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.
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.
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