The yellow-blazed Tibbet Knob trail offers spectacular views. Below: The first overlook on the trail comes within the first few tenths of a mile; The footing along most of the trail is extremely rocky.

Christine Says…

After a string of eight 90-100+ degree days, we finally got a break in the heat and humidity!  We picked a shorter, easier hike to celebrate the cooler weather – Tibbet Knob.  We’ve found we’re doing lots of longer hikes lately – partly because we’ve simply run out of shorter hikes.

I don’t know how Tibbet Knob escaped our notice for so long, because it’s a beautiful hike.  Tibbet seems to play second fiddle to its sister hike, Big Schloss – though I’m not really sure why.  The views are nearly as spectacular and the crowds are much thinner.  The terrain is definitely steeper and rockier, but not so much so it would scare hikers off.

We started our morning with breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Woodstock (worst/slowest service ever *and* they burned the bacon!)  We finally made it to the trailhead a little after 9:00 a.m.  At the very beginning, the trail passes through several lovely, primitive campsites.  One even has a picnic table that someone dragged a couple tenths of a mile into the woods.  The ascent starts almost immediately and follows a steady, but gradual, uphill to the first open view of the valley below.  This overlook is pretty, but pales in comparison to the summit of Tibbet Knob.

You can see Big Schloss way off in the distance (circled in yellow). Below: Adam enjoys his perch on the summit; The trail was often open and out in the sun; There is a lovely (but dry) campsite about 10 yards from the rocky ledge at the summit.

From the first vista, the trail drops gently into a saddle.  The footing becomes increasingly rocky from this point on.  Through some sections, it’s like walking on a dry riverbed of basketball-sized stones – some smooth, some pointy.  The last .8 of a mile is very steep and rocky.  There are two short rock scrambles.  At the first one, I abandoned my trekking poles because they were seriously getting in the way.  I can telescope them shorter, but I decided it was just as well to leave them stashed along the trail to retrieve on my way down.

Shortly after the second scramble, we arrived at the summit.  We stayed at the top for quite a long while.  Normally, we’re not the lingering type, but the morning was so pleasant that we spent at least half an hour sitting on the rocky outcropping.  It was cool and breezy.  The sky was crystal clear and blue and the scent of pine trees was all around.  There were several rocks to recline on, so I laid back and closed my eyes while Adam hunted for his geocache.  We didn’t see another soul on the entire hike.  I love having a beautiful summit all to myself.

The return trip was more downhill than uphill, so it went by quickly and we were back at the car within 45 minutes.

Adam Says…

We had been meaning to try out Tibbet Knob for some time now, since we’ve been several times to do the Big Schloss hike, but this was our first experience on this hike.  The hike takes off from Wolf Gap campground.  This campground is a great area for camping and has a lot of established campsites.  We always see plenty of cars in the campground and usually many of the sites are taken, but you should be able to find a spot for overnight camping.  We definitely plan on doing a camping trip in the future since this site provides access to some great hiking trails.

As soon as you begin the yellow-blazed trail, you will come across several other campsites alongside the trail – one even had a picnic table near the firepit.  At about .6 miles you come to a nice overlook with a decent viewpoint to the south.  If you look closely, you can even see cars on the road below you.  You descend from this overlook for a short distance, but then you begin your climb.  At some points along the ascent, the terrain opens up to larger grassland areas.  You will also pass by several blueberry bushes along the trail, which reminded us of our hikes in New England.  Due to the already hot and arid summer, the blueberries were already past their peak so we weren’t able to pick any on the trail.  The terrain does get quite steep towards the end of the trail.  You don’t have to quite crawl up the slope, but it is almost that steep.  Once you get pass the two steep areas, you are very close to the summit.  The views from the top were gorgeous and I believe give you a little better view than Big Schloss, since you get a better perspective of the valley with mountains around you.  To the east, you can see the side of the Big Schloss hike.   There is also a primitive campsite near the top of the overlook if you wanted to camp at the top, but there is no nearby water source.

Signs of Fall? Maybe... but more likely evidence of the drought we've been having lately. We saw lots of patches of red trees in the distant mountains, too. Below: The only wildlife we saw was a toad; Adam looked for, but did not find, the geocache; It was a beautiful, breezy, blue-sky day; the trailhead starts across the road from the Wolf Gap campground.

The trail does continue on from the overlook, but it just leads to SR 671 after about .7 miles.  You can actually approach this hike from SR 671 for a shorter, less steep option to give you a 1.5 mile out-and-back hike.  We stayed up at the top for a while to soak in the views and for me to look for a geocache.  I wasn’t able to find this one, but there is an alleged geocache here:

• Tibbet Knob Geocache

We really enjoyed the peaceful hike for the day.  We had the entire hike to ourselves on a day that was in the 70s and we even had the bonus of not having any bugs buzzing around our face.  This is a great short hike that provides enough challenge to get the blood pumping and marvelous views at the top.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3.1 miles out-and-back. Add another .1 mile to get to your car.
  
• Elevation Change –830 feet
• Difficulty – 3. There are two significant climbs on this hike.  The first ascent gains several hundred feet in elevation and is pretty easy.  After a short, gentle series of ups and downs, the second ascent is significantly steeper/longer and includes two short rock scrambles.
• Trail Conditions – 2. The trail is extremely rocky.
• Views –4. The view are beautiful and expansive – a little more than 180 degrees of mountains and valleys.
• Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 0. The only creature we saw was a toad.
• Ease to Navigate – 4. Just follow the yellow blazes. There are no turns or trail junctions.
• Solitude – 4. Tibbet Knob is less popular than its sister hike, Big Schloss. You may see a few hikers, but you probably won’t see large groups.

Directions to trailhead:
From I-81, take exit 279. Follow Rte. 675 until it meets Route 42. Turn right on 42 and then take almost an immediate left on 675 (Wolf Gap Road). Follow Wolf Gap Road until you come to the Wolf Gap Campground (right on the Hardy County Line.) The trailhead is across the road from the campground.

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Adam Explores Spy Rock.

Christine Says…

Adam and I had a great hike up to Spy Rock.  The route is kind of uneventful for the first mile, as it follows a steep, rocky forest road.  Hikers gain about 1000 feet in elevation over this mile, so it’s pretty tough climbing.  There wasn’t much scenery worth mentioning along this stretch, but there was one interesting tree (pictured below) that you can’t miss!  I thought it looked like a gnarled Ent.  We saw a few Appalachian Trail hikers descending the road.  They were probably on their way to the Montebello Post Office or the Dutch Haus. (this bed and breakfast is well-known for providing free lunch to thru-hikers)

This tree looks like an Ent. Below: The parking for the Spy Rock hike is well marked; Adam makes his way up the forest road; atop Spy Rock you get a great view of "The Religious Range" (the Priest, the Friar and the Cardinal)

The trail had lots of wildflowers and berries along the way. Below: We also saw lots of butterflies

Spy Rock is a bit of a challenge to climb.  The trail leading to it abruptly ends at the base of the giant boulder.  There is no clear path up the rock,  rather you pick and choose your own route based on what you think you can cling to or balance upon.  I definitely got a bit of vertigo climbing up, so I focused on taking some deep breaths and looking at the rock immediately beneath me.  Once I cleared the edge of the boulder, the head-spins I felt were made immediately worthwhile.  What a spectacular view!  The top of Spy Rock is enormous and flat – pitted with small pools of water.  There are mountain views in every direction.

We shared the rock with a couple more thru-hikers.  (there are still quite a few in Virginia – although I think the bulk of the pack is north of here, headed into Pennsylvania and beyond).  This pair didn’t seem to be having the best day on the trail, so we left them to their conversation.  We enjoyed the view for a short while and then hiked back – thankfully, all downhill.

Adam Says…

Spy Rock really provides some of the most amazing views in Virginia.  There are so many hikes in this area (like The Priest, Cole Mountain, and Mount Pleasant) that I think get missed by a lot of people, but I would definitely recommend taking a few days to visit this area of Virginia.  Traveling along the curvy roads to get to this hike defines to me what Virginia is all about – rolling hills, farmland, and mountains.

The trail starts off near the Montebello State Fish Hatchery.  You start the trail across from the parking lot.  You go around the road gate and up the gravel fire road.  The road is flanked by wildflowers and blackberries along each side and provides a steady uphill climb.   You will see blue blazes sporadically placed on trees or telephone poles up the side of the road.  You stay on this road for one mile (you will see lots of side roads to residential cabins, but stay on the main blue-blazed road/trail).  At this point, you will reach a junction with the Appalachian Trail.  Take a left to head north on the AT for another .5 miles.  You will then reach several well-established campsites and a sign pointing to Spy Rock.  You will need to scramble up the rock, so you may want to leave your trekking poles/hiking sticks at the bottom.  The scramble up the rock leads to amazing 360-degree views all around you.  Return the way you came.  For a longer option, The Priest is about four miles from Spy Rock, which would make for an 11 mile trip to two great views.

Thru Hikers on Spy Rock. Below: a marker at the trail junction; a nice camp site near Spy Rock; The view is beautiful in every direction

If you have a compass with you and a map, this is a great spot to test out your ability to follow the map and name the peaks around you.  Among others, you should have good views of Maintop Mountain, The Priest, The Cardinal, The Friar, and Painter Mountain.

For any geocachers out there, there is one geocache, Spy Rock Geocache, that is easily accessible from the summit.

I could have spent a long time up there staring into the distance and enjoying the scenery.  I can only imagine how gorgeous this must look in the fall with the leaves changing color.  I highly recommend this hike to everyone!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3.1 miles, out-and-back
• Elevation Change – 1260 feet
• Difficulty – 3
  
• Trail Conditions –4.  The forest road leading up the mountainside is rocky, but still east to walk on.  The half mile section of the Appalachian Trail is well-graded.  Spy Rock itself might be slight challenge to climb for some.
• Views – 5.  Amazing, breathtaking and expansive.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. None.
  
• Wildlife –3. We saw a couple deer and lots of butterflies.
• Ease to Navigate –4. Just follow the forest road up the mountain and turn left on the Appalachian Trail. Unless you follow one of the drives off the forest road or miss the Spy Rock spur, there’s no way to get lost.
• Solitude – 2. We saw a few groups of thru-hikers and a group of dayhikers.
  

Directions to trailhead:
From I-81, take exit 205 towards Steeles Tavern.  Take a left on to Rte. 11 and then a quick right on to VA-56 heading east.  Follow the road, passing under the Blue Ridge Parkway.  In Montebello, follow signs to the Fish Hatchery (Fish Hatchery Ln.)  Pass the signs for the hatchery’s nature trail and proceed until you see the signs for Spy Rock/Appalachian Trail parking.  There is a large parking area at the trailhead.

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The Massanutten Ridge Trail is a section of a large 40+mile system that takes off from an overlook at Massanutten Resort.   It offers great views from the top of the mountain.

The friendly goats were the highlight of the Massanutten Ridge Trail. Below: The hike also provided beautiful views of the valley below; blueberries (not ripe yet) were abundant along the trail; The goats used us like human salt licks; When we tried to walk on, the goat chased us down the mountain.

Adam Says…

If I could have a movie made about this hike it would be called “The Men Who Are Licked by Goats”.  Who would have thought that there would be feral goats on the top of Massanutten?

A hiking internet group I had joined, Valley Hikers, completed the Massanutten Ridge Trail Hike recently, but I was unable to attend.  While we have been up to the beginning of this trail before, we hadn’t completed the entire hike before.  We recently did the Kaylor Knob hike, so we thought we would also take care of the other hike from the top of the Massanutten overlook.

We parked one car at the Massanutten General Store near the ski slopes (see map) and then drove to start our hike at the overlook at the top of Del Webb Drive.  At the parking lot, you are treated to views of the ski slopes and mountains around.  You start the trail by climbing up a staircase to get to the level ridge.  The blue-blazed trail starts with a fairly well-trodden wide path.  There are spots along the way to peak through to see some views along the first .25 mile.  Around the .5 mile marker, the trail becomes much rockier.  You will need to constantly look where your feet are stepping or you could easily sprain an ankle.  This rocky, difficult portion continues for about 1.5 miles.  At mile 1.25 on the trail, you come to a nice overlook on the right side of the trail to see some views to the North.  At 2.25 miles, the trail eventually joins a gravel road.  You will see some blue blazes directly across the road, but there is not a trail there.  Simply take a right at this junction and climb the gravel road to reach the cellphone towers at the top.  The trail picks back up just to the right of the highest cellphone tower.  As soon as you rejoin this trail, you will come to the best views on the trail at some rocky overlooks.  At mile 3.0, you will also see a hang-gliding ramp.  It is insane to think of people just running and jumping off of this.  To your left, you will be able to see the ski lift drop-off for the top of the Diamond Jim and ParaDice ski trails.  During the ski season, the lift area is blocked off (maybe to keep people from illegally jumping on the ski trails).  There was a rope blocking it off still, but the cordoned area does not completely block access to the trail.  Continuing past the hang-gliding area, the trail continues and you start your descent.  At mile 3.25, the trail leads to an opportunity to walk down the ski slope.  You could continue further on the actual trail, but we were unsure how close it would return us to our car.  We jumped on to the slopes to take a steep descent back to our car at 4.0 miles.  During this last .75 miles, you descend about 1000 feet of elevation.  I highly recommend taking trekking poles to help keep your balance as you navigate the steep terrain.

The hike followed the ridge and provided many views of Massanutten Resort and the valley on both the eastern and western sides. Below: The middle two miles of the hike was extremely rocky and required quite a bit of rock scrambling; A view of a pond at Massanutten resort; Eastern Fence Lizards in a mating dance; We even stumbled across a Box Turtle on the trail.

The highlight of the trip definitely had to be the goats that we saw at the top of the ski slopes.  As soon as they saw us, they came running toward us to lick the sweat off of us.  It reminded me of a sign that we saw during our trip to Olympic National Park, warning us not to urinate in public or goats would come.  They love salt and were quite eager to lick the salt off of us.  So, beware if you are not into that thing, but I thought it was funny.  The goats were extremely friendly and followed us around for a while at the higher elevations.

There are a couple of geocaches that you could do from this hike:

This hike was tough due to the trail conditions, but it was great to see the views and the wildlife on the trail.

Christine Says…

I had art shows to work over the weekend, so we needed to find a short hike that was located really close to our home.  The Massanutten Ridge Trail seemed to perfectly suit our needs. I thought the hike would be a piece of cake because the ridgeline has very little elevation change overall.  So, I was rather surprised to find that it was a real hike with challenging terrain.  The middle section had a lot of tricky footing and rock scrambling.  It was a constant up-and-down, resembling a small scale roller coaster. Normally, it would be the type of terrain I really enjoy, but I was fighting off a cold all weekend.  My stuffiness and fatigue made this squarely moderate hike feel a lot tougher than it typically would.  There were definitely a few scrambles where I would have been happy to hang-glide right off the side of the mountain just to avoid climbing over anymore rocks!

The Goats were fun! Below: The cell towers on top of Massanutten are a real eyesore; trail markers along the trail are blue and show mileage; for the brave - there is a hang-gliding launch on top Massanutten; the sign shows gliding regulations and disclaimers; the mountain laurel was in full bloom along the trail; at the summit there were many vultures soaring.

My favorite part of the hike was the unexpected amount of wildlife we saw along the way.  It started off with a cute Box Turtle walking along the trail. Then we saw numerous Eastern Fence Lizards – two were even participating in a courtship dance.  There were lots of butterflies fluttering about and at the overlooks we saw plenty of vultures soaring on the thermals.  But the best part was seeing the two goats living at the top of Diamond Jim.  I spotted them first through an opening in the woods, and squealed “GOATS!”  I couldn’t stop laughing at the way they licked.  They went nuts for the salty sweat.  We decided to name the goats.  “Diamond” – the white goat – is shy.  She follows the other goat everywhere, but does not participate in the vigorous licking.  The red and white goat, we decided to name “Salt Lick”.  I think the basis of that name is pretty self-evident.

All in all, the Massanutten Ridge Trail was a pleasant surprise.  The views and the wildlife both far exceeded anything I expected.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4.0 miles as a shuttle trail or 6 miles out and back. (If you do this as an out and back, you will not be walking on the ski slopes and will likely miss the goats)
• Elevation Change – 1000 feet
• Difficulty – 3. The elevation doesn’t change a lot initially, but the terrain will make it hard work and slow going.
• Trail Conditions – 1.5. About 1.5 miles of the trail is rocky and then a very steep downhill at the end requires trekking poles to be safest.
• Views – 4.  You get some different views along the way, but the best views are from near the cellphone towers and hang-gliding platform.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0.
  
• Wildlife – 4. There aren’t many places you get to see free-ranging goats and I think most people see them here.  We also saw lizards and a turtle.
• Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  There was a couple of spots where it was a little difficult to see which way the trail goes, but since you’re on the narrow ridge, it is not hard to just stay on that ridge.
• Solitude –3.5. We didn’t see anyone there, but you do typically see a lot of people on the initial trail.  The people you see will generally be during the first .5 mile.  Not many people continue on this trail after that.

Directions to trailhead:
From Harrisonburg, head east on US 33 for about 10 miles. Turn left at the Exxon on the left and head on SR 644, Resort Drive.  Follow this road and take a left on Massanutten Drive.  You will reach a guard house.  Let the guard know that you are here to hike and they will give you a guest pass.  After about 3 miles, take a right on Del Webb Drive. Follow Del Webb Drive for about two miles until you begin to drive up to the ridge, where there is a parking lot on the left.  The trail begins up the small, wooden set of stairs leaving the parking lot.

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A mountain bike works best on this trail. Below: The trail crosses the creek a couple times.

Adam Says…

After our hike up Beards Mountain, we decided to try out a short bike ride.  Douthat State Park is known to many bikers for having some great mountain bike trails and is host to the Middle Mountain Momma Bike Race.  We did see a couple mountain biking on our hike to Beards Mountain.  The man was looking happy at the top of the trail and the woman was pushing her bike up the hill looking miserable (I’m sure they had an interesting car ride home).

The Flat Run Trail is only a five mile out-and-back trail.  I would strongly suggest having a mountain bike for this trail.  Christine started off on her hybrid bike, but she didn’t enjoy jumping over the rocks in the creek without suspension.  I continued on the trip solo since I do have a mountain bike.  I found the trail to be fairly easy for mountain bikers.  There are a few large rocky creek beds to cross as the trail goes in between the main road and Wilson Creek.

After your first few creek crossings, you will come across a bridge pictured above at about the .5 mile point.  At the 1 mile mark, you should be able to see some great fishing spots to your left of Wilson Creek.  At 1.5 miles, you will see the swinging bridge that leads to the Brushy Hollow Trail.  At 2.25 miles, you will see the beginning of the Stony Run trail. At mile 2.5, you will reach the end with a trail that connects to a parking lot a few feet ahead to the right.  This marks the end of the trail, so you can return the way you came or bike along the road back to your vehicle.

While it was a short bike trail, I did enjoy seeing the creek along the way.  The trail wasn’t too bumpy (except for crossing the creeks) compared to other mountain bike trails I have done.

You can view a topographical map of this trail here.

Christine Says…

I don’t have a mountain bike, so after two seconds of jarring bumps, I cut through the woods and continued riding on the road. That’s all I have to say about that.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5 miles
• Elevation Change – Negligible.  Hardly any elevation change.  It is called Flat Run for a reason.
• Difficulty – 2. Hiking or mountain biking it should be fairly easy. Most mountain bikers would give this a 1.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5 A few creek sections to cross, but other than that, it’s well maintained.
• Views – 0.  The trail is scenic in spots along the creek, but there isn’t anything very scenic on this trail.
• Waterfalls/streams – 2. The path does run along Wilson Creek for part of the trip.
  
• Wildlife – 1. You may see fish and minnows in the creek if you stop by to look.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5
• Solitude – 4.  I  didn’t see any people on the trail.  I think for mountain biking, people do most of the more serious trails over this one.

Directions to trailhead: Take I-64 to exit 27 near Clifton Forge, VA heading north on state route 629.  Continue on this road until you enter the park.  In Douthat State Park, the trail begins about .25 miles south of the park office before the fee station.  However, you do need to pay the fee before parking and using the trails.  There is a parking lot and sign for the beginning of the trail.

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A view of Douthat Lake from the trail. Below: The trails in Douthat State Park are clear and well-marked.

Adam Says…

This was our first trip to Douthat State Park and we were quite impressed.  The park contains over 40 miles of hiking trails.  The origin of the name “Douthat” is from a land patent given to Robert Douthat from the Governor Robert Brooke.  Part of this land makes up the park today.  The best guess as to how to pronounce the name I found was “dow-thut”.

Like most state parks, you have to pay $3 on the weekends to enter.  We went to the park office first to talk to someone about the two hikes we were contemplating – this one and Blue Suck Falls.  The Blue Suck Falls hike is close to 10 miles, so we opted for the shorter hike on this particular day.  Before we started, I wanted to check out two new programs that state parks are now offering.  The Trail Quest Program is something created to replace the state park passport program.  This program allows you to track the state parks you have visited online and there are some pins given as rewards based on how many you visit.  I started the passport system a while ago, which I have enjoyed, but I think this program is also a great idea.  The second opportunity is now all of the Virginia state parks are sponsoring geocaches.  Each park has a multi-stage geocache that leads you to a wildlife card for each park.  When you collect a number of these cards, you can also get some prizes.  Find out more about the program.

Most of the views along the hike were peeks through the trees. Below: Another glimpse through the trees; the stream along the Beards Gap Trail was made up of interesting terraced rocks; another view of Douthat Lake

Due to the tricky network of trails, I would recommend downloading the park trail map or picking one up at the park office.  There are also excellent topographic maps and video of the trails available.  The hike up Beards Mountain starts to the right of the park office entrance by taking the blue-blazed Beard’s Gap Trail.  This trail starts off relatively flat and crosses a creek a few times (it was dry when we crossed) before it starts an uphill climb with several switchbacks.  While I normally don’t enjoy switchbacks, this trail was well planned and it really takes the difficulty out of the elevation gain.  At 1.2 miles you will reach a trail junction and a hut that was created as an eagle scout project.  Take a left on this trail to join the yellow-blazed Mountain Top Trail.  At 1.7 miles, you will reach a junction of three trails.  You will see the Buck Hollow Trail and the Mountain Side Trail to the left, but you will just head straight continuing on the yellow-blazed Mountain Top Trail for the toughest climb of the trip.  At 1.8 miles, you will take a sharp right on a switchback and be able to see Douthat Lake below through the trees.  There are better views ahead.  The hike continues to climb up, leveling off around 2.0 miles, until you see a marker for the forest boundary around 2.5 miles.  At the marker, you will take a left to stay on the yellow-blazed Mountain Top Trail.  Around 2.7 miles, the trail begins to descend steeply.  Around mile 3.1 the woods will open up to reveal a very nice view of Douthat Lake below.  Around mile 3.4, as you are descending, you will come to another junction of trails.  Take a left on to the Mountain Side Trail.  This will continue be a fairly level trail that will eventually give you a third lower view of Douthat Lake around the 3.7 mile marker.  After the view, you will have a slight ascent back up to the familiar junction with the Mountain Top Trail.  At this junction, you will take a right down the blue-blazed Buck Hollow Trail.  Around the 4.7 mile marker, you will see a branched path that is marked as an Overlook Trail.  We did not go down that path this time, but it adds an extra .5 mile on to your trip.  Around the 5.4 marker, you will reach a junction and take a left on the white-blazed Wilson Creek Trail and you will cross a small bridge.  Shortly after rounding the corner, you will see a water tower that is on a gravel road.  Just cross the road and stay on the white-blazed trail.  The trail will eventually pass a few staff houses and a stone chimney around 6.9 miles.  Just travel the last .1 miles to reach the park office and your vehicle.

While we felt the views weren’t exceptional, we did really enjoy this hike.  We had a perfect hiking weather day with a cool breeze to keep from sweating profusely and to keep the bugs away.  We definitely plan on returning to visit and explore this park some more.  Most of the people that come here seem to come for fishing, picnics, and camping but I do think the trails we saw were very enjoyable.  While it was a longer hike, it wasn’t too tough to handle if you’re in decent shape.

Christine Says…

Beards Mountain was an enjoyable hike for a blustery spring day.  For a seven-mile hike, it was relatively easygoing. Most of the steep climbing was in the first third of the loop, which allowed for very pleasant downhill or level walking for the last two-thirds of the hike.

This was by far the windiest day I’ve ever been out in the woods – gusts were easily 45-50 mph.  The wind was really roaring through the mountains, catching on all the newly leafy trees.  Any time I looked up, I could see the treetops swaying and swirling dramatically above our heads.  Every now and then, we would hear branches snap – but thankfully none fell close to the trail.  It was nearly impossible to talk over the wind, so Adam and I hiked in silence most of the way.

Hiking Upward gave this trail a five-star rating for views, so I was really hoping there would be a pretty overlook to stop and eat our picnic lunch along the way.  Unfortunately, all of the views were merely small openings in the trees along the trail.  None of the viewpoints really had an off-the-trail space to sit and take in the view.  We ended up eating lunch along the ridge of Beards Mountain, near the National Forest border marker.  We love Hiking Upward, but have found that our opinions sometimes differ on what makes a five-star view.  For me, a top rated view has to be panoramic, unobstructed, offer a deep view into the landscape beyond and have a nice place for a couple people to sit and enjoy the vista. The views on this hike were nice, but I wouldn’t give them top marks.

We saw so many reptiles along the hike. Below: The Visitor's Center is both the start and end point of the hike.

The descent on this hike was long and followed a (usually) gentle grade.  The one thing that made it tricky was the dryness/looseness of the soil and the narrowness of the trail.  There were a couple spots along the Mountain Side Trail that had precipitous drops on the downhill side.  For some stretches, the trail was only 12-18 inches wide – not even wide enough to use trekking poles.  Every now and then, a rock would slip off the edge of the trail, and bounce endlessly down the steep mountainside.   It made me think that someone could get hurt pretty badly if they took a wrong step.  On these sections, I just kept my eyes straight ahead on the trail and my feet.  If I looked downhill, I felt dizzy.

I think in early June, a lot of this loop hike will be extremely gorgeous!  I noticed a lot of the trail was lined with mountain laurel.  When it blooms in a few weeks, it should be amazing.

All in all, I was really impressed with Douthat State Park.  The trail system there is pretty expansive and well-maintained.  I’ll look forward to visiting the area again sometime.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 7 miles loop
• Elevation Change – around 1400 feet
• Difficulty – 3.  Some sections are tougher than others, but we still felt it was fairly challenging.  The first couple of miles are the toughest.
  
• Trail Conditions – 3.  The trails were in decent shape, but some were a little overgrown and there were some areas affected by landslides that made for a narrow trail and careful footing.
• Views – 3.  The views are nice, but they are obstructed.  You won’t find overlooks with expansive views on the trail, but you do see pretty mountainous scenery through the trees throughout your hike.
• Waterfalls/streams – 1.5 There are some streams that might be really beautiful in times with lots of rain.  The water was down to a trickle when we visited.
  
• Wildlife – 2. We saw a couple of snakes on the trail, a few fence lizards, and some different bird species.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.  The trail is well-marked, but there are a lot of intersections and different trails to make this a loop.
• Solitude – 3.  We were surprised since it was a state park, but we only saw one hiker and a couple of mountain bikers on the trail.
  

Directions to trailhead: Take I-64 to exit 27 near Clifton Forge, VA heading north on state route 629.  Continue on this road until you enter the park.  Pay your fee at the gate and park at the park office just ahead on your right.  The trail starts to the right of the park office entrance.

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A View of Trimble Mountain from the Todd Lake Dam. Below: Todd Lake has a nice campground with flush toilets and hot showers. The lake is open to swimmers.

Christine Says…

Well, this entry should have been part four in the Backpacking 101 series, but sadly my sprained ankle forced us to bail out on the trip.  The weight of a pack on my sore ankle is still too painful.  Fortunately, I was cleared to do some light day-hiking again. So, on Saturday morning, Adam and I headed out to George Washington National Forest.

Trimble Mountain fit the bill for a light and easy hike. The four-mile trail isn’t too rocky and follows a gentle grade both up and down the mountain.  We parked along the road near Todd Lake.  Before hitting the trail, we climbed up the backside of the dam and enjoyed the lake view.  The top of the dam also provides a great look at Trimble Mountain. The sky was absolutely gorgeous – a real photographer’s dream.  It was the prettiest I’ve ever seen Todd Lake look.

Shortly thereafter, we were on our way up the Trimble Mountain trail.  Within a tenth of a mile, we reached a “Y” in the trail.  We took the left branch, following Hiking Upward‘s advice that it was the gentler, more gradual grade.  For about a mile and a quarter, we climbed steadily upward.  It was never tough climbing, but it was consistent.  The trail was really narrow and carved into the mountainside.  A lot of places, one foot was always laterally uphill from the other, and there was barely room for placement of my trekking poles.  It was also an unusually warm day for early May, so the bugs were out in full force.

Trimble Mountain actually has two summits with a saddle between.  Once you gain the ridge, the terrain consists of both uphill and downhill hiking.  There really aren’t any views to speak of at the summit.  Every now and then, we could see glimpses of the mountains through the trees, but there was never a sweeping, panoramic view along this hike.

There were so many different kinds of wildflowers growing along the trail.

The remainder of the hike went by quickly and was all downhill.  I stopped many times along the way to photograph the abundant wildflowers on the forest floor.  I also spotted a few little tree frogs.  They were so tiny and fast that I had a hard time getting photos.  They were the only wildlife we saw on the trail.

By the time we got back to the car, my ankle was quite sore again.  The downhill walking really seems to strain it.  I hope that little by little it will feel better and become stronger. Hopefully when it’s healed, we can make up that backpacking trip.

This little frog was about the size of a fingernail.

Adam Says…

We had been to the Todd Lake area before of George Washington National Forest, but this was our first time hiking Trimble Mountain.  Todd Lake receives a lot of campers and local visitors that want to enjoy swimming and basking.  The Trimble Mountain trail that is nearby doesn’t seem to get a lot of traffic.  We had the entire hike to ourselves on a beautiful day outside.  The bugs helped us realize that the warm weather is here.  One thing that is different about hiking national forest trails is that there isn’t a lot of maintenance to the trails.  There were a couple of trees spread across the trail and the trail was becoming a little more overgrown in parts.  We had heard that there were good views on this trail, but we were disappointed to find that most of the views are obstructed.  The only views you will see is in break in the trees.  The winter would probably lead to more views of the mountainside, but after the leaves fall this will look a lot more dull.  We enjoyed getting out to hike and the wildflower variety was definitely a highlight of the trail.

One of the few openings in the trees that provided a view. Below: Trees blocked most of the view; the trail is marked with double yellow blazes.

There is one geocache on the trail and a few at the nearby Todd Lake area.  The first you can find along this hiking trail.  The other trail would involve hiking along the Todd Lake Trail which you can reach from the opposite side of the road from the Trimble Mountain trail.  The Todd Lake Trail is a little less than a mile and takes you around the entire Todd Lake area.  Since the day that we did the hike was the 10th Anniversary of geocaching, I felt I needed to do a couple of these to celebrate the hobby.

• Trimble Mountain Trunk
• Daisy
• Todd Lake Trail

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4 miles – loop
• Elevation Change –around 1,050 feet
• Difficulty – 2 This climb on this hike is about two miles, but is very moderate.
• Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is narrow and little bit overgrown.
• Views –1. There are some nice glimpses of the mountains through the trees, but nothing remarkable.  Views might be nicer in the winter when trees are bare.
• Waterfalls/streams –1. In times of heavy rain, you’ll find several small streams along the trail.  Most of the year, these streams are dry.
• Wildlife – 1. The national forest is used by hunters, so animals tend to stay hidden.  We saw quite a few frogs and toads along the trail.
• Ease to Navigate – 5. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow.
• Solitude – 4. We didn’t see a soul.

Directions to trailhead: From Bridgewater, Virginia head south on Rte. 42 for about three miles, following signs to Natural Chimneys regional park.  Take a right on 613 and in less than one mile, take a left on state route 747.   Take a right .75 miles after Natural Chimneys to the intersection with 731.  Take a right heading north.  In about a mile, take a left on to State Route 730/North River Road.  This comes to an end and take a right on to state route 718.  In another mile, you will take a left on to Forest Road 95, entering George Washington National Forest (you will see signs directing you to Todd Lake).   The trailhead is about 3.5 miles on the left.  You can park on the side of the road right near a trailer dump station.   The trailhead is on the opposite side.  (There is a trail on the same side of the dump station that leads to the top of Todd Lake if you are interested.)

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The rhododendrons and wild azaleas are starting to bloom. Below: The view was cloudy and hazy from Kaylor Knob.

Adam Says…

For those that regularly follow our blog, you may know that Christine sprained her ankle badly during our hike up Buzzard Rock.  While she was healing, we participated in a Backpacking 101 course through PATC. The workshop concludes with an overnight backpacking trip scheduled for the first weekend in May.  We decided to test out the ankle with some extra weight to see if going on the backpacking trip would even be possible.  So, we got our gear together and decided to do a short hike to Kaylor Knob after work last Friday.

While you can approach this summit from Cub Run, we decided to try the shorter approach,  taking off from the overlook at Massanutten Resort.  The hike starts across the road from the parking lot at the top of the overlook.  We have hiked this trail several times to the first overlook where a geocache is hidden, but this was the first time that we took the hike to the summit.  Since the last time we did this hike, someone has improved the trail markings.  You simply follow the blue-blazed trail along the way (some points also have blue signs marked with a “K.K.” and the mileage).  At around .5 miles, you will come to a junction with another trail that is marked with pink blazes.  Just stay to the right and continue on the blue-blazed trail.  At .75 miles, you will come to a small rock outcropping that has a nice view to the west.  If you continue up the hill past this outcropping, you will continue to walk along the ridge.  You will see views to the west and east through the trees that will open up at different spots.  Shortly after 1.5 miles, you will come to the summit, which is marked with a larger outcropping and nice views to the east.  After taking some time to enjoy the views head back the way you came.  This trail also connects to Cub Run Road.  If you are interested in a longer hike (around 8.5 miles out-and-back), you could try this route.

Adam tries out the backpack.

I do think the views to the east are better than the views to the west on this hike.  If you wanted to see a nice sunrise, you should get up early to make it to the summit by sunrise.  If you are a geocacher, there are two caches you could easily reach hiking this trail:

• Kaylor Kache
• Ivory’s Massanutten Micro

This is a great short hike to do if you’re visiting the Massanutten area.

Christine Says…

Adam and I have a backpacking trip coming up, so I needed to get out there and give the ankle a good test drive.  Our original plan was to hike somewhere in Shenandoah on Saturday and then spend the night camping in our backyard.  However, the weather took a turn for the worse, and we ended up just squeezing in a quick hike to Kaylor Knob on Friday evening. (we also skipped the tent in the backyard  and slept in our nice, plush bed instead.)

I managed to load about 25 pounds of gear into our backpack for the “dress rehearsal”.  My ankle felt completely fine for the entire hike – stable and painless.  The pack was easy to carry and comfortable.  It did make the hills a little tougher, but I still felt really good.  I know our packs for the trip will be a little heavier, but this was still a decent test.

The Kaylor Knob hike is not particularly remarkable.  It’s pretty and peaceful and has two nice viewpoints along the way.  There are definitely more impressive trails in our area, but this one is a five minute drive from the house, so it was perfect for a quick after-work hike.

The Kaylor Knob summit has a nice place to sit.

Unfortunately, the morning after the hike, my ankle and Achilles tendon were pretty sore.  Even though they felt great on the hike, I don’t know if I’m 100% ready to go on our backpack trip.

Note: If you have a couple days in the area, be sure to check out the Massanutten Ridge Trail!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3.3 miles out-and-back
• Elevation Change – about 450 feet
• Difficulty –1.5 Most people should be able to do this.
  
• Trail Conditions – 3. While the trail is used often, it contains lots of pointy rocks.
  
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
• Views – 2.5. Pretty, but not terribly open or panoramic.
• Wildlife –1.5 There isn’t much room for wildlife on the top of this ridge.  Expect to see birds of prey soaring in view as well as many of the local birds in the thickets.
  
• Ease to Navigate –4.5. If you stay on the blue-blazes, you’ll be fine.
  
• Solitude –3. You may see some people due to its popularity with vacationers, but you should still have mostly solitude.
  

Directions to trailhead: From Harrisonburg, head east on US 33 for about 10 miles. Turn left at the Exxon on the left and head on SR 644, Resort Drive.  Follow this road and take a left on Massanutten Drive.  You will reach a guard house.  Let the guard know that you are here to hike and they will give you a guest pass.  After about 3 miles, take a right on Del Webb Drive. Follow Del Webb Drive for about two miles until you begin to drive up to the ridge, where there is a parking lot on the left.  After you park here, cross the road.  At the end of the guard rail you will begin the Kaylor Knob trail.

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From Buzzard Rock, you get a great view of Passage Creek and Fort Valley below. Below: The view below from this vantage point; Scrabbly pines are the predominant tree at the summit

Adam Says…

This was the first time that we had done this hike.  The hike seems to be very popular for people from nearby Front Royal, Winchester and Northern Virginia.  It is not too difficult of a hike, which makes it a great hikes for families and newbie hikers.

You start the trail from the parking lot and you’ll follow the double white blazes for the entire trip.  You begin walking through a piney area that will smell nice if the area has been warmed up in the spring/summer sun.  The trail has some hills to go up and down and a few small streams to cross.  Around 1.0 miles, you will arrive at a frequently-used campsite.  Just cross the campsite and continue up the trail for about another .75 miles until you reach the first overlook.  You will continue up the hill to reach the ridgeline.  Continue to hike across the ridge to take in the views from different angles.  Once you feel that you have seen all that you would like, you can return the way you came.

The trail is well-marked and connects to other local GWNF trails. Below: Lots of stuff along the trail is in bloom now; the rocks at the top are covered in lichen.

For any of those people that are interested in geocaching, you can grab three easy ones along the trail.  All of them are normal-sized containers and have some things to trade.  One of these was placed by our inspiration for a lot of hikes, Hiking Upward.

• Hiking Upward – Buzzard Rock Ridge
• Buzzard
• Buzzard Hideout

Unfortunately, this trip was marred for us since my wife sprained her ankle very badly at the top of the ridge.  She somehow managed to hike back down under her own power despite my offerings to carry her down – quite a trooper!  We definitely will do this hike another time.

Christine Says…

Buzzard Rock was a beautiful hike for a beautiful spring day.   The summit offers a great scenic payoff with minimal effort.  The elevation gain of 650 feet is very gradual with the exception of one very short, steep climb to the ridgeline.

The early part of the hike passes close to civilization, so the sound of cars and glimpses of houses are always in sight.  However, within a half a mile, the trail leads away from everything and passes through a pretty stretch of open woods with very little undergrowth.  In early spring, the forest floor is covered with tiny wildflowers peeking out from under the brown leaves. The view from the trail eventually opens up and provides a nice view of the Front Royal Fish Hatchery and the surrounding valley below.

The view of the valley below is beautiful! Below: The Front Royal Fish Hatchery; A view of the Buzzard Rock "spine"

From this point on the trail is extremely uneven and rocky – big slabs of stone, angle up out of the ground like jagged teeth… more about that later.  The view from the top is not as dramatic as other Virginia hikes, mostly because you can’t see many distant layers of ridges.  What you do see is a deep, narrow valley below with Fort Valley Road and Passage Creek winding their way through.  Because of all the recent rain, we could hear creek’s roar even hundreds of feet above.

We enjoyed the view, had some trail mix and then headed back down the mountain.  I stopped along to way to photograph some flowering trees.  When I turned to rejoin Adam, I moved a bit too hastily and carelessly.  The toe of my boot got caught between two of the “jagged teeth” on the ridge.  My toe stopped dead, but my ankle kept moving.  It completely rolled to the side, resulting in a bad Grade 2 ankle sprain.

I was extremely glad to get back to parking lot so I could stop walking on my injured ankle. Below: My bruised and deformed ankle.

My ankle immediately started to bruise and swell, but I had no choice but to hike myself out.  Adam found a makeshift walking stick in the woods, and that helped offset weight on my injured foot.  Nonetheless, it was a long two miles back down to the car. I’ll be off the trails for several weeks to come while my ankle heals and rehabs.  I’m hoping it won’t take as long as the doctor predicted.  I hate to waste three (or more) weeks of this fantastic spring hiking weather.

Wookie Says…

This was a great first hike of the year for me!  It wasn’t very steep, and I love to scramble on rocks.  What I liked less were all the small stream crossings on this trail.  I hate to get my paws wet and muddy, but that’s exactly what I ended up doing on this hike.  I actually acted quite brave, and on the return trip I crossed all the streams with confidence.  Maybe I’ll be a water loving dog yet!

Wookie had a great time on the hike.

I really enjoyed the breezy overlook atop Buzzard Rock.  I liked sniffing the air and feeling the sun on my back.  I even got to enjoy a few graham crackers from my masters’ trail mix.  I also got some water from my portable dog dish.

It was a great day, but I have a feeling I’m getting a bath when I get home.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4 miles – out-and-back
• Elevation Change –around 650 feet
• Difficulty – 2 This trail isn’t too steep and most people should be able to make it up to the top.
• Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is in decent shape.  There are some muddy spots and a lot of jagged rocks on the ridge.
• Views –3.5. There are great views along the entire ridge.  We would have liked it better if we couldn’t see a road below.
• Waterfalls/streams –1. There are a few rock-hops across some streams, but nothing photo-worthy.
• Wildlife – 1. This is a better bird-watching trip than a trip for spotting any mammals.  We were glad we saw a buzzard at the top since it is their rock.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5. The trail is well-marked with a white double blaze.
• Solitude – 2 . This is a popular trail for local families and also rock climbers.

Directions to trailhead: From I-66, take 340 South Exit.  Take a right on 55 – Strasburg Road.  Take a left onto 619 – Fort Valley Road.  Parking lot is on the right-hand side.  If you are arriving from the south, go up 340 (following directions for Front Royal Airport) until you reach 619-Rivermont Drive.  After a few miles, Rivermont Drive becomes Fort Valley Road.  Parking lot is on the left-hand side.

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Adam enjoys the vista from the west summit of Mount Pleasant. Below: Moss was still the only greenery along the trail. Leaves are still a few weeks away; The sign at the trailhead marks the loop at 5.2 miles. Our GPS marked it at 5.75, so we'll split the difference in mileage for this blog post.

Christine Says…

When we hiked the Cole Mountain trail last fall, we made a mental note to return to the area sometime to do the Mount Pleasant hike.   We’re so glad we did.  The hike up Mount Pleasant provides gorgeous views from both its east and west summits.  We had a crystal clear day and could see for miles in every direction.

We started out on our hike a couple hours later than we normally do.  The delayed start turned out to be quite fortuitous.  As we drove down Wiggins Spring Rd toward the trailhead, we saw 15-20 cars parked near the AT crossing and Cole Mountain trail.  We assumed that they were a group camping and hiking on the Cole Mountain trail and were thankful not to sharing trail with such a large crowd.  A little further down the road, the Mount Pleasant parking lot was empty with the exception of one frost-covered car that had obviously been left there overnight.

We started down the trail.  It was icy and muddy, but pleasantly flat for the first mile.  After we crossed a small stream, the upward climb began in earnest.  It wasn’t terribly difficult or steep climbing, but it was constant for the rest of the way to the summit.  Much of the trail was wet/soupy and covered with a thick layer of leaves.  There were several places that the trail was tough to follow, but I imagine that once more hikers pass this way, the trail will become clear again.

These could be the poster children for the defiance of Leave No Trace principles. This was just a portion of the group we encountered.

At around the 1.5 mile mark, we started hearing distant voices in the woods - lots of distant voices.  I looked at Adam and said “I don’t think all those people are on Cole Mountain after all.” At 1.9 miles we came to a trail junction being used as a rendezvous point for about 30 kids on a church youth group trip. I have never heard people being so loud in the woods.  One group of three boys thought it was hilarious to repeatedly scream “NINKOMPOOP” at the top of their lungs as they headed down the trail. In case any of those group members happen by chance to visit this blog, maybe they could look at the GWNF Rules for Visitors and maybe try to be a little quieter next time!

After we cut through the crowd, we took a right turn and followed the spur trail up to the mountain top.  On the way up, we passed about 20 more hikers from the same youth group.  As I mentioned earlier, it was lucky we started our hike late, or else we might have been sharing the beautiful mountaintop with 50 shrieking kids.  As it turned out, we had the view all to ourselves.

At the summit, there was a small sign with arrows pointing to the east summit and the west summit.  We headed west first.  The west summit is on a dramatic outcropping of rocks.  It provides an expansive, layered mountain vista, including a great look at the bald summit of Cole Mountain.  The east summit is also lovely, albeit a little less dramatic.  The view is mostly valley and farmland.

We stayed at both summits longer than we normally would.  We wanted to put some time and distance between ourselves and the youth group.  We took in the view, had a snack and a drink and took a few photos.

The hike back down from the summit brings you back to the trail junction, where instead of turning left to hike back down the way you came up, you continue straight on the Henry Lanum Loop Trail.  This trail will almost immediately begin to climb upward again – over the summit of Pompey Mountain.  There are no views from this mountain.  After reaching the peak of Pompey, there is a short, but steep downhill.    The trail from this point on is a mix of uphill and downhill walking until you’re eventually returned to your car.   On this loop, you definitely spend more time hiking uphill than you do hiking downhill.  If you want less climbing, I recommend hiking this as an out-and-back.  It won’t make the hike much shorter, but will significantly cut down on the climbing.

Adam Says…

The summit provides a beautiful view of distant mountains. Below: A telephoto shot of the Cole Mountain summit from the west side of Mt. Pleasant; The eastern summit is beautiful, albeit a bit less dramatic.

The hike up Mount Pleasant is one of the better hikes for views in Virginia.  If you have a few days to spend in this area, I would also recommend doing this and the Cole/Cold Mountain hike.  This area has some gorgeous mountains around you and the reason for the town nearby to be named Buena Vista.   When you combine both views from the two overlooks at Mount Pleasant, you get nearly a full view of the area around you.

The hike was not too difficult.  I would recommend that if just want to see the views, complete this hike as an out-and-back hike.  When we did this hike as a loop, we added on the trip up Pompey Mountain, but there are not any scenic views or much of note on the way back.

One interesting note about this trail is that you may see some remnants of fallen American chestnut trees throughout your hike.  They once covered this area until a fungal blight wiped out their population.   It is interesting to think how different these views would have looked in a canopy of chestnuts.

To know which way to start the hike can be a little tricky.  There are lots of paths away from the parking lot, including two blue-blazed trails marking the Henry Lanum Trail.  You will start the hike at the blue-blazed trail that starts off very flat.  The other blue-blazed trail looks clearly uphill and is the path that you will return. We felt this trail was a little hard to follow at times and could have used a few more blue blazes painted.  There were times we were unsure if we were still on the correct trail.

The trail starts off relatively flat or going downhill for about the first 1.5 miles.  Around 1.3 miles, you see a wooden sign that reads “Trail”, but other than that it is fairly easy to follow.  Keep following the blue blazes and you will eventually need to cross a couple of areas that may include small streams.   We didn’t have any trouble hopping across and I’m guessing that most of the year, it is relatively dry.  After you cross the stream, the trail will lead to the climb up to the summit.  Around 2.0 miles you will reach a junction sign that shows the Mount Pleasant Summit Spur Trail to the right.  This summit trail continues for about .4 miles until you reach the saddle.  A sign at the junction here shows there are overlooks to the West and East.  The western summit takes about .1 mile to reach and you will need to climb up the rock outcropping for the great views.  The eastern summit is closer and doesn’t require any climbing, but we were both more impressed with the views from the western summit.  Once you take some time to soak in the views, go back the way you came to reach the junction sign for the Summit Spur Trail.   If you want to continue the loop back to your car, you will continue straight on the Henry Lanum Trail.  This leads you through the forest for some more uphill climbs over Pompey Mountain.    From the junction sign, it is about 1.9 miles back to your vehicle.

Luckily, we were able to avoid the crowds of screaming teenagers that clearly don’t understand Leave No Trace principles.   Once more of the leaves start spreading their leaves, the summit overlooks will give you absolutely amazing views.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.4 miles – loop.
• Elevation Change –1350 feet.
• Difficulty – 3.5 This loop has long, moderate uphills and shorter, steeper downhills.  It’s one of those trails that makes you feel like you’re always walking uphill.
• Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is in decent shape.  There was a lot of mud when we hiked.
• Views –5. The east/west double summit of Mount Pleasant is magnificent
• Waterfalls/streams –1. There is a small stream in the woods on the departing arm of the loop.
• Wildlife – 0. Nothing, but doubtlessly the large church group scared any wildlife away.  We did see lots of juncos along the trail.  People interested in flora of the area should review this report.
• Ease to Navigate – 2.5. In several spots, the trail was hard to find under thick leaves and blowdowns.  Some blazes are starting to wear away and it might be easy to miss turns.  I think ease of navigation will improve as spring/summer approach and hikers wear the path down.
• Solitude – 3 . For today, we had a 0 for solitude, but we just had a bit of poor timing.  Being the namesake hike for this area, you will likely run into some other people on the hike.

Directions to trailhead:
Follow I-81 to Buena Vista (exit 188A).  After passing through the town of Buena Vista, follow US60/Midland Trail for 9.5 miles.  Take a left on Coffeytown Rd.  Follow Coffeytown for just under two miles.  Take a right on Wiggins Spring Rd. Follow Wiggins Spring for 3 miles.  This road will turn to a rugged gravel road.  Follow the signs for the Mt. Pleasant trailhead.  There is a small parking lot at the trailhead.

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Christine's dad and Adam at the Big Schloss overlook.

Adam says…

Since Christine’s birthday is this week, her parents wanted to do something to celebrate.  So, we decided to take them on a hike to Big Schloss and have a picnic.   We’ve done this hike on numerous occasions, but this was the first time for her parents.

German settlers to this area named this rock outcropping “Big Schloss” due to its resemblance to a castle.  “Schloss” means “castle” in German.

We parked at the Wolf Gap Campground.  There are outhouses near the parking lot in case you need to make a pit stop before the hike.   The Mill Mountain trailhead starts out from campsite #9.  You’ll see the trail marker indicating a distance of two miles to Big Schloss.

Christine's mom climbs the Mill Mountain Trail. Below: We saw lots of red and yellow in the trees already, the first panoramic view after the initial ascent, Christine's Mom and Dad check out the small cave

The hike starts off with a fairly steep and steady uphill.  However, you are getting this portion of the hike done with first, which is a nice bonus.  After .66 miles, your climb ends. When you reach the ridge, the trail takes a sharp turn to the left.   For most of the remainder of this hike, you will be walking on the top of the ridge, with occasional views through the trees to your left of the Long Mountain ridge and better views to your right.

At .78 miles, you will come to your first overlook.  We noticed quite a bit of tree color on the trail and at the overlooks, which gets us both excited for some fall hiking.   You’ll continue walking on the ridge, going slightly up and down, but not a lot of elevation change.  At 1.75 miles, you will reach a signpost leading you to take a right to take the Big Schloss spur trail to the summit just .25 miles ahead.   At 1.9 miles, you will see a campsite off to the left of the main trail and a small rock outcrop that holds a small cave.

You access the Big Schloss overlook via a small wood footbridge.

Shortly after this, you will cross a wooden footbridge and then reach the summit for the best views.  There is not a ton of room on the rocks to view the summit, but you will likely have a spot to enjoy the view and eat a snack.

At the summit, we ate a small handful of trailmix and then made our way back to the parking lot for a picnic lunch.  Christine’s mother went overboard on packing for the picnic.  She brought about 15 pieces of fried chicken, various pasta salads, pineapple, grapes, cheese & crackers, three different bags of potato chips, assorted beverages, and two birthday cakes (lemon blueberry cake and coconut cake).  We ate way more than should have, but we had a wonderful morning for a hike.

Adam and our friend Shannon found the Big Schloss Cache back in 2007.

If you are into geocaching, there is one that you can find not too far from the summit.

• Big Schloss Cache

Christine Says…

Big Schloss is one of my favorite hikes in the Lee District.  It’s a beautiful hike in every season!  Springtime brings a trail lined with mountain laurel and rhododendron.  In the fall, the changing foliage colors spread across the valley below like a colorful tapestry (photo from Fall ’08).  Summer brings fog in the valley and dense green foliage all around (photo from May 2007).  In the winter, views are crystal clear and unobstructed for miles and miles.

Big Schloss offers beautiful, panoramic views - especially to the west.

The area is popular with central Virginians.  The Wolf Gap campground is often full, and you’ll see hiking groups  – especially on weekends.  We’ve seen everything from hardcore mountain bikers to ultra-distance trail runners on the Mill Mountain trail.  A couple years ago, we even met a team of competitive cyclists helping an injured teammate off the mountain.  The terrain is very rugged, so I imagine you’d have to be an experienced mountain biker to travel this route.

On this particular day, we hiked with my Mom & Dad to celebrate my birthday.  In addition to their wonderful company, I also got the gift of a new hiking gadget before starting the hike.  My parents gave me a pair of Komperdell trekking poles.  I’ve been wanting to get a set of poles for quite some time now, so I was thrilled with the present.  I don’t really have the best of balance, so I loved the added stability the poles gave me hiking down the loose, rocky trail on the return trip.  I was also amazed with how much strain they took off my knees. The model they gave me has cork handles, which are apparently cooler and chafe less than other handle types.

We were surprised to see how many colorful leaves had already fallen.

When we started out on our hike, the sky was brilliant blue with just an occasional cloud passing by overhead.  By the time we got to the overlook, the sky was mostly cloudy and hazy.  It wasn’t the best view that we’ve ever had from Big Schloss, but it was beautiful nonetheless.  I loved seeing the hints of autumn starting to appear in the forest.  The Virginia creeper was crimson.  A lot of maples and dogwoods were starting to change, too.  At every open viewpoint, we could see distant ridges with red, yellow and orange trees peppered into the greenness.  Fall is definitely on its way, and I think it might be coming early this year.

We really didn’t stay too long at the summit, especially since we had a big picnic lunch waiting for us at the campground.  As Adam mentioned, my mom went nuts with quantity and selection.   I’m not complaining, but seriously… who brings two birthday cakes to a picnic lunch for four people?

My mom even brought birthday candles along.  My family “sang” Happy Birthday to me while the breeze repeatedly blew out the candles.  You’ll notice “sang” is in quote marks.  I have to tell you, my family cannot sing – not a single note.  They’re so bad, it’s become a family joke to make “Happy Birthday to You” sound like the saddest, most off-key, howl-inducing dirge you might ever imagine.  Since we were in a public place, my dad and Adam put extra effort into singing it loudly and badly.  I think I heard babies crying, dogs barking and campers exclaiming “What is that noise?”

After lunch, we parted ways with my parents and headed home.  It was a great hike.

Note: There is another great trail starting out from the Wolf Gap Campground.  If you have a couple days in the area, check out the Tibbet Knob trail.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4 miles out-and-back. Add another .1 mile to get to your car.
  
• Elevation Change –1000 feet
• Difficulty – 2.  After a rather steep .7 mile climb at the beginning, the trail is mostly level and follows a ridge.  There is one other short climb after the Mill Mountain Trail meets up with the Big Schloss spur.
• Trail Conditions – 2.5.  The trail is well-maintained but it’s rocky and has lots of loose footing in the first .7 mile.
• Views –4.5. The view are pretty spectacular – especially on a clear day.
• Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 0 We didn’t see anything beyond chipmunks, birds and squirrels.  We did see a fawn near the Wolf Gap campground.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Just stay straight on the trail.
• Solitude – 2. This trail doesn’t see the same crowds as trails in Shenandoah National Park, but it is a popular hike with the local crowd.
  

Directions to trailhead:
From I-81, take exit 279.  Follow Rte. 675 until it meets Route 42.  Turn right on 42 and then take almost an immediate left on 675 (Wolf Gap Road).  Follow Wolf Gap Road until you come to the Wolf Gap Campground (right on the Hardy County Line.)

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