Christine enjoys the view from one of the Marshalls on the second day of the trip. Below: The Gravel Springs Hut; Views on the first day; Adam relaxes by the campfire.

From the Elkwallow Wayside, follow the short spur trail at the northern parking lot for .1 miles until it reaches the junction with the white-blazed Appalachian Trail.  Turn right, heading north and you will almost immediately cross Skyline Drive.  The trail begins to climb.  At 1.4 miles, the trail crosses Skyline Drive again and continues to climb.  At 2.5 miles, the climbing reaches an end as you reach the junction with the Tuscarora Trail.  At mile 2.9 and mile 3.2 you will cross Skyline Drive a few more points crossing over Hogback Mountain.  At the cross at mile 3.2, you are on a fire road for a very short while (that is used for people bringing in hang gliders) and the AT goes into the woods.  At mile 3.4 you reach some nice views and where the hang gliders take off for a descent over the mountains.  At mile 3.6, you will reach a junction with a side trail that leads to a spring.  The trail begins to descend at this point.  At mile 4.3, the trail begins to slightly ascend until you reach a nice viewpoint at mile 4.4.  The trail descends again and crosses Skyline Drive again at mile 5.0.  At mile 6.0, you reach the side trail which leads .2 miles to the Gravel Springs Hut.  For the start of our second day, from the Gravel Springs Hut, rejoin the AT at 6.4 miles.  At mile 6.6, the trail crosses Skyline Drive again and continues to ascend.  At mile 7.4, you reach a great viewpoint on South Marshall Mountain.  The trail continues to climb up and crosses Skyline Drive at mile 8.2.  The trail then ascends steeply up North Marshall Mountain and leads to another nice view at 9.4.  The trail ascends for another quarter of a mile and then descends steeply down the trail. The trail crosses Skyline Drive again at mile 11.0.  The trail ascends over a short bubble of a hill and then reaches the Jenkins Gap Trail junction at mile 12.5.  Take a right at this junction and reach the Jenkins Gap Trail parking lot at mile 12.6.

Day One – Adam Says…

I noticed the weather forecast was saying that we had a 0% chance of rain on Friday and only a 10% chance of rain on Saturday.  Since we have opted to cancel a few backpacking trips recently due to rain, we felt we couldn’t resist these odds and decided to take the day off work to work on this section of the Appalachian Trail.  We had bought two annual park passes last year, with one expiring at the end of May.  We felt the pressure of getting this hike in since it required two vehicles for the shuttle.

Adam climbs uphill from the Elkwallow Wayside. Below: A nice view of the valley below.  For some reason, Christine likes to wear backpacking clothes that don’t match; The Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah often runs within sight (or earshot) of Skyline Drive; The trail crosses and briefly follows fire roads in several spots.

It took us a while to get our act together to make sure we were ready for the trip.   We started loading our packs, made sure we had instructions for our dog sitter, and picked up some lunch along the way from Subway.  We drove up to drop a car off at the Jenkins Gap parking lot and then made our way back down to the Elkwallow Wayside.  We ate our lunch outside and saw a few thru-hikers that we wondered if we would see later that evening.  Christine was really cold sitting in the wind outside the wayside. Her legs were covered with goosebumps and she kept pulling her jacket tighter and tighter around her ribs.  She told me that she was really worried about the cooler temperatures, and hoped she would warm up once we started hiking.

We finally started off on our hike around 1:30PM.  We strapped on our 30 lb. packs on to our backs and started climbing up the hill.  While we had been hearing the loud screams of the seventeen-year cicadas near our house, we were pleasantly surprised to hear they were not out in Shenandoah National Park.  We stopped at a few points on the uphill climb to take in the views from Hogback Mountain.  One nice thing about this hike is that the views were mostly on the uphill climbs, so it gives you a reason to take off your heavy pack and enjoy the scenery.  A couple of thru-hikers we had seen at Elkwallow passed us near the hang glider launch.  We’re always amazed at how fast they hike.  I guess hiking every day has its pay-offs!

The hang-glider launch site offers a beautiful view! Below: Adam hikes uphill again near Hogback Mountain; Wildflowers blooming along the trail; Our tent site at the hut.

We made our way down the mountain at this point.  Backpacking uphill seems to be where you feel the weight the most, but going downhill has its own challenges – you feel the weight differently in your legs and have to be extra careful of your footing.  We made it to the Gravel Springs Hut around 4:30PM and checked out the nearby area.  There weren’t any other hikers there yet, so we were wondering if we were going to have this all to ourselves that night.  We scouted out some of the campsites near the shelter.  There were five campsites.  We started to pitch our tent at the first campsite, but we realized we wouldn’t have enough of room to put up the fly.  And with the night forecast to go into the upper 30′s, we definitely wanted the extra layer of insulation on our tent.  We ending up moving to the largest of the sites, but this site was more sloped.  We pitched our tent so that our feet were on the lowest, downhill part of the slope.  We filtered some water and I began to work on cooking dinner while Christine gathered some kindling for a campfire.  In most places in Shenandoah National Park, you can’t set fires in the backcountry, but this shelter had a large stone fireplace.  We ate a dinner of Backpacker’s Pantry Sweet and Sour Chicken (which was delicious and definitely something we would have again) and Natural High’s Banana Cream Pie (which we didn’t like the taste or consistency).

One of the highlights of staying at an AT shelter, is the people that you get to meet.  Around 5:30, we met our first group of hikers that were planning on staying at the shelter.   There was a gentleman named Don from Indiana, who had suffered a knee injury from hiking the AT previously, but was returning for a hike through Shenandoah to Harper’s Ferry to test his knee on an extended trip.  He was accompanied by two brothers from Florida. The older brother, Adam had decided to introduce backpacking to his younger brother (who wasn’t enjoying it as much).  The original plan was to hike the AT through SNP and return back.  However, they had recently decided they would stop at Front Royal and then find a way back to Waynesboro that didn’t involve hiking.  Next, two women came along and set up tents at two more of the campsites.  They were out on a two night trip and had parked a car nearby so they could slackpack most of the trail.  Shortly afterwards, Standing Bear arrived.  Standing Bear was a thru-hiker that had started his trip from Georgia around the end of February.  He had lots of interesting tales to tell along the trail and he also maintains a blog at Hike4Kids.  I would encourage people to read his blog as he has a great story to tell and is helping to promote awareness about child abuse.  He told us a lot that night about how he has been attracting a lot of recent trail magic, from margaritas at a campsite to meals and lodging along the way.  He told everyone that he was very good at  ‘Yogi-ing‘.  We then had another thru-hiker join us named Mountain Goat.  When you looked at Mountain Goat’s legs, he just looked like a tough beast and he was working on trying to do over 25 miles a day to finish the trail quickly.  As dusk approached, the last group of thru-hikers joined us – Rat Bucket and Sketch.  They had purchased a couple of bottles of wine and were making their 6-mile trip from Elkwallow to the hut drinking wine instead of water.  They were of course a little happier than most of the hikers when they arrived at the cabin.  We hung out for a while, sitting around the campfire and talking about what areas the hikers had enjoyed the most (Grayson Highlands was the unanimous vote) along the way and food (which seems to be a constant discussion with thru-hikers).

Christine works on getting a fire going. She still hates her lime green Crocs. Below: Adam filters water from the spring at the shelter; Everyone congregates and cooks dinner at the picnic table in front of the shelter; Relaxing by the campfire after dinner.  Everyone is usually in bed by 9:00 or so.

Around 9:00, we headed back to our tent.  I continued to read my book that I have been only reading while backpacking – a book of John Muir’s writings and Christine listened to her iPod.  We fell asleep to the sound of nearby owls.  The slope really affected my sleeping as my fitted sheet for my air mattress kept coming off and I would wake up in fetal position at the bottom of the tent and would have to fight back up to the top.

Day Two – Christine Says…

I woke up as soon as the birds started chirping and the first hints of light filtered through the trees.  It was cold, so I pulled my sleeping bag tighter around me and cinched its hood around my head.  I had slept really well despite the fact I had repeatedly slid downhill to the bottom of the tent. I heard others nearby starting to stir as well – tent zippers sliding, the privy door slamming and the whoosh of camp stoves firing up.  I didn’t want to leave the warmth of the tent, but I did.  There’s always so much that needs done to break down camp before eating breakfast.

The table got really crowded at breakfast time, so we cooked on the little stone bench on the side of the shelter. Below: Adam checks out the trail sign showing hike options in the vicinity of Gravel Springs; Adam tucks his pants into his socks to avoid ticks; Christine and Adam on South Marshall Mountain.

Adam and I are usually pretty efficient and can have our whole campsite broken down and backpacks repacked within about half an hour.  The first step is always to shove our sleeping bags back into their stuff sacks.  Then we repack our sheets, crunch down our pillows and let the air out of the sleeping pads. Once the bedding is stowed away, we pack up the tent and any clothing that was left strewn about the site.  Yes… we really carry all this stuff!  As you might have guess, we are not lightweight backpackers.  We carry a lot of creature comforts and luxury items (pillows, sheets, chairs, books, card games, etc).   When we go on longer trips, we’re really going to have to reevaluate our gear and make some sacrifices.

When we walked down to breakfast, our backpacks were pretty much fully loaded and ready to go for the day.  The only things left to pack were our food, dishes, stove and water filter – and we always keep those items near the top of our packs.  When we got down to the hut, almost everyone was already up and working on breakfast.  We got our two bags (trash and food/other stuff that has a scent) down from the bear hang and joined the rest of the group at the picnic table. Breakfast was coffee and instant apple cinnamon oatmeal.  You see a lot of oatmeal and granola at backpacker breakfasts.  Clif bars and bagels are pretty popular too.  Although, this particular morning, one pair of hikers even had a container of fresh berries!

Adam and I were the first to leave the hut.  We climbed up the short, but steep, access trail back to the AT and headed north.  The early part of the morning’s hike took us past several gorgeous views from the Marshalls. We spent time at each of them, taking photos and enjoying the cool, crystal-clear morning.  While we were at the first view, Rat Bucket caught up with us.  We took a photo of him and he returned the favor for us before heading quickly down the trail.  Once again, I marveled at the speed and distance covered by thru-hikers.  Most of these folks are covering 20-28 miles a day through Shenandoah National Park.

Christine on North Marshall Mountain. Below: Views from both Marshalls were excellent;  You can see Skyline Drive off in the distance; Christine scrambling around on the cliffside; Another excellent view; Adam takes in the scenery from a high perch; Checking out mileage on the trail marker.

At the next view, Mountain Goat caught up and passed us.  He only briefly stopped to check out the vista.  I guess when you hike big miles, you don’t have time to meander and pause at every pretty spot along the trail. While we were stopped at this spot, we had a quick snack of PowerBar Energy Blasts.  They’re basically caffeinated gummy candy, but the website makes them sound like they magically give you Lance Armstrong-like endurance and help your muscles recover.  Maybe they don’t do all that, but they sure do taste good!  And they have sugar and caffeine – both of which seem to help me hike stronger.

At the third viewpoint, Standing Bear passed us, but we ended up leapfrogging him a little further down the trail and didn’t see him again.  Nor did we see any of the other folks from the hut.  All but two people staying at Gravel Springs had been northbound, so I suppose they just stayed at camp a bit later.

The trail was so beautiful and lush and green!  Even when there wasn’t a view to enjoy, the hike itself was so lovely.  The climbs were never too hard and the descents were never too steep.  We crossed Skyline Drive several times.  We saw lots of dayhikers… two of them were even dressed in their ‘Sunday Best’ clothing.  They were walking south along the trail, not in the vicinity of any views or special attractions.  Neither of them looked in the least bit happy and both of them looked hot and uncomfortable.  I see people like that and wonder if this hike was a spontaneous decision.  I wonder if they know where they’re going, or if they just set out on a trail thinking ‘Hmmm… if I walk on a trail, eventually I’ll see something!’

We saw a lot of dayhikers as we approached Jenkins Gap. Below: An old foundation along the trail; The only bear we saw on this trip came in the form of Adam in a mask at the Skyland gift shop.

We made it back to our car at Jenkins Gap around 10:30 or so.  We had plans to meet my parents at Skyland for a Mother’s Day lunch at noon, so I brushed my hair and changed into my less-dirty clothes.  We had plenty of time to kill, so we stopped by the Elkwallow wayside for more snacks and drinks.  When we got to Skyland, it wasn’t even 11:30, so we relaxed in the lobby until they arrived.  We had a nice lunch together and then headed home.  It was a fun trip, and I can’t believe we only have several more miles of Appalachian Trail to hike in Shenandoah!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 12.6 miles
• Elevation Change – 1900 feet.
• Difficulty – 3.  Despite the two big climbs of elevation, we didn’t feel that it was overly difficult.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail was in great condition and was well-maintained.  There were only a few rocky areas that you had to worry about footing.
• Views – 4.5.  We were impressed with the views along this section.  The best views were from South Marshall Mountain, but there were probably 4-5 areas to take in the expansive views.
• Streams/Waterfalls – 0.  There were no streams or rivers nearby, but there was a reliable water source at Gravel Springs Hut.
• Wildlife – 3.  Someone had written in the hut trail journal they had seen a few bears on the way down to the hut that day.  We did see a deer and the woods were filled with pileated woodpeckers, owls, and other birds.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  There are some side trails, but just consult the cement posts to keep following the Appalachian Trail.
• Solitude – 3.  We ran into most of the people around the Jenkins Gap to North Marshall mountain.  I would imagine this would be fairly popular since it is closer to the northern end of Shenandoah National Park.

Directions to trailhead:  Park one vehicle at the Jenkins Gap lot at mile 12 on Skyline Drive.  Then travel down south to mile 24 at Elkwallow Gap Wayside.  The spur trail to the Appalachian Trail starts from the northern parking lot.

Adam scrambles around the Marbleyard. Below: The hike begins on the Belfast Trail; Entrance to the National Forest is marked by a placard. The two stone pillars mark an old Boy Scout camp that used to be located in this area. You can still see the footprint of the swimming pool and a few building foundations along the Belfast Trail. The camp was named after Chief Powhatan; Catawba Rhododendron were in bloom everywhere!

Christine Says…

We keep a list of hikes we want to do stuck with a magnet to the side of our refrigerator. The Devil’s Marbleyard hike had been on that list for nearly three years. It kept getting delayed for closer hikes or hikes with better views or taller waterfalls.  We finally decided it was time to knock it off the list.

We got up early Sunday morning, grabbed donuts, bagels and coffee en route and made our way down the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got to the trailhead parking area around 10:00 and thankfully found only a couple other cars there.  Evidently, cars that overflow the official parking lot are frequently towed.  So, if you hike this trail, make sure your car is in the lot or that all four wheels are off the road and not on private property.

The beginning of the trail takes you over Belfast Creek. Below: The bridge over the creek;  Adam crossing a small stream early in the hike; All the recent rainy weather made conditions ideal for snails.

After crossing a small bridge over a stream, the trail passes through an old stone gateway that used to mark entry to a Boy Scout camp called ‘Camp Powhatan‘.  You immediately come to a National Forest/Wilderness placard.  At this point, you’re only a little over a mile from the Devil’s Marbleyard.   (The sign says one mile, but our GPS and most trail guides seem to say it’s about 1.4 miles to reach the Marbleyard).  The trail meanders through the woods, crossing shallow spots on the creek a couple times.

I really enjoyed seeing the blooming azaleas, Catawba rhododendron and mountain laurel.  The laurel bloomed so early this year!  What I did not enjoy were the locusts!  The Blue Ridge Brood of the seventeen-year cicada is currently emerging in our area, and they were everywhere along the Belfast Creek trail. They were screaming overhead in the trees — I likened the sound to the one made by a failing belt tensioner on our SUV a few years ago.  It’s a squeal mixed with an undertone of hiss.  Not only are the locusts noisy – they’re CREEPY!  Sometimes they fly into you.  They have red eyes.  And worst of all, they leave yellowish-clear, crunchy, empty husks everywhere when they molt.  I will be very glad when locust season is over and I can have seventeen years of peace again!

So much stuff was blooming along the trail.  Below: Christine checks out the large boulders that make up the Devil’s Marbleyard;  Adam climbs back down the Marbleyard to rejoin the trail; A creepy locust husk.

As we came upon the Marbleyard, we crossed paths with the hikers from the two other cars we had seen in the lot.  The first was a nice guy from Virginia Beach who was at the tail end of a week-long hiking vacation along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We enjoyed chatting with him and sharing information and tips about favorite hikes.  The second was a pair of local kids who warned us of muddy/slippery conditions on the trail ahead.  Adam had a little incident there, but I’ll let him share that tale in his portion of the post.

Before proceeding up the trail, we took some time to explore the Marbleyard.  Basically, it looks like an immense stone mountain exploded and collapsed into thousands of boulders of every shape and size.  If you want to climb to the top of the Marbleyard, you have to do so by scrambling up the rocks. It looks like the trail alongside the Marbleyard reaches the top, but in reality the trail turns slightly away from the boulder field and climbs upward to the Gunter Ridge trail. I imagine most hikers visit the Marbleyard and then head back to their car, making this a short 2.8 out and back.  We considered doing this, but since we had already driven so far, we decided to do the full 8.3 mile loop.

After playing on the rocks for a while, we headed along… climbing uphill for a while until we reached the junction of the Belfast trail and the Gunter Ridge trail. At this spot there is a spacious (but dry) campsite.

Christine climbs the steep trail that runs alongside the Marbleyard. Below: The junction of the Belfast and Gunter Ridge trails;  Adam spotted a black widow spider along the trail; Christine walks past an especially pretty stand of mountain laurel.

The Gunter Ridge trail was easy walking, but was quite overgrown.  Because of the heat and humidity, I had decided to hike in shorts and a t-shirt, so I started to worry about ticks climbing onto my legs from the tall grass.  Adam, on the other hand, hiked in long pants tucked into his socks.  I’m getting ahead of myself, but guess who came home with six ticks crawling on his clothes – and guess who came home with none crawling on her.  I always joke that my husband is a real ‘tick magnet’.

The trail along this section really opens up and provides some nice, but slightly obstructed, views.  A forest fire that swept through this area about a decade ago is still very evident.  There are no tall trees and charred stumps can be seen peeking up through the brushy vegetation in many places.

After walking along the ridge for a while, you come to a seemingly endless series of switchbacks climbing down the mountain. Eventually you reach a wooden horse gate, and cross out of designated wilderness into standard National Forest.  Almost immediately after passing through the gate,  you will encounter a stream.  We stopped here for lunch.  I had been wanting to eat for almost an hour, but this was the first place that really had an opening to sit and eat since the campsite at the junction of the Gunter Ridge and Belfast trails.

A hazy mountain view from the Gunter Ridge Trail.  Below: Damage from a forest fire about ten years ago is still very evident;  A view of mountains and clouds along the trail.

After lunch, we still had a couple miles of walking along the Glenmont Horse trail.  It was easy hiking, but also really boring.  It’s the part of the hike where you know you’ve seen all the cool stuff, but you still have several miles of walking along a featureless road/path.  It reminded me a lot of all the fire road/paved road walking at the end of the Old Rag hike.

All in all, the hike to Devil’s Marbleyard made for a pleasant day. But, if I were to recommend the hike to others, I’d suggest just hiking to the Marbleyard as an out-and-back.  If the rhododendron, laurel and azaleas hadn’t been blooming, I don’t think there was much to see on the rest of the loop.

Adam Says…

It has been about 20 years since I last hiked the Devil’s Marbleyard trail.  Those that know me personally or have read this blog for a while know I grew up in Lynchburg.  Some of the hikes that are most popular with people around there are Sharp Top, Flat Top, and Devil’s Marbleyard.  The first two have great views and are close to Peaks of Otter, a popular picnic area.  The last time I did this hike I was with with a group of friends from home.  I remember the boulder field seemed so impressive.  While there are similar slopes of rock along Furnace Mountain and Hawksbill summit (among others), these boulders are much larger.  My friends and I climbed up the boulders from the bottom of the field.  One of my friends almost stepped on a rattlesnake that was sunning itself on the rocks.  I’m sure a number of rattlesnakes make their home in the cracks between the rocks, so be careful.  The climb up to the top takes longer than you would expect and requires a lot of energy to navigate the scramble.  Since we planned on hiking a long loop, we opted to just climb around a while on the bottom.

Beautiful mountain laurel along the ridge hike.  Below: Stopping to enjoy the mountain laurel; Passing out of the designated wilderness area; Lunch by the stream.

With every interesting geological feature, there seems to be a legend that has been passed down over the years and Devil’s Marbleyard is no different.  In the local tale, this area was occupied by Native Americans and the land was supposedly very green and lush.  There was a large stone altar at the top of this hill that was used for worship on full-moon nights.  A white couple met the Native Americans and they were thought to be spirits since they looked so different than the local tribes.  The couple said they were not spirits but they worshiped a higher power.  They converted the Native Americans to Christianity.  However, the next year brought about a great drought and the Native Americans felt the new God and the missionaries were to be held responsible.  They burned the couple alive on the altar.  As the flames reached high into the sky, a storm formed.  Lightning struck down upon the altar and exploded the rock over the mountainside.

Christine and I talked about this legend on the hike.  I guess there can be a few different morals to the story depending on your perspective.  From the perspective of the white missionaries, it may be best to not spread your religion to others if you want to stay alive.  From the perspective of the Native Americans, it may be to either believe your own gods or keep faith in your new God.  It is an interesting thing to think about on this hike, even if there may not be much truth to the origin of the boulder slope.

Walking along the Glenmont Horse Trail gets tedious.

To complete the full loop hike, begin in the parking lot and cross the bridge and take the blue-blazed Belfast Trail.  At .2 miles, the trail splits.  Bear right to stay on the blue-blazed trail.  The trail is a rocky, uphill climb that leads to the Devil’s Marbleyard boulder field at 1.4 miles.  Continue up the trail which follows parallel to the right of the boulders up a steep section (which can also be very slippery if there has been recent rain – as I found out with a hard fall onto slick rock).  After you near the summit of the boulder field, the steepness of the trail lessens.  At 2.5 miles, you reach a junction with the Gunter Ridge Trail and a small campsite.  The Gunter Ridge Trail heads off to the left heading down the mountain slightly, but you are mostly following along a ridge line.  Eventually, this trail begins to open up to some obstructed but nice views on the ridge.  The trail then descends quickly through a series of switchbacks.  At 5.8 miles, you will exit the James River Face Wilderness boundary through a gate and cross Little Hellgate Creek.  At the 6.0 mile mark, you will reach the orange-blazed Glenwood Horse Trail, a large fire road.  Follow this to the left and make your way along this trail that does go slightly uphill until reaching the junction with the Belfast Trail at 7.9 miles.  Take a right on the Belfast Trail to reach the parking lot at 8.1 miles.

If you are interested in geocaching, there is one geocache that can be found on the scramble up the boulders at the Devil’s Marbleyard – Devils Marble Yard Cache.

Like Christine, I would probably recommend that if you were coming here to see the best features of the trail, I would just do this as a 2.8 mile out-and-back to the Marbleyard and back.  The views from the top of the Gunter Ridge Trail are more obstructed and doesn’t seem necessary when there are many other nice view hikes nearby on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 8.1 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 1510 feet
  
• Difficulty – 3.  The climb up past the Marbleyard to the Gunter Ridge trail is steep, but once you gain the ridge it’s most level or downhill.  The Glenmont horse trail is wide open and slightly uphill.
• Trail Conditions – 2.5. The trail is in decent shape in most places.  It was very slick, steep and muddy climbing alongside the Marbleyard.  The Gunter Ridge trail was easy to follow, but very overgrown with tall grasses and brush.
• Views– 2. There are plenty of obstructed views on the Gunter Ridge Trail, but nothing spectacular.
  
• Streams/Waterfalls – 2.5.  The stream running along the Belfast Trail is small but lovely.
• Wildlife – 2.  We saw a ton of fence lizards but not much else (unless you want to count the seventeen year locusts)
• Ease to Navigate – 3.  There are a few turns and trails here are not as well marked as trails in the national park, but if you pay attention, finding your way should be easy.
• Solitude – 3  You will likely share the Marbleyard with other hikers, but the rest of the loop does not seem heavily traveled.

Directions to trailhead:  From the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 71, you will see a small road (FSR 35) that is on the western side of the road at a curve.  Take this road which leads past the Petites Gap AT parking area.  At 4.2 miles, you will see the parking area on the right (just after you start seeing more houses on the road).  Make sure you either park in the lot or make sure you park completely off the road or your vehicle may be towed.

Adam enjoys the view from Bear Church Rock. Below: The tall, straight trees along the Staunton River trail were very beautiful; Azalea blooming near the top of Jones Mountain; The last push to the rock almost killed Adam.

Adam Says…

Bear Church Rock is a hike that has it all – nice trail alongside a stream, a few small waterfalls, a visit to a PATC cabin, and a great view at the top.  The views are completely of mountains with rarely a sign of civilization.  I always feel like I am truly getting away when I don’t have to see houses or roads dotted across the landscape.  You can easily see Fork Mountain and Doubletop Mountain nearby, but past that ridge, you can also get glimpses of the ridge that makes up Skyline Drive.

The hike starts off on the Graves Mill Trail, which is a flat walk that runs along the Rapidan River.  At .5 miles, you reach a junction with the Staunton River Trail.  Take a left at the junction to follow the Staunton River Trail, which runs along the Staunton River.  Shortly after you join the trail, you will come across a beaver dam on the river and you’ll notice several stumps of trees that have been gnawed by beavers.  At 1.1 miles, you will see a small waterfall leading into a small pool off the trail that is worth a stop.  At 1.8 miles, you will see on the left side of the trail some piles of stone and on the right you’ll be able to see another small waterfall through the trees.  At 2.7 miles, you reach the junction with the Jones Mountain Trail.  Take a left on this trail.  The trail becomes very steep at this point and will remain so until you reach the top.  At 3.1 miles, you reach the junction with the McDaniel Hollow trail.  Take a left here to follow the Jones Mountain Trail.  At mile 3.4, you reach a junction that leads to the available-to-rent PATC cabin.  If you stay relatively straight on the trail, it leads to the PATC Jones Mountain Cabin.  We took this trail which starts off flat, but then descends rather steeply.  After visiting the cabin, return to reach the junction with the Jones Mountain Trail and head up the steep incline until you reach Bear Church Rock.  Continue back the way you came, but your return trip will be shorter if you have already visited the Jones Mountain Cabin.  The total trip should be 8.5 miles.

You could also approach this hike from Skyline Drive for a longer hike, following the Laurel Prong Trail to Cat Knob Trail to Jones Mountain Trail.  My guess is it would be about a 10 to 12-mile round-trip to approach it from that direction.

Adam pauses to look at distances marked on the Staunton River trail sign. Below: Parking for this hike is at Graves Mill; The lovely Rapidan River; Trillium were still blooming along the trail, but were nearing the end of their peak.

On our way up the Jones Mountain Trail, we ran into a few PATC volunteers that were working on maintaining the trail.  Some PATC members volunteer to help maintain the trails that run through Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail, and other regional trails.  One of the workers has been working on improving this trail for the last five years.  At the time that we saw them, they were working on building in some water bars through the trail that helps pull the water off the trail to prevent erosion.   They were digging drainage ditches, placing some dead black locust tree logs across the trail they had cut, refilling with dirt, and then mounding the dirt in a way that it was unnoticeable to hikers.  We learned that the black locust trees were great trail logs because they don’t rot.  We thanked them for helping to improve the trails and we plan on getting in touch with them to help them some weekend in the future.  We both feel that as much as we enjoy hiking, it would be nice to give back.

This was the first of many small waterfalls we saw along the Staunton River trail. Below: Another waterfall; There were many remnants of stone walls and stone structures in the woods along the trail; Adam stops to consult the map at the junction of the Staunton River and Jones Mountain trails.

At one moment when we were hiking up the Jones Mountain Trail, I decided to take a break from the climb and sat on a log on the side of the trail.  As I was relaxing, a piece of the log broke off, causing me to hit myself in the head with one of my trekking poles.  I felt like I was in the Subway commercial of fat people breaking things.  Embarrassing, but funny.

This was our first time hiking this trail, but Christine and I both think this is one of the best trails in Shenandoah National Park.  If you can handle the distance and the steep climb, this should be on your “must” list.  For further reading about this area, check out Lost Trails and Forgotten People: The Story of Jones Mountain.  I think I would like to pick up a copy and learn more about this area, since it was such an amazing hike.

Christine Says…

Another weekend, another backpacking trip cancelled due to rainy weather – what can I say?  When you’re a fair-weather backpacker, lots of spring trips end up delayed.  We were pretty glad we postponed again, because the thunderstorms that passed through overnight on Saturday were pretty fierce and torrential.  I would not have enjoyed being in our tent during those winds and rains!  Fortunately, Sunday morning dawned dry, but foggy with a forecast of dissipating clouds followed by brilliant sunshine.  We decided to tackle the 8.5 mile route up Jones Mountain to Bear Church Rock.  It’s a hike we’ve been meaning to do, especially after seeing it covered by PATC – Charlottesville Chapter and Hiking Upward.

The hike vastly exceeded my already high expectations. I had the BEST time! Without a doubt, this hike has cracked my top-five list of hikes in Shenandoah National Park (along with Riprap, Mary’s Rock from Pinnacles, Rapidan Camp and the Rose River Loop).  This hike had it all – gorgeous river scenery, waterfalls, fantastic trail conditions, a rustic cabin, spectacular views and plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife.

We saw this impressive beaver dam on the Staunton River. There were lots of gnawed trees (inset) around the water. Below: Showy Orchis is a common wildflower seen blooming along the trail; Everything was so lush and green; You may notice Adam’s pants tucked into his socks to avoid ticks. Ticks are out in force this year!

We started out around 10:00 a.m. from the Graves Mill parking area.  The lot is small; with room for about 8-12 cars at most.  It was already mostly full when we arrived.  The hike starts off on the Graves Mill trail – a flat section of trail running parallel to the Rapidan River.  Within a half mile, the Graves Mill trail meets the Staunton River trail.  This trail is a gentle uphill grade, following within sight or earshot of the water.  One of the first interesting things we passed was a series of several beaver dams spanning the river.  I don’t know if they’re active dams or long abandoned.  We saw plenty of gnawed tree stumps, but no sign of beavers or any fresh activity.  A little further upstream, we passed the first of a series of small waterfalls.  All of the falls and cascades along the Staunton River are beautiful!  If you’re a photographer and like shooting long exposures on moving water, this river is a goldmine.  I’d love to return on an overcast day after there has been plenty of rain.  I think this trail would also be popular with people in search of the perfect summertime swimming hole.  There were so many deep, quiet pools between the faster moving cascades.

After about a mile and a half along the Staunton River trail, we reached the junction with the Jones Mountain trail.  Adam took a brief break at this point to consult the map. We quickly figured out that we were about to start climbing.  Overall, the path to Bear Church Rock requires about 2200 feet of elevation gain.

PATC volunteers have been working on the trails in this area for over five years, spending 1000+ hours of their time.

After just a few minutes of walking, we heard voices and the sound of tools coming through the woods.  Shortly later, our paths crossed with a PATC trail crew hard at work installing water bars.  We learned from the crew that they’ve done over 1000 hours of work on this particular section of trail over the past five years.  No wonder the trail is in such magnificent shape.  Everyone who hikes in Shenandoah and enjoys the fantastic trail conditions owes a debt of gratitude to volunteer trail workers.  They do mind-boggling amounts of backbreaking labor to make the trails nice for everyone else.

After chatting with the trail crew for a few minutes, a couple came down the trail.  They mentioned that they had seen a bear with two tiny cubs just a few minutes earlier.  We were excited and hopeful that we might spot them too.  Unfortunately, we weren’t that lucky!

Eventually we reached a ‘Y’ in the trail, with one arm leading .3 of a mile down to the Jones Mountain cabin and the other arm leading a half mile up to Bear Church Rock.  We decided to visit the cabin first, and then enjoy lunch atop Bear Church.

The trail to the cabin led rather sharply downhill, first passing through an ancient, gnarled stand of mountain laurel.  The curly branches practically formed a tunnel over the trail.  All along the final descent to the cabin were stacks of firewood – also courtesy of PATC trail crews.  Apparently, there is a significant problem with cabin renter chopping down live trees near the cabin to use as firewood.  I find that SHOCKING!  What is wrong with people?  Who goes to a National Park… and chops down living trees (especially when deadfall is so abundant in the park)?

The Jones Mountain cabin sits in a peaceful opening in the woods. Below: Christine walks through a tunnel of ancient mountain laurel on the path down to the cabin; Christine has new hiking shoes – Montrail Mountain Masochists (very comfy!); Christine enjoys the wilderness views from the rock.

After rounding a final bend, the roof of the cabin comes into view.  The Jones Mountain cabin is adorable – two stories with a big front porch.  We peeked in through an opening in the shutters and saw a big fireplace, a rustic wooden dining table and a sunny loft on the top level.  A privy and a spring are both located near the cabin.  What a great place to hike in and camp for a couple nights!

We didn’t stay long at the cabin because we were hungry for lunch and wanted to enjoy Bear Church Rock before any other hikers arrived.  The climb back up to the trail junction was pretty steep, but didn’t take too long.

The toughest climbing of the day came along the final push up to the rock.  After a few switchbacks, the trail went straight up the mountainside.  At the top, a little unmarked (but highly visible) path cuts through the vegetation onto a large rocky outcropping.  The trail continues past the little spur trail to the rocks, so don’t miss it!  If you continued along the trail, you’d eventually come to trails in the vicinity of Camp Hoover.

The view from Bear Church Rock is fantastic!  Instead of looking down into a valley full of roads, farms and small towns, you look down into wilderness.  You see nothing but trees and a line where the river cuts through the forest.  If you have a map, you can identify some of Shenandoah’s other peaks from this spot.  We hit this spot on a perfect spring day.  We had bluebird skies with only occasional puffy clouds.  The progression of spring was evident in the mountains – vibrant green climbing its way up toward the still barren mountain tops.  We enjoyed our lunch and relaxing in the sunshine.

Just some more beauty shots from atop Bear Church Rock.

The hike back down went quickly – with a descent so steep it was easier to run than to walk! We made the return trip to the car in about half the time it took us to climb up.  In the end, the entire hike took us about four hours, including stops at the cabin and half an hour for lunch.

Bear Church Rock is definitely worth doing!  What a beautiful day!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 8.5 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 2210 feet
  
• Difficulty – 4.  The parts near the Rapidan and Staunton Rivers are very flat, but the uphill climbs are very steep.
• Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is wide during much of the trail where you could even walk side-by-side with someone if you wanted.  The trails are well-maintained thanks to our PATC volunteers and it is not very rocky through most of the hike.
• Views– 4. The view from Bear Church Rock is amazing.  It’s not a 360-degree view, but you can see mountains for miles and little sign of civilization.
  
• Streams/Waterfalls – 4.5.  The rivers are nice to walk alongside.  You also have a beaver dam and a few small waterfalls on this trail.
• Wildlife – 4.  We saw some snakes by the river and on the trail.  We saw deer by the Jones Mountain Cabin.  People coming down the trail when we were coming up had just seen a mama bear with two cubs.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  While the trail does have a few turns, it is well marked with concrete posts to help give you direction.
• Solitude – 3.5.  We had the view to ourselves by going early in the day, but this is a fairly popular hike.

Directions to trailhead:  From Route 230 near Wolftown, VA turn on to Route 662.  Continue to follow the signs for 662.  In about 6 miles until 662 ends at a parking lot.  The trailhead is visible from the parking lot.

Wookie and Adam make their way along the trail. We saw quite a few people along the segment of AT that makes up the Rip Rap circuit.

Christine Says…

Hooray – our first ‘real’ hike since Thanksgiving Day. We decided to knock off another little section of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park.  It was a fun hike, but an uneventful one.

For some reason, Adam wanted to hike southbound even though I pointed out that it was a lot more uphill.  He didn’t think the elevation profile looked substantially different in either direction, but he was wrong (as he’ll admit in his write-up).  He told me I can choose the direction on our next hike. 

Honestly, it really didn’t matter one way or another to me.  The hiking wasn’t steep or challenging by any stretch of the imagination.  Even though the hike was mostly uphill, it was gentle uphill.

Wookie and Adam climb uphill. Below:  Wookie is always very eager to get started; Adam checks out trail mileage at the junction of the AT and the Riprap trail.

There really weren’t any views or distinct stops along this section of trail, but it was still good to be out and about.  I will say, this section of trail is GORGEOUS in late spring when mountain laurel is in bloom.  When we hiked Riprap a couple years ago, the section of AT joining the Rip Rap trail and Wildcat Ridge trail was abundantly in bloom.  It was like a tunnel of flowers.  So, if you want something to see – hike this trail section in May/June!

Oddly, we didn’t see (or even hear) any wildlife the entire hike.  Usually we see a deer or two, or at least hear a few birds singing in the trees.  This hike was practically silent.  The closest we came to wildlife was a ‘problem bear’ sign near the Wildcat Ridge trail junction.

All in all, this was a pleasant outing with nothing special to report.  Hopefully, we’ll be hitting the trails a bit more frequently as spring approaches.

Adam Says…

Well, it has been a while since we’ve been out on the trail.  Actually, this has been the longest gap since we started this blog.  It was great to get back on the trails again.  We decided to continue working on covering the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park.  We bought a second park pass last year, so we could be able to cover this with some shuttles.

Christine and I had talked about how we were going to cover the trail.  We had some differing opinions on whether to do this northbound or southbound.  I wanted to do the southbound way because I would prefer to not have an uphill climb at the end of the trail.  However, going southbound ended up being uphill most of the way until the very end.

There was one road crossing on this section of trail. Below: Problem bears!

The white-blazed Appalachian Trail starts off uphill going about .7 miles and covering 300 feet of elevation until you reach the junction with the Riprap Trail.  Stay on the AT and the trail does go back downhill for the next .5 mile until you reach the nearby Riprap parking lot.  The trail continues a steady incline over the next few miles.  If you hike during the winter you will have some obstructed views of the rocky ledge of Calvary Rocks to the east, but there aren’t any good overlooks on the trail.  The trail then meets up with the Wildcat Ridge Trail at mile 4.2.  Continue on the AT for a short incline.  You will cross Skyline Drive around mile 4.4. The trail finally levels off and eventually leads downhill until you reach your second car at mile 6.1.

Despite it being a little break since we had been hiking, we still felt like we were in decent enough shape to handle the hiking without much problem.  We were surprised to run into several groups of people along this trail, but I think it is largely due to the access to the nearby Riprap and Wildcat Ridge Trails we have covered in the past.  That set of trails are some of the best hiking in the southern section of Shenandoah National Park.

Wookie Says…

It’s been a while since I’ve been hiking, too!  What you might not know is that I had surgery shortly after my last hike.  While I’m fit and trim for a pug, my soft palette had become thicker and longer in my middle years.  Any time I became excited or exerted myself, I would faint.  I don’t remember much – I would be happy and spinning around, then I would see stars and find myself lying on the ground wondering what the heck happened.  My masters were very frightened for me and took me right into the vet.  After a simple surgery and a month of recovery, I’m as good as new!

This was a fun hike for me!  I kept up pretty easily and even met several intimidating dogs along the way.  I think they were friendly, but you can’t be too safe around strangers, so I mostly hid behind Christine.  As a treat for doing so well on the hike, I got to eat two chicken nuggets when I got home!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.1 miles
  
• Elevation Change – about 850 feet
  
• Difficulty – 2.5. The hike was fairly easy.  If you would like less uphill walking, follow the trail northbound instead.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail was in great shape after our mild winter.
  
• Views – 0.  Nothing to see here.
• Streams/Waterfalls – 0. None
• Wildlife – 0.  We barely even heard the chirp of a bird along this hike.  We did see a ‘problem bears’ sign near Rip Rap, but no sign of them.
  
• 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 along a substantial section of trail used as part of the Rip Rap circuit, so expect to see plenty of people.

Directions to trailhead: Park one vehicle along the side of the road at MM89 on Skyline Drive.  You will see the AT crossing.  Park a second car at the Turk Gap parking area (This is where the Turk Mountain hike begins)

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.


View Larger Map

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 one 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.

Note: Some of the NPS website details (and mileage markers along the actual trail) were a little outdated as of summer 2011, as they refer to the hike distance before the park service closed the upper parking lot in April of 2010.

Large boulders near the summit of Old Rag. Below: Adam walking along the road headed toward the Ridge Trail's start; Views from the summit of Old Rag; Adam drops down into a narrow passage between the rocks.

Christine Says…

After two and a half years, we’re finally getting around to covering Virginia’s most popular, most well-known hike – Old Rag. I’ll make an outright confession.  Old Rag, as beloved as it might be by (seemingly) everyone else, is not my favorite hike.   But, when you have a Virginia hiking website, you’re practically obligated to have a write up about this mountain.  So, on to the post!

We’d been tossing around the idea of hiking Old Rag for the blog for well over a year.  Adam would suggest it and I’d invariably tell him that it was too hot, too cold, possibly wet and slippery, I heard there was ice, my feet hurt, I don’t feel like driving that far, etc.  Basically, I floated every excuse in the book to delay the hike.  But then I went and did something incredibly stupid and it really blew up in my face!  I had a day off work coming up.  It was going to be a beautiful August day – crisp and unseasonably cool!  I had visions of getting up early, doing a photo shoot in the park, maybe eating some donuts and then taking myself to a matinee movie.  But before I could stop myself, I found that I had blurted out “Tomorrow would be a GREAT day to hike Old Rag!”  I assumed this was purely hypothetical because Adam had to work.  But he immediately responded “Yeah!  Let’s go!  I’m taking tomorrow off too!”  Ugh – I didn’t see that one coming!  I don’t like to back out on plans, so the next morning we were up before dawn, snacks stashed and Camelbaks filled.

We got to the parking lot before 8:00 a.m..  Getting to Old Rag early is something I consider to be a necessity.  The trail is always crowded – even on weekdays.  The Old Rag parking lot is actually my first point of contention with the hike.  It used to be if you got up early, you could always get a parking spot in the small upper parking area located right at the trailhead.  In April of 2010, a couple years after our last hike up Old Rag (fall of 2008 – see photos), the park service closed the upper lot to all vehicles.  Now, all vehicles must park in the lower lot, which is just a shade under a mile from the trailhead.  The added mile follows a paved road uphill to the beginning of the Ridge Trail. I’m not going to make any apologies; I just don’t like road walking on outings that are supposed to be hikes.

The first section of rock scramble is just a little sampling of what is ahead. Below: Giant boulders along the trail; Christine climbing up the Ridge Trail; Christine taking in the view; A view of the valley; A dog who has panhandling all figured out!

Once we got to the Ridge Trail, things improved a bit.  The trail climbed upward for about two miles. It’s not terribly steep or difficult climbing, but it is steady uphill.  There are occasional switchbacks, lots of gigantic boulders along the trail and even some glimpses of views through the trees.

The higher you climb, the better and more open the views become.  After the first real panoramic view, you get your first little sample of the extensive rock scrambling you’re about to encounter.  The first pass is short, but requires hoisting yourself up through a small opening, then across a flat pancake of rock.  At this point, my boot slipped and I almost toppled over backwards.  Luckily, I was able to hang on long enough for Adam to give me a hand up.

Shortly after that little scramble, you’ll come to what I think is the nicest view on the hike.  Instead of overlooking mountains with a distant peek at Skyline Drive, this viewpoint overlooks the valley below.  The vista is dotted with little farms and winding country roads.  It’s really pretty!  At this point of our hike, we encountered an emaciated, but super-friendly dog.  He had a collar but there didn’t seem to be any human to claim him.  Dogs are not allowed on Old Rag’s hiking trails, so we figured someone brought a dog up anyhow, and then abandoned him when he could no longer follow along the rock scramble.  The dog looked so pitiful and hungry that we ended up sharing some cashews and half a Luna Bar.

The dog followed us along until the scramble began in earnest.  He looked sad to see us go, so we decided to report him to park rangers at the end of our hike, in hopes that they could send someone up to retrieve him and lead him back down to the base of the mountain.

After saying goodbye to the dog, we began nearly one-mile of rock scrambling required to reach the summit of Old Rag via the Ridge Trail.  Anyone wishing to reach the summit without the scramble can follow the Saddle Trail (accessed by either the Weakley Hollow or Old Rag fire roads).  The scramble is the part of this hike that I enjoy most, but also simultaneously fear.  I have vertigo, so there are a couple passes that play tricks on my visual and balance centers.  Otherwise, the scramble is a lot of fun!  It’s almost like a hiking puzzle.  You have to look at each obstacle and plan the best strategy for traversing it.  The scramble is tough – it’s not so much a cardio challenge as it is a strength challenge.  There are lots of places where you’ll rely on  both your upper and lower body strength to carry you across the rocks.  It’s nice to have at least one hiking buddy to help you along.  One particularly steep place, I had to shove Adam up (one hand on each butt cheek) and then he had to tow me up behind him.

Near the beginning of the scramble, you have to drop down into this narrow passage. Below: A variety of obstacles along the rock scramble. Below: Adam shinnies down into the narrow passage pictured above (note the blaze is numbered R22. Each blaze on the scramble is numbered to help rescuers find injured people more quickly); More scenes along the scramble.

The summit of Old Rag is beautiful and decorated with many large and interesting boulders.  It’s the perfect place to enjoy a snack while taking in the view.  We watched the clouds clearing away, ate cheese and trail mix and watched falcon soaring on the breeze.  It may have been a peregrine, as they are known to nest on Old Rag, but we’re really not sure.

After leaving the summit, the hike becomes sort of tedious.  Yes, it’s all downhill, and you’ll pass a couple interesting trail shelters (Byrd’s Nest and Old Rag).  Both are available for day use only.  There is one more decent view.  But right after passing the Old Rag Shelter, you’ll reach the Berry Hollow fire road.  You’re only on that for a short while, until you meet the Weakley Hollow fire road.  You’re on that road for the remainder of the loop until you come back to the paved road at the trailhead.  Honestly, everything after the scramble on this hike is just not fun to me – too many miles of featureless road walking.   All in all, the Old Rag hike has close to 4.5 miles of road walking (over half the hike).  Adam and I were eager to finish up our hike, so we jogged most of the way back along the fire road and paved road.

Adam pretends to balance a giant boulder. Below: More scenes along the scramble.

When we got back to the car, we told the ranger at the check-in station about the skinny dog.  She laughed and said “Oh, him!  He’s our resident Old Rag beggar!”  Apparently the dog belongs to a local family.  He likes to take daily hikes to solicit treats from people climbing the mountain.  He sure tricked us!

The parking lot had really filled up since we arrived!  We were glad to be done, and on out way to get some lunch (fried chicken – yay!).

When I reflect back on hiking Old Rag, and what could be done to improve the experience, I can think of a few things.  One idea I think would work well is to issue a finite number of permits per day to hike the mountain.  Perhaps limiting numbers on weekends would be enough.  I think if they could limit hikers, they could reopen the upper lot and eliminate almost two miles of road walking.  Another thought is to limit the number of people allowed per hiking party.  So many church youth groups and college clubs hike Old Rag in huge crowds.  This causes massive ‘traffic jams’ along the scramble.  No fun!  I also think that limiting hikers would go along way toward alleviating the trail damage and erosion on Old Rag.  The trail is crumbling, lots of rocks on the scramble have been worn to a smooth polish under years’ of boot traffic, and sadly there is garbage everywhere.  It’s a trail that would benefit greatly from being enjoyed by fewer people.

That said, I think every lover of the outdoors in Virginia should hike Old Rag at least once!  The scramble is truly without compare.

Adam Says…

Well, Christine summed it up nicely describing the pressure that I have been putting on her to tackle Old Rag.  We last did this hike together shortly before we started this blog.  The logo that we use for the website is actually taken from a photo of Old Rag, so it was a must do.  About every year, I put together a list of hikes that we have talked about doing in Virginia and we hang it on our refrigerator.  After we finish the hike, we have a ceremonial highlighter that we use to highlight the hikes we’ve finished.  For the last few years of printing a new list, Old Rag has been one of the few that has not been highlighted before the latest version is posted.  I let Christine do the honors of marking Old Rag off the list – and she was happy to do so.

Adam on the Summit. Below: Summit scenery; Some kind of bird of prey.

I would also agree with Christine that Old Rag is very overused.  One thing that makes this hike particularly challenging during the rock scramble is that the rocks are so smooth, you could easily slip.  When it has just rained, you know you will have no footing whatsoever.  Many of these boulders have no handholds or footholds, so you do have to be creative with how you will get through the scramble.  I would recommend that you do this hike with someone else to help you through the scramble.  I think Christine especially enjoyed the opportunity of putting both of her hands on my butt and shoving with all of her might.  It’s not very often that she gets to do that.

The Old Rag day-use shelter. Below: Adam takes in the last nice view on the way down; The Byrd's Nest day-use shelter; The crowded Old Rag parking lot.

The hike begins from the parking lot and consists of walking up a paved and then gravel road for about .9 miles until you reach a smaller blocked off gravel lot (with a portable toilet) and a sign for the trailhead to the left.  This begins the Ridge Trail.  The trail starts off as a gradual ascent through the forest.  At about 2.3 miles, you reach the first of several switchbacks.  There isn’t a lot of note on the main portion of the trail as you are just walking uphill through the woods, without any notable views.  At about 3.2 miles, you reach a nice overlook.  As soon as you leave this spot, the rock scrambling will begin.  You have about one mile of rock scrambling until you reach the summit.  This path is quite dangerous as you have to navigate down tight crevasses, around boulders open to large drop-offs, and up other boulders with slick surfaces.  The summit marker will indicate the end of the tough climbing.  There are several places to take in the panoramic views at the top and some of the more adventurous will climb up some of the large boulders at the top.  Once you are done taking in the views backtrack to the trail and then take a right on to the Saddle Trail.  At about 4 miles you reach, the Byrds Nest Shelter No. 1, a day-use only shelter.  Continue down the steep trail and at 4.5 miles, you will reach another day-use Old Rag shelter.  Continue down the trail and at 4.9 miles, you reach the junction with the Weakley Hollow fire road.  Take a right on this fire road and you have about 3 miles of this fire road to walk down before you reach a few bridges and finally the smaller blocked-off Old Rag gravel lot.  Go back the way you came and you should reach your vehicle around 8.8 miles.

I do think we have put a lot of warnings about this hike, but the reason that this hike is likely so popular is due to the challenge and the amazing views.  The summit of Old Rag does provide some of the best views in Virginia.  Some people even do rock climbing at the top to rappel over the edge and make their way back up.  On a clear day, you can see for miles of countryside and layers of mountains.  I know most people do put this on their list of must-hikes in Virginia.  I recommend to tackle this hike as early in the morning as possible to beat the crowds.  If you wait until the middle of the day, you will likely face people-jams as the navigating through the rock scramble takes a while.

For any of those interested in geocaching, there are two geocaches nearby the trail:

• Old Rag Cache
• Old Rag Mountain – earthcache that requires a photo and some answers to questions to prove you found the cache

For further reading about Old Rag and its history, check out the Climber’s Guide to Old Rag Mountain with some interesting information about the history of the area and the USGS’ Hiker’s Guide to the Geology of Old Rag.

I really have to hand it to Christine for confronting her vertigo and facing Old Rag.  I told her I wouldn’t bother her again to do the hike since we now officially have it on the blog, but I will probably do it again sometime.  I think this hike does have about 1.5 miles of very exciting climbing and wonderful views, but the rest of the hike (especially the way back on the fire roads) seems a little boring and you will look forward to seeing your car in the parking lot after the long hike back.  The last time we did this hike was on a fall day at the peak of fall color.  If you can find a day like that to tackle this hike, you won’t regret it.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 8.8 miles
  
• Elevation Change – about 2600 feet total.
  
• Difficulty – 4.  The uphill climbing is gradual and never terribly steep, but the scramble requires good upper and lower body strength.
• Trail Conditions – 2.  I think the trail is eroded and worn smooth in many places due to years of overuse.
  
• Views – 5.  The views are wonderful and include both mountain and valley views.
• Wildlife – 3.  There have been a fair number of bear sightings on Old Rag.  You also have a good chance of seeing birds of prey on the summit.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Follow the signs.  This well-traveled trail is well-marked. Distances on the markers are out-of-date and refer to mileage when the upper lot was still open.
  
• Solitude – 0.  Can I give this a negative score?
  

Directions to trailhead:  From Sperryville, Route 211, turn onto Route 522 and follow it south for .8 mile. Turn right on Route 231, follow 8 miles, turn right onto Route 601 and follow signs to the parking area, approximately 3 miles.
From Madison, Route 29 Business,  turn onto Route 231 and follow it for 12.8 miles. Turn left onto Route 602.
Follow signs for the parking area. Old Rag parking is approximately 3 miles from the turn onto Route 602.

The seven-mile South Ridge trail takes you to the highest mountain on the east coast – Cadillac Mountain.  At over 1500 feet, it is also one of the first places sunlight hits the U.S. each morning,  The views from this hike are panoramic and breathtaking!

A View of the Porcupine Islands from the Cadillac Summit. Below: The marker at the trailhead; A view of Cadillac Mountain from along the lower part of the trail; Geodetic Marker at the summit.

Christine Says…

We’ve driven to the top of Cadillac Mountain.  We’ve also walked up the 4.4 mile North Ridge trail a few times.  But this is the first time we’ve ever hiked to the summit via the South Ridge route.  At seven miles (plus some additional length for the side trip to Eagles Crag and walking the summit path) this route probably qualifies as one of Acadia’s longest hikes.  It’s also become one of our favorite Maine hikes.  It was fantastic!

The trail starts off in the deep coolness of the evergreen forest.  Everything is green – covered with moss and ferns.  The thin island soil leaves gnarled roots and rocks exposed along the trail.  You have to constantly watch where you’re stepping so you don’t catch a boot toe and trip.  Planked boardwalks traverse the boggy, marshy places along the trail.   This part of the trail is one face of Acadia, with the other being expansive, open domes of granite.

The lower trail is covered with roots and rocks. Below: The view from Eagles Crag; Abundant blueberries along the trail; The first open views on the climb up.

The first trail junction you come to marks a short side-loop across the Eagles Crag.  The trail is quite a bit steeper here and leads out to an open rock ledge overlooking the ocean.  We hiked early in the morning, so the view looked directly into the sun, rendering the ocean silver and shiny.

On the return arm of the side-loop, we reentered the woods for a short while.  Near the trail junction where we met back up with the South Ridge trail, we found one of the densest patches of wild blueberries we’d ever seen!  I stopped to pick and eat some berries before we pushed on.  Yum!  Blueberries are at their peak in late July and early August, so our trip was timed perfectly for enjoying the fruit.

Near this point of the trail, the forest started thinning out and becoming patchier.  There were still trees, but they were broken up by open rocky sections.  Eventually we left the shade of the trees completely and stepped out onto the pink granite that Acadia is so famous for.  The trail was blazed blue, but we also had cairns guide our way.  The granite was punctuated by abundant patches of blueberry bushes and water filled glacial potholes.  The view behind and to the side of us was SPECTACULAR!  We found ourselves stopping time and time again to take in the majestic views.  I’ve been to a good number of national parks.  They’re all beautiful in their own way, but there is something really special about Acadia.

There were some sections of rock that required climbing and scrambling, but the way was never really steep or difficult.  We climbed one especially large rocky pass and found ourselves looking down into a small forested ravine tucked between two mountains.  The trail climbed downward into the trees and past a lovely glacial pond called ‘The Featherbed’.

The Ocean and the Featherbed. Below: Another look at the Featherbed; Trails in Acadia are marked by cairns and blazes; Christine hikes up toward the summit.

After the pond, we began the climb up Cadillac in earnest.  The first little bit after leaving the pond was quite steep with some mild rock scrambling.  Once we regained the ridge, the trail became moderate again.  The sun was bright.  The sky was deep blue and painted with wispy clouds.  The ocean below was sparkling and so beautiful.  I must have said to Adam a couple dozen times “It’s so gorgeous! This is a perfect Maine day!  We are so lucky!”

Along the ridge, we began to see distant glimpses of cars making their way up the auto road to the Cadillac summit.  But we didn’t come close to the road at all until we were almost to the top of the mountain.  Once drawback of the shorter 4.4 mile North Ridge is its proximity to the road for much of the hike.  We really enjoyed staying away from the road this time.

Near the summit, we passed through one more section of forest and came out on a gravel road behind the gift shop located at the summit.  It’s always kind of bizarre to hike several miles along pristine, quiet trail only to summit a mountain with auto access.  More than a few people looked at us strangely with our Camelbaks and trekking poles.

Even though it was still pretty early, the summit was packed with people!  Adam got cold drinks from the gift shop and I walked around the summit path to take a few photos.  The view from Cadillac offers a great look at the town of Bar Harbor and the outlying Porcupine Islands in Frenchman Bay.

With the thick crowds and the notion of a big lunch, we didn’t linger too long at the summit.  On the way down, we passed quite a few people heading up the trail.  I was really glad we had started around 7:30 and had been able to enjoy a bit of solitude.

The hike down was bright and hot under the mid-morning sun!  I had slathered myself with SPF 50, but I missed one spot between my ponytail and my backpack.  I ended up with a strange sunburned triangle on my back.

We really enjoyed the views the whole hike down!  I was kind of bummed when the trail eventually descended back into the woods.  The shade was nice, but losing the view was not!

When we got back to the car we debated whether we should go back to our room and shower, or head straight to lunch in town.  In the end, hunger won out and we ate lunch covered with sweat and grime.  We went to one of our favorite lunch spots in town – Rupununi.  They have the best Buffalo Chicken sandwiches and clam chowder.  We got a great seat out on the patio, the food was delicious and I didn’t even care that I was filthy!

Adam Says…

A trip to Acadia National Park almost requires you to visit Cadillac Mountain.  However, most people drive to the top of it rather than try hiking up.  Their are also some insane bikers that bike up the mountain, but we’re not in that kind of shape.  Since Cadillac Mountain is the highest summit in the park, we used to feel intimidated about trying to hike up.  Several years ago, we hiked up the north ridge since that seemed to be the easiest route.  We remembered the north ridge hike being a great hike, so this time we decided to try a different route.

A view of Eagle Lake.

To start the hike, we parked on Route 3, almost directly across from the entrance to Blackwoods Campground.  You take a few steps up and then the trail begins.  This first section is just about the only part that is completely in the woods.  At .8 miles, you reach a junction with the Eagles Crag trail.  We took a right and went on the Eagles Crag trail, which joins back on to the South Ridge Trail at 1.2 miles.  The Eagles Crag trail was probably the toughest climbing on the trail, but it does take you out of the woods to some nice views to the east of Otter Cove and Gorham Mountain.  In retrospect, we feel that it really isn’t necessary to do Eagles Crag, since you will quickly see tons of views right after you rejoin the trail.  But, if you want more views and/or some more challenge, go for it.  When you rejoin the South Ridge Trail at 1.2 miles, the trail begins to open up to more views in a short distance.  You will need to pay attention to the cairns on the trail since there are no tall trees to mark trail paths.  The views on this trail are completely amazing!  You have to turn around to see the great views on the way up.  We found ourselves taking pictures from a gorgeous spot and then going another .1 mile and finding even better views behind us.  At 2.4 miles, you reach a summit of a small hill where you can see the small pond, The Featherbed, below.  You climb down this small hill and then reach The Featherbed and a junction with the Canon Brook Trail at 2.7 miles.  Stay straight on the South Ridge trail as you begin your next ascent to reach the summit.  At 3.2 miles, you reach a junction with the West Face Trail to the left, but stay straight.  The trail is steeper up this last section of the trail.  There are a few areas where you will climb up some rocks (even using one iron rung handrail), but we didn’t find it to be overly difficult.  Through this section, you are likely to hear or see people along the Auto Road heading up Cadillac Mountain.  At 3.7 miles, you will reach the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  Go back the way you came.

Adam hiking along in the open. Below: Trail junctions are well-marked in Acadia; The building at the summit; Another view of the Porcupine Islands from the summit; Views on the hike down.

You feel like you are making an accomplishment when you hike up Cadillac Mountain.  While many of these people are driving to the top, you feel like you really earned the views.  The actual summit marker for Cadillac Mountain is not as easy to find.  As you’re coming up the South Ridge trail, you may walk right past it.  I like to get a picture of each summit we make.  Unlike most of Acadia that marks the summit with a large wooden summit marker, Cadillac Mountain only has a USGS marker in the rock.  To find it, walk behind the gift shop by about 100 steps where the gravel ends.  To the right, you will see a greenish-looking marker on a rock.  This marker has an arrow, that points about 20 feet to another marker on another rock.  This is the true summit marker.

We took a little time to hit the bathrooms, buy some cold drinks (that is always welcome when you are finishing a hike), and take in the views.  From Cadillac Mountain, you can see just about all of Mount Desert Island and on a clear day, the views are spectacular.  Many people drive to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to see the sunrise.  This is the second earliest place where you can see the sunrise on the east coast (only to be beaten slightly by Maine’s own Mount Katahdin).  While Christine was off taking some photos, I relaxed and talked to a family that just arrived from New York.  They were impressed that we hiked up it and I told them about some other things they should do during their week of vacation.  I could tell the father of the family was ready to tackle it all, but I could see some of his family wasn’t as enthusiastic.  After talking with me, they were going to try and hike up Cadillac Mountain that afternoon.

Cadillac Mountain does have some interesting history.   The area was named after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, a french explorer and trader.  This area was well-explored and controlled by the French and Antoine was given this area (now known as Bar Harbor) with this mountain (then known as Mount Desert).  When I was attending a ranger program while I was trying to achieve my rank as a “Acadia Senior Ranger”, I learned about how this man was much-hated and was basically run out of this area for misappropriation of money.  He then left this area and founded what became Detroit.  The Cadillac car is named after this man and the seal is his family crest.  It is funny that this country holds the car in such high esteem, when the man was a criminal (once called “one of the worst scoundrels to set foot in New France”).  You can read about his legacy in this article.  There is also a longer detailed research on the family crest and Cadillac’s history here.

If you are interested in geocaching, you can find a geocache near the top of Cadillac Mountain that is located near the beginning of the north ridge trail: Cadillac Mountain Cache.

As Christine and I were reflecting on all of the hiking we have done in Acadia, I will say this is my favorite hike to do in the park.  You truly don’t get any better views than on this hike up the south ridge of Cadillac.  There were times that I even felt tears welling up due to the awe-inspiring, panoramic landscape.  The north ridge trail also has great views along, but several times you are walking very close to the Auto Road and you are limited to views on one side of the trail.  With the vast expanses on the south ridge trail, it can’t be beat.  If you are up for doing a longer hike in Acadia, make this the one to do!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 7.4 miles
  
• Elevation Change – approximately 1300 feet
  
• Difficulty – 3.  The hike is steadily uphill but is quite moderate.
• Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is occasionally root-covered and has a lot of open granite.
  
• Views – 5.  It doesn’t get any better than this!
• Waterfalls/Lakes/Streams – 4.  The Featherbed is beautiful and you get lots of distant views of the bay and ocean.
• Wildlife – 1.  Maybe some red squirrels and (if you’re lucky) hawks on Eagles Crag.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Just follow the markers, blazes and cairns, and you can’t go wrong.
  
• Solitude – 1.  We started early and didn’t see many people on the trail, but the summit is always very crowded.
  

Directions to trailhead:  Located on Route 3, about 5 miles south of the Jackson Lab.  Look for the signs for Blackwoods Campground and park directly across the road from the entrance to the campground.  You will see a break in the woods with a few steps that starts your trail.

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.

View Larger Map

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.