SNP central: Hazel Country mountain laurel paradise

It's mountain laurel time in Shenandoah National Park! The abundant spring rains would make for a stellar display, at least that was the hope, and we were not disappointed. This hike route was designed to pass through several known abundant laurel spots in Hazel Country in the central district east side. We'd have two cars, so could cover a lot of trail. Steve and Dan would be coming from Maryland, my brother John and I coming from Virginia's Northern Neck. I awoke Saturday with a cold, but unless a fever came on, I was determined to do the Sunday hike. With the heat and car shuttle, a predawn departure was called for, meeting at the Buck Hollow trailhead on US-211 at 7:30am, then heading to the Old Rag lot in Nethers to start the hike.
The Old Rag lot was busy and filling up fast when we arrived at 8am. It must have been a (yet another) crazy day up on Old Rag. We'd be one of the few to not be there for Old Rag though. While our cars were only six miles apart, the windy hike route through Hazel Country would span 16 miles. Sixteen miles without ever touching the AT, and only a short retrace of steps to a side destination. This hike used thirteen trail segments, three being the Hazel Mountain Trail, not all in the same direction. From the Old Rag lot, we hiked up SR-600, crossed the Hughes River on the Nicholson Hollow Trail, climbed Hot-Short Mountain Trail, used Hazel Mountain Trail to get to Catlett Mountain and Catlett Spur trails, Hazel Mountain again to the Hazel River Trail, back to Hazel Mountain via White Rocks Trail, exiting via Buck Ridge and the tail end of Buck Hollow. I had a map, but didn't need it.
It was evident right off the bat that we'd hit mountain laurel at peak in the lower levels. Brilliant white and pinkish blossoms abound. It was a mountain laurel paradise! As the climb up Hot-Short progressed, there was an increasing number of closed blossoms, but they too are a pleasant sight to see. Expecting this, I kept the route low, which also kept the route very warm and humid. The "hot" in Hot-Short was. Humid too, as in saturated humid, as in sweat running down the leg and soaking the sock inside the boot humid, as in drink a gallon of water and never stop to... well, yep, humid it was. The east side always is.
Hazel Mountain Trail was used as a connector several times. After the sweat-fest climb up Hot-Short, it was a relatively flat walk to Catlett Mountain Trail. The PATC guide book calls this a "fairly level" trail, even though it's got on really steep stretch. The destination was the Hazel River Trail... so what are we doing here?!?... adding miles, that's all. Catlett Mountain, Catlett Spur, and Hazel Mountain (walking towards where we were earlier), all with mostly unopened laurel blossoms, got us over to the Hazel River Trail.
We'd seen few hikers up to this point, other than the hoards that were heading up Old Rag, but on descending Hazel River we met a number of tired looking backpackers heading up. When asked "are we near the top?", and being nowhere near it, you kind of hate having to say "no". Hazel River Trail was a bit overgrown, but not overly, and the nettles were mostly at bay. Turning left at the White Rocks Trail junction, we were soon at the Hazel River crossing. John took advice from a couple hikers we had just met and traversed a downed tree, Steve and Dan rock-hopped, and I de-booted and crossed sock-footed. We'd take a long break here before the steep climb to the White Rocks ridge line. The tall dead hemlock by the river is now down, and made for good sitting. I used the Steri-Pen a couple times, having to replace the batteries first. Always carry spare batteries!
The trail to ridge line takes no prisoners- up, up, up. A slight S-curve to it, otherwise a straight shot. The climb is not done once on ridge line though, as the trail climbs and descends a series of knobs. At the first knob, rocks on the north side provide fine views, but it's the rocks a couple knobs further along that provide the best views and scrambling opportunity. It's easy to pass right by these, so be looking for them on the south side of the trail. The mountain laurel through here was in full display, and though hot in the sun, it was fun playing on the rocks.
Shortly past the rocks comes the steep stepped side trail to a small waterfall and tiny cave. Nearly 200' down, it's well worth it- cool and refreshing. It felt over ten degrees cooler by the waterfall, and at the back of the cave, a refreshingly cool moist breeze could be felt sifting through damp cracks. Of course, what goes down must go up, and again we were back on White Rocks Trail in the heat and humidity. The slope of the climb lessens, and we made good time to the Hazel Mountain Trail junction.
Our third time on Hazel Mountain Trail, it was a steady climb to our exit route, Buck Hollow via Buck Ridge. I knew the mountain laurel on Buck Ridge would be in bloom, the rest was a bonus. Buck Ridge did not disappoint, as it was the mountain laurel paradise. This was all downhill, not something my knee cares for, but it was nice to not be battling the heat and humidity. Amidst the laurel, there were brief hazy views of Marys Rock and Oventop. I was careful with the knee on the very steep stepped descent off Buck Ridge, the marvelous work PATC did installing those logs never ceases to amaze me. Before those logs, descending Buck Ridge was never a consideration.
We arrived at the Thornton River crossing on Buck Hollow to find that the PATC stepping boulders had been dislodged by the recent heavy rains and flooding. The mountain streams and rivers must have been something to see during that period. From the looks of it, the boulders were undermined by the current, shifting them somewhat. Steve trusted one wet tilted boulder enough to go for it, and made it across. Dan jumped (not hopped, jumped) across successfully via a dry boulder (he can do that, his knees work). Since the hike was essentially over, I kept the boots on and waded through the refreshing current, water coming to a few inches above the knee (about two feet deep). John put on neoprene booties and waded as well. A family had gathered, intending to venture up the trail a bit, but the difficult crossing turned them away (certainly after watching us cross). The boulders aren't too far out of place, and I greatly appreciate and know the effort PATC undertook placing them there. Hopefully it won't be too difficult a job to reposition them.
Hiking with a cold is not a lot of fun, especially in the heat. A wise one would probably have just stayed home, but miss the first big mountain laurel display of the season?... no way! No bears, no deer, just a squirrel or two and assorted insects (including ticks, but so far no deer tick). One has to wonder though, amidst all those blossoms, where are the bees?

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SNP south: Doomsday Hike

Yes, the world was to end on Saturday (the whole Rapture and "End Of Days" thing, you know), so what better place to be than in Shenandoah National Park? It's been slow getting up to speed this year- if not the weather then bad knees. "Osseous stress reaction" is the MRI diagnosis for what was my good knee, high grade chondromalacia patella, good old arthritis, which comes as no surprise. I don't use it, it hurts; I use it, it feels better but just damages it more. A downward spiral indeed. Doomsday, bah!
An early start is needed for a south district hike, coming from the Maryland 'burbs. Since when is 6am early? Heck, the sun was already up when fellow hiker Steve came by to get me. My brother John would be coming from the Virginia Northern Neck. The hike route was about as simple as it gets... Appalachian Trail from Swift Run Gap south to Loft Mountain, then down Frazier Discovery Trail to Loft Mountain Wayside. A favorite segment of the AT, thru-hiker encounters, and a blackberry shake to end the hike, how nice is that?! What could be better... a bear sighting, perhaps?
After a long shuttle behind a slow Park vehicle, we were on the trail at 9:30am. First up was the moderate climb out of Swift Run Gap followed by the longer haul up Hightop. I was hauling something extra, a bag of candy for the thru-hikers. "Snickers Peanut Butter Squared" is my trail magic of choice, and it didn't take long to find a thru-hiker, "Calculator", dropping down to Swift Run Gap. The thru-hikers we met had left Springer in early to mid March, had a rough time in the Smokies, and were drying out from a week of rain.
Spring has finally made it to the higher points. Things were just starting to green up on Robertson two weeks ago, but now the high points are greening up fast. Lush green everywhere, a delight to see after what seemed a long cold winter. Wildflowers abound. Flower-lined trail much of the way, little white flowers that defy camera focus, and ample violets. Mountain laurel about to bloom, surely somewhere along our route we'd find an open blossom. The view atop Hightop was occupied upon arrival, but waited them out, and the spot opened as Steve and John arrived. Great views from here- Beldor Ridge, Rocky Mount, even Trayfoot and Massanutten in the distance. A short break followed at Hightop Hut, where there were three thru-hikers about to press on. I gave each candy.
For the next seven miles it's gap-to-gap hiking- Smith Roach, Powell, Simmons, and Pinefield. There's a great view down Bacon Hollow on the climb out of Powell Gap. At the top of the climb on an arm of Flattop, new-agey wind music was coming from nearby to the south. The AT is along the Park boundary here, with houses just a couple hundred feet from the trail. It's not remote, but sure feels it.
The next stop was Pinefield Hut, where a tired looking thru-hiker was getting water. He perked up at the offer of candy (I gave him two). I had been hiking out ahead, so had plenty of time to get acquainted with the hoards of black flies. I think they're getting worse each year. The mountain laurel looked oh so close to blooming on the climb out of Pinefield Gap. If there was any to be found, it was between here and Ivy Creek. I met another thru-hiker at Ivy Creek Overlook and dispensed more candy. I don't think any of the thru-hikers I met knew about the famous Shenandoah wayside blackberry shakes. I did my part to inform them. Seems these May thru-hikers are more concerned about putting on the miles, while the June thru-hikers are more relaxed.
Next up, my favorite spot on the AT in Shenandoah, the small piney vista above Rockytop Overlook. Not far from Skyline Drive at all (in fact the Drive is in view), but the views west are supreme- Rocky and Brown Mountains, Rockytop, Patterson Ridge, Great North Mountain (when the visibility allows), all in a cozy pine setting. I refer to it as "my spot".
Finally, just beyond, mountain laurel in bloom! One lone bloom. We photographed the heck out of it. A short time earlier we had been told of a bear down the trail. That almost always means no bear for us to see, as it's long gone. Plus, Steve is convinced he's bear repellent, and in a prolonged bear drought. Well, lo and behold!... there just off trail was a good-sized bear! It wasn't running away, and then I quickly determined why- it was a mother bear with at least two cubs, one of which was in a tree. While most will make noise in this situation, I (we) approached rather stealthily, until that is, Steve took a tumble while fetching his camera. That got momma bears attention, and she ambled further off trail over a ridge top. Still, all got a decent view, and Steve's bear drought has finally ended.
With all the recent rain, Ivy Creek was as pretty as I've seen, and I got a nice long exposure shot. Beyond Ivy Creek came the long climb of Loft Mountain, our final climb of the day. Steve was running low on fuel and the day was getting long. Would we reach Loft Mountain Wayside in time to get a blackberry shake? A lone hiker passed us (that's rare) but I kept up with him a bit. We were all trying to figure out what the white flowers that lined the trail were called. I didn't get the hikers name, but he was quite knowledgeable of the Park's trails. I was passed earlier in the hike by a trail runner. Over the course of the hike we encountered three trail runners. That's pretty unusual.
The views from the open rocks on Loft Mountain at the AT junction with the Frazier Discovery Trail are among the best the Park has to offer, with Hightop off in the distance to the northeast (we were there?) to the numerous south district peaks to the west. So close to a big campground, and we were the only ones here. A family with two young kids eventually showed up. It surprises me to find this fine place empty more often than not. Sure, it takes a bit of exertion to complete the Frazier circuit, but the views at the top are certainly worth it (not to mention the massive overhanging rock on the north side of the loop).
We arrived at Loft Mountain Wayside shortly after 5:30pm. They close at 6pm, but prior experience tells me the grill shuts down before closing time. We had made it on time! A blackberry shake outdoors as the crowds thinned. A fine ending to the Doomsday Hike.

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SNP central: A Walk in the Clouds

Where's spring? It's been eluding me on Saturday outings. There's the problem... avoid Saturday! Sometimes you just can't help it and there you are. As it was this past Saturday with fellow hikers Steve and Dan. Anticipating a government shutdown, this hike would be from the boundary (aren't they all?). Close the Drive, I say, and be free of "car people". Nothing better than a quiet Park. Alas, no shutdown, but who'd come out on such a dreary day. Quite a few it seemed.
Not much activity at the Whiteoak lot in Berry Hollow around 8:45am (I'm getting lazy for sure). 43 degrees under a gloomy overcast. The ragged clouds hugging the hills on the ride over reminded me a bit of the Smokies. Maybe we'll hike above the clouds on Hawksbill! Getting there would be via the direct approach, up Cedar Run to Hawksbill summit. Sure, there are signs of spring at the lowest levels- green and red buds that are just waiting for a reason to open, and a few bedraggled trillium. The two crossings of Cedar Run were reasonable. We ascended into the clouds near the upper crossing. These are perfect conditions for those long exposure shots I love to capture. Ample water, diffuse light, quite the perfect scene.
Dan noticed a remote sensor just off trail above the Cedar Run slide and pool. Looks new, probably measuring temperature. I guess the Park Service is doing some sort of study (any way to tap into that data network?). We met several groups of hikers coming down from the Drive. Some we'd see much later in the hike. We regrouped at cold and damp Hawksbill Gap in the dense eerie fog. Steve appeared as a shadow through the woods. We could wait and do Hawksbill later in the hike, with hopes of clearing, or now. It was somewhat brighter, so the hopes of climbing above the clouds said do Hawksbill now. We did. We remained in the clouds, though the sun's disk was briefly visible. Who'd be here on such a day? The summit platform was actually crowded, something I don't often see even in the best conditions. Many here were with the Northern Virginia Hiking Club.
Descending to Upper Hawskbill, we took the Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail to Fishers Gap. This stretch of trail is quite rocky in places, and has long been a "least favorite" of mine. This was Dan's first time on this segment, and his sentiment was pretty much in line. Winter hasn't been kind to this trail, as there are a number of blowdowns. In the fog (and otherwise), the trail has quite the remote feel about it. I didn't mind being here and one never finds others here. Once joined into the Rose River Loop Trail, the footing is as good as it gets, all the way to Fishers Gap.
At Fishers Gap, the fog was about as thick as any I've hiked in. You needed to know your trails to figure out where to go next. A trail junction marker could be less than 100 feet away and you'd never know it. A few cars appeared and disappeared. Needing no map or sense of direction, we picked up the AT and headed north, soon passing the blank rock outcrops along Franklin Cliffs. Pausing at the junction to Rock Spring Hut, a couple backpackers caught up. These were Itznot and J-Cracker, early season thru-hikers. They left Springer on February 5th. The Smokies hadn't been difficult, the snowy trail had been well trodden. The highlands north of there had been rather difficult. I mentioned Ewok, the thru-hiker we met in Georgia on his first day on the trail (as a northbounder) last May and later hiked with (as a southbounder) into SNP in early November. They remembered him well, and mentioned that he should be just about done. "Ewok finished last week" I told them. In Ewok's blog, these were the two NOBO thru-hikers that he'd played poker with at Chestnut Knob Shelter near Burke's Garden. Not expecting any thru-hikers this early, I had little trail magic to offer. I gave each some candy (Butterfinger Squares are a big hit).
We left the AT at Hawksbill Gap, descending the horse trail to Whiteoak Canyon, where we met some of the hikers from earlier. They'd gotten a bit lost in the thick fog, and were happy to hear they were headed towards Hawksbill Gap. We got to the upper falls in the clouds. Oh boy... descending Whiteoak Canyon on wet rocks! Add to that a knee going bad, and it was a grueling descent. Out of the clouds for the lower falls, we stopped briefly to admire, knowing the rough part of the descent was done.
I'm ready for warmth and greenery. Please!

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SNP north: Dickey Ridge & AT

A linear hike, Dickey Ridge Trail from Skyline Drive entrance near front Royal to Compton Gap, then Appalachian Trail south to Gravel Springs Gap. Crocus about to bloom at the lowest levels signaling the arrival of spring, and patches of snow at the highest levels showing winter hanging on. Although having hiked the AT between Compton and Gravel Springs Gap several weeks earlier, this would pass through the recent burn area. Burnt wood smell was noticeable at Lands Run Gap, and again south of Compton Gap. On the AT, the burn area is mostly on Compton, particularly on the south slope. The burn areas were patchy and not too severe except for the larger patch on the south slope of Compton. The odor of charred wood was heavy through here. South of Jenkins Gap, the only sign of the fire were a few patches shortly before the Drive crossing (in the vicinity of the old foundation).

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SNP central: Powell Mtn, AT, Mill & Laurel Prong, Meadow School

Sometimes when it's gloomy and overcast in the lowlands, the high ridges are above the clouds- a rare and special treat. The hike this past Saturday was not one of those. It was overcast as fellow hikers Steve, Dan, and I set out predawn for a central district hike. The Powell Mountain trailhead is buried deep in central district's west side. Many south district hikes involve less travel time. This hike would eventually lead to 3812' Hazeltop, the third highest peak in Shenandoah. We had to get there first, starting with the 2100' Powell Mountain climb to Hazeltop Ridge Overlook on Skyline Drive. It was chilly but not cold as we started the climb under grey skies, a little light rain to warrant a pack cover but no rain jacket. The trail uses an old road, discernible at lower levels as crunchy leaf filled ditches. Under a mile in, there was a view of a frozen waterfall up Big Creek in the narrow gorge between Powell Mountain and Peters Point.
We hiked on up into the clouds, never getting above them. We were fogged in at Hazeltop Ridge Overlook. It was windy and chilly there, with enough sideways drizzle to bring out the rain jackets. From here, it was a Drive walk of under a mile south to Bootens Gap, where we picked up the AT and headed north over Hazeltop. Being in the clouds, there was no reason to stop at the side trail north of the top to otherwise good views. My favorite thing about Hazeltop is the 400 yard AT "straightaway". I can't recall any other wooded clear line of sight segment of the AT like this. We were below the clouds now, so could see end to end. It's one of my favorite AT spots.
We paused at Milam Gap to regroup. There's a neat tree with five trunks here, which I had never stopped to notice until now. It certainly had a rough history. Next up was a muddy descent to Rapidan Camp (aka Camp Hoover) via the Mill Prong trails, with a stop at Big Rock Falls. There were a few other hikers doing this popular circuit, but we had the Brown House at Camp Hoover to ourselves. Usually a warm sheltered spot for a break, it was chilly here too. The low cloud base loomed a couple hundred feet above, obscuring Fork Mountain.
The trail out Laurel Prong looked battered. There's a fair bit of deadfall along here amidst the dense undergrowth, but the soggy trail was mostly clear of obstacles. I expected to climb back into the clouds, but the low clouds were in the process of dissipating. No sunny skies though, as broken mid level clouds and a high overcast remained. Fortunately no rain, so there was a drying trend as we made the rocky trek from Laurel Gap back to the AT. We followed the AT south to the Bearfence rock scramble.
Having vowed to never again put Bearfence near the end of a long hike, here we were, nearly 14 miles in with 4200 feet of climbing, facing the rock scramble with tired legs on slick rocks. They warn about doing this scramble on wet rocks. Well, the rocks weren't totally wet, but they weren't totally dry either. Dan is a natural rock hopper, so nothing fazes him. I made the mistake of following him, only to find we weren't following the blue blazes. Easy for him, hard for me. There were a couple spots where I had to be extra careful to have solid footing. Having the boot slip and slide on an absolutely necessary platform doesn't inspire confidence. Slick rocks aside, we were all soon atop Bearfence. We had it to ourselves, and with the low clouds gone, we had good views. The sky looked threatening but we cared little. Bearfence, yea!
After a rest break at empty Bearfence Hut, it was down Meadow School Trail and Jollett Road back to the car. Dan found a vine to swing on and some ice patches to slide on along the way, otherwise it was an uneventful downhill at a rapid pace. Along the road walk outside the Park, "The Point" Overlook on Skyline Drive was visible, 1.7 miles distant and 1500' up. The barking dogs from several houses were no match for my own barking dogs. It's too early in the hiking season for my feet to be complaining so much. I don't feel "marathon hike" capable.

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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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