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
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