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.
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