Author: Love Virginia

Appalachian Trail – Elkwallow to Thornton Gap

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This 8.35 mile hike (with an optional .4 mile detour to the Pass Mountain Hut) follows the Appalachian Trail through beautiful forest and past one decent view.

Path to Pass Mountain Hut
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.

Ferns Rocks along trail Skyline drive near Beahms 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
Blackberries along the trail. Below: Red eastern columbine; a couple unidentified wildflowers; Indian Pipes

Columbine Wildflower Wildflower
Wildflower 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.

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

Blueberries Picking Blueberries

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
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.

Journal and fire pit Shelter journal Doe near the Pass Mountain Hut

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.

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

Crossing 211 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.

Flat Top

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Flat Top is one of the two ‘Peaks of Otter’.  While not as popular as the other peak (Sharp Top), this 5.4 mile hike to Flat Top’s summit offers some nice views of the area.

A View of Sharp Top from Flat Top
A view of Sharp Top from just below the Flat Top summit. Below: Starting out on the Flat Top trail; The trailhead was decorated with lilies; The junction of the trail down to Cross Rock is right at the Pinnacle.

Flat Top Trail  Day Lily Cross Rock Junction

Christine Says…

Last week, we were home on a week long ‘staycation’.  Most of the week, we relaxed at home, sleeping in and watching movies.  When Wednesday turned out to be cool and breezy with low humidity, we decided to get up early and go for a day hike in the Peaks of Otter area of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We’ve hiked Sharp Top many times, but I had never really considered hiking the companion peak.  Adam had always described the hike up Flat Top as steep and lacking any spectacular views.  But, we’d read a few more positive descriptions of the views, so we decided to give the trail a shot.

When we got to the trailhead, it was almost chilly.  Personally, I think chilly weather is always welcome in the middle of summer!  The hike was all uphill, passing hillsides of ferns, giant boulders and patches of red columbine.  The first point of interest we came to was the Pinnacle.  It offered panoramic views of the valley.  We could even see the Blue Ridge Parkway snaking through the mountains across the valley.

View from the Pinnacle
A view from the Pinnacle. Below: The trail was often lined with ferns; There were many giant boulders along the trail; Cross Rock was underwhelming.

Ferns Along the Trail Giant Boulders Along the Trail Cross Rock

At the Pinnacle, there is sign marking a side trail down to Cross Rock.  We assumed Cross Rock would be another outcropping with nice views.  We were quite wrong. Instead, it was a brutally steep descent to a rock formation in the shape of a cross.  Others might find Cross Rock to be fascinating, but I think I would have passed on the side trail if I had known I was just going to look at some rocks.

From the Cross Rock junction, the trail became steeper and rockier.  We continued climbing for the last half mile to the summit of Flat Top.  At first, we were a little confused because the summit marker was buried in the trees.  Our hiking book had described the views from the top as panoramic and majestic.  We eventually found a little path through the brush leading to a rocky outcropping with views.  It was a little below the actual summit.  The views from that point were nice, but I wouldn’t describe them as generously as our hiking guide did.  If you climbed out to the edge, stood and peered beyond the trees, you could see Sharp Top.  Overall, I think the view from the Pinnacle was much nicer than the view from the summit.

We relaxed on the rocks for a while, then made our way down the trail.  The trail going down was really slick from the thunderstorms the night before.  On one steep section, I slipped and fell hard on my left knee.  At first, I was really worried I may have banged it up badly enough to jeopardize our planned backpacking trip.  Fortunately, I was able to walk it off and only suffered a bruise.

The downhill hike seemed endless at times after I hurt my knee, but we got back to the car in less than an hour. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Peakview Dining Room in the Peaks of Otter lodge.

Adam Says…

The Peaks of Otter place has a special place in my heart, since this was where my family would often visit for a picnic.  I have hiked up the sister peak, Sharp Top, countless times, but I have only been up Flat Top a few times.  The times that I had approached the peak of Flat Top, we had started out from the trailhead from the Peaks of Otter picnic area.  I remember that path being very steep and forested, with views that were mostly through the trees.  After consulting our Falcon Guide of Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, it mentioned great views and starting from the actual Blue Ridge Parkway to shave off some of the elevation gain.  We decided to check out this path instead of the way I had experienced.

View Just Below the Flat Top Summit
View just below the Flat Top summit. Below: The actual summit of Flat Top is in the trees; Adam took a photo of Christine with the camera’s manual settings customized for a sunny landscape shot – oops!; Inside the Peaks of Otter lodge.

The actual summit of Flat Top Christine in Motion Peak View Dining Room

The start of this trail begins around mile marker 83.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of the Peaks of Otter Lodge.   There is a parking lot on the eastern side and you will see a brown sign denoting the beginning of the Flat Top trail. The trail starts off by slowly elevating through the forest in more of a gradual ascent.  Around .6 miles, the trail turns sharply to the left and you begin a series of switchbacks that last until you reach the junction with the Cross Rock trail at 2.1 miles.  At this junction you reach what is termed the pinnacle.  If you crawl out on the outcropping of rocks near you, you are at the Pinnacle, which provides the best views on this hike.  You have the option of climbing down to Cross Rock, but this is not a great viewpoint, just an interesting rock formation.  Follow the signs up the last .5 miles to reach the Flat Top summit at 4,001 feet.  You will see the summit marker in the middle of the woods.  Continue past the summit marker slightly for a short sidepath onto a rock outcropping that will give you some nice views.  Continue back the way you came.

This path up Flat Top was better than my memories of hiking up from the picnic area.  The views from the Pinnacle are gorgeous and you would miss out on this if you did the hike from the picnic area.  The hike back down from the summit felt steeper than going up and there were loose rocks that required you to keep an eye on your footing.  Take trekking poles to help secure your footing.  There is one geocache on the hike, but I forgot to plug in the coordinates before we left:

The one thing that Flat Top has over the Sharp Top hike is more solitude. Sometimes it seems that Sharp Top is crawling with large groups of hikers, but you will likely only see a few people on the Flat Top hike.  Sharp Top does have better viewpoints, but this is a nice hike to do if you have more time to spend in the area.  If you are interested and not too exhausted, you can also cross the road from the parking lot for a short 1.6 mile hike to Fallingwater Cascades.

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 5.4 miles (including the optional .2 mile side trail to Cross Rock)
  • Elevation Change – 1391 feet
  • Difficulty – 3.  The hike is steady uphill climbing and get rockier the higher you climb.
  • Trail Conditions – 2.  The trail is very rocky and is rather overgrown in places.
  • Views –3.5  The view from the Pinnacle is beautiful, but views from the summit are somewhat obstructed.
  • Wildlife – 0.  We didn’t see anything.
  • Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  The trail itself is easy to follow, but at the summit there is no clear pointer to the best overlook.  The technical summit is buried in the woods, but by following community trails you can climb onto rocky outcroppings to gain a view.
  • Solitude – 2.5.  Compared to Sharp Top, this trail is lightly traveled.  But due to the popularity of the Peaks of Otter area, you will likely see other hikers.

Directions to trailhead: At mile marker 83.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of the Peaks of Otter Lodge.   Park in the lot on the eastern side and a brown sign denotes the beginning of the Flat Top trail.

Twin Pinnacles Trail

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The Twin Pinnacles trail is a gentle trail that takes you to the highest point in Grayson Highlands State Park.  The views from each of the Pinnacles are nothing short of spectacular.

View from Little Pinnacle
The view from Little Pinnacle.  Below: Although this blog post primarily covers the Twin Pinnacles trail, don’t miss hiking up through Massie Gap to where it meets the Appalachian Trail.  You’ll see ponies and spectacular scenery.

Ponies  Grayson Higlands Hiking Grayson highlands view

AT through Massie Gap More Ponies Grayson Highlands view

Christine Says…

When visiting the southwest region of Virginia, a visit to Grayson Highlands State Park is practically mandatory.  That park and the high country around Mount Rogers might be my favorite spot in the entire state of Virginia for many reasons.  The lovely boreal forest seen in much of that area is uncommon elsewhere in our state.  The bald, open high country is stunningly beautiful.  And, the kicker… there are WILD PONIES.  Honestly, if there was nothing besides the wild ponies to set Grayson Highlands apart, I would still love it best.  I grew up a horse crazy girl and that sentiment has never really abated in my adulthood.

Last time we visited Grayson Highlands, we hiked up Mount Rogers.  This time we wanted to try something new, so we decided to hike the Twin Pinnacles trail, which lies completely within the state park’s boundaries.  But before we set off on our new hike, I insisted that we hike far enough up the Appalachian Trail that I could see and photograph some of the ponies and their spring foals.  The wild ponies of Grayson Highlands are not everywhere in the park.  The best chances to see them are hiking through Massie Gap and then south along the Appalachian Trail.

As it turned out, the ponies were all tucked into the shade and relaxing at the higher elevations.  We ended up hiking a little over halfway up Mount Rogers before we found the herd.  We enjoyed watching a small family group of ponies – two mares, two foals and a stallion for about an hour before we headed back down to do our ‘real’ hike.

Foal along the AT
This foal looked so beautiful with the mountainous background.  Below: Adam walking along the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail; A couple shots of the Catawba Rhododendron in bloom.

Adam hiking across Massie Gap Catawba Rhodedendron Rhodedendron Along the AT

We also spent a little time headed slightly north on the Appalachian Trail so Adam could look for a geocache.  While he did that, I enjoyed the spectacular blooms of the Catawba Rhododendron.  They’re so colorful, and really set the mountainside awash in brilliant purple.

By the time we got to the trailhead for Twin Pinnacles, which is located behind the park’s Visitor Center, I was already sunburned, tired and hungry.  Thankfully, Twin Pinnacles is a very, very short hike.  At 1.6 miles, it barely makes my personal cut-off of one-mile for actually being considered a ‘hike’.  Anything shorter than a mile is just a walk in my book!

For such a short hike, Twin Pinnacles packs in a ton of majestic scenery!  The trail climbs very gradually to the highest point in the park – Little Pinnacle – at 5084 feet.  You would think Big Pinnacle would be the taller, but the name is a slight misrepresentation.

From the top of Little Pinnacle, we had views in every direction.  We could see Christmas Tree farms down in the valley.  We could see Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain off in the distance.  All through the forest, bands of red spruce were visible.  They really stand out among other conifers due to their richer, russet colors.

Trail Leaving Little Pinnacle
The trail leaving Little Pinnacle.

Walking across the rocky, bare top of the mountain was reminiscent of hiking in New England.  We quickly dipped back into the trees and walked through a small saddle over the Big Pinnacle.  After a short, very steep climb, we stepped out onto bare rock overlooking a gorgeous vista.  Of the two Pinnacles, I think Big Pinnacle has slightly nicer views of the park – especially looking down into Massie Gap.  We enjoyed the breeze atop the Pinnacle, and I spent some time daydreaming more about the ponies and what they might be up to.  (yes… really – I love those ponies!)

After leaving the second Pinnacle, we had a short walk back to the Visitor Center and a long ride back home.  I wish we had more time to spend in the area – I love Grayson Highlands!

Adam  Says…

The last time we had visited Grayson Highlands, we spent most of the day at Mount Rogers and had little time or energy left for anything else.  I thought it would be nice to see some other features of this wonderful state park.  Since the weather and views were lovely, we tried out the Twin Pinnacles Trail.

Storm Shelter
The 1.6 mile loop trail has several storm shelters built by a local boy scout troop.  Below: The trail starts behind the visitors center.

Twin Pinnacles trailhead

During our morning in Grayson Highlands, Christine was determined to see wild ponies.  She stated that she didn’t want to leave until she saw ponies and hopefully foals.  In my best Mr. T impression, I said “I pity the foals” and we started our search.  We ran into an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker.  I wish we had stopped to get his trail name, because he was such a happy guy.  He was from Florida and just said that he is just amazed every day at what he is doing.  He said that he often goes blue-blazing (since all of the AT is white-blazed, trails off the AT are typically blue-blazed) to see other things that people recommend.  He wasn’t out to set any records for speed, he was just enjoying every moment.  I hope he makes the trip the whole way.  I kept thinking that he is adding on a lot of extra miles that I know many other hikers wouldn’t want to do.  I was asking if he had seen any ponies and he said he walked through about four herds getting to this spot today, so I knew we were on the right path.  Shortly after we parted ways, we ran into our first two ponies.  They were a little stand-offish, but they didn’t run away from us.   These ponies looked a little rough, like they needed some time with a grooming brush.  Christine wanted to continue to try and find some more groups of ponies.  Shortly after we continued to climb up the AT, I looked back to enjoy the view (and catch my breath) and I saw some ponies not far from where we were hiking.  We decided to climb back down and check them out and Christine saw there were two foals with them.  We spent about 45 minutes just watching their behavior from a safe distance before I nudged Christine away to continue on with our day.  I’m sure she could have stayed all day looking at this set of ponies.

There are two different options for this trail.  You can start from the parking lot at Massie Gap and hike steeply uphill via the Big Pinnacle Trail.  We decided to go the easier way, since we had already spent a good time hiking before this.

Big Pinnacle overlooking Massie Gap
Big Pinnacle overlooking Massie Gap.

To get to the trailhead, just continue on the park road, Grayson Highland Lane, until you reach the parking lot to the Visitor’s Center.  Once you park the car, you will have to climb up several stairs until you reach the Visitor’s Center.  As you are looking directly at the Visitor’s Center, the red-blazed trail begins behind and to the left of the Center.  After a short distance, you will reach a larger bulletin board with a map of the trail where the trail forks.  Take the left fork.  You will soon come across the first of four storm shelters along the trail that were created as an Eagle Scout project.  You will reach the first rocky outcrop, Little Pinnacle around .7 miles.  The Little Pinnacle is actually higher than the Big Pinnacle in elevation.  The trail continues on for a few tenths of a mile until you reach the sign for the Big Pinnacle overlook.  The trail up to the Big Pinnacle consists of steep stairs leading to the top, but it isn’t too far of a climb to the top.  Once there, you should be able to see the Massie Gap parking lot below.  Go back to the sign and continue to follow the signs leading back to the Visitor’s Center.  You should finish your trip at 1.6 miles.

I did do a little geocaching on the trail while I was there.  In one of the geocaches, I found a toy Pinnochio from the Shrek movies.  I decided to grab it (in geocaching, you typically take something and leave something in the container).  As we continued to hike, I kept thinking that I heard something barking or voices that were in the distance.  I asked Christine a couple of times if she heard anything and she said she didn’t.  After thinking that I was going crazy, I finally realized that this Pinnochio was making noises.  He makes some grunts and occasionally says, “I’ll never become a real boy”.   We had a good laugh at my expense over that.  If you would like to find the geocaches on the trail, they are:

For a hiker in Virginia, it really doesn’t get any better than a visit to Grayson Highlands State Park.  This is truly a magical place!

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 1.6 miles
  • Elevation Change – 250 feet
  • Difficulty – 2.  The trail is mostly flat and easy with the exception of one short, steep climb up Little Pinnacle.
  • Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail is heavily-traveled and in great shape.
  • Views – 5.  Spectacular views from one of Virginia’s highest spots.
  • Wildlife – 1.  We saw some birds. There might be bears and deer in the area, but we didn’t see anything.
  • Ease to Navigate – 4.5. There are a couple turns, but if you follow the signs you’ll easily be able to stay on the loop.
  • Solitude – 2.  The short length and excellent views make this trail very popular.

Directions to trailhead: From Abingdon, take 58 East until you reach Grayson Highlands State Park on the left through SR 362. Continue on Grayson Highland Lane until you reach the parking lot for the Visitor’s Center.  The trailhead is behind and to the left of the Visitor’s Center.

Rocky Knob

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This short ‘lollipop loop’ hike takes you across high cow pastures offering great views of the valley below.  Eventually you climb to the summit of Rocky Knob and enjoy visiting a former Appalachian Trail hut.  The views from the hut and the rocky outcropping on the summit are excellent!

Open Meadow and Trail Marker
The trail climbs up across open meadow. Below:  We sampled fourteen different wines at Chateau Morrisette; Hiking in open pasture;  The hike takes you across the Saddle Overlook.

Chateau Morrisette  Hiking in Open Pasture  Saddle Overlook

Christine Says…

A couple years ago we visited the Virginia Highlands area and did some hiking at Hungry Mother, biked the Virginia Creeper and climbed Mount Rogers.  We had such a great time, that we decided a return trip was in order. We stayed in the small town of Hillsville – right off I-77.  It was the perfect spot to use as a base for a number of activities in the area.

The first thing we decided to do was head up to the Meadows of Dan to explore that area of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We settled on a visit to Chateau Morrisette to sample wine, a short hike in the Rocky Knob area and a photo shoot at Mabry Mill.

Normally, I wouldn’t drink a bunch of wine before hiking in 95 degree weather, but it was the only way the schedule would allow us to fit everything into one evening.  So… off I went to drink fourteen different kinds of vino!  Chateau Morisette was such a great place!  Their winery is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, nestled into the rolling Virginia countryside.  They have a large tasting room with a friendly staff.  A variety of adorable and friendly dogs hang out and roam freely around the winery.  Outside, there are pavilions and gazebos where people can lounge and enjoy their wine. I enjoyed every single wine I tasted – especially their Chambourcin.  I also like that they donate part of the profit from their Liberty wine to support the training and placement of service dogs.  We spent about an hour at the winery, purchased some bottles of the wines I liked best and headed on our way to the Rocky Knob area – just a few miles north on the Parkway.

We parked at the Rocky Knob campground and crossed the road to find the trailhead.  To access the trail, you can either go through the gate or squeeze through the zig-zag.  The first part of the trail climbs across open meadow,  The views were amazing… rolling mountains in every direction.  The sun was really beating down on us.  I was so hot and thirsty (probably from the wine!) that I drank nearly two liters of water in the first half hour of hiking.

View from Rocky Knob
The view from Rocky Knob.  Below: The shelter sits on a hillside above a rocky outcropping; A better view of the shelter, outside and inside.

Rocky Knob Hut Rocky Knob Hut Sideview Inside the Hut

At the crest of the hill, we passed through another zig-zag fence opening and entered the woods.  The forest was full of wildflowers, azaleas and mountain laurel.  Some of the flowers were different than anything we have in the Shenandoah, and the azaleas were predominantly orange (instead of the pink ones we have near us).  In the shade, it was much cooler and more comfortable for hiking.

We passed out of the woods briefly to cross the parking lot at the Saddle Overlook.  At the south end of the overlook, we entered the woods again and began an uphill climb.  At the trail junction, we followed the right arm of the loop and ascended to the Rocky Knob Shelter.  The shelter used to sit along the Appalachian Trail and served as an overnight stop for thru-hikers.  The AT was re-routed much further west a long time ago, but the shelter was left intact.  In front of the building, a small descent takes you down to a rocky ledge with a spectacular view (the view is almost as good from the shelter itself.)  The hillside was covered with mountain laurel – so gorgeous.

We hiked a little bit past the shelter.  There was one more nice view, but after that the trail started to descend toward the picnic area, so we turned around.  The return trip follows the steeper arm of the loop downhill.  As we walked back, the views from the trail were even prettier.  The sun was dropping in the sky, making the light softer and warmer.

When we got back to the pasture area, the cattle had come out from the shady areas they had been hiding.  They looked at us curiously and trotted off when we got too close.  We made it back to the car a good while before sunset, but early enough that I had enough time to shoot Mabry Mill.

It was a great, short hike!  I wish it hadn’t been so hot, but it was otherwise a perfect evening.

Adam Says…

We got checked in around 2:00PM and decided that we should try and make the best of the afternoon.  Christine has been wanting to photograph Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while, so we thought it would be best to hit that closer to sunset.  We decided to try and squeeze in a hike beforehand.  We debated about going to Fairy Stone State Park, but opted for this short hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of Mabry Mill.  We drove past Mabry Mill and saw the signs for Chateau Morrisette winery.  After Christine went through a quick wine-tasting, we made our way up to the Rocky Knob trail.

Mountain Laurel
The mountain laurel was spectacular! Below: More wildflowers, azaleas and mountain laurel.

Wildflowers Azaleas More Mountain Laurel

There are many ways to approach this hike.  We consulted our Falcon Guide, which just got us confused on which was the best way to go.  They list about three different hikes for this one, but don’t really provide appropriate directions for all three.

We started the trail, by parking our vehicle right outside the Rocky Knob campground.  Directly across the parkway road from the campground entrance, there is a fat-man squeeze leading in to a field.  This is to keep the cows that occupy this field , so don’t try to open any gates.  After crossing through, head right following the blazed posts through the grassy fields.  You will slowly ascend this hillside.  At .6 miles, the trail leads to another fat-man squeeze that leads into the woods.  At .75 miles, you will come out of the woods and reach the Saddle Overlook area.  Keep going straight and go back into the woods.  At .83 miles, you will reach a junction.  This is the beginning of the lollipop loop section of the trail.  Take the right branch.  Just about another 150 feet, you will reach another junction.  Take the left to start the red-blazed trail.  This trail leads uphill fairly steeply with a switchback.  At 1.0 miles, you will reach the end of this trail, which leads to the Rocky Knob shelter and joins back with the blue-blazed Rock Castle Gorge Trail.  Head up the trail (north) just about 150 feet up the trail and you will come to the Rocky Knob overlook.  Backtrack and go back to the cabin to enjoy the views and explore the cabin.  Head down the Rock Castle Gorge Trail (south), passing by the Saddle Overlook and making your way back to your vehicle.

Adam takes in the view
Adam takes in the view from the second view, past the shelter. Below: Cows were grazing in the pasture on our return hike; A last view across the open meadows.

Cows Open Views

The temperature for the day was over 90 degrees and the sun was beating down on us relentlessly, but the views that you get from the field, the Saddle Overlook, and the shelter were truly breathtaking.  It was a clear day, with no threat of rain, and even in the haze we felt like we could see for fifty miles around us.  The shelter was impressive too.  The Appalachian Trail used to run through this area and this was once used by thru-hikers.  I can just imagine how wonderful of a shelter this would be – the sunrise from this spot must have been amazing.

Christine and I were both impressed with the landscape along the way.  There is a longer 10.6 mile hike through the Rock Castle Gorge that will be something to add to our “must hike” list on a day when we have more time.

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 2.3 miles
  • Elevation Change – 480 feet
  • Difficulty – 2.  The uphill is nice and gradual.
  • Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail is nicely maintained with a few rocky spots.
  • Views – 4.5.  The views from the meadow and the Rocky Knob summit were beautiful!
  • Waterfalls/Streams – 0.  None
  • Wildlife – 1.  Maybe the cows count?
  • Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  Some of the maps and descriptions are a little confusing.
  • Solitude – 3.  It’s hard to judge this.  We visited on a weekday evening.  I assume this area is heavily trafficked on weekends.

Directions to trailhead: The Rocky Knob campground is located around mile 168 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Park your car just outside the campground, cross the parkway, and begin the hike by going through the fat-man squeeze and going right up the meadow.

Appalachian Trail – Bearfence to Swift Run Gap

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The Appalachian Trail from Bearfence Mountain to Swift Run Gap is a nine mile section.  It doesn’t really offer any majestic views or pretty stream scenery, but it is a pleasant walk through classic Shenandoah forest.

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

The Green Tunnel Spring View near Pocosin Cabin Rocky Climb Ferns

Christine Says…

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

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

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

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

Wild Violet Wild Geranium Wildflowers
Trillium Wildflowers Lots of Trillium

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

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

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

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

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

Walking the AT Spring Green Lunch at South River

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

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

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

Adam Says…

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

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

Trail Down to Bearfence Hut Lewis Mountain Cabins

We left one car at the Swift Run Gap entrance to the park and then drove up to the Bearfence Mountain parking lot around mile 56.8 on Skyline Drive (keep in mind there is also a Bearfence Trail parking lot around mile 56.5, so be sure to park at the correct lot).  There is a parking lot on both the west and east sides of Skyline Drive.  The Appalachian Trail picks up near the parking lot on the eastern side of Skyline Drive.  Head south on the white-blazed AT.  The trail descends slightly and you will soon come across a spur trail to the Bearfence Mountain Hut, that can be used for overnight backpackers.   The .1 mile spur trail is steep and may be slippery on the way down, but it is always interesting to see these huts along the AT.  (Note added 2022: This spur trail has been decommissioned. The hut is now accessed via the fire road from the parking area.)

Continue along the AT and the trail ascends slightly.  You will be able to see spur trails along the way to the Lewis Mountain Campground and picnic area.  After passing by this area, the trail will descend again.  At 2.7 miles, you will cross over the Pocosin Fire Road as you start a 500 foot ascent.  At the 4.0 mile mark, you will reach the peak of Baldface Mountain and then begin your descent.  At 5.5 miles, you will reach the South River Picnic Area to your right.  This is a great place to stop and eat a snack or use the restroom.  Once you get past the South River picnic area, you will shortly come across another fire road.  Take a left at this road to continue on the AT.  You will follow this road uphill a short distance and then you will find the entrance back on the AT on the right-hand side of the road.  Keep following the AT as it ascends the Saddleback Mountain.  You reach the peak of Saddleback Mountain around mile 7 on your hike.  You then descend for the next two miles back to the Swift Run Gap station.

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

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

Azaleas Adam Arrives at Swift Run Gap

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

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

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

Trail Notes

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

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

Appalachian Trail – Skyland to Thornton Gap

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The Appalachian Trail from Skyland to Thornton Gap follows ten miles of trail and includes no fewer than four spectacular panoramic views.

Adam and Jason on Stony Man
Adam and Jason take in the view from Stony Man mountain. To the left of where they are standing, you can see the buildings of Skyland Resort. Below: The view looking northwest from Stony Man; A view from Little Stony Man; A section of trail following below and parallel to Skyline Drive; A view from the Pinnacle looking toward Mary’s Rock; A view looking down into Thornton Gap from Mary’s Rock.

The View from Stony Man The View from Little Stony Man The trail hugs the edge of the mountain The Pinnacle Looking Toward Marys Rock Mary's Rock View

Christine Says…

Monday was a real treat – a day off work, an out-of-town friend and an amazing hike along the Appalachian Trail.  My friend, Jason, came to visit for a day while his wife attended a conference in Washington D.C.  He’s from Seattle and lives surrounded by three of our most spectacular national parks (Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades.)  I was a little worried that Shenandoah would disappoint him.  We don’t have dramatic peaks, towering waterfalls or the quiet, sapphire blue glacial lakes that western parks have.  Our mountains are old and roll gently down into the valley.  The streams and waterfalls are typically small and ponds/lakes are uncommon.  At this time of year, we don’t even have foliage.  The forests in our area are largely deciduous, and are still bare and brown from the winter.  Considering all these factors, I wanted to pick a hike that would still show Jason a nice ‘snapshot’ of what Shenandoah has to offer.

After tossing around a number of ideas, we settled on the ten mile section of the Appalachian Trail between Skyland Resort and Thornton Gap.  The hike includes four great views (Stony Man, Little Stony Man, the Pinnacle and Mary’s Rock) and passes an AT hiker hut (Byrd’s Nest).  I thought Jason would especially enjoy the fact that the hike traverses a (albeit small -.45% to be exact) section of the storied Appalachian Trail.

A Fellow Hiker Takes in the View from Little Stony Man
A hiker enjoys the view from Little Stony Man.  Below: Jason checks out the lichen growing on one of the many giant boulders along the trail; Adam walks along one of the rockier section of trail; Another Little Stony Man view.

Jason checks out the lichen The trail was rocky in many places Another Little Stony Man View

We met at Thornton Gap and shuttled back up to the north entrance of Skyland Resort to begin our hike.  We climbed up along the trail until it joined with the Stony Man spur-loop.  Although Stony Man is not technically on the AT, the view from the summit is well worth adding the extra .3 onto the total mileage. The wind was fierce atop Stony Man – backpacks blew open, hats had to be held and we had to shout to hear one another.  We stopped to take a few photos, but we didn’t stay long. We got a later start than we anticipated, so we had to be  quite business-like about our pace.

We hiked downhill from Stony Man to our next viewpoint from Little Stony Man.  We stopped again to have some water and give Jason a chance to eat some lunch.  Of the two views, I actually think Little Stony Man is a bit nicer.  After a few more photos, we climbed down a few hundred more feet into a saddle between the mountains.  This section of trail is fairly level and follows closely to Skyline Drive.  Without leaves on the trees, we were able to enjoy many open views along the trail. The lack of leaves allowed the sun to beat down strongly on our heads.  It was an unseasonably warm day – a bit humid and around 80 degrees.  Jason and I both struggled a bit with the heat.  I’m definitely not acclimated to warm weather hiking yet!

After the low point of the saddle, we began a slow, long uphill climb to the Pinnacles picnic area.  We rested there and gave everyone a chance to refill their water bottles with cold mountain water.  I had my 3 liter CamelBak so I still had plenty to drink.  I love my CamelBak!  We took a few minutes to chat with a couple section hikers resting at the picnic area.  They mentioned that they were on their way to Pennsylvania and were hoping to get into the town of Luray for a night off the trail.  I hope they made it, because the thunderstorms were crazy later that night!

After the Pinnacles picnic area, the remainder of the hike followed pretty much the same route we use for Mary’s Rock.  The climb up to the Pinnacle gains about 550 feet of elevation.  It wasn’t hard climbing, but we were all pretty tired, so we stopped to eat brownies.

The climb up to the Pinnacle passes lots of huge, lichen-covered boulders.  Eventually, we arrived at the view.  I like the Pinnacle because you can see the entire route all the way over to Mary’s Rock.  While we were enjoying the view, Jason remarked that the end of the hike still looked a good distance off.  It was! We still had about five miles to go at this point, so we had to start keeping an eye on the sun’s level in the sky.  Adam kept checking our distance and walking pace on his GPS to keep us on track to be out of the woods before nightfall.

Photography on the Pinnacle
Jason takes a few minutes to take a few photos from the Pinnacle.  You can see Adam peeking up from another rocky outcropping.

After leaving the Pinnacle, we dipped down into another saddle between mountains.  At the bottom of the saddle lies Byrd’s Nest #3 – one of the long-distance hiker huts along the AT.  I had hoped we would have time to let Jason read some of the hiker log book and poke around the shelter, but we only had a few minutes to stop and chat with a hiker who had settled in for the evening.

Our last uphill climb was relatively easy and led us to our final viewpoint – Mary’s Rock.  The viewpoint lies about .1 mile off the Appalachian Trail, but you don’t want to miss taking this short spur trail!

Once we were at the summit, Jason took some time to scramble around on the giant boulders and take some photos.  I stayed off the boulders because climbing on them always gives me vertigo.  The light wasn’t great, but I’m sure he was still able to get some nice shots of the valley below.  One of the prettiest things I noticed from the view was the evening sun shining on all the little farm ponds down in the valley below.  Each pond glowed golden-orange in the evening light.

By the time we left Mary’s Rock, we had about 25 minutes of light and 1.8 miles to go.  Because it was all downhill, we didn’t have any problem making it back to the parking lot before total darkness.

Adam Says…

There must be something about Mary’s Rock and the threat of darkness for us.  The last time we hiked up Mary’s Rock, we were threatened with the setting sun and this time was no different.  After some discussion on if we thought we could do the ten-mile stretch, we decided it was doable and we drove to the Skyland entrance and the Stony Man parking lot to begin our hike around 2PM.  As many of you know, I do carry a GPS with me, which has the ability to track distance and walking speed.

We were surprised at how hot it was when we were hiking.  A few days ago, the temperature was in the 40s, but today the sun was beating down relentlessly on us.  We kept up a good pace throughout the hike as sweat was dripping from our brows.  For some reason, even though we were walking at a good pace, the mileage seemed like it was going slowly.  Jason and Christine both were asking me how far had we traveled and when I first answered three miles, it felt like we had gone almost twice as far.

The trail starts near the northern Skyland entrance off Skyline Drive.  As soon as you turn into this entrance, the Stony Man parking lot is on the side.  You start on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail.  Keep your eye out for black bears if you try this hike during the late spring or summer as we have often spotted bears near the Skyland entrance.  In about .5 miles, you will come to a blue-blazed junction with the Stony Man trail.  This is a .3 mile loop trail that leads to nice views from Stony Man Mountain.  There is an interpretive brochure you can purchase for $1 from the trail start of this loop if you want to learn more about the features along the trail.   You can read more about our hike up Stony Man and Little Stony Man here.

Once you rejoin the Appalachian Trail, the trail descends 500 feet until you reach the Little Stony Man overlook at 1.3 miles with more gorgeous views (I believe the Little Stony Man views are nicer than the Stony Man views).  At 1.6 miles, you will reach an intersection with the Passamaquoddy Trail, but stay on the white-blazed AT.  The trail continues to descend and at 2.3 miles, you have reached the bottom of the saddle and have arrived at the Stony Man overlook on Skyline Drive.  The trail begins to climb at this point.  At around 4.2 miles you will reach the Pinnacles Picnic area.  There are rest rooms right on the side of the trail and a pump behind the rest rooms that provided a nice cooling refill of our water bottles.  The trail continues to ascend in the last steep uphill stretch.  At 5.5 miles, you will reach the peak of your climb and a nice viewpoint from The Pinnacle.  The trail then descends and winds down through the woods until you reach the Byrds Nest No. 3 shelter at mile 6.8.  This used to be a day-use only shelter, but recently became an overnight shelter.  The trail begins to ascend slightly for the next mile and the footing is a little more rocky as you make your approach to Mary’s Rock.  At mile 7.8, you will reach a junction with a short .1 spur trail to lead you to the summit of Mary’s Rock.  Once you take in the views from the top, meet back with the AT and continue to follow north through steep switchbacks for another two miles.  You will most likely be able to see the Panorama waystation and parking lot when you are almost done.  At 9.9 miles, you will see the post that leads to a short walk to the parking lot for Panorama.

Jason on marys rock
Jason climbed to the top of Mary’s Rock to take in the view.  Below:  Adam was exhausted by the time we got to Mary’s Rock.  He enjoyed resting on a rock; A hazy view from Mary’s Rock; Beyond Adam you can see Rt. 211 entering the park at Thornton Gap; Jason makes his way to the top of Mary’s Rock.

Adam rests on Mary's Rock View from Mary's Rock
Thornton Gap View Climbing up to the viewpoint

We ran into a few long-distance hikers at the Pinnacles picnic area.  When I asked where they were heading, they said they were on their way to Pennsylvania.  I’m guessing they are tackling the Appalachian Trail in sections.  Their goal that night was to make it to the town of Luray.  We told them about the thunderstorms that night, but they were hoping to make it down to a hotel and stop by a liquor store.  We ran into them again at the Byrd’s Nest Shelter No. 3.  My guess is that they stayed their overnight, but I know they were in for a night of torrential thunderstorms, since the lightning and rain woke me up in the middle of the night.

Fading light across the valley
The fading light across the valley was really pretty.  It made all the little ponds glow.  Below: The rolling mountain layers in the fading light.

Rolling Hills Near Sunset

We managed to make it back to our vehicle with about 10 minutes to spare of sunlight.  We did keep a steady pace, which was why my calves were quite sore for the next few days.  This hike is definitely one of the best hikes for views in all of Shenandoah National Park.  I would allow for at least 6.5 hours to do the entire hike, since you will want to take time to enjoy the views.

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 10 miles. This includes the shorter spur hikes to Stony Man and Mary’s Rock.
  • Elevation Change – 2000 feet with two climbs up and down two mountains
  • Difficulty –3.5. The distance is the largest reason.  It is definitely best to do this section from south to north.
  • Trail Conditions – 4. It is well-maintained, but the sections near Little Stony Man and Mary’s Rock are very rocky.
  • Views – 4.5. You have lots of views along this hike of the western valley.  On a clear day, you can see all the way to West Virginia.
  • Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  • Wildlife – 3.5. You will likely see deer and you may even see some black bears during the warmer months.
  • Ease to Navigate – 4. As long as you read the posts at the junctions with other trails, you shouldn’t have any trouble.  Just stick with the white blazes.
  • Solitude – 2. You will likely see people along the trail and at some of the big draws of Stony Man and Mary’s Rock.

Directions to trailhead: We handled this hike as a shuttle, leaving one car at the Panorama parking lot at mile 31.3 on Skyline Drive.  To start the hike, park your other car by turning into the northern Skyland entrance at mile 41.8.  The Stony Man parking lot is immediately to your right.  You will see the trailhead on the eastern side of the parking lot (along with a box to purchase the Stony Man brochure).

Beaver Lake Trail

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The Beaver Lake trail is a 2.5 mile loop around a 24 acre (and shrinking) lake in Pocahontas State Park.

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

Boardwalk Around Beaver Lake Dock Shallow Stream

Christine Says…

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

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

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

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

Trail Marker Tree Chair old beaver dam

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

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

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

Adam Says…

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

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

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

holly tree bud Bikes

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

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

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

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

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

Trail Notes

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

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

Appalachian Trail – Big Meadows to Bearfence

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This 8+ mile segment along the Appalachian trail offers a couple nice views, a visit to an old cemetery and the opportunity to cross over one of the park’s most fun rock scrambles.

Snow on Hazeltop
Adam hikes through the snow covering the Hazeltop Mountain summit.

Christine Says…

This winter, we planned to hike the 100+ miles of the Appalachian Trail leading through Shenandoah National  Park.  Sadly, our grand plans have been foiled by frequent closures of Skyline Drive.  As mentioned in our last post, the road through the park closes if there is even a slight threat of a dusting of snow.  So, this is the first section of AT that we’ve hiked since our Skyland to Big Meadows hike last spring.

Big Meadows Buck
This majestic buck watched us as we started our hike.  Below:  He ended up leaping off into the woods with another buck friend; they continued to watch us; we parked near the campground check-in station.

Buck Leap Two Bucks Park Here

We started out at the Big Meadows campground, leaving one car parked there and our other car parked at the southern terminus of our hiking route.  The no-fee weekend made doing this segment hike logistically easier. We’d actually been planning to buy a second park pass to accommodate our need for two cars to do these segment hikes.  The Big Meadows area was covered with a thin dusting of snow.  The whole area was eerily quiet – no campers, no cars, the lodge and restaurants closed for the season.  We saw so many bucks hanging out together in small groups – friends again after the animosity of mating season.  One especially majestic buck greeted us at the trailhead.  He watched us quizzically for a few moments before bounding back into the woods.

The trail was frosted with snow, and our footprints were (in many places) the first human ones set into the path.  We saw lots of animal tracks along the way – deer, coyote, turkey, rabbit and bobcat.  It took about the first half-mile of walking for me to warm up enough to be comfortable.  Within the first mile, we passed two of the three viewpoints on our eight mile route.  Both lookouts are directly behind the Big Meadows lodge area, and look into the western valley.  I’m always struck by how barren winter is in our area when I get a sweeping view on a January hike.  As far as the eye can see, everything is brown and faded – bare trees and a pale winter sky.  Winter in places with lots of evergreens is so much prettier!

Blackrock View
Winters are so bleak and pale in the Shenandoahs. Below: Adam takes in the view; A look at the rocks that make up the Blackrock viewpoint from below; The back of Big Meadows Lodge is visible from the trail.

Adam takes in the view Back View of Blackrock Big Meadows Lodge

After a couple miles of hiking, we reached a cemetery – the largest I’ve seen within park boundaries.  There were lots of people with the last name “Meadows” buried in this one.  One tombstone was engraved with the name “Fairy Meadows” – a woman who lived in the early part of the twentieth century.  What a neat name!

After leaving the cemetery, we made our way toward Milam Gap.  We encountered a hiker dressed all in camouflage.  He had a camera with a long lens and was headed in the direction of the cemetery.  We could see his footprints in the snow.  They were the only human prints in the snow coming from the opposite direction.  The odd thing is… they disappeared abruptly and were replaced by dog tracks.  There was no trail junction or other place he could have come onto the trail where the boot prints changed to dog prints.  So… here’s my theory — werewolf of Shenandoah!  I’m all for starting a new myth or legend.  🙂

Cemetery
This cemetery is the largest weve seen within park boundaries. It sits along a park access road not generally open to the public. Below: The trail was icy between the cemetery and Milam Gap; the old split rail fence borders the parking area at Milam Gap; an interesting headstone in the cemetery.

Icy Trail Milam Gap Fence Horse Headstone

I knew we were getting close to Milam Gap when we started seeing wizened, old apples in the snow.  The area around the gap has many apple trees from an old orchard before the area was incorporated into the park.  At the Milam Gap parking lot, we took a break to drink some water, stretch and look at our map.  After a short rest, we crossed Skyline Drive and began the long climb up Hazeltop Mountain.

Along the way up we passed a few people at a backcountry campsite.  In fact, we saw a couple groups of people on winter backpacking trips.  I guess that camping in the snow could be fun, but I’ll just have to take their word for it. You can’t even have a fire in the backcountry in the park.  It seems awfully bleak to go out and sleep in the snow without a campfire.  I think I’ll stick to fair-weather backpacking.

The snow got sort of deep near the summit of Hazeltop Mountain.  It was hard work climbing uphill in the snow.  This summit has no view or marker.  In fact, the only reason you know you’ve reached it is that the uphill climbing ends.

After the descent from Hazeltop, the hike continues on mostly flat terrain for a while until you get to Bearfence Mountain.  For this stretch of of the hike, you’ll be pretty close to Skyline Drive.  The road is often in view from the trail.  You’ll climb a moderately steep slope until meeting up with the Bearfence Trail junction.  If you have the time and energy, it’s worth taking the Bearfence trail loop across the rock scramble.  You’ll get a third, beautiful, panoramic view from the scramble.  The Bearfence trail crosses the AT again on the opposite side of the scramble, so taking this option doesn’t really add any mileage.  Because of the snow on the ground, we opted to skip the scramble and stick to the AT.  It was probably a good choice, because we found the trail across Bearfence mountain to be very icy.  The ice was concealed by snow and was extremely slippery.  I had a startling moment along this stretch of trail when I encountered a dead skunk wrapped around a tree branch.  At first I thought it was a live skunk and I was about to be sprayed, but I was soon left wondering how on earth a dead skunk ended up there.  Could a hawk have swooped it up and then dropped it?  I really have no idea…

From this point, the trail meanders away from Skyline Drive, making the hike longer than you would expect it to be at this point.  From Bearfence, the trail zig-zags down via a series of switchbacks.  This section of trail is lined by rhododendrons, mountain laurels and hemlocks.  It was really the only greenery we saw along the way.  Eventually, the trail empties out into the parking lot marking the end of this section of Appalachian Trail.

It was a fun day and great to be out hiking again!  The thing that has struck me so far with our two trail segments is how easy to moderate the AT is through Shenandoah.  I’ve always heard thru-hikers remark that Shenandoah is “flat” and “all the mountain summits require more than 200 feet of climbing”.  Those claims are a bit of a stretch, but walking the AT through Shenandoah is definitely much easier than hiking the blue and yellow blazed trails in the park.

Adam Says…

With Shenandoah National Park having a free weekend, we took advantage and drove two cars up so we could do a shuttle hike to cover more ground.  We dropped off our first vehicle at the small parking lot near the Bearfence Mountain Hut at mile 56.8 on the western side.  Keep in mind, this is not the main Bearfence Trail parking, which is around mile marker 56.4.   We then combined into one car and drove to the Big Meadows Campground.  The campground was closed, so we had to walk through the parking lot at the picnic area until we made it to the short spur trail that leads to the Appalachian Trail. We started on the trail heading south to make it back to the car.  The Appalachian Trail is always marked with white blazes.  The trail at this point is relatively flat.  You’ll begin to see the lodge to the left and in about .3 miles, you’ll reach a junction with the Lewis Springs Falls Trail.  Just continue on the AT.  Around .5 miles, you will start seeing some lovely views of the valley below.  There is a short path on the left side of the trail that is marked with a post for a view from Blackrock.  This trail is often closed due to the nesting of peregrine falcons.  If you decide to add this overlook, it is an uphill .2 miles to the view.  The trail shortly begins to descend about 300 feet over the next mile.

At 1.7 miles, you will reach the Tanners Ridge Administrative Road.  You will see to your right a large family cemetery.  It is nice that families that once lived on the mountain are still allowed to be buried here.  I can’t think of a more restful spot than being placed in a national park.  Pick up the AT directly across the road and continue south.  At mile 2.7, you will come to the Milam Gap parking lot.  You will cross Skyline Drive from here to continue on the AT.  The trail begins a gradual climb that will gain about 550 feet of elevation over 2 miles.  At mile 4.7, you will reach the summit of Hazeltop Mountain.  We did not see a marker for the summit, but you will know that you have passed it when you start descending again.  The descent is more severe as you lose about 600 feet of elevation in .6 miles.  At 5.3 miles, you will reach the junction with Bootens Gap (a parking lot and a horse trail).

Tree Near Bearfence Trail
I knew we were close to Bearfence when we saw this tree. Its very distinctive.  Below: We stopped for a snack of Clif Bars along the way; A view of the Bearfence rock scramble from below.

Clif Bar Snack A View of Bearfence Scramble from Below

The trail ascends again and at 6.8 miles, you will reach the junction with the Bearfence Mountain Trail.  Stay on the AT heading south.  After the junction, you reach the steepest and slickest ascent over the rock-covered trail.  Passing the Bearfence rock scramble on your left, you will continue to rise for another . 4 miles.   At mile 7.3, you will begin to descend and it is less than a mile back to the parking lot and your vehicle.

The trail was more difficult than I was expecting.  I had first thought that we should do about 10 miles of the trail, but snow on the trail made for harder work.  The most snow was up on Hazeltop Mountain, which we saw some remains of snowshoe tracks.  While our feet didn’t sink deeply in the snow at any point, it made for tricky footing and sometimes you had to lift your legs up a little higher than normal.  At some point, I slipped through some frosty areas and wrenched my knee slightly.  Hiking up and down Bearfence was quite tough for me, but I’m glad we didn’t do an extra two miles.

Snowy Laurel-Lined Trail
The section of trail descending Bearfence was lined with mountain laurels, rhododendrons and hemlocks.

One aspect of the trail that I thoroughly enjoyed was being able to see coyote tracks on the trail.  We’ve seen a coyote up in this area frequently during the fall.  While some local farmers hate the nearby coyotes for their predatory habits, I enjoy seeing them in the protected park area.   I also enjoyed seeing several bucks along the trail that greeted us at the beginning of our hike and followed nearby for the first mile of the trail.

The one regret I had during our hike was that I forgot to pack my Jetboil stove.  I would have liked to have paused and had some hot chocolate along the way in the snow.

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 8.25 miles
  • Elevation Change – about 1000 feet
  • Difficulty – 2.5. There are several climbs of 500-600 feet, but the trail is mostly easy walking.
  • Trail Conditions – 4. Since most is on the AT, the trail is very well-maintained.
  • Views – 2.5 We enjoyed the western views near Big Meadows.
  • Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
  • Wildlife – 3.5. We saw lots of impressive bucks and saw coyote tracks in the snow.
  • Ease to Navigate –5. Just follow the white blazes!
  • Solitude –3.5. You may see some hikers on the AT due to the proximity to Big Meadows. Bearfence is also a popular hike, so you’ll likely see people in that area as well.

Directions to trailhead: We left one vehicle at mile 56.8 in the small parking lot on the western side of Skyline Drive.  We then drove to Big Meadows and followed the signs to the Big Meadows campground.  Normally, you can drive right up to the trailhead.  It is on the westernmost side of the parking lot of the picnic area at the campground.

Duncan Knob

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Duncan Knob is a great 3.4 mile hike in George Washington National Forest, located near Kennedy Peak and Strickler Knob.  Reaching the summit requires negotiating a Class III rock scramble.

Wookie Enjoys the View from Duncan Knob
Wookie Enjoys the View from Duncan Knob.  Below: The foliage along the trail was pretty;  The scramble is a foreboding pile of boulders; Adam and Wookie make their way up the scramble.

Rocky Trail View of the Scramble from the Bottom Scrambling with Wookie

Christine Says…

On Friday, Adam and I both took a vacation day from work to get in some fall hiking. We decided Duncan Knob suited our plans perfectly.  We wanted to avoid hikes in the national park (the crowds are dreadful this time of year) and we didn’t want to drive more than an hour. We did a little online research to look at our route options, and found pretty much everyone did the hike as an 8.7 mile loop.  The common route passes by just one spot with a view and includes significant uphill climbs on both the outgoing and return arms of the loop.

We decided to look at our maps to see if there was a more direct route to Duncan Knob.  I know lots of people primarily hike for the exercise. They love anything that makes the trail longer, steeper and more challenging.  I am not one of those people.  I don’t mind distance or elevation as long as there is a payoff for it.  But if there’s a more direct route to get the same view, I usually opt to take it.  Needless to say, we were pleased to find a 3.4 mile, out-and-back route that involved just 900 feet of elevation gain.

Blue Blazed Trail Gap Creek Trail
The Blue Blazed Trail Gap Creek Trail.  Below: The Gap Creek trail is well-marked;  Near the beginning of the trail you cross a small stream; Wookie enjoyed running back and forth across the bridge.

Gap Creek Sign Trail Sign Small Stream Wookie Running Across Bridge

The hike starts at the Gap Creek trailhead on Crisman Hollow Road.  You’ll walk a short way up a blue-blazed fire road until you see a campsite on the left side of the road.  The road continues uphill from this point, but you’ll want to cut through the campsite and cross the small bridge over the stream.  After crossing the bridge, the trail climbs steadily uphill.  For the first mile, the elevation gain is very gentle and is punctuated by flat stretches.  The trail is extremely rocky the entire way.  At mile 1.2, the blue-blazed Gap Creek trail intersects the yellow-blazed Scothorn Gap trail.  Continue on the blue-blazed trail until you reach a level place near the top of the ridge at 1.5 miles.  There’s a great campsite at this spot.  It has a big stone fire pit ringed by log benches.  There are lots of flat places to pitch tents, too.

Directly across from the campsite, the Duncan Knob spur trail begins.  The trail is blazed white and climbs steeply uphill to the summit.  As you walk along, you’ll notice the rocks on the trail are getting larger and more abundant.  Eventually, you step out of the woods and find yourself facing an enormous pyramid-shaped summit of jumbled rocks and boulders.

More Scrambling
Wookie and Adam scramble upward.  Below: The trail becomes progressively rockier; Adam explore the boulders; Wookie spots Adam climbing back down from the geocache.

Trail gets even rockier Adam scrambles Wookie sees Adam

Climb the rock scramble any number of ways (we followed a rather informal series of cairns along the left side of the rock pile) and you’ll be treated to sweeping views in almost every direction.  The scrambling was fun and not difficult at all.  I found a nice rock “chair” to sit on while Adam found a geocache hidden at the summit.  It was freezing cold and blustery sitting on the rocks, so we didn’t stay too long.

On the way down, we stopped back by the campsite and had some water and a snack.  We even gave our dog, Wookie, some graham crackers and marshmallows from our trail mix.  He did a great job on the rock scramble – especially considering how small he is.  The hike back down was pretty uneventful and just retraced our steps.  What a great hike!  I told Adam it’s been one of my favorite recent hikes.

Adam Says…

Ever since we did the Strickler Knob hike (actually our very first post!), I had been hearing that Duncan Knob also had amazing views.  I believe we put off this hike for a while due to the long 8.7 mile length, combined with lots of elevation gain.  So, I pulled out my map of the area to see if there was a different way.  Sure enough, you can easily get up to Duncan Knob by just sticking to the Gap Creek Trail.  The hike may have a little steeper of an elevation than approaching it from the Scothorn Gap Trail, but the hike up the Gap Creek Trail is much shorter and you aren’t missing much scenery.

The trail does include a few switchbacks once you start the trail over the bridge which takes the pressure of the elevation off your leg muscles.  The hike is almost all uphill, but before you know it you’ve reached the ridge where the campsite is.  We took a break here to see if there was anything else to see along the ridge, before proceeding up the white-blazed trail to the summit of Duncan Knob.  This white-blazed trail is slightly overgrown and some of the white blazes are quite faded, but it wasn’t too hard to navigate.  After only about .2 miles on this trail, we saw the looming rock scramble in front of us.  We decided to approach the rock scramble on the left-hand side.  Once you begin to climb up a few rocks, the views really begin to open up around you.  The rocks weren’t too tough to navigate, but it was harder to help navigate a small dog on a leash.  From the top, you will have great views of Middle Mountain, Waterfall Mountain, Strickler Knob, and Kerns Mountain.  The color was very nice and we took some time to soak in the scenery.

Adam enjoys the view
Adam takes in the view from Duncan Knob.  Below: A nice campsite on the ridge; Adam and Wookie take a break on the climb down;  Wookie did surprisingly well on the scramble, but occasionally he had to be carried.

Nice Campsite View on the Way Down Climbing Down

I left Christine to keep climbing up to the summit of the rock scramble and found the Duncan Knob Geocache.  A few people before me were not able to find it before me, so the owner had taken the posting offline until he had time to investigate.  I’m glad I was able to save the owner a hike back.  This was my 499th find, so I need to do something special for my 500th geocache.

If you haven’t done any hiking off Crisman Hollow Road, I would highly recommend making this a stop in the near future.  With the Massanutten Story Book Trail, Strickler Knob, and Duncan Knob hikes all off this road, I feel this road leads to some amazing hiking gems that are unknown to many.

Wookie Says...Wookie Says…

I’m so glad that I finally got invited to go hiking again!  I really enjoyed most of this trail because there wasn’t any water for me to cross.  When we first started the trail, I did a few runs across the wooden bridge with my masters on both sides.  I was feeling frisky and I was ready to get moving.  We made our way up the trail and I felt it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.  When we got to the final rock scramble, I was a little worried.  I really enjoy climbing up on rocks, but I wouldn’t recommend it to my less-agile canine friends.  There were a couple of moments where I had to perform an iron cross and pull myself up some rocks, but Adam helped navigate me the right way through the maze of boulders.

Begging for Treats
Wookie enjoys trailmix!

The way down was a little more challenging, so Adam tucked me under his arm for most of the way down to make sure I didn’t get hurt.  I really enjoyed the views from the top of Duncan Knob and I enjoyed sniffing the air around me.  After our hike back down, my masters even let me sample a few pieces of trail mix.  I really liked the marshmallows best!  One time I dropped a marshmallow and when I picked it up again the dirt from the ground made it look like cookies and cream.  I look forward to my next time hiking and I’ll be sure to put on my pitiful, pleading face the next time Adam and Christine get ready to head out for a hike.

Trail Notes

  • Distance – 3.4 miles
    (Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
  • Elevation Change –  900 feet
  • Difficulty – 2.5. The hike is squarely moderate – even with the rock scramble.
  • Trail Conditions –3. The trail is in good shape.  The rock scramble is not formally marked and there are some unbalanced rocks.
  • Views – 5. Beautiful views of the Massanutten Mountain area. The view looking toward Strickler Knob is awesome!
  • Waterfalls/streams –2. The stream is seasonal and may be dry part of the year.  When the stream is running, the area is popular with fishers.
  • Wildlife – 1.5. The area is popular with hunters, so animals tend to be reclusive.  We’ve heard of people spotting bears and deer in the general area, but we’ve never seen larger animals.
  • Ease to Navigate – 3.5. Trails are clearly blazed, but turns are not labeled and signed like they are in the national park.  It’s a good idea to have a map for this hike.
  • Solitude – 4.5. On a beautiful fall day, we saw just one other couple of hikers.

Download a trail map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From New Market, take 211 east.  In about 3 miles, take a left on Crisman Hollow Road. The road starts off paved, but turns to gravel.  At about 4.5 miles, park on the right at the Gap Creek trail.  Follow the fire road until you reach the first campsite on the left.  The trail starts behind the campsite at a wooden bridge.

A Walk for Sunshine

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Jeff Alt - A Walk for Sunshine Presentation

On Saturday afternoon, Adam and I drove up to Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah National Park to hear a special guest speaker – Jeff Alt, author of A Walk for Sunshine.  Jeff hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1998.  He also put an extra spin on his thru-hike by making it a hike for charity – raising money to help the group home where his brother with cerebral palsy resides. Adam and I first read Jeff’s book over the summer while we were out backpacking. We took turns reading the book aloud to one another whenever we relaxed in our tent.

Jeff was a great speaker.  He was funny, informative and passionate about encouraging people to follow their dreams.  His hour-long talk followed the book and was packed with anecdotes and photos.  Afterward, he took time to sign copies of his book and answer questions. If you ever get a chance to see Jeff speak, don’t miss it!  He visits Shenandoah pretty regularly, speaking and offering a program on hiking with children.