geocache – Page 2 – Virginia Trail Guide

Greenbrier River Trail – Cass to Marlinton (WV)

September 23, 2010September 4, 201813 Comments

The Greenbrier River Trail is a rails-to-trails bike path that meanders 78 miles along the Greenbrier River in West Virginia. This portion we biked was about 25 miles from Cass to the little town of Marlinton.

Biking the Greenbrier River Trail — Adam crosses Sharps Bridge on the Greenbrier River Trail. Below: Due to drought conditions, the Greenbrier River was very low; Trail signs mark each entry to the trail; The Clover Lick Depot is one of the old train stops you’ll pass on the trail.

Adam Says…

Our main reason for staying around the Marlinton, WV area was to do some biking on the Greenbrier River trail. A few friends of mine that had done the Virginia Creeper Trail told me that we should do the Greenbrier River Trail sometime. The trail was very similar to the Virginia Creeper. They are both rails-to-trails biking trails and don’t take a ton of cardio effort or biking skills to complete. The scenery may have been a little nicer along the Virginia Creeper; with mountain views and lots of bridges and trestles. However, the Greenbrier trail lacks the dense crowds that you find on the Virginia Creeper. You’ll have lots of solitude on this trail, but there are also fewer amenities along the way (other than occasional restrooms at campsites). Christine and I really enjoy the solitude more than anything, so it was great to get away for a nice, quiet, long bike ride.

We started our day with a car shuttle up to the northern terminus of the trail near Cass, WV. We arranged the shuttle through Appalachian Sport. We were the only people signed up for the shuttle, so we were able to arrange our own time. It was nice to talk to our driver (wish we caught his name) about his impressions of the trail. He was actually the one that gave us the news that JMU beat Virginia Tech in football. We had been completely “off the grid” for a few days without any cellphone service, TV, or internet. We actually thought he was joking the first time he told us that JMU won.

Low Water Levels on the Greenbrier River — Water levels were very low on the Greenbrier River. Below: The trail follows the river for almost all of its 78 miles; Adam bikes along the crushed stone trail; A view of the lovely river.

He frequently runs on the trail and told us about his goal to organize a Greenbrier River Challenge t0 raise funds with sponsorships for people to run the entire length of the trail. A friend of mine from work is one of the few known people to run the entire trail in a single effort (I think he and a couple friends did all 78 miles in a little over 16 hours). Our shuttle driver also told us that many people find the area between Cass and Marlinton to be the prettiest, but he thinks the entire trail is nice (with the exception of the more populated area between Marlinton and Seebert).

After being dropped off in the parking lot at the Northern Terminus of Slabtown (.5 miles from the town of Cass, WV), we got our gear together and headed down the trail. Mile markers are posted along the way to help you plan your distance along the trail. There are also slabs with the letter “W” along the trail, which were used by railroad engineers to know when to blow the whistle when they were approaching road crossings. The first notable stop along the way is about 9.4 miles in when you reach the Clover Lick Depot. This depot was built in the early 1900s and was recently renovated. At mile 14.6, you will reach the Sharp’s tunnel and bridge. The tunnel is 511 feet long and the bridge immediately after the tunnel is 229 feet long. If you’re interested in parking your bike for a brief rest, right before the entrance to the tunnel there is a path to the left that leads down to the riverside. There is also a steep, slippery path up to the top of the tunnel for the more adventurous. At mile 23.9, you will reach the water tank on the outskirts of Marlinton. Shortly after you pass the water tank , you will reach the Marlinton Depot at mile 24.3. The depot burned to the ground in 2008 and there are plans to have it rebuilt. You can then bike a short distance back to where you left your vehicle.

The Sharps Tunnel is dark and deep! Below: Adam stands atop the tunnel entry; By mid-day, big puffy clouds breezed into the sky.

If you are interested in doing any geoaching along the bike trail, you can find a few along the way:

Clover Lick Depot
Katy’s Cache on GRT
Are We Alone? GRT – part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory SETI@50 geocaching event

We definitely enjoyed our ride on the trail and I hope to come back at some point to try out some other sections of this trail.

Christine Says…

We had a great bike ride along the Greenbrier River Trail (GRT)! I already can’t wait to go back and bike the remaining 53 miles. Rails-to-trails riding is so pleasant and leisurely. I love not having to worry about cars running me off the road.

If you’re going to bike a segment of the GRT, definitely look into arranging a shuttle. Typically, you leave your car at the end point, and the shuttle ferries you and your bikes to your start point. This allows you to bike a long section without having to retrace the trail to get back to your car. You can also take your time exploring because you don’t have a set time to meet your ride at the end of your trip. Shuttle companies are also a great source for trail tips – where to camp, where to eat, places to stop for water, etc. We used Appalachian Sport, but there are several other shuttle companies in the area.

A View of Sharps Bridge. Can you spot Christine on the trestle? Below: A primitive campsite along the trail; Adam drives the old wagon; A few early hints of fall were evident in the trees along the trail.

We met our shuttle at 8:30, loaded up our bikes and headed off on our 45-minute van ride to Cass. The morning was still cool with thick mist lifting off the river. Fall is definitely in the air! We passed through Cass Scenic Railroad State Park on our way to the northern end of the GRT. Cass is near Snowshoe Mountain. The area offers so many options for outdoor fun – skiing, mountain biking, canoeing, scenic railroads, fishing, hiking, etc.

By 9:30, we were off and pedaling along the trail. For several miles, we followed along the river – no sign of roads, people or houses. It was wonderful! The river was really low, but it was still gorgeous. Every now and then, a deer would bound across the trail or go splashing across the river. The fog burned off and opened up to crystalline clear blue skies – not a cloud in site. Early splashes of fall color were already evident in the trees along the trail.

We passed a couple trailside campsites. The GRT is also popular with equestrians, so campsites all included hitching posts. If I still had my horse, this would definitely be a dream ride! Several of the campsites even had privies.

Occasionally, the trail passes by developed areas. But “development” in this section of West Virginia usually means a few houses clustered along a quiet country road. We passed a barn with equestrian services advertised on the building side. They also had an old horse cart that Adam couldn’t resist. We passed the Clover Lick Depot. I think this area was probably a lot busier when the train was still running. The depot building was really cute and had recently been restored. Sadly, it’s not being used for anything. I bet it would make a great trailside gift and snack shop, but I also bet it would be nearly impossible for a shop to stay in business along the GRT. In the entire 25 miles we biked, I think we saw 6 people all day long. With such low traffic, amenities will never spring up along this trail like they have along the Virginia Creeper.

One of my favorite things we passed along – or shall I say through – was the old Sharps Tunnel. When we arrived at the tunnel opening, Adam scrambled up the hill to the top of the tunnel opening. You can smell the inside of the mountain emanating from the tunnel. It’s a hard smell to describe – the best I can describe is like a cool wind carrying the scent of tar, dampness and earth. The tunnel is over 500 feet long and follows a curve. This means that there is a section in the middle where there is absolutely no ambient light. It is 100% completely pitch black and eerie as the grave. For a few moments, I lost all sense of up, down, forward and backward. It was like biking in space! I shrieked with a mix of fear and giddiness until my bike hit light again. It was really fun, but if you’re afraid of the dark or an uncertain biker, you might want to have a light on your bike or carry a headlamp in your bag.

There were a bunch of state park employees eating lunch on the other side of the tunnel. I think they all heard me screaming in the tunnel, because they looked at me oddly. Oh well… I hope they were entertained. As soon as you come out of the tunnel, you pass over the Sharps Bridge, which crosses the Greenbrier River on a tall trestle.

Baby Chipmunk — We spotted a couple of frightened baby chipmunks along the trail. Below: Another view of Sharps Bridge; the Greenbrier River; The other baby chipmunk we spotted. I hope they survived.

Shortly after crossing the bridge, I saw a tiny animal dart across the trail – barely missing Adam’s bike wheels. It was as small as a field mouse. I braked when I saw the tiny creature still sitting along the trailside. It turned out to be a tiny baby chipmunk. It was too young to be away from the nest, and the mother chipmunk was nowhere in site. We made sure the little guy was safely off the trail and headed on our way. As Adam was walking back to his bike, he almost stepped on another baby chipmunk. This one was sitting in the middle of the trail, trembling in fear. We made sure the other chipmunk was safely off the trail and nestled under some leaves before we biked on. I hope those little chipmunks somehow found some way to survive. 😦

Chipmunks and deer were not the only wildlife we saw along the way. We also saw a couple different kinds of snakes. One snake was the largest black snake I’ve ever seen! He was lying half on and half off the trail, clearly in a state of torpor from the chilly weather. At first, I thought it was a toy rubber snake that someone had tossed along the trail. It didn’t move at all when I nudged it with a stick. I pushed it again, and I noticed the body slowly constricting. The stick I had was an old fallen tree branch – about eight feet long. I pushed the snake again to get it off the trail, but this time the snake completely coiled up; raising its upper body off the ground and flicking its tongue at me. He was still really slow and stiff, but definitely awake! Adam, who was sitting on his bike 50 feet away, wanted nothing to do with the snake at all. Finally, I managed to push the snake completely off the trail into the grass. Hopefully, he slithered away when the sunshine of the day warmed him up. Later in the day, we saw another snake basking in the sun in the middle of the trail, but he moved out of the way really quickly.

Huge Black Snake — We saw this sleepy (but angry) black snake on the trail. Below: Near Marlinton, we saw old farm buildings and fields; The old water tank; The burned Marlinton depot; Adam checks out the inside of the train.

The last few miles of the trail passed through more open terrain. We saw fields and old abandoned farm buildings. Shortly thereafter, we passed a huge water tank – the only one left standing along the trail. Trains used to stop at this spot to fill up. By the time you get to the water tank, the GRT switches from a crushed stone surface to paved. The paved section is about five miles long.

In a few minutes, we were back in Marlinton at the old train depot. The depot used to be the town visitor’s center, but as Adam mentioned, it burned down a few years ago. We took a few minutes to climb aboard the old train car at the depot before heading back to our car.

After loading up, we had a delicious lunch at the Greenbrier Grille. They had great sandwiches (I recommend the Steak & Mozzarella!) and a lovely deck overlooking the river. We ate lunch to the sound of honking ducks in the river below. The restaurant has a large menu of homemade desserts, but we were too full from the sandwiches.

The next day, we were on our way back to Virginia, but we’ll definitely be visiting Pocahontas County again!

Trail Notes

Distance – 24.3 miles
Elevation Change – Negligible. Hardly any elevation change.
Difficulty – 2. While the biking is not difficult, the distance might be a little much for some people. Hiking or biking it should be fairly easy.
Trail Conditions – 4.5 The trail is very well-maintained.
Views – 3. The trail is scenic through most of the trail with views of the river most of the time.
Waterfalls/streams – 2. The path runs along Wilson Creek for part of the trip and the Greenbrier River for most of the trip.
Wildlife – 2.5 We saw deer a few times on the trail and in the river. We also spotted some baby chipmunks, a blue heron, a couple snakes and some geese.
Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just stay on the bike trail. A few spots run parallel with other driveways/roads, but you shouldn’t have trouble if you stay on the trail.
Solitude – 3. We were surprised with how few people were on the trail biking. I think we only saw 6 people biking on the trail the entire day.

Directions to trailhead: The actual trailhead is located off Route 66/Back Mountain Road near Cass, WV. There are clear signs to direct you to the trail.

View a Google Map of the Route

Thomas Reserve – Cowpasture – Cranberry Glades Loop (WV)

September 21, 2010September 4, 20184 Comments

This nine-mile loop offers glimpses of area history, great views of the tundra and peeks at distant mountains.

Meadow on the Cowpasture Trail — The trail offered many beautiful meadow views. Below: Adam checks out the sign at the entry to the Cranberry Glades boardwalk; The old Mill Point Federal Prison used to sit along the present-day Cowpasture Trail; The Thomas Reserve Trail is lined with ferns; A view of the Glades boardwalk.

Christine Says…

The morning did not start well. We drove into Marlinton, WV before our hike to make some reservations for a bike shuttle. Once we were in town, we learned that Verizon wireless was not available anywhere in the area (and I really needed to check in on a family emergency). We couldn’t find anyone that sold pre-paid phone cards in all of Marlinton. When we did find a phone card, we couldn’t find a pay phone that worked. Apparently, the only pay phone that works in all of Pocahontas County is at the hospital. After filling up at a BP station, the “service engine” light came on in our car and the gas gauge stopped working. (Can I blame BP for that?) Finally, to top everything off, we couldn’t find the trailhead for this hike. In the end, it all turned out OK, as it usually does. We ended up hiking a couple extra miles, but on a beautiful, cool, blue-sky day… that’s not a bad thing!

Our original plan was to hike the 7.1 mile Cowpasture Loop which encircles the entire Cranberry Glades Botanical Area and crosses into the beautiful, wild Cranberry Wilderness. But, the trailhead was not marked and the map we had did have enough detail to indicate the exact location. We ended up parking at the Thomas Reserve trailhead, instead. We knew this trail would intersect the Cowpasture Loop after about a mile or so.

Would Be Waterfall — This rock ledge along the Thomas Reserve Trail is probably a pretty waterfall when the stream isn’t dry. Below: The trailhead for the Thomas Reserve trail; Trails were adequately marked.

I’m really glad we went this way, because the Thomas Reserve Trail took us past some beautiful and interesting scenery. There were ruins that looked like some kind of old pool or water treatment facility. The concrete basin and pillars were still intact, along with several large pipes with wheels attached. I did a quick Google search to try and figure out exactly what the ruins are, but I didn’t have much luck. From that point, the trail passes through beautiful fern-carpeted forest and past a dry stream. The stream has an interesting rock ledge/cave that I think probably makes a lovely, small waterfall when water is actually running. Eventually, the path intersects an old road that is part of the Cowpasture Loop.

After a short walk along the old road, the trail opens up into a gorgeous open meadow with views of the mountains in the distance. This is the site of the old Mill Point Federal Prison. Even though the buildings were all torn down in the late 1950s and early 1960s, you can still see some leftover signs of the site – there are bits of road left, abandoned stairs to nowhere, an old well. There is also a series of informational signs that include old photos and talk about life at the prison. Apparently, it was a prison without walls or gates. Prisoners were treated to weekly movies and could spend their afternoons hiking in the area. I guess you could say it was very low security! We stayed at the prison site long enough to read the signs and enjoy the meadow view.

After the meadow, the trail climbed back into the forest, following rolling ups and downs for a couple miles. We saw lots of bear scat and several deer leaping across the trail. We crossed a small dry stream shortly before passing out into another wide open area. The meadows along this trail were really overgrown. The ragweed and other plants were shoulder-height and constantly batted me in the face as I walked the trail. Even so, the meadow areas of this hike were spectacular! This section in particular offered beautiful views of Kennison Mountain.

Beaver Dam on the Cranberry River — We got a nice view of a beaver dam on the Cranberry River. Below; The bridge over the Cranberry River.

The trail dips down to the South Fork of the Cranberry River. This crossing had a pretty arched bridge and a great look at an active beaver dam. There were crabapple trees everywhere – so I was really wondering if we’d eventually see a bear. We never did – just the deer and a very angry red squirrel.

From the river, the trail ascends to a ridge and follows a series of gentle ups and downs. We passed several beaver ponds and got nice looks at the bogs and glades the area is known for. One pond even has an elevated wooden platform to view the area. Because of the dry months we’ve had lately, the ground was much dryer than it should be. The ponds were so low, I wondered if the resident beavers were able to swim at all. While we were passing one of the ponds, we heard a huge tree come crashing to the ground someplace nearby. It must have been a monster tree – it sounded like gunshots as it splintered and fell to the ground with a huge KABOOM.

Just before coming out on FS Road 102, the trail passes over another pretty arched bridge. The walk along 102 is completely level and pretty uneventful. You’ll pass a gate and the board marking the entry to Cranberry Wilderness. The area looks fantastic for backpacking – lots of loops and shelter options. We’re already talking about making a three day trip sometime in the spring.

After crossing the chain gate, the walk is along the developed portion of 102. Cars passed by and the walking was really boring. When we got to the Cranberry Glades Boardwalk, we decided to add the .6 mile loop onto our larger loop. The boardwalks pass through a beautiful open bog area. If you visit the right time of year, you can even see carnivorous pitcher plants.

After the quick turn along the boardwalk, we walked the last mile along the paved road back to our car. By the time we got back, I was pretty tired and hungry and was looking forward to making homemade pizza for dinner back at our Watoga State Park cabin. Although the day got off to an inauspicious start, it really turned out to be perfect.

Adam says…

Christine had suggested this hike to me when we were planning our trip to Watoga State Park and I’m so glad that she suggested it. This hike is one of my favorites that we’ve done this year. It has some interesting history and the open views of tundra are nothing short of beautiful.

Ruins on the Thomas Reserve Trail — We saw these mysterious ruins along the Thomas Reserve Trail. Below: The Thomas Reserve trail begins; An old well at the prison ruins site.

We had trouble finding the start of the hike, since the trailhead for the start of the Cowpasture Loop was not marked. We saw a sign for the Thomas Reserve trail and I could tell from our map that it hooked up with the Cowpasture Loop. The Thomas Reserve Trail starts bisecting a field, but quickly moves into woods. At about .6 miles, we saw the pillars of the old “pool” that Christine mentioned off to the right of the trail. The trail continues for another .4 miles through the woods until it comes to a sign.

Take a right here to get on to the Cowpasture Loop. The trail is quite level at this point as you move through a field with great views of the tundra around you. Here, and in some places throughout the entire loop, there may be tall plants that you have to push aside, but you shouldn’t need to bushwhack. As you’re passing through the tundra area, you may notice several bluebird boxes. The trail begins to turn towards the left and then opens up to more of a clearing. You will see posts that give information about the Mill Point Federal Prison camp and life for the inmates. You will then come to a sign around mile 1.5. Take a left here to stay on the Cowpasture Loop. This will loop back around the tundra, paralleling Charlies Creek, and then goes back into the woods. You will start to reach some footbridges around the two mile mark that take you above some marshy areas.

A view of the Glades Boardwalk — The glades boardwalk is a pleasant .6 mile walk around the bog. Below: The walk along the forest road wasn’t that exciting; Once we got back to the paved portion of 102, there were some pretty scenes along the road.

After this point, you will begin to climb slightly up. At the height of this gradual hill, you will begin to see views of Kennison Mountain. At mile 3.5, the trail then takes a sharp left (marked by an arrow on a sign) and descends again. This area was quite overgrown, but the trail was still clearly visible. The trail tends to alternate at this point from going through areas of marshy glades to trails through the woods with slight ups and downs in elevation. At mile 5.7, you will see a destroyed sign where there is a side path of about 100 yards to an observation deck. This would be an excellent spot for birding. At mile 6.4, the trail connects again to FS 102. Take a left on the fire road until you reach the gate at mile 6.6. At mile 7.3, you will reach the parking lot for the Cranberry Glades Boardwalk loop. This loop is only about .5 miles and I would highly recommend it. There are interpretive signs along the boardwalk and it does give some more wonderful views throughout the loop. Once you complete the loop, just walk back up FS 102 to reach your car.

There are also a few geocaches along this loop:

Trail Notes

Distance –9 mile loop
Elevation Change – 200 feet
Difficulty – 3. This is really an easy hike, but we’ll give it a 3 due to the longer length.
Trail Conditions – 2.5. The trail was largely passable, but very overgrown. Several bridges over streams were broken and rotted through.
Views –3. You get some nice views of the mountains and great views of the glades/tundra.
Waterfalls/streams – 3. In times with normal to higher precipitation, this trail has great views of streams, ponds and the Cranberry River.
Wildlife – 4. We saw deer, signs of bears, active beaver dams, red squirrels and many kinds of birds.
Ease to Navigate – 3. Once you find the trailhead, the trail is relatively easy to follow.
Solitude – 4. Outside the popular boardwalk area, you probably won’t see a soul!

Directions to trailhead: From Mill Point, WV head west of WV 39/55. After about 7 miles, you will find a sign for the Cranberry Glades area on your right (FS 102). Head down this road for one mile until you reach the trailhead for the Thomas Reserve trailhead.

Falls of Hills Creek (WV)

September 19, 2010September 4, 20182 Comments

The Falls of Hills Creek is a popular trail that (should) give you views of three plunging waterfalls in a short distance. The trail is in need of some serious maintenance, as the lower – and most impressive – falls are completely inaccessible due to a collapsed boardwalk (as of fall 2010).

While the waterfalls were practically non-existent due to very little rain for the past few months, the trail was still pretty. Below: We climbed many stairs and saw very little waterfall action; the Middle Falls were practically dry – the Upper Falls were completely dry and we didn’t even bother with photos; The path was scattered with fall leaves.

Adam Says…

In planning our trip down to West Virginia, we had seen great pictures of the Falls of Hills Creek and thought it would be worth checking out.

The trail starts from the parking lot on a paved path and begins to descend. The trail winds around while it descends. At .3 miles, you come to your first overlook of the 25 foot Upper Falls. You can’t really get great looks of the falls from the overlook, but we could tell there was not a lot of water flowing. After this overlook, the trail continues on crushed gravel. At .5 miles, you will come to an overlook that gives you nice views of the 45 foot Middle Falls from above.

Many metal stairs lead to the lower viewing point for the middle falls. Below: Benches are available along the way if you need a rest; We saw a newt on the damp pathway; BUMMER! The trail is closed off before we even get a view of the waterfall.

After you leave the platform, you will descend a metal stairwell that goes down several flights. At the bottom of the stairwell, the trail continues on a boardwalk. To the right is a short boardwalk path that gives you nice views of the Middle Falls from the bottom of the falls. Go back up the boardwalk and take the path straight ahead that leads to the view to the Lower Falls. Unfortunately, there has been some damage from last year’s winter storm on this last section of the trail, so the boardwalk was closed. Even though the Lower Falls are supposed to be the most impressive with a 63 feet drop, we weren’t able to get to a place to see them. Return the way that you came to complete the 1.8 mile out-and-back. The way back includes a lot of stair climbing, so you will get a workout.

There are two geocaches located here:

The dry summer for the last month really hurt our ability to see these falls at the most impressive. I’m guessing that the work on the Lower Falls will not be completed until the spring/summer of 2011 (at the earliest), so I would wait until this is done to visit this series. The Lower Falls are considered the second highest cataract falls in West Virginia.

Christine Says…

I’m a little ambivalent about including this hike on our blog because I don’t feel like we saw what the hike really has to offer. It’s hard to be enthusiastic and share information about a waterfall hike when the waterfalls are mostly dry, and one is not even accessible. But, the Falls of Hills Creek seem to be perennially popular, even in its diminished state.

We did this hike the afternoon we arrived in Pocohontas County. It was a cloudy, dreary, drizzly day. I figured if there were any water left in the falls, this weather would be ideal for taking long exposure shots of the water. Even though the photos didn’t work out, the trail was still quite pretty. I enjoyed the cool, damp day and walking though the lush green of the woods. We got some good exercise in climbing the many stairs along the trail.

Signs of Fall — Signs of fall were all along the trail. Below: Tiny wildflowers along the trail; The foreboding sign that made us carry 40 pounds of camera gear.

The one thing I found mildly disconcerting were the “thief alert” signs we found along the trail. When we walked down, I had all my camera gear and laptop in the car (unusual for me!) After I saw the sign, I took the route of paranoia and decided to carry everything with us. Adam carried the big backpack with the laptop and I carried the cameras and the tripod. It was kind of a shame, because we hardly used any of the gear we carried.

I would love to see the Falls of Hills Creek again sometime when the water is flowing and the lower falls are open. Until then, I’ll reserve final judgment on this hike.

Trail Notes

Distance – 1.8 miles out and back
Elevation Change – 600 feet
Difficulty – 2. Just due to the stair-master quality of the hike, it’s not for everyone.
Trail Conditions – 4.5. The trail is paved, then crushed gravel, and some boardwalk areas.
Views –0. Not really any views other than waterfalls.
Waterfalls/streams – 3.5 There wasn’t any water in the falls, but normally this would be great for waterfalls.
Wildlife – 0. The trail is too populous to really attract wildlife.
Ease to Navigate – 5. Just straight down a paved path and back.
Solitude – 1. You should see people along this trail.

Directions to trailhead: From Mill Point, WV head west of WV 39/55. After about 12 miles, you will find a sign for the Falls of Hills Creek scenic area on your left that leads to a parking lot. The trail takes off from the left side of the parking lot.

Massanutten Story Book Trail

September 16, 2010May 31, 20199 Comments

The view from the Massanutten Story Book Trail involves a short quarter-mile walk down a paved pathway.

Story Book View — The view from the Story Book trail overlooks 211 and the Page Valley. Below: The trailhead is marked by a large sign; Along the path, there is a series of interpretive signs that describe the geology and flora of the area.

Christine Says…

The Massanutten Story Book Trail is one of those ridiculously short path-walks that we personally wouldn’t consider a hike. Nonetheless, it goes to one of the nicer viewpoints in the Shenandoah Valley. Sure… you can see the Battle Creek Landfill and a distant Walmart, but you can also see the mountains that make up Shenandoah National Park and pretty much all of the Page Valley. It’s a beautiful spot.

To get to the view, just stroll down the level pathway for a quarter mile. At the end of the paved trail, you’ll come to an observation platform. It’s railed in and has several benches to rest upon. But, for an even better view, don’t miss following a rocky footpath to the right of the platform. It leads to a rock shelf overlooking the valley. The rocks that make up the ledge have the most fascinating texture.

Curvy Walkway — One of the beautiful curved, wooden walkways. Below: At the end of the paved pathway, there is a platform from which to take in the view; Christine’s Mom and Dad take in the view (You can see our shadows, too!).

It looks like a lot of work/money has gone into cleaning up the Story Book Trail recently. The interpretive signs that had faded or been covered with graffiti have been replaced (although new graffiti is already showing up – seriously people, stop crapping up the outdoors… it’s disrespectful and stupid). The path looked like it had been repaved not too long ago. But, best of all, someone cleaned all the paint off the rock ledges that lie off the trail.

Adam Says…

Christine’s parents came down on a Sunday to meet up with us. We decided to take them on a couple of short hikes with great views. The first we did was Woodstock Tower and we finished it off with the Massanutten Story Book Trail. This trail is one of the easiest you will find, since the path is paved most of the way, with some beautiful wooden walkways in a few parts. Since it is also wheelchair accessible, just about anyone should be able to enjoy the views you will find here.

Adam on the Ledge — Adam enjoys the view from the ledge. Below: The path is paved; Some sections are traversed by beautiful curved bridges.

The trail also works as an interpretive trail, with many plaques to read along the way that give a great description of the geologic forces that have created the mountains in this area. There are two geocaches along this trail and one of these requires answers from the signs along the way.

Christine and I often say that some of the areas of George Washington National Forest lead to better views than you get through hikes in Shenandoah National Park and this trail is great evidence of this statement. If you haven’t done this one before and enjoy great views with little effort, this is a trail for you.

Trail Notes

Distance – .5 miles out and back
Elevation Change – negligible
Difficulty – 1. This trail is for everyone – paved for strollers and handicap accessible.
Trail Conditions – 5. The official trail is paved. You can leave the trail and scramble on the rocks for another view.
Views –5. Amazing views!
Waterfalls/streams – 0. No streams/waterfalls.
Wildlife – 0. The trail is too populous to really attract wildlife.
Ease to Navigate – 5. Just straight down a paved path and back.
Solitude – 0. You’ll see many people along this trail.

Directions to trailhead:
Reach the trailhead by turning on to Crisman Hollow Road (FD 274) off of 211 near Luray. Continue on this road for about a mile and park in a small lot off to the right. A wooden footbridge and trail marker will signify the start of the trail.

Woodstock Tower

September 14, 2010September 14, 20103 Comments

The Woodstock Tower hike is a fairly easy hike in the Lee Ranger District of George Washington National Forest that leads to a fire tower with 360-degree views of the surrounding area.

View from Woodstock Tower — The view from the Woodstock Tower is panoramic - offering views of the valley, river and distant mountains. Below: A wider view includes the mountains; It really wasn't the best time of day to photograph the actual tower -- I had to shoot right into the sun; The inside of the tower is covered with graffiti.

Adam Says…

After parking in the Little Fort Campground area, we headed up for our hike to Woodstock Tower. The white-blazed Wagon Road/Nature Trail starts off as a rough fire road and after .1 mile, intersects with Peters Mill Run. Peters Mill Run is an ATV/OHV trail, so look both ways before crossing this popular trail for ATVs and motorcycles. Continue straight across Peters Mill Run to connect to the trail again. The trail does go steadily up with a few switchbacks, but the switchbacks really make the trail easier of a climb. The first switchback comes in around .25 miles and the second switchback comes around .5 miles. After the second switchback, the trail does become steeper, but it ends after just a couple tenths of a mile. At .7 miles, take a left on the pink-blazed Tower Trail. It is only about .2 miles to reach the tower on a fairly level trail.

The Woodstock Tower. Below: A little bit of fall color was already showing; We took a break for water where the short trail meets up with the longer trail; Looking up through the Woodstock Tower.

When we reached the tower, we climbed up the metal stairs to reach the top. I’m not a big fan of heights, but I’m especially nervous when it involves man-made things. The tower did seem quite sturdy, but it makes some noises when railings move slightly, so I was more eager to get down from the tower than the rest of Christine’s family. The views are nice, but the area is quite crowded. Unless you went up early in the morning, I fear that it would be hard to have a moment’s peace at the top. There aren’t any signs posted for maximum number of people on the tower and you may have to hug the side of a platform as people pass in opposite directions.

There are a few geocaches in the nearby area:

Wagon Road
ZOY II (B.I.A) – I didn’t find this one though. It’s a mystery cache that I’m guessing is located nearby.
Woodstock Tower Letterboxes – a multi-cache that is best found reaching the tower by other means.

Christine Says…

This was the second time I’ve been to the Woodstock Tower. Last time I was there was several years ago in mid-October. I remember the fall foliage being amazing from atop the tower. This time, the foliage had just the slightest hint of change, but the day was crystal clear and sunny – not a bit of haze – so the view was extra nice.

There are shorter ways to get to the view. In fact, you can practically drive right up to it. However, we chose to hike up from the Little Fort campground instead. The slightly longer route gave my mom a chance to try out her new hiking boots.

Off Highway Vehicle — The area has lots of ATV and dirt bike trails. Below: All the roads and trails in this area are well-marked.

Because the day was so beautiful, we had to share the tower with crowds of people. At times, there was actually a line of people waiting to get to the top. We even saw a person trying to coax their pit bull up the open, metal stairs. That didn’t go so well, and they had to turn back about halfway to the top. The inside of the tower is covered with graffiti and the area is littered with broken beer bottles and empty soda cans – a very unfortunate side effect of its popularity.

Despite the tower’s less-than-pristine nature, it still offers one of the best views of the mountains in the area. It’s well worth the short walk.

Trail Notes

Distance – 2 miles
Elevation Change – about 500 feet
Difficulty –2. While you would think that going up 500 feet in one mile would be steep, the trail up seems to take off a lot of the steep terrain.
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail had some loose ground in a few areas (especially in the first .1 mile), but overall was well-maintained.
Views – 4.5. It does have 360-degree views, but we always enjoy views from natural surroundings like rock outcrops over man-made towers.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 2. Too many people to see anything other than people. May be good for hawk spotting or some other woodland birds.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Not too many turns on this one and trails are well-labeled.
Solitude – 1. You will see lots of people on this trail during a nice day.

Directions to trailhead:
We approached this from I-81. There are other ways to the east to approach this, but here is the most common way for anyone traveling via interstate. Take exit 283 on I-81, heading east on 42. Stay on 42 until it intersects with US 11. Take a left on US 11, heading north through the town of Woodstock. As soon as you pass the Woodstock Shopping Center, take a right on S.R. 665/Mill Road. Take this until it ends at S.R. 758/Woodstock Tower Road. Take a left here and continue to follow S.R. 758 up and down the mountain (this area can be scary when passing other vehicles – there are no guardrails in most spots). Be sure to stay on S.R. 758 until you reach Little Fort Campground. Turn into the campground area. There are campsites and parking spots along the road here. The trailhead is located on the right-hand side of the road near a campsite right before you reach the outdoor restrooms.

West and East Rattlesnake (NH)

August 3, 2010September 4, 20182 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

This fun, four-mile loop hike offers gorgeous scenery and amazing views with not much work. The trail takes you across the summits of two small mountains – known as East and West Rattlesnake – overlooking the Squam Lakes.

Adam and the Rain Storm — Adam watches a rain storm pass over the Squam Lakes. Below: The trail has many steps built into it.

Adam Says…

Since we had already done a bunch of hikes to waterfalls over the last few days, we decided it was time to do a hike with some views. We waited around in the morning due to rain and an overcast sky, but we caught a break shortly after lunch and decided to head out to the Rattlesnakes. As Mark Twain said, “If you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a minute.”

We started the trail up the Old Bridle Path, which takes off from the marked parking lot for West Rattlesnake Mountain. This area includes a lot of crossing trails that are all yellow-blazed, so you will need to pay attention to signs to be sure you are going the way you want. The hike was a continual uphill with lots of steps built into the trail. We found this part of the trail to be very well maintained and you will see lots of people on this section of your trip. At .75 miles, you will come to a fork. The right goes out to a nice overlook, but the left is where you will continue the trail. At .9 miles, you will reach the summit of West Rattlesnake Mountain. Look on the ground to find a USGS marker to mark the elevation.

From the summit, we then took the Ridge Trail which leads to East Rattlesnake Mountain (one option is to take the Pasture Trail to the East Rattlesnake Trail, but that has a lot of elevation loss and gain.) The Ridge Trail descends about 300 feet of elevation into a thick quiet wood. Here is where the mosquitoes were unleashed on us since the breeze was non-existent to blow them away. At 1.3 miles, you will reach a junction with the Col Trail, but continue on the Ridge Trail until 1.7 miles when you reach the East Rattlesnake Mountain summit.

First Viewpoint — The first viewpoint from high up comes along a small spur trail. Below: The Armstrong Natural Area sign provides some historical information about the area; Several trails intersect in this area; Watching the rain storm pass over the Squam Lakes.

We headed back from the summit and at 2.1 miles, we took a right on the Col Trail. The Col Trail descends a few hundred feet and was very overgrown and poorly maintained in several areas. At 2.8 miles, it leads to a fire road. Take a right on the fire road. At 3.0 miles, you will reach Route 113. Taking a left on the road, you will head back to your car to make this a four-mile loop.

Looking back, we might have decided to do this as an out-and-back hike and not ventured onto the Col Trail. Walking on roads is never as fun as trails and it seems that the road goes on forever.

Both summits give you expansive views of the Squam Lakes and you can likely see several mountains surrounding you. I was amazed at how many people were on West Rattlesnake Mountain and we only saw one other person at East Rattlesnake Mountain. So, you can easily escape the crowds if you want with just a little longer hike.

There are a number of geocaches in the area for anyone interested:

Rattlesnake Earthcache
East Rattlesnake Mountain – multicache that starts on the Pasture trail
Thefrosty4 – also on the Pasture trail
Team Bullis Streaks Past 6000 finds
Rattlesnake Cache
West Rattlesnake Mountain

Christine Says…

On this trip to New Hampshire, we spent far more time hiking to waterfalls and ponds than we did hiking to mountaintops. We decided to save our summit hikes for days that offered clear views of the valleys below. Unfortunately, we had a lot of hot, humid days that put the high peaks of the White Mountains into the clouds. I know some people just like the workout and the act of hiking, regardless of whether or not there is a view. I do too, but only to an extent. I can’t help but feel a little let down when a great view is covered in clouds and fog.

The morning we planned to hike the Rattlesnakes had been forecast to be sunny and pleasant. However, in keeping with the theme for New Hampshire’s changeable weather, we woke to soggy clouds and pop-up showers. The radar map indicated clearing as the day went on, so we sat and waited at the house. When the sun finally broke through the clouds, we hopped in the car and raced off the trailhead.

The hike was easy and pleasant to the top of West Rattlesnake, and the views couldn’t have been nicer. They reminded me a lot of the views we had from the Mt. Morgan – Mt. Percival hike. (You can actually see the Rattlesnakes from above on that hike.) Both hikes overlook the Squam Lakes, but Mt. Morgan – Mt. Percival goes to higher mountains and offers a loftier view. If I were pressed to choose, I would say the Rattlesnakes view is nicer, but only because it’s a little closer to the lake. The Squam Lakes Association does a fantastic job managing and maintaining the trails in this area.

Atop West Rattlesnake, we were able to sit on a sunny rock ledge and watch a leftover rain squall pass at a distance across Squam Lake. The clouds were so dramatic and it was interesting to see the gray sheet of rain pass over the water.

We decided to continue along the trail and visit East Rattlesnake as well. Although it’s less popular and has a smaller rock ledge, the other Rattlesnake offers views just as nice as its “sister”. We had a couple options for hiking over to East Rattlesnake. At first, we considered hiking the Pasture Trail so we could check out Five Finger Point. A friend of mine from Flickr mentioned one of his favorite swimming spots was on the point, so I thought it might be fun to go check out the spot. But, in the end, we decided to take the shorter route across the Ridge Trail. The bugs ate me alive! This trail was the one place in New Hampshire that my liberal application of DEET didn’t seem to deter the mosquitoes. Two weeks after the hike, I still have a few marks leftover from bites I got on that hike.

On the return from East Rattlesnake, we wanted to get out of the woods and away from the bugs as quickly as possible. Instead of doing the hike as an out-and-back, we followed the Col Trail back to the road and finished a loop with a mile of walking along Route 113. The road walking wasn’t particularly fun or scenic, but at least I was away from most of the bugs.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4 mile, loop
Elevation Change – About 800 ft.
Difficulty –2.5. The walk up to West Rattlesnake is very easy. The hike up East Rattlesnake is a little tougher.
Trail Conditions –3.5. The trail is very nicely maintained.
Views – 5. Stunning views of the Squam Lakes.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. None to mention.
Wildlife –0. Unless you count mosquitoes and biting flies.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Although several trails cross in the area, everything is clearly marked.
Solitude – 1. On West Rattlesnake, you won’t get any solitude. East Rattlesnake is quieter. We saw only one other person there, while we saw close to 20 people atop West Rattlesnake.

Directions to trailhead:

From I-93, take Rt. 3 east to Holderness. From Holderness, follow Rt. 113 (a slow, curvy road) northeast for about 5.5 miles. Just past Pinehurst Road, park in the small lot on the right side of the road. The Old Bridle Path starts at the far end of the parking lot.

Arethusa Falls and Bemis Brook (NH)

August 1, 2010September 4, 20184 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

Note – 10/11/10: In their October issue, Backpacker Magazine inaccurately listed Arethusa Falls as a Virginia destination. The falls are in New Hampshire.

This three mile hike leads to Arethusa Falls, which is (arguably) New Hampshire’s tallest single waterfall. The optional arm along Bemis Brook is challenging in spots, but offers more lovely stream scenery.

Christine Says…

We originally planned on combining these two trails with Frankenstein Cliffs to make a loop, but unfortunately we ran short on time and just did the three mile out-and-back.

The trail along Bemis Brook was extremely tough walking! In addition to the roots, rocks and mud, we suffered a full-on mosquito assault. I spent a lot of the walk along the trail cursing and flailing my arms wildly. Even with DEET, the little buggers hovered right around my eyes, ears and nostrils, constantly buzzing in too close and getting caught in my eyelashes.

There were several very pretty small waterfalls along the Bemis trail. Coliseum Falls were especially picturesque. Since it was such a sunny day, I didn’t bother with a tripod. Long exposures weren’t a possibility in the harsh sun, so I just took snapshots along the way. The climb from Bemis Brook back up to the Arethusa Trail was practically vertical. We had to climb, hand-over-hand, grabbing roots and rocks to drag our way up the mountainside. There was one blown down tree that was particularly difficult to negotiate. It was one of those fallen trees that was a little too high to climb over, but a little too low to scramble under. I decided to clamber over it, and ended up getting my boot toe caught on the tree trunk. I took a spectacular fall down onto the roots and rocks. It absolutely left a big black and blue mark! I was really glad when we finally saw the junction with the Arethusa Trail!

The rest of the way to the falls was much easier. It was uphill and muddy in spots, but the trail was well-graded and nice to walk along. The last stretch to Arethusa Falls led downhill into a chasm that opened to an amphitheater like setting. The falls were very impressive! The water falls like lace over the sheer rock face.

On the hike back, Adam and I waffled about whether or not to continue our hike up to Frankenstein Cliffs. We even started down the Cliffs Trail, before turning back in less than a tenth of a mile. We had plans to meet my parents in North Conway, and we just didn’t have time to finish the loop.

Instead, we visited the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center and got a few Cokes and relaxed in their lobby. After we met up with my parents, we had an amazing lunch at Moat Mountain Brewery & Smokehouse. If you’re ever in the area, don’t miss their barbecue and microbrews!

Adam Says…

Arethusa Falls is a gorgeous 160 foot waterfall that is very popular with families. We started on the blue-blazed trail near the railroad tracks at the parking lot. After about .1 miles, you come to a junction with the yellow-blazed Bemis Brook Trail. We decided to do this side trail, since it goes partially along the water, guiding you to a few pools and smaller falls areas. Once you come up to the Coliseum Falls area, you will need to climb up almost vertically up the trail to join back with the Arethusa Falls trail. If you do want to do the Bemis Brook trail you should do this at the start of your trip rather than trying to descend it at the end. This part of the trip was tough and takes a lot of strength out of you in a short distance, so plan appropriately. Once we reached the junction at the top, we took a left to return to the Arethusa Falls trail. The trail continues to go uphill until you reach a junction with the Cliffs Trail. From this point, you continue downhill until you reach the falls in .2 miles. You return the way you came, but you will avoid the Bemis Brook Trail on the way back and just stay on the Arethusa Falls trail to reach your vehicle.

Arethusa Falls was named after the poem, “Arethusa” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The falls were discovered by Edward Tuckerman, but named by Moses Sweetser and Professor Huntington in 1875.

The Bemis Brook Trail follows a beautiful stream for most of the way, until you get to the portion where it climbs, nearly vertically, back up to meet the Arethusa Trail. Below: The Arethusa Trail is much easier to walk – smooth and well-graded, compared to the Bemis Trail.

While I was off hunting for a geocache and Christine was taking some photos, she struck up a conversation with a man hiking solo on the trail. When I got back to them (after sliding down the hillside 20 feet on my butt), he wanted to take a look at my map. He was thinking about doing the Frankenstein Cliffs trail and then looping back to make it to his car. He was to meet up with his wife in less than two hours to take a ride up Mount Washington on the cog railroad. We told him that it might be hard to make it in time. He decided to go for it, but I don’t think there was any way he could have made it back in time for his trip up. We both pictured his wife riding solo up the railroad, muttering to herself, and awaiting the moment she could give her husband a piece of her mind.

There are two geocaches you can get on the trail:

Hey there is a hill here – note new coordinates listed in the logs
Arethusa Falls

We wish we had more time to do the Frankenstein Cliffs trail (these are named after an artist, not the doctor who created a monster), because we have heard that it does give you some nice views from the top. The trail is allegedly muddy and not as well maintained as the Arethusa Falls trail.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3 miles, out-and-back (2.8 if you leave the Bemis Brook Trail off and just stay on the Arethusa Trail the entire way)
Elevation Change – 650 ft to the falls. There might be a bit more climbing if you do Bemis Brook.
Difficulty – 3. The Arethusa Trail is squarely moderate. The Bemis Brook trail is more difficult with one killer climb uphill at the end.
Trail Conditions – 2.5 The Arethusa Trail is in nice condition most of the way. There are some muddy spots and we encountered a flew blow downs. The Bemis Trail is not easy walking. There are numerous fallen trees, tricky footing and if it’s the slightest bit damp, the trail is very slippery.
Views –0. You’ll be in the woods the entire time.
Waterfalls/streams – 4. The falls are large and impressive, but not terribly photogenic.
Wildlife – 0. The heavy human traffic probably scares any wildlife away.
Ease to Navigate – 5. Trails are marked and easy to follow.
Solitude – 2. Because the hiking is a little more challenging, you won’t see the same crowds as you do at Flume Gorge or Sabbaday Falls.

Directions to trailhead:
From I-93, follow New Hampshire Route 302 west through Crawford Notch State Park. A few miles past Sawyer Rock Picnic area you will see the Arethusa Falls parking area on the right.

Flume Gorge Loop (NH)

July 22, 2010September 4, 20182 Comments

Introductory Guide to Visiting the White Mountains

Located in Franconia Notch State Park, this two-mile path around the Flume Gorge showcases a lot of beautiful scenery on a short and easy walk. If you crave solitude, this is not the place for you. But if you don’t mind crowds and want to see some unique scenery, don’t miss a visit to this area.

Scenes from the Flume — The Flume is a beautiful and unique place. Below: Avalanche Falls is located inside the Flume; Liberty Gorge Cascade is also impressive; The trail is lined with large boulders called glacial erratics; The Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge is for pedestrians only.

Christine Says…

Last year, when we visited New Hampshire for the first time, we went to Flume Gorge with my parents. It was insanely crowded, unusually hot and glaringly sunny on that visit, so we decided to make a return visit on this trip – hoping that the clouds and cooler weather would keep the crowds at bay. There were definitely fewer people this time, but that’s not to say we had solitude. Flume Gorge is an extremely popular area. There will always be hordes of people, no matter the time of day, week or year you visit.

It’s no surprise the area draws such large crowds – it packs an amazing amount of unique scenery into an easy, two-mile loop. For anyone who doesn’t want to walk the two miles, there is a bus that will take visitors to a drop-off point at the Boulder Cabin. This option substantially shortens the distance and climbing necessary to see the gorge. However, bus riders miss seeing a lot of the other impressive scenery along the loop.

The two-mile loop starts off along a shady, wooded path that climbs down to the Pemigawasset River. In .25 miles, there is a bright, red covered bridge across the water – the bus goes through the bridge, but pedestrians cross a walkway attached to the side of the bridge. After a short uphill, both the bus riders and the walkers arrive at the Boulder Cabin. The building is full of exhibits – both historical and natural.

After passing the cabin, the path follows alongside an area called Table Rock. The water in the river passes thinly over a wide, smooth expanse of granite. A sign announces the beginning of the Flume. The Flume is a fascinating geological area – a narrow slot canyon carved out from thousands of years of river flow over the rock. Wooden walkways are attached to the sheer canyon walls and allow people to climb through the gorge using a series of ramps and steps. Near the top of the Flume, visitors are treated to views of the crashing water of Avalanche Falls. The falls take several directional turns through the Flume – each angle makes it look like a completely different waterfall. After passing the waterfall, be sure to take a quick peek inside Bear Cave.

At the top of the Flume, the trail has two options – one returns people to Boulder Cabin and the bus stop, the other follows a trail for a little over a mile back to the main entry. If you’re able, it’s definitely worth following the longer route to see Liberty Gorge Cascade, the Pool, The Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge, the Wolf’s Den and several impressive erratics along the trail.

Water Under the Sentinel Pine Bridge — My favorite view along the trail came at the spot overlooking the Sentinel Bridge. Below: The river under the bridge is very scenic; The Pool is a wide, still spot on the river.

One of my favorite views along the trail was looking back at the Pool and the Sentinel Covered Bridge from a little spur trail to an overlook. From this point, the walk back is steeply uphill for a short while. Once you gain the ridge, the path levels off and you get a nice view of Liberty Mountain. A short while later, you arrive back at the visitor’s center – where you can treat yourself to an ice cream cone.

Even though Flume Gorge is crowded and rather expensive to visit, it’s still very worthwhile. Not many short two-mile loops pack in quite so much scenery into a pleasant, easy-to-walk package.

Adams Says…

After dropping off our thru-hiker friends, The Traveling Circus, we headed off to hike around Flume Gorge. We did this trip last year with Christine’s parents, but thought it was worth a second trip.

This is a very popular attraction and is definitely one of the highlights of the Franconia Notch State Park. Similar to many areas of New Hampshire, it requires a fee (in 2010, it was $13 for adults). The visitor center has a theatre that shows an informational film throughout the day and a few exhibits around the entrance. The snack bar is also fully equipped to provide enough refreshment and food for a lunch or snack.

Cascade near table rock — The entire Flume Gorge area is loaded with small waterfalls and cascades. Below: Tree roots grow over rocks; The crowds at Flume Gorge are always thick; Ramps and stairs allow people to climb easily through the gorge; We saw lots of chipmunks and red squirrels.

This hike packs a lot of features into one short hike. The covered bridge was built in 1886. While you can’t walk inside since it is for bus traffic, it does provide a nice photo opportunity. Table Rock is a large rock outcropping where Flume Brook slowly glides over the water. The rock is 500 feet long and 75 feet wide. The Flume Gorge is quite impressive. You walk along a boardwalk that clings to one side of the gorge. The Conway granite walls rise on either side 70-90 feet as you see the brook rush out of Avalanche Falls and down the brook. We were impressed to see all of the small trees and moss that grows amazingly out of the cliff walls. The Flume was discovered in 1808 by a 93 year-old woman while she was fishing. Signs describe a large boulder that was suspended between the walls of the gorge but a storm in 1883 swept it away and no signs of the boulder have been spotted since. Avalanche Falls is an impressive 45-foot waterfall that you can see from several angles while along the boardwalk.

After walking another .5 miles from Avalanche Falls, Liberty Gorge is your next stop. There is a nice overlook to see the water flow through this gorge. After a few tenths of a mile past Liberty Gorge, you will come across the Pool overlook and another covered bridge. Shortly after the covered bridge, you have an option to join go through the one-way Wolf’s Den, but it does require crawling on your hands and knees to make it through the cave. We continued pass the Wolf’s Den, to catch the additional overlook of the Pool. We thought this was a better view of the covered bridge and the Pool. Continue from here to arrive at the Glacial Boulder garden to view some nice erratics.

While there aren’t any geocaches inside the gorge, there are a few outside the area:

Trail Notes

Distance – 2 miles
Elevation Change –400 feet
Difficulty – 1.5. There are some steps and hills, but most people should be able to do this without too much effort.
Trail Conditions – 4.5 The trail is covered in small crushed gravel, allowing for easy footing.
Views – 1. You do get one view of Liberty Mountain, but otherwise you won’t see many far-off views.
Waterfalls/streams – 5. Great views of Avalanche Falls and much of the trip is in sight of water.
Wildlife – 1. We saw a few red squirrels and chipmunks, but this is so popular with tourists, you won’t see a lot of wildlife.
Ease to Navigate – 5. The area is secluded from other areas, so you can’t get lost. You just have options to cut distance off of the trail.
Solitude – 0. You will always find lots of people here.

Directions to trailhead:
From I-93, once you enter the Franconia Notch area, take the Flume Gorge exit. The area is well-marked. Park at the Visitor’s Center. The trail starts from the Visitor’s Center. Purchase tickets and proceed.

Tibbet Knob

July 12, 2010August 26, 20159 Comments

Tibbet Knob is a short, but steep, hike that leads to a beautiful, rocky outcropping that overlooks both Virginia and West Virginia. It’s considered the sister hike to Big Schloss.

Tibbet Knob Summit — The yellow-blazed Tibbet Knob trail offers spectacular views. Below: The first overlook on the trail comes within the first few tenths of a mile; The footing along most of the trail is extremely rocky.

Christine Says…

After a string of eight 90-100+ degree days, we finally got a break in the heat and humidity! We picked a shorter, easier hike to celebrate the cooler weather – Tibbet Knob. We’ve found we’re doing lots of longer hikes lately – partly because we’ve simply run out of shorter hikes.

I don’t know how Tibbet Knob escaped our notice for so long, because it’s a beautiful hike. Tibbet seems to play second fiddle to its sister hike, Big Schloss – though I’m not really sure why. The views are nearly as spectacular and the crowds are much thinner. The terrain is definitely steeper and rockier, but not so much so it would scare hikers off.

We started our morning with breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Woodstock (worst/slowest service ever *and* they burned the bacon!) We finally made it to the trailhead a little after 9:00 a.m. At the very beginning, the trail passes through several lovely, primitive campsites. One even has a picnic table that someone dragged a couple tenths of a mile into the woods. The ascent starts almost immediately and follows a steady, but gradual, uphill to the first open view of the valley below. This overlook is pretty, but pales in comparison to the summit of Tibbet Knob.

Looking Toward Big Schloss — You can see Big Schloss way off in the distance (circled in yellow). Below: Adam enjoys his perch on the summit; The trail was often open and out in the sun; There is a lovely (but dry) campsite about 10 yards from the rocky ledge at the summit.

From the first vista, the trail drops gently into a saddle. The footing becomes increasingly rocky from this point on. Through some sections, it’s like walking on a dry riverbed of basketball-sized stones – some smooth, some pointy. The last .8 of a mile is very steep and rocky. There are two short rock scrambles. At the first one, I abandoned my trekking poles because they were seriously getting in the way. I can telescope them shorter, but I decided it was just as well to leave them stashed along the trail to retrieve on my way down.

Shortly after the second scramble, we arrived at the summit. We stayed at the top for quite a long while. Normally, we’re not the lingering type, but the morning was so pleasant that we spent at least half an hour sitting on the rocky outcropping. It was cool and breezy. The sky was crystal clear and blue and the scent of pine trees was all around. There were several rocks to recline on, so I laid back and closed my eyes while Adam hunted for his geocache. We didn’t see another soul on the entire hike. I love having a beautiful summit all to myself.

The return trip was more downhill than uphill, so it went by quickly and we were back at the car within 45 minutes.

Adam Says…

We had been meaning to try out Tibbet Knob for some time now, since we’ve been several times to do the Big Schloss hike, but this was our first experience on this hike. The hike takes off from Wolf Gap campground. This campground is a great area for camping and has a lot of established campsites. We always see plenty of cars in the campground and usually many of the sites are taken, but you should be able to find a spot for overnight camping. We definitely plan on doing a camping trip in the future since this site provides access to some great hiking trails.

As soon as you begin the yellow-blazed trail, you will come across several other campsites alongside the trail – one even had a picnic table near the firepit. At about .6 miles you come to a nice overlook with a decent viewpoint to the south. If you look closely, you can even see cars on the road below you. You descend from this overlook for a short distance, but then you begin your climb. At some points along the ascent, the terrain opens up to larger grassland areas. You will also pass by several blueberry bushes along the trail, which reminded us of our hikes in New England. Due to the already hot and arid summer, the blueberries were already past their peak so we weren’t able to pick any on the trail. The terrain does get quite steep towards the end of the trail. You don’t have to quite crawl up the slope, but it is almost that steep. Once you get pass the two steep areas, you are very close to the summit. The views from the top were gorgeous and I believe give you a little better view than Big Schloss, since you get a better perspective of the valley with mountains around you. To the east, you can see the side of the Big Schloss hike. There is also a primitive campsite near the top of the overlook if you wanted to camp at the top, but there is no nearby water source.

The trail does continue on from the overlook, but it just leads to SR 671 after about .7 miles. You can actually approach this hike from SR 671 for a shorter, less steep option to give you a 1.5 mile out-and-back hike. We stayed up at the top for a while to soak in the views and for me to look for a geocache. I wasn’t able to find this one, but there is an alleged geocache here:

Tibbet Knob Geocache

We really enjoyed the peaceful hike for the day. We had the entire hike to ourselves on a day that was in the 70s and we even had the bonus of not having any bugs buzzing around our face. This is a great short hike that provides enough challenge to get the blood pumping and marvelous views at the top.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.1 miles out-and-back. Add another .1 mile to get to your car.
Elevation Change –830 feet
Difficulty – 3. There are two significant climbs on this hike. The first ascent gains several hundred feet in elevation and is pretty easy. After a short, gentle series of ups and downs, the second ascent is significantly steeper/longer and includes two short rock scrambles.
Trail Conditions – 2. The trail is extremely rocky.
Views –4. The view are beautiful and expansive – a little more than 180 degrees of mountains and valleys.
Waterfalls/streams –0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 0. The only creature we saw was a toad.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Just follow the yellow blazes. There are no turns or trail junctions.
Solitude – 4. Tibbet Knob is less popular than its sister hike, Big Schloss. You may see a few hikers, but you probably won’t see large groups.

Directions to trailhead:
From I-81, take exit 279. Follow Rte. 675 until it meets Route 42. Turn right on 42 and then take almost an immediate left on 675 (Wolf Gap Road). Follow Wolf Gap Road until you come to the Wolf Gap Campground (right on the Hardy County Line.) The trailhead is across the road from the campground.

Trimble Mountain

May 7, 2010October 6, 2010Leave a comment

Trimble Mountain is a lovely, wooded trail through the North River Ranger District of George Washington National Forest. The hike begins near Todd Lake. It climbs the mountain, follows the ridge across two summits and then descends back to the start point.

A View of Trimble Mountain from the Todd Lake Dam. Below: Todd Lake has a nice campground with flush toilets and hot showers. The lake is open to swimmers.

Christine Says…

Well, this entry should have been part four in the Backpacking 101 series, but sadly my sprained ankle forced us to bail out on the trip. The weight of a pack on my sore ankle is still too painful. Fortunately, I was cleared to do some light day-hiking again. So, on Saturday morning, Adam and I headed out to George Washington National Forest.

Trimble Mountain fit the bill for a light and easy hike. The four-mile trail isn’t too rocky and follows a gentle grade both up and down the mountain. We parked along the road near Todd Lake. Before hitting the trail, we climbed up the backside of the dam and enjoyed the lake view. The top of the dam also provides a great look at Trimble Mountain. The sky was absolutely gorgeous – a real photographer’s dream. It was the prettiest I’ve ever seen Todd Lake look.

Shortly thereafter, we were on our way up the Trimble Mountain trail. Within a tenth of a mile, we reached a “Y” in the trail. We took the left branch, following Hiking Upward‘s advice that it was the gentler, more gradual grade. For about a mile and a quarter, we climbed steadily upward. It was never tough climbing, but it was consistent. The trail was really narrow and carved into the mountainside. A lot of places, one foot was always laterally uphill from the other, and there was barely room for placement of my trekking poles. It was also an unusually warm day for early May, so the bugs were out in full force.

Trimble Mountain actually has two summits with a saddle between. Once you gain the ridge, the terrain consists of both uphill and downhill hiking. There really aren’t any views to speak of at the summit. Every now and then, we could see glimpses of the mountains through the trees, but there was never a sweeping, panoramic view along this hike.

Wild Iris — There were so many different kinds of wildflowers growing along the trail.

The remainder of the hike went by quickly and was all downhill. I stopped many times along the way to photograph the abundant wildflowers on the forest floor. I also spotted a few little tree frogs. They were so tiny and fast that I had a hard time getting photos. They were the only wildlife we saw on the trail.

By the time we got back to the car, my ankle was quite sore again. The downhill walking really seems to strain it. I hope that little by little it will feel better and become stronger. Hopefully when it’s healed, we can make up that backpacking trip.

A tiny frog — This little frog was about the size of a fingernail.

Adam Says…

We had been to the Todd Lake area before of George Washington National Forest, but this was our first time hiking Trimble Mountain. Todd Lake receives a lot of campers and local visitors that want to enjoy swimming and basking. The Trimble Mountain trail that is nearby doesn’t seem to get a lot of traffic. We had the entire hike to ourselves on a beautiful day outside. The bugs helped us realize that the warm weather is here. One thing that is different about hiking national forest trails is that there isn’t a lot of maintenance to the trails. There were a couple of trees spread across the trail and the trail was becoming a little more overgrown in parts. We had heard that there were good views on this trail, but we were disappointed to find that most of the views are obstructed. The only views you will see is in break in the trees. The winter would probably lead to more views of the mountainside, but after the leaves fall this will look a lot more dull. We enjoyed getting out to hike and the wildflower variety was definitely a highlight of the trail.

One of the few openings in the trees that provided a view. Below: Trees blocked most of the view; the trail is marked with double yellow blazes.

There is one geocache on the trail and a few at the nearby Todd Lake area. The first you can find along this hiking trail. The other trail would involve hiking along the Todd Lake Trail which you can reach from the opposite side of the road from the Trimble Mountain trail. The Todd Lake Trail is a little less than a mile and takes you around the entire Todd Lake area. Since the day that we did the hike was the 10th Anniversary of geocaching, I felt I needed to do a couple of these to celebrate the hobby.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4 miles – loop
Elevation Change –around 1,050 feet
Difficulty – 2 This climb on this hike is about two miles, but is very moderate.
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail is narrow and little bit overgrown.
Views –1. There are some nice glimpses of the mountains through the trees, but nothing remarkable. Views might be nicer in the winter when trees are bare.
Waterfalls/streams –1. In times of heavy rain, you’ll find several small streams along the trail. Most of the year, these streams are dry.
Wildlife – 1. The national forest is used by hunters, so animals tend to stay hidden. We saw quite a few frogs and toads along the trail.
Ease to Navigate – 5. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow.
Solitude – 4. We didn’t see a soul.

Directions to trailhead: From Bridgewater, Virginia head south on Rte. 42 for about three miles, following signs to Natural Chimneys regional park. Take a right on 613 and in less than one mile, take a left on state route 747. Take a right .75 miles after Natural Chimneys to the intersection with 731. Take a right heading north. In about a mile, take a left on to State Route 730/North River Road. This comes to an end and take a right on to state route 718. In another mile, you will take a left on to Forest Road 95, entering George Washington National Forest (you will see signs directing you to Todd Lake). The trailhead is about 3.5 miles on the left. You can park on the side of the road right near a trailer dump station. The trailhead is on the opposite side. (There is a trail on the same side of the dump station that leads to the top of Todd Lake if you are interested.)