SNP central: Bearfence, Pocosin Hollow, Conway River

Crossing the dry Conway River on the the drive in to Swift Run Gap had me worried that maybe I wasn't carrying enough water for the upcoming hike. The Conway can't be dry, it drains too large an area, and I intended to resupply from it mid-hike. As it turned out, there was water in the Conway, so farming must be taking from it by the time it reaches Wolftown-Hood road. Taking advantage of a bad situation, the drought, it's time to hike those trails normally avoided due to difficult crossings or fords. I had hiked Pocosin Hollow only once, during high water, and the difficult stream crossings made for a rather unpleasant hike, and I've never been a big fan of challenging crossings. This would be a much more pleasant experience.
Hitting the trail shortly after 9am, fellow hiker Steve and I were headed south from Bootens Gap on the Appalachian Trail, Bearfence as the first destination. We've learned it's easier to do a rock scramble with fresh legs. The day was cool and dry with a decent breeze and excellent visibility under mostly sunny skies. It would remain sunny and pleasant for most of the hike, with clouds streaming in during the late afternoon. Bearfence, as always, was great. Only a couple other hikers there, but were not completing the scramble due to fear of heights. We'd see them a bit later on the non-exposed loop trail.
A stop at Bearfence Hut followed. I read through the fairly new journal there. Seems the majority overnighting here see or hear a bear. We were soon back on the AT, with a stop at Lewis Mountain campground to stock up on water in case the Conway was dry. This is the campground to stay in for relative peace and quiet. The AT eventually led us to Pocosin fire road, which we'd follow down to the Pocosin Hollow Trail. Lots of goldenrod about attracting butterflies and a photographer. Down the fire road a bit we spotted what at first looked like a dog... no, it's a small bear! Finally, a real bear, not just the glimpse of the tail end of one or hearing one bustling away through the brush. The little guy paused just long enough for me to snap a picture. Yea!
It was damp the only other time on Pocosin Hollow. Every rock was a potential disaster. I'd take a good face plant on a slippery rock that looked dry, and every stream crossing made my knees shake. This time was much different. The trail was very dry. Low vegetation is wilting, the fern is turning yellow, and trees are dropping leaves. The crunching of leaves underfoot would warn any other bear in the area of our presence. No other hikers about. Pocosin Hollow had water in it, enough to make it right pretty. The Pocosin Hollow segment of the hike was about as pleasant a walk as I've had. I'm adding it to my "favorites" list.
Outside the Park, Pocosin Hollow follows a private road to state route 667, Middle River Road, which parallels the Conway River. The Conway had water in it, not a lot, just a modest flow. The pools along Pocosin Hollow and the Conway River looked inviting, but I never allocate time for taking a dip. Gotta start doing that. There were small fish in the pools, and an occasional frog. We followed the road up the Conway to its end, where the Conway River Trail follows a rocky old road through the Rapidan WMA. I had thought about venturing up Devils Ditch, but will save that for some later time. We had a hefty climb ahead- 2200 feet back to Bootens Gap. After several easy crossings of the Conway (which are usually fords), the trail joins the Conway River Road, a drivable (with high clearance) road in the RWMA, with several camp sites beside the river. There were some campers here blasting out Nirvana. The road climbs with increasing slope up to Bootens Gap, the last stretch being in SNP. It's exhausting ending a long hike with a prolonged uphill. At 17 miles and 3300 feet of elevation gain, this was one of those "easy" hikes, but it sure didn't feel like it.

Pictures

SNP south district: South of the South

I borrowed the title from Donn Ahern's PATC forum hike report. So far south in the south district of Shenandoah National Park that you aren't really in the Park, at least when on the AT. This hike would be one of those rare linear hikes, using two vehicles. I suspected it might be a busy time in the Park this past weekend, picture perfect weather, so decided to not bother seeking a secluded route- there might not be one. A simple AT trek this would be, a 20 miler from Blackrock parking south to McCormick Gap including an out-and-back to Turk Mountain, accumulating 4600 feet of elevation along the way. The weather was ideal- temperature in the 60's, dew point near 40, enough breeze but not too much, and nearly unlimited visibility. The line of cars at the Rockfish Gap entrance station at 9am indicated that it would be a busy Park day. The ranger there commented on how much busier it was than the day before (Saturday, an equally perfect day as Donn described).
My brother John and friend Steve were my fellow hikers. This was an "AT encore" hike. First up was Blackrock, the primary extra-easy destination to outstanding views in the south district. Being so easy one might suspect it's crowded there, but most often not; car people just don't venture very far from the overlooks. I've never felt crowded at Blackrock, and there was only a handful of hikers here. Trayfoot looms to the west, with the west-side peaks of the south district laid out in stunning relief nortward. The south end of Massanutten, 12 miles distant across Shenandoah Valley, stood out crystal clear as if one could reach out and touch it. During this hike, peaks 45 miles distant were visible.
Next stop was a short side trip to Moormans River Overlook on Skyline Drive (had to get an east view in there somewhere), with views of Bucks Elbow Mountain, Pond Ridge, Pasture Fence Mountain, and the Charlottesville Reservoir below. On the AT, we passed a trail notice of problem bears near Wildcat Ridge. I had heard mention of that last weekend, but know no specifics.
Turk Gap parking was full, with cars spilling out along the Drive... not a good sign, as Turk Mountain was our next stop. Lots 'o folk out on Turk Mountain. It was as busy as I've ever seen it (OK, last time there was post-sunset in December), but wow, Turk Mountain crowded? More folks were leaving than arriving, so for most of our summit stay it wasn't bad at all. I wanted to scramble some, but a bit risky and still a lot of hiking to do. Someday, maybe. Views were surperb.
The AT crosses the Drive at Sawmill Run Overlook, which is where we had cached water during the morning shuttle. Our somewhat hidden cache was still there, a good thing, as there was little if any water along the route. I've had cached water disappear during a hike (I mark it with date and intent so that it won't be thought of as litter if found). Sawmill Run Overlook is also a great spot for a break, great views, one of my favorite overlooks in the Park. Later, near Jarman Gap, we passed the only potential water sources on this route. One spring was dry and the other a very slow drip. It's very dry out there and getting drier each day.
"South of the South" as Donn called it- south of Jarman Gap, where the AT is on "Appalachian Trail Park" land, not in SNP. The climb up Calf Mountain was difficult, a thousand footer late in a long hike is always difficult. There was a group of eight to ten young folk coming down, some wearing flip-flops. That seemed a strange place to see them. Just another indicator of how busy it was this day. No stop at Calf Mountain Shelter (yep, shelter, not hut, though same thing- just not in SNP). The highlight here is not Calf Mountain, but Little Calf Mountain a bit further south, where an unmarked trail leads to the "summit" meadow. It's not marked because it's not in SNP. There was thistle and sumac about, and excellent views south and west to near and distant peaks in GWNF. Apple trees remain from an old orchard. There were red apple trees and green apple trees. Steve tried one of the red apples. Tart but not bad. Little Calf is a pretty easy out and back from Beagle Gap.
The AT crosses the Drive at Beagle Gap. The large open field here has a unique look and feel. Donn's description is dead-on. The field is overgrown with tall grasses and milkweed, and apple trees are scattered about the edges. There were several hikers exploring the area. Low angle sunlight glistened on the windswept milkweed on the south side as we began the final climb of the hike, up to Bear Den Mountain.
I just had to revisit Bear Den Mountain, where there are tractor seats embedded in the ground beside the trail (at the tower installation). I thought there were views here, and maybe there were (last visited in 2004), but it's now quite overgrown. The seats remain, and are often seen in thru-hiker's pictures. What's the story behind them? Interesting... the USGS map actually has "den" marked on Bear Den Mountain. I did hear a bear off in the woods shortly before McCormick Gap.
Sunset... missed it by less than a minute at Calf Mountain Overlook, but post-sunset has the best color anyway. Yep, that is a prime sunset spot. Back at Blackrock parking, a couple was returning from having watched sunset at Blackrock. They were staying at Loft Mountain campground. "Where's a good place to catch sunrise?" they asked. Boy, were they asking the right guy! My brain froze, but I came up with Ivy Creek Overlook. AT/Frazier junction? Maybe, but it may face too much to the north for this time of year. I know there are several spots along the AT near the campground for first light, but no specifics. They were more interested in hiking to a spot for sunrise (my kind of people!). Bearfence perhaps, unless Bluff Mountain blocks the horizon. Come to think of it, most of my sunrises have been at overlooks I've hiked to. There are a number of good hiking destinations for sunset but not so many for sunrise (Hawksbill and Marys Rock are excellent for both). I gotta get back out there for a sunrise. Someday, definitely.

Pictures

SNP south: Brown Mountain, Patterson Ridge

The southern district of Shenandoah National Park is my favorite, but also the most distant, so more often than not I'm down that way only when the weather is ideal. The mountains feel bigger and more remote and the crowds fewer. But it had been some time since I'd hiked down south, and Saturday's forecast looked good, sunny with low humidity. As fellow hiker Steve and I headed over Saturday morning, it was evident the humidity would not be low- the marine layer had worked further inland than forecast, and it would be a moist hike under hazy skies.
Brown Mountain Overlook is a fine spot to start a hike. The views are superb, and one sees much of hike route from the overlook. The views were hazy but fine nonetheless. Vegetation was still damp from overnight dew as we hit the trail at quarter past nine. With light winds and high humidity, vegetation was still wet hours later. The hike begins with a downhill to a saddle where the Rocky Mountain Run trail branches and descends to Big Run. From here the Brown Mountain Trail climbs to rocky views on Rocky Mountain, then descends a bit before climbing again to more views from Brown Mountain. I had charted out a route to King and Queen Rocks, but the bushwhack looked more than desired, so will wait for a winter outing. Views of Rockytop and the Big Run drainage dominate, and the crumbly rocks offer a little scrambling. On the descent to Big Run, King and Queen Rocks are prominent towers on the steep west slope of Brown Mountain.
Big Run was lazy. Minnows and tadpoles swam in the shallow pools, while butterflies congregated for a drink from mossy clusters. Butterflies don't like to have their pictures taken, but these eventually allowed us to do so. It was comfortable under the steel bridge over Big Run, and oddly this was the only place that had any breeze. Further up Big Run bright red wildflowers were blooming, crickets chirping, and snakes sunning on rocks. With the lack of wind, the sounds of the late summer forest were everywhere.
After the gentle uphill on the Bigh Run Portal came the steep climb up Patterson Ridge. I've never encountered other hikers on Patterson Ridge, but this hike had several. No bears, but plenty signs of their presence. It was a sweaty climb up Patterson Ridge, so much so that my socks became damp from sweat running down the legs. With high humidity and no wind, there was no evaporation. I guess climbing nearly 1700 feet at 3 mph didn't help. I passed a backpacker struggling up the ridge. He had spent the night along Big Run, and had seen two bears the previous evening. He had planned to backpack Wildcat Ridge, but was warned of a problem bear in that area.
This is the year of blackberry shakes, and Loft Mountain Wayside was a planned stop for one, along with fries and a soda. The wayside was busy. Butterflies aplenty were on the thistle and other flowers here and drawing a small crowd of onlookers. After the meal came a leisurely climb up the moss covered paved walkway leading from the wayside to the campground. We made a water stop at the Loft Mountain amphitheater, which provides a commanding view of Rockytop and other west-side peaks, with the Massanutten vaguely visibly through the moisture laden air. We picked up the Appalachian Trail via the short spur from the amphitheater, then followed it north as it makes a sweeping arc around the campground. Hiking the AT was nearly a bushwhack in a couple spots, with dense vegetation encroaching both sides of the trail between the campground and the camp store. We followed the AT to Ivy Creek Overlook, stopping at the viewpoint atop Loft Mountain and my personal favorite AT nook on the knob behind Rockytop Overlook. Ivy Creek was flowing gently, and the first real breeze of the day came at Ivy Creek Overlook. A Drive walk back to Brown Mountain Overlook concluded this 17.5 mile hike.

Pictures

SNP north: Overall Run, Piney Branch

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).

SNP central: Cedar Run, Stony Man, Whiteoak Canyon

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.

Pictures

SNP north: Little Devils Stairs

From the Devils Marbleyard last weekend to Little Devils Stairs on a devilishly warm day. Thinking that the recent rains in the lowlands had also occurred in Shenandoah, it seemed a good time to hike up Little Devils Stairs along Keyser Run in the north district. Surely there would be many nice cascades along the 2 mile 1500' ascent. Wrong. Dry, very dry. Had there been any rain here at all? Keyser Run was just a trickle. Steve and I were on the trail at 8am, trying to beat the heat of the day. An hour later we were at "Fourway", the top-end trailhead of Little Devils Stairs. Certainly no stream crossing issues today. An easy walk on "Jinney Gray" road led to Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail, which we'd take south for nine miles. A planned break at Little Hogback Overlook was not to be, as it is currently fenced off during the ongoing overlook reconstruction project. Get things done before the stimulus money runs out. Other things are changing too- some back-country markers have been replaced, and at least one concrete trail post has been replaced with a dark composite material.

A decent breeze greeted us on ridgeline after the switch-backed climb up Hogback. Near the top of Hogback I heard bears running away on both sides of the trail. This just isn't my year for sightings, so I'll take what I can get. We stopped at a favorite break point on the rocks behind Hogback Overlook. One can spy on the car people that stop at Hogback Overlook below. There's even some light scrambling here should one be so inclined. We soon resumed our southbound trek on the AT. There was a strong smell of recently burnt wood just south of the Tuscarora junction, too strong to be from Matthews Arm campground, but no sign of any burn. A couple backpackers passed us at Sugarloaf, but we caught up with them at the Drive crossing south of Rattlesnake Point. They had missed the turn onto Overall Run. All they had to guide them was a small map in a book. The Tuscarora/AT junction seems to cause confusion, as I've had to redirect hikers here several times over the years. We dropped down to Range View Cabin for a break and water refill from the spring. A PATC trail patrol volunteer was here. We had passed him earlier as he was clearing a downed limb, and would see him again at Elkwallow. We could overhear on his Park radio that someone was in trouble somewhere, but it was a good 40 miles away he said. It'd be interesting to just listen in to what goes on in the Park on a weekend.

A pleasant treat appeared trailside south of Range View cabin- ripe raspberries! I figured they'd have come and gone, so this was a welcome find. Very tasty. The blackberries are out there too, but not yet ripe. Our blackberries would be in a cold shake from Elkwallow Wayside. The wayside was doing a fair business. We talked with a ranger there for a bit soon after he set up a bear exhibit table.

Rain had been removed from the forecast, so of course the sky darkened as we departed Elkwallow, and soon it was thundering. We geared up after a few drops were felt. A few drops was it though, and it quickly heated up again as we approached the climb that would lead to Byrds Nest #4. The heat was getting to us. Much of the uphill was done, with a prolonged downhill ahead on Hull School Trail. Sweat on a downhill and you know it's humid. That's how it was on Hull School, no breeze, just heat, humidity, and pesky bugs. The final two uphills did not come easy and Thornton River and Piney Branch looked sad. Shenandoah needs rain, bad.

Pictures

JNF/GWNF- Devils Marbleyard, Rocky Row

A hike somewhat outside day hike range, but never pass up an opportunity of a car shuttle to make the perfect hike. When my niece Devin mentioned that she and boyfriend Wyatt might be doing a short out and back hike to the Devils Marbleyard in the James River Face during a Roanoke trip, it didn't take long for me to start conjuring up some linear hike route that would get me there and beyond. When hiking the AT here in 2004, I remember being in the James River Face talking to a couple backpackers that raved about the Devils Marbleyard and not to miss it. We didn't go. One of my favorite climbs in all the AT hiking I've done was from the James River to Rocky Row in 2002. This was my chance to do both.

The ending point for this hike would be on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 51.7, north of the James River on Punchbowl Mountain, a long way from home. The starting point would be at the Belfast Trail in Arnold Valley south of the James, even further from home. My niece said she could do the shuttle and I talked my brother John into coming along. Too wet Saturday, so we set our sights on Sunday. Logistics worked that John and I drive together from King George, on the road at 3:45am for a 7:30am rendezvous on the BRP. We got there at 7am and my niece showed up soon after, and after a visit to the James River footbridge, we were on the Belfast Trail around 8:30am, headed up to the Devils Marbleyard.

It's easy access to the Marbleyard- 1.5 miles and 700' up the Belfast Trail from Arnold Valley near Natural Bridge Station. The Devils Marbleyard is huge- 8 acres, 350' wide and 1000' long. The top of the boulder field is nearly 500' above the base. The lower stretch is adjacent to the Belfast Trail and rock hopping opportunities are endless. One could spend all day here! The boulders are the big blocky type, perfect for scrambling and rock hopping. There are small boulders and big boulders, something for everyone. There could be dozens of people here and you might never see them. The boulders appear to have a terraced structure, where you can climb out along a somewhat flat area with a wall of boulders upslope. Climb to the top of the next level and there's another wall waiting. A few trees dot the lower middle section and provide some shade. The Belfast Trail skirts the lower portion only, as I found out after climbing about 30% up the boulder field and trying to locate the trail off to the side. I spent 50 minutes exploring just a fraction of the boulder field, but it seems like 10 minutes. I can tell by how sore my upper body is today that I had a good time there. Put me there on a cool cloudy day, and I'd be in heaven... in the Devils Marbleyard!

I had nearly ventured out more than I should have and was unaware of the time. I had lost track of my brother John, and could only hear my niece. After working my way back to the trail we assumed that John must have gone on up the Belfast Trail thinking that I had done the same. I said a quick goodbye and headed up the trail, encounter John coming back down to look for me. The fun scramble part was over and it was time to do some serious hiking. We made good time on the upper Belfast Trail and Gunter Ridge Trail to the AT. Fears of finding this stretch overgrown were unfounded. We reached the AT near Hickory Stand, then started the 2000' descent to the James River. While taking a break at Matts Creek Shelter, NOBO thru-hiker "buck-twenty" stopped in. He'd been on the trail since mid April, and the recent heat has really been hitting the thru-hikers hard. Add to that the water sources drying up, and it's a tough time out there. He's posting updates on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/k1kb0t

Several teens were using a rope to swing off the AT footbridge into the James River. It was plenty hot at the lower elevations and what breeze we'd had up top was gone. It was a hot hike. We crossed the James and started the climb up to Little and Big Rocky Row. We watered up at Rocky Row Run, where two more thru-hikers were keeping cool before heading up the trail. They had resupplied in Glasgow. "Red" had started the first of May. On up we went, passing by Johns Hollow Shelter, then the grueling switchbacked ascent to Little Rocky Row. I remembered the switchbacks well and the payoff views at the top, but had forgotten just how aggressive some of those switchbacks were. I'm in better aerobic shape now than back in 2002, so it must have been the heat that zapped me. There was little relief on that south facing slope. The views of the river and the James River Face were as good as I remembered, and distant peaks and ridges could be seen. There were more views along Rocky Row's south facing ledges, and again just past Big Rocky Row, though it seemed the views are not as open as they were eight years ago. During a rest stop I encountered a couple doing AT day hikes. We talked about Shenandoah. The gentleman mentioned that his grandfather once owned the land that is Old Rag Mountain. His last name sounded like "Ayelet" or "Ayelot". Does that ring a bell?

Our work was not done, as the final 777' climb to Bluff Mountain was still ahead. It was a pleasant level woods walk after the descent off Big Rocky Row and before the Bluff Mountain climb. There were more switchbacks on the climb up Bluff. It's the switchbacks that I remembered most about this stretch. There were fine views from the former tower clearing atop Bluff Mountain. There is a memorial marker for Little Ottie Cline Powell here, a young boy who died after straying from Tower Hill School in 1891: http://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/ottie-cline-powell/

The day was long and the drive was far, so we did not stop in at Punchbowl Mountain Shelter to talk to thru-hikers. I had been entertaining the notion of taking a dip in the pond behind the shelter, but it was time to head home. The hike ended at 7pm. I got home at midnight. I hope to make it back to the Devils Marbleyard again someday and just spend the day there. It is indeed a "must do" as the backpackers had told us years ago.

Pictures