SNP central, Saturday 6/26- bear and a bobcat

A hazy hike this past Saturday, warm and humid, but not bad at elevation. 6am seems like an early departure, but the sun is already up. The risk of starting a hike miles deep into Skyline Drive is getting stuck behind slowpokes that won't turn out, which is what happened. Still, we were on the trail before 9am. The bear sighting was on the drive over, on US-211 between Washington (VA) and Sperryville. A medium to large (for this area) bear galloped safely across the four lane road.

Along on this hike were fellow hikers Steve and Dan. The starting point would be Big Meadows Wayside. The grill is open until 7pm, and we were pretty confident on getting a 19.5 miler completed in time to have a meal there. The route from Big Meadows would be "Story of the Forest" nature trail through Big Meadows to Blackrock (the "other" Blackrock), Appalachian Trail south over Hazeltop, Laurel Prong, Cat Knob, Jones Mountain, Staunton River, Fork Mountain road and trail, Laurel Prong, Mill Prong horse trail, and Rapidan Road back to Big Meadows.

It takes a bit of orienteering to get over to Blackrock from the nature trail. Blackrock is on the west side of Big Meadows, about a mile away from the Wayside. Big Meadows is big. Blackrock offered decent hazy views. Dropping down to the AT, we followed it south, passing Tanners Ridge Cemetery, Milam Gap, that cool "straightaway" on the Hazeltop ascent, and a viewpoint to the west from a short side trail just north of the top. This was followed by the rocky traverse along the Laurel Prong Trail, then the brief but steep ascent of Cat Knob. There were some tired hikers coming up from Rapidan Camp on Laurel Prong. Most sensible folk just do the AT/Laurel Prong/Mill Prong loop, but we're not sensible folk. Jones Mountain Trail followed, leading into a remote region of the Park. We saw no other hikers on Jones Mountain, and (as usual) had Bear Church Rock to ourselves for an extended break. Following Dan's lead, I ventured out further at BCR, exploring rocks which offered different views and easy scrambles. From BCR, Jones Mountain Trail drops steeply to the Staunton River Trail, passing through a mountain laurel tunnel. Unfortunately, the blossoms had long since gone by.

We watered up at the first Staunton River crossing, which was no problem with the low stream levels. I took some time exposures of a cascade there, balancing the camera on a log while trying to keep an overly friendly wet dog at bay. The golden retriever was with a group going to Jones Mountain Cabin, headed by the cabin overseer. The Staunton River Trail was in good shape, but I wore the pants legs just in case. We've found this trail overgrown with nettles at times in summer, and didn't want that experience again. The trail has seen recent work and was nettle free. A car was parked at the trailhead on Fork Mountain Road; perhaps the cabin overseer? We headed on up the road to The Sag, the saddle between Fork Mountain and Cat Knob, then down steep Fork Mountain Trail (an old road) to Laurel Prong and on to Camp Hoover for a break.

After a snack break and water resupply, it was up Mill Prong horse trail to Rapidan Road. Big Rock falls was pretty with the sun glistening on it. Shortly before the junction with the Mill Prong Trail, I heard Dan say "cat!", and was in sight range to see a bobcat running up the slope! There had been hikers coming down that saw it too. It had been on the trail, perhaps headed down to Mill Prong. That's my second bobcat sighting this year, but this was the first sighting (and odds are last) from the trail.

The warm thousand foot climb from Camp Hoover to Rapidan Road on the horse trail was followed by the pleasant walk on Rapidan Road to expansive Big Meadows. We had completed the hike in time for a much needed meal. A cheeseburger, fries, onion rings, and a blackberry shake provided a good salt and fat infusion. Those blackberry shakes are oh so good!

This was my first time hiking in permethrin treated clothes. Do I really want this chemical touching my body? I've found no ticks. Steve found one deer tick. I guess I'll put it to the test this Friday- my one (and likely only) marathon hike this year. The weather forecast looks too good to be true.

Pictures

SNP north, 6/19- Mt Marshall, AT, Bluff

A hot day in the lowlands this past Saturday, but fairly comfortable in the Park. An early start, out the door at 6am and on the trail before 8am. Another familiar route from the Mount Marshall trailhead at the end of SR-625 north of Washington, VA- Mount Marshall Trail to Jenkins Gap, Appalachian Trail north to Compton Peak west view, AT south to Gravel Springs Hut, Bluff Trail, with return down Mt Marshall, a 21 miler with 3900' accumulated elevation gain & loss. With me was fellow hiker Steve.

We burned through the 5.7 mile Mount Marshall Trail in under two hours, leaving plenty of time for the Compton out and back. There was a thru-hiker note on the trail near the spring on the south side of Compton alerting thru-hikers that this was the last water source before Tom Floyd Wayside shelter, 4 miles to the north. A couple section backpackers were refilling here, and later we'd encounter NOBO thru-hikers asking about that water source. Compton Peak west view was all ours for the duration of our visit. Early starts often do pay off with solitude.

The next leg was the 7 mile trek south on the AT to Gravel Springs, down Compton and up from Jenkins Gap to a Drive crossing, the climb up North Marshall, down and across the Drive again, and the easy up to South Marshall before the drop into Gravel Springs Gap. I found some ripening black raspberries near the top of the climb out of Jenkins Gap. There were indications that bears have found the berries as well. Plenty of bear scat on the trail, but no bear sightings. The last of the blooming mountain laurel was up on North Marshall. I've seen mountain laurel in bloom every weekend since May 8th! North Marshall provides a big payout with excellent views from the AT just south of the summit. They were very hazy views this day. I ventured over to the rocks a bit further south and took my standard "hazy ridges" shots. We had a nice long break here.

The next stop was Gravel Springs Hut, where we met three SOBO section hikers on day one of a three week trek. We talked with them a good while before continuing along the Bluff Trail. We met a fairly large group of weekend backpackers looking for a place to set up a quarter mile from the Mount Marshall junction. They'd been at the shelter, but felt it was too early in the day to set up there, and had passed good sites near Big Devils Stairs. Their prospects weren't good, and they looked too tired to backtrack. We wished them luck. I doubt they had a pleasant evening, but likely it was a memorable one, as thunderstorms popped up early evening along the length of SNP. I was home having a beer by then.

Pictures

SNP north & central, Saturday June 12th- thru-hiker trail magic

Back to hiking the home turf this past weekend, a 20 miler in Shenandoah National Park, north and central districts. The route has become a standard for us (me and fellow hiker Steve) and involves two road walks, but this time in reverse direction. The route from US-211 at the Buck Hollow Trail west of Sperryville, VA- up US-211, Pass Mountain, AT south to Pinnacles picnic area (with a visit to Marys Rock), AT north to Jewell Hollow Overlook, Skyline Drive walk north to Pinnacles Overlook, Hannah Run, Catlett Spur, Hazel Mountain, down Buck Ridge, and out Buck Hollow. Why the reverse direction? I wanted to descend Buck Ridge. I've gone up it many a time, but that steep section has scared me away until now. After seeing the incredible trail work in progress last time up, it seemed now was the time to give it a go downhill.

I was carrying a couple pounds of candy, Snickers and Peppermint Patties, to hand out to thru-hikers. Pass Mountain Hut was empty when we arrived, and from reading the hut journal, we saw that there was a thru-hiker party being held at "Walker's Farm" off of Land's Run Gap. We'd see few thru-hikers on this hike- many were at the hiker bash. I suspect it was a right lively event (anyone here go?). Oh well, that just meant more trail magic candy for the few that we did meet.

There was some well-past-peak mountain laurel along the Pass Mountain Trail, but the good stuff was ahead. I got water from the frost-free hydrant at Thornton Gap. The hydrant is just outside the entrance station office. The ranger warned that the water had failed coliform tests and to treat it, which I did. I was assured that all the other hydrants and fountains in the Park are OK. From Thornton Gap came the climb up to Marys Rock, a climb that I could "commit" to. I was on Marys Rock in about 45 minutes. A pleasant Saturday morning, and it had very few visitors. Nice! It was good to see that the rock graffiti from a few months ago was gone. I dried out and basked in the warm sun up on the high rocks.

We ventured on south via the AT, stopping at Byrds Nest shelter, where we met thru-hiker "Erik the Red". He was waiting on a companion before heading down and out to Luray. I gave him plenty of Snickers and Peppermint Patties. Next it was up and over The Pinnacle. The mountain laurel along the AT from north of Marys Rock to south of the Pinnacle was at peak to somewhat past peak (generally at peak above 3300' or so). On to Pinnacles picnic area for a break and water stop. We met thru-hiker "Q-tip" there and unloaded the rest of the candy. We talked a good spell with him and a couple other hikers. From there it was a short walk on the AT to Jewell Hollow Overlook, where we'd leave the AT and hike the Drive to Pinnacles Overlook. That's when the weather got ugly.

A storm was brewing over the Valley and heading our way. I put on the gaiters, pants legs (oops... no rain pants), Gore-tex hat, pack cover, and secured the camera ahead of the impending storm. The storm hit as we were walking the Drive. A pouring rain with a couple not-too-distant lightning strikes, glasses fogged up and cars flying by... where's my Hannah Run to AT connector trail when I need it?!? The storm was letting up as we approached Pinnacles Overlook, and what a grand sight we had there- Old Rag was gone! It was shrouded in the rain shaft, and low clouds were moving every which way. It was like being back in the Smokies! The overlook was drawing a sizable crowd. As the storm continued on, Old Rag reappeared, and lightning could be seen striking its ridge line. Oh my, the hikers over there must be having a time! And yes they were, according to Bob Look's blog entry: http://oldragpatrolsbyrsl-blook.blogspot.com/2010/06/sat-sun-june-12-2010.html

After the dramatic display at Pinnacles Overlook, it was down Hannah Run and Catlett Spur. Catlett Spur was a gentle downhill, but seemed far longer than the 1.1 advertised miles. I've examined several GPS tracks, and sure enough, it's 1.1 miles, 1.2 at most. We both commented that is was a long 1.1 shortly before we hit the junction with Hazel Mountain Trail, which led over to Buck Ridge. The mountain laurel had all gone by on Buck Ridge. We met a spread out group of hikers coming up as we descended. Then we got to the big drop. It's steep... very steep. Seemed steeper and longer going down than coming up. But it was quite manageable. The PATC trail work there is truly amazing! I should have counted the log steps that have been put in place, as there are many, and just one takes a lot of time and work. This was a monumental effort, and I (as always) am ever grateful to the PATC work crews. If you haven't seen that new wonderful trail work on lower Buck Ridge, go check it out. It is awesome!

Pictures

two weeks on the GA/NC AT

Fellow hiker Steve, my brother John, and I have been doing these Appalachian Trail treks on and off since 2002, each one more aggressive than the last. What started as a idea to go as far south as Damascus to complete the Appalachian Trail in Virginia evolved into two week trips covering hefty miles. Last year was a mix of day hikes and a backpack through the Smokies. This trek was simply all backpacking- no need for daily car shuttles, no holiday crammed campgrounds, just section backpacking to complete the southern AT, from Fontana Dam in North Carolina south to Springer Mountain and Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia. This would be the longest backpack for any of us, requiring resupply along the way. The best solution was to start in the middle, at Dicks Creek Gap, hike south to a car waiting at Amicalola, drive north to Fontana, then hike south to Dicks Creek Gap. It would be a five night backpack followed by a two night backpack (Fontana to the Nantahala Outdoor Center- the NOC) followed by a five night backpack- 175 miles and 15 days on the trail.

Some logistical planning was needed, as we would leapfrog the vehicle left at Dicks Creek Gap, going directly from AFSP to Fontana. There would be no zero days. A food drop at the NOC would allow leaving Fontana with food for two nights and leaving the NOC with food for five nights. There would be two nights at hostels- the Walasi-Yi Center at Neels Gap and at the NOC. The plan seemed too perfect. With numerous unknown factors, how can three hikers stick to a strict schedule?

First one has to get down there... it was an 11.5 hour drive from Maryland to Amicalola Falls State Park where we'd leave Steve's car, then a 90 minute drive to a motel in Bavarian-esque Helen, GA, striking distance to Dicks Creek Gap. Advance research showed no indication of vandalism at DCG, so it looked to be the only safe middle starting location. Next morning when we started, we wouldn't see John's truck again until the end, 15 days later. Logistics required that nothing needed for the first leg be left at AFSP (and nothing needed only for the second leg be taken from AFSP), but that didn't work out so well for Steve- some of his hiking clothes got left in his car. A short detour to the town of Cleveland got him enough to start out. As we set out from DCG, two NOBO thru-hikers had come off the trail looking to get a ride into Hiawassee, a resupply town. No cell signal plus we were running late, so we couldn't be trail angels this day. Not knowing if or when you'll get a ride into town was one difference between us and thru-hikers.

The idea was that this would essentially be a thru-hiker style experience, and for the most part, it was. One difference is that most thru-hikers aren't forced to an overly strict schedule. One leaves the trail for many reasons. It would have been nice to not stick to a schedule, but our jobs required it (though lucky John is retired), although I had left the return date open-ended. As it turned out, the trip went as planned. We'd be doing all hikes southbound, doing the southern part first then the northern, so we'd likely encounter thru-hikers leaving Springer twice on the trek. The first potential thru-hiker was met at Tray Mountain Shelter, our stop for the first night. That first hike was no easy walk in the park. Our packs weighed about 40 pounds, and this hike was 11.2 miles with 4000' elevation gain. One thru-hiker at the shelter claimed he had left Springer with a 100 pound pack, but was now down to 65 pounds. He was trying to get a fire going, and eventually did so using a pack of instant oatmeal! We never got his trail name, so refer to him as "Oatmeal". We'd meet him and others during the second week at Winding Stair Gap- we'd done 100+ miles in the time it took them to do about 50. They had been partying in Franklin, NC the previous evening, looked hung over but were still drinking at the gap before hitting the trail. They were having a good time, which is all that matters. We met a few other potential thru-hikers. Being this close to Springer, many won't make it. Many start with too much food and packs too heavy. Some were giving away food on the trail. Bags of rice and beans were left at Plumorchard Gap Shelter, maybe of little interest to bears, but would be a feast for the mice.

We'd done a good job with the training hikes. Blisters were not a problem for us. The same can not be said about the thru and section hikers. We saw and heard about some bad blisters. One guy was using duct tape for his blisters. Blisters cause many potential thru-hikers to take zero days early on. Uphills came easy for me and downhills easy for Steve. I don't like downhills on day hikes, and loading on pack weight just makes it all the more unpleasant on my knees and feet. It didn't take long to discover that the lack of any zero was a mistake. I most often had an "ailment of the day", be it the feet (multiple issues), knees, hips, or neck.

It was humid the entire trip, stuck under an easterly flow off the ocean, so mornings were often foggy or overcast and afternoons partly cloudy. Up on ridge line, there were more clouds to the east than to the west, so there were no views of the Smokies. The first week was mostly dry, but the second week had several rain events. We had a downpour for the hike out of Fontana, light rain for the hike into and out of the NOC, and a heavy thunderstorm a couple miles from Dicks Creek Gap on the final hike. That storm swamped our boots, so if any more hikes had been needed, we would have been forced to take a zero to let the boots dry. Clothes were never dry and we were never clean. We smelled as bad as any thru-hiker.

There were decent views to be found on most days, and we took several side trails to vistas. We crossed several "balds", though they are no longer balds. Several had fire or observation towers, and these were highlights of the trip- Wesser Bald fire tower, Wayah observation tower, and Albert Mountain fire tower. Numerous rock ledges and vistas provided views, sometimes of mountains and sometimes of dramatic clouds. The prolonged slopes into and out of the Nantahala Gorge had viewpoints, both called the "Jump Up". One was socked in, but the other provided views. Wesser Bald fire tower provided a dramatic sunset. It had cleared after a downpour at Wesser Shelter, and knowing that the next morning would have no views, I convinced John to do the 0.7 mile 500' excursion to the fire tower to watch sunset. The chaotic multi-level clouds were spectacular, and I snapped 45 pictures there. We made a hasty retreat when I noticed a storm approaching. We got back to the shelter minutes before a downpour. There were a couple nice waterfalls during the trip. Long Creek Falls, on a short side trail at Three Forks north of Stover Creek Shelter and Amicalola Falls on the AT approach trail at the state park.

The second day took us to Low Gap Shelter. There were two major climbs that day- Rocky Mountain out of Indian Grave Gap, and Blue Mountain out of Unicoi Gap. There was a friendly young brother & sister thru-hiker pair from Opal, VA there when we arrived. Her eyes lit up when she saw me eating Peppermint Patties (good with Wild Turkey), so I gave her some (PP, not WT). We made sure to carry some with us during the second week should we encounter them again. Sure enough, we met them again near Wayah Gap. She was utterly speechless when we gave her the Peppermint Patties. She took one and gave the bag back, but we said they were all for her (and her brother, of course). She was one happy thru-hiker! We also met up with Cathy & Kirk at Low Gap, a fit couple from Indiana. They were section hiking pretty much the same route we were, and we hiked together at times, but lost track of them beyond Blood Mountain. During the second week, we played tag with a Florida couple on two days. I'd pass them on the uphills and they'd pass me at the gaps. They named me "Trix" since I was like a silly rabbit. We met a number of fine folk on this trek- potential thru-hikers, section backpackers, and the occasional day hiker. Some backpackers were doing other major trail systems in the area- the Benton MacKaye and the Bartram trails. Some hikers were going the wrong way: we met three young guys north of Neels Gap that thought they were headed up Blood Mountain. There was always good talk at the shelters. My favorite shelter, Stover Creek (just north of Springer), had great company, Rick, retired from the forest service (he was having issues with knee tendinitis), and Elias, a thru-hiker on his first day on the trail.

Some shelters were full, or effectively full (I'm not a loft sleeper), so some nights were in tents. Most shelters had decent tent sites, some had great sites. Some shelters were dark and dank (Rock Gap, for one) and others were more friendly (Wayah, Stover). We stopped at several for water, and made sure to visit Plumorchard Gap Shelter, the three level "mansion" north of Dicks Creek Gap. Sleep didn't come as easy as it had in the Smokies last year. Just about everyone snores at least some (some more than others). I was comfortable on my Thermarest Neo-Air pad, but aching long muscles made it hard to sleep. Again, a zero day could have helped. A night was spent at tent-only Locust Cover Gap, north of the NOC. The shelter spacing just didn't work out for that segment. I had tented the night before at Cable Gap Shelter and stressed my Achilles tendon exiting the tent. Later, at Stecoah Gap, I realized that four parties were headed to Locust Cove Gap, and was determined to be the first there. I was, but at the cost of my ankle. The next day hike up Cheoah from Locust Cove Gap was painful, and the downhill to the NOC downright not doable. I thought my hike was done, but wrapping the ankle with an ace bandage fixed the problem.

There were two hostel stays on the trip, at Neels Gap and at the NOC. Neels Gap has an 11-bunk room with an adjacent living room and small kitchen. We pigged out on a couple frozen pizzas there (they have a decent pizza oven). A couple cats inhabit the Neels Gap hostel, to take care of mice I suppose, and the place smelled of cat pee. The NOC "basecamp" was a step up (and a bit more expensive, $20 instead to $16) with it's 4-bed bunkhouses and on-site restaurants. We stayed at the NOC twice; first to leave a food drop box before starting from Fontana and again three days later when we hiked through. With the drop, we could leave Fontana with two night's provisions and resupply for the remaining five nights. We had two dinners and two breakfasts at "River's End" restaurant. They had excellent Nantahala IPA on tap!

Bears?... no bears. There were reports of bears, especially a few miles either side of Neels Gap. Camping on Blood Mountain was prohibited, and notes had been left along the trail stating that bears had taken food. We thought we heard a bear once, but it was just water pouring out of a culvert at irregular intervals. John was startled by what sounded like a bear, but turned out to be a backpacker seeking refuge from the rain. I saw one deer, some squirrels, one or two snakes, and lots of snails. Owls were heard many evenings and mornings, and coyote were heard in the distance at Tray Mountain Shelter. Several ticks were found crawling around, but none attached (that I know of). The shelters had mice (what shelter doesn't?), but I had no problem with them (they gnawed on Steve's camp towel and got into "Oatmeal"'s unsecured gorp).

Ample flowers on this trip: rhododendron was plentiful, as was mountain laurel and azalea. At times, all three would be present, making for a very pretty setting. Other wildflowers were out; I should know what they are, but mostly don't. Poison oak and ivy was prevalent along the trail, especially in Georgia. That we managed to avoid it is remarkable. The trail was occasionally slightly overgrown, which would be expected this time of year. With the main pulse of thru-hikers long gone, the trail sees somewhat less use. The Georgia AT appeared to be better maintained than much of the North Carolina AT. Same goes for the shelters and bear cable systems; many NC shelters had no bear cables, and any that did were broken. For the most part the trail is well graded and not too rocky. There were some steep stretches, most notably Albert Mountain. The rocks were wet that morning, so we opted to take the bypass trail. I couldn't pass by without checking though, so when we rejoined the AT, I dropped my pack and headed up the quarter mile, 375' scramble. It had four rather easy rocky segments, but was otherwise log steps. I was up and down in 15 minutes.

Food for five nights weighed about ten pounds. Breakfast was typically hot (dried) soup, a granola (fiber) bar, and bagel with peanut butter. Trail food was beef jerky, candy, Powerbar, crackers. Dinner was Ramen noodles or Mountain House and some dried fruit. Steve would add a packet of Spam to his noodles ("Crazy Tasty town!"). John would generally eat cold meals. Steve had an alcohol stove, and five or six 8 ounce bottles got use through the 15 days. What was missing from my food supply was shelter snacks, particularly on the second 5-night backpack- I had tossed out too much food from my NOC drop box. Those were sorely missed calories. By my reckoning, I was carrying only 2000 calories per day but needed at least 3500 per day. I lost six pounds during the trip, or a shortage of about 1500 calories per day. For water, we used SteriPEN for drinking and boiling for meals. That worked well, I think... over a week later and my system still isn't "normal". Packets of Propel added a nice taste to otherwise bland water. With the Smokies trek last year, I knew what to pack and what not to pack. My pack weighed 37 pounds at the start of the two 5-night backpacks and 29 pounds for the 2-nighter out of Fontana. The heavy sandals were out in favor of the lightweight Waldies, which performed well at the shelters. Thumbs up on the Waldies!

The final shelter stay had a strange start. Two young guys were pulling out of the otherwise empty Muskrat Creek Shelter as we arrived. They warned us of a crazy 22 year old guy heading to the shelter, a real "nut case" on the trail "on a mission from God", a nonstop talker and threatening to kill. They seemed very serious and had us spooked. They advised us to move on to Bly Gap if possible (3 miles further), as the guy had no tent and only stayed in shelters. We were about to move on when northbound "Duct Tape", a psych nurse, arrived and we retold the story. "I'll evaluate him if he shows", he said. We felt considerably more comfortable with him there, and were soon settled in and at ease. Another backpacker arrived and later two more, none matching the description. "Duct Tape" was a great shelter-mate and we enjoyed his company. Were the two guys messing with us? Next day, we met a guy on the trail matching the description. The kid said he was hiking to West Virginia and was carrying everything he owned [making no jabs at WV, only that it seemed odd that he'd state WV as his destination this far south]. Perhaps "Duct Tape" would eventually have a chance to evaluate him. One does see just about everything out there on the trail.

Pictures- 5/22 5/23 5/24 5/25 5/26 5/27 5/28 5/29 5/30 5/31 6/1 6/2 6/3 6/4 6/5