiked to the junction with the Dickey Ridge Trail, where we'd part ways. Ewok ate dry Ramen noodles, Sissy had bologna and cheese on crackers. They'd hike on another eight miles to Gravel Springs Hut, we'd hike another six back to Chester Gap via Dickey Ridge, Hickerson Hollow, a road walk, and the AT. We'd then get beer and pizza in Front Royal, head down the drive to Gravel Springs Gap, and walk it in to the hut. This would be great!

I'd thought through most everything, had it all planned out. There was only one item that I had forgotten to check, the status of Skyline Drive. Surely it was open, the north and south districts close at 5pm in December only, right? I've hiked SNP for years, and never had an issue with Skyline Drive except in December. Well, since my hikes are long and ending with an uphill is no fun, almost all hikes start from boundary access. Was I certain the Drive would be open? Halfway out Dickey Ridge, it nags me enough to check. I call my niece, she checks the Park web site... you know that sinking feeling when something goes horribly wrong?... well, I had that when told that Drive closures started November 8th. There was no way to get to Gravel Springs Gap. I'd promised thru-hikers something I couldn't deliver. Guilt, dismay; emotions were deep. I still had the candy that I would have given them at the shelter. The thought of them anticipating beer and pizza that could never come was unbearable. We hadn't said our proper farewell. There was more I wanted to say, more I wanted to know. The only saving grace was that I had asked Ewok to text me from North Marshall to help time things. I sent him a voice and text message, hoping beyond hope that he would get it. I called Pusher to tell him not to come.

It was a gloomy hike down Hickerson Hollow. I was gloomy, not the trail. This was the last remaining trail in the north district that I hadn't hiked, but I was numb. It is a pleasant trail and there were patches of good color in the hollow, but my head wasn't there. Out of cell range, we had a two mile road walk and a little over a mile on the AT to get back to Chester Gap. The western sky was crimson, and I hoped Ewok and Sissy were enjoying it from the AT. Would they get my bad news? Our hike ended well after dark, passing the expansive 4-H center in fading twilight. The AT stretch was spooky, with deer's eyes glowing from just off the trail. There were many eyes watching us.

On the descent into Chester Gap, my phone rings. It's a text from Ewok, "pretty sure I'm on North Marshall, should make it to the shelter soon enough." Oh no! He didn't get my message? No, this can't be! As I was freaking out, a second text arrived, he got my message, said "no worries, thanks for trying, it was really fun to see you again." Thank goodness! I still felt horrible, but at least knew they wouldn't be waiting for a meal not coming. Trail magic happens, but sometimes you can't force it, and there was nothing we could do. We drove to the north entrance to confirm the Drive was closed. It was.

The November Drive closures are nothing new. How in the world did I not know? Long hikes not using the Drive, that's how. I'm embarrassed and overly guilty, but ever so fortunate to have had the opportunity to hike with these great adventurers. Pusher may try to link up with Ewok and Sissy during this week. I have all week to contemplate trying to link up with them again. Maybe some things should just be left alone, but I'm not sure I can settle for that. I'm certainly grateful for the time I did get to spend with them, and I wish them the very best.

Pictures

Gunpowder Falls State Park

When it's cold "out west", hikes are often closer to home here in the lowlands. One local (well, closer than SNP) favorite in Gunpowder Falls State Park, Hereford Area, north of Baltimore. Two trails parallel the Big Gunpowder River, and several side trails provide loops into the hilly terrain. The highlight is at the west end of the park, Prettyboy Dam and Reservoir.

Fellow hiker Steve and I have been hiking here since 2005, most often in April and November it seems, though recently we come here in early to mid July for the raspberries that line many of the trails. Our standard route is 16 miles, 18 miles if we include additional side trails.

Gunpowder South Trail gets the most use and so the best maintenance. Gunpowder North Trail sees less use, is overgrown in summer, and usually offers some challenging blowdowns to negotiate. It has a wild feel. There are rocks, sinkholes, stickers, and at times, mud. Watch out for the bees in summer. If you like raspberries, this is the place to be in early to mid July. Both trails parallel the river for most of their length. In summer the river provides multi-use recreation- rafting, tubing, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.

I-83 bisects the park on a high bridge over the river. We park on York Road just south of the river, room for a dozen cars. The warm up hike is a 7 mile loop on the east side followed by a 9 or 11 mile loop on the west side. The only "out and back" is a portion of the final stretch to the dam, on Gunpowder South Trail, which leads to the base of the dam. With a little scrambling, one can get right to the base of the dam, then with some steep climbing on eroded trail, to an observation deck about halfway up. From there, steps lead to the road across the top of the dam, and one can look over the dam to the outlet below and down the Gunpowder valley, and behind, out over the Prettyboy Reservoir. For the adventuresome, scale the rock wall at the north end of the dam and descend (carefully) to slopy rock ledges for a fine rest stop with great views of the dam and river.

The hike this past Saturday started out on the chilly side as we headed east on Gunpowder South Trail, but warmed up quickly on the climb to the Panther Branch Trail. Morning frost had melted leaving the trails wet and slick, with the autumnal scent of decaying leaves in the air. Panther Branch had several pretty cascades on the descent back to the river and I got my standard long exposure shots. Gunpowder South ends at the new Big Falls Road bridge, the construction of which we've witnessed as glimpses over the course of a couple years. Crossing the bridge and heading west, we took Gunpowder North Trail its full length, nearly six miles. This trail see less use. Even in July, wear long pants here. This trail follows the river, though there used to be a trail that climbed a hill, but we can no longer locate that route. The trail passes a cascade slide, and crosses several side streams, and beaver activity is evident all along the river trails. There are always a downed tree or two to negotiate. On this hike, I got into a fight with one. Since this downed tree was on a slope, I opted to crawl under. I used a solid 3" limb to lower myself to the ground. Just before getting into position, the limb snapped, spring-boarding back and hitting me squarely in the right eye. If not for my glasses, I'm quite sure I'd have lost my eye. The titanium frames were mangled, but I escaped with only a couple minor scratches and a bit of a black eye. My prescription sunglasses got me through the rest of the hike (driving home at dusk was an adventure).

The western-most segment of the Gunpowder South Trail is the most challenging. It starts with a steep up and down, then traverses the rocky banks of the Big Gunpowder River. There are gullies, downed trees, rocks, laurel thickets, and sinkholes to contend with. Rounding the final bend, the roar of the dam becomes noticeable, then can be seen ahead. There are a couple rock ledges that extend into the river that offer good views. The best view though is from the observation deck part way up the dam. Getting there involves a steep scramble up an eroded embankment and climbing over a rock wall, but worth it. From the observation platform, the seemingly never-ending steps lead to the top of the dam. The rock ledges on the north side are visible, and we knew they were available, and we made our way to them for a snack break (again, scaling a rock barrier wall). There is a road across the Prettyboy Dam. On one hike, while on the road on top of the dam, someone drove up and asked us "where's the dam?".

Steve remembered that there was once a trail that led from near the base of the dam to the top. A faded switchback blaze on a tree indicates this. We couldn't locate it from below, but on the return, we were able to follow it from old blazes and cues from cut logs. The trail is there, but indistinct. We retrace Gunpowder South a distance, then branch off onto the Highland Trail, which climbs to a ridge then drops back to the river trail. The stretch of this trail just east of Falls Road is dense with raspberries during the second week of July. Same goes for portions of Mingo Forks Trail, which we did not take this time. After a couple more climbs on the Gunpowder South Trail, we end the hike back at York Road. Over the 16 miles, we accumulated roughly 1800 feet of elevation. Except for the segment to the dam, we encounter few people on the trails. It's a great place to hike.

There are two other sections of Gunpowder Falls SP, but I've yet to explore them. Now, one has to ask... exactly where are the falls at Gunpowder Falls? Well, there are no falls here; the name comes from "fall line". Even though "falls" is the name, there are no waterfalls on the Big Gunpowder Falls. The impressive discharge from the reservoir at the dam makes up for this. Additional information about the park: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/gunpowder.aspx

I compiled a photo album of hikes at Gunpowder Falls State Park: https://goo.gl/photos/HTrxYP399mbmnLFE7

Oldest pics appear first, this past weekend's pics are at the end. Yes, I know, too many "dam" pictures!

SNP south: Brown Mountain, Big Run, AT; sunset!

Big Run Portal. It's part of many a south district hike. But when had I last hiked the upper portion, between Patterson Ridge and the Big Run Loop Trail? Only once, over nine years ago, on my first Rockytop outing, just weeks after a fire raged on Rockytop's slopes. Perhaps there would be good fall color here at the lower levels. Looking down into Big Run from the Brown Mountain Trail, prospects of finding high color faded. A lone red tree (maple, I assume) was spotted up a ravine in the distance, otherwise it was mostly brown or bare, with scattered patches of yellow (poplar, I assume). Leaves covered much of the rocky Brown Mountain Trail, crunching under foot while negotiating the rocks. Dry leaves on rocks seem more slippery than wet leaves. Stops at the usual spots- the rocky top of Rocky Mountain and the rock outcrop just past Brown Mountain- provided excellent views south and west across Big Run. This would have been the ideal time to bushwhack out to King and Queen Rocks, but that and a 20 miler don't mix. Fellow hiker Steve and I stuck to the trails.

As expected (and relied on), Big Run was quite low. I wouldn't be hiking Big Run during anything but low water- too many crossings. Even at low flow, crossing the wide shallow run on small loose rocks can be tricky. From Big Run's lower end (near "The Portal"), the white cliffs of Rockytop and Brown Mountain loom. We reached Big Run Portal at the steel bridge and began the gentle climb up Big Run. A couple fisher-folk were camped near here, and at a later crossing, three young backpackers were taking a break. Several day-hikers were resting at the upper end junction with the Big Run Loop Trail. Past Patterson Ridge, the trail felt only vaguely familiar. There were several "yeah, I remember that!" moments, but otherwise the trail felt new to me. Years and a different season will do that, plus last time there was a thunderstorm bearing down. It was quite pleasant despite the lack of color.

Decision time at the Big Run Loop Trail junction- bear right and climb to the AT for a 20 miler, or bear left and climb to Big Run Overlook for an 18 miler? Either way it's a sizable climb. The bonus counter-clockwise would be a pass through Doyles River Overlook on the AT. We took the clockwise route up to Big Run Overlook. I popped in the earbuds and did my best "head down" hiking (but looked up, and behind, every now and then). It was chilly at Big Run Overlook, so I swapped out the wet poly tee for Capilene, a windbreaker, Polartec cap, and gloves and sat on the rock wall taking in the views (and tuning out the car people- noise canceling earbuds do work!).

After a long break at the Overlook, we picked up the AT across the Drive and headed north towards Loft Mountain. It's hard to get the legs moving again on a cold day after a lengthy break. Branching off from the AT, we were soon enjoying views from the Loft Mountain campground amphitheater (better view west than from the overlooks). A smell of overripe apples was in the air near the amphitheater and several apple trees were found nearby. On the shortcut trail from the amphitheater, a large bare tree with giant arms looked almost scary. Topping out at the camp store, it was a gentle downhill on the paved walkway down to the wayside, with good color throughout. A buck standing beside the campground road was posing for pictures. Not scared at all of cars, people (us) stopping to take a picture made it bolt.

Mmmm... late season fry oil smell as we approached the wayside. The wayside was not crowded, a sure sign of a season winding down. We had our blackberry milkshake and fries outdoors in the chilly breeze. It's a lot of work sucking a shake through a straw when it's slow to melt. Advance planning told me to leave the wayside by quarter to five to catch sunset from "my place" on the AT. We were running a couple minutes late, and had to restart the legs for the climb back to the AT on the Frazier Discovery Trail (north side of the loop). The massive overhanging rock on that short trail segment is a "must see". Up-trail from there is one of the best viewpoints in the south district, the large rock ledge at the AT/Frazier junction. There was decent color below from this deserted vantage point, while a wintry grey overcast sky dimmed prospects of a colorful sunset.

Running late and still determined to get to my AT nook for sunset, whatever it may be, I'd have to cover over two miles in about 40 minutes. A fast pace allowed a couple short stops to take in the pastel colors in fading light on the descent to Ivy Creek. The instant I arrived at my destination, the sky went from grey to golden as the lowering sun broke free from the overcast. This would be no ordinary sunset. Smoke from the Lokey Fire in the George Washington NF was settling into the valley, and that combined with the chaotic clouds made for what was certainly the best sunset I've witnessed. Being at my favorite AT spot to boot, time stood still here. In that infinitesimal eternity, I saw the sky turn every which color. Pink and lavender through the smoke to the north, golden red and orange into the sun, all shades of blue overhead, and crimson south. Oh, the crimson! There was no other place I wanted to be. This was a lasting moment. Color?... I got my color!

Steve arrived less than a minute before sunset. We reluctantly left some 22 minutes later, I being partially blinded by staring into the sunset too long. The deep crimson lingered far into twilight. Leaving the AT at Ivy Creek Overlook, a short Drive walk in the dark would lead back to the car at Brown Mountain Overlook. No light needed, except for when cars approached, switched on to alert of our presence. A hint of twilight remained on the horizon an hour past sunset, eventually merging into the night lights of the valley below.

Pictures

SNP north, 10/23- Little Devils Stairs, Overall Run Falls

This was supposed to be the year to slow down and let the body recover... but the tenth 20-miler weekend in a row with ideal hiking weather... OK, I'm a hiking addict (is there a "hikers anonymous"?). Shorter days, shorter hikes, right? No, they're getting longer. The culprit? The waysides for blackberry shakes!. Gotta include a wayside stop in the hike. Why haven't I been doing this all along?!
The full moon was setting as fellow hiker Steve and I approached the Park early Saturday morning. That moon would cast some light for a fire road finish hours later. There was one car in the parking lot for Little Devils Stairs when we arrived and the same one there when we left. I suspect there were a few more in between. The other car likely belonged to the campers that were setting up tents a short distance in on the LDS trail. The east side color is pretty lackluster, still more green than other, and not a healthy green. There's a fairly high leaf fall as well, so I'm not expecting much color from what remains. It's been dry again lately, and Keyser Run had quite low flow. Leaves coated the surface of pools, parting as cascades gently poured in. There's the occasional bright orange or yellow tree, and sunlight not yet reaching the canyon floor was casting a warm glow off the yellow-green leaves above. Cool and crisp with little wind made for a pleasant climb up Little Devils Stairs. Eventually reaching "Fourway", we took Keyser Run fire road to Skyline Drive.
Instead of picking up the AT across the Drive from Keyser Run fire road, we hiked the Drive north a half mile to include Mount Marshall Overlook. Primarily yellows and greens from here, with North Marshall and The Peak the main features to see. The Drive was starting to get busy, as this is prime leaf-peeping season. We picked up the AT at the Drive crossing and followed it south to Elkwallow Wayside, stopping at the usual spots along the way- Little Hogback, the old hang-glider site on Hogback (when was this last used for hang-gliding?), the rocks behind Hogback Overlook, and Sugarloaf. There was very little traffic on the AT, but Elkwallow Wayside was buzzing (with people and bees).
The wayside blackberry shake; not as rich and creamy as the Skyland version, but mighty fine nonetheless. Add a soda and a bagful of fries, and I needed very little other food the entire hike. Lately, all the food I've brought on the hike has been consumed in the car on the ride home. We didn't stay at Elkwallow long, it was just too busy and too hot in the open sun. As we were leaving, I counted at least three dozen women in line to use the restroom. Yikes!
What? Hikers on the Elkwallow Trail? People actually hike this pleasant trail from Mathews Arm campground instead of driving? Well good for them! The Elkwallow Trail comes out on Mathews Arm road near the campground entrance station. We hiked through the campground on our way to Overall Run Falls. The campground was full but didn't feel it, as the sites are good-sized and the setting peaceful. There was good color here and families out enjoying the fine weather. Plenty of hikers were coming up the Mathews Arm Trail as we descended, some looking happier than others (it's a strenuous climb up from the falls if you're not used to it).
By the number of hikers encountered on the way to the falls, I expected it to be quite crowded there. Crossing a dry feeder and from the low flow of Keyser Run, I didn't expect much to see in the way of water at the falls. The overlooks were not too crowded, and a single ribbon made up the falls. Overall Run Falls was a pleasant out and back, providing good views of decent color down the Overall Run valley. I made it back to the AT/Tuscarora junction first, and parked on a rock to contemplate next weekend's hike and watch hikers pass. I don't know why so many hikers get confused here. We've directed a number of hikers at the Tuscarora junction, some with just the NPS visitor map, some with a map from a book, some with no map at all. I talked with a trio of backpackers here. The female of the group was wearing "foot gloves". She spoke quite highly of them, her only complaint being that they didn't keep her feet warm. I just can't imagine hiking in those things!
The plan was to catch sunset from the rocks behind Hogback Overlook. Normally a quiet place hidden just enough from the car people, it had now been discovered as the low angle sun was illuminating them. We found a place to sit, but people were crawling all around. I found it somewhat amusing actually, and I think I'm in a number of other people's pictures. We had arrived too early, and the legs would seize if we held out for sunset, so we took in the low angle sun for awhile, then started our descent via the Sugarloaf Trail and Pole Bridge Link back to Fourway. There were other hikers at Fourway at sunset, though they didn't look like the flashlight carrying kind. We had lights, but didn't have much need for them, as our exit would be on high quality Keyser Run fire road. 3.5 miles of fire road walking in the dark. I didn't turn on my LED lamp until reaching the Bolen Cemetery, and could have gotten by without it all the way, as the low angle full moon was casting long shadows with enough light to see (sort of). Night hiking down fire roads, ahhhhh, love it!

Pictures

SNP central, 10/16- Whiteoak Canyon, Stony Man, Robertson

Making up for last weekend's night descent of Whiteoak Canyon, this hike would start, in daylight, going up Whiteoak Canyon. After many weeks dry, it now has water. Steve picked me up at 6am, and we were on the Whiteoak Canyon Trail in Berry Hollow at 8:15am. Only one other car there. At 48 degrees, not too cold, but the wind had quite a bite to it, and it would only get windier on the climb to ridge line.

Not ten minutes in, a rustling off to the right, surely a deer, turned out to be a young bear. It was running away and was quickly out of sight. A bear sighting early in the hike, and maybe this will be the "bear nirvana" hike... nope, that was the only one. In a race with the sun to the lower falls, we both arrived at the same time. I'm always looking for a dark or shaded waterfall scene to get long exposure shots. With the help of a few clouds, it worked out right well. It was mostly sunny in the canyon, but somewhat gloomy fast moving clouds were ahead on ridge line, though cloud base looked to be higher than anything in the Park. It would be a shame to have, say, Hawksbill, be above the clouds, in October, and not be there to see it (to see what that looks like, check out my SNPc20061008 album). Not often having Whiteoak falls exclusively, I took a little extra time to explore the lower and middle falls. Just how long could we have this canyon to ourselves? I bet that we'd meet hikers coming down from the Drive before reaching the upper falls... nope! We owned the upper falls too. Cool! The first hikers were encountered beyond the bridge crossing past the upper falls. First a few, then a group of perhaps 30. We had hit Whiteoak at a good time.

We'd left the best color behind before reaching the Limberlost Trail junction. Limberlost and Crescent Rock trails would get us to ridge line at Crescent Rock Overlook. Out on Crescent Rock, the wind was strong enough to make standing difficult. Gusts were easily 50 mph. It was mostly sunny now, but still a pretty wicked wind chill. The wind keep most folks near or in their cars. I saw one guy getting around on crutches here (last week there was a guy wearing a neck brace headed down to Camp Hoover- I can picture myself hiking out here in that condition). The best color was below, sheltered from the gales. An out and back to Bettys Rock for similar views, then down to the AT headed north to Stony Man.

Very few hikers were out on the AT. We made good time to Skyland, stopping, of course, below Timber Hollow Overlook for the standard picture of that overlook's sentinel tree. I had to wait out a few car people to get a clear shot. Skyland stables looked quiet, and no horses were in the field. Stony Man would be crowded- it always is when the Drive is open, but it has views, so that's where we went. People were huddled about, trying to fight off the wind. I had to hug low to keep from getting blown off. A few brave souls ventured on down the rocks. Stony Man was indeed crowded, but wait...

Next up, get to Skyland ASAP for a blackberry shake. Shortest route- the horse trail. Horse trails are dull, right? Not this one! All these years, not a tenth of a mile away, right there in sight of what most consider to be "the" Stony Man summit, lies outstanding rock ledges with fantastic views south. Skyland, Hawksbill, Fork Mountain, you name it, and virtually nobody else here. How had I missed this all these years? Forget the crowds- this is my primary Stony Man destination now (sorry about giving out trade secrets). We had to delay our shake for a few minutes to take in the views. My now favorite horse trail.

Skyland- like Big Meadows last weekend- filled parking lots with cars lined up along the road. After the lunch crowd but before the dinner crowd, we got a table in the tap room and prompt service. Now, the shakes at Skyland aren't your wayside standard fare variety. No, the blackberry shakes here don't come out of a machine with flavoring added. This is the real deal- super rich, super creamy, super thick, made with real blackberries and whipped cream on top, out of this world. You haven't had a Shenandoah blackberry shake until you've had one at Skyland. Trust me. It took some time for the shake to arrive (they apparently don't get many requests for them, as the waitress didn't know they had them and had to look up how to make them), but well worth the wait.

Except for Robertson, the rest of the hike was downhill, first via the horse trail from Skyland north entrance to Old Rag fire road at Comer's Deadening, then Old Rag and Berry Hollow fire roads and SR-600 back to the Whiteoak lot. I really like fire road walking this time of year. One can look up at the color without much worry of footing. There were a several hikers on Robertson, but surely nothing like Old Rag. The lowering sun cast long shadows, and unlimited visibility showed distant ridges south. The wind was slacking and it was very comfortable on Robertson. Much less color on the east side, still a lot of green with good color to come. A fast return to the fire road and a foot burner pace got us back to the car not long after sunset. On the descent, majestic Old Rag glowed golden through the trees. Too bad there's not a clear line of sight to Old Rag from the fire road, it would be postcard perfect.

Pictures
4 years ago above the clouds on Hawksbill

note: descending Old Rag fire road, we could hear the helicopter used during an Old Rag rescue. There was a ranger's car at the fire road junction, so we figured there must be a rescue in progress. Information on Bob Look's blog http://oldragpatrolsbyrsl-blook.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post_18.html and full details at http://silverspringwanderer.blogspot.com/2010/10/orms-helicopter-rescue.html ("Silver Spring Wanderer" looks like an excellent blog, a bookmark for sure). The previous weekend we'd heard mention of a rescue on Stony Man. A few details at http://uspppressroom.blogspot.com/2010/10/daring-hoist-rescue-in-shenandoah.html

SNP central, 10/9- Doubletop, Hawksbill; Whiteoak at night

The streak of fine weather weekends continues as we head into fall color season. Doubletop would be an ideal place to observe the foliage and avoid the leaf-peeping crowds. Fellow hiker Steve picked me up at 6am and we met my brother John in Sperryville before 8am. This would be John's first time on Doubletop. Having two vehicles opens up numerous hike options. This one would start from the end of state route 648 west of Syria and end at the Whiteoak lot in Berry Hollow. The big climbs would be Doubletop, Mill Prong, and the AT out of Fishers Gap. This 21 miler would accumulate 4800 feet of uphill and over a mile of downhill (oh, my poor knees!). Big Meadows at the halfway point meant lunch at the wayside (this is the year of blackberry shakes).

The climb to Monkeyhead on the unofficial Doubletop Trail took only an hour. The blazing was good, causing pause only a few times to locate the next blue blaze where the trail became indistinct. The climb is steep and steady. We had fine views from Monkeyhead, the rock outcrop just west of the first peak of Doubletop: Fork Mountain to the south, Rapidan drainage basin to the southwest with Hazeltop beyond, massive Haywood Mountain (Spitler Knoll) dominating to the west and northwest, and Stony Man north. There was patchy color about, and the leaves have that look that they're soon to turn. The hike continued over the main peak, down to the saddle, then up and over the second peak. Getting to the second peak of Doubletop is rather challenging. There's one difficult stretch to get through, short but very steep. There's not much to grab hold of initially, then laurel makes a good handhold (watch out for one mean laurel that has a razor-sharp tooth- it snagged my palm). Beyond, there are good views from a rock next to a pine tree where the trail bends. From there, Doubletop's main peak stands out, and from atop the rock, Old Rag is visible to the north. The trail eventually meets the orange-blazed Wilhite Wagon Trail, which leads down to Rapidan Road. Before descending it, we visited the somewhat overgrown viewpoint a bit further out along the Doubletop Trail. Old Rag stands out from this viewpoint, and the red roof of PATC Meadows Cabin can be seen below. The descent on Wilhite Wagon Trail was easy- clear and well marked with orange WMA trail markers every hundred feet or so.

Finishing Doubletop ended the solitude. Folks were camping along the Rapidan, and it appears to be bow hunting season. Camp Hoover had ongoing tours, and a steady stream of hikers flowed down Mill Prong to Rapidan Camp. Milam Gap was packed with vehicles and one had to be careful crossing the Drive. Now, there was a pretty strange sight at Tanners Ridge cemetery- a tent set up on the southern edge, with a food bag hanging from a branch and roped off to a tree. First, I can't imagine that camping is allowed here, and second, that food bag was at best six feet above the ground! It would be a piñata for most any bear. I have a picture of it in the photo album.

Blackberry shakes awaited at Big Meadows Wayside. Tanners Ridge road would take us to the Drive and a short walk to Big Meadows, but there's a horse trail that leads to the stables just prior to the Drive. A new trail for me, so we took it, bailing out onto the service road that is part of the Lewis Falls Trail. I don't think I was prepared for just how crowded Big Meadows was. Cars were parked on both sides of the Drive and people all about. There was a line at the wayside grill, but they still had blackberry shakes. We consumed our fries and shake on a log near some trees off to the side. Playing the silly tourist bit, we all had our pictures taken with the CCC worker statue in front of the Visitor's Center.

We were running late... we had spent nearly an hour in the Big Meadows vortex. Friends were doing a shorter hike north of here, and we planned to rendezvous along the AT between Fishers Gap and Hawksbill. I had estimated we'd be on Hawksbill around 3pm. Well, we were just getting to Big Meadows at 3pm, Fishers Gap at 4:30pm, and Hawksbill ~6pm. Needless to say, we never met up. They, of course, saw a bear, and a big one at that. My bear mojo ain't working. We took the nature trail north from Big Meadows, then branched off onto the deserted horse trail to Fishers Gap. Other than car noise from the Drive, this trail was pleasant (and a segment not done before). Fishers Gap Overlook was closed, so we looped through it before picking up the AT at Fishers Gap. With the western exposure, it was a warm walk on the AT along Franklin Cliffs and the following climb to the saddle between Nakedtop and Hawksbill, with golden hazy views into the sunlight. Access to Hawksbill was via the Salamander Trail.

Ravens were playing above Hawksbill's cliffs. They were soaring and diving, flying in formation, stalling, hovering, and spiraling. They were fascinating to watch. To get good pictures, set manual focus to infinity, zoom to the max, and use the viewfinder to follow. Long shadows were being cast by the golden rays of the low angle sun, but we were in no hurry now, as we knew we this hike would be ending well after dark. We departed Hawksbill at 6:15pm with six miles to go. Cedar Run would provide a shorter route, but given the choice of it or Whiteoak Canyon for night descent, we chose Whiteoak Canyon. We made it to the Whiteoak junction on the horse trail before turning on headlamps. At 40 minutes past sunset, it was effectively nighttime.

Wait weeks and weeks for rain to replenish the waterfalls, and wind up hiking scenic Whiteoak Canyon in the dark? That's just wrong, though we did have that trail to ourselves. The falls were heard but not seen. My LED lamp was on the weak side, making that descent seem long and treacherous. The hike ended at 9pm, and home at midnight, 18 hours after setting out. A long day, indeed. This weekend, making up for not seeing Whiteoak's falls- the hike will start by climbing Whiteoak Canyon (and no, not before dawn). The colors should be getting good.
Pictures

SNP central: Bearfence, Pocosin Hollow, Conway River

Crossing the dry Conway River on the the drive in to Swift Run Gap had me worried that maybe I wasn't carrying enough water for the upcoming hike. The Conway can't be dry, it drains too large an area, and I intended to resupply from it mid-hike. As it turned out, there was water in the Conway, so farming must be taking from it by the time it reaches Wolftown-Hood road. Taking advantage of a bad situation, the drought, it's time to hike those trails normally avoided due to difficult crossings or fords. I had hiked Pocosin Hollow only once, during high water, and the difficult stream crossings made for a rather unpleasant hike, and I've never been a big fan of challenging crossings. This would be a much more pleasant experience.
Hitting the trail shortly after 9am, fellow hiker Steve and I were headed south from Bootens Gap on the Appalachian Trail, Bearfence as the first destination. We've learned it's easier to do a rock scramble with fresh legs. The day was cool and dry with a decent breeze and excellent visibility under mostly sunny skies. It would remain sunny and pleasant for most of the hike, with clouds streaming in during the late afternoon. Bearfence, as always, was great. Only a couple other hikers there, but were not completing the scramble due to fear of heights. We'd see them a bit later on the non-exposed loop trail.
A stop at Bearfence Hut followed. I read through the fairly new journal there. Seems the majority overnighting here see or hear a bear. We were soon back on the AT, with a stop at Lewis Mountain campground to stock up on water in case the Conway was dry. This is the campground to stay in for relative peace and quiet. The AT eventually led us to Pocosin fire road, which we'd follow down to the Pocosin Hollow Trail. Lots of goldenrod about attracting butterflies and a photographer. Down the fire road a bit we spotted what at first looked like a dog... no, it's a small bear! Finally, a real bear, not just the glimpse of the tail end of one or hearing one bustling away through the brush. The little guy paused just long enough for me to snap a picture. Yea!
It was damp the only other time on Pocosin Hollow. Every rock was a potential disaster. I'd take a good face plant on a slippery rock that looked dry, and every stream crossing made my knees shake. This time was much different. The trail was very dry. Low vegetation is wilting, the fern is turning yellow, and trees are dropping leaves. The crunching of leaves underfoot would warn any other bear in the area of our presence. No other hikers about. Pocosin Hollow had water in it, enough to make it right pretty. The Pocosin Hollow segment of the hike was about as pleasant a walk as I've had. I'm adding it to my "favorites" list.
Outside the Park, Pocosin Hollow follows a private road to state route 667, Middle River Road, which parallels the Conway River. The Conway had water in it, not a lot, just a modest flow. The pools along Pocosin Hollow and the Conway River looked inviting, but I never allocate time for taking a dip. Gotta start doing that. There were small fish in the pools, and an occasional frog. We followed the road up the Conway to its end, where the Conway River Trail follows a rocky old road through the Rapidan WMA. I had thought about venturing up Devils Ditch, but will save that for some later time. We had a hefty climb ahead- 2200 feet back to Bootens Gap. After several easy crossings of the Conway (which are usually fords), the trail joins the Conway River Road, a drivable (with high clearance) road in the RWMA, with several camp sites beside the river. There were some campers here blasting out Nirvana. The road climbs with increasing slope up to Bootens Gap, the last stretch being in SNP. It's exhausting ending a long hike with a prolonged uphill. At 17 miles and 3300 feet of elevation gain, this was one of those "easy" hikes, but it sure didn't feel like it.

Pictures

SNP south district: South of the South

I borrowed the title from Donn Ahern's PATC forum hike report. So far south in the south district of Shenandoah National Park that you aren't really in the Park, at least when on the AT. This hike would be one of those rare linear hikes, using two vehicles. I suspected it might be a busy time in the Park this past weekend, picture perfect weather, so decided to not bother seeking a secluded route- there might not be one. A simple AT trek this would be, a 20 miler from Blackrock parking south to McCormick Gap including an out-and-back to Turk Mountain, accumulating 4600 feet of elevation along the way. The weather was ideal- temperature in the 60's, dew point near 40, enough breeze but not too much, and nearly unlimited visibility. The line of cars at the Rockfish Gap entrance station at 9am indicated that it would be a busy Park day. The ranger there commented on how much busier it was than the day before (Saturday, an equally perfect day as Donn described).
My brother John and friend Steve were my fellow hikers. This was an "AT encore" hike. First up was Blackrock, the primary extra-easy destination to outstanding views in the south district. Being so easy one might suspect it's crowded there, but most often not; car people just don't venture very far from the overlooks. I've never felt crowded at Blackrock, and there was only a handful of hikers here. Trayfoot looms to the west, with the west-side peaks of the south district laid out in stunning relief nortward. The south end of Massanutten, 12 miles distant across Shenandoah Valley, stood out crystal clear as if one could reach out and touch it. During this hike, peaks 45 miles distant were visible.
Next stop was a short side trip to Moormans River Overlook on Skyline Drive (had to get an east view in there somewhere), with views of Bucks Elbow Mountain, Pond Ridge, Pasture Fence Mountain, and the Charlottesville Reservoir below. On the AT, we passed a trail notice of problem bears near Wildcat Ridge. I had heard mention of that last weekend, but know no specifics.
Turk Gap parking was full, with cars spilling out along the Drive... not a good sign, as Turk Mountain was our next stop. Lots 'o folk out on Turk Mountain. It was as busy as I've ever seen it (OK, last time there was post-sunset in December), but wow, Turk Mountain crowded? More folks were leaving than arriving, so for most of our summit stay it wasn't bad at all. I wanted to scramble some, but a bit risky and still a lot of hiking to do. Someday, maybe. Views were surperb.
The AT crosses the Drive at Sawmill Run Overlook, which is where we had cached water during the morning shuttle. Our somewhat hidden cache was still there, a good thing, as there was little if any water along the route. I've had cached water disappear during a hike (I mark it with date and intent so that it won't be thought of as litter if found). Sawmill Run Overlook is also a great spot for a break, great views, one of my favorite overlooks in the Park. Later, near Jarman Gap, we passed the only potential water sources on this route. One spring was dry and the other a very slow drip. It's very dry out there and getting drier each day.
"South of the South" as Donn called it- south of Jarman Gap, where the AT is on "Appalachian Trail Park" land, not in SNP. The climb up Calf Mountain was difficult, a thousand footer late in a long hike is always difficult. There was a group of eight to ten young folk coming down, some wearing flip-flops. That seemed a strange place to see them. Just another indicator of how busy it was this day. No stop at Calf Mountain Shelter (yep, shelter, not hut, though same thing- just not in SNP). The highlight here is not Calf Mountain, but Little Calf Mountain a bit further south, where an unmarked trail leads to the "summit" meadow. It's not marked because it's not in SNP. There was thistle and sumac about, and excellent views south and west to near and distant peaks in GWNF. Apple trees remain from an old orchard. There were red apple trees and green apple trees. Steve tried one of the red apples. Tart but not bad. Little Calf is a pretty easy out and back from Beagle Gap.
The AT crosses the Drive at Beagle Gap. The large open field here has a unique look and feel. Donn's description is dead-on. The field is overgrown with tall grasses and milkweed, and apple trees are scattered about the edges. There were several hikers exploring the area. Low angle sunlight glistened on the windswept milkweed on the south side as we began the final climb of the hike, up to Bear Den Mountain.
I just had to revisit Bear Den Mountain, where there are tractor seats embedded in the ground beside the trail (at the tower installation). I thought there were views here, and maybe there were (last visited in 2004), but it's now quite overgrown. The seats remain, and are often seen in thru-hiker's pictures. What's the story behind them? Interesting... the USGS map actually has "den" marked on Bear Den Mountain. I did hear a bear off in the woods shortly before McCormick Gap.
Sunset... missed it by less than a minute at Calf Mountain Overlook, but post-sunset has the best color anyway. Yep, that is a prime sunset spot. Back at Blackrock parking, a couple was returning from having watched sunset at Blackrock. They were staying at Loft Mountain campground. "Where's a good place to catch sunrise?" they asked. Boy, were they asking the right guy! My brain froze, but I came up with Ivy Creek Overlook. AT/Frazier junction? Maybe, but it may face too much to the north for this time of year. I know there are several spots along the AT near the campground for first light, but no specifics. They were more interested in hiking to a spot for sunrise (my kind of people!). Bearfence perhaps, unless Bluff Mountain blocks the horizon. Come to think of it, most of my sunrises have been at overlooks I've hiked to. There are a number of good hiking destinations for sunset but not so many for sunrise (Hawksbill and Marys Rock are excellent for both). I gotta get back out there for a sunrise. Someday, definitely.

Pictures

SNP south: Brown Mountain, Patterson Ridge

The southern district of Shenandoah National Park is my favorite, but also the most distant, so more often than not I'm down that way only when the weather is ideal. The mountains feel bigger and more remote and the crowds fewer. But it had been some time since I'd hiked down south, and Saturday's forecast looked good, sunny with low humidity. As fellow hiker Steve and I headed over Saturday morning, it was evident the humidity would not be low- the marine layer had worked further inland than forecast, and it would be a moist hike under hazy skies.
Brown Mountain Overlook is a fine spot to start a hike. The views are superb, and one sees much of hike route from the overlook. The views were hazy but fine nonetheless. Vegetation was still damp from overnight dew as we hit the trail at quarter past nine. With light winds and high humidity, vegetation was still wet hours later. The hike begins with a downhill to a saddle where the Rocky Mountain Run trail branches and descends to Big Run. From here the Brown Mountain Trail climbs to rocky views on Rocky Mountain, then descends a bit before climbing again to more views from Brown Mountain. I had charted out a route to King and Queen Rocks, but the bushwhack looked more than desired, so will wait for a winter outing. Views of Rockytop and the Big Run drainage dominate, and the crumbly rocks offer a little scrambling. On the descent to Big Run, King and Queen Rocks are prominent towers on the steep west slope of Brown Mountain.
Big Run was lazy. Minnows and tadpoles swam in the shallow pools, while butterflies congregated for a drink from mossy clusters. Butterflies don't like to have their pictures taken, but these eventually allowed us to do so. It was comfortable under the steel bridge over Big Run, and oddly this was the only place that had any breeze. Further up Big Run bright red wildflowers were blooming, crickets chirping, and snakes sunning on rocks. With the lack of wind, the sounds of the late summer forest were everywhere.
After the gentle uphill on the Bigh Run Portal came the steep climb up Patterson Ridge. I've never encountered other hikers on Patterson Ridge, but this hike had several. No bears, but plenty signs of their presence. It was a sweaty climb up Patterson Ridge, so much so that my socks became damp from sweat running down the legs. With high humidity and no wind, there was no evaporation. I guess climbing nearly 1700 feet at 3 mph didn't help. I passed a backpacker struggling up the ridge. He had spent the night along Big Run, and had seen two bears the previous evening. He had planned to backpack Wildcat Ridge, but was warned of a problem bear in that area.
This is the year of blackberry shakes, and Loft Mountain Wayside was a planned stop for one, along with fries and a soda. The wayside was busy. Butterflies aplenty were on the thistle and other flowers here and drawing a small crowd of onlookers. After the meal came a leisurely climb up the moss covered paved walkway leading from the wayside to the campground. We made a water stop at the Loft Mountain amphitheater, which provides a commanding view of Rockytop and other west-side peaks, with the Massanutten vaguely visibly through the moisture laden air. We picked up the Appalachian Trail via the short spur from the amphitheater, then followed it north as it makes a sweeping arc around the campground. Hiking the AT was nearly a bushwhack in a couple spots, with dense vegetation encroaching both sides of the trail between the campground and the camp store. We followed the AT to Ivy Creek Overlook, stopping at the viewpoint atop Loft Mountain and my personal favorite AT nook on the knob behind Rockytop Overlook. Ivy Creek was flowing gently, and the first real breeze of the day came at Ivy Creek Overlook. A Drive walk back to Brown Mountain Overlook concluded this 17.5 mile hike.

Pictures

SNP north: Overall Run, Piney Branch

Failing to link up with the thru-hikers I've been following opened up last Saturday for a good long hike in Shenandoah. Seeking bear sightings, I chose a couple remote trails in the north district, Piney Branch on the east side and Beecher Ridge on the west side. Completing the 21+ mile circuit would be Overall Run and Piney Ridge, accessing the Park from the Thompson Hollow Trail on the west side south of Front Royal. Accompanying me on this trek was fellow hiker Steve. Not hearing Overall Run on approach, I knew the midweek storm had not done much to help the water situation. Overall Run Trail is quite rocky in the lowlands but becomes less so as switchbacks climb to viewpoints above and across from Overall Run Falls. Not expecting much from the falls, I was not disappointed finding it a mere trickle. Last time here Overall Run Falls was a frozen curtain of ice.

The climb continued all the way to the Appalachian Trail, accumulating about 2500 feet along the way. The AT was a connector leg to the Sugarloaf Trail. We stopped at the standard rock outcrop above Hogback Overlook, but something was different... the old dead tree, the subject of many a picture, was gone! It finally gave way to the storm, one too many handholds, or foul play. I'll miss that old tree. I scrambled around the rocks there, and soon found myself among assorted cans and trash under the rock jumble. Climbing out, I found that the now downed tree makes a good foot and hand hold for working around the rocks. It was good to put my old friend to some use.

After descending Sugarloaf, we headed over to the Piney Branch Trail on the Pole Bridge Link Trail, where we met PATC trail maintainer Casey and talked trail awhile. His stretch of trail was in top-notch condition, as were most trail segments. Piney Branch had a couple trees down and some nettles, but was in good shape for summer. I'd chosen Piney Branch for this hike in hopes of finding a Turk's cap lily in bloom, but none were found. I'd come across one at the first crossing in early August 2008. The forest was alive with cicadas all along Piney Branch and much of Piney Ridge. The highlight of this hike was simply the sound of the forest.

Piney Ridge was the second major climb. The climb up to the ridge (at the junction with Fork Mountain Trail) gets quite steep. I stopped briefly at the small cemetery just past the junction, then continued up Piney Ridge. I had a good pace going and was well ahead of Steve as I neared the AT, so I found a good resting tree and using my daypack as a headrest, laid back and stared up at the tree tops for a spell. Steve caught up, then we took water from the spring at Range View Cabin. There were ripening blackberries here and we sampled a few. More were found on the AT. They should be ripe for picking this weekend. We cut over to Skyline Drive on the Piney Branch parking access trail, then crossed the Drive and headed down the road towards Mathews Arm campground.

The next segment was the western half of Traces Nature Trail around the campground. This completes all blue-blazed north district trails for me. Out Mathews Arm and down Beecher Ridge we went, encountering several groups along the way. Prime bear territory, but as is standard for this year, no sightings. Beecher Ridge Trail goes through open forest, at times one can see quite a long distance. The area around the Beecher-Overall junction reminds me of Rockytop in the south district- warm and dry and looks like it's always warm and dry. It just has that feel.

After a steep drop to Overall Run, the rocky climb up dry Overall Run followed. The pools were very shallow and the run was dry or a trickle. We met a ranger at the Tuscarora junction. He recognized me, and I remembered him from the Thornton Gap entrance station when stopping in there for water two months ago. After talking with him awhile, we headed up and out Thompson Hollow, finishing our 21.5 miler with 4800' elevation gain in just over ten hours.

A break week. I hope to link up with my thru-hikers after they're done (they live near Warrenton).

SNP central: Cedar Run, Stony Man, Whiteoak Canyon

Lacking a clear-cut plan, this hike was a little free-style and somewhat open-ended. It was bounded by the start/end point at the Whiteoak parking lot in Berry Hollow, which meant a return down either Whiteoak Canyon or Old Rag and Berry Hollow fire roads. The initial legs had been decided- up Cedar Run to Hawksbill summit and down to the Appalachian Trail via Salamander, and for good miles and water, north on the AT to Skyland stables. We made up the route on the fly from there... Millers Head?... Robertson?... perhaps loop around Stony Man back to Skyland for a blackberry shake at the Dining Room? The blackberry shake route won. The loop from Skyland stables would be a northbound continuation on the AT up and over Stony Man to Little Stony Man cliffs then back to Skyland on the Passamaquoddy Trail. The route from Skyland was a no-brainer- straight down Whiteoak Canyon.

Very few cars were in the unattended Whiteoak lot when Steve and I arrived soon after 8:30am. The trail up Cedar Run was in excellent condition. The trail has improvements every outing, and this is no easy trail to maintain. The crossings of Cedar Run were hardly crossings at all. Water levels are very low right now. The swimming holes are shallow and the falls and cascades are lazy. Several improved paths lead to the run, allowing easier access. With the low water levels, I explored a couple places that I would otherwise shy away from. Climbing the rock slope above the upper cascade was fun. We met a few groups that were heading down, some asking about the pools. Hawksbill summit was pleasant, with hazy views through the moist air. Dropping down to the AT on the Salamander Trail, we headed north to Skyland, with a side trip to Crescent Rock and Bettys Rock. It seems that few visitors to the overlook know impressive Crescent Rock is just a few steps away. Bettys Rock was empty except for a young buck beside the trail. Back on the AT, we passed below Timber Hollow Overlook, which is currently undergoing reconstruction. They'd better not mess with that sentinel tree! On to Skyland stables for a water break, passing by the horses and several wild turkey, then on to Stony Man.

Stony Man summit isn't my favorite place, as it's usually too crowded, but when there you gotta go, right? Crowded it was. The best time to be here is when Skyline Drive is closed. Little Stony Man cliffs afforded great views, much like North Marshall in the north district, with the AT right on an exposed rock ledge. There were climbers rappelling here, and the return route could be seen directly below. Following the AT via switchbacked descent, we doubled back onto the rocky Passamaquoddy Trail and were soon under the cliffs looking up at where we'd been. The trail leads directly to the Skyland Dining Room, just where we wanted to be.

I'd never been in the Skyland Dining Room before. Seeing the chandeliers, I feared it might be too fancy and not suited for sweaty smelly hikers. We did look out of place. We really wanted a grab and go shake and fries, but the Dining Room is a real restaurant, not of the quick wayside grill variety. So we were seated, our order taken, and eventually fed. The fries portion size was on the small side (for a hungry hiker), but the blackberry shake was superb. Now, the wayside shakes are great, but the Skyland shake is something special, extra thick, extra creamy, very rich, topped with real whipped cream and a real blackberry. It should come with a spoon, as it takes a lot of suction to get anywhere with a straw. It was delicious!

The Skyland break had taken 45 minutes, long enough for the legs to tighten up, and we had nearly six more miles to go. On top of that, there was a chilly breeze and a light rain falling as we departed. Descending Whiteoak Canyon on wet rocks was not something looked forward to. After a walk along Skyland roads, we were soon on the Whiteoak Canyon Trail. Very little rain made it below the canopy and it eventually ended, so no problem with wet rocks. Owls were heard calling near Limberlost as the day grew long. A steady stream of hikers was heading up as we descended, but the numbers thinned before reaching the uninspiring upper falls viewpoint, and the lower falls were too occupied to bother stopping. As the sunlight dimmed, we passed two groups that looked confused... we were too tired to offer any assistance and moved on before they had a chance to ask.

The final tally was 19.5 miles with 4600' elevation gain. The hike took 11 hours, considerably longer than most hikes of this distance. Much of the extra time was due to the meal at Skyland, some due to not having a route planned in advance, and in part due to the particularly rocky route. We both noted that our sense of balance descending Whiteoak was rather fuzzy. It must have been those shakes.

Pictures

SNP north: Little Devils Stairs

From the Devils Marbleyard last weekend to Little Devils Stairs on a devilishly warm day. Thinking that the recent rains in the lowlands had also occurred in Shenandoah, it seemed a good time to hike up Little Devils Stairs along Keyser Run in the north district. Surely there would be many nice cascades along the 2 mile 1500' ascent. Wrong. Dry, very dry. Had there been any rain here at all? Keyser Run was just a trickle. Steve and I were on the trail at 8am, trying to beat the heat of the day. An hour later we were at "Fourway", the top-end trailhead of Little Devils Stairs. Certainly no stream crossing issues today. An easy walk on "Jinney Gray" road led to Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail, which we'd take south for nine miles. A planned break at Little Hogback Overlook was not to be, as it is currently fenced off during the ongoing overlook reconstruction project. Get things done before the stimulus money runs out. Other things are changing too- some back-country markers have been replaced, and at least one concrete trail post has been replaced with a dark composite material.

A decent breeze greeted us on ridgeline after the switch-backed climb up Hogback. Near the top of Hogback I heard bears running away on both sides of the trail. This just isn't my year for sightings, so I'll take what I can get. We stopped at a favorite break point on the rocks behind Hogback Overlook. One can spy on the car people that stop at Hogback Overlook below. There's even some light scrambling here should one be so inclined. We soon resumed our southbound trek on the AT. There was a strong smell of recently burnt wood just south of the Tuscarora junction, too strong to be from Matthews Arm campground, but no sign of any burn. A couple backpackers passed us at Sugarloaf, but we caught up with them at the Drive crossing south of Rattlesnake Point. They had missed the turn onto Overall Run. All they had to guide them was a small map in a book. The Tuscarora/AT junction seems to cause confusion, as I've had to redirect hikers here several times over the years. We dropped down to Range View Cabin for a break and water refill from the spring. A PATC trail patrol volunteer was here. We had passed him earlier as he was clearing a downed limb, and would see him again at Elkwallow. We could overhear on his Park radio that someone was in trouble somewhere, but it was a good 40 miles away he said. It'd be interesting to just listen in to what goes on in the Park on a weekend.

A pleasant treat appeared trailside south of Range View cabin- ripe raspberries! I figured they'd have come and gone, so this was a welcome find. Very tasty. The blackberries are out there too, but not yet ripe. Our blackberries would be in a cold shake from Elkwallow Wayside. The wayside was doing a fair business. We talked with a ranger there for a bit soon after he set up a bear exhibit table.

Rain had been removed from the forecast, so of course the sky darkened as we departed Elkwallow, and soon it was thundering. We geared up after a few drops were felt. A few drops was it though, and it quickly heated up again as we approached the climb that would lead to Byrds Nest #4. The heat was getting to us. Much of the uphill was done, with a prolonged downhill ahead on Hull School Trail. Sweat on a downhill and you know it's humid. That's how it was on Hull School, no breeze, just heat, humidity, and pesky bugs. The final two uphills did not come easy and Thornton River and Piney Branch looked sad. Shenandoah needs rain, bad.

Pictures

JNF/GWNF- Devils Marbleyard, Rocky Row

A hike somewhat outside day hike range, but never pass up an opportunity of a car shuttle to make the perfect hike. When my niece Devin mentioned that she and boyfriend Wyatt might be doing a short out and back hike to the Devils Marbleyard in the James River Face during a Roanoke trip, it didn't take long for me to start conjuring up some linear hike route that would get me there and beyond. When hiking the AT here in 2004, I remember being in the James River Face talking to a couple backpackers that raved about the Devils Marbleyard and not to miss it. We didn't go. One of my favorite climbs in all the AT hiking I've done was from the James River to Rocky Row in 2002. This was my chance to do both.

The ending point for this hike would be on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 51.7, north of the James River on Punchbowl Mountain, a long way from home. The starting point would be at the Belfast Trail in Arnold Valley south of the James, even further from home. My niece said she could do the shuttle and I talked my brother John into coming along. Too wet Saturday, so we set our sights on Sunday. Logistics worked that John and I drive together from King George, on the road at 3:45am for a 7:30am rendezvous on the BRP. We got there at 7am and my niece showed up soon after, and after a visit to the James River footbridge, we were on the Belfast Trail around 8:30am, headed up to the Devils Marbleyard.

It's easy access to the Marbleyard- 1.5 miles and 700' up the Belfast Trail from Arnold Valley near Natural Bridge Station. The Devils Marbleyard is huge- 8 acres, 350' wide and 1000' long. The top of the boulder field is nearly 500' above the base. The lower stretch is adjacent to the Belfast Trail and rock hopping opportunities are endless. One could spend all day here! The boulders are the big blocky type, perfect for scrambling and rock hopping. There are small boulders and big boulders, something for everyone. There could be dozens of people here and you might never see them. The boulders appear to have a terraced structure, where you can climb out along a somewhat flat area with a wall of boulders upslope. Climb to the top of the next level and there's another wall waiting. A few trees dot the lower middle section and provide some shade. The Belfast Trail skirts the lower portion only, as I found out after climbing about 30% up the boulder field and trying to locate the trail off to the side. I spent 50 minutes exploring just a fraction of the boulder field, but it seems like 10 minutes. I can tell by how sore my upper body is today that I had a good time there. Put me there on a cool cloudy day, and I'd be in heaven... in the Devils Marbleyard!

I had nearly ventured out more than I should have and was unaware of the time. I had lost track of my brother John, and could only hear my niece. After working my way back to the trail we assumed that John must have gone on up the Belfast Trail thinking that I had done the same. I said a quick goodbye and headed up the trail, encounter John coming back down to look for me. The fun scramble part was over and it was time to do some serious hiking. We made good time on the upper Belfast Trail and Gunter Ridge Trail to the AT. Fears of finding this stretch overgrown were unfounded. We reached the AT near Hickory Stand, then started the 2000' descent to the James River. While taking a break at Matts Creek Shelter, NOBO thru-hiker "buck-twenty" stopped in. He'd been on the trail since mid April, and the recent heat has really been hitting the thru-hikers hard. Add to that the water sources drying up, and it's a tough time out there. He's posting updates on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/k1kb0t

Several teens were using a rope to swing off the AT footbridge into the James River. It was plenty hot at the lower elevations and what breeze we'd had up top was gone. It was a hot hike. We crossed the James and started the climb up to Little and Big Rocky Row. We watered up at Rocky Row Run, where two more thru-hikers were keeping cool before heading up the trail. They had resupplied in Glasgow. "Red" had started the first of May. On up we went, passing by Johns Hollow Shelter, then the grueling switchbacked ascent to Little Rocky Row. I remembered the switchbacks well and the payoff views at the top, but had forgotten just how aggressive some of those switchbacks were. I'm in better aerobic shape now than back in 2002, so it must have been the heat that zapped me. There was little relief on that south facing slope. The views of the river and the James River Face were as good as I remembered, and distant peaks and ridges could be seen. There were more views along Rocky Row's south facing ledges, and again just past Big Rocky Row, though it seemed the views are not as open as they were eight years ago. During a rest stop I encountered a couple doing AT day hikes. We talked about Shenandoah. The gentleman mentioned that his grandfather once owned the land that is Old Rag Mountain. His last name sounded like "Ayelet" or "Ayelot". Does that ring a bell?

Our work was not done, as the final 777' climb to Bluff Mountain was still ahead. It was a pleasant level woods walk after the descent off Big Rocky Row and before the Bluff Mountain climb. There were more switchbacks on the climb up Bluff. It's the switchbacks that I remembered most about this stretch. There were fine views from the former tower clearing atop Bluff Mountain. There is a memorial marker for Little Ottie Cline Powell here, a young boy who died after straying from Tower Hill School in 1891: http://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/ottie-cline-powell/

The day was long and the drive was far, so we did not stop in at Punchbowl Mountain Shelter to talk to thru-hikers. I had been entertaining the notion of taking a dip in the pond behind the shelter, but it was time to head home. The hike ended at 7pm. I got home at midnight. I hope to make it back to the Devils Marbleyard again someday and just spend the day there. It is indeed a "must do" as the backpackers had told us years ago.

Pictures