I'm running out of hikes to do from the Old Rag parking lot in Nethers- other than Old Rag itself (it's been nearly six years?). The hike this past Saturday was the third recent hike to start from there. Fellow hiker Steve and I met my brother at the end point on Rose River fire road, then drove to the Old Rag lot. Only (only?) 8:30am, and the lot was filling fast. We hiked with the throngs up route 600 to the Park boundary, the throngs branching off onto the Old Rag's Ridge Trail, us sticking to Weakley Hollow fire road.
My eyesight seemed foggy. Had I forgotten to clean my glasses? No, they were clean. It was the humidity, the air was saturated, or supersaturated, causing the glasses to fog. Yukky grungy weather, another one of "those" hikes. It was warm but not hot, but the air was still. Hopefully we'd find a breeze higher up, and higher up we'd be, this time on Corbin Hollow Trail. Of all my miles in the Park, this would be only my third time on this trail. Once upon a time, a circuit hike of Robertson and Corbin Hollow would be just the right distance, but with 16+ milers there days, Corbin Hollow rarely appears on my radar. After an easy boulder crossing of Brokenback Run, the climb begins, though not as aggressive as Robertson. This is one fine trail! It has a remote feel, and likely sees little traffic. With a slight breeze, my glasses finally cleared. As expected, the laurel along here was well past peak. While nothing special, there was a stretch along the upper trail where the forest was more open, everything green, and I paused just to take in the serenity. It was one of those "neat place" moments.
The trail terminates on Old Rag fire road, Robertson Mountain Trail a short distance down, and Corbin Mountain Trail a ways up. We'd walk Old Rag fire road up to Limberlost. Being higher up, there was the occasional aging laurel bloom and assorted wildflowers. While stopped to get water beyond Comer's Deadening, a ranger drove up and asked where we started. We said "the Old Rag lot", and he said he'd seen us there. Before he had the chance to tell us we were going the wrong way, I told him our route. "That's one nice route you've got there!", he replied. I suspect they patrol Old Rag fire road on these busy weekends, as I know from my hikes here that a few hikers make the wrong turn way down at the fire road junction and wind up misplaced.
There were folk enjoying a stroll on the packed-gravel Limberlost Trail. For us, it was a connector to Crescent Rock Trail, which we'd take to the overlook then down to the AT. Laurel was past peak even here, with the many blossoms on the ground telling that it had been a fine display. Crescent Rock Overlook was our first rest break of the day. The overlook had the standard car folk, some setting up lawn chairs in the shade, even someone taking their ferret out for a walk. I headed over to Crescent Rock when I saw it was free, and scrambled around there more than on previous visits.
We picked up the AT below Crescent Rock and headed south a short distance to Hawksbill Gap. The steep fire road walk to Hawksbill summit is a favorite climb, one that can really get the heart thumping. Being warm and humid, it was not my intention to power up to the summit, but there was a hiker a couple hundred yards ahead of me, and I was determined to pass him. It was looking like I'd met my match, until he stopped about three quarters of the way up. "That's some pace you've got there!" I said as I passed without stopping. Surely he did not know he was in a race. Bottom to top in just under 16 minutes. There were folk at the summit, but not crowded. The guy I had passed was soon there, and we talked about the the AT (he was from NJ near the Delaware Water Gap). John and Steve arrived, and we wound up talking to a couple from Massachusetts that were spending the week in the Park. We gave them an assortment of "must do" hike ideas.
The day had seen a lot of clouds, keeping the temperature under control but the humidity high. Towering cumulus were lofting into the thin overcast, and a rain shaft was evident to the east. We had every expectation of getting wet on this hike (rain wet, in addition to sweat wet), but heard thunder only once. We descended to the AT on the Salamander Trail, then headed south to Fishers Gap, taking in a view at Franklin Cliffs and admiring the last of the mountain laurel. We broke from the AT at Fishers Gap and descended Rose River Loop Trail. Rose River Falls was looking a bit lazy, quite different than when we'd seen it frozen in December. With darkening skies the crowds had left, and it was quite peaceful done there. Just past the falls we encountered a good-sized rattlesnake across the trail. We got our pictures, then Steve (the snake charmer) coaxed it off the trail. We met a couple hikers a bit further on, warning them about the snake. They'd just seen two small copperhead on the bridge over Hogcamp Branch. One was still on the bridge bottom rail when we got there, but slithered into an open beam under the bridge.
Seeing several venomous snakes just prior to a bushwhack up to Rose River fire road was a little disconcerting. The bushwhack was a critical part of the route, saving nearly two miles and over 300 feet by not staying on Rose River Loop Trail all the way to Dark Hollow Falls. This was to be a retrace of the shortcut taken back in December, but where the GPS told me to veer left uphill, dense vegetation forced up right. A light rain began to fall. This was not working out so well. I knew we had to get well away from Hogcamp Branch, but the vegetation was in the way. John had seen a couple orange markers on trees, and luckily, we hit the fire road at a switchback. Veering right any more than we did and we could have kept climbing parallel to the road. As it was, we joined the road a quarter mile further upstream than intended.
Rose River fire road is rather rocky in places, the reason I don't come this way too often, but each time feels less rocky than the last, and the downhill in the light rain was easy going. I counted three orange newts on the descent, until my glasses once again fogged in the saturated air. I'm ready for a dry hike.
Pictures
My eyesight seemed foggy. Had I forgotten to clean my glasses? No, they were clean. It was the humidity, the air was saturated, or supersaturated, causing the glasses to fog. Yukky grungy weather, another one of "those" hikes. It was warm but not hot, but the air was still. Hopefully we'd find a breeze higher up, and higher up we'd be, this time on Corbin Hollow Trail. Of all my miles in the Park, this would be only my third time on this trail. Once upon a time, a circuit hike of Robertson and Corbin Hollow would be just the right distance, but with 16+ milers there days, Corbin Hollow rarely appears on my radar. After an easy boulder crossing of Brokenback Run, the climb begins, though not as aggressive as Robertson. This is one fine trail! It has a remote feel, and likely sees little traffic. With a slight breeze, my glasses finally cleared. As expected, the laurel along here was well past peak. While nothing special, there was a stretch along the upper trail where the forest was more open, everything green, and I paused just to take in the serenity. It was one of those "neat place" moments.
The trail terminates on Old Rag fire road, Robertson Mountain Trail a short distance down, and Corbin Mountain Trail a ways up. We'd walk Old Rag fire road up to Limberlost. Being higher up, there was the occasional aging laurel bloom and assorted wildflowers. While stopped to get water beyond Comer's Deadening, a ranger drove up and asked where we started. We said "the Old Rag lot", and he said he'd seen us there. Before he had the chance to tell us we were going the wrong way, I told him our route. "That's one nice route you've got there!", he replied. I suspect they patrol Old Rag fire road on these busy weekends, as I know from my hikes here that a few hikers make the wrong turn way down at the fire road junction and wind up misplaced.
There were folk enjoying a stroll on the packed-gravel Limberlost Trail. For us, it was a connector to Crescent Rock Trail, which we'd take to the overlook then down to the AT. Laurel was past peak even here, with the many blossoms on the ground telling that it had been a fine display. Crescent Rock Overlook was our first rest break of the day. The overlook had the standard car folk, some setting up lawn chairs in the shade, even someone taking their ferret out for a walk. I headed over to Crescent Rock when I saw it was free, and scrambled around there more than on previous visits.
We picked up the AT below Crescent Rock and headed south a short distance to Hawksbill Gap. The steep fire road walk to Hawksbill summit is a favorite climb, one that can really get the heart thumping. Being warm and humid, it was not my intention to power up to the summit, but there was a hiker a couple hundred yards ahead of me, and I was determined to pass him. It was looking like I'd met my match, until he stopped about three quarters of the way up. "That's some pace you've got there!" I said as I passed without stopping. Surely he did not know he was in a race. Bottom to top in just under 16 minutes. There were folk at the summit, but not crowded. The guy I had passed was soon there, and we talked about the the AT (he was from NJ near the Delaware Water Gap). John and Steve arrived, and we wound up talking to a couple from Massachusetts that were spending the week in the Park. We gave them an assortment of "must do" hike ideas.
The day had seen a lot of clouds, keeping the temperature under control but the humidity high. Towering cumulus were lofting into the thin overcast, and a rain shaft was evident to the east. We had every expectation of getting wet on this hike (rain wet, in addition to sweat wet), but heard thunder only once. We descended to the AT on the Salamander Trail, then headed south to Fishers Gap, taking in a view at Franklin Cliffs and admiring the last of the mountain laurel. We broke from the AT at Fishers Gap and descended Rose River Loop Trail. Rose River Falls was looking a bit lazy, quite different than when we'd seen it frozen in December. With darkening skies the crowds had left, and it was quite peaceful done there. Just past the falls we encountered a good-sized rattlesnake across the trail. We got our pictures, then Steve (the snake charmer) coaxed it off the trail. We met a couple hikers a bit further on, warning them about the snake. They'd just seen two small copperhead on the bridge over Hogcamp Branch. One was still on the bridge bottom rail when we got there, but slithered into an open beam under the bridge.
Seeing several venomous snakes just prior to a bushwhack up to Rose River fire road was a little disconcerting. The bushwhack was a critical part of the route, saving nearly two miles and over 300 feet by not staying on Rose River Loop Trail all the way to Dark Hollow Falls. This was to be a retrace of the shortcut taken back in December, but where the GPS told me to veer left uphill, dense vegetation forced up right. A light rain began to fall. This was not working out so well. I knew we had to get well away from Hogcamp Branch, but the vegetation was in the way. John had seen a couple orange markers on trees, and luckily, we hit the fire road at a switchback. Veering right any more than we did and we could have kept climbing parallel to the road. As it was, we joined the road a quarter mile further upstream than intended.
Rose River fire road is rather rocky in places, the reason I don't come this way too often, but each time feels less rocky than the last, and the downhill in the light rain was easy going. I counted three orange newts on the descent, until my glasses once again fogged in the saturated air. I'm ready for a dry hike.
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