This 9.5 mile hike, mostly along the Appalachian Trail, starts out from Newfound Gap. The route offers several places to take in magnificent vistas of the Smoky Mountains.

Adam enjoys the view from Charlies Bunion. Below: The trail starts out from Newfound Gap. The area has the Rockefeller Memorial (pictured), plenty of parking and restrooms; Christine at the start of the hike; The forests in the Smokies are so dense and green.

Christine Says…

We knew this hike was one of the most popular in the Smokies, so we got off to an early start – breakfast at the hotel, in the car by 7:15 and on the trail around 8:00.  We were one of the first cars in the Newfound Gap parking lot, which is always very busy.

We headed north along the Appalachian Trail.  Immediately, we began to marvel at how different the Smokies are from Shenandoah.  I’ll admit, I sort of expected this park to be similar to Shenandoah – kind of like an older sister – bigger and taller, but still similar in looks and personality.  But, the trail was strikingly different – more evergreens, wetter, mossier, greener, more rugged – I might even say ‘more alive’.

I’d heard and read plenty about the extensive biodiversity of the Smokies before, but wasn’t really prepared by how awestruck the park would make me feel. This park has dramatically more plant and animal species than almost any other place on earth. During the last ice age, plants and animals were pushed into the Southern Appalachians as glaciers advanced. When the glaciers retreated, species were left behind – almost stranded in the Smokies.

The trail climbed gradually uphill over the first couple miles, climbing over rocks and roots and mud.  Little rivulets of water were running down the mountainside all over the place and filling the woods with the sound of dripping and trickling.  Every now and then, we got a view of mountains in the distance.  Everything was still partly cloaked with fog and clouds, but it was evident that the sun was making a full effort to burn through.

Christine makes her way up the trail. Below: One of the first nice views came at the junction of the AT and the Sweat Heifer Creek trail;  Trail junctions were well-marked; There were plenty of wildflowers along the trail.  We even spotted a few fading trillium, but they were all pretty tattered and not photo-worthy.

At the junction of the AT and the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail (isn’t that a funny name?), we diverted a short distance off the AT to take in the view.  Almost immediately after turning onto Sweat Heifer, there is a bench and a marvelous open view of the mountains.  After a few minutes, we proceeded along the trail which had become more level as it followed a ridgeline.  We saw a couple trillium still in bloom – one bright purple and one white, but most were far past their peak.

Eventually we reached the junction with the Boulevard trail.  This is the spot where you can take a detour to another viewpoint – the Jumpoff.  We decided to press on toward Charlies Bunion, in hopes of having the spot to ourselves a while before the crowds materialized. About .3 of a mile past the junction, we reached the Icewater Shelter.  It was still full of weekend backpackers, some making breakfast and some still in their sleeping bags.  We didn’t want to disturb them, so after a brief hello, we moved on.  Shortly after leaving the shelter, we stepped over Icewater Spring, which is the water source for this area.  The piped spring seemed to be running nicely.

The trail climbed steeply downward over slick, wet trail.  The forest around us was extremely dense evergreen.  It was quite beautiful and different!  As we made our way along, thick, cottony fog started to roll in.  We passed one hiker marching south – tripod in hand and a disgusted look on his face.  I can only gather that he went to Charlies Bunion for the view and saw nothing.  The next hiker we encountered pretty much confirmed the sky conditions.  We asked how the view looked and he said ‘No view – unless you like fog, but it looks pretty cool blowing up the sides of the mountains.’

I felt a little disappointed about the prospect of missing out on the view, but we stayed optimistic and hoped that the fog would burn off within the next fifteen minutes.  When we first spotted Charlies Bunion from a distance, the fog was swirling around and covering the rocky outcropping almost completely.  But, by the time we reached the bunion, conditions were clearly improving.

What a spectacular place!  The mountains are so craggy and ragged and sharp around the bunion.  The rocks were covered with sand myrtle and a few rhododendron were about to bloom.  The fog was whipping by, rolling up the sides of the mountains in giant waves.  Every now and then, a thin spot would give us a glimpse of distant mountains and not even a hint of civilization.  We sat on the rocks, enjoying the solitude.  We were absolutely thrilled to enjoy this special place without the company of other park visitors.  As the minutes passed, the view became more and more clear.   It was everything I imagined the Smokies would be!

Christine checks out the view from the Bunion.  Below:  Adam walks through the cool, dense evergreen forest as we cover the last mile toward Charlies Bunion; Some sections of trail were covered with this smooth, slate-like rock; Many high, rocky places in the Smokies (including Charlies Bunion) are covered with sand myrtle.

Shortly before we were ready to head back, another couple from Michigan joined us at the rock.  We chatted a while and took photos for one another.  We decided to head on out and let them enjoy a bit of solitude, too.

On the hike back, we planned on eating lunch at the Icewater Shelter, but found it still loaded with people – and not very friendly ones at that.  So we pressed on, with plans to eat lunch at our next stop – a viewpoint called ‘The Jumpoff.’

The side trip to the Jumpoff required about an extra ¾ mile of hiking along the Boulevard Trail and a small side spur trail.  The climb up to this view was our toughest climbing of the day.  It was steep and very slippery and root-covered.  Once we got to the view, it was quite evident why the spot garnered the name ‘jump off’.  It has an extremely precipitous drop from the edge!  We ate lunch on the rocks and enjoyed the view.

On the hike back down to the junction, we passed a huge hiking party and were thankful that we had once again dodged sharing a nice viewpoint with crowds.

The rest of the hike back down went quickly and was mostly downhill.  We saw dozens and dozens of backpackers and dayhikers making their way up the trail. When we got back to the parking lot, it was full of people taking in the view from Newfound Gap.  Most of them will probably never set foot on the trail, and maybe with so many people already out there… that’s just fine!

Adam Says…

This was a great first hike in the Smokies for us.  We had driven up to Newfound Gap the previous day and saw a ton of cars.  We knew it would be a great idea to start off on this trail as early as possible.  The view from Newfound Gap is absolutely gorgeous, but you’re in for a treat if you continue on to Charlies Bunion and The Jumpoff.

When you park in the large lot, you will see a terraced memorial for Laura Spelman Rockefeller, the wife of John D. Rockefeller.  It is amazing the impact that Rockefeller family’s philanthropy has had on our national parks.  In addition to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Rockefeller family’s donations have given land and money to help establish Acadia, Grand Teton, Yosemite, and Shenandoah national parks.

The origin of the rock outcropping being called Charlies Bunion is amusing.  A mountain guide named Charlie Conner had a large bunion on his foot and Horace Kephart named it in honor of him and his foot affliction stating “That sticks out like Charlie’s bunion”.  Horace Kephart was one of the people that helped get the Great Smoky National Park established and plotted the Appalachian Trail path through the Smokies.  There is an interesting article about Kephart and Conner here.

This rock outcropping was created through a combination of logging, fire, and flooding.  This area was heavily logged in the early 20th century, leaving behind lots of dried debris.  A large forest fire came through this area known as The Sawteeth in 1925, destroying much of the vegetation and sterilizing the soil.  A torrential cloudburst in 1929 washed away the soil and left this as a rocky outcropping.

A view through the ‘smoke’ at Charlies Bunion. Below: The quickly changing clouds and fog opened up new views depending on how the wind blew; The Icewater Shelter.

For trail directions, the hike started with an uphill climb just right of the memorial (there is also a small bathroom to the right of the trail) on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail.  At 1.7 miles, you will reach the junction with the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail.  Continue straight on the AT.  At 2.7 miles, you will reach another junction with the Boulevard Trail to the left.  You will use this trail to get to The Jumpoff, but we continued straight on the AT.  At mile 3.0, we reached the Icewater Spring cabin, which serves as an overnight cabin for any backpackers.  On the trail shortly after the shelter, you will see a pipe that serves as a water source if you need water, but you should treat any water before drinking.  The trail then begins to go downhill steeply at this point as you make your way to Charlies Bunion.  You will reach Charlies Bunion at mile 4.4.  After visiting the Bunion, go back the way that you came.  At mile 6.1, you will reach the junction with the Boulevard Trail again.  Take a right on this trail and after a very short distance, you will see a wooden sign that points up to The Jumpoff.  This trail was definitely the most strenuous of the entire hike.  The trail is about .4 miles to reach the end at 6.5 miles.  Take a minute to enjoy the view and then head back down the way you came to rejoin the Boulevard Trail and take a right at the junction to rejoin the Appalachian Trail.  You should reach the parking lot at 9.5 miles.

The Appalachian Trail is relatively smooth up to the junction with the Boulevard Trail, but gets rougher, rockier and more slippery as you descend down to Charlies Bunion.   The trail up The Jumpoff is the toughest climbing of the day – quite steep and treacherous, so it will take a while to reach the viewpoint.

The view from the Jumpoff was pretty impressive! Below: To reach the Jumpoff, follow a short spur from the Boulevard Trail; Adam gets ready to eat lunch with a view; By the time we passed back by early spots on the trail, the view had cleared up significantly.

When Christine and I were hiking up past the junction with the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail, the strangest thing happened.  We both felt that we had a drumming noise inside our heads that was beating rapidly for a few seconds.  I said to Christine, “That was weird” and she asked what I felt.  It turns out that she had the same sensation happen at the exact same spot.  I’m not sure if it was an adjustment to the altitude, a pulse increase, or an alien scanning us, but it was quite odd.

The highlight of this hike is definitely the views.  From the Bunion, you can see steep, mountain peaks all around.  We were so glad that we stayed around a while to be able to watch the “smoke” rise up and blow over the Smokies.  We really felt like we were up in the clouds as the wind blew the fog around quickly.  We stayed around at this viewpoint for longer than we normally stay because it was so entertaining to get different glimpses of the mountains.  The Jumpoff trail gives you similar views, but you can also see Charlies Bunyon from afar.  The Jumpoff did seem a lot more treacherous.  The soil is eroding off this viewpoint and you just think if you take a wrong step you could plummet.  When we were leaving the area, a large group of older adults were on their way to The Jumpoff.  There is not a lot of room at the viewpoint, which made us both wonder how they were going to be able to take the views in.  We found someone’s driver’s license at the top of this point and we were just hoping that he has survived.  We took it to mail it off to him, but we did check the news to see if anyone was missing.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 9.5 miles if you go to The Jumpoff, 8.2 miles if you just do Charlies Bunion
• Elevation Change – about 1600 feet for the complete hike
• Difficulty – 3.  There are several moderate climbs on this hike.  The only truly steep climbing is the short spur trail to The Jumpoff
• Trail Conditions – 3.  The trail is in good condition, but you can expect to hike over lots of mud, loose rocks and roots. It’s just the way the Smokies are made.
• Views – 5.  Spectacular!
• Streams/Waterfalls – 0.  There are no streams or waterfalls along this trail, as it follows mostly ridgeline.
• Wildlife – 1.  Lots of juncos darting underfoot from low-lying plants.  We didn’t see anything else, but the  Icewater Shelter was closed during fall 2011 for an aggressive bear, so there is undoubtedly other wildlife in the area.
• Ease to Navigate – 4.  Trails are well-marked and blazed.  There are several turns, but it would be tough to get lost on this trail.
• Solitude – 2.  This trail is one of the top five most popular hikes in the Smokies.  Hike early if you want to avoid crowds.

Directions to trailhead:  Take 441 through Great Smoky National Park to reach the large Newfound Gap parking lot.  Park in the lot and head towards the memorial.  The trail starts off just to the right of the memorial.

Learn more about the movie on their Website, Facebook or Twitter.

View the trailer

They have announced four dates in Virginia:

Damascus, VA
Trail Days
Friday, May 18, 6PM
Saturday, May 19, 5PM
Details

Blacksburg, VA
The Lyric Theatre
Thurs, June 14, 7pm
Details | Tickets

Bluemont, VA*
Bears Den Trail Center
Fri, June 22, 7pm
Details

Harrisonburg, VA
Court Square Theater
Fri, June 29, 7pm
Details | Tickets

Attend a showing of Beauty Beneath the Dirt!

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.

Byrd's Nest #4 sits in a lovely opening off the Neighbor Mountain trail. Below: Parking is available at the Beahm's Gap Overlook; the trail begins after crossing the railing; Blooming azaleas along the trail.

Christine Says…

We were supposed to go backpacking, but when we heard terms like ‘flooding rains’, Nor’easter and ‘wash out’, we decided to delay the trip.  When Saturday morning dawned, it was sunny and warm and beautiful!  I made a trip into town, worked on a photography project in the arboretum, bought a bunch of veggies and strawberries (yay!) at the farmers’ market and got a haircut, figuring that the rain had to be on its way.  When I got home, it was still sunny and gorgeous with no sign of the coming deluge.  Adam suggested we hop in the car, go for a short hike and then have lunch in the park.  It sounded like a great idea to me, so off we went.

We decided on the short Byrd’s Nest #4 loop, starting from the Beahms Gap Overlook.  The trail started with a hop over the retaining rail at the overlook – a cement trail marker post will show the spot to cross the rail.  The trail goes slightly downhill along a short spur to the Appalachian Trail.  Follow the AT north until the junction with the Neighbor Mountain trail.  Take a right onto the Neighbor Mountain trail and follow it uphill until you reach a clearing and the Byrd’s Nest shelter. For the return trip, follow the grassy path in front of the shelter downhill.  The path quickly widens to the Hull School fire road.  After a few tenths of a mile, you’ll come back out on Skyline Drive.  Follow the drive south for about a tenth of a mile back to your car.

Adam hikes along a rocky section of the Appalachian Trail.

Although there are no sweeping views or rocky outcroppings, this hike is a lovely leg-stretcher.  The Byrd’s Nest shelter is a perfect place to enjoy a picnic lunch.  We had planned to relax at the shelter for a while, but when we arrived we found it already occupied by a picnicking couple.  Not wanting to infringe on their space, we took a few photos and headed back on the return arm of the hike pretty quickly.

We decided to have lunch at the Big Meadows Wayside.  It was packed – more crowded than we’ve ever seen it!  They had some new selections on the menu, which was a pleasant surprise.  The menu has been pretty much the same for years!  I got a grilled chicken sandwich with roasted red peppers, provolone cheese and aioli.  It was surprisingly juicy and delicious.  You don’t expect amazing food from park concessionaires – but this was actually one of the best grilled chicken sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.  Go figure!

It was still beautiful and sunny when we left the park around 2:00 p.m. – but by 4:00 heavy thunderstorms had moved in and it rained pretty much non-stop the next 48 hours.  I was glad that we had decided to postpone our backpacking trip.

Adam Says…

I was originally thinking that we would just take a drive on Skyline Drive when I whisked Christine away.  But, I decided to bring our Shenandoah National Park Falcon Guide hiking book and had Christine thumb through to find this hike we hadn’t completed yet.  We had done the majority of this trail before on our Appalachian Trail hike from Elkwallow to Thornton Gap.  The last time we had been on this trail, we saw the post that showed this side trail, but we decided to avoid more hiking.  The Falcon Guide book actually mentioned another trail that should have looped back to the AT, but that trail no longer exists (at least the posts have been removed).

A front view of Byrd's Nest. Below: Adam walking along the Neighbor Mountain trail; A few dark clouds rolled over on the short section of road walking at the end of the hike. They quickly passed and blue skies returned.

The cabin is named for Senator Harry Byrd Sr., who donated four of these shelters for the national park (the other three are at Old Rag, between the Pinnacle and Meadow Spring Trail, and Hawksbill mountains).  His name also graces the Visitor’s Center near Big Meadows and he hiked Old Rag annually into his 70s.  It appears that the cabin up here must have had a few other buildings or other things nearby since you can see some nearby foundations.  I’m not sure if this area once served as someone’s home or if it was an overnight shelter with a spring and a privy.  It is listed as a day-use shelter only.

Once we descended from the shelter down the fire road, we both thought we saw a bear dash off into the woods.  We saw a black shape and a big crashing through the brush, so we are convinced it was a bear.

The cabin is definitely the highlight of the trail, but we were disappointed that others had taken it completely over to eat lunch.  So, we quickly got on our way to not interrupt them.  Overall, there are definitely more interesting trails in Shenandoah National Park.  But if you want a quick hike with a possible place to eat a packed lunch, this could be one for you.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 2.4 miles
  
• Elevation Change –850 feet
  
• Difficulty – 2.  There is a substantial amount of uphill climbing, but the overall distance is short.
• Trail Conditions – 5.  The trail is in excellent shape, like most of the AT through Shenandoah.
  
• Views– 1.5.  There is a partially obscured view at the Byrd’s Nest Shelter.  It was probably much more panoramic and open when the shelter was originally built.
• Streams/Waterfalls –0.  There are no streams or waterfalls, but you will pass a spring-fed water source.
• Wildlife – 3.  We heard lots of birds, and *think* we saw a bear.
• Ease to Navigate – 2. After leaving the AT and Neighbor Mountain trails, it was all guesswork.  Nothing was marked and the description of the trail in our Falcon Guide was inaccurate.
• Solitude – 3. This is a fairly popular family hike.

Directions to trailhead:  Park at the Beahms Gap Overlook parking lot around mile 28.5 on Skyline Drive.  From the lot, you should see a cement post marking the start of the trail on the other side of the log barrier.

A nice view along the ridge line. You can see the spring green creeping up the mountainsides. Below:  Flowering trees near the beginning of the hike at Beagle Gap; the Calf Mountain Shelter; Dogwood in bloom.

Adam Says…

With this section of the Appalachian Trail, we finished section-hiking the southern district of Shenandoah National Park.  Now that we are finished with both the central and southern districts, we will next start working on completing the northern district so that we can ultimately cover all 105 miles of the AT through SNP.  The southern district accounts for 45 miles of that total, so we are glad to have the longest section completed.  I think hiking all of those miles was best realized by me when we are driving back home.  It feels like it took forever to drive the distance (due to the 35 mph speed limit through the park), so knowing we walked the distance gives me a little pride.   Of course, it still amazes me that some AT thru-hikers will accomplish the entire AT through SNP in about 4 days where it has taken us 5-8 days of hiking just to cover one section.

Adam hikes up Calf Mountain. Below: The Charlottesville chapter of Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) is working on a less steep re-route of the Appalachian Trail near Calf Mountain; The USGS marker on Calf Mountain’s summit; After descending Calf Mountain you will cross under powerlines.  They’re very loud and buzzy!

We did bring two cars to cover more ground.  We parked one car at Turk Gap at mile 94.2 on Skyline Drive.  We took the other car to Beagle Gap and began our hike northward from there.  From the parking lot, we went through the gap of the fence on the same side of the parking lot.  We started walking across the open field and up into the woods.  Once we got into the woods, the trail becomes quite steep as you make your way up Calf Mountain, where you gain about 500 feet of elevation in the first mile.  The woods are more open through this section, so you can take in a lot of the beauty around you if you need an excuse for a break.  The AT is being re-routed through this part, so you will see some posted signs, but stay on the white-blazed AT.  At mile 1.0, you will see a large cairn on the trail.  If you look nearby on the ground, you will see a USGS marker that marks the summit of Calf Mountain at 2974 feet.  The trail then begins to descend past this point.  At mile 1.6, you will see a blue-blazed side trail that leads to the Calf Mountain Shelter.  The sign says that the shelter is .3 miles away, but it is really just slightly over .2 mile away and the trail is relatively flat.  We always enjoy visiting the shelters along the way and reading the entries in the shelter log books to see who has been through recently.  Once you return back to the AT, continue northward.  At mile 2.5, we started to hear some buzzing in the air.  Within a few short steps, we came across some power lines that are cut through the mountains that were producing the unsettling sound.  At mile 2.7, you will come across the South Fork Moormans River Fire Road.  Cross the road and continue on the AT.  The trail descends to bring you down to Moormans River, which is more like a trickling stream than a river at this point.  Once you reach the stream, the trail then begins the uphill climb for most of the remainder of the trail. At mile 4.8, you will reach Skyline Drive and the Sawmill Run Overlook.  Cross Skyline Drive, continue to climb,  and at mile 6.4 you will reach the Turk Gap parking lot.

When reading the log book at the Calf Mountain shelter, it appears there were a few writings about a zombie apocalypse happening on the trail and some people were getting eaten and others were trying to stay ahead of it.  The only mention of this I could find online was through Tarzan’s AT journal.    I just picture a group of thru-hikers with zombie makeup shuffling through the forest and tagging others to spread the zombie disease.  But from watching The Walking Dead, I don’t picture anyone trying to set any speed records as a zombie.  Christine and I have toyed with doing a haunted hike on Halloween before, so this gives us some ideas.

The journal at Calf Mountain shelter was full of fascinating and entertaining entries. Below: Adam reading at the shelter; Zombies on the Appalachian Trail; Climbing uphill

I did struggle a bit with this hike.  The last two weeks I had a very severe sinus infection.  Topping that off with a high-pollen allergy season just made this tough for me.  My lungs haven’t fully healed from all the coughing that I was doing, so walking uphill for most of this hike was taxing.  By the last mile of this hike, I was just ready to be done.

Christine Says…

This section of trail was quite a bit nicer than I expected.  On the map, it basically looked like a series of rolling hills on a trail through the woods – no panoramic views or remarkable features.  But once we got out there, we did find a couple nice views after all. The shelter visit was fun, mostly because the journal entries were more entertaining than usual.  Trees and wildflowers were blooming abundantly, so there was plenty of color along the way.  I also enjoyed the bluebird skies and the pleasant breeze.

The trail began with the climb up to the summit of Calf Mountain.  It’s a summit without a view. It’s marked by a USGS marker and a conical pile of rocks.  The pile reminded me a little of the giant cairns that mark the summits in Acadia National Park.  Adam always poses on those Maine summits, so I asked him to do the same on Calf Mountain.  Unfortunately, he made a really goofy face in the photo, so I won’t be sharing it on the blog.

The understory turned green early in the spring of 2012. Below: Ferns uncurling; Budding azaleas; Wildflowers

Hiking down from the Calf Mountain summit, I really noticed how GREEN everything is becoming.  Spring hit early and fast this year.  Even though the mature hardwoods had not leafed out when we did this hike, much of the understory was already green – ferns were uncurling, dogwoods and redbuds were in full bloom and we saw wild geraniums and dwarf irises. On this section of trail, we passed several enormous trees with lots of large, low-hanging branches.  They were just the kind of tree I would have climbed as a kid.  I wish I knew what kind they were, but they didn’t have leaves yet and I’m not good at tree identification without leaves.

Our next stop was the Calf Mountain shelter.  I ate candy and cheese. Adam almost broke my camera by getting his foot caught in the neck strap as it was sitting on the picnic table. (Aaaaaah!) I read the journal.  Apparently, there are zombies afoot on the Appalachian Trail this spring – many hikers are now undead, and it sounds wise to stay on the move.  (kidding, kidding)  There was also a fascinating entry from a man who has completed many thru-hikes (and not just the Appalachian Trail).  His entry was really uplifting and motivating.  I can’t believe one of his thru-hike attempts ended after getting thrown off the AT by a tornado in Maine  — yes, A TORNADO in MAINE.  That doesn’t happen very often!

There were plenty of flowering trees along the hike. I think we saw dogwoods, redbuds, cherry and apple. Below: Dwarf iris.

The second half of the hike was mostly uphill.  It was never steep uphill, but we still gained several hundred feet in a pretty short distance.  I felt really bad for Adam.  He was struggling with the uphill after recovering from a chest/head cold.  At one point, I heard him cursing and muttering behind me that he was ‘*%$# tired of *%$# uphill.’  I always feel a strange sense of guilt when people I’m hiking with are having a hard time.  I almost feel like the hills are my fault.  LOL I want to carry more, encourage them to take more breaks, or offer to make a run for the car and come back to get them at an earlier stop point.  But Adam was tough, and pushed through the pain.

The nicest views of the hike came on the section of trail between Jarman Gap and Turk Gap.  There were several open views along the ridge.  It was beautiful to see the spring green creeping up the mountainside!

It feels good to be done with two sections of the AT through Shenandoah.  Now we have less than twenty miles to go.  Hopefully we’ll be able to knock those miles out in the next few weeks.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.4 miles, including .4 miles to visit the Calf Mountain Shelter
• Elevation Change - 1300 feet
• Difficulty – 2.5.  While most of the trail is uphill, the grade is typically not very steep except for the section up Calf Mountain.
• Trail Conditions – 4. The trail was in great shape and well-traveled.  There were not many rocky sections along this trail.
• Views – 2.  There were a few views near the power lines, but most of the views along this section are obstructed.
• Streams/Waterfalls – 2.  You do go along the south fork of Moormans River at one point, but it is largely a trickle at this point.  There are a few springs along the way, but the most reliable source is probably near Calf Mountain Shelter.
• Wildlife – 3.  We did see several deer along the trails and we could hear lots of woodpeckers through the trees.
• Ease to Navigate –4. Stay on the white-blazed AT and you should be fine.
• Solitude – 3. You will find more people on the way to Calf Mountain, but not many people after that.

Directions to trailhead: At mile 99.5, you will come to a large parking area.  Look for the gap in the fence on the same side of the road and head up the Appalachian Trail.

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 Blackrock is beautiful! Below: The summit of Blackrock is a massive jumble of boulders left behind by an ancient collapsed cliff; Adam looks at the different hiking options around Blackrock. This area is popular with families and day-hikers due to its short length, With all the leaves down, Skyline Drive was visible many places along the trail.

Adam Says…

For the last several years, we’ve had our own non-traditional Thanksgiving Day celebration  We start off with a morning hike, and for dinner we have homemade pizza.  Since it is typically just the two of us, we haven’t felt the need to make a big turkey with all the trimmings.  Christine isn’t a big fan of turkey, so we decided to have something for dinner that we both enjoy even more. But to keep with a little tradition, we take a piece of pepperoni, make a wish, and tug on both ends.  Whoever gets the majority of the pepperoni, gets their wish.  And there is also usually football on the TV.

We started off our 2011 Thanksgiving hike by parking one car on the side of the road at mile marker 89 (after the Horsehead Mountain overlook) where the Appalachian Trail crosses Skyline Drive.  We then drove back to the Brown Gap parking lot (near mile marker 83).  The white-blazed Appalachian Trail begins across Skyline Drive.  The trail starts off with a gradual uphill.  At .8 miles, you may begin to smell campfires or see a few people since it goes right behind the Dundo Picnic Area.  At 1.3 miles, the trail intersects with the Jones Run Trail and then at 1.5 miles, the trail crosses Skyline Drive again.  The trail continues uphill to make your way up to the summit of Blackrock mountain.

The rock jumble on Blackrock is impressive. Below: Adam hikes around the summit; Adam hikes along the AT under bare trees.

At mile 2.0, the trail skirts a Blackrock parking lot.  A sign shows some alternate ways up Blackrock mountain, but just stay on the Appalachian Trail.  At 2.5 miles, you should reach the boulder pile for the summit of Blackrock.  You will see some nice views from this point and from a nearby overlook as the trail winds around the summit.   The trail then starts descending rather steeply down the other side.  At mile 3, we took the spur trail that leads to Blackrock hut.  The hut is about .2 miles away down a steep out-and-back trail.  We visited the hut and returned to the Appalachian Trail at mile 3.4.  At mile 3.9, the trail crosses Skyline Drive.  At this point, the trail begins to go back uphill and goes up and down two small hills until you reach your car at mile 6.0.

The best part of this hike is clearly the Blackrock summit.  It is fun to climb around on the boulders and the views from this area and the nearby overlook are great.  Many people hike this summit from the Blackrock parking lot.  For a one-mile hike from the parking lot, this does give you a good payoff for little effort.  Since it is a short hike, you should expect to see other people on this hike during most nice days.

Since it was Thanksgiving, Christine and I talked to each other about what we were thankful for.  I am very thankful to have an amazing wife, three dogs that are a great part of our family, a job that enables me to enjoy the rest of my life, and the ability to be able to hike with Christine through some gorgeous areas of Virginia.  I’m very thankful to have the life that I have.

We only have about 12 more miles to finish the southern section of Shenandoah National Park.  It is always amazing to us when we are driving to cover our next section that we have been able to cover all this distance on foot.

Christine says…

Well… this post has been a long time coming!  I can’t believe it’s taken us nearly a month to get details about our Thankgiving hike onto the blog.  The holiday season is always so busy and chaotic!

As far as hikes go, this one was pretty low-key.  There was one great view from Blackrock, but it was mostly walking through the woods.  The terrain was really easy and the weather was really warm for late November.  We only saw one other group of people the entire day – a family hiking up to Blackrock.

I really enjoyed the walk down to visit Blackrock Hut.  Adam surprised me by bringing our JetBoil along.  We got to enjoy drinking hot beverages while perusing the shelter log.  He had cocoa and I had hot cider.  The hike was such a fun and relaxing way to spend the holiday morning.

We made a stop at Blackrock Hut. Below: The shelter journal; Adam makes cider and hot cocoa, Our non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

I can’t even begin to describe how much I love our Thanksgiving tradition!  I used to spend the entire day in the kitchen – basting the turkey, preparing a zillion different side dishes and setting the table.  I would stress over getting everything onto the table at the same time.  And worst of all… by the time the meal was ready, I really didn’t even want to eat it.  And then there was the sink full of dishes, weeks worth of leftovers and the dreaded turkey carcass to contend with.  Now I get to go for a hike and spend the majority of the day outdoors. Plus, homemade pizza is easy, no-fuss and delicious after a hike.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.0 miles (including .4 mile side trail to Blackrock Hut)
  
• Elevation Change – about 1100 feet
  
• Difficulty – 2. There is some uphill at the end of the hike, but most of the hike is flat or downhill.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5.  Overall was pretty well-maintained, but there were a few trees across the trail to navigate coming down from Blackrock summit.
  
• Views – 3.5.  Best views on the hike are near Blackrock Mountain
• Streams/Waterfalls – 1. A small, mostly-dry stream was near the Blackrock hut.
• Wildlife – 1.  We didn’t see anything beyond birds and squirrels.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just stay on the Appalachian Trail. 
  
• Solitude – 3.5.  Expect to see people around Blackrock mountain, but otherwise, not a lot of traffic on this hike.
  

Directions to trailhead: Leave one car on the side of the road at mile marker 89 (after the Horsehead Mountain overlook) where the Appalachian Trail crosses Skyline Drive.  Drive back to the Brown Gap parking lot (near mile marker 83).  The white-blazed Appalachian Trail begins across Skyline Drive.

Taking in the view from the Glass Hollow Overlook.  It was really hazy and we were facing the sun, so the photos aren’t great.  But, it was still really colorful and pretty.  Below:  Adam takes the turn onto the Appalachian Trail; The Paul C. Wolfe Shelter; Adam walks along the Albright Trail.

Adam Says…

Today was our 14th wedding anniversary, so we decided to take the day off of work and go for a nice hike together.   It is a good sign that it doesn’t seem like 14 years and that time has flown.  I’ve seen a card that said on the outside “Thank you for five wonderful years of marriage” and on the inside it said “Happy 25th Anniversary”.  We’ve had some great years together.  It was wonderful to pick a beautiful fall day to experience together.

As we mentioned in “Our Most Popular Trails” post, we are shocked that Humpback Rock receives so much attention.  We thought it would be a good idea to talk about this other hike that takes off from the Humpback Rock parking lot.  So, if you’re interested in hiking but not tons of people, this may be an option for you. The views are better from Humpback Rock, but you do get some benefits on this hike also.

After parking in the lot, you will see a picnic table adjacent to the first parking spot.  There are two trails that take off from this spot.  Take the blue-blazed trail to the right of the picnic table that descends into the woods (you’ll return from the loop by the Albright Loop Trail on the left).   The trail descends gradually and at .25 miles, you reach an intersection with the Appalachian Trail.  Take a left on the white-blazed AT heading north.  The trail at this point is relatively flat or downhill.  At mile 1.1, you reach an intersection with a small blue-blazed trail that veers off to the right pointing to the Glass Hollow Overlook.  The trail to the overlook is just about .2 mile and is worth the walk.  At the overlook, there is a backcountry campsite for those that would like to camp and take in the views of the sunrise from the overlook.  Go back on the spur trail the way you came and join the AT again, taking a right and continuing north on the trail taking your mileage to 1.3 miles.   At mile 1.6 and 1.7, you come across intersections with the Albright Loop trail.  Just continue on the Appalachian Trail.

Adam checks out the shelter log in the Paul C. Wolfe shelter. Below: Past campers debate (in graffiti) the philosophy of Christopher McCandless from ‘Into the Wild’; We found a name we knew in the shelter log; On the hike back up from the shelter, we got an open view of Bears Den Mountain in Shenandoah National Park.  You can’t tell in this photo, but there are radio towers atop the mountain in the distance.

The trail begins to descend for the next 1.3 miles through a long series of switchbacks.  At mile 3.0, we rock-hopped across Mill Creek and reached the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter.  We took some time to rest here before we returned the way we came on the Appalachian Trail.  We climbed back up the Appalachian Trail from the shelter heading south this time and back up the switchbacks we had just experienced.  We were both glad that these took off some of the difficulty of the elevation climb.  At mile 4.2, we reached the first junction with the blue-blazed Albright Loop Trail.  Take a right here and you will follow this trail 2 miles back to the parking lot.  The hike on the Albright Loop trail starts off very manageable, but ends up being the most difficult part of the hike since there is quite an ascent up through some switchbacks.

On the return on the Albright Loop Trail, immediately after the second switchback, look up the hillside to see the wreckage of a Beechcraft Bonanza plane.  On the trail it was marked with a cairn to show where you can leave the trail.  The plane crashed back in 1963.  Please respect the wreckage and leave it as it is.

Plane Wreckage along the Albright Trail. Below: Adam checks out another section of the plane.

The Paul C. Wolfe Memorial shelter was built by the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club in 1991.  According to their website, “it took approximately 30 people every weekend for two months to complete the shelter.  Materials were hauled two miles by hand and tractor.”  This is one of the nicest huts on the AT, according to a lot of the thru-hikers.  It really has nice construction and a beautiful location.

After our hike, we made a quick trip down to Sonic for a snack (tots and creamslushes!).  We didn’t want to spoil our anniversary dinner though, since we had reservations at The Local Chop & Grill House in Harrisonburg, VA.   It always feels good to have a guilt-free dinner when you have burned off a lot of calories on a hike.

Christine says…

What a great anniversary hike!  I love being out on the trail during the peak of fall foliage season.  All during the hike, the sun was filtering through the trees above – making a gorgeous canopy of gold.  There were also plenty of brilliant red maples tucked into the understory.  What was even better — no crowds!  Hiking on a weekday on a less well-known trail made this hike especially enjoyable.

I had new boots to try out on this hike. Right out of the box, my Oboz Sawtooth boots were perfectly comfortable.  They’re the first taller pair of boots I’ve ever worn.  I was skeptical about that, but they felt great the whole six+ miles.

A golden canopy of forest.  Below: New boots on the Glass Hollow Overlook; Adam crosses Mill Creek; A small cascade on the stream.

Since Adam has already talked about the trail specifics, I’ll just share a few of my highlights. One of my favorite stops was at the Paul C. Wolfe shelter.  It really is one of the nicest backpacking shelters I’ve ever seen – two levels, plexiglass windows, hooks to hang backpacks and a deep, well-sheltered porch, so you always stay dry when you’re sleeping.  The structure is set uphill, overlooking a wonderful, babbling stream.  Even the privy is unique at this shelter.  With it’s half-door, I can’t say you’ll ever get true privacy, but at least you know when it’s occupied and the ventilation couldn’t be better!

While we were taking our break at the shelter, we took a few minutes to flip through the log book.  We noticed the entry from one of the backpackers we met in September at the Pinefield Hut.  It was kind of neat to see a name we knew.

I also took some time to explore and photograph the stream.  Along the bank of the stream, there is a marble bench placed in memory of John Donovan.  He was an experienced hiker and a member of the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club. He died on his attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2005.  The bench gave me enough information to Google his name so I could learn more about what happened.  As it turns out, Backpacker Magazine published a long feature story about John Donovan’s disappearance and death in a 2006 issue.  It was a fascinating read!  The tragedy that befell Donovan turned into a miracle that saved two other lives.

A bench is placed in memory of John Donovan. Below: The privy has a half door!

The plane crash was an interesting stop, too.  I expected the plane wreckage to be a lot rustier after close to fifty years in the woods, but it was still completely recognizable as an aircraft.  I couldn’t find anything more about the crash other than the year it happened and the type of plane.

After leaving the plane site, we finished out stint on the Albright Trail and made our way back to the car.  The parking lot was really full, but pretty much everyone else was on the Humpback Rocks trail.  I’m really glad we took the time to explore this trail – it turned out to be a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.2 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 1500 feet.
  
• Difficulty – 3.  There is a good amount of uphill climbing.  The steepest section is along the Albright Loop Trail.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail is nicely maintained.  During the fall season, be sure to watch your footing if the trail is covered with leaves.  There are loose rocks underneath a good portion of the trail.
  
• Views –3.  The best unobstructed views are from the Glass Hollow Overlook. 
• Streams/Waterfalls – 3.  Mill Creek was moving nicely near the shelter.  According to a journal entry from an AT hiker, there is a small waterfall and pool shortly downstream.
  
• Wildlife – 1.  We didn’t see anything beyond birds, chipmunks and squirrels.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  There are a few intersections, but there are also signs at each of the intersections.
  
• Solitude – 3.  You will likely run into a few others on the trail, due to the proximity of Humpback Rocks.

Directions to trailhead: The trail is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Marker 8. The hike begins on the blue-blazed trail to the right of the picnic table.

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.