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Mount Jo (NY)

September 12, 2015September 4, 20182 Comments

This delightful 2.4 mile hike offers fantastic views of Heart Lake and the High Peaks! With under 600 ft of elevation gain and a largely uncomplicated trail, this hike is perfectly suited for novices and young families. It’s certainly one of the area’s ‘do not miss’ hikes!

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Mount Jo Feature — The summit of Mount Jo offers great views of the High Peaks and Heart Lake.

Christine Says…

After a strenuous day on Giant Mountain, we wanted to keep hiking – but we wanted something sort of laid back for our third day in the Adirondacks. We settled on Mount Jo – a relatively small peak (2,976′) rising above the shores of Heart Lake. We had read in multiple guides that Mount Jo offered the scenery of a 4,000 footer with only a fraction of the physical effort. That sounded perfect for our easy day!

Our hike began at the Heart Lake Program Center, which is the main hub for the Adirondack Mountain Club. The 700-acre property is home to the Adirondak Loj guest house, lots of rustic camping options, and the High Peaks Information Center. Many of the area’s most popular trailheads are located in the vicinity. At press time, trailhead parking at Heart Lake was $10.00 a day for non-members (ADK member parking was $5 and all prices went down by half for parking arrivals after noon.) When we visited, the 200-car lot was nearly full by 10 a.m. We recommend arriving early if you want to set out on any trail from this popular spot.

The trailhead for Mount Jo is located across from the entrance station at the end of the snowplow turnaround The hike started off along a wide path with flat, easy footing. We passed the Heart Lake Nature Museum and an open view of the beautiful lake. At trailpost #29 (all the junctions on the property are numbered!), turn right onto the Mount Jo trail. Shortly after the turn, there is an information board and a trail register. Most trailheads in the Adirondacks have a register for hikers to sign in, leave route details, and then sign out at the conclusion of their hike. It’s an imperfect system, but definitely helps keep hikers safe in a large and rugged area. About a quarter mile after the register, the trail branches in two directions – ‘short trail’ and ‘long trail’. Adam and I decided to take the long trail up and the short trail down, allowing us to see unique scenery along a loop.

The long trail was beautiful – shaded by pine trees with footing composed of gnarled roots and rocks. As we hiked, the trail became steeper and followed a stream bed. I imagine the stream bed is often dry in summer, but we hiked the morning after thunderstorms, so there was a trickle of water running. We met a chattering red squirrel along the route – they really are so much cuter than the gray squirrels we have in Virginia.

At the top of the climb, the long and short trails met up again and joined routes to the summit. For a short distance, the trail was practically flat, passing over muddy areas on wooden planks. There was a non-intimidating ladder traversing a slab of granite, followed by a short but steep climb over boulders to the summit. At the top of Mount Jo, we had superb views of Heart Lake, Cascade Mountain, Mount Marcy, Algonquin Peak, Mount Colden, Indian Pass, and the Great Range. With the popularity of Mount Jo and the Heart Lake area, we were surprised to have the summit all to ourselves! We really enjoyed the view!

Red Squirrel — We spotted an adorable red squirrel. Below: Rock wall on the long trail up Mount Jo; At places the trail followed a stream bed; The trail became increasingly rocky and rooty.

After a while, we were joined on the summit by a group of hikers led by one of the ADK’s summer naturalists. The club really offers a great variety of programs. We listened to the ranger describe and name the peaks and describe the geology of the area. I had no idea the Adirondacks had so many landslides and avalanches, but the scars she pointed out on the mountains made it very evident. You can view the named peaks (and learn more about the area) in this interpretive trail guide/map created by the ADK. After a little more time at the top, crowds began to arrive and we decided it was time to make our way down the mountain.

The short trail was a steeper route than the trail we had used to ascend. There were a lot more rocks to scramble over, but it was still mostly moderate terrain. We made sure we remembered to sign out in the register when we passed back by the trailhead. We also made a stop at the Nature Museum. They had neat, touchable displays demonstrating the flora and fauna present in the Adirondacks.

Mount Jo was the perfect stop for a day of light hiking! Back at the High Peaks Information Center, we bought a couple cold drinks and made our way back to the car. It was early afternoon, so we decided it was time to get some lunch and check out the town of Lake Placid. Town turned out to be brutally hot – in the mid 90’s. All the shop keepers and restaurant employees talked about the unusual heat and how lots of people didn’t have air conditioning. I guess even when you head north for vacation, sometimes you still can’t escape southern-style heat like we have in Virginia!

Boulder Scramble to Summit of Mount Jo — There was one tricky place to climb near the summit. Below: The long and short trails rejoin near the summit; Wooden planks over muddy areas; Arriving on the summit.

Adam Says…

After the tougher hike up Giant Mountain the previous day, we decided on this short but impressive hike up Mount Jo. This hike is located in the Mount Van Hoevenberg Recreation Area near Heart Lake, a jumpoff point for many great hikes. The trail starts across from the check-station and runs briefly along the side of Heart Lake. I always find some of the origins of naming mountains interesting and this mountain has a sad but romantic story –

Henry Van Hoevenberg came to the Adirondacks for the first time in 1877 because of health reasons. While he was up there he met Josephine Schofield from Brooklyn, NY. They climbed Mt. Marcy together and became engaged on the summit. From the summit they spotted a small lake that was about five miles away, they decided that that’s where they would live and build a tourist lodge in the wilderness. Josephine’s parents did not like the whole idea and took their daughter back to Brooklyn. Henry stayed and fulfilled the lovers dream. In 1880 he built the Adirondack Lodge on the shores of the lake. It was the largest log building in the United States at the time and had three stories. He changed the name of the lake from “Clear Pond” to “Heart Lake”. Ha also named the small mountain in the back of his land “Mt Jo” in honor of his lost love. – From summitpost

Descending Mount Jo — Mount Jo had a fantastic view. Below: Adam climbs down the ladder stairs; Christine descends the rocky short trail; There was a bit of scrambling necessary on the short trail descent.

The trail starts across from the check-station and starts off with a flat footpath that winds through some thick, but beautiful forest. Bear right at the first junction towards Mt. Jo. You’ll pass by the Heart Lake Nature Museum and then reach the junction (trailpost #29) that leads up Mt. Jo. At .5 miles, you will reach another junction that gives you options to take the long path or the short path. The short path is much steeper, so we opted for the long path, taking the left path up to the summit.

While the long path was easier, it was still fairly steep, having to climb up a rocky path. Luckily, this is a shorter hike so you can take your time if need be. At 1.1 miles, we reached the top of the junction with the short path and continued on towards the summit. The path levels out and it is just a quick .1 mile to reach the summit. Right before the summit there is a ladder and some other steep rocks to climb.

The views at the summit were outstanding on this clear, but hazy day. The ledge was fairly wide and we could see part of Heart Lake below with mountains extending above. I spotted several cedar waxwings that were landing on the tops of all the spruces around us. Cedar waxwings have always been one of my favorite birds because of their unique facial markings and this was the largest grouping of them I have ever seen.

Descending Mount Jo on Short Trail — The short trail was steeper and rockier than the long trail, but we still had lots of fun! Below: Christine signs us out in the trail register.

We had everything to ourselves for a few minutes before others started arriving – one of the advantages for starting our hike early. On the way back down, we decided to take the short path at 1.35 miles to enjoy some different scenery. The short path was much more steep and rocky so I am glad we made the choice to hike down this section instead of up. We saw many more people coming up as we descended and some were struggling. We arrived at the bottom of the junction with the short trail at 1.75 miles, having descended over 500 feet in that short span. We bore left at the junction and made it back the way we came for the rest of the way. We arrived back at the start at 2.4 miles.

When we got back to the parking lot, we stopped at the ranger station for some cold drinks. As I was waiting to check out, I overheard an older couple that were talking to the ranger about trying to hike up Mt. Marcy. We will cover Mt. Marcy in another post, but to put this into perspective it is the highest peak in New York and the most popular route takes at least 14.5 miles to hike it. It was probably around 1PM, they were wearing jeans, and only had one small liter of water with them. The man said he also had a bad back, but they really wanted to hike it. The ranger told them it was an incredibly bad idea and they didn’t have what they needed to prepare themselves for the hike. After a few minutes, the man came back inside and told the ranger they decided to do something easier (Mt. Jo) and the ranger told them that was a much better idea. I am sure we would have read the rescue story the next day in the news if they had proceeded.

After the hike, we decided to drive into Lake Placid. Every American that lived in the 1980s remembers the Winter Olympics held here and the Miracle on Ice when the American hockey team beat the Russians to win gold. This town still holds the memories of the Olympics and this historic game alive through the stores and shopping – there was even a bakery named Miracle on Icing. We made our way to Lake Placid Brewery and enjoyed a great lunch and sampled several beers from the brewery. We walked a little around the shops, but it was extremely hot that day so we decided to return back to the glorious AC in our cabin.

If you are looking for a family hike with great views for minimal effort, look no further than Mt. Jo.

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.4 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 555 ft.
Difficulty – 2.5. While the climb is steep in a few areas, the route is short and mostly easy to moderate.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is well maintained and marked. It is still rocky and slippery in places, like most of the terrain in this area.
Views – 5. You get fantastic payoffs for a relatively easy climb.
Streams/Waterfalls – 1. There are a couple small trickles of a stream, but nothing noteworthy. Heart Lake, however, is beautiful!
Wildlife – 3. The heavy foot traffic on this trail probably scares away most wildlife, but we did see a garter snake and a red squirrel.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Trails are well marked and generally easy to follow.
Solitude – 2. This is a popular and well-traveled hike.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From Lake Placid, go east on Rt. 73 to Adirondac Loj Rd., which is the first right after the ski jumps. The parking lots are 5 miles from Rt. 73. There is a $10/day parking fee. From the parking lot at the High Peaks Information Center at the end of Adirondak Loj Rd. return to the entrance station and find the trail at the far corner of the snowplow turnaround. GPS coordinates for this hike are: 44.1830461,-73.9644678

Giant Mountain (NY)

September 5, 2015September 4, 20186 Comments

Giant Mountain is New York’s 12th tallest peak and the hike to the top is no joke! With about 3,400 feet of elevation gain in just 3.4 miles, lots of slick granite and tangled roots to negotiate, and several short rock scrambles, this is not a beginner’s hike. The views at the top and along the descent make the effort worthwhile, though. The hike winds down with a visit to a lovely glacial pond called the Giant Washbowl.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Giant Mountain Summit — Crowd gathered on the summit of Giant Mountain. Most of the people were part of one very oversized hiking group. Below: Trailhead information; There was fog catching the sunlight early in our hike; The steady climb begins early on the route.

Adam Says…

Giant Mountain is one of the Adirondack High Peaks, a collective name given to the 46 mountains that rise above 4000 feet. A survey later showed that four of these peaks are actually slightly below 4000 feet (and one other should have been included), however the ADK is keeping all of the original 46 peaks in this club. Giant Mountain stands as the 12th highest mountain in New York at 4,627 feet. One thing we quickly discovered on our trip to this area is that there are lots of people trying to peakbag all 46 peaks – kind of a rite of passage for serious NY hikers. So, you will likely find fellow hikers on the trail. Giant also has several different ways to approach the summit, but this path would be the most popular, mostly because of the length and the access to see the Giant Washbowl and Nubble. Some peakbaggers will approach this hike from another trail to the east to bag Rocky Peak Ridge, #20 on the Adirondack High Peak list.

We found the parking lot without much trouble and began our hike on the Roaring Brook Trail. Within the first couple of tenths of a mile, the trail branches off to the left (the trail to the right leads to the base of Roaring Brook Falls) up a steady incline. The trail starts off with a lot of roots, but these are soon replaced with lots of large rocks to navigate. At about .5 miles, you reach a side trail while leads to a nice large campsite and the top of Roaring Brook Falls. Be very careful if you check out the stream at the top, since people have fallen over the falls and died. Backtrack your steps and rejoin the trail to continue the uphill climb. At 1.2 miles, you reach a junction that leads to the Giant Washbowl and Nubble (your return trip on this loop).

Steep Rocks to Scale — The terrain ascending Giant Mountain is varied with rock scrambles, smooth granite, cobbles, roots, stream crossings and more! Below: The top of Roaring Brook Falls; A stream crossing; Trail Junctions were well marked.

Continue uphill on the Roaring Brook Trail. Keep an eye on where you place your feet as you have to navigate along rocky steps through most of the rest of the hike. At 2.9 miles, you reach another junction. Turn left to head to the summit of Giant. This part of the trail had some extremely slick granite slabs to walk up. We had just had rain a couple of days ago, so some of these giant slabs were very tricky to climb. Eventually, you will reach the summit at 3.6 miles. Views at the top are truly breathtaking.

On our descent, we returned back the way we hiked up. Christine was worried about the descent over the slick granite, but we took our time and even scooted down some surfaces on our butts to be extra safe. At 4.4 miles, we reached the junction of the Ridge Trail (also known as the Zander Scott trail) and Roaring Brook Trail. Instead of taking the Roaring Brook Trail back the way we came, we decided we wanted to see the Giant Washbowl. The descent was steep this way down, but there weren’t as many slick granite rocks – the area is more exposed and the sun dries the rock off more quickly. The way back on this trail gave us more incredible panoramic views, so we instantly knew we made the right choice. I would recommend to descend on this trail rather than trying to ascend, because by descending you get the views in front of you instead of having to turn around constantly to enjoy the views. We went at a slow pace through this section since it kept opening up to views. At 5.5 miles, we reached another trail junction. The trail that branches off to the right leads to the Giant Nubble. We opted not to take this route, but from what I have read there are some great views that overlook the Washbowl and surrounding mountains.

Ladder — There was even a ladder to climb on the hike up. Below: Some of the climb involved clambering over big rounded rocks; Other parts were across smooth (often slippery) granite, Sometimes you had to drag yourself along the brush at the bottom of a granite slide.

Continuing down the Ridge Trail, we came to the Giant Washbowl. The Washbowl is a large pond, serving as a picturesque spot begging you to reflect along the calm waterside. We crossed over a long, but low to the ground, log bridge that stretched over part of the creek. On the other side of the log bridge was another junction and trail sign. We took a right and followed this Giants Washbowl Trail that skirted the edge of the Washbowl. On the other side of the Washbowl, we saw a huge beaver dam and tree stumps marked with gnawing beaver teeth. The trail was mostly level, but did go slightly up and down at minimal climbs and descents. I found this part of the trail to be more wet and slick with some rocks and almost had a bad fall, but was saved by my trekking poles.

At 6.3 miles, this section of the trail rejoined the opposite side of the Nubble Trail. We kept straight on the trail and at 6.7 miles, we reached the junction with the Roaring Brook Trail. We took a left here at this junction and followed the trail back to our car, which should bring you back around the 8 mile mark.

This hike was intimidating and a bit of a challenge. I remember we had read this was a great family hike. We were thinking they would never describe this as a family hike in Virginia, but I guess New York Adirondack hikers are a stronger breed than we are used to in Virginia. We found that to be the case for most of the people we met up here. People in the Adirondacks look healthier, seem to be in better shape, and have a close connection to the outdoors. If you enjoy a bit of a challenge, the views are definitely worth it on this hike. Pictures can’t do the views justice. Be sure to add this one to your agenda if you are looking for a great hike in the High Peaks area.

Christine Says…

Adam did a great job doing all our pre-trip hike research for our Adirondacks vacation! Over the course of the week, we hiked a mix of big mountains and small mountains. We saw quiet ponds and cascading waterfalls. Some days were easy strolls and other days were grueling climbs. The hike of Giant Mountain was not our longest hike of the week, but I think it was definitely our toughest. It had a monster elevation gain and I found the terrain physically challenging and a bit frightening in spots.

Super Steep — Near the summit, the climbing was tough and traversed large boulders. Below: First glimpses of the view; Before reaching the top, the trail offered a brief reprieve from relentless climbing as we walked across a saddle between peaks; Giant Mountain Summit

The climb started off through lovely, shady forest. The trail was cris-crossed with roots, but the footing was generally soft dirt. The climb was steady and relatively steep. As we climbed higher, the dirt trail gave way to increasing rocks. At first, it was jumbles of boulders and cobbles. We made our way, stepping carefully from stone to stone – making sure each was level and anchored before committing our full weight to the step.

Eventually, we started seeing fewer round boulders, and started seeing mostly smooth, slanted granite faces. The granite was wet from storms the night before. It was also covered with a coating of incredibly slick granite sand. The climbing was very mentally challenging for me. I get really nervous when I have to cover slippery terrain that lacks anything to grab onto in case of a slip or slide. My vertigo makes me more prone to the sensation of losing my footing.

There were several spots on the climb of Giant that paralyzed me with panic and fear. On one especially smooth, steep pass; I actually burst into tears because I was so certain I was going to fall off the mountain and die. I gripped the tiny hand and foot holds, took deep breath, focused on the rock face in front of me, and climbed. It sounds silly, but confronting and prevailing over fear like that makes me feel proud. Of course, just when I’m feeling my proudest – some wiry, lean 22-year old guy trots up the same rock face with the agility of a mountain goat. 🙂 I just remind myself that my vertigo is an extra challenge and I still did it!!!

Before reaching the summit, we crossed a nice saddle between knobs. The trail was fairly level and soft and it was a great reprieve before one final scary rock scale to the summit. It took me a few minutes of deep breathing and positive thinking to climb the one last steep spot to the summit. And the summit was MAGNIFICENT! Of course, some of the beauty was stolen from me because I was already thinking ‘How the heck am I going to get down from here?’ I need to remember to stay in the moment and wish I had taken more time just to enjoy being at the top of Giant.

We chatted with other hikers at the top. We took photos. And then it was time to climb down! As luck would have it, the descent turned out to be no big deal for me. I took my time, scooted on my rear end, and used my trekking poles and tree branches to brace myself. One of the hikers we chatted with at the summit took a hard fall on slick rocks climbing down. It looked like he hit his head, so I shouted to him to stay put and not try to get back up. I started climbing back up toward him to make sure he was OK. Fortunately, he was fine – just bruised and stunned. It’s so easy for one misstep to become a serious injury on terrain like this. In fact, there is a website that lists search and rescue missions for the Adirondacks. Typically, crews go on anywhere from 5-15 missions a week to help injured, sick, and lost hikers.

Great Views on Descent — The descent on the ridge trail offered great views. It was like a theater with the mountains up on stage. Below: Some steep descents along the granite; So much granite; Really… there was a lot of granite.

At the junction of the Roaring Brook and Ridge Trail, we stopped to review our map. We started chatting with another couple we had met on the summit. They didn’t have a map or a plan, so we shared information with them. They decided to hike with us down the Ridge Trail to see the Giant Washbowl. They had an adorable Jack Russell mix dog named Judy! She was an agile and energetic hiker.

The views coming down the Ridge Trail were as nice as the summit. It was like walking into a theater of mountains. There were lots of granite faces and cobbles to negotiate on the way down. Sometimes the trail was so rugged you were left wondering if it really was the trail!

We started seeing glimpses of the Washbowl from above. It was even more beautiful up close. I loved seeing the reflections of clouds and mountains in the water. From there, the rest of the hike was pretty easy and the terrain was much more moderate. We passed (and greatly angered) a couple red squirrels. They’re pretty cute when they’re mad – chattering at you from tree branches.

The Giants Washbowl is a beautiful mountain pond. Below: Seriously, these rocks are the trail; A bridge over the end of the pond; A dam at the top of the pond.

When we were almost back to the car, we passed a large family group. There were two women and about ten kids under the age of ten – all dressed in swimsuits and sandals. They were considering walking to the top of the waterfall and asked what the terrain was like. Fortunately, we were able to dissuade them from hiking the steeper rockier terrain by telling them that there was nothing really to see – which was true. The top of the falls was really low and unimpressive.

We reached our car and decided ice cream was in order! We definitely earned a treat after a hike like that!

Trail Notes

Distance – 8.1 miles
Elevation Change – 3408 ft.
Difficulty – 5. The hiking up here is tough.
Trail Conditions – 2. While the trail is well-maintained, there are a lot of rocks that make for very tricky footing. There is also a few sections that require you to go up slick granite rocks that can be especially dangerous after recent rainstorms.
Views – 5. Outstanding panoramic views. Great views of many other high peaks in the area.
Streams/Waterfalls – 2.5 The first mile of the trail gives you some occasional views of Roaring Brook. A small side trail leads to the top of the Roaring Brook Falls. The Giant Washbowl is also impressive to see.
Wildlife – 2. This is a popular trail so I wouldn’t expect to see much more than birds.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Signs gave good information at the junctions. There are different options to include trips to Giant Nubble and also to connect to Hopkins Moutain and Owl Head Lookout from the summit.
Solitude – 2. Expect to see plenty of people on a nice day at the summit. The summit has a lot of space to spread out and enjoy your own view.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From Keene, NY head southeast on NY-73E/NY-9 S. Continue on NY-73E for about 6.1 miles. There is a small parking lot on the left, which is shortly after you pass through St. Huberts. The trailhead is at the end of the lot. Coordinates for trailhead parking are 44.1502704,-73.7676257.

Flume Knob (NY)

August 29, 2015September 4, 20182 Comments

For our next five posts we’ll be sharing hikes in the Adirondacks High Peaks region. Up first… Flume Knob – this surprisingly tough 4-miler leads to a beautiful view looking toward Wilmington and the Jays.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

View From Flume Knob — On our Adirondacks trip, the area set heat records. Most of our week was hot, hazy and humid — just like Virginia. But really, a little summer misery can’t spoil a view like this!

Christine Says…

Well… here we are in New York’s Adirondacks! We’ve wanted to visit the High Peaks region for years, and finally got around to making it happen. We found a delightful cabin in the woods on VRBO.com and rented it for a full week. We arrived late on a Saturday evening, so Sunday was the first day we had to hike. We had seen signs along the way to our cabin saying ‘ALERT: Lake Placid Heavy Race Traffic Sunday’. What we didn’t know was that it was the day of the Lake Place Ironman and most roads in the area would be closed in at least one direction – some roads closed completely.

We had initially selected a nice 9-mile waterfall loop – away from Lake Placid, in hopes of avoiding the race traffic. With GPS coordinates set and maps in hand, we set out toward our trailhead. Our GPS kept re-routing us and the drive time to the trailhead fluctuated wildly from 20 minutes to an hour and 10 minutes. Finally, we came upon a police officer directing traffic. All the rerouting on the GPS was due to real-time road closures for the Ironman. Boooo! We were forced onto a very long, one-way, circuitous route around the race – a route that took us nowhere near our planned hike. At this point, cell service was gone and we didn’t have any way to select a new hike that we could actually get to. So we drove and drove. We watched racers passing by on their bicycle leg in the closed lane of traffic. We both agreed it was a pretty disappointing start to the trip – after spending 11 hours in the car on Saturday, we were ready to hit the trail!

Flume Falls is a beautiful rapid of water that passes through a gorge right at the trailhead. Below: Before climbing to Flume Knob, we hiked the network of engineered paths around High Gorge Falls. It was impressive; The sign that caught our attention; The trailhead for Flume Knob.

Eventually, we came upon a sign for High Gorge Falls. I told Adam ‘Go there – I remember reading about that place. It looked pretty!’ As it turned out, we had the entirety of this popular tourist stop all to ourselves. I guess no one else even tried to fight the Ironman traffic. We walked the network of trails and marveled at the impressive waterfall plunging through the chasm! After about an hour, we’d seen all there was to see and decided we’d try and figure out a way to get back to the house and spend the afternoon relaxing and enjoying our comfy little cabin. But as luck would have it, we passed a sign on the road labeled ‘Flume Trails’. Adam looked at me and we knew instantly that we were going to stop and check it out. The sign was brown and had little hiker stick figures – and that was good enough for us! Sure… it wasn’t the hike we planned. And yes – we had no idea how long the trail was, how difficult the trail was, or even where it led.

Fortunately, signage at the trailhead indicated that there was a 4-mile out-and-back to Flume Knob. We agreed that knobs usually have decent views and set off along the trail. The trail soon became a network of trails. Some signs indicated the way to Flume Knob, others made no mention of it. Trail names changed quickly from Corridor to Connector to Flume Knob. We just kept hiking uphill, following the path that looked most worn, and then verifying we were still on the right route any time Flume Knob was mentioned on a sign.

I took very few photos on the hike up, because my hands were being kept busy swatting at the army of mosquitoes unleashed in the forest. Bug spray didn’t slow them down – not even a little bit. What had become as an easy, gradual climb became steeper and steeper as we hiked along. I was hiking as fast as I could to outrun the mosquitoes, but the terrain slowed my pace. The trail climbed upward without the ameliorating effect of switchbacks. There were several sections of trail that were washed out and covered with loose, slippery scree. There was a small rock pass that had a rope to help hikers pull themselves upward. There were a couple small blow-downs to negotiate. It was pretty tough going for a little while. After the hike was over, I read a description of the terrain on the Lake Placid website – they used the word ‘aggressive’.

Climbing to Flume Knob — The first half of the climb to Flume Knob was gradual with smooth, easy footing. The second part was more like this. Below: The wayfinding and signage on this trail network was a little confusing. We probably would have fared better with a map or some prior research; Trails in the Adirondacks are blazed with metal disks instead of paint; Some of the easier climbing.

It was all worth it in the end! The view from Flume Knob was magnificent! We climbed around the side of a boulder and came out on a rocky outcropping with super views of the Adirondacks. We could even see tiny specks of triathletes on the road in the valley below. The viewpoint also had enough of a breeze to keep the insects at bay. We enjoyed the view for a while until we were finally joined by a large family group. They had been down in the valley cheering a family member along in the Ironman and decided to climb Flume Knob after he passed by.

The hike down was slow going until the terrain moderated. There were many places that were steep and covered with loose footing. We covered those parts with care and the added help of trekking poles. Once we descended a bit, we were able to complete the hike relatively quickly. When we got back to the trailhead, we took some time to explore Flume Falls. The falls are right next to the parking area and are definitely worth a look!

While it wasn’t the hike we planned, the day turned out really nicely overall! Sometimes it’s fun to let go of expectations and see where fate takes you. That said — I still don’t think I’m a fan of the Ironman!

Adam Says…

Christine did a great job with explaining the circumstances of doing this hike over other things we were considering for the day. What she didn’t mention was the day before on our drive up, we decided that it would be nice to stop at a brewery on our way up to stretch our legs and give our dogs a chance to get outside. We opted for Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. I haven’t been a big baseball fan since I was a teenager, so I have been a little out of the loop for the timing of baseball events. When we arrived at Ommegang at 2:45PM, they said they were closing at 3PM for a private event (which wasn’t announced on their website). I started seeing lots of people arriving Red Sox gear (which I thought was odd for New York). It turns out they were closing things for a private party for Pedro Martinez for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame the next day. I was quite ticked and now have a little disdain for Pedro Martinez. Experiencing road closures this day that were keeping us doing the hike we wanted, I was not feeling the New York love.

The tough climbing on the hike and the incessant mosquitoes had me a little worried about how hiking would be overall in the Adirondacks. However, I will say that if you can just pull off the road, pick a random trail and find views like these, the Adirondacks are quite impressive. And luckily, those mosquitoes were the worst on this hike compared to the others we tried. What was looking to be an irritating day turned out to be great. It is amazing how a little bit of hiking and scenery can change your outlook quickly.

Arriving at Flume Knob — Climbing around the side of a boulder leads you to the viewpoint atop Flume Knob. Below: The lovely view from the top; By the time we left, we had a large family group sharing the viewpoint; We ate wild blueberries on the hike down.

When we first pulled into the small parking lot for this hike, we were quickly joined by several other cars filled with people. We thought they were just friends and families of Ironman participants and wouldn’t want to hike. When we started to see them get on the trail, we decided to get our stuff together quickly to possibly get ahead of them so we weren’t stuck amidst a large group. We were able to start ahead of most of the pack and made our way. As you can see from the map below, there are a lot of interconnecting trails on this hike. You may see people heading out for mountain biking, fishing, rock climbing, or hiking along these trails.

Our experiences with “knobs” typically means some rocky outcropping with decent views, so we decided to give Flume Knob a try. The path started off from the parking lot and we soon took a right to head uphill on the trail as the signs directed. As Christine mentioned, because of the interconnecting trails that happened early on the hike, they didn’t always post the direction to Flume Knob. We did keep pressing forward on the widest, well-traveled trail and we eventually came on to other signs that showed we were going the correct way.

Rock Scramble with Rope — Some of the downhill climbing was challenging. Thank goodness for the dignity of skorts!

We kept a fast pace as best we could, more for survival purposes. Stopping for a quick drink from a water bottle would mean you would be attacked instantly by the flying piranha-like mosquitoes. The grade of the trail was very tough, with extremely steep sections to climb, often requiring you to pull yourself up with your hands to reach the higher step. Christine got a good deal of sap on her hands from grabbing ahold of trees to help hoist herself up and down. We felt this was one of the hardest two miles with the steepness of terrain. We eventually made it to the top, which just required climbing up a large boulder to a nice view. The viewpoint was a large slab of rock and we took a few moments to take in the view before others arrived.

We had it all to ourselves for about 20 minutes before the other families started to arrive. It turns out all of them were family members or friends of those participating in the Ironman. Their goal was to do a hike for the day and then meet up with them later. When getting to the view, one man asked one of the children if the view was worth the climb and she said “No”. But they pointed out to her that when she reflects back, she would change her mind. I think we would both say the views were worth the climb. On a clear day, you have miles and miles of mountains with barely any sign of civilization around you.

Steep Flume Knob Descent — The descent of Flume Knob was often steep and slick. Below: Boulders along the trail; Finally… some easier footing; Another look at the beautiful Ausable River – it feeds High Gorge Falls and Flume Falls.

We made our way back down and started to see even more families making the trek up. When we arrived back at our car, we took a side path from the parking lot which led down to a beautiful waterfall. The waterfall has several platforms where the water drops into the gorge and is worth seeing. If you cross the road from the parking lot, you can look down into the gorge to see even more impressive sights.

We felt we made the most of the day. Getting great views on a random hike made us more excited for future hikes in this area.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4 miles
(There are no MapMyHike stats from this hike because we forgot to stop tracking at the end of our hike – oops!)
Elevation Change – 1326 ft.
Difficulty – 4. The climbing on this trail is mostly concentrated into a short, extremely steep section. There are no switchbacks to alleviate the climb – it is straight up the mountainside!
Trail Conditions – 3. The trail was nice easy footing for the first half of the ascent. The footing was trickier with loose dirt and some eroded spots on the climb. There was one section aided by a rope hand-pull.
Views – 4. Beautiful views over the valley and looking toward bigger peaks.
Streams/Waterfalls – 5. There is an impressive waterfall gorge right at the beginning of the trail. Don’t miss seeing it at either the beginning or end of your hike.
Wildlife – 2. We saw/heard red squirrels, chipmunks and birds.
Ease to Navigate – 1.5. The signage on this network of trails is quite confusing. There are many foot and bike trails that cross multiple times in the woods. Not every sign lists the destination of Flume Knob. We basically continued on whatever trail seemed most uphill and checked our progress with the signs that did list Flume Knob.
Solitude – 3. It’s hard for us to judge the popularity of this trail. We hiked it on a day that traffic was mostly impeded by the Lake Placid Ironman. Most people stayed away from the race course because the logistical issues it caused with traffic in the area. We saw a few other hikers, most of them knew someone racing and were hiking to pass the time until they could meet up with their racing friend.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From the intersection of Route 73 and Route 86 in Lake Placid, follow Route 86 toward Wilmington. Continue for 10.5 miles to the Flume Parking on the left. Coordinates for the parking lot are 44.3701899,-73.8363359.

Siler Bald (NC)

August 23, 2015September 4, 2018Leave a comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Area

Not to be confused with Silers Bald in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this 8.8 mile hike in Nantahala National Forest has some of the best views in the southern Appalachians – mountains roll out in every direction from the summit. The hike is moderate and doesn’t require any tough climbing or tricky terrain.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

We thought this video really showcased how amazing the view is from Siler Bald! Sorry it’s so shaky!

Adam Says…

One thing we hoped to do on our trip was to hike some new piece of the Appalachian Trail. While it would have been nice to complete a larger section of the trail, when you only have one car you are stuck with doing some out-and-backs. When we were researching some different options we came upon Siler Bald. My first thought was “Didn’t we already hike this another time?” Oh, that was SilerS Bald, not Siler Bald. I always get a kick out of how many mountains and hikes have similar names. We have come across several Chimney Rocks in our travels. It reminds me of the unoriginal naming of cities in New England. You can find multiple Manchesters, Andovers, Portsmouths, Dovers, and Salems in the New England states, as if their goal is to get you lost when you try to navigate with your GPS. The nice thing about both of these similarly-named balds is they have great views so you can’t go wrong.

There wasn’t a GPS signal when we started this hike, so it was a little difficult to find the starting point. I had a map of the area and we were able to find the parking lot easily enough. The Appalachian Trail crosses over Hwy-64 near the parking lot. The southbound path is easy to find, it takes off from the parking lot. However, the northbound path was harder to find. I crossed the road and walked down the road heading east for about a hundred feet. Then, I saw the AT cut through on a small, overgrown path. I signaled back up to Christine that I found it and we began our hike.

Small Waterfall near Winding Stair Gap — There was a pretty small waterfall near the beginning of the hike. Below: Winding Stair Gap; National Forest Information, Stream crossing and nice campsite.

Heading into the woods, the white-blazed trail starts on a very gradual uphill slope. Like many parts of the AT, this hike can be called a green tunnel – one path cutting through lush, green forest. We reached a waterfall and forest service road in .2 miles, followed shortly by a stream crossing and a nice campsite area. The trail then continues uphill as you pass by Swinging Lick Gap at 1.1 miles and Panther Gap at 2 miles. Right before the sign of Panther Gap, we were startled as 5 grouse took off across the trail just ahead of us. When you are walking along the trail with nothing but the sounds of the woods around you, a big move from the brush can you make you almost leap out of your hiking boots. From Panther Gap, the trail then goes slightly downhill for about a quarter of a mile before going gradually uphill. We eventually reached a junction trail at 4.2 miles. The trail branches off to the Siler Bald Shelter, which is about .5 mile from this junction (this trail eventually loops around to the other side if you see it out after the summit). We didn’t take the trip to the shelter since we were getting hungry and wanted to make our way to the views.

Scarlet Flycatch — There were still some colorful things growing and blooming along the trail.

Continuing on the AT, we met another junction with the Siler Bald summit trail. From here, we took the path up the hillside, requiring us to almost bushwhack through this thick, tall grass and brush for a short distance before we came out of it. We climbed a very steep .2 miles to reach the summit of Siler Bald at 4.4 miles. As you are climbing up, if you look behind you the views start opening up of the mountains around you, but when you reach the summit the views are spectacular. Having hiked without seeing anyone the entire day, we were surprised to see a thru-hiker at the top. He was hoping to get a ride into town, having a craving for a pizza. We talked with him for a while and were pleased to find out he was from Virginia as well. He made a call to have someone meet him at the trailhead and he was off in a flash. We ate our lunch and enjoyed the views all to ourselves. On our way back down, we did come across a few other people that were out for a backpacking trip. This hike is one that has outstanding views for a minimal effort and is not as well-traveled.

Appalachian Trail Near Siler Bald — The trail was green and lush. Below: Tunnels of mountain laurel; There was a shelter on a side trail – we skipped visiting; Making our way up to the top of the bald.

Christine Says…

Three and a half days in the Smokies just aren’t enough! On our 2015 stay, we tried two new hikes in the park (Ramsey Cascades and Gregory Bald), revisited an old favorite (Charlies Bunion), and then picked something new! For our final hike of the trip, we chose a hike outside the park borders – Siler Bald. This hike is located just south of the park in Nantahala National Forest. It offers a spectacular, panoramic vista from a spur just off the Appalachian Trail.

We parked our car at Winding Stair Gap. There is a good-sized lot along Hwy-64. From the parking area, we crossed the highway and picked up the Appalachian Trail heading north. In the first couple tenths of a mile, we crossed a footbridge over a pretty small waterfall. On the other side of the bridge, there was a kiosk with information about the forest. Shortly after the sign, we crossed a wider stream with a lovely backcounty campsite next to it.

Almost to the Top of Siler Ba — This was about the moment we realized ‘Wow… mountains everywhere!’ Below: Siler Bald scenery.

We hiked along, enjoying the abundance of interesting wildflowers and fungi. The climb was steady and slow. It was by far the easiest hike of our trip. We chuckled at the random sign posts in the woods declaring that a particular spot was a ‘gap’. None of the gaps really seemed to be low points between mountains, nevertheless their were signs indicating that we had passed through Swinging Lick Gap, Panther Gap, and Snowbird Gap. Other than enjoying the pleasant weather and small things along the trail, there’s nothing grand along the way to Siler Bald. The grandeur all comes shortly after you reach a grassy clearing about 4 miles into the hike.

From the grassy clearing, climb the spur trail steeply up through the meadow for .2 miles. When we visited, the meadow was full of tall grasses and daisies. At the very top, we reached a flat opening that looked out across what seemed like all of the southern Appalachians. We had great views of Standing Indian mountain, Wayah Bald, Lake Nantahala, and even into Georgia.

Storm Clouds — Storm clouds started to roll in. Below: Mountain views on the descent; Small waterfall

There’s a marker at the top of the bald declaring the mountain’s name and elevation (5,216 feet). There’s also an established fire pit and plenty of room for several tents. What a place to watch both sunrise and sunset!

Adam and I ate our lunch (so many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on this trip), took lots photos, and spent some time chatting with a fellow Virginian we met atop the summit. Rambling Wreck was his name, and he was doing a flip-flop thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. He was really the only person we saw all day until we were almost done with our hike.

As we enjoyed the bald, darker clouds started to roll in. We knew thunderstorms were forecast for later in the day, so we decided to make our way down. The descent from the bald is nearly as magnificent as being on top – walking downhill with all the mountains laid out before me was breathtaking! I was probably paying too much attention to the view, because the toe of my shoe got hooked on a root hidden by deep grass. I took one of those epic falls that happen so fast you can do nothing to stop and catch yourself. I faceplanted and ended up with several deep, painful bruises, but nothing that stopped me from hiking on. When you’re a regular hiker, these things are bound to happen sooner or later!

The hike down went quickly and soon we arrived back at our car. We decided to make the drive out to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for our next stop. On the way, we were pounded by thunderstorms. I’m glad we missed them on the trail! At the NOC we grabbed an outdoor riverside table at Big Wesser Brew and BBQ (one of our favorite spots) and shared nachos and a couple beers. Super day!

Trail Notes

Distance – 8.8 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 1737 ft.
Difficulty – 3. The climbing on this trail is all easy to moderate until the last couple tenths of a mile, up to the top of the bald.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail was nice, smooth, dirt with very few rocky sections.
Views – 5. Breathtaking, expansive, amazing, beautiful!
Streams/Waterfalls – 2. There were a couple small streams and a small waterfall near the beginning of the hike.
Wildlife – 3. We saw some bear scat on the trail, so I’m sure bear sightings happen in this area.
Ease to Navigate – 3. The trail is clearly blazed and the spur to Siler Bald is pretty obvious.
Solitude – 4. We saw one thru-hiker atop the bald and one group of four men backpacking together. It has immensely more solitude than trails in GSMNP.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: GPS coordinates for this trailhead are 35.12175, -83.54435. It is located on US 64, 11 miles west of Franklin, NC. There is a spacious parking lot at Winding Stair Gap. From the parking lot, cross the road, head east about 100 feet, and begin hiking north along the Appalachian Trail.

Gregory Bald (TN)

August 16, 2015August 25, 20201 Comment

Introductory Guide to Visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park Area

Gregory Bald is famous for its brilliant display of flame azaleas each June. On prior trips to the Smokies, we were in the area too early to catch the bloom. This time, we hit it just right, and enjoyed this wonderful, challenging 9.5 mile hike (includes .5 mile of walking the trails around the bald). The views and blooms did not disappoint!

Update Spring 2016: Parsons Branch Road (the route to this trailhead) is indefinitely closed to vehicular traffic. It’s been determined by the National Park Service that towering dead hemlocks pose too great of a falling risk. You may still walk up Parsons Branch Road or take the longer hiking route outlined here: http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/gregory.htm

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Christine Says…

Goodness… we’re doing a lot of hiking and not much writing! Here we are in mid-August, still playing catch-up on hikes from June. We have a backlog of twelve (yikes!) hikes to write about.

The first is this wonderful climb to Gregory Bald that we did on our Smokies a couple months ago. Typically, we visit the Smokies in late May. Mid-spring is a gorgeous time of year for cool temperatures, wildflowers, and smaller crowds. This year, we had to put our trip off until mid-June. It was much hotter and the park was more crowded, but the timing gave us the opportunity to finally climb Gregory Bald when the flame azalea was at peak.

There are a couple routes up to the bald. The most common route is probably the ascent along the Gregory Ridge trail. It’s an 11.3 mile hike with just over 3,000 feet of climbing. It’s more popular because it’s easier to access by car and is supposedly a little more scenic along the way. We chose to climb via the Gregory Bald trail from Parson Branch Rd. It’s a shorter hike with less elevation gain. It’s also much harder to get to! Parson Branch Rd. is a one-way, seasonal road (closed in the winter) that requires 4WD/AWD. We had four 8-9 mile hikes planned in 3.5 days, so the shorter/easy route appealed to us. Thankfully, our little Subaru proved up to the challenge and we successfully jolted and bumped along the rugged road until eventually reaching the trailhead.

Rosebay Rhododendron — Rhodendron blooming along the lower trail. Below: Trailhead sign, Crowded parking along Parson Branch Road; Adam starts off down the trail.

We got there pretty early, but there were already tons of other cars filling the small lot and lining the dirt road. We geared up and hit the trail. Honestly, there isn’t much to see along the 4.5 mile walk to the bald. It’s a lovely wooded trail, but there aren’t any noteworthy features until you reach the bald.

Adam and I walked along, chatting and talking about past hikes. Suddenly, Adam froze in his tracks and said ‘SNAKE!’. It was a beautiful, dark-colored timber rattler sunning itself across the trail. Adam hates snakes, but I find them beautiful and fascinating. He stepped back while I tried to get a few photos – which proved difficult with my wide angle lens. I tossed some small pebbles near the snake to encourage him off the trail. He obliged and we were on our way!

Near the ridge, we passed Sheep Pen Gap campsite. It was occupied by a group of extremely well-equipped horse campers. They had a full camp kitchen, coolers, and canvas tents big enough to stand in – definitely the opposite of our ultralight gear! There was a piped water source near the campsite. It was flowing nicely, but it was definitely water you’d want to boil or filter due to the large amount of horse manure in the area.

Gregory Bald Trail — There was nothing remarkable about the trail to the top. Below: We did see lots of snails; And a timber rattler; We crossed one shallow stream.

About a half mile past the campsite, we emerged onto the bald. It was absolutely exploding with color – azaleas in red, salmon, pink, orange, gold, and white! I can understand why people come from all over to witness this display first-hand. On top of the amazing floral display, the summit also offered panoramic views. We ate our lunch overlooking Cades Cove and then spent some time walking around and admiring all the different colored azaleas. We even met a fellow JMU grad on the summit.

The longer we stayed atop the bald, the more people arrived, and we decided it was time to make our way down. The descent went very quickly, as the trail had easy, uncomplicated footing. About a mile from the parking lot, we ran up on the JMU alumni we had met earlier. He and his girlfriend were stopped in the middle of the trail. A bear had just crossed in front of them and they were waiting and making sure it was safe to proceed. Adam and I were disappointed that we had missed seeing the bear.

We ended up walking the last mile with them, chatting about hiking and the Bonnaroo festival they had just attended. Before we knew it, we were back at the car! The remaining stretch of one-way Parsons Branch Rd. was an adventure, too. I think we must have driven our car through at least a dozen streams before eventually coming out on the famous Tail of the Dragon road. I’ll let Adam talk more about that! It was a fun day, and I’m so glad I finally got to see the famous Gregory Bald azalea bloom!

Adam Says…

The hike to Gregory Bald has been one we have been considering for years. Some of the balds in the Smoky Mountains have been quite overgrown, since the park service has wanted to return them to their natural state over time. I was preparing myself to be disappointed, but luckily that was not the case. The day we visited was the peak of the blooming azaleas and the skies were so dramatic that it was a photographer’s paradise.

Gregory Bald is named after Russell Gregory, a resident of Cades Cove who died in 1864. Russell lived in a stone house near the summit during the spring and summer, while his cattle grazed on the summit. A Union support, Gregory was killed by a Confederate soldier while protecting his land and cattle. The Cherokee had named this mountain “Tsitsu’yi”, meaning “Rabbit Place” and it was believed that the chief of all rabbits lived on the summit.

Abundance of Color — The azaleas bloom in many colors, but mostly oranges and reds. Below: Campsite at Sheep Pen Gap; Arriving at the bald; Beautiful azaleas.

As Christine mentioned, the drive was a chore. To access Parson Branch road, we had to go through Cades Cove most of the way. Drives to me to Cades Cove are always frustrating to me. Before you even get to the Cades Cove area, people were driving 12mph in an area where you can go much faster. When we arrived in Cades Cove finally, we had more of the same. Nobody would pull over to let us pass on the one-way road. Instead, we had people in front creeping a long at 5mph with doors opened on both sides of their mini-vans to enhance their wildlife/scenery viewing. What felt like 500 hours later, we finally were able to turn off the Cades Cove loop onto Forge Creek Road. Once we turned on to Parson Branch road, the gravel road became extremely steep and filled with potholes and uneven road. While we don’t do a lot of “offroad” driving for hiking, this was one of the roughest stretches of roads I’ve driven. We made it to the top of the hill eventually and found the full lot and line of cars on the side of the road. We parked along the side of the road as best we could, I crawled to the passenger’s side to escape the vehicle, and we made our way to the trailhead.

The hike up to Gregory Bald was a steady uphill, but the trail was in decent shape and not rocky, to allow for easy footing. The trail was mostly shaded by trees all around, so it kept the sun and heat off of us for most of the day. Other than seeing the rattlesnake, it was mostly uneventful – a nice walk through the woods without a lot to see.

Close-Up Gregory Bald Azaleas Below: Orange azaleas; More views of the bald and the mountains beyond.

Around the four-mile mark, we reached the Sheep Pen Gap campsite area on the right. Shortly after the campsite, there is a junction with the Wolf Ridge Trail. Take a left here to stay on the Gregory Bald Trail to reach the summit. This short section of trail was much steeper, but the terrain was still comfortable. After a couple of tenths of a mile, a side trail shot to the right leading to a small clearing with the first of the azalea blooms. We decided to press on to the summit which was just ahead. When we stepped into the scene from the summit, it was breathtaking. The shape of the ridge doesn’t always give you the best views of mountains all around you, but the colors were all around. There was lush green in the grass, reds and oranges around us in every direction from the azaleas, blue skies with large, puffy white clouds in the sky. It reminded me of one of those beautiful yet sadistic jigsaw puzzles you get where you could only group things by a few colors, taking forever to solve. We ate our lunches under this gorgeous spectacle and then spent a long time exploring the summit on all of the interweaving foot trails, searching for all of the different color variations of azaleas.

We made our way back down the way we came. When we got back to the car, we proceeded down the mountain on the one-way road. The road was in a little better shape on this side of the mountain. There were several stream crossings we had to make with our car; we weren’t scared to cross through the shallow water, but it reminded me of what you may see occasionally on SUV commercials. When we got on to the main road, we took a right and found ourselves on the Tail of the Dragon on US-129. This dangerous section of windy roads includes 318 curves over 11 miles. Since it is a popular destination for motorcycles that like to live dangerously, we passed several photographers stationed on the side of the road that take pictures all day of all the cars and motorcycles that pass. They sell the photos online for people to buy. The first couple of ones I thought were ridiculous, but then I put up my “heavy metal” hand gesture and rock-out face to the last photographer. When I got back to the hotel, I looked it up online and laughed -the Subaru Outback is not the epitome of a vehicle living on the wild side.

Tree at the Top — This neat tree provides shade atop the bald. Below: Horse campers at Sheep Pen Gap; The descent; We saw another group of horse campers hiking up.

Trail Notes

Distance – 9.5 miles (includes distance to the bald, and a half mile of walking the network of trails on the bald)
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 2290 ft.
Difficulty – 4. The climbing on this trail is relentless and moderate to strenuous.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail was smooth, uncomplicated dirt.
Views – 5. Gorgeous and made even moreso by the blooming azaleas.
Streams/Waterfalls – 1. There were a couple very low streams that were usable as water sources, but not scenic.
Wildlife – 4.5. We saw a timber rattlesnake and the couple right ahead of us crossed paths with a black bear!
Ease to Navigate – 4. The trail is easy to follow and the one junction is well-marked
Solitude – 2. The trail is one of the park’s most popular.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: Do not attempt to access this trailhead without an AWD vehicle. Parson Branch road is one-way, gravel, and very rough. You will traverse steep inclines, deep potholes, and many small streams in your vehicle. Our Subaru Outback did fine, but I wouldn’t have wanted to attempt the drive with less.

From Gatlinburg, TN, take US-441S into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 1.6 miles, take a right on to Fighting Creek Gap Road. Stay straight until you reach Cades Cove as Fighting Creek Gap Road becomes Little River Gorge Road, Laurel Creek Road, and Cades Cove Loop Road over the next 30 miles. Once you enter Cades Cove and pass the visiting station, stay on the loop road for 5.6 miles. Then turn right on to Forge Creek Road. In 2.1 miles, turn right on to Parson Branch Road (this road is closed November-March). Continue up the one-way Parson Branch road for about 3.5 miles until you reach the small parking lot on the right. The trailhead is across the road. The parking lot only has room for a couple of cars, so you may need to park on the side of the road during weekends or the summer.

Signal Knob

July 12, 2015November 17, 20162 Comments

This 10.2 mile hike in the George Washington National Forest has nice views of Strasburg. It also has rocks – lots and lots of pointy rocks.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Christine on Signal Knob — Christine takes in the view on Signal Knob. Below: Adam checks out the GWNF information board; The stone cottage; Wild rose.

Christine Says…

Picking day hikes is getting challenging for us – we’ve done most of the popular ones in the area. Yet, somehow, Signal Knob had repeatedly escaped our notice. We figured a pleasant Sunday in early June was a perfect day to tackle something new!

We started our day early with a big breakfast in Harrisonburg. Then we stopped for donuts at Holy Moly in Strasburg. We decided to save the donuts for post-hike, but Holy Moly is so popular (especially on the weekend) that we didn’t want to take the risk of them selling out.

Parking at the Signal Knob trailhead is abundant and completely off-road. When we arrived there was a small handful of other cars there. We started out from the trail on the north side of the parking area – look for orange blazes (Massanutten Trail) and a GWNF information board. The trail climbed steadily right away. We passed a really neat stone cottage right along the trail very early in our hike. It was in great condition and still looked in-use. Right after the cottage, we stepped over a small stream and continued uphill. The lower parts of the trail were lined with wild roses and sweetpeas. As we climbed higher, mountain laurel became abundant. The trail was openly exposed to the sun and offered some nice views along the way.

Views Along the Climb to Signal Knob — There were some pretty views through the trees on the climb to Signal Knob. The higher we climbed, the prettier the mountain laurel became. Low elevation laurel had already gone to seed. Below: A neat tree before the Buzzard Rock Overlook; Buzzard Rock Overlook; Fort Valley Overlook.

At 1.5 miles, we reached an opening in the trees which gave a backlit view of Buzzard Rocks on the other side of the valley. I can’t look at Buzzard Rocks without recalling the horrible ankle sprain I suffered there several years ago! We chatted with an older gentleman at the overlook – he warned us that the trail was about to get rocky! He wasn’t kidding! For the next 1.25 miles, the trail was a loose jumble of pointy, shifting rock.

At about 2.5 miles, we passed the marked Fort Valley Overlook. The view was mostly overgrown, but I can imagine it lovely when the trees were smaller! Gradually the rockiness tapered off; and so did the climbing. The trail became a pleasant stroll through the woods. We passed several nice campsites and passed the junction of the Meneka Peak trail at about 3.5 miles. The last .8 of a mile to Signal Knob was ever-so-slightly downhill.

When we reached the WVPT building, we thought the open vista behind the building might be the view. We chatted with a pair of hikers there and asked ‘Is this the only view up here?’ Both of them said ‘Yes… it’s the only view we’ve ever seen and we’ve hiked here lots of times.’ We took them at their word and felt a little underwhelmed by the view – it was obstructed by powerlines and disrupted by a steady buzz from the broadcast tower. Not wanting to doubt them directly, I whispered to Adam ‘This can’t be it… there’s no view of Strasburg and there’s supposed to be one!’ We decided to explore further before hiking down the fireroad. I’m glad we did!

Leaving the WVPT tower, do not follow the fire road downhill. Go past the tower and look for a trail than runs parallel to the ridge. If you follow it a short distance, you’ll come to a marked overlook – Signal Knob. We spent some time at the knob relaxing and enjoying a bit of breeze. Signal Knob is a nice overlook, but not a spectacular one. It’s a bit closed in and overgrown. And, if I’m being 100% honest, looking down into Strasburg with its housing developments, water towers, and roads just isn’t as breathtaking as looking out into raw wilderness. I did also enjoy our ‘company’ at the summit – for whatever reason, Signal Knob was hopping with toads. We saw dozens of them! I’ve never seen so many together!

The Signal Knob Trail is Very Rocky — The trail up Signal Knob is extremely rocky. Below: Once you reach the ridge it’s a bit less rocky; WVPT broadcast; A view behind the tower.

After enjoying the view, we followed the trail slightly downhill past the overlook. A trail marker directed us toward the Tuscarora Trail. We soon merged onto the fire road we had seen near the broadcast tower. We followed it downhill for almost a mile before reaching another trail junction.

The turn onto the Tuscarora trail is marked with another national forest information board. There is also a nice bench at the junction – probably an Eagle Scout project! Turning onto the Tuscarora Trail, you’ll immediately cross Little Passage Creek. It was a very easy rock hop. From there the trail climbs uphill for a little less than a mile. This section was a bit steeper than what was required to reach Signal Knob, but still squarely moderate.

Along the ridge, we passed the other side of the Meneka Peak trail. Looking at how these trails interconnect is interesting and definitely opens up some longer loop options. At about 6.4 miles, the trail passed through a small grassy area and began to descend steadily. There really wasn’t anything remarkable about the rest of the hike. It was just a walk through the woods. We saw a big bird’s nest of some sort. We saw tons of ripening blueberries. We passed some boy scouts on a weekend backpacking trip. We passed the pink blazed Sidewinder trail at 8.1 miles. We crossed a stream. At around 9.5 miles we passed a spur trail to Elizabeth Furnace. At this point the blazes went back to orange.

We found this part of the hike a bit confusing. Our maps and GPS disagreed on distances for waypoints late in the hike. There was also a lot of trail construction and rerouting going on. New paths were cut into the woods all over the place. Fortunately they all went in the same general direction. We tried to follow the most established paths. A little over a half mile past our last trail marker, we spotted a parking lot through the trees. Adam thought it was a different one from where we started, but our MapMyHike app indicated we made a full loop and we popped out on the south side of the lot where we had started our hike several hours earlier.

The day had become hot, humid, and overcast, so we were glad to be back at the car! We shared just one of the donuts (Peach Bellini!) so we could save room for a big lunch at Spelunker’s in Front Royal. On the way to lunch, we talked about the hike a bit. We both agreed that it wasn’t one of our favorites. I think it’s popular because of its vicinity to northern Virginia, but of the knobs in the Massanutten/Fort Valley area – I like Strickler and Duncan quite a bit more!

Adam Says…

We have had many people recommend Strickler Knob to us over the years. Knowing of its popularity, we thought it would be a good idea to get an early start. When we arrived, there were not many cars there, but from the size of the parking lot we knew it was a matter of time.

We started out on the north (right) side of the parking lot. The orange-blazed Massanutten trail started off our loop hike. The trail starts uphill and soon passes a large stone cabin on the left, while you can see a stream below to the right. You cross over the stream and then loop back in a northerly direction. At 1.5 miles, we reached Buzzard Rocks overlook. We talked there to an older man who was out for some morning exercise. He warned us of about a mile of pointy rocks ahead. Since he was hiking solo, he told us he doesn’t want to risk hurting himself and just goes to this overlook and back.

The trail takes a sharp left turn and then within a few minutes, we found the rocky area we had been warned about. Wear comfortable shoes, as the rocks were pointy and you always had to look at your feet to navigate through safe footing.

The View from Signal Knob — You can see the town of Strasburg from Signal Knob. We weren’t terribly impressed with the view. Below: Toads everywhere; The fire road; The information board at the junction with the Tuscarora Trail; A glimpse of a view.

At 2.4 miles, we arrived at the sign for the Fort Valley overlook. The trees and leaves have this very obstructed now, but you can get a glimpse of the valley below. At 3.4 miles, we arrived at the junction with the white-blazed Maneka Peak trail, but continue on the orange-blazed Massanutten Trail. The trail leveled out at this point, giving us a nice forest walk until we reached the broadcast tower at 4.3 miles. We walked behind the building on a small path and saw nice views on the backside of the tower. We were feeling disappointed when the two girls had said this was the view. My idea of views doesn’t include power lines cutting through the landscape. There were lots of bugs flying around us, so we didn’t stay here long.

We pushed on from the tower and saw that there was a huge fire road leading down, but the trail blazes seemed to continue forward back into the woods. We decided to take this route and then within a short distance came to the real view. We both felt bad that these girls, who had been up here several times, had always missed the real view up here. The view here did give us nice views of Strasburg below. I noticed that one of the rocks had a plaque below it that was put in here for a couple that loved coming up here.

Walking the Tuscarora Trail — Adam walks along the Tuscarora Trail. Below: Stream crossing near the end of the hike; Pretty butterfly; Holy Moly!

The trail then loops back and does join the fire road very shortly. We walked down the steep fire road and came upon another hiker who had just hiked up the fire road to the summit. The fire road was a fairly steep descent and had nice wildflowers along both sides. At 5.5 miles, we came across a bench and a junction with the blue-blazed Tuscarora trail. We took this trail to start our return trip. The Tuscarora Trail was more overgrown and the climb up Meneka Peak was the steepest climb on this hike. We were finally finished with the uphill at 6.4 miles and then the trail descends on the other side of the ridgeline just as steeply.

The trail descends for a good distance. At 8.1 miles, we passed by the pink-blazed Sidewinder trail and the trail leveled out a little more. We continued on and the trail became orange-blazed again at 9.5 miles. We followed the orange-blazed trail through the tricky section mentioned above and then arrived back at a lower section of the parking lot at 10.2 miles.

Overall, I was underwhelmed on this hike. The views were nice, but I have seen a lot better view hikes. I can imagine that in a few years, the trees and bushes may obstruct the main view even further.

Because of the inner-connectivity of all the trails in this area, there are many options for backpacking loops through this trail system. The loop that we chose didn’t have a lot to offer after the summit. If I was doing this again, I would likely do just an out-and-back hike to the summit, making this an 8.6 hike.

Trail Notes

Distance – 10.2 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 2159 ft.
Difficulty – 3. The climbing on this trail is all easy to moderate, but the distance and loose/rocky footing increase the difficulty rating.
Trail Conditions – 2.5. The trail is rocky and shifty – especially the middle part.
Views – 3. There are descent views from Signal Knob and the WVPT broadcast facility. While other reviews give the vistas on this hike top marks, we thought they were just OK. The WVPT view had powerlines and the Signal Knob view is starting to get a bit overgrown and looks out toward an suburban area.
Streams/Waterfalls – 2. There were a couple small streams that could be used as water sources. We believe they dry out pretty quickly based on the fact that they were already on the low side after a week of rainy days.
Wildlife – 3. We saw lots of cute toads hopping around, and supposedly this is a good place for a potential bear sighting.
Ease to Navigate – 2.5. The blazing in this area is very thorough, but trail junctions are inconsistently marked. As of June 2015, it appears the forest service is working on a reroute of the last .5-.75 miles of the hike. There are lots of unmarked trails that criss-cross the established, blazed trail.
Solitude – 3. We saw a good number of couples and solo hikers out for a day hike. We also saw a group of college students and a boy scout troop out backpacking.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From I-66, take exit 6 for US-340/US-522 for Front Royal/Winchester. Turn on to US-340S/US-522S/Winchester Road. Go 1.2 miles and take a right on to VA-55W/W Strasburg Road. Go 5.1 miles and take a left on to State Route 678/Fort Valley Road. Go 3.4 miles until you reach the large parking lot on the right. Park here. The trail starts on the right side of the lot. You will see the wooden information board that will mark the beginning of your hike. Parking coordinates: 38.93503, -78.31956

Appalachian Trail – Jennings Creek to the James River

June 27, 2015July 1, 20158 Comments

This 28.6 mile Appalachian Trail section is one of the toughest northbound sections in Virginia – you climb, and then you climb some more. The first nine miles are essentially ‘green tunnel’. The middle section has several great views. And, the last part is an easy downhill coast to the James River. We did this section over two nights – Adam will cover days one and three, and Christine will do day two.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

The Appalachian Trail is sometimes called ‘The Green Tunnel’. Our first day of hiking was a good example of that nickname. Below: Bryant Ridge Shelter is one of the nicest along the AT in Virginia; Adam reads the shelter log; The closest we came to a view on day one.

Day One (8.7 miles)…

We started off our day by driving to the James River footbridge parking lot. I had arranged a shuttle to pick us up at 10 a.m. and then drop us off at our starting point at Jennings Creek. We enjoyed some breakfast at Cracker Barrel, but still arrived at the parking lot around 9:30 that morning. There were a few people in the parking lot that were getting ready to start hikes or taking breaks. One guy was hiking southbound to Roanoke and said he was looking for a ride to Glasgow so he could buy batteries to charge his phone. I found some extra batteries for my GPS, so I handed them over to him and told him I hoped it got him a little closer to Roanoke.

As 10 a.m. came and went, I got a little nervous that our ride might not show. I had some hope when a car pulled in to let off some thru-hikers, but it turned out not to be our ride. by 10:20 a.m., I thought we needed to see if we could figure out what was going on. There is absolutely no phone signal at the footbridge, so Christine waited in the lot while I drove until I could get a signal to make the call for the shuttle driver. I ended up having to drive for several miles before I got one bar and ended up having to leave a message. I turned around to get back to the parking lot and when I arrived, there was the shuttle driver with Christine. Whew! We loaded up our stuff and got on the road. Turns out, he had written down 10:30 for the trip. We were just glad we didn’t have to hitchhike or beg someone else to take us.

Our shuttle driver, Ken, was retired and spends most of his time during the spring, summer, and early fall taking care of AT hikers. He helps shuttle people where they need to go and picks up packages for AT thru-hikers to deliver to them. After talking with on the ride to our start point, we could tell that he is one of those true Trail Angels that just makes hiking the AT a bit easier for everyone.

Camping at Cornelius Creek Shelter — We arrived to Cornelius Creek Shelter around 4:00 p.m. — before the crowds started rolling in. We got a very nice site behind the shelter. Below: Adam collected water from Cornelius Creek; Little Debbie Peanut Butter Creme Pies are a great dessert. They don’t get crushed. They’re soft and chewy. And they pack in 410 calories; Enjoying downtime at camp.

It was probably about 11:15 when we finally started our hike. The Jennings Creek area had lots of parking and it was a nice place to pick up the trail. We headed northbound on the white-blazed AT, which started with a steep climb from the road. After 1.6 miles, we had climbed 1000 feet and reached the top of Fork Mountain. The trail then descends about 800 feet and we reached another stream past a powerline at 2.8 miles. The trail continues along the stream for a while, giving you a great water source if you need it. At 3.8 miles, we reached the Bryant Ridge shelter, which was a great spot to eat lunch. We joined a couple of thru-hikers (one from Germany) at the shelter, who were eating a quick snack and filling up water from the stream. The Bryant Ridge shelter was one of the nicer shelters and even had a high loft and a window that let in some nice sunlight.

After fueling up here, we had a big climb ahead of us. From the shelter, the trail climbs up and up. At 6.9 miles, we had climbed about 2000 feet from the shelter and reached a sign noting a small sidetrail on the left to a campsite. We continued our climb and at 8.1 miles, reached the top of Floyd Mountain. The trail from here began to descend and we reached the sign that pointed to Cornelius Creek Shelter at 8.7 miles. This day there was nothing exceptional to see on the trail, but we were at least glad to be settling in at camp.

When we arrived at the shelter, we noticed the thru-hikers we had seen at the Bryant Ridge shelter were setting up in the shelter. The trail behind the shelter that led to the privy had lots of campsites, but some of those were already taken. It was only 4 p.m., but we felt we needed to stake our claim quickly so we set up camp in one of the remaining spots behind the shelter. Within minutes, we already had others setting up other tents nearby. We knew this was going to be a crowded night. After we set up our tents, I went to go get water by the stream near the shelter. There was a pileated woodpecker climbing up a tree just a few feet away from me. I enjoyed having this moment with this often-skittish bird. The woodpecker eventually flew off and I was joined by someone also filling water. It turned out he was a JMU student who worked at our rec center and we had some mutual acquaintances.

When we got back to our campsite, we began to make dinner, read books, and started a small campfire. Right around dusk, a large group of boy scouts arrived and there wasn’t much room. The only place left around was right near us; we were worried how they would keep us up but they were very respectful and kept it relatively quiet. As we overheard them talk, we heard they had a rough day. They had driven up and got lost somewhere on the trail and while they had parked just half a mile away from the road, they had walked for miles trying to find this shelter. They had rushed to set up camp and start to cook their dinner in the dark. One scout named Max was hungry when they arrived and asked what they had for appetizers. We got a laugh when we heard the scout leader tell him he could have a handful of unsalted nuts. I guess Max learned that the backcountry isn’t Applebee’s. After the fire faded, we crawled into our tent and drifted off to sleep.

Day Two (12.2 miles)…

Sunlight started filtering into our tent a little before 6:00 a.m. I unzipped my sleeping bag, stretched my legs, and changed from my camp clothes back into my hiking clothes. While Adam worked on packing up the tent and our sleeping gear, I made breakfast. Typically, we eat oatmeal, a honeybun, and some cheese. The goal for breakfast is always to eat lots of calories so we can hike for a while before needing a snack. On this trip, we swapped out the oatmeal for granola with Nido. Nido is a full-fat, enriched powdered milk found in most grocery stores’ Latino section. The Nido was fantastic – creamy, rich, and delicious with our maple-pecan granola.

After breakfast we were all geared up – backpacks on and ready to hike out – when suddenly I felt water running down the backs of my legs. Crap! At first I thought I had squished my Camelbak hose open, but it turned out to be a bit more serious. Even though the ‘locked’ arrows on my Camelbak lid were properly aligned, I guess the threads were still uneven. As soon as the gear inside my pack pressed against the reservoir, water started leaking out. All in all, a little over a liter of water gushed out into the bottom of my pack.

Adam took my Camelbak and the filter back down to the spring and refilled it while I worked on drying the spilled water. My pillow, sleeping pad, and sheet were all pretty wet, but I was most concerned about my sleeping bag. It was in a water-resistant compression sack. It felt wet on the outside, but I didn’t want to take the time to unpack it to check the inside. I guess my fate would be determined at camp that night! Within 10 minutes of the spill we were back on the trail.

View from Black Rock Overlook — Our first view came relatively early on Day 2. Black Rock Overlook was very nice. Below: Walking through tunnels of flowering rhododendron was very pleasant; Spiderwort along the trail; Adam approaches the summit of Apple Orchard Mountain.

I was pretty grouchy about all the wet gear, so I walked quietly behind Adam ruminating on the impending case of hypothermia I would probably get from sleeping in wet down. After a mile, we reached our first view of the day – a gorgeous vista from Black Rock Overlook. The view is located on a spur trail a couple hundred feet off the AT. After enjoying the mountainous view and taking a few photos, we headed down the trail. The going was pretty gentle for a while. We passed junctions with the Cornelius Creek and Apple Orchard Falls trails. We hiked to the falls and along Cornelius Creek earlier in the spring. It’s a great dayhike in this area.

After passing the junction with the Apple Orchard Fall Trail, we soon reached a gravel road at Parkers Gap. A flight of wooden stairs led uphill from the road. At the top of the stairs, we found two coolers of ‘trail magic’ for thru-hikers. One cooler had ice and bottled water and the other had a variety of snacks – fruit, cookies, and candy. We left the treats behind and began the tough 1.5 mile climb to the summit of Apple Orchard Mountain. On the open, grassy summit of Apple Orchard, we enjoyed more excellent views and a snack. We were even joined by a small garter snake trying to warm in the sun. The FAA radar dome sitting atop the summit is huge and plastered with NO TRESPASSING signs.

Summit of Apple Orchard Mountain — It felt good to take our packs off and enjoy the summit of Apple Orchard Mountain. Below: There are views from both sides of Apple Orchard; A snake in the grass; The FAA Radome atop Apple Orchard.

About a third of a mile north of Apple Orchard, we passed under The Guillotine – a round boulder perfectly balanced and wedged between two rock faces. Pretty neat! The trail went through a short and steep rocky section before reaching a pretty, sunny meadow. About a mile after the meadow, we popped out on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We crossed the road and picked up white blazes again. We enjoyed pleasant, easy trail for another third of a mile to the Thunder Hill Shelter. We stopped in to rest and check out the shelter log. After leaving the shelter, the trail continued gently along. It was one of the prettiest parts of our hike – so many wildflowers! My favorite bloom to spot was a large patch of yellow lady’s slippers covering a hillside. They’re not as common as the pink ones, so it was a real treat to see so many at once. About 1.5 miles past the shelter, we reached the Thunder Ridge Overlook and decided it was a great spot to stop for lunch. Nearly 7 miles of hiking had burned off my breakfast and I was ravenous.

Adam Goes Under the Guillotine — Shortly after descending Apple Orchard Mountain, Adam passed under the Guillotine – an interesting rock formation along the trail. Below: The descent from Apple Orchard was a bit rocky; A pretty meadow after the Guillotine; Thunder Hill shelter.

The viewpoint had a constructed stone platform and a superb view! Across the valley, we could even see the huge talus slope of the Devils Marbleyard – another popular dayhike in the area. We got out our Alite chairs and food bags and settled in for a nice long break. I had cashews, dried pineapple, a big handful of Sour Patch kids, and an asiago cheese bagel filled with cheddar cheese slices. I felt so re-energized after I ate! By this time, I had ceased thinking about wet gear and hypothermia and was just really enjoying my day. While we were eating lunch, clouds moved in and a breeze picked up. We ended up moving on sooner than planned because I actually got sort of chilled. Before we hiked on, we made a quick detour up to the parkway so we could throw all our garbage away in a real trashcan instead of continuing to carry it with us. When you’re backpacking, always take advantage of trash cans!

View from Thunder Ridge — You can see Devils Marbleyard from the Thunder Ridge viewing platform. Below: The trail had a large patch of yellow lady’s slippers; The platform at Thunder Ridge gave us a nice place to eat lunch and take in the view; After Thunder Ridge, we had a long descent through green woods into Pettites Gap.

The next 3.3 miles covered a huge descent with only a few tiny bumps of climbing. It was fast going and we reached Pettites Gap around 2:00 p.m. We knew we had one short but difficult climb ahead of us before reaching camp, so we took our packs off, leaned back against a huge old tree, and ate another snack. We knew the last climb would feel pretty brutal – and it did not fall short of that expectation!

High Cock Knob was beautiful – covered with blooming rhododendron and mountain laurel. But it was extremely steep and rocky. It also had a false summit! We got to the top of a tough climb and started descending and thought ‘Yay… we’re done!!!’, only to have an even steeper ascent staring us in the face a few hundred yards later.

The climb down High Cock was equally steep – covered with loose, treacherous rocks. Several southbound hikers passed us coming the opposite direction. All of them asked ‘How much more climbing!?’ On the way down, Adam had an awful allergy attack. His throat almost closed and he had a difficult time catching his breath. It was pretty scary and he says he really doesn’t remember the last half mile of hiking. Fortunately, it mostly passed and his breathing eased.

View from High Cock Knob — There was one obstructed view from High Cock Knob — our toughest climb of the day. Below: Entering the James River Face Wilderness; The Appalachian Trail leaving north from Pettites Gap; The trail over High Cock passed through dense rhododendron and mountain laurel.

Arriving at Marble Spring was like reaching an oasis in a desert! The large grassy campsite had a huge fire pit with log seats, a spring-fed water source, and plenty of room for multiple tents. We chose a secluded tent site uphill from the fire pit. I hung my sleeping bag on a branch to dry – it was a bit damp around the feet. Everything else dried out over the course of the day in my pack. Hooray – hypothermia was no longer an issue. We collected water. I napped in the tent while Adam read a book outside. Being at camp is the best! Around 6:00, I came out of the tent, ready to eat – again! Dinner was lasagna with extra cheese and mocha pudding for dessert.

When we first got to camp, we were alone. But, over the course of the afternoon, a group of four West Point grads out for the weekend and two thru-hikers arrived. Compared to the dozens of people camped the night before at Cornelius Creek, sharing a large campsite with six people felt really quiet and solitary. One of thru-hikers climbed into his tent long before sundown and never came back out. Everyone else (us, a thru-hiker named ‘Captain K’, and the four West Pointers) shared a campfire and conversation. It was interesting to hear everyone’s assessment of the trail that day. It was universally agreed that High Cock Knob was a tough way to end the day! While we sat around the fire, a whitetail deer circled us like a vulture for over an hour. Weird – maybe she wanted to the grassy area to graze? Eventually, the sun slipped behind the mountains, we ran out of firewood, and everyone headed off to their tents for the night. It was a long, hard day of hiking, but it had been full of beautiful views, colorful wildflowers, and blooming trees. One more day to go!

Marble Spring Campsite was spacious and grassy with a nicely flowing spring. Below: Our comfortable campsite; A peek into our backcountry kitchen.

Day Three (7.7 miles)…

We were woken up a little earlier than normal by the sound of a fox screaming and then an incessant whippoorwill that sang for about an hour straight at the first glimpse of sunlight. We started off our third day with an earlier start than the previous day (also thanks to no leaking water bladders) and made our way from the Marble Spring campsite heading north again on the Appalachian Trail. Captain K also was getting ready for his day of hiking and was hoping to get to town to get his resupply package. We told him we would give him a ride to town if he was still at the parking lot.

Mountain Laurel — On our third day, we enjoyed abundant blooming mountain laurel along the trail. Below: Mountain laurel; Catawba rhododendron; You can see the radome atop Apple Orchard mountain in the distance.

Day two had been a tough, long day on the trail, so I was wondering if I had enough energy for the third day. I was surprised to find that Day three was much easier. A lot of that was because it was mostly downhill, but my muscles felt surprisingly ready to tackle the day. Our moods were also boosted by how pretty the trail was. While yesterday was a day filled with tons of rhododendron, today seemed to want to match it equally with mountain laurel along the trail.

The trail started off with a flat section. At .5 miles, we reached a junction with the south side of the Sulphur Spring Trail. At 2.3 miles, we reached the junction with the Gunter Ridge Trail and at 2.8 miles, we reached the junction with the north side of the Sulphur Spring Trail (the Gunter Ridge trail is part of the Devils Marbleyard loop). The trail begins to descend more steeply at this point and we reached Big Cove Branch at 3.6 miles. The trail continues to descend until you reach Matts Creek Shelter at 5.5 miles.

First View of the James — We started to see views of the James River through the trees. Below: Stream crossing; Nice views from the trail on day 3; Adam arriving at Matts Creek Shelter; Walking along Matts Creek; Cliffsides along the river; View of the footbridge from a distance.

The Matts Creek Shelter was fairly run down and from reading the entries in the trail log, the privy was scary as well. We ate a quick snack here, but quickly moved on. At 6.3 miles, the trail ran parallel to the James River, at time providing glimpses of this impressive river. We started to see people kayaking in the river, people going out for a quick stroll on the AT, and a couple of trail runners. We knew we were getting close to the end of our trip. At 7.5 miles, we reached the James River footbridge. At the footbridge was a family that had backpacked with a couple of kids. One of the kids (about 11 in my approximation) had asked us how far we went and we told him. He was impressed, since he had backpacked from Petites Gap (about a 10 mile trip). I told him that I thought he could do it one day, since he still had a smile on his face after backpacking 10 miles. I told Christine I think we just witnessed a kid that just found his love for backpacking. We crossed the James River footbridge and made our way back to the car.

Crossing the James River Foot Bridge — We crossed the Foot Footbridge at the end of our hike. Below: Scarlet Flycatch wildflowers; Footbridge from different angles.

When we got to the parking lot, Captain K was there. He said he had arranged someone to pick him up, so he was going to wait there for his ride. Before we had left, we had filled up a cooler with ice, put in a few drinks, and hoped they would be a cool reward for when we were done. I offered him a cold soda, which he gladly took. The day was already getting quite warm, but we were able to escape into our air-conditioned car. We drove to Lexington to eat lunch at Macado’s and then had a few beer samples at Devil’s Backbone to celebrate.

I’m so proud of how far we have come since Backpacking 101. We feel like we now have the confidence and ability to do multi-day trips with heavy packs. Every backpacking trip we go on, there are new challenges, new things to learn, and adventure just around the corner.

Trail Notes

Distance – 28.6 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike* [Day One] [Day Two][Day Three])
Elevation Change – 8100 ft. (Several official sources calculated this elevation total, my less reliable hiking phone app put it closer to 6,000.)
Difficulty – 5. We are not going to sugar coat it – this was a very tough section with lots of climbing.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail was dry and not too rocky. Stream crossings were small, shallow, and easy.
Views – 4. Views from Black Rock Overlook, Apple Orchard Mountain, and Thunder Ridge were all excellent but none were true 360 degree views. We also enjoyed some nice views through the trees on the descent to the James River.
Streams/Waterfalls – 3. Matts Creek was lovely. And, of course you have to say something about the James River!
Wildlife – 4. We saw deer, snakes, and had a whippoorwill and a screaming fox at night two’s camp.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Follow the white blazes and you practically can’t get lost. The only thing slightly tricky was the big hairpin turn at Marble Spring.
Solitude – 2. We chose to hike this section on Memorial Day weekend… with perfect weather… during the thru-hiker bubble. While we didn’t see crowds on the trail, camping spots were very crowded.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: To drop off first car: From I-81, take exit 188A to merge on to US-60E towards Buena Vista. Go 3.9 miles and then take a right on to US-501S at the Hardee’s. Follow 501S for 14.9 miles until you reach the parking lot on the right for the Appalachian Trial crossing. To get to starting point for this section: Take a left out of the parking lot and go 5.6 miles on US-501N. Take a left on to VA-130W and go 6.2 miles. VA-130 ends here. Take a left to go on to US-11/Lee Highway heading south and then take the exit for I-81S. Go 1.7 miles and take a right across from the Exxon to stay on US-11S. Go .4 miles and then merge on to I-81S. Go 7 miles and take exit 168 to merge on to VA-614 toward Arcadia. Turn left on to VA-614/Arcadia Rd. Follow this as it becomes Jennings Creek Road. At 4.7 miles, you will reach the parking area and where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road. Head north to start your hike.

Appalachian Trail – Punchbowl Mountain to the James River

June 12, 2015June 20, 201510 Comments

This 11-mile Appalachian Trail stretch had spectacular views of the valley and the James River!

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

View From Bluff Mountain — Adam takes in the view from Bluff Mountain. Below: The pond at Punchbowl Mountain Shelter; The shelter itself has seen better days; The Ottie Cline Memorial – put it place for a child lost in the mountains in the late 1800s.

Christine Says…

When Adam and I first started hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail, we focused on the trail through Shenandoah National Park. The park is close to our home, making it easy for us to bring two cars for a shuttle. We did short sections – most of our day hikes ranged from 6 to 8 miles. We did a couple sections as overnights, covering 10-12 miles total over two days. When we first started, those hikes really challenged me – but they also made me want more!

We’re now traveling further from home to complete sections, so we push to complete bigger miles to make the travel time more worthwhile. We’ve also found friends and businesses to help us shuttle along the way.

We met Lynchburg friends, Dennis and Tina to do this AT section from Punchbowl Mountain down to the James River. We’d never met them in person, but we’d chatted online about hiking and the Appalachian Trail for almost a year. We were really thankful for their good company on this hike!

We met early Saturday morning at the Foot Footbridge across the James River. ‘Foot Footbridge’ isn’t a typo. The bridge is named after hiking enthusiast, Bill Foot, who worked tirelessly (while also fighting cancer) to see that the bridge was built. It’s a beautiful and impressive bridge across the James River, and there is nothing else like it along the Appalachian Trail.

After Adam and I got acquainted with Dennis and Tina in the parking lot, we hopped in our car and made our way along the Blue Ridge Parkway to our start point – the Punchbowl Mountain Overlook. We left off here last fall after completing a 17 mile section from Hog Camp Gap.

The morning began with our only significant climb of the day- about 1400 feet over two miles to the summit of Bluff Mountain. About half a mile into our ascent, we detoured to visit the Punch Bowl Shelter. The shelter is a little bit run down and sits next to a murky, muddy, mosquito-haven of a pond. The shelters to the north and south of Punch Bowl (Brown Mountain Creek and Johns Hollow) are both much nicer places to stay the night.

Dwarf Irises — The wildflower display was in full force when we hiked this section of trail. We saw dwarf irises, pink lady’s slippers; native pinxter azaleas, wild geraniums, rhododendron, mountain laurel; wild bleeding hearts; scarlet flycatch (in the full album), and spiderwort (in the full album). It was gorgeous!

After our short stop, we continued our climb to the spectacular open top of Bluff Mountain. We were swarmed by no-see-ums and gnats, but we still enjoyed the (almost) 360 views and watching the morning fog burn off the valley. The remains of a fire tower foundation still sit on the summit. Immediately upon leaving the summit, we stopped at the Ottie Cline Powell memorial. The marker tells the sad tale of a little 4-year old boy lost in the mountains in 1891.

From there, we had four miles of gentle downhill or practically flat ridge walking. It was delightful! Wildflowers were blooming like crazy! The woods smelled fresh, green, and earthy. Even though it was a warm, humid day, the cool mountain breezes made for perfect hiking weather. Along the ridge, we passed junctions with a couple trails – Saltlog Gap and Saddle Gap. I’ve heard these trails are pretty overgrown and don’t know much about them. From there, we enjoyed several great views along the ridge. The views far exceeded my expectations for hike, and I really enjoyed the bird’s eye view of the James River. About 7 miles into the hike, we passed the junction with the Little Rocky Row trail, and reached Fuller Rocks – another lovely view point.

After that view, we descended the mountain along 21 switchbacks. At first the descent was pretty steep, but eventually it moderated and entered a stand of enormous old trees. Dennis even took the time to hug a couple of them.

At 9.2 miles, we took the short side trail to visit Johns Hollow Shelter. The camp is located in a peaceful, open spot in the woods. The shelter is typical, but the tent area behind the shelter is especially nice. There was lots of flat, grassy space to pitch

Hiking Along the Appalachian Trail — Walking along the trail lined with yellow flowers. Below: Everything was turning brilliant spring green, Views from the ridge; Descending toward the James River.

After leaving Johns Hollow, we hiked about another half mile in the woods before crossing a gravel forest road. After the road, we quickly reached Rocky Row Run – a beautiful mountain stream that eventually feeds into the James.

The stream was very scenic and we all enjoyed the sound of the flowing water. There were lots of blooming wildflowers and rhododendron along the creek. We crossed a couple small wooden bridges along the way, before popping out on the side of Route 501. From there, we crossed the highway and returned back to the Foot Bridge and parking area at 10.6 miles (11 if you include mileage from shelter visits).

We all decided to walk across the bridge to check out views of the James! It was a beautiful view – especially looking back to all the distant rocky outcroppings we had stood upon earlier in the day. Standing on the bridge, my mind drifted to the next section south – wondering what it would be like and what challenges and gifts would lie ahead on the trail.

Dennis and Tina – thanks for hiking with us! Can’t wait to meet up again.

Adam Says…

This section of the Appalachian Trail was one we had contemplated doing for a while. We have covered now a section of contiguous miles that includes from this point up to Front Royal. It is easier to say, “We have walked from Front Royal to the James River” than to say “We have walked from Front Royal to a place off the Blue Ridge Parkway north of the James River”.

As Christine mentioned, when traveling further away from home the next concern is wondering if we need to bring two cars or figuring out if we can get someone to help us shuttle. It can be hard to find some friends that want to go trekking in the woods for over 10 miles. So, we were very glad to meet Dennis and Tina. They have done this section a number of times before but were willing to do it again with us.

This section was a surprise to us. We hadn’t seen enough nice pictures from these overlooks to know if it would be worthwhile to check. But, we hiked on a very clear day that made the scenery gorgeous.

View of the James River — A nice view of the James River looking in the direction of Apple Orchard Mountain. Below: Dennis points out landmarks from above; This fallen was perfectly balanced across several other standing trees. It looked like the mast of a ship; Tree hugger!

After meeting up, we drove to our starting point on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We met a few guys in the parking lot that were doing a multi-day backpack as well. We crossed the parkway and headed up the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, heading southbound. The beginning of the trail started a steep ascent. It was already a warm, muggy day, so with the extra work of going uphill I got sweaty very early in the hike. In .4 miles, we reached the side trail to the Punchbowl Shelter. The side trail was mostly downhill to the shelter. When we arrived, there was nobody staying there. The shelter is in a nice shady spot, but we could tell the insects were swarming near the pond. We checked out the trail log in the shelter and then made our way back up to the Appalachian Trail.

The trail continues to be mostly a steep climb until you reach the top of Bluff Mountain at 2.0 miles. There were great views to the west from the trail. The bugs were relentless (at least to me) from this open area, so while I would have liked to stay up there longer, I wanted to quickly get back into the woods and away from the bugs. We saw a brilliant indigo bunting flying around the treetops from the overlook. As soon as you get out of the clearing and back into the woods, you see the memorial for Ottie Cline Powell on the ground to the left.

Lovely Rocky Row Run ran along the last mile of the trail. Below: Johns Hollow shelter has a large, grassy field suitable for pitching multiple tents; An interesting cliff face along the trail.

The trail then begins a steep, downward descent. At 3.5 miles, you reach a junction with the Saltlog Gap Trail, but stay on the AT. The trail mostly levels out as you walk along a ridge for a while. At 4.6 miles, you reach a junction with the Saddle Gap Trail. Staying on the AT, the trail begins to climb a more gradual ascent until you reach Big Rocky Row at 6.1 miles. The views from this area were my favorite, as you got to see the James River below snaking through the landscape of mountains.

From here, the trail descends and you reach Little Rocky Row at 7.3 miles, also giving you nice views along the way as you walk down the ridge line. The rest of the hike is basically all downhill from this point until you reach the James River. At 9.2 miles, we reached the a short side trail that took a very sharp turn to Johns Hollow Shelter. We checked out this shelter and came across another two section hikers that were enjoying a week along the AT. There was a nearby stream for replenishing water and a privy. After eating a quick snack, we returned to join the AT again.

The trail again was mostly flat or downhill. We crossed the stream at 9.4 miles and then crossed the gravel VA 812 road to continue on the AT. As we were walking along, Dennis started talking about black snakes and within minutes we saw one directly on the trail as if he had summoned it. The forest through this section had many larger trees along the way and then opened up to beautiful rhododendron plants that were aligning the stream on both sides. It was such a serene setting. At 10.3 miles, we reached the Lower Rocky Row Run bridge. We crossed the run and then at 10.6 miles we were back at US 501. We crossed the road which had the trail lead us right to the parking lot where we started.

We already plan to get back together sometime with Dennis and Tina for a backpack trip sometime in the near future. It is always great to find like-minded people to experience the outdoors together!

The Mighty James — Our hike concluded on the northern side of the James River. Below: Kayakers on the river; The Appalachian Trail crosses the James on a long footbridge.

Trail Notes

Distance – 11 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 2062 ft.
Difficulty – 3.5. 11 miles is a little on the long side, but after climbing to the summit of Bluff Mountain early in the hike, the rest of the terrain is easy to moderate.
Trail Conditions – 4. Consistently well-maintained trail. Some parts of the trail are narrow along a steep hillside, but still easily passable.
Views – 5. Super views from Bluff Mountain, nice views along the ridge, and then amazing views of the James River.
Streams/Waterfalls – 3.5. The final stretch of this hike follows pretty Rocky Row Run, and of course – you end at the James!
Wildlife – 1. We saw a black snake.
Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just keep following those white blazes south. The trail is easy to follow and well-marked.
Solitude – 3. We saw a fair number of hikers along the way, including quite a few northbound thru-hikers, but you never feel like the trail is crowded.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: To drop off first car: From I-81, take exit 188A to merge on to US-60E towards Buena Vista. Go 3.9 miles and then take a right on to US-501S at the Hardee’s. Follow 501S for 14.9 miles until you reach the parking lot on the right for the Appalachian Trial crossing. To get to your start point: Leaving the parking lot, turn right on to US-501S. Go .8 miles and continue straight to take VA-130 E. Go 2.8 miles and then turn left on to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Turn right on to the Blue Ridge Parkway and go 9.8 miles until you reach the small parking lot for Punchbowl Mountain where the Appalachian Trail crosses the parkway. Cross the road and you will see the Appalachian Trail marker which has the trail leading uphill.

Appalachian Trail – Harpers Ferry to Bears Den Rocks

June 6, 2015June 13, 201810 Comments

This 20.5 mile Appalachian Trail section had some views and a ton of pleasant ridge walking! We joined up with our friend, Kris, and tackled it on an unseasonably hot spring weekend. Adam will cover day one and Christine will take over with day two!

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Potomac River in Harpers Ferry — We crossed the Potomac River at the beginning of our hike out of Harpers Ferry. Below: When we parked at Bears Den, we got to play with this adorable puppy while waiting for our shuttle driver; We had our official ATC section hiker photo made; It was Flip-Flop Kick Off when we visited; The ATC had vendors and information tents set up; Someone brought a hawk; Finally getting our hike underway!

Day One (12.3 miles)…

This section of the Appalachian Trail had us doing something we had not done before – arranging a shuttle. We have covered most of the AT within an hour or two of where we live using our own two cars to shuttle. But as we hike further from home, self-shuttling has become inconvenient and costly. If you are thinking of covering any sections of the AT, I would strongly recommend picking up the latest version of The A.T. Guide by David “AWOL” Miller (often referred as the AWOL Guide). It’s a must-have for planning purposes. Included in the book are elevation profiles, things to see along the trail, road junctions, as well as information on nearby towns, where to find the post office, grocery stores for resupplies, laundromats, hostels, and shuttle providers. This book is updated yearly, so the information provided is very current and helpful. Many thru-hikers carry these books along and they will often rip out pages of the AT once they have covered them, hopefully finishing the trek with nothing more than the binding. I will admit that it felt a little odd to call a number of an individual that I found in a book to find a ride, but these shuttle providers are some of the unsung heroes of the trail, helping to make the logistics of the trip much easier along the way. We worked out a pick up time and agreed on a price.

I arranged for our shuttle driver to meet us at Bears Den. We got there early, so we were able to explore a bit before our shuttle arrived. Bears Den is a hiker hostel, providing showers, lodging, and mail drops for long-distance AT hikers. Day-use hikers pay $3 to park in the lot. Bears Den looked like a stone cottage you would find in Europe. The grounds were kept up nicely and we were excited that this would be the endpoint on the trip. We met up with our shuttle driver, who took us on a scenic, horse-country drive to Harpers Ferry. The shuttle driver used to be the manager of Bears Den, but now just lives nearby. In addition to being a shuttle driver, he’s also a former thru-hiker (as many of these shuttle drivers are – after hiking, shuttling is one way they give back and keep in touch with the AT community.) On the ride, he told us about his favorite parts of the trail, what we would see, and even some tales about other shuttles he had provided. He explained that he had gotten one call in the wee hours of the morning recently to pick up a hiker that had been bitten and sprayed by a rabid skunk. Too say the least, these trail angels really go the extra mile for the hiking community.

Leaving Harpers Ferry on a tree-lined path. Below: Red columbine – a favorite wildflower; The climb out of Harpers Ferry is steep and has very few switchbacks; Leaving the National Park area.

We asked to be dropped off at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy & Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry, WV. Thru-hikers and section hikers typically stop by the ATC Visitor Center and have a photo taken in front of the building. ATC staffers take a photo, assign you a hiker number, and have you write information about yourself on the border before adding it to a photo album. You can go back years later and check out all the people that have made it this far along the trail. Since this was the section that brought us through Harpers Ferry, it was time for us to have our photo done. Our trail names are “12th Man” (for my love of the Seattle Seahawks) and “Sugar Rush” (for Christine’s love of candy before tackling a big climb). It was fun to finally be officially added to the hiker album.

We had looked in advance and had seen the ATC was having the Flip Flop Kick Off weekend event. The hope was to have the hikers split their trip at this halfway point in WV to keep hikers from clustering together too much. One example would be north-bounders going from Georgia to Maine to stop here at this midway point and then go up to Maine and hike back down to WV. They had a cookout, vendors, games, and wildlife exhibits along the back lawn (throughout the weekend they were hosting pack shakedowns, talks, and bands). When we walked through with our backpacks, we heard a few people getting excited that ‘hikers were coming’. I didn’t have the heart to tell them we were just out for the weekend, but based on how clean and fresh-smelling we were, I’m sure most of them could have guessed we weren’t out for the long haul. We didn’t stay long at the event, since it was getting close to 11AM and we hadn’t even started our hike yet.

One of the volunteers pointed us to a blue-blazed trail that led to the Appalachian Trail. On our way to meet the AT, we walked across the grounds of former Storer College, a historically black college that opened its doors as a school to educate freed slaves. Open for 88 years, Storer’s funding was cut in 1955 after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling came in to desegregate public schools. The school was forced to close. The blue blazes continued down a series of steps and before we knew it we were on the Appalachian Trail. We turned right to head south along the trail, heading downhill. The trail came to a quick road crossing and then headed up to the large bridge along US-340 that crosses the Shenandoah River. We walked along the roadside on the bridge with cars whizzing by, but the view off the side of the bridge was breathtaking. This river is dotted with large and small boulders in the rapid-infused river, causing this to be a hotspot for kayakers.

So Many Redbuds — The woods were brilliantly colored with blooming redbuds. Below: Crossing powerlines gave us an open view; Taking a rest at Keys Gap on the VA/WV border; Christine does blister first-aid for Kris.

At the end of the bridge, the trail leads down stairs and goes under US-340 to the other side. The trail then begins its steepest climb in this section as you ascend towards Loudoun Heights. At 1.4 miles, you cross over WV 32 and at 2.0 miles, we reached the top of Loudoun Heights and a sign for the VA-WV border. Take a right to stay on the Appalachian Trail. The trail goes downhill and levels out for an easy walk and we had our lunch along the side of the trail. At 4.4 miles, we came to some power lines, which created some open views to the side. The trail begins to climb slowly. At 5.9 miles, we arrived at Keys Gap parking lot and took a short break to fix a blister forming on Kris’ foot. We crossed over WV 9 and continued our slow ascent. At 8.9 miles, we reached the side trail that led to the David Lesser Memorial Shelter. This shelter was a nice stop and there was even a swing to kick our feet up and enjoy a snack. We were tempted to stay here for the evening, but decided to push onward. At 9.4 miles, we reached a small side trail that led uphill a short distance to a view at Buzzard Rocks.

Signing the Shelter Log — Christine signs the shelter log at David Lesser. Below: David Lesser is a fantastic shelter with a covered dining area, sleeping shelter and porch swing; Buzzards Rock is about a half mile south of the shelter; Laurel Springs boardwalk.

Getting back to the trail and pushing on, we came to the Laurel Springs boardwalk at 10.4 miles. This was a long stretch of planks to walk on, which protects the trail from getting too harmed during wetter times. After the boardwalk, the trail continues to climb. Around 12 miles, there is a small trail to the right which gives you the best views of the day. At 12.1 miles, we reached the junction sign that pointed us to the Blackburn AT Center. As we descended the steep trail, we became worried as we saw lots of tents along the hillside (most belonging to a large group of Boy Scouts), wondering if we would have a place to camp. We found the last open site and set up our camp.

Campfire — We had a prime campsite on the ridge above the Blackburn Trail Center. Below: There was one nice view from the AT on the ridge just before the spur trail to the Blackburn Trail Center; Our little campsite; The Blackburn Trail Center was a welcome respite – cold sodas, clean well water, comfy chairs, and friendly people.

I struggled a lot this day. About four weeks earlier, I had pulled a muscle in my back. My doctor said it could take a few months to heal. I had been taking muscle relaxers and alternating ice and heat on my back for weeks. While I felt I could do this trip, I was dealing with a pinching pain with every step and it hurt even worse whenever I was going uphill. This challenge took a lot out of me and by the end, I had enough and wasn’t enjoying myself. Sometimes you just hit rock bottom.

Kris had told us a story about five miles into the trip about how after an extremely long bike ride how she had gone into a store and drank a soda and how great it tasted. Well, that thought of a refreshing, cold soda lasted with me for the rest of the day. After we set up camp, we walked steeply down to the Blackburn AT Center to get water. We talked to the caretakers, Chris and Sandra, for a while and they pointed out where we could fill up our water from their well. Sandra then went into her kitchen and said, “Can I get you a cold soda?” I can only imagine what my face would have looked like at that moment, but I felt such euphoria. The soda tasted like sweet ambrosia to me and their kindness had fully restored my faith in humanity. The caretakers were so nice to us and great conversationalists. They maintain a lot of the trails throughout this area also. The Blackburn AT Center is definitely a place I would like to visit and possibly stay again.

We made our way back up to our campsite for the evening and cooked our meals. We set up a small fire and talked until it got dark. We retreated to our tents, sleeping under a full moon. It was a tough day, but we made it.

Day Two (8.4 miles)…

I love the feeling of being naturally awoken by the rising sun and sound of singing birds. When morning came on this trip, I peeked out the mesh of our tent door and saw the pinks, purples, and golds of dawn spreading across the valley below our campsite. It was gorgeous! The Boy Scouts camped nearby were starting to stir – lots of muffled voices and tent zippers unzipping.

Sunrise over the Blackburn Trail Center. Below: We decided to cook breakfast at the Trail Center instead of at our campsite; Oatmeal, coffee, cheese, honeybuns; Trillium on our way out of the Trail Center.

Adam, Kris, and I were all awake and out of our tents a little before 7:00. I went and got our bear hang down and started deflating my sleeping pad and pillow. We collectively decided to pack everything up and take our stove and food bags down to the Blackburn Trail Center for a civilized breakfast. The picnic table and comfortable seating were more inviting than sitting in the dirt near our fire pit.

Adam had oatmeal and a jumbo honeybun. I had oatmeal, coffee, and cheese sticks. Kris tried a Mountain House egg dish and declared it ‘odd and spongey’ – most of it ended up in the compost pile. After finishing our meal, we said a regretful goodbye to Blackburn. What a great place to camp for a night!

Hiking Along the AT — The first few miles of our morning were easy and pleasant ridge walking. Below: Negotiating a big blowdown; Now entering the roller coaster; Native azalea in bloom.

After the short, steep climb from the trail center back to the Appalachian Trail, the first few miles of hiking for the day were pleasant and fairly flat. We made quick progress – enjoying abundant wildflowers and blooming trees. We passed through Wilson Gap before reaching the northern end of the ‘Roller Coaster’ four miles into our hike for the day. The Roller Coaster is 13.5 miles of steep, closely-spaced, rocky ups and downs. (we just did the northern portion of the roller coaster on this section… more to come on our next section south.)

A little over a half mile into the Roller Coaster we reached the spectacular viewpoint of Raven Rocks. There were already plenty of dayhikers enjoying the view, but we found our own little spot to rest. We all took our packs off and reclined on the rocks. It was a beautiful spot with panoramic views. We were lucky enough to visit when the native Pinxter azaleas were in bloom.

Ravens Rock — Adam takes in the spectacular view from Raven Rocks. Below: Kris rests in the shade; We saw a big black snake; The roller coaster is very rocky set of steep, closely spaced ups and downs.

After leaving Raven Rocks, we had a steep rocky descent that led to a shallow stream crossing. After the stream, there was another steep climb and another steep descent to another shallow stream. I guess it’s called a roller coaster for good reason! Ups and downs, followed by mores ups and downs. By the time we got to this part of the trail, the day had already become fairly hot and humid, and we all felt pretty tired on the climbs. It’s always a little surprising how much tougher climbing can be in the direct sun and heat with a large pack. The oddest part of this section was all the blood we saw on the trail. For about 2-3 miles there were fresh droplets of blood on the ground every 5-6 feet. I guess someone really had a bad day on the roller coaster!

At about 7.5 miles into our hike we descended to Snickers Gap. We stepped out of the woods onto busy Route 7. Cars were flying by at 55-65 mph. We had to cross the road and then walk up the shoulder of the road until reaching the trail again. When your legs are fatigued, it’s hard to run fast across a four lane highway. It was like Frogger with backpacks!

On the other side of Route 7 was our last climb of the day! We walked uphill for another .6 miles to the rocky outcropping of Bears Den Rocks. We spent some time relaxing and enjoying the view before walking a few more tenths of a mile to the Bears Den hostel where we had left our car parked. We posed for a group victory photo in front of the hostel, took off our boots and packs, and sunk into the wonderful air-conditioning of the vehicle.

We were all starving, so we stopped for a quick lunch at the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant right out on Route 7. The restaurant had been advertised in our AWOL Guide and on the back of the trail information kiosk at the road crossing, so we decided to give it a go. Sandwiches, french fries, and cold drinks definitely hit the spot! Even though we were all filthy and tired, we also decided to make a stop at Veramar Vineyard to share some wine and toast our hike. We got a bottle of their Seyval Blanc and found a few Adirondack chairs with a view of the ridge we had just traversed.

It was a great weekend for our first backpacking trip of the season. Honestly, the more I backpack, the more I WANT to backpack! I love being out on the trail!

Trail Notes

Distance – 20.5 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike [Day One] [Day Two])*
Elevation Change – 3882 ft.
Difficulty – 3.5. The distance makes this tough, but overall is manageable.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail was in great shape. We only came across one tree blowdown the entire trip.
Views – 3. The best views of the trip were from Bears Den rocks at the end of the trip.
Streams/Waterfalls – 2. There weren’t any streams and only one reliable water source on the first day (at the Blackburn AT Center). The second day, there were several streams through the area of the Roller Coaster.
Wildlife – 2. We didn’t see much wildlife on this section. There were lots of pretty songbirds at the Blackburn AT Center.
Ease to Navigate – 3.5. Pay attention to signs for the AT. It should be fairly easy to follow.
Solitude – 2. We saw a good number of people throughout the trail, but most were where you would have expected them – the shelters, hiking a short distance from Harpers Ferry, and at Bears Den Rocks. We also saw several trail runners on the Roller Coaster.

* MapMyHike is not necessarily accurate, as the GPS signal fades in and out – but it still provides some fun and interesting information.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: To get to Bears Den to leave one car, from I-81, take exit 315 for VA-7 E toward Berryville. Turn left on VA-7 E and go 17 miles. Turn right on State Route 601 and go .4 miles. A sign shows you are entering Bears Den. Go to the second parking lot and leave a car there. Be sure to pay for your day-use fee.
For the second vehicle: Head out of Bears Den and turn left on State Route 601. In .4 miles, take a left on VA-7 W. In about 4 miles, take a right on to State Route 612/Shepherds Mill Road. Follow this for 4.3 miles until it ends at US 340. Take a right here and continue to follow US 340 N for 14.6 miles through Charles Town and approaching Harpers Ferry. At the Econo Lodge, take a left on to Union Street. Follow that .4 miles and take a right on to Washington Street. Follow that .2 miles to reach the ATC Center. If someone is not dropping you off, you should ask inside where you could leave a car overnight, since there are parking restrictions near the center.

Moormans River & Big Branch Falls

May 12, 2015May 27, 20152 Comments

This 4.5-mile hike is close to Charlottesville and is extremely popular for its beautiful river scenery, swimming holes, and waterfalls.

View the Full Album of Photos From This Hike

Adam at the Falls. Below: The beautiful Moormans River; Sugar Hollow Reservoir; Lunch stop after the hike.

Adam Says…

For people that are looking for a nice family-friendly waterfall near Charlottesville, look no further than this hike. In fact, it was rare to not see groups of people that weren’t hiking as a family. Most of the families with smaller children tended to stop along the river at some of the crossings to eat a snack or try and skip stones. And I can’t think of any hike that I’ve been on where I have as many dogs on a trail. So, if you want to take Fido for a walk (and a possible dip in the river) near Charlottesville, this would be a great spot as long as your dog is friendly with other dogs. We saw a couple of dogs that were running full speed chasing each other and crashing into the water. The park requires all dogs to be leashed, but we saw many (most!) people breaking this rule.

When we arrived at the trailhead, there were a ton of other cars here. There are two parking lots on this hike – the first being the larger lot and the second being a half-mile further up a rough road, but I would recommend having a four-wheel drive due to the uneven ground (even though we did see a convertible BMW driving on here with reckless abandon). The first, main parking lot was full, so we ended up parking along the roadside just a short distance prior to the first large parking lot. From the parking lot, there are two trails. You want to take the one that continues up the gravel road heading north (North Fork Trail). Walking up the gravel road, we came to the second parking area at .5 miles. There is a large closed gate directly behind the lot where the trail continues.

Stream Crossing — Christine rock hops across the stream. Below: The river was beautiful and clear; Adam checks out the rock wall at one of the crossings; Rapids from above.

Most of the trail gives you nice views of the Moormans River as you are walking by. In .75 miles, you reach your first of four river crossings. There had been a recent, heavy rain so we were expecting these to be a little challenging. The first three of the rock crossings were fairly easy to rockhop across. The fourth crossing however required us to get our feet wet in the fast-flowing current. We brought our crocs to change into for just this occasion and the cold water was refreshing. It always makes us a little nervous carrying camera equipment though when the water is moving fast and you are not 100% sure of how deep the water is or if the rock you are putting your foot on is stable. The water ended up halfway up my calf at one point, so if there has been a lot of rain, be careful.

At the 2.0 mile marker, the trail starts to gain some elevation. At 2.15 miles, we took the side trail to Big Branch Falls. You arrive at the lower falls fairly quickly, but continue further and you will see the larger Big Branch Falls at 2.25 miles. Because of the recent rains, the water was flowing nicely over the top, but probably during the dry summer months, this would be less impressive. After we took some time to enjoy the falls, we headed back the way we came to get back to our car at 4.5 miles.

After our trip, we headed to nearby Crozet, VA to try Crozet Pizza. We had heard about how wonderful their pizza was for about 25 years now and I’m glad to say that we finally got to try it. Then, we stopped right down the road at Starr Hill brewery to sample a few post-hike beers.

Christine Says…

What a beautiful March day we had to hike Moormans River! It was the first day in a long time that actually felt warm. Early wildflowers were starting to bloom and the sunshine felt great. We started out pretty early, but found the parking lot already completely full at the trailhead. We had to find a place alongside the gravel road with enough room to park our car. After we were situated, I started MapMyHike, grabbed my camera, and started hiking.

I pointed my camera up to take a shot of the first trail marker, and the camera wouldn’t even turn on! Hmm… I had recently charged the battery, so it didn’t really make sense. I pulled out the battery and memory card to reset everything, and still no power. I figured that I had finally killed my Canon Rebel T2i. That camera has accompanied me on countless hikes. It’s been rained on, bumped against rocks, left sitting out overnight in the damp. I’m not careful with it at all, because I find I just don’t take photos when my camera is safely packed away in its padded, waterproof bag. I knew it would eventually meet this end. So… today, you get photography from my cell phone! Honestly, my phone takes decent photos – just not quite as nice as my dSLR. (Fortunately, when I got home, I found that the battery was drained after all. I guess I stored it accidentally with the power button depressed. The Rebel lives to fight another day!)

Lower Falls — The lower falls are really pretty. Below: A view of the upper and lower falls; Rock hopping; One crossing was too deep to rock hop – so we waded.

The water was flowing beautifully and we really enjoyed the sights and sounds of running water all through our hike. The trail was one of the easiest we’ve hiked in a long time. It’s relatively level and not too rocky. The stream crossings were all moderate to easy, with the exception of the final one. The last crossing required us to put on water shoes and wade across. We saw several people attempt to rock hop, but they all ended up with wet boots.

When we reached the spur trail to the falls, there were several groups of people at each viewing point. We waited our turn and spent a few minutes enjoying and taking photos of the upper falls. One group had climbed up to the top of the falls and was picnicking on the rocks alongside the cascade. A man with the group walked out to the precipitous, domed edge of the falls several times. We were worried he might slip and have a nasty fall to the rocks below. Thankfully that didn’t happen!

On our way back down, we scrambled off the trail to a rock shelf beneath the lower falls. On the climb back up, I stuck my trekking pole in a hidden hole. When the pole suddenly dropped and vanished under the weight of me climbing up, I slipped and smashed the bridge of my nose into the trekking pole handle. Wow – did that hurt! I thought I hit hard enough to break the skin open, but thankfully it was just swollen and lightly bruised. Between that and the broken camera, it was not one of my luckier days on the trail!

Dam and Reservoir — The dam and reservoir. Below: Yum – Crozet Pizza; Flight at Starr Hill.

The hike back went very quickly. After we got back to the car, we made our way to a great lunch at Crozet Pizza and a flight of beers at Starr Hill. It was a fun day! I would definitely recommend this hike when there has been significant, recent rain. The falls dry up pretty quickly.

Trail Notes

Distance – 4.5 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – 625 ft.
Difficulty – 2. The hike is not difficult with the distance and elevation, but the stream crossings could be a challenge.
Trail Conditions – 4. The trail is heavily-used and well-maintained.
Views – 1.5. You do get some elevated views of the river. Views from the top of the dam (after the hike) are really nice too, but don’t count in the score because they’re not technically part of the hike!
Streams/Waterfalls – 4. The waterfalls are nice to see (but could be disappointing in dryer months), but the highlight is probably walking along Moormans River.
Wildlife – 0. Due to the location and popularity, I wouldn’t expect to see much.
Ease to Navigate – 4. Once we knew where to go from the parking lot, it was easy to navigate.
Solitude – 1.5. I would expect on a nice day, you should see lots of people. Go early to beat the crowds and to get parking. But, there weren’t as many people going all the way to Big Branch Falls.

Download a Trail Map (PDF)

Directions to trailhead: From I-64 near Charlottesville, take exit 124 for US-250W. Turn right on 250-W and go 5 miles. Take the Country Road 654/Barracks Road exit. Turn right on Barracks Road and go 2 miles. Continue on SR 601/Garth Road for 9 miles. Continue straight on to Sugar Hollow Road for 5.5 miles. When you pass the Sugar Hollow Reservoir on the left, you are getting close. The road turns into gravel and you will eventually arrive at the first large parking area. Park here and walk further up the road for .5 miles until you reach the second parking area and closed gate.