The view from Loft Mountain is one of the nicest in the park. Below: Wookie perches on the tool chest at the Ivy Creek maintenance hut; Taking in the view from the first eastern-facing overlook. You'll pass this spot on the initial climb up Loft Mountain.

Christine Says…

When we got to the Loft Mountain Wayside to begin our hike, the temperature was hovering right around 40 degrees and the wind was howling through the trees, making it feel quite a bit colder!  I donned a fleece pullover, gloves and a hat for the first time since last winter.  It was kind of nice to bundle up for a change.  I actually enjoy cold weather and snow (although I dislike the short, dark days and bare-limbed trees that winter brings.)  This was the valley’s first real cold-snap of the fall season, and I was glad we had a chance to get out for another hike.  Since the hike was only about 6.5 miles, we brought our pug, Wookie, along for the trek.

The hike started off with a climb back up the Patterson Ridge trail and past the Ivy Creek Maintenance Hut to reach the point of the Appalachian Trail where our last segment left off.   Most of the early part of this section is a gradual hike up Loft Mountain.  After about a half mile of walking, I had already warmed up enough to ditch the hat and gloves.  Climbing uphill is a great way to heat yourself!

Christine and Wookie enjoy the windy view on Loft Mountain. Below: From Loft Mountain you get nice views of Massanutten peak and Skyline Drive; Wookie stays hydrated.

I went into this section only expecting two nice views – the same ones we had seen when we hiked the Loft Mountain Loop a couple years ago.  So, I was pleasantly surprised that the open vistas occurred pretty regularly throughout the entire distance of the hike.  Instead of cutting a straight line through the middle of the camping area, the Appalachian Trail swings a wide arc around the area, adding distance but keeping the trail more scenic. In fact, some of the nicest views came from rocky ledges not far off the trail behind the Loft Mountain campground.

When we got to one of the overlooks near the campground, and I had a vivid flashback to my childhood.  My family camped at Loft frequently when I was in elementary school.  I remember our run-down, brown pop-up camper and the smell of bacon cooking over the campfire in the mornings.  I remember my dad’s goofy-scary ghost stories, making s’mores and going for family hikes on the AT.  So many fond recollections!  But this rocky overlook stirred a memory that wasn’t so pleasant!  I remember once when I was maybe seven or so, my parents let my brother and I go unsupervised to the overlook.  It was only a hundred or so yards from our campsite and we were well within earshot of mom and dad. For some reason, I decided to sit right on the edge of the rock shelf and dangle my feet over the edge.  It was all lots of fun, until it was time to swing my legs around and stand back up.  When I tried to get up, I couldn’t do it.  I was suddenly and utterly paralyzed with a fear of falling off that rock ledge.  I screamed and cried and sent my brother running to get my dad.  He dashed down, grabbed me under my armpits and yanked me back from the edge.  I had really forgotten about that moment until we passed the spot on this hike.  Looking at it again, it wasn’t quite as scary or precipitous as I remembered.

This tree looked like one of J.R.R. Tolkien's Ents (see the eyes, nose and mouth?) Below: Butterflies were abundant, but they were all weak and slow due to the cold temperatures.

After leaving the Loft Mountain area, the trail is really easy.  It’s either downhill or relatively flat for the remainder of the miles.  We covered the distance at a really good clip.  We passed quite a few other people out dayhiking – especially in the vicinity of the Doyles River-Jones Run trail.  We saw a lot of dogs out hiking, too.  All but two were leashed!  This was unusual and very welcome!  Wookie is always one of the smallest dogs on the trail, and big dogs sort of frighten him a bit when they come bounding up freely.

Near the end of the hike, the trail crosses a scenic overlook along Skyline Drive.  Basically, you walk across the overlook and pick the trail back up on the south end of the paved area.  A few tenths of a mile after that, the trail crosses to the west side of the Drive for the last mile of walking.

Our other vehicle was parked at the end of the segment – in the Brown Gap parking area.  Good hike!

Adam says…

This section of the Appalachian Trail can look misleading on a map.  On the road, it passes from mile marker 79 to 83, but the distance is longer on the actual trail since this section separates from the road to the east and winds around Loft Mountain and the Loft Mountain campground before rejoining the proximity of Skyline Drive again.  We left one vehicle at Brown Gap and parked our first vehicle at Loft Mountain.

Some great views are a short walk from the Loft Mountain Campground. Below: Another nice view; Walking through the fallen leaves.

To make sure we cover every inch of the AT through SNP, we started off our trail by going down the fire road on the north side of the Loft Mountain wayside, across from the street.  You hurdle a small chain blocking off the fire road and then shortly take a right to head down the fire road.  You will pass the Ivy Creek Maintenance Hut and spring after about .3 miles.  At .6 miles, this fire road joins the white-blazed Appalachian Trail.  Take a right to head south and begin your climb up Loft Mountain.  At 1.1 miles, you reach a nice view to the east and at 1.6 miles you reach a few nice views to the west (along with an intersection with the Frazier Discovery Trail).  The trail then begins to take on a quick descent from Loft Mountain.  At 2.7 miles, you reach a post that shows a short side-trail to reach the Loft Mountain camp store.   At this point, you will begin to make your way around the Loft Mountain campground.  There are even a few trails to the campground, but you will see tents on a busy weekend through the trees.  Around 4.0 miles, you will also find some nice views if you step out on to the rocks near the campsites.  The trail begins to descend again.  At 6.1 miles, you will cross Skyline Drive and at 7.1 miles you should reach your vehicle at the Brown Gap parking lot.

Wookie was pretty happy with the hike. Below: As soon as the car started moving, he fell asleep.

This section of the AT had several great viewpoints.  The views from the top of Loft Mountain are in my opinion the best views from hiking in the southern section of SNP.  You’ll get to see views of mountains for miles and you can even glimpse Skyline Drive snaking through the mountain ridge.  It was also great to smell campfires from the Loft Mountain campground.  The smell of campfires on a cool day defines outdoors in the fall to me.

The day that we hiked this section happened to be JMU’s Homecoming.  Since we graduated from there a while ago, most of our close friends no longer return.  So, we typically try to avoid Harrisonburg that weekend, since it is packed with people at the restaurants, grocery stores, etc.  When we were just about a mile from the end of our hike, a group was coming up the trail and I heard someone say “Adam”.  It turned out to be a student assistant for our office and one of our JMU tour guides (of which, I used to serve as an adviser).  He was backpacking for a few days with some other students in his law program at the College of William & Mary.  It was great to catch up with him for a few minutes and it gave me a sense that we had our own version of Homecoming out on the trail.

Wookie Says…

It was great to get outside and do a hike.  On most trails, I tend to not be very confident with where I’m going.  I typically have Christine walk me, but I heel closely right behind her ankles with Adam walking behind.  This gives me a good buffer against anything we may come across on the trail.  But, if we are doing an out-and-back hike, on our return trip I remember where we’ve gone before, so I’ll walk proudly in front.  Since we did this with one car serving as a shuttle, I stayed in the middle on the hike.

The hike wasn’t too tough, since I’m in pretty good shape for a pug.  However, with about 1.5 miles left I started kicking my back foot out a little and was kind of limping along.  When Adam noticed this, we stopped.  It turns out I just had some mud between my pads which was making me step a little funny.  They don’t make hiking shoes for dogs like me, so occasionally this happens.

I did enjoy this hike, taking in the views and sniffing near the campgrounds for the smells of hot dogs cooking on the fire.  When we stopped for a quick break, I even found some peanuts on one of the rocks, left behind by some careless hiker.  I tried to wolf down before Adam & Christine noticed, but they were quick to grab me before I did.  I did have a few bowls of water to keep me hydrated and I got to eat some extra food when I got home.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 7.1 miles
  
• Elevation Change – about 800 feet
  
• Difficulty – 2. The hike was really pretty easy, but 7 miles might be long for some people.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The Appalachian Trail is typically in good shape, but this section was especially nice and not too rocky at all.
  
• Views – 5.  Many excellent places to take in the scenery below.
• Streams/Waterfalls – 0. None
• Wildlife – 1.  We didn’t see anything beyond birds and squirrels.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just follow the white blazes and sign posts.  The trail is very direct.  When crossing parking lots and the Skyline Drive, keep your eyes peeled for cement trail markers to continue your hike.
  
• Solitude – 2.  This hike passes Loft Mountain Campground and the very popular Doyles River-Jones Run trail, so you’ll like see quite a few people.

Directions to trailhead: Park one vehicle at Brown Gap, near mile marker 83 on Skyline Drive.  Then drive up to the Loft Mountain wayside, near mile marker 79 on Skyline Drive.  The trail begins across the street on the north side of the wayside.


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There was a nice group of eight people camping in or around the Pinefield Hut - our stop for the night. Below: Pretty mountain layers as seen from the Ivy Creek overlook; Our tent site was on a hill above the hut. You can see the roof of the hut through the trees; Adam climbing the trail upwards from Simmons Gap.

Adam and Christine Say …

We’ve found that with our backpacking trips, it’s usually easier to combine our thoughts into one large post.  Here we go!

Even though this backpacking trip was scheduled weeks ago, we weren’t sure until the last minute that we were actually going to pull it off.  It rained all week, Adam was having back spasms, our friends couldn’t make the trip and we were both coming off a particularly busy week at work.  Sitting in the air-conditioned house, pajama-clad, and watching TV from the couch seemed quite a bit more appealing than heading out into the damp, buggy woods with 30+ pounds of gear strapped to our backs.

The thing that ultimately tipped the scale in favor of hitting the trail for an overnighter was actually all the 9/11 anniversary coverage.  When Friday morning rolled around, Christine was feeling overwhelmingly sad.  All week long, virtually every news outlet had been covering 9/11 – bringing all the horrific imagery and stories back to the forefront.  Remembering and paying tribute is important to her, and she felt drawn to having a quiet, peaceful place to reflect without seeing any more images of people dying or cities burning.  We both wanted to be in the woods – away from the TV, away from the internet, away from the radio.

Adam takes in the view after the first climb out of Powell Gap. Below: There is not a paved parking lot at Powell Gap. Instead, you can leave a car in the grassy field next to the trail entrance.

We had a leisurely Saturday morning.  Christine made a big breakfast with eggs and biscuits (for Adam), blueberry pancakes (for herself) and bacon (for both of us).  After cleaning up dishes, Christine packed our camp food into Ziploc bags and put together bathroom kits.  Adam worked on loading our backpacks.  We decided to eat lunch at home and then headed off to the park around 1:00.  We chose to hike south along the Appalachian Trail from Powell Gap to Loft Mountain, with an overnight stop at the Pinefield Hut.  We brought two cars into the park to make the trip logistically easier, parking the return car at the Loft Mountain wayside.

We left on car in the grassy field next to the trail entrance at Powell Gap.  After doing last minute pack checks, we headed off.  The trail climbs immediately upward from the gap.  You gain about 300 feet in just a few tenths of a mile. Within the first half mile, you pass a pretty eastern-facing view of the valley below.  We stopped and made some pack adjustments.  Adam insisted on taking over the burden of carrying our extra water.  The south district of Shenandoah is famously dry, so we hauled a 3 liter Nalgene canteen so we’d have plenty of water for cooking and hiking on Sunday. Even with all the rain, we weren’t sure if the spring at the hut would be running.  Christine bickered with Adam over the extra weight of the water, because she didn’t want him to make his back pain worse.  In the end, he won and we headed down the trail with the extra 6.6 pounds of water hooked and freely swinging from a carabiner on the back of his pack.  He was definitely carrying too much and it did slow his pace down a bit!

We spotted a young bear on a hillside before the descent to Simmons Gap. Below: Stopping for a snack and map break at the Simmons Gap crossing; Our trekking poles make backpacking trips so much easier; Monarch butterflies were everywhere!

The Appalachian Trail between Powell Gap and Pinefield Hut is pretty uneventful.  There are a few road crossings, several climbs and descents, and just the one open view.  Most of the trail is just typical walking along a forest trail – pretty, but not remarkable.

On the descent toward Simmons Gap, a black shape caught Christine’s eye.  She turned back and mouthed ‘BEAR!’ to Adam.  Sure enough, a handsome yearling bear was perched on the hillside, quietly watching us pass.  She managed to get an OK photo of the bear, but he was really too far up the hillside for our pocket camera’s zoom capabilities.  We stood still and had a little stare-down with the bear for a few moments before he turned and lumbered up the hill.  We’ve decided the park has two kinds of bears: 1) indifferent bears and 2) scared bears.  The scared bears run as soon as a human comes into view.  Indifferent bears may cast you a sidelong glance, but otherwise ignore you and continue along with whatever they were doing before you spotted them.  We like the indifferent bears; they’re easier to photograph!  We’ve never come across an aggressive bear in Shenandoah – thankfully.

At the trail crossing near the Simmons Gap Ranger Station, we stopped and had a snack of cashews.  The cement post indicated that we had 2.2 miles to cover before reaching Pinefield Hut.  We figured we’d make it there well before dinner time.  As we were sitting on the grass eating cashews, another backpacker came up to us and asked which way it was to reach Brown Gap.  We pointed the way (12 miles to the south), rested for a few more minutes and then continued.  The trail climbing out of Simmons Gap was probably the hardest climbing of the day, but still fairly moderate. Christine noticed that Adam was really struggling with his pack weight, so we made some more adjustments and she took the big Nalgene canteen back.

We saw this timber rattler after climbing out of Simmons Gap. Below: A good look at the rattle.

As we continued climbing, we spotted the hiker headed toward Brown Gap stopped in the middle of the trail.  We didn’t see anything, so we continued climbing until we were right behind him.  He turned and said ‘There’s a rattlesnake on the trail!’  Christine replied ‘Ooooh, where?’  But as soon as she peered over his shoulder, she immediately saw the large snake laid out, almost completely spanning the trail.  He wasn’t moving or rattling.  We speculated that maybe he was dead or in a state of torpor.  We stood and looked at him for a good five minutes.  Finally Adam climbed off the side of the trail, making a wide arc around the snake (since he is definitely more fearful of snakes than Christine).  Christine followed suit, as did the other hiker.  As soon as we all passed, the snake slowly slithered off the trail and coiled up in the leaves about a foot off the path.  We got a few exciting photos of the snake before we headed off to finish our climb uphill.

Eventually the trail leveled off for a while before gently descending to Pinefield Gap.  Climbing downhill, we both noticed how much bear scat there was along the trail.  This area obviously has a pretty healthy population of black bears.  After one final road crossing, we had just two tenths of a mile left until we got to the shelter.

Pinefield Shelter lies just a couple hundred yards off the AT.  As we were walking down the side path to the shelter, we heard voices and laughter.  We were greeted at the shelter by six other hikers – a mix of thru-hikers, section hikers and weekenders. Peak use of AT shelters happens May- June, so we were a little surprised to see so many people at Pinefield.  Everyone was really friendly and they already had a great campfire going.  We chose a tent site up the steep hill behind the shelter.

We quickly set up the tent, inflated our sleeping pads and fluffed our bags before heading back down to the shelter to socialize and cook dinner.  We had a repeat favorite dinner from Backpacker’s Pantry – Pad Thai and Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert.  Two of the others hikers in for the night, Brendan and Ayla, had purchased a bag of marshmallows and were roasting them over the fire.  Talk centered heavily on food for much of the evening.  If there is one thing hikers have in common, it’s hunger!  We set our camp chairs near the fire and enjoyed an evening of conversation and a little music.  Ayla had a flute and Brendan carried a small guitar.  It was a pleasant evening, and you really can’t beat a good campfire!

Adam relaxes by the fire. Below: A comparison - the first photo is the park's representation of Appalachian Trail backpackers. The second and third photos are what backpackers really look like! Sometime soon, I think Adam and I are going to pose to recreate the park's image - spacy expressions and all!

Sometime after dark, we climbed back up the hill to our tent by the light of Adam’s headlamp.  Christine listened to the new book in the Game of Thrones series on her iPod and Adam continued to read his John Muir book.  As we relaxed in the tent, we began to notice that our tent site wasn’t quite flat.  It was on just enough of a slope that you can feel, even if you can’t see it!

Christine had a decent night of sleep – occasionally waking to the hoot of an owl or the sound of Adam thrashing around next to her.  He didn’t sleep well at all!   He still hasn’t figured out the best way to get comfortable with his sleeping set-up.   In the morning, everything had shifted to the downhill side of the tent.  Adam was crammed up along the tent wall and Christine was practically on top of him!

Almost everyone was up early, cooking breakfast and packing up their gear.  We took down our tent and shoved everything back into our packs.  We fired up our JetBoil and made oatmeal and coffee.  We didn’t even use all the extra water we had hauled down to camp, so we shared with everyone else.  Incidentally, the spring was running at Pinefield so we didn’t even need to carry all that extra water.  Oh well… better safe than sorry.

Our second day of hiking was a little tougher, but a little more rewarding in terms of views and scenery.  Ivy Creek, which we passed near the end of the hike, was actually running much more than usual  Our packs were lighter, since most of the food and water were gone.  The forest was beautiful and misty, with golden sunrays cutting down between the trees.  Spider webs covered with dew glistened in the morning sun.  We crossed paths with the hiker we had met at Simmons Gap the day before.  He was headed north, and looking for water.  We were kind of surprised, because he must have passed at least three decent water sources that morning returning from Brown Gap.

We got a great view of Skyline Drive and the mountains beyond on our second day. This view looks to the west. Below: Morning fog created some nice sunrays in the forest; Ivy Creek was running nicely; Spider webs glistening in the morning light.

We reached the junction of the AT and the trail down to the Ivy Creek maintenance building around 10:15 a.m.  It was a quick downhill walk of .6 miles back to Skyline Drive.  We got to the Loft Mountain Wayside around 10:30.  Even though it was still on the early side, we wanted lunch!  The cook behind the counter was nice enough to make us fries and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches even though they were technically still serving breakfast.  It really hit the spot!

After lunch we passed through the gift shop and picked up a couple 75th Anniversary Shenandoah souvenirs – a magnet and a Christmas ornament.  We’d been meaning to get something from the anniversary all season.  Park shops are only open for a few more weeks, so we figured it was now or never.

Lunch at the Loft Mountain Wayside. Below: Our hike down to Skyline Drive from the Appalachian Trail took us past the PATC's Ivy Creek trail maintenance building; Adam crosses Skyline Drive and heads toward the Loft Mountain Wayside where we left our car. Unfortunately, someone whacked our car pretty hard while we were away. We have a huge dent and a paintless streak on the passenger side now. Boo!

We were back home before 1:00, which was perfect!  We had the rest of the day to relax and clean up before heading back to work on Monday.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 10 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 2500 feet over five different climbs
  
• Difficulty – 3.  Mostly uphill climbing on this hike.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail was in pretty good shape.  Some areas were slightly overgrown and there were a few tree blowdowns, but otherwise, it was fine.
  
• Views – 3.5.  Some nice eastern views on the climb up from Powell Gap and nice western views near the Rockytop overlook.
• Wildlife – 4.  We saw many signs of bears along the trail (and saw one), we saw our first timber rattlesnake, and several pileated woodpeckers.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Not many turns on the Appalachian Trail, but a few turns to make it to the Loft Mountain wayside.
  
• Solitude – 4.  You will likely see people near Powell Gap and Loft Mountain, but not a lot in between.
  

Directions to trailhead:  Mile 70 on Skyline Drive, park in the large field.  You’ll see the post for the Appalachian Trail from the lot and head south.

Path to Pass Mountain Hut. Below: Adam walks along the Appalachian Trail descending Pass Mountain; Rocks along the trail descending Neighbor Mountain; We crossed Skyline Drive at Beahm's Gap.

Christine Says…

Last weekend was one of my only free weekends between July and August (lots of art shows and an upcoming trip to Maine!), so we decided to go for a hike.  I wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere that required a long drive, so we settled on doing another section of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park.  We’ve completed the central district and a couple segments in the south district, but we had yet to hike any of the AT in the park’s northern section.  To make the drive time the shortest possible, we chose to hike from Elkwallow to Thornton Gap (Rt. 211).

We started out at the Elkwallow Picnic Area, the same exact spot we began our backpacking loop down to Jeremy’s Run last year.  After a short downhill to meet the AT, we began a gradual, steady climb up the trail – the first of three significant climbs on this section of trail.  We passed lots of thickets of ripening blackberries along the trail.  We also saw a lot of eastern red columbine still in bloom.

Blackberries along the trail. Below: Red eastern columbine; a couple unidentified wildflowers; Indian Pipes

After the first climb, the trail is really gentle and level until you reach the next climb, headed up Neighbor Mountain.  The Neighbor Mountain trail, which branches off the AT, is another option for making a loop with Jeremy’s Run.  It’s a little longer than the Knob Mountain Loop we chose, but the steepness of the climbs are a little more gradual.  At the junction of the AT and the Neighbor Mountain trail, we ran into two gentlemen that turned out to be doing the same exact segment hike we were working on.  They offered us a share of their fresh picked peaches and plums from a local orchard!

Near the trail junction, you have the option to take a side loop past Byrd’s Nest #4, but we decided to stay on the AT.  Descending Neighbor Mountain is a little steep and rocky.  On the steepest part of the descent, we passed three section hikers slogging uphill.  Near the bottom of the descent, we stopped for a snack and were eventually passed by the two guys we met at the Neighbor Mountain junction.  We continued to play ‘leap frog’with them for the remainder of the day.

Adam takes in the view from Pass Mountain. Below: Blueberries ripening; Adam picks berries.

A bit later, we crossed Skyline Drive near the Beahm’s Gap overlook and began the final big climb of our hike – over Pass Mountain.  I didn’t really expect any views on this hike, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a very nice overlook just north of the Pass Mountain Summit.  It was a little hazy, so the view wasn’t as pretty as it could have been.  Even if the views were slightly lacking, the abundant wild blueberries more than made up for it!  It was one of the thickest, densest accumulations of ripe berries I’ve ever seen!  (and this is coming from someone who has spent many, many summers in Maine).

The park has a policy allowing limited gathering of berries, nuts and seeds for personal consumption, so we ended up picking about a quart of berries.  I made vanilla-blueberry pancakes with them.  YUM!

After we picked berries, we had a short distance more to climb over the summit.  After crossing the high point, the remainder of the hike was an easy downhill grade for a couple miles.  With about 1.5 miles left, we passed the spur trail to the Pass Mountain Shelter.  I ditched my backpack and hiked the extra .2 miles down to the shelter.  It was set in a pretty opening under the trees.  I took a peek at the journal and noticed one of the recent entries mentioned a bear visiting the shelter!

After the shelter, we continued downhill back to the car.  When we crossed 211 to get back to where we parked, we noticed that there were police cars and park rangers all over the road.  It turns out that 211 was closed due to a fatal motorcycle accident – very sad.  Since we had to wait for the road to open, we headed back into the park to get some lunch at Elkwallow Wayside.  It was a tasty, indulgent treat after our hike.

Adam Says…

Well, we’ve reached about the halfway point in covering the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park.  With the Central District done, we have been starting to work on some other sections in the North and South districts.  This was our first section through the North District.

We parked one car on 211 near the sign for where the Appalachian Trail crosses and outside the park boundary.  We drove the other car to the Elkwallow Picnic Ground.  The trail starts right near the privy and heads down into the woods.  Continue on this spur trail for a short distance until you reach the junction with the Appalachian Trail.  Take a left heading south on the white-blazed trail.  In about a quarter of a mile, you reach a junction with the Jeremy’s Run trail but stay on the Appalachian Trail.  The trail begins to ascend fairly steeply and you will gain about 500 feet of elevation over the next mile.  The trail levels off at this point and even starts to descend for the next two miles.  At 3.2 miles, you will start another ascent of 400 feet.  You will then pass a junction with the Neighbor Mountain and Byrds Nest 4 trail.  We stayed on the AT, but you can take the trail to the Byrds Nest shelter and it will rejoin the AT after the shelter.  The trail descends again over the next mile and you reach Skyline Drive at the Beahms Gap parking area at mile 5.2. Cross Skyline Drive and begin the ascent up Pass Mountain as you gain 600 feet of elevation over the next mile.  Once you reach the unmarked summit of Pass Mountain, the hard part is over and it is two miles back to your vehicle on 211.

Pass Mountain Hut. Below: The shelter has a picnic table and a firepit; A peek inside the shelter journal; A curious doe along the trail.

The best part of the hike was definitely getting to the summit of Pass Mountain.  We were hiking near the summit and we saw a rock outcropping to the west of the trail about 100 feet.  Christine was doubtful that there would be any opening for views, but I said that I thought there would be.  When I went to investigate I saw there was a decent view, but I was quite pleased to see all the wild blueberries.  As Christine mentioned, we have often seen blueberries when we go hiking in Acadia National Park in Maine, but these patches seemed untouched.  We spended about 30 minutes picking blueberries and taking in the view.  We also thought of our friend, Suzanne, that accompanied us on the backpacking trip in Dolly Sods the previous week.  She went crazy for wild blueberries, and we pictured her screaming in glee over these patches.  There were still lots of blueberries that weren’t ripe enough to pick, so if you are interested in doing this hike for some blueberries, I would hit this trail in mid to late July.  I’m guessing that this trail could also be frequented by bears since they tend to go where the food sources are.

The Appalachian Trail is like a green tunnel through the woods. Below: Christine crossing 211 at the end of the hike; Blueberries at home!

Christine was impressed when I spotted the indian pipes on the trail.  Of course, I wasn’t sure what they were called.  I just said, “Isn’t this something you’re interested in?”  She has quickly become great at identifying wild flowers.  Maybe one day I will get there also, but I can at least point some things out for now.

Most of this hike is more or less a walk through the woods.  The terrain wasn’t too tough, and this is not a section of the AT that is riddled with views and interesting things along the way.  Unless you’re tackling a section of the AT, I would say that most people that you would run into on this section are hiking up Pass Mountain.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 8.35 miles (8.75 if you do the optional side trail to the Pass Mountain Hut)
  
• Elevation Change – 1600 feet
  
• Difficulty – 3.  This hike is a moderate mix of climbs, descents and flats.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail is in great shape, but a little overgrown due to the wet summer.
  
• Views –2.5  The view from Pass Mountain is nice.
  
• Wildlife – 1.  We saw a deer but nothing else.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5.  The trail is unmistakably easy to follow.
  
• Solitude – 2.5.  You probably won’t see many hikers after the peak of thru-hiking season.  We saw only a handful of people over the miles.
  

Directions to trailhead: From Skyline Drive around mile marker 24.3, follow the signs to the Elkwallow Picnic area (not Elkwallow Gap parking lot).  Park near the privy.  The trail starts next to the privy.

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Adam and Wookie enjoy the summit of Hightop Mountain.

Adam Says…

We started off our hike by parking one car at the Swift Run Gap entrance and one car near the Powell Gap trailhead around mile marker 70 on Skyline Drive.  The trail immediately starts with going uphill.  Get used to it, because 3.6 miles of this hike is uphill.  You gain 1250 feet of elevation during this stretch.  For 1.7 miles, the hike from Powell Gap until you cross Skyline Drive again at Smith Roach Gap was overgrown in many parts.  I can imagine that maintaining this section of trail was more challenging this year with all the rain, but we wish we had a weed-whacker with us to keep the grass and weeds from brushing up against our legs.  The mountain laurel during this section was so abundant.  It gave good cause to pause from huffing and puffing up the trail.  After crossing Skyline Drive and continuing the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, you will continue your ascent.  The trail was not as overgrown in this section.  At mile 2.7, you will reach a blue-blazed spur trail that leads to the Hightop Hut, adding .2 mile to your hike.  At mile 3.6, you will reach the summit of Hightop Mountain which has an overlook with valley views.  The trail begins to descend at this point, through some slightly-rocky terrain.  At 5.1 miles, you will cross Skyline Drive again.  Continue to follow the trail until you reach Swift Run Gap at 6.4 miles.

Wookie on the Appalachian Trail. Below: The mountain laurel were gorgeous along the trail.

I really think Wookie enjoyed himself on this trip.  It was his longest hike ever, but he pushed on through. We are always amazed at how we think he would be exhausted for the rest of the day, but he runs around the house as soon as he gets home like a puppy on crack.  I think it is his way of boasting to our other dogs that he got to do something fun.

The views are always nice at the top of Hightop Mountain.  This trail does get some decent traffic (especially in the area between Swift Run Gap and the summit), since it is really the first hike you could possibly do in the southern section of the park if you are driving from the north.  We had met the thru-hiker “Shenanigans” at Hightop Hut, who talked to us for a while.  He had heard of the Bearfence Mountain hut being closed.  Rangers had put up a sign letting people know that the hut was closed, which helps the thru-hikers plan on where they were staying next.  His goal was to make it up to Big Meadows, which would have given him a hike of close to 30 miles for the day.  We went to check out the Trail Days festivities at Big Meadows Lodge and talked to one of the ridgerunners.  These ridgerunners are hired by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club to basically hike the maintained trails through the area, talking to hikers, and checking in on the huts/cabins along the way.  He told us that the Bearfence hut was going to be re-opened, so hopefully Shenanigans had a closer place to stay if he wasn’t feeling like doing a ton of miles that day.

Christine Says…

A couple days after we returned from our Virginia Highlands trip, we decided we were ready to go for another hike.  After all, June 4^th was National Trails Day, and we couldn’t let the day go by without hiking somewhere.  We didn’t want to go anyplace that required a lot of driving.  We also wanted to do something shorter, so we could bring Wookie along.  Pugs are not the best hiking dogs, but Wookie always enjoy accompanying us on less strenuous hikes on cooler days.  In the end, we settled on another Appalachian Trail section.  Swift Run Gap is only a 10-15 minute drive from our house, so we decided to do the 6.4 mile section between Powell Gap and Swift Run Gap.

We stopped at Hightop Hut and chatted with the thru-hiker 'Shenanigans'. Below: One of the Skyline Drive crossings; Columbine in bloom.

This section of trail is about 65% uphill.  It’s never unbearably steep uphill, but for almost the first four miles, you are almost always climbing.  The trail goes by one nice view, from the summit of Hightop Mountain.  It also takes you by Hightop Hut, which is another overnight stop for multi-night backpackers and thru-hikers.

On the particular day we hiked, much of the trail was lined with mountain laurel at their peak bloom.  2011 has been a fantastic year for mountain laurel.  Spectacular, abundant, lush blooms have been everywhere across the mountains.

At the summit of Hightop Mountain, we encountered two hikers and their dog.  Their dog clearly wanted to eat Wookie for breakfast, so we were extra glad she was leashed!  We enjoyed the views and the breezes.  Hightop has a great view of Massanutten Mountain – one of the most distinct and impressive mountains on our local skyline.

After Hightop, the last couple miles of the hike were pretty easy – lots of downhills and flat.  We were back at the car by lunchtime, so we decided to drive up to the Big Meadows area to have lunch and check out the PATC display for Trails Day.

We were able to say hello to one of our instructors from Backpacking 101.  We also chatted with trail maintenance crews and participated in a demo of their big two-man saw.  We happened to catch one of the ridgerunners at a ranger display and were able to chat with him about a bear incident we heard about near Bearfence Mountain Shelter.  Apparently, a bear was getting too bold for his own good near the shelter.  He had even started exploring tents in search of food.  The last straw was when the bear destroyed an unoccupied tent belonging to a thru-hiker.  The bear was trapped and transported to a less populated area of the park.  While rangers worked on trapping the bear, the shelter was closed, forcing hikers to push on another 10-12 miles to the next shelter.

We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at Big Meadows – burgers, fries and blackberry milkshakes (YUM!).

Wookie Says…

This is the first time in quite a while that I’ve been invited out on a hike!  It was a nice cool morning, so Christine and Adam decided to bring me along on a 6.4 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail.  It’s the longest hike I’ve ever been on!

I had a lot of fun trotting along the trail.  I like walking second in line, because I feel safer between my two humans.

When we got to Hightop Hut, I considered stealing some trailmix from the thru-hiker, but Christine wouldn’t let me.  Instead, I got to drink a bowl of water from my collapsible dog dish.  On the summit of Hightop Mountain, I met a big, black and white spotted dog.  She was really loud and scary.  I think she would have attacked me if she had free run.  Being so small, I always appreciate dog owners that follow the rules and keep their canine hiking companions on six foot leashes.

On the last mile of the hike, I started getting really tired.  I could barely hold the curl in my tail, I was so exhausted.  When we got back to the car, I stretched out on the floor between Christine’s feet and took a nap until we got to Big Meadows.

At lunch, I even got some well-earned treats – a few fries and some of Christine’s burger patty. I would have liked to taste a blackberry milkshake, but I don’t think anyone was willing to share.  Lots of people wanted to pet me and say hello at National Trails Day.  I guess hiking pugs are sort of unusual!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.4 miles one-way with a shuttle required.
  
• Elevation Change – 1250 feet
  
• Difficulty – 2.5  The trail is over halfway uphill, with a few steeper sections.
• Trail Conditions – 3.  The trail between Powell Gap to Smith Roach Gap was overgrown.  Otherwise the trail is fairly well-maintained, but there are a few loose rock sections going downhill.
  
• Views – 4.  Great views.
• Wildlife – 2.  We saw a few deer and a scarlet tanager on the trail.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just stay on the Appalachian Trail. 
  
• Solitude – 2.5  The promixity to the beginning of the south district of Shenandoah National Park make this popular for the last three miles of the trail.
  

Directions to trailhead: On Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park, go to mile 70 in the South District of the Park.  Park on the side of the road, near the sign for Powell Gap.  You will see the beginning of the trail on the eastern side of the road.  Follow the white blazes.

Blooming Trillium Along the Appalachian Trail. Below: Adam makes his way along the AT; The only view on the hike comes from an opening in the trees near Pocosin Cabin; Climbing the one rocky section of trail; Ferns were everywhere!

Christine Says…

This post should have been about our backpacking trip to White Rock in George Washington National Forest.  We spent all morning on Saturday getting ready – making toiletry kits, forcing our sleeping bags into waterproof stuff sacks, testing batteries in our headlamps, filling our Camelbaks, et cetera.  We even drove the nearly two hours over into West Virginia.  The forecast called for a 30% chance of spotty showers, however, at the trailhead we found a steady deluge of cold rain.  We sat in the car for about an hour and a half, waiting for the rain to pass by.  It never did, so we bailed on our backpacking trip and headed home feeling completely bummed out.

The next morning, we woke to drizzle and clouds, but the local weather guy kept saying “Not a washout, don’t cancel outdoor plans, dry air moving into the area.”  So, we decided to head out into the gloomy morning and finish our last section of Appalachian Trail in the central district of Shenandoah National Park. We had already hiked three sections – Big Meadows to Bearfence, Skyland to Big Meadows and Skyland to Thornton Gap, so that left the nine miles between Bearfence and Swift Run Gap.

It turned out to be a perfect day for this hike!  The drizzle stopped shortly after we arrived in the park, and the cool, overcast weather was ideal for a hike through the woods.  I always like cloudy weather when I’m going to be photographing scenes under the tree canopy.  The clouds are like a giant softbox – filtering the light and making every scene look softly-lit and shadow-free.  Sunny days in the woods always result in spotty/stripy uneven photos – the contrast between light and dark is too much.

The yellow lady slipper is a rather uncommon wildflower. Below: A collection of wildflower shots... trillium, wild violet, wild geranium, and some others we don't know.

It also was a fabulous day for enjoying the amazing display of wildflowers Shenandoah has underway right now.  I saw everything from wild violets to expansive carpets of trillium to colorful and rather uncommon yellow lady slippers.  The forest floor lining the trail was like an ocean of wildflowers – there were so many.  It was so gorgeous!  I think I must have said “Can you believe all these flowers!?” to Adam at least five or six times.  I don’t think he was as moved as I was!  For example, when I spotted the lady slipped, I gasped and said “Oooooh – oh, my gosh – look!”  He thought I saw a bear cub, and was duly disappointed when he learned I only saw a flower.

In addition to all the wildflowers, we also saw many birds that we don’t see often down in the valley.  We saw two mating pairs of Scarlet Tanagers, several Baltimore Orioles, many Eastern Towhees, Eastern Phoebes and a few Bluebirds.

This section of Appalachian Trail is a good example for why the path is aptly nicknamed ‘The Green Tunnel’.  Even though the leaves were not fully out, the trail always felt like a narrow passage cutting through the greenest of greens.  Everywhere you walk, trees form an umbrella overhead and ferns, grasses and other understory plants come right up to the trail’s edge.  It’s such a peaceful setting.

We didn’t pass any grand views – really, the only spot you could really see off into the distance was one small peek through the trees shortly before passing the Pocosin Cabin.  We also didn’t pass any streams bigger than small runnels that could be traversed by a single large step.  We also didn’t see many other hikers.  We ran into several AT thru-hikers.  They’re probably the first of many we’ll see over the next couple months!  Late May through the end of June seems to be when most of them pass through Shenandoah.

The Pocosin cabin sits just a few hundred feet off the Appalachian Trail. Below: Spring leaves are starting to pop up at even the higher elevations; Lower elevations are already leafed out; Lunch at South River Picnic Area.

As we got closer to the South River picnic area, we started seeing a few more people – a man out looking for morels, a few couples walking the South River Falls loop, and lots of picnickers.  We stopped at the picnic area and ate our packed lunch.  It was a nice place to take a break before knocking out the last three miles of our hike.

Most of the last three miles we hiked just a few months earlier, when we did the Saddleback Mountain loop.  There were several places along the trail that I remembered seeing covered with a dusting of snow last time we passed by.  Green leaves dramatically change the scene!  It didn’t look like the same place at all.

The last couple miles of our hike were all downhill back to Swift Run Gap.  Overall, this nine-mile section of trail was really easy walking, with only about 1300 feet of climbing.  And although it didn’t have the most impressive scenery, I enjoyed the hike very much.  It was a great ‘consolation prize’ for our canceled backpacking trip!

Adam Says…

This hike finished our Central District section hike of the Appalachian Trail.  Please see our Skyland to Thornton Gap, Skyland to Big Meadows, and Big Meadows to Bearfence entries to read about the entire hike through this section.  We hope to continue working on sections in the South and North districts of Shenandoah National Park to complete this section of the AT.

Bearfence Hut is an overnight shelter for backpackers. Below: The trail down to the shelter is slick and steep; the AT passes right behind Lewis Mountain campground and cabins.

We left one car at the Swift Run Gap entrance to the park and then drove up to the Bearfence Mountain parking lot around mile 56.8 on Skyline Drive (keep in mind there is also a Bearfence Trail parking lot around mile 56.5, so be sure to park at the correct lot).  There is a parking lot on both the west and east sides of Skyline Drive.  The Appalachian Trail picks up near the parking lot on the eastern side of Skyline Drive.  Head south on the white-blazed AT.  The trail descends slightly and you will soon come across a spur trail to the Bearfence Mountain Hut, that can be used for overnight backpackers.   The .1 mile spur trail is steep and may be slippery on the way down, but it is always interesting to see these huts along the AT.  Continue along the AT and the trail ascends slightly.  You will be able to see spur trails along the way to the Lewis Mountain Campground and picnic area.  After passing by this area, the trail will descend again.  At 2.7 miles, you will cross over the Pocosin Fire Road as you start a 500 foot ascent.  At the 4.0 mile mark, you will reach the peak of Baldface Mountain and then begin your descent.  At 5.5 miles, you will reach the South River Picnic Area to your right.  This is a great place to stop and eat a snack or use the restroom.  Once you get past the South River picnic area, you will shortly come across another fire road.  Take a left at this road to continue on the AT.  You will follow this road uphill a short distance and then you will find the entrance back on the AT on the right-hand side of the road.  Keep following the AT as it ascends the Saddleback Mountain.  You reach the peak of Saddleback Mountain around mile 7 on your hike.  You then descend for the next two miles back to the Swift Run Gap station.

The highlights of this hike were really all the bird sightings and the wildflowers.  There seemed to be a trillion trillium on the trail.  We really enjoyed seeing all the Baltimore Orioles (no sign of Cal Ripken, Jr.) and the Scarlet Tanagers.  With the rain being so heavy this spring, the colors were bursting.

Native Azaleas Along the Trail. Below: Closeup of azaleas; Adam passing a pretty dogwood at the end of the hike.

We enjoyed hiking the little side trail down to Bearfence Hut and chatting with a group of section hikers.  They had spent a rainy night in the shelter and were gearing up to hike another 8+ miles to the Big Meadows area.  One of the group was a boy, maybe eight or nine.  He asked if we were thru-hikers and talked about how much you have to eat when you’re hiking.  It was nice to see a kid learning to love the outdoors.

We also diverted down the trail to Pocosin Cabin for Christine to take a couple photos, but ended up staying only briefly because we didn’t want to disturb the party that had rented the cabin.  They had an adorable long-haired German Shepherd puppy named ‘Chance’.  He greeted us near the privy and was in full play mode!

I did feel a little out of shape on this hike.  It seems that after I hit the seven mile mark, my legs tend to cramp and I have to hobble along the trail.  Hopefully this will improve over the next few months.  The first part of the hike was great, but then fatigue started to set in for me.  Christine has been doing a ton of training with weights and cardio this spring, so she felt really energetic the entire hike.  Personally, I thought it was great to see the car at the finish line!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 9.25 miles. This includes the shorter spur hikes to Bearfence Hut, Lewis Mountain Campground, Pocosin Cabin and South River Picnic Area
  
• Elevation Change – 1350 feet in three main climbs.
• Difficulty –2. This is a pleasant and easy section to hike.
• Trail Conditions – 4. Very nicely maintained and easy to walk.  There are several rocky sections.
  
• Views – 1. You get one decent view near Pocosin Cabin.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 3.5. You will likely see deer and you may even see some black bears during the warmer months.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4. Follow the white blazes.  The one tricky place is where you cross the fire road that leads to South River Spring and the PATC maintenance hut.  As you come out on the fire road, follow it downhill to pick the AT back up.  You should see a white blaze.
• Solitude – 2. You will likely see people along the trail, especially near South River and Lewis Mountain.
  

Directions to trailhead: Park at mile 56.8 on Skyline Drive at the Bearfence Mountain parking.  The trail begins near the eastern parking lot.

Adam takes in the view from the Piedmont Overlook. Below: Mt. Bleak House was built in 1843 and is open for tours; An Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker makes his way down the trail (he is in the far left of the photo, beyond the dogwood trees); A cute village in the valley below.

Adam Says…

This hike was amazing!  I can’t believe that we had never been to Sky Meadows State Park until now.  Each year, Christine and I pull a list of hikes together that we want to try and cover.  When I was looking through the Falcon Guide Hiking Virginia book, they mentioned under “other hikes” to try the Sky Meadows State Park.  I am shocked that the authors didn’t feature a trail through this area rather than leaving it as a footnote.  I think this is one of the best hikes in Virginia for views.  I would liken the scenery and open views to those you would find at Cole Mountain or Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers.  Put this on your list of “must hikes” – you won’t regret it!

Pick up a trail map at the park entrance or download one.  Across from the Visitor Center, you will see the Park Office on the hillside.  Walk past the large board showing the map of hiking trails and walk up the gravel path that leads into the woods.  Once you reach the fork, take a left and continue down the gravel Boston Mill road.  Continue on this road, passing by the junction with the Gap Run trail, until you come to the junction with the South Ridge trail at .45 miles.

The Snowden House ruins. Below: We crossed this small stream early in the hike. It's probably dry most of the year; Adam makes his way up the South Ridge Trail; Adam reads information about Snowden; Dogwoods were at their peak.

Take a right on to the yellow-blazed South Ridge Trail.  The trail begins to quickly climb up the steep hillside.  At .5 miles, there is a short spur trail to a nice view.  At .58 miles, you will come to the Snowden Ruins.  You’ll see the foundation of the old homestead along with what is left of a stone chimney.  Further up the trail, you will come to the South Ridge overlook which sits under a dogwood tree.  Continue along the trail which tends to ascend most of the way.  At 2.2 miles, you will reach a junction with the North Ridge trail.  Take a left up the blue-blazed North Ridge Trail.  At 2.6 miles, you will reach a junction with the white-blazed Appalachian trail.  Take a right, heading north on the Appalachian Trail.  At 3.5 miles, you will come to a fork.

Take a right at the fork to go on to the light blue-blazed Ambassador Whitehouse trail.  At 3.9 miles, you will come to the Paris overlook viewpoint, which also provides gorgeous panoramic views.  After this viewpoint, the trail descends back through the woods.  At 4.53 take a left back on to the North Ridge trail, but in just a few feet you will take a left up the red Piedmont Overlook trail.

Adam under the Dogwoods. Below: Hepatica; Tiger Swallowtail; Mayapple Flower

The trail ascends through a steep section here, but you will climb up a few stairs and then reach a wider trail that leads to a few benches and the Upper Piedmont Overlook.  Enjoy the views here and as you climb down to the Lower Piedmont Overlook.  After passing by an old farm building, you will climb over a few stairs and then down until you come back to the Boston Mill Road at mile 5.1.   Take a left on the road and you should be making your way back to your vehicle and the Visitor Center.

The land that became Sky Meadows State Park was donated by Paul Mellon (son of Andrew Mellon – U.S. Secretary of State from 1921-1932), a famous philanthropist, art collector, and Kentucky Derby-winning horse owner.   He donated 1132 acres of the land in 1975 and later more donations (including the land for the Appalachian Trail) have taken it up to the current 1862 acres.  The history of the land also dates back to Lord Fairfax and previous owners had ties to Belle Grove.

This really was a perfect day to do this hike!  We started off the day with a trip through Shenandoah National Park to view some early morning wildlife and to take in some breakfast at Skyland.  We then made our way to Front Royal and headed to Sky Meadows State Park.  The weather was perfect for hiking with highs in the 70s and a breeze throughout.  The sky was very clear with a few clouds, but no threat of rain.  The views were extraordinary and I can’t wait to come back some time.

Adam find the Hiking Upward Cache. Below: Lunch on the trail; Turning onto the AT; Making our way across the high meadows.

If you are interested in geocaching, there are several geocaches to find on this loop:

Christine Says…

Last Saturday was a perfect spring day.  We got up before sunrise and drove through the central and north districts of Shenandoah National park en route to Sky Meadows State Park for a day of hiking. (Passing through Shenandoah, we saw a bear and had a good breakfast at Skyland!)

Sky Meadows was established in the early 1980s and is home to a beautiful restored Civil-war era farm and twelve miles of hiking trails – including a little snip of the Appalachian Trail.  Sky Meadows is unique in that its campground has no car access.  Anyone wishing to stay overnight has to hike in to their campsite.

We parked at Mt. Bleak House.  From there, we hiked down a gravel path leading to the park’s network of trails.  Finding the trail we wanted to start on was a little tricky, because park maps were not to scale.  After a little fumbling around, we were on our way up the South Ridge Trail.  The trail climbed slowly and steadily uphill, past the ruins of Snowden – another old farm within the park’s boundary.  All that’s left standing of Snowden is a crumbling chimney and a number of foundations from outbuildings.  The site has a plaque describing the house and the people that lived there many years ago.

From Snowden, the path ascended continually passing through open meadows and pretty forest.  The dogwoods and redbuds were all near their peak of spring glory.  The flowers on the trees were truly spectacular against the perfect blue sky.  The breeze kept bugs (and sweating) at bay!  It really was ideal weather to be outdoors.

A Beautiful Redbud along the trail. Below: A view into the valley from the Piedmont Overlook; More Views; A spectacular dogwood.

For a while, the trail was pretty level as it passed through thicker woods.  We startled a turkey and watched it fly off, chortling and gobbling in dismay at being disturbed.  I must say… turkeys look really funny in flight.  The trail in this area was lined with lots of tiny wildflowers – mostly violets and hepatica.

Eventually, we started climbing again and came to the junction of the North Ridge and South Ridge trails.  We contemplated stopping for lunch at this point, but decided to press on, following the North Ridge trail to where it meets Appalachian Trail.  Another nice thing about Sky Meadows… there are benches at most trail junctions and overlooks.  It’s nice to have a comfortable place to sit and eat lunch – away from ticks, poison ivy and other crawly things.  We ended up using the bench along the Appalachian Trail for our picnic spot.

For lunch, we feasted on sandwiches, brownies, grapes and cheese.   Adam was eating his cheese and looking especially contemplative, when he turned and asked me “What kind of cheese is this?”  I responded “It’s mozzarella and cheddar twisted together.  You don’t like it?”  He said “No, it’s really GOOD… it sort of tastes like lobster dipped in melted butter!”  It’s weird, but he was actually kind of right – something about the texture of warmish mozzarella blended with the flavor of sharper cheddar ended up tasting remarkably like lobster. We’ve taken to calling this particular cheese snack ‘Lobster Cheese’.

While we ate lunch, we watched several other groups of hikers pass by.  No one really seemed to know where they were going.  Someone asked us if Harper’s Ferry was where the Appalachian Trail began.  Someone asked if they were already in Shenandoah National Park.  Two guys with cigarettes, sodas and no hiking gear contemplated aloud to one another “Should we go to Shenandoah or Harper’s Ferry?” (they were 20+ miles from either destination.)

After lunch, we headed north along the Appalachian Trail for a short while.  Along the ridge, the forest completely opened up to high meadows with amazing views into the valley below.  We were walking along the trail, chatting, when a fast hiker snuck up and passed us from behind.  He turned out to be the first AT thru-hiker we’ve seen in Virginia this year.   He’s definitely ahead of the pack!

We passed this old farm building on the hike down the Piedmont Overlook Trail. Below: A pretty lone tree; Adam stands in the middle of a huge four-trunked tree.

We really enjoyed walking across the open meadow terrain.  Most hikes we do are through thick forest, so this was a welcome change of pace.

At the junction of the Ambassador House Trail, the Appalachian Trail continued north and we turned right to make our way across more meadows and downhill to the Piedmont Overlook Trail.  We dipped back into forested area and passed a really cool four-trunked tree.  It was big enough for Adam to stand inside between all the trunks.

We took the optional arm of the trail uphill to get to the actual Piedmont Overlook, which was beautiful!  I loved seeing all the little houses and farms below in the valley.  From the overlook, the remainder of the hike was steeply downhill across open meadow.

Mt. Bleak House Grounds. Below: A couple other shots from the Mt. Bleak grounds.

We arrived back on the gravel road and made our way back to the Mt. Bleak House area.  We stopped in the gift shop and chatted with the ranger.  We overheard her asking everyone walking in “Did you hike today?” and pretty much everyone answered “No – we’re just here to picnic!”  So, I made a point to tell her that we had hiked, had a great time and thought the park’s trail system was fantastic and very nicely maintained.  Adam got his passport book stamped and got credit for finding the state park’s official geocache.  We took a few minutes to poke around the farm and talk to two historical interpreters – one of them in a wonderful Zouave uniform.

We enjoyed our day in Sky Meadows very much.  It’s definitely a park we’ll visit again.

On our way home, we stopped briefly in Linden, Va to buy apple butter-cinnamon donuts from the Apple House.  If you’re in the area – you should do the same – they’re delicious!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.5 miles.
  
• Elevation Change – 1100 feet with one large climb in the beginning of the hike.  It’s mostly downhill or flat afterwards.
• Difficulty –2.5. The beginning section is the toughest and is not for every person, but if you take it slow most people will be fine.
• Trail Conditions – 4. It is very well-maintained.  The only rocky section was the .3 mile section on the North Ridge Trail.  The trail is wide in most places for two people to walk side-by-side.  Some sections you are even walking on soft grass.
  
• Views – 5. You have lots of views along this hike of the valley and farm below.  On a clear day, you can see for miles!
• Waterfalls/streams – 1. You cross one small stream in the beginning. It’s probably dry most of the year.
  
• Wildlife – 2. We only saw one wild turkey and some other birds (there are bluebird boxes along the road).  They have spotted golden eagles in the area recently.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3. There are many options and junctions with other trails and the trails are not that well marked along the way.  While I don’t think a lot of people get lost up here, I do think some people take wrong turns before deciding they may have not gone the best way.  Take a trail map!
• Solitude – 2. You will likely see people along the trail.  However, I think most of these people will be within a mile of the visitor’s center.  While we did see several people, you should be able to find your peace along the trail to soak in the views.
  

Directions to trailhead: From Route 17, turn on to Edmonds Lane as you see the sign for Sky Meadows State Park.  Follow this road until you reach the parking lot in front of Mt. Bleak House.  Park your car here and then walk past the large billboard with hiking trails on the small gravel path near the Park Office House.  All of the hiking trails start once you reach the junction on the edge of the woods.  Take a left to start your hike.

Adam makes his way along the Appalachian Trail up to the top of Bear's Den Mountain. Below: Adam and Wookie pose at the Beagle Gap sign; This white blaze looked like it was painted on a headstone; Adam passes some giant rocks along the trail.

Adam Says…

Those that have been following our blog may know that we have been working on hiking the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park in smaller sections.  On this day, we decided to handle the stretch between Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap in the south district.  We left one vehicle at the junction of I-64 before the pay station at the park’s south entrance.  We then drove into the park and parked at the Beagle Gap parking area (not the Beagle Gap overlook).

The Appalachian Trail crosses the road at this gravel parking lot.  We crossed the road from the parking lot and headed through the gate.   Take a left as soon as you go through the gate and walk through the field .  The south-bound AT then climbs rather steeply through some open areas and crosses over a fire road early on the trail.  At .5 miles, you reach a communication tower and some old tractor seats.  I’m sure that many AT thru-hikers have enjoyed taking a brief rest on these seats.  At one point, I’m sure these seats provided a nice place to view the western sunset, but now the trees in front have blocked some of the scenery from view.  Continue past this area and keep following the white blazes to stay on the trail.  At the one-mile marker, you will come to another communication tower.  Stay on the white-blazed AT and the trail begins to descend.  At 2.0 miles, the trail reaches McCormick Gap and crosses Skyline Drive.  Cross the road and you will come to a small ladder stile that will lead you on to private land.

This part of the trail is on private land, but hiking on the AT is allowed.  As soon as you cross over the stile, you will see a weathered sign pointing the way to continue on the Appalachian Trail.  This section of the AT is very steep as it winds up Scott Mountain.  At 2.4 miles, the trail levels off and you will begin to enjoy some obstructed views (probably very limited during the spring and summer months) of Waynesboro and the farmlands around the city.  At 3.0 miles, you will begin several miles of very gradual descent (with some uphills thrown in) until you come out onto Skyline Drive.  Continue to follow the road for a brief walk back to your car, crossing a bridge over I-64 before reaching your vehicle.

This is one of the few open, meadow-like sections of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Below: This section of the trail uses an easement on private land; Some colorful dried plants on the mountainside; An open and barren view from Bear's Den Mountain.

The hike from Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap was an interesting section of the AT.  The way up to the communication towers included some of the more open areas of the park.  Most hikes in Shenandoah National Park involve hiking through the woods, but this first two-mile section gives you nice views around.  When we got to the communication tower, it was interesting to think of what would have been here before these towers existed.  I can just imagine people in the 1950s hiking up from the road to view the sunset and perhaps having a picnic at the top.  You can also read an interesting history on the area on PATC’s website here which explains the use of Rockfish Gap during the Revolutionary War.  I also found an interesting print of Rockfish Gap and the mountain house, showing how the views from the end of this hike may have looked back in the day.  I’m glad we did this hike before Spring hit, since many of the views through the woods would have been obstructed with leaves on the trees.

Christine Says…

Well, winter is over and we didn’t meet our goal of finishing the entire AT through Shenandoah.  In fact, we’re still less than a quarter of the way there.  The road through the park was closed so often this winter, that it was really tough for us to get to the sections we needed to hike.  The section we hiked most recently, Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap was a shorter segment than we usually like to hike.  Adam’s knee was bothering him, we wanted to take Wookie and we had a limited amount of time, so the 5.7 mile segment ended up being perfect for the day.

Old tractor seats are planted in the ground next to the radio towers on Bear's Den Mountain. Below: The radio towers; Wookie enjoys relaxing on a tractor seat.

The day was so pretty and warm!  The skies were crystal clear and blue, but there weren’t really any signs of spring in the mountains yet.  I led Wookie on his leash – which was a little bit tricky to do with my trekking poles.  He kept yanking them slightly forward or to the side, especially on uphills and downhills.  Wookie is actually really well-mannered on a leash – but he likes to walk up and down hill much faster than I do!  I envy his energy.

We took a short break atop Bear’s Den Mountain to enjoy the open views.  The radio towers are a distraction from the natural beauty of the area, but I suppose they’re necessary.  Upon leaving the summit, the trail was actually a little bit confusing.  There were some unmarked side trails that crossed the path.  The fire road that runs alongside the trail was also somewhat misleading.  Luckily, the AT through Shenandoah is generously marked with white blazes and even when we took the wrong path, we were quickly able to notice the lack of blazes and set ourselves right.

Adam climbs the stile heading south out of McCormick Gap. Below: A beat up old AT sign; Wookie and Adam share some trail mix; The PATC does a great job maintaining trails and shelters along the AT in Shenandoah.

I noticed that this section of Appalachian Trail was a bit more up and down than typical for the park.  The climb down and up through McCormick Gap is actually quite steep – especially the southbound climb up leaving Skyline Drive.  That was really the only tough section of this hike.

Once we were out of McCormick Gap, the remainder of the hike was a gentle series of rolling ups and downs (mostly).  We passed a lot of giant boulders, had a snack, crossed a shallow stream, and enjoyed the views looking down into Waynesboro.  We passed a couple other hikers headed north and saw one southbound backpacker. Soon, Skyline Drive and the distant interstate came into view and we were back at the car.

Wookie Says…

When I heard Christine and Adam talking about hiking from Beagle Gap, I knew I had to come along.  I was assuming that this was an area that beagles gathered, so I thought it would be great.  But alas, there were no beagles around.  We hiked up to the communication towers and I got to sit on the old tractor seats.  I was a little skeptical at first, but I found a good seat to enjoy the views and relax a little.  I had two big highlights on the hike.  The first was meeting Winnie.  Winnie was another pug that I met on the trail.  Her master was a PATC member that actually maintains this section of the trail.  It was impressive to learn that Winnie’s master also backpacked the entire Shenandoah National Park over ten days for her 70th birthday!  I’m always a little nervous meeting new dogs on the trail, but it’s nice to see some other hiking pugs out there.  My second highlight had to be the snack that I had.  Adam gave me a few bites of Cinnamon Apple Pie trail mix which included some dehydrated apple bits, cinammon-covered yogurt, and pecans.  It was a great boost to give me some energy to finish the hike.  Overall, the trail wasn’t too tough for me.  There are a few steep sections in the beginning and from McCormick Gap up to Scott Mountain, but by the end I was proudly leading the way.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.7 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 800 feet
• Difficulty –2.5. There are a few uphill steep sections heading southbound, but the longest stretch of them is .3 miles.
• Trail Conditions –4. The trail is well-maintained and the footing was great.
• Views – 3.5. The best views are during the beginning of the trail before you reach the communication towers.  There are obstructed views towards the second half of the trail.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
• Wildlife – 1. Other than birds, we didn’t see much wildlife here.  
• Ease to Navigate –3. The only tricky section was around the communication towers.  You just want to be sure you follow the white-blazed trail.  I believe the other trails from the communication towers will still bring you the same way, but I would stick to the white blazes.
• Solitude– 3. We only ran into a few people on this trail. During the summer, the hike from Beagle Gap to the summit of Bear’s Den Mountain is quite popular, though.
  

Directions to trailhead: On Skyline Drive, park at mile 99.5 at the Beagle Gap gravel parking lot on the eastern side of the road.  The trail begins across the road on the western side and through the gate.

Reflections on Beaver Lake. Below: Some of the trail around the lake is traversed by boardwalks; Two docks overlook the lake; a shallow stream feeds the lake.

Christine Says…

We happened to be in Richmond for the CAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (JMU lost in the first round – Boooooooo!) last weekend.  Since we had some free time on Saturday morning, we headed over to Pocahontas State Park for a short leg-stretcher hike.  It was a warm, but cloudy, day – spring is definitely in the air.  On our way to the park, we even saw some cherry trees starting to flower.

I was surprised by how big Pocahontas State Park is – especially so close to Richmond.  As it turns out, Pocahontas is actually Virginia’s largest state park.  After paying our $5.00 parking fee, we headed over to the CCC Museum and Nature Center area, where our trail began.

The hike traces the perimeter of Beaver Lake, using a series of gentle paths and boardwalks.  We followed the trail counterclockwise.  The near side of the path was relatively flat, while the far side climbed up a small ridge and followed a series of easy ups and downs.

Adam finds a geocache. Below: Trails in the park are clearly marked; Fallen trees have been carved into chairs; An abandoned beaver dam.

Beaver Lake is slowly being consumed by the landscape around.  Erosion and plants are reclaiming the water, and turning the area into a freshwater marsh.  There wasn’t much growing when we visited, but in the spring and summer, the area is covered with water lilies, cattails, and other aquatic plants.  We saw a few buffleheads on the water, but they were too far off to get a decent photo.  We also saw evidence of beavers – an old dam and lots of gnawed trees.  Though, I doubt any beavers still live in the lake.  It’s probably too shallow.

One of the things I really liked along the trail were the tree stumps that had been sawed into chairs.  What a clever way to make use of a fallen tree!

The hike was short and easy, so we were done within the hour.  I’m really looking forward to nicer weather, longer hikes and hopefully several overnight backpacking trips.  On the way back to the hotel, we even got the chance to stop by REI!  That was a real treat for us because we only have one very small outdoor store in our area.  We were able to pick up some new backpacking gadgets and I got a new pair of hiking shoes.  I can’t wait to try them out!

Adam Says…

When we were thinking about checking out the CAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, I suggested that we try to find a hike in the area.  I had been a few years ago to Pocahontas State Park and thought it would be a great place to start.

It is great that Richmond has a nice park just about 20 minutes away in Chester, VA.  This park is quite popular with people trying to get outdoors without having to drive too far.  This park is definitely a multi-use area.  We saw lots of mountain bikers through the park and we saw several trail runners on the Beaver Lake Trail.  The footing is perfect for trail running and only has a few hills, making it great exercise or cross-country training.

Virginia State Parks has developed a great Virginia Outdoors website that features all of the hiking trails in the park. After reviewing a few options, we picked the Beaver Lake Trail for our trip.  You can also download a map of the trail here.  The signage for the trail system is nicely done to ensure that you are on the right trail when junctions appear.

Buffleheads on the lake. Below: The park has a lot of holly growing; The first buds of spring; The trails are popular with bikers.

We parked at the nature center and found the signs for the blue-blazed Beaver Lake trail. The trail passed by an old furnace and then descended until you reach the lake.  At the lake, there is a nice pier to view the water and do some birdwatching.  We then took the trail counter-clockwise, which went around the lake.  During most of the beginning of the trail, the lake was in view.  We were serenaded by frogs in the lake, which reminded us both of the sounds of didgeridoos.  Along this northern part of the lake, there are a couple of places to get close-up views of the lake.  After about .75 miles, the lake shows evidence of being shrunk from what it once was as a boardwalk leads you across the swampy, marshy remains of the lake.  I can only imagine the mosquitoes along the marsh during the summer.

After reaching the halfway point, the trail begins to climb up the hillside, being rather steep in some sections.  The trail winds around and crosses a small stream at 1.5 miles.  The trail then climbs up the hillside until views of the lake are seen again around 1.75 miles.  You will then descend for a short distance and continue the trail walking along the southern side of the lake.  Around 2.1 miles, you will come to a nice view of a dam at the lake.  After crossing the bridge at the bottom of the dam, you will take a short ascent.  You can either make your way back to the pier at this point or take the orange-blazed spillway trail back up, passing by the CCC museum, before reaching your vehicle.

There is a dam and spillway at the end of the lake.

For any geocachers, there were two geocaches to find along this trail:

• The Death of Beaver Lake – an earthcache that explains the geological features of the lake succession
• Piglet’s Cache – a nice geocache in honor of someone’s pet

I enjoyed our trip to Pocahontas State Park.  If you’re ever in the area and want a decent leg-stretcher, try out the Beaver Lake Trail.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 2.5 miles
• Elevation Change – Maybe 150-200 feet
• Difficulty – 1.5. There are several easy climbs on the ridge side of the lake.
• Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is very well-maintained and easy to walk on.
  
• Views – 3 The lake views were lovely.
• Waterfalls/streams – 3. The stream through the woods was pretty and the dam creates a nice waterfall at the end of the lake.
  
• Wildlife – 3. This seems to be a good place to see water birds.
  
• Ease to Navigate –5. The trail is a well-marked loop.
• Solitude –1. This park is located next to densely populated Richmond. We saw lots of trail runners, hikers, bikers and dog-walkers.
  

Directions to trailhead: From Route 10/Iron Bridge Road in Chester, VA turn on to Beach Road/State Route 655 (near shopping center).   Continue on this road following the signs for Pocahontas State Park.  Enter the main entrance on State Park Road.  Pay the parking fee ($5 on weekends) and park at the nature center.  You should be able to start seeing signs from the parking lot to the Beaver Lake Trail.

Adam walks under a fallen, gnarled tree on the Saddleback Trail.

Adam Says…

Sorry it has been awhile everyone.  We’ve had a crazy fall and haven’t been able to get out as much as we had hoped.

We have had a plan this winter to try and do sections of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park.  We thought we would start with a shuttle trip to cover the section from Swift Run Gap to Lewis Mountain.  We made our way up to the Swift Run Gap entrance to Shenandoah Park and talked to the ranger at the gate.  He told us that the entire drive was closed, but we could do some day hikes around the area.  He said there was snow and ice on the road and they were also worried about more bad weather moving into the area later that night.  Boooo!  We went back to the car, upset that our plans couldn’t work out the way we wanted.  Rather than admitting total defeat, we decided to try a loop hike that included Saddleback Mountain.  It was close enough to the entrance gate that we could walk into the park from Route 33.

Skyline Drive Closed for Snow. Below: The trailhead had a small amount of snow; The trees overhead were all bare; We saw a little bit of milkweed still hanging on.

Throughout the hike we got a few glimpses of Skyline Drive through the woods and we never saw any snow.  I talked to a friend of mine who is married to a ranger and he said that often they close the road because they don’t want to have people get trapped up there.  Then, the rangers have to deal with them, since they typically close during hunting season at 5PM.  I also found out they send one ranger north to inspect the Central section and one ranger drives up from Waynesboro to view the Southern section.  We found out later that the Southern section ended up remaining open all day, so we could have done a different hike.  Oh well, at least we were able to cover something we hadn’t done yet for the blog.

The hike starts where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road at the border between the Southern and Central Districts of Shenandoah National Park.  Heading north up the white-blazed trail, the trail ascends steadily.  After a few tenths of a mile, you will see an unmarked path to the right that leads to an old family cemetery.  It was nice to pay some respects to the families that lived and died here on the mountain.  Continuing back on the AT, the trail continued to slowly ascend.  At 1.4 miles, you reach a junction with the blue-blazed Saddleback Mountain Trail.  Take a right on this trail to make this hike a loop.  The Saddleback Mountain Trail goes around the mountain, which was a nice break from climbing uphill.  We saw a few nice icy formations and some heavier patches of snow on this shadowy side of the mountain.  At 2.6 miles, you will come to a PATC maintenance hut.  These huts are scattered throughout the park that serve as places where PATC volunteers can have access to some tools to help repair sections of the trail.  There is an open outhouse here and a spring nearby, but we found that the spring was mostly dry.  We continued past the PATC maintenance hut for .2 miles on a fire road until we met the junction with the AT.  Head south on the AT and you will have 2.7 miles until you reach the original trailhead.  As I mentioned before, the Saddleback Mountain goes around the mountain, so when you start the trail you will again be heading uphill until you reach the summit.  The summit was not marked, but it was nice to have a downhill trip back to the car.

The shady side of the mountain had a little snow. Below: We took a short side trail to take a look at an old cemetery; Even though there was a little snow on the ground, the morning temps were well above freezing; We saw some recent bear scat and scratches along the trail.

On our way back downhill, we ran into two hikers that were there hoping to catch up to the Valley Hikers group that were evidently doing that hike to South River Falls.  They got a late start but said there was a note on a car telling them where they went.  We talked to the couple for a while before parting ways.  When I got back home, I checked my email and it looks like the Valley Hikers changed their itinerary completely and were not doing the South River Falls after all.  I hope the couple didn’t get too discouraged on their trip.  Valley Hikers is a great group to join if you are interested in meeting up with some other people in the Shenandoah Valley that enjoy hiking.  Members are of all skill levels and they do a good variety of hikes and an occasional backpacking trip.  I do belong to the group, but I have yet to meet up with them to do a hike.

When Skyline Drive is open, you can also do a shorter version of the Saddleback trail, starting from the South River Falls picnic area.  From that direction, you would have just a few tenths of a mile of an uphill hike to the summit area.

I’m glad we were able to get out and do a hike after our hiatus.  Even though this trail doesn’t have a lot of great views, it is a nice walk in the woods and it was good to get some exercise outdoors on a cool winter day.

Christine Says…

With our original plans foiled, we sat in the car for a few minutes and deliberated our options – go home or figure out an alternate hike route that allowed us to walk into the park from outside the pay station.  I’m really glad we decided to go for the latter, because the hike (while rather uneventful) turned out to be a pleasant way to spend the morning.  It was great to get back out on the trail after a month of sloth (the flu and three weekends of art shows severely limit the ability to hike!)

PATC Maintenance Building. Below: Adam checks out the map at the first trail intersection; Someone left pennies on top of each of the cement trail marker posts; We saw some pawprints in the snow - maybe a fox or bobcat - they were too smudged to determine for sure.

As we started up the Appalachian Trail, I couldn’t help but remember that this was the exact spot we met our friends from The Traveling Circus back in May.  The trail looks pretty different now than it did back then – bare trees and fallen leaves instead of a lush tunnel of green.  While the woods might be prettier in the spring, summer and fall, there is still something I really enjoy about winter hiking.  I like the lack of bugs, the fact that I don’t get sweaty, the solitude and the glimpses of views through the trees that you miss the rest of the year.

A few tenths of a mile up the trail, we took a short spur to take a look at an old cemetery.  Headstones we saw dated back to the turn of the twentieth century.  Many of the people buried here lived in the park throughout the 1800′s up until they were forcibly removed in the early 1900′s by the US Government.  I think there were many older unmarked graves as well, but we took a few minutes to read each of the headstones still left standing.

After leaving the cemetery, the trail climbed gently, but endlessly, uphill to the junction of the Saddleback Mountain Trail.  There really wasn’t anything remarkable about the trail to this point – no amazing scenery, just the occasional peek through the trees at the valley and Skyline Drive below.  Adam and I laughed at how bare of the snow the drive was every time it came into view.  We really don’t understand why it was closed at all.

We turned onto the Saddleback Trail and enjoyed a relatively flat walk skirting around the shoulder of the mountain.  Near the end of the trail, we passed a PATC maintenance cabin and a toilet.  A toilet!  You’ve got to love a toilet in the middle of the woods.  Or maybe it’s just me…

We stopped to rest a few minutes.  I noticed a thermometer on the hearth outside the cabin and saw that it read 40 degrees – pretty balmy for a winter hike!  The morning we hiked, a bit of a southerly air flow arrived.  The warmer air came in aloft, creating the rare phenomenon that it was much warmer in the mountains than it was down in the valley.

From the PATC cabin, we passed the South River spring (a boxed spring intended as a water supply) and headed up a short fire road to meet back up with the Appalachian Trail.  We turned south, and walked along the AT, climbing up to the summit of Saddleback Mountain.  The summit of Saddleback is covered with trees and does not offer a view.

After crossing the summit, the hike was an easy, all-downhill stroll back to the car.  Even though we didn’t get to hike the route we originally planned, this Saddleback loop made a great substitute and we had a fun morning.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.5 miles
• Elevation Change – about 750 feet
• Difficulty – 2.5. There is some steady uphill, but it is manageable.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5. Since most is on the AT, the trail is very well-maintained, but rocky and steep in spots.
  
• Views – .5 We only had a few views through the trees, that I’m sure would not be there when leaves are on the trees.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 3.5. We did see deer and heard the echoing sounds of a pileated woodpecker.  There was also fresh bear scat in the area and possible tracks in the snow.
  
• Ease to Navigate –4. This is fairly easy to follow if you read the concrete posts at the junctions.
• Solitude –3.5. You may see some hikers on the AT due to the proximity to the South River picnic area.
  

Directions to trailhead: Once you go through the Swift Run Gap entrance station, park your car across the street from the stop sign.  The Appalachian Trail sign is straight ahead and head north.

View Larger Map

The barn at the old Snead Farm is still in good shape. Most of the other structures are gone, only foundations left. Below: There is a view from the fire road before you follow the final fork to the farm.

Christine Says…

The walk to Snead Farm is really easy and perfect for families.  Much of the trail is level and follows a fire road.  There are a couple of route options, too. If you start from the visitor’s center, you’ll walk .8 miles on the Dickey Ridge trail before reaching Snead Farm Road.  This ends up making a three-mile route, and is the route we followed.  You can also start from Skyline Drive, directly on the Snead Farm road.  This cuts the route to a mere 1.4 mile out-and-back.  Just be sure to follow the correct forks in the road, or you’ll find yourself on a walk to nowhere (like we did… more about that later).  Whatever route you choose, the going is easy and relatively level.

As far as I know, Snead Farm has the only remaining barn left standing in the park.  In fact, it’s one of the few non-park structures of any kind left standing within the boundaries. The doors are barred closed, so you can’t go inside – but you can peek through windows and gaps in the doors to see the old hayloft up top and animal stalls on the lower level.

Behind a tangle of vines, you can still climb down into the root cellar located behind the barn. The cellar is deep and lined with sturdy shelves, which undoubtedly held stores of food for the farm.  The main house’s foundation and several sets of stairs still stand slightly uphill from the barn.  The boxwoods that stood on either side of the front door are still there.  They have grown tall and wild!  The cistern is still there as well.  The farm was occupied until the early 1950’s, so the site doesn’t feel as old as some other places in the park, like Pocosin Mission.

Adam Says…

Our hike to Snead Farm ended up being longer than we were expecting.  We were using our Falcon Guide Shenandoah National Park book as a guideline and there was misleading information in the book.  I’ll try to set things straight with our own directions.  From the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, cross Skyline Drive and walk to the flagpole.  Take a right at the plaque with hike information.  In .2 miles, you will come to the intersection with the Dickey Ridge Trail.  Take a right here and proceed for about .3 miles until you reach a fire road (Snead Farm Road).  Take a left on the fire road.  In another .2 miles, you will reach a fork on the trail.  Stay to the left.  In another short distance, you will come to another fork where you will see a concrete post.  Go to the right, heading uphill.  You will continue this trail for about .5 miles until you reach Snead Farm.  You will begin to see the barn through the trees.

We did misinterpret the information in the book since it told us to take a left at the last fork.  Since we were going a different way than the book, we ended up second-guessing ourselves.  When we thought we had gone far enough, we decided to turn around and take a different fork.  When the other fork came to a dead-end at a utility building, we realized we had been going the right way.  We went back the way we came, took the correct fork, and made our way to the farm.  We ended up adding only an extra mile to our hike, but after doing a couple of other hikes that day, we weren’t in the mood for more miles.

The Snead Farm Fire Road is pleasant walking. Below: The old root cellar is still standing; Another view of the barn.

Christine and I marveled at how well-maintained the barn looks.  Since it was abandoned in the 50s, it is clear that the park service has kept up with maintaining the barn and even painting it.  I wonder if this will be a permanent part of the hike or if the park service will one day let this building fall prey to the elements and the woods.

Overall, this hike was a decent leg-stretcher and a good family hike.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3 miles
• Elevation Change – 300 feet
• Difficulty – 1.5 An easy walk down a mostly level trail.
• Trail Conditions –3.5. Half of the trail followed the Dickey Ridge trail which was well-maintained and the rest is on fire roads.
  
• Views – 1.5 Some views are seen from the final fork to get to Snead Farm.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  
• Wildlife – 2. You may run into some of the usual park animals like deer and birds.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 2.5. The turns did us wrong, so we’re marking it down.
• Solitude – 2.5. This is a popular hike due to the proximity to the Northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park and the short distance.

Directions to trailhead: Follow Skyline Drive to the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center (around mile marker 4.6) Park at the visitors center. The trail begins on the east side of the drive, across from the center.