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).
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).
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