camping – Page 5 – Virginia Trail Guide

Duncan Knob

October 30, 2010October 27, 201612 Comments

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

Hazel Mountain – Catlett Mountain Loop

June 14, 2010August 26, 201510 Comments

This nearly 8-mile loop takes hikers deep into a beautiful, remote section of Shenandoah National Park. The trail passes bubbling streams, stands of hemlocks that haven’t yet fallen and crumbling stone walls left behind by families that used to live in the park. This post could also be called part four of the Backpacking 101 series, because we did this trail as a backpacking trip with the great folks from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.

On the Hazel Mountain Trail — Walking the Hazel Mountain Trail was peaceful and green.

Adam Says…

This was our first overnight backpacking trip together and served as our graduation trip from the Backpacking 101 course we took through PATC. We were unable to go on our previously-scheduled trip due to Christine’s sprained ankle she suffered on our Buzzard Rock hike. We were thrilled that our instructors gave us the opportunity for a make-up trip. You can read our other sections of the review of this class in Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

The outing leaders, John and Jeanne, chose the Hazel Mountain – Catlett Mountain loop for the trip. The hike winds around the mountains and through pretty forest, but doesn’t lead to any summit views. The trail starts off from the Meadow Spring parking lot around mile 33.7 on Skyline Drive. Like many trails in Shenandoah National Park, the Hazel Mountain trail descends from the road. You will stay on this trail until you reach the Catlett Mountain Trail. The Hazel Mountain Trail is also marked on maps as a horse trail, so you may encounter horses on many of the trails around this area.

Day One Hiking: Shortly after leaving the parking lot, you will see a junction with the Buck Hollow Trail (a tough loop hike). At .3 miles, you reach a trail junction with the Buck Ridge Trail (that is the loop back from the Buck Hollow Trail). At 1.6 miles, you come to the first junction with the White Rocks Trail (another loop trail). At 2.2 miles, you will see a post marking the junction with the Catlett Spur Trail, marking where you will rejoin the trail after you complete the loop. While you just descended about 1000 feet, the trail begins to ascend from this point, gaining about 400 feet over the next .6 miles. Around 2.8 miles, you will see the other junction with the White Rocks Trail. Around 3.1 miles, you will reach the top of the climb and take a right to continue on the Hazel Mountain trail. At mile 3.7, you will take a right on to the Catlett Mountain Trail. We picked a campsite near the top of this trail, as it does provide a close proximity below to a spur of Runyon Run, a reliable water source on the trail.

Day Two Hiking: Upon leaving camp, you descend down to the stream we used as the water source. Once you rockhop across Runyon Run, the trail ascends fairly steeply up 300 feet. At mile 4.7, you will take a right onto Catlett Spur Trail. The trail descends crossing over Runyon Run in a few spots. You will eventually pass an old stone perimeter wall, marking land that may have marked a boundary for a settler’s house or farm. At mile 5.6, you will come back to the junction with the Hazel Mountain Trail. Take a left on the trail and ascend for the final 2.2 miles back to the parking lot.

Our Tent — Our tent set-up at camp. Below: The backpacking group at the beginning of the trip; We took our packs off and enjoyed lunch at a boulder jumble near a stream; There were many different kinds of tents at camp… one of the group used a hammock.

Christine and I had a great time on the trip. We met up with our group at 9:30AM, reintroduced ourselves to each other, and got our packs ready for the trail. We divided up some group gear that we needed to share for the trip and weighed our packs for curiosity. I ended up with a little over 34 pounds in my pack and Christine had about 28 pounds. I would say that our average for the group was a little under 30 pounds, so it was manageable for an overnight trip. We hiked fairly fast, but we did take a few breaks to get a breather and eat some lunch. We hiked onto the Catlett Mountain trail and found our campsite around 12:30. We set up our tents and our kitchen area. We put up a tarp and brought all of our dishes, utensils and food to the kitchen site. Most of the group then decided to go down to Runyon Run, to load up some collapsible buckets for water for camp. This was a chance for us to try out our new Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter to refill some water bottles. When we hiked back up to the campsite, we happened to see an adult bear running from the direction of our campsite. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?), we never saw him again.

Shortly after getting back to camp, we experienced a scary moment. We thought two people had stayed back at camp when we went on the water run, but came back to see only John. We started to hear shouts from the woods, but we couldn’t distinguish if the voice was shouting “Help” or “Hello”. Our instructor grabbed his first aid kit and we continued to call back to the person. We shouted “Are you hurt?” and “What’s your name?”, but we couldn’t distinguish the response. We kept calling out and eventually we saw one of our group members emerge from the dense underbrush. He had spotted a timber rattler that rose up against him. He ran out of the way, but in his haste to get away from the snake, he got turned around and lost. He had lost his whistle along the way, so he resorted to shouting to try and find his way back to the group. It really shows that you can quickly get turned around and lost without your bearing in the woods.

We then learned how to hang a bear bag, tying a rock to a roop and throwing it over a branch (after dinner we substituted the rock with the actual bags to hang and tied the other end of the rope to a tree). Since we had some time to kill in camp, Christine and I decided to take a quick siesta in our tent before dinner. A storm quickly rolled in with loud thunder, high winds, and heavy rain. It rained for close to an hour. After it slowed to a light sprinkle, we made it back to the kitchen site, to find the rest of our group huddled under the tarp. Later, we ate an amazing dinner (which Christine will talk about) and cleaned up. After watching a nice sunset through the trees and hanging out with the group, Christine and I retired for the night.

Friendly Buck — This friendly buck visited our camp all weekend. Every time we were in our kitchen area, he came over to hang out. Below: Night falls at camp (notice all the rain on the tent!)

The next morning we got up early and worked on packing our gear. We ate a wonderful breakfast and then broke camp around 8:45AM. We finished our hike, arriving back at our cars shortly after noon. I think everyone was planning a victory meal after the trip, so we made a trip to McDonald’s in Luray.

We really enjoyed our first backpacking trip. It was great to have this experience with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Our instructors were absolutely wonderful and really shared a lot of their experience with us. It was also great to meet a lot of nice people through the Backpacking 101 class that share a common interest and experience level. This trip really affirmed to us that we could handle doing an overnight backpacking trip and we are excited to try it again sometime in the very near future.

Christine Says…

On the eve of our backpacking trip, I was feeling exceedingly fretful. I wondered if I’d be able to bear the heat/humidity without passing out. I worried that I’d be such a sluggish hiker that I’d slow the whole group down. I had concerns about the storms forecast for the day. At one point when we were loading our backpacks. I looked and Adam and said “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.”

But, wow… it turns out that I LOVE backpacking. It was simultaneously fun, challenging and relaxing. I was amazed at how comfortable my pack was – the 28 pounds felt balanced and easy on my back. I may have sweated like crazy in the heat, but I managed to stay hydrated and felt really strong the entire hike. I had such a sense of tranquility falling asleep in our tent after dinner, listening to the sounds of evening birds and the wind rustling in the trees.

I can’t say enough great things about our PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) trip leaders – John and Jeanne. Their expertise made me feel really safe and confident on my “maiden voyage” overnight in the woods. Actually, I have nothing but great things to say about our entire backpacking group. Our fellow adventurers, Anthony, Suzanne and Ed were all friendly and fun people.

Adam Throws the Rope Over the Limb — Adam throws a rope over the fallen tree to create a bear hang. He used a rock to make the throw easier. Below: A lot of planning went into picking the right spot for the hang; three waterproof bags were hung. The bags contained anything with a scent.

Adam already did a thorough job describing the terrain and features along the route, so that leaves me to talk about FOOD (and maybe a few other things, too). When I think of backpacking, I think of tuna pouches, power bars, beef jerky and freeze-dried, pre-packaged meals. But, Jeanne is a true backcountry gourmand (she brought a lobster roll for her packed lunch!). For dinner, we feasted on Chicken with Thai Peanut Sauce and Rice and Curried Couscous with Peas and Cashews. We even had banana pudding, replete with fresh banana slices and Nilla Wafers for dessert. Cleaning up was super-easy, since we did most of the cooking using Ziploc freezer bags. You can pour boiling water right into the bags, and avoid dirtying a pot. Individual utensils and bowls were cleaned by thorough eating (not a crumb left behind) and then sanitized with more boiling water. People either drank the water or broadcast it into the woods – away from camp. Either method is acceptable for Leave No Trace practices. The main goal is not to send any food particles into the woods.

Breakfast the next morning exceeded all my expectations! Of course… there was instant oatmeal and hot chocolate, but there was also real BACON and cheesy hashbrowns! Jeanne brought Boar’s Head shelf-stable bacon, cheddar cheese, butter and dehydrated potatoes. I decreed to Adam that we shall always have bacon when we go backpacking. I’m totally spoiled for backcountry breakfast now!

Bacon at Camp — How cool is this… nice, crispy bacon in the backcountry. Below: We also had cheesy hashbrowns for breakfast. Below: On the hike out we passed several sections of old, stone walls; The group post-hike… all a lot sweatier than when we started.

Over breakfast, Adam and I spent some time talking to our trip leader, John, about everything from gear to favorite backpacking spots. He’s like a walking encyclopedia of backpacking expertise.

I have so many fantastic memories from our first real backpacking trip… the outgoing buck that hung out with us all weekend, Adam sitting straight up in his sleeping bag (twice) to accuse me of being a bear, the feeling of being away from complications and civilization, but most of all, making new friends who might become future outing companions.

It was a rewarding experience, and I can’t wait to get out there again!

Trail Notes

Distance – 7.8 miles loop
Elevation Change – About 1000 feet, but there are also some ups and downs of about 400 feet on the Catlett Mountain-Catlett Spur Trail loop.
Difficulty – 3
Trail Conditions –3. The trail isn’t too rocky, but is overgrown, especially the Catlett Mountain-Catlett Spur Trails.
Views – 0. There were really no views of anything from this trail, since it is through a thick wooded area.
Waterfalls/streams – 2. Good water sources, but nothing too scenic.
Wildlife –4. With people in our group seeing deer, a bear, and a timber rattler, there should be a decent chance to see wildlife here. We also saw an American Redstart and a few red-spotted newts on the trail.
Ease to Navigate –3. There are lots of spurs off of the trails, but everything loops back at some point. Pay attention to the cement posts and you shouldn’t have any difficulty.
Solitude – 2.5. The first section down to the White Rocks Trail seemed to include all the traffic that we saw. This is popular with many day-trippers, since it is one of the first parking lots in the northern portion of the Central District of Shenandoah National Park.

Directions to trailhead:
On Skyline Drive, park at the Meadow Spring parking lot between mile markers 33 and 34. The trail starts at the southern end of the parking lot.

Riprap Trail

May 28, 2010September 16, 201816 Comments

This 9.8 mile circuit hike offers all the best of Shenandoah – panoramic views, bubbling streams, a swimming hole and even a nice final stretch along the Appalachian Trail. It comes close to our 10 mile limit for a day hike, but it’s definitely well worth the effort.

Chimney Rock View — The view from Chimney Rock is very pretty on a clear day.

Christine Says…

The Riprap trail has long been on my list of hikes to tackle in Shenandoah National Park. Last Friday, we finally got around to it. I have to admit, the nearly ten-mile length and over 2,300 feet of elevation gain intimidated me just a little. The hikes we’ve completed that are close to that length (i.e. McAfee Knob or Mount Rogers) both have substantially less elevation gain. But, we had a free day and beautiful weather, so we decided to go for it. I’m so glad we went because the scenery on this trail showcased everything I love about Shenandoah. And, honestly… hiking 9.8 miles really wasn’t that hard.

We started the hike from the Riprap parking area at mile marker 90. We turned right at the end of the parking lot and followed the Appalachian Trail uphill for about a third of a mile. At the intersection with the Riprap trail, we turned left. The trail went alternately downhill and uphill for about three-quarters of a mile. We passed around a talus slope and came out to a viewpoint near Calvary Rocks. This was a great place to pause and take in the panoramic scene of the valley below. About a third of a mile downhill past Calvary Rocks, we arrived at Chimney Rock. I found this to be the prettier of the two views – but they were both very nice. The trail was especially pretty in late May because of all the blooming mountain laurel, wild azaleas and rhododendron. There were some sections that were so lush, I felt like I was walking through a tunnel of flowers.

Wild Azaleas, Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. Below: The view near Calvary Rocks; Adam taking in the view from Chimney Rock.

From Chimney Rock, the trail follows a ridge for a while, with many nice views between the trees. There is still quite a bit of evidence of forest fire damage from the late 1990’s in this area. The mountainside is still rather barren and charred stumps are visible. Slowly, the trail descends into Cold Springs Hollow. We passed through some of the densest mountain laurel along this section. We saw and heard so many beautiful birds – everything from American Redstarts to Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks.

Near the bottom of the hollow, we started to pick up the stream. It started off as a trickle, gaining volume and speed as we climbed continually downward. There were a few small, unremarkable waterfalls in the gorge, but we didn’t stop walking until the first stream crossing. Adam and I sat on a couple big boulders in the middle of the stream and ate a few handfuls of trail mix.

Swimming Hole with Fish and Rhododendron Reflection — The swimming hole displayed beautiful rhododendron reflections and was full of brook trout. Below: The trout were hard to photograph through the water, but you get the point.

We stopped again just a couple tenths of a mile later at my very favorite spot along the trail – a wide, green swimming hole shaded by the forest canopy. We sat along the pool for a long while. We watched colorful brook trout lolling in the water. Every now and then, one would splash up and break the quiet surface of the water. The water was so clear. We could see reflections of the rhododendron on the surface and big, round stones at the bottom of the pool. The spot is made even more beautiful by the gentle slide waterfall that cascades down and fills the pool.

After leaving the pool, we had almost about three-quarters of a mile of level walking and a couple more stream crossings. A post marks the intersection with the Wildcat Ridge Trail. We turned left, and enjoyed our last little bit of flat walking for a while. We decided to stop and eat lunch before the big uphill climb began. We had ham and cheese on crackers, chips and some candy – perfect to give us lots of energy!

Climbing along Wildcat Ridge is a steady uphill for almost three miles, but the grade is generally moderate. There were several more decent views through the trees along this section of trail. And of course, more mountain laurel! I think I must have said “This is SO PRETTY!” to Adam a dozen times as we walked through the flowers. This section is where we saw our only other hikers of the day – a young couple hiking the loop in the opposite direction. We got to the junction with the Appalachian Trail faster than we thought we would. We were anticipating another .7 miles of uphill climbing when we reached the marker post. It’s always such a pleasant surprise when an uphill climb ends earlier than you thought it would.

Adam on the AT — Adam and I both enjoyed the more level terrain along the Appalachian Trail.

We took a left onto the AT for the final 2.8 miles of the hike. This section was typical Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah – rolling hills, nothing too steep. We saw a brief glimpse of a bear diving into the mountain laurel about a mile into this stretch. After about an hour of walking on the AT, we arrived back at our car. My feet were a little sore and tired, but other than that I still felt pretty energetic. Riprap now claims the spot for the longest hike I’ve ever done in a day! The 9.8 mile circuit took us just under six hours – including our very frequent snack and photography stops. On the way home, we stopped and rewarded ourselves with Lime Cream Slushes from Sonic – my favorite post-hike treat.

Adam Says…

This may also be the longest hike I have done but it was well worth it! This hike really does have it all and we hit it at a great time of year. The mountain laurel and rhododendron were at peak on this trail and we often felt like we were in some type of fantasy land while being surrounded by pink flowers.

The views from Calvary Rocks and Chimney Rock give you some great 180 degree views to the north of the mountains. I was a little worried that the payoff for this hike was going to be over in the first couple of miles of the hike, but I was glad to be wrong. After we continued the descent from Chimney Rock, there were still some open views along the way. Once we reached the bottom of Cold Springs Hollow, we saw a glimpse of a waterfall along the way. Shortly after the falls and after crossing the stream you come to the beautiful swimming hole that Christine mentioned above. This was a great spot to relax and enjoy seeing the fish, or you could take a quick, refreshing dip.

View Along the Riprap Ridge. Below: The swimming hole is such a beautiful place – even though we constantly had to bat the bugs away. Note the slide falls coming down to the pool.

Once we were done with relaxing, we took the hike up the Wildcat Ridge Trail. This is a constant uphill for about three miles and does include a couple of switchbacks on the trail. However, we felt that the terrain wasn’t too steep. You continue to observe nice views as it hugs closely to the side of the mountain. Once we met up with the AT, the trail didn’t have a lot of elevation gain/loss. I do suffer from plantar fasciitis, so my feet were quite sore on the rocks of this section of the trail.

Butterfly on Mountain Laurel. Below: Adam hikes through the mountain laurel along the Appalachian Trail.

For those interested in geocaching, I did place an earthcache at the overlook for Calvary Rocks. This is a way to learn about the geology of the area and there are a few steps to get credit for the cache:

Calvary Rocks geocache

I definitely enjoyed my first trip of the Riprap trail, but I know it won’t be my last. This would also be a great place to do a backpacking trip, since there is a reliable water source at the bottom of the trail. We really felt like it was one of the prettiest trails we have done in all of Shenandoah National Park. Part of that largely is due to the abundance of blooming wildflowers, but another part was the views. The Riprap trail really has it all!

Trail Notes

Distance – 9.8 miles
Elevation Change – Around 2300 feet. The hike is a mix of uphill and downhill, with one long, steady uphill stretch of about three miles.
Difficulty – 4.5 While the elevation gain is substantial, the trail is rarely steep. Grades are moderate. We scored the hike a 4.5 mainly due to the length.
Trail Conditions – 4 Nice trail to walk along! The stream crossings are easy.
Views – 4. You get the best views from the Chimney Rocks and Calvary Rocks overlooks.
Waterfalls/streams – 3 The stream was on the low side when we hiked, but was still pretty. The swimming hole at the bottom of the hollow is very beautiful.
Wildlife – 4 We saw lots of brook trout, a little toad, many bird species and we even caught a glimpse of a black bear’s rear end diving into the laurel thicket.
Ease to Navigate – 2 A few turns to make along the way. There are a few false trails leading away from the main trail and also one tricky turn after a creek crossing.
Solitude – 3 We saw only two other people on the entire loop. We hiked it on a beautiful Friday in late spring. I imagine the trail is much more crowded on weekends. It’s a very popular short backpack loop.

Directions to trailhead:
From Skyline Drive, park on the western side at mile marker 90. There is a parking lot specifically for Riprap hikers.

Part 3: Backpacking 101 with the PATC

April 25, 2010August 26, 20154 Comments

Christine Says…

I can’t think of any other class where it would be acceptable for an instructor to say “Now imagine me with my pants pulled down.” But Backpacking 101 is quite different from other classes.

The third day of instruction also took place at Prince William Forest Park. Adam and I showed up for class freshly showered, warm and well-rested. We were among the few students who opted out of the group camping experience. We would have liked to camp, but my parents live too close to the park to not pay them a visit for the weekend. It was probably good that we had a place to go escape the pollen. It was the worst pollen I’d ever seen – you could see it raining down from the sky and everyone’s shoes and pant-legs were coated with a thick, yellow dust.

The morning started off with an explanation of the different brands and styles of tents used for backpacking. We walked around the group campsite, looking at about ten different models owned by class participants. I really liked a particular REI tent and also one from Sierra Designs. We’ll likely be purchasing a three-person tent so we have room to keep little gear inside. I was amazed by the miniscule size of most two-person tents. They left me wondering… what two people?… Lilliputians, leprechauns, pygmies?

Camp was set up with a variety of tents.

After tents, we had a thorough discussion of water filtration/purification methods. I found this to be the most fascinating part of the day. Access to clean, safe water is probably one of the things I find most worrisome about backpacking. We saw demonstrations of a Katadyn Filter system, iodine tablets, AquaMira and talked about boiling. A couple of the instructors seemed to favor SteriPen systems, but we didn’t see a demo of one in action. I think the pump filter system looked like the fastest and easiest of the methods, but I think I might use some AquaMira or Micropur as a second layer of protection for my personal drinking water. I figure that an extra layer of prevention is a good idea, especially when the consequence could be explosive diarrhea.

After water, we moved on to campsite selection. This included discussion of where to pitch tents, set up the “kitchen”, where to place your bear hang and how to designate a bathroom area. This session provided the perfect segue to the other part of backpacking that I sort of dread… catholes. In short, I simply do not want to poop in the woods. I am a princess about these things … but I suppose I have to get over it because poop happens. I think most of you will have figured out that the opening quote for this blog posted was pulled directly from the cathole session. I won’t go into all the gory details, but I will share one prophetic term and leave the rest to your imagination – “Poop Soup”. Beyond that, I am not going there. As one person in the class put it “I don’t think I’ll be able to look any of you in the eyes again after this trip.” I guess nobody really likes pooping in the woods.

The last sessions of the day covered personal hygiene, flora and fauna (poison ivy, ticks, bears and snakes) and Leave No Trace principles. At the conclusion of the class session, the class broke into outing groups. We had the option of easier or moderate – with easier groups covering about four miles a day and the moderate groups covering six miles a day. We chose the easier group because at this point, I’m still not sure if my sprained ankle will be healed in time.

The class split just about in half between the moderate and easier groups. Adam is one of only three males in the easier group. I’m dragging him down to my level. 🙂

Honestly, we’re both THRILLED to be in the easier group, because we get to go to Dolly Sods for our outing. Our group leaders (Dave, Jen and Dave) chose Dolly Sods because it’s an easier place to accommodate a large backpacking group than Shenandoah National Park. There are eleven people in our group. We’ll hike and have meals together, but split into two groups for camping. We love the people in our group. Everyone seems to be nice and so many group members have a great sense of humor.

Now everyone needs to stay tuned for the actual post from the outing (coming sometime in May.) I will say that we’re really excited about the trip. The PATC Backpacking 101 Workshop gave us exactly the information we were looking for. I feel like we’re kicking off our backpacking experience the right way, and that’s given me a lot of confidence and hope that I actually can do this.

Part 2: Backpacking 101 with the PATC

April 23, 2010August 26, 20152 Comments

Adam Says…

I must admit that had some anxiety about the Backpacking 101 course through Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. I was a little worried about the status of Christine’s ankle sprain, the dynamics of the group, and wondering if people would be a little too “hard-core” about backpacking in general.

TREC Center — Most of the classroom sessions took place in the Turkey Run Education Center (T.R.E.C.)

I think all the worry was quickly alleviated once we started the weekend course. Christine and I are both so happy that we signed up.

The first session of the day started with Trip Planning. We brainstormed ideas on what you need to think about to plan a good backpacking trip. I felt our group came up with great ideas and covered all of the necessities. One group seemed more like the “party group” because they were concerned with who was bringing the frisbee, harmonica, and alcohol. I don’t think most serious backpackers would want to lug the extra weight or dehydrate themselves with a bottle of whiskey.

Backpackers — These backpackers did a good job planning.

We then had a “Bio-Break”. I remember when I saw this on the agenda initially, I was wondering what this could be. It turns out to mean just a bathroom break. Christine and I have started using this and I think we’ll teach this phrase to our dogs. They also know “Go outside” and “Drain your lizard”, so what’s one new phrase for them to learn?

The next session taught us about clothing. We learned about layering and the purpose for each layer of clothing. This should help minimize what needs to be packed and ensures that our clothing is keeping our bodies at the right temperature and keeping us dry. All of the students in class learned the mantra of “No Cotton”, since it gets wet easily and takes a long time to dry.

Next, we learned some basic skills in map reading, which I found to be quite easy. I think most of the class was fairly confident with map reading, but it was great to work on map skills as small groups. We also learned some basics on reading a compass. I typically use my hand-held GPS, but it was good to have a refresher. Our instructor suggested that we take a compass for when we leave the trail/camp for the bathroom. We found a spot to approach and then followed the compass to get us there and back.

We took a short lunch break and then learned about the Ten Essentials that everyone needed to have available in their packs.

The instructors demonstrated different types of backpacks and talked about the pros and cons of internal frame packs, external frame packs, and frameless packs. We split into groups based on height and learned about the different packs the instructors had. We tried on various packs, discussed how to adjust for your individual needs, and then looked at how each of them were packed. I personally liked the Gregory brand packs best, because I feel they worked a little better with my back and they gave some breathing room between my back which tends to sweat. I ordered a Gregory Z65 and I’m excited to try it out.

The next session involved discussing sleeping bags and pads. It seems that most backpackers go with a mummy-style bag. They tend to be a little lighter, but they are not for the claustrophobic. I know Christine will definitely want something different since she likes to not feel confined when she is sleeping. I can usually fall asleep easily anywhere, so I’m not as concerned. The instructor also showed us some different styles of sleeping pads (foam and self-inflating). Again, I’m not as concerned about the type I get, but Christine will probably want a self-inflating pad, like what is offered from Therm-a-Rest.

Stove Demon — We saw a demo of a variety of stoves. Below: We liked the JetBoil.

Many of the people in our class decided to stay in Prince William Forest Park for the night. We were staying with family nearby, so we didn’t brave the cold with the others. Those staying overnight were given time to pitch their tents before dark. This was a great opportunity for us to look around initially at some of the different tent options there are. We did an instructor-led tour of the different tent options the next morning.

The end of the first full day involved a demonstration of stoves, cooking, and clean up. We looked at a variety of stoves and talked about the benefits of each. Our favorite that we will likely purchase is an integrated stove system made by JetBoil. We felt that based on what we will likely do in the future, this will serve our needs well. A co-worker is loaning me one this weekend to try out and learn more about. The instructors then did a skit, acting out a “good backpacking trip” vs. a “bad backpacking trip”. It was quite funny and showed the importance of planning ahead, delegating duties, and what to pack. We then started on preparing dinner. We split into four groups, with each group preparing a different meal. This gave us all some experience with using a camp stove and understanding how things could be prepared in advance to save weight and time. We had plenty to eat between all of the groups and we were able to sample a few of the other meals. The one we cooked was rice-based, but flavored with cheese and dehydrated hamburger. I think it was my favorite.

We all enjoyed a great camp dinner — Cheesy Rice and Beef.

After everyone had enough to eat, we worked on cleaning the pots. Cleanup is a necessity and does have to be done after each cooked meal. We learned different techniques of Leave No Trace ethics to ensure that cleanup was done in a way that leaves little to no impact on the environment.

I really felt liked I learned a ton of information in this first day of class and we were looking forward to another full day. I felt the PATC did a wonderful job of explaining all the different types of gear and how to prepare for a backpacking trip. After the next day of sessions, I feel well-prepared and excited to go on our first trip.

Part 1: Backpacking 101 with the PATC

April 14, 2010March 21, 20158 Comments

Christine Says…

(instead of doing both a Christine Says and an Adam Says section for this series, we’ll be taking turns with writing. We’ll be back to team blogging when we hit the trails again)

Anyone who has read the About section of our website already knows that we’re not backcountry campers/backpackers. Although I grew up camping with my family, we were always strictly “frontcountry.” We had a pop-up camper and spent a lot of vacations in developed campgrounds with electricity, playgrounds and hot showers. Adam definitely has more experience roughing it than I do. He did a lot of primitive camping in high school and college.

PATC Headquarters — The first session of Backpacking 101 was held at the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club’s headquarters in Vienna, Virginia.

My only backpacking experience came when I was ten years old and attending summer camp with the National Wildlife Federation (Ranger Rick Wildlife Camp). We did a couple one-night backpack trips in the woods of western North Carolina. I don’t remember anything from those trips other than the poison ivy. Our hippie camp counselor encouraged us to walk barefoot through the forest to “be one with nature.” That was one of the worst ideas ever.

The last time I camped in any way, shape or form was in the mid 90’s. Adam and I had just started dating, and decided to go camping on one of our first trips together. The weather was supposed to be nice, but we ended up having freak storms with torrential downpour. Our tent leaked, we couldn’t get a fire going, Adam got hypothermia – basically everything went wrong. We ended up bailing out and sleeping in the car. The next day, we broke camp and moved back into the great indoors. I’ve never looked back, because honestly… I love a soft mattress, a hot bath and access to a microwave.

Recently, I’ve decided to give sleeping outdoors another chance. I’ve been on so many hikes with places that I’ve stopped and thought “Wow – I’d love to wake up right here and see the sunrise!” So, when we got a Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) newsletter, we were intrigued by a workshop called Backpacking 101. It’s an adult class for backpacking newbies. I’m hoping that their expert instructors will be able to show us how to backpack and camp in a way that makes it safe, fun and comfortable.

Last Monday, we had our first class meeting to go over course expectations, physical conditioning and how to choose boots. The class has 28 participants – all very diverse in age, gender, experience and fitness level. We’ll be spending the next two class sessions doing field learning – everything from how to purify water to how to load your backpack properly to how to choose a campsite. The class will conclude with a weekend-long backpack trip to put everything we learn into practice. At this point, my ankle sprain is still too painful to hike. I’m really hoping it will be healed enough by May for the weekend trip. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

We’ll be blogging about each of the sessions… so stay tuned! Maybe we’ll become backpackers yet!