SNP central: Hazel Country

With the north district Skyline Drive still closed due to the recent fire, a planned Neighbor/Knob/AT route was scrapped in favor of a "fall back" hike through Hazel Country in the northern central district. With little motivation to work a unique route, I pulled from a hike done early October last year. This time though there would be two vehicles, saving a downhill from ridgeline. That's the way I like it... more uphill than downhill! My brother John and fellow hiker Steve were companions on this trek. The hike would start at the Buck Hollow trailhead on US-211 and end on Skyline Drive at Meadow Spring. Steve had suffered a pretty good ankle twist earlier in the week, so it seemed a good idea to have multiple bailout options. Fortunately there was no need for that.
After the short shuttle to position the vehicles, we began our hike on Buck Hollow shortly before 9am. It was cloudy and chilly... where were the partly sunny skies? Crossing the Thornton River is so easy now on the conveniently placed boulders, although stream levels are low for this time of year. Branching off onto Buck Ridge Trail, the steep climb up the ridge begins. Once a climb with tricky footing, this is now one of the trail wonders in the Park (or just about anywhere)... the 600+ log steps and waterbars that PATC installed in the recent past is a true marvel. There's plenty of laurel along this trail, a fine place to be come May. Now it just has a bleak wintry look. The grey sky and chill fit the part. Just under two miles in, there are rocks with fine views north and east, with Oventop dominating. The bulk of the Buck Ridge climb is done by this point, so is always a place to take a break. A little further along, views briefly open up west and north, with Marys Rock dominating. The stark dead trees in the foreground frame the scene. The trail levels out and meanders through forest and laurel to the terminus on Hazel Mountain Trail.
At the junction, the end-point vehicle was a short walk to the Drive, but Steve's ankle was good to go, so we made the left turn and descended Hazel Mountain Trail, a pleasant walk on old road. A couple easy stream crossings and a fair distance later we branched off onto Catlett Mountain Trail, which led to Hannah Run Trail. Pinnacles Overlook could be seen ahead through the trees, a mile linear distance and about 900 feet up. We were in the second big climb of the day on upper Hannah Run Trail. I was well ahead on the uphill when I encountered Charles from Fredericksburg, a hiker I've met on this trail in the past. We talked about our routes, the recent fire, and other trail talk. A most pleasant fellow, with extensive knowledge of the the trails. John and Steve arrived and chatted a bit, then hiked on to Pinnacles Overlook, the end of the Hannah Run Trail.
It was cold and breezy at the overlook, so little lingering. I felt chilled even layered up, it was just that kind of day. The routine Drive walk south to Jewell Hollow Overlook followed, with me ranting about how there should be a spur trail to the AT south of The Pinnacle. If the route had been north on the AT, we would have bushwhacked over, but Pinnacles picnic area was on the agenda, so we stuck to the Drive to Jewell Hollow Overlook. The overlook is still closed for construction. Pinnacles picnic area was sheltered from the wind, and the sun was slowly making an appearance. We lingered here a good spell then headed back north on the AT, first passing below Jewell Hollow Overlook then climbing to the views on The Pinnacle. After a stop at Byrds Nest #3, it was on to Marys Rock for more good views, then back south and down Meadow Spring to end the hike. My feet and knees were happy to not have another extra 3 miles and 1800' of decent.

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SNP north: Oventop, Butterwood Branch, Thornton River, Pass Mtn

This hike falls into the "unusual routes" category. I've long had a Butterwood Branch (BB) bushwhack on my "to do" list (after reading of it in the PATC forum of course). The route down BB begins at the saddle between Oventop and Pass Mountain in the southern north district of SNP, where the Pass Mountain Trail makes a sharp turn. The concrete marker there is a remnant of the old routes up to Oventop and down BB. When you see one of those concrete markers that seems to mark nothing, it surely means another trail once existed. This hike would start from the Pass Mountain trailhead on US-211, a little under three miles east of the Thornton Gap entrance. This stretch of trail, formerly known as Turn Bridge, is a continuation of the old road down BB, and is now the lower end of Pass Mountain Trail.
The wind would be a big issue on this hike. Gusts over 60mph were forecast. It would be sunny and not too cold. Gear was similar to the previous hike, though the MicroSpikes could have stayed behind- the snow and ice had vanished except for a few tiny patches on the AT north side of Pass Mountain. It was quite comfortable for the most part, downright warm at times to the point of pulling off the Capilene top and hiking in t-shirt. It was a different story up on ridge line, where the remarkable Nano Puff insulated windstopper kept me warm. The risk of falling trees and branches was quite real. Another danger existed as well- fire, as would be evident later in the hike.
Fellow hiker Steve and I hit the trail shortly before 8:30am and winds were already quite strong. It was quick work to the gap. There would be two bushwhacks- Oventop and BB. This was my third trip to Oventop, which offers fine views from open rock slopes. The route follows an old road and informal trails, distinct for much of the way, but occasionally vanishes. A few cairns mark the way when the trail becomes indistinct. Getting there was easy and it was pleasant in the sun on the south-facing open rocks, sheltered from the wind. There are fine views of Hazel Country, The Pinnacle, and Marys Rock. Just a few steps away on north-facing rocks the wind was howling, making it difficult to balance, with views of North Marshall and The Peak.
After a fair break we headed back the way we came... or tried to at least. Although we were likely less than a hundred feet from the route we followed up, we got a bit misplaced and wound up doing a considerably more difficult than intended bushwhack to regain our bearings. Our wanderings ate time and distance, and sure looks goofy on the GPS track (GPS was not much help relocating the route... plain old common sense eventually worked).
OK! Back at the gap, ready for bushwhack two, down BB. The old road is quite easy to follow, with only a couple "which way" moments for the two mile downhill trek. There's a cemetery along here near the headwaters of BB, but I didn't locate it. It's a pleasant walk though fairly open woods, with only minor obstacles (for a bushwhack). The old road leaves the Park and skirts private land. The old road passes a cabin and eventually fords the North Fork Thornton River. After an easy rock-hop, we walked up the road back into the Park and hiked the Thornton River and Hull School trails to Skyline Drive. Winds were howling and trees swaying, with bright blue sky above. Gusts would whisk leaves past us or at us at whirling speed. There was a fresh blowdown on Hull School; I probably should have been more concerned about falling limbs and trees than I was.
I had time to build a small snow creature at Skyline Drive while waiting for Steve. Just enough snow from a plowed pile to do the job. A ranger vehicle raced southward while I rested beside the Drive, but didn't think much of it at the time. Back to hiking, it was on to Byrds Nest #4 via Neighbor Mountain Trail (on the same road as Hull School across the Drive) for a much needed break. We picked up the AT further along and headed south. Crossing the Drive just south of Beahms Gap, we went to the overlook for views. That's when I saw the smoke plume from the Smith Run fire. It was close, just beyond North Marshall, where we had hiked the previous weekend. The fire wasn't coming our way, but it did make me realize that I'd never really thought about what to do if caught in the path of a wildfire.
Pass Mountain was the final climb of the day. I recalled a viewpoint not far from the top on the north side, and found the short path to rocks with views west towards Neighbor Mountain. Our exit would be via Pass Mountain Trail. We stopped at the hut for a good spell, talking to the threesome spending the chilly night there. They'd be staying at Range View Cabin the following night. They were a friendly group, but daylight was shrinking and body chilling, so it was time to move on. Through the trees, Oventop glowed in the lowering sun and relief of Hazel Country grew in the shadows. With a fast downhill pace to keep warm, we were done by sunset. Ending in daylight again?... these hikes must not be long enough!
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SNP north: Mt Marshall, AT, Harris Hollow

Ah! Back on the trail after a six week break (not counting a Greenbelt Park 9 miler in January). Ease back into hiking, eh? Not a chance! Despite the cold and windy conditions it was time to get out there. Fellow hiker Steve and I met up with my brother John in Warrenton and headed towards the north district. We left a vehicle at the end point, the Harris Hollow trailhead on SR-622, then drove several miles to the start point, the Mount Marshall trailhead on SR-625 north of Washington, VA. I'd done Harris Hollow Trail inside the Park several years ago, but was never really sure if the remainder of the trail was hiker friendly. Although well outside the Park, there's a regular concrete marker (a positive indicator) at the trailhead (a private driveway), with room for one vehicle.
It would be a chilly day, temperatures in the 30's, but the main issue would be the winds- forecasts of 30+ mph. This brought out all the gear- mittens, Capilene top and bottom, assorted layers, and my most recent addition, a Patagonia Nano-Puff pullover jacket (Donn got one, I had to too). The other unknown was snow and ice, so of course the Micro-Spikes were in the pack. Not much snow showed on the Big Meadows webcam, but surely there would be snow and ice in the high woods, particularly on north-facing slopes. There was. Beyond the patchy ice on the initial climb to Thorofare Gap on the Mount Marshalll Trail, trails had granular snow over packed ice. Sounds slick, but generally good footing. Snow cover ranged from under an inch to perhaps 4" in spots, but no need for gaiters.
A good portion of the hike was sheltered from the wind by North Marshall, and we warmed up pretty fast on the Mount Marshall climb. I was shedding layers at the Park boundary. The trails had seen use but not recently. Tracks were not as easy to identify in the wind-blown granular snow, but we likely saw bobcat and fox. The Mount Marshall Trail was easy going and rather pleasant in the sun. Clouds and winds were on the increase as we made the final turn towards Jenkins Gap- it always feels cold along this final stretch. The howl of the wind in the tree tops signaled what was to come. We walked closed Skyline Drive to pick up the AT and headed north for a Compton Peak out and back. In the woods we were again sheltered from the wind, but quite exposed on Compton Peak, where four layers and mittens kept me warm. The Nano-Puff jacket is great as an outer shell. It does stop the wind and is very lightweight. Only my head was a bit cold, as my Polartec cap doesn't keep out the wind. I had a balaclava in the pack, but was not there long enough to bother fishing it out. Lightweight items needed to be secured, and I almost lost a mitten here.
The cloud cover was brief, and we were soon back in full sun. After returning to Jenkins Gap, the two-part climb of North Marshall ensued. I do like this climb! I plugged in earbuds and cranked up some tunes to blank the cold wind and took off for some fine head-down hiking. I paused to regroup at the old foundation shy of the Drive crossing before the longer climb to North Marshall. The trail was still granular snow over ice, even more so at elevation. Not expecting to encounter other hikers, I was somewhat startled and dismayed to meet a group of seven or so northbound hikers. Where they came from or where they were going is a mystery, as they were out of range by the time I pulled out the earbuds.
It was windy on North Marshall, but not quite as strong as on Compton. The view south across the numerous hazy blue ridges is perhaps my favorite in the Park. The rock outcrop directly on the AT is not the place to view it though. The best place is a bit further on, atop the rocks at a switchback. It was a short icy scramble, but wouldn't have done it without the Micro-Spikes. I kept them on for the rest of the hike. Neither John nor Steve joined me at this "secret" spot.
After the minor bump (southbound) otherwise known as South Marshall, it was on to Gravel Springs Hut for a final break. I did have another reason to be here though... to read the journal entries left by SOBO thru-hikers Ewok and Sissy, with whom we hiked into SNP in November. We had first met Ewok on the AT in Georgia last May, his first night on the trail. He later flip-flopped and had met southbounder Sissy in New York. I had been following him on his blog, and it worked out that we were able to hike with them in November as they were passing through. We had promised them beer and pizza at the hut, only to be thwarted by a closed Skyline Drive. Ewok left the trail in Pearisburg and will likely resume in March. Sissy continued on through the bitter cold and snow of the Grayson and Roan Highlands and the Smokies, finishing her thru-hike in late January. Pretty amazing! In the journal, Ewok had kind words regarding us, and Sissy had visions of cheeseburgers. It was emotional reading Ewok's page-long entry.
Out Harris Hollow. Tracks in the snow indicated that others had exited this way some days earlier. An old road, it was an easy walk. It eventually reaches a cul-de-sac (with a porta-john no less) and passes a couple houses. We finished the hike with daylight to spare. A 17 miler with 3700' elevation gain to kick off the SNP hiking season. Not bad! But then came Sunday, and I could barely move.
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