Virginia Trail Guide

Appalachian Trail – Skyland to Thornton Gap

April 10, 2011August 26, 20151 Comment

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

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

Christine Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trail Notes

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

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

Appalachian Trail – Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap

March 20, 2011August 26, 20158 Comments

The section of the Appalachian Trail from Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap gives you nice, open views of the mountains and farmland surrounding the city of Waynesboro.

Walking up to Bear's Den Mountain — Adam makes his way along the Appalachian Trail up to the top of Bear’s Den Mountain. Below: Adam and Wookie pose at the Beagle Gap sign; This white blaze looked like it was painted on a headstone; Adam passes some giant rocks along the trail.

Adam Says…

Those that have been following our blog may know that we have been working on hiking the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park in smaller sections. On this day, we decided to handle the stretch between Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap in the south district. We left one vehicle at the junction of I-64 before the pay station at the park’s south entrance. We then drove into the park and parked at the Beagle Gap parking area (not the Beagle Gap overlook).

The Appalachian Trail crosses the road at this gravel parking lot. We crossed the road from the parking lot and headed through the gate. Take a left as soon as you go through the gate and walk through the field . The south-bound AT then climbs rather steeply through some open areas and crosses over a fire road early on the trail. At .5 miles, you reach a communication tower and some old tractor seats. I’m sure that many AT thru-hikers have enjoyed taking a brief rest on these seats. At one point, I’m sure these seats provided a nice place to view the western sunset, but now the trees in front have blocked some of the scenery from view. Continue past this area and keep following the white blazes to stay on the trail. At the one-mile marker, you will come to another communication tower. Stay on the white-blazed AT and the trail begins to descend. At 2.0 miles, the trail reaches McCormick Gap and crosses Skyline Drive. Cross the road and you will come to a small ladder stile that will lead you on to private land.

This part of the trail is on private land, but hiking on the AT is allowed. As soon as you cross over the stile, you will see a weathered sign pointing the way to continue on the Appalachian Trail. This section of the AT is very steep as it winds up Scott Mountain. At 2.4 miles, the trail levels off and you will begin to enjoy some obstructed views (probably very limited during the spring and summer months) of Waynesboro and the farmlands around the city. At 3.0 miles, you will begin several miles of very gradual descent (with some uphills thrown in) until you come out onto Skyline Drive. Continue to follow the road for a brief walk back to your car, crossing a bridge over I-64 before reaching your vehicle.

AT Crossing the Meadow — This is one of the few open, meadow-like sections of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Below: This section of the trail uses an easement on private land; Some colorful dried plants on the mountainside; An open and barren view from Bear’s Den Mountain.

The hike from Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap was an interesting section of the AT. The way up to the communication towers included some of the more open areas of the park. Most hikes in Shenandoah National Park involve hiking through the woods, but this first two-mile section gives you nice views around. When we got to the communication tower, it was interesting to think of what would have been here before these towers existed. I can just imagine people in the 1950s hiking up from the road to view the sunset and perhaps having a picnic at the top. You can also read an interesting history on the area on PATC’s website here which explains the use of Rockfish Gap during the Revolutionary War. I’m glad we did this hike before Spring hit, since many of the views through the woods would have been obstructed with leaves on the trees.

Christine Says…

Well, winter is over and we didn’t meet our goal of finishing the entire AT through Shenandoah. In fact, we’re still less than a quarter of the way there. The road through the park was closed so often this winter, that it was really tough for us to get to the sections we needed to hike. The section we hiked most recently, Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap was a shorter segment than we usually like to hike. Adam’s knee was bothering him, we wanted to take Wookie and we had a limited amount of time, so the 5.7 mile segment ended up being perfect for the day.

Tractor Seats on Bear's Den Mountain — Old tractor seats are planted in the ground next to the radio towers on Bear’s Den Mountain. Below: The radio towers; Wookie enjoys relaxing on a tractor seat.

The day was so pretty and warm! The skies were crystal clear and blue, but there weren’t really any signs of spring in the mountains yet. I led Wookie on his leash – which was a little bit tricky to do with my trekking poles. He kept yanking them slightly forward or to the side, especially on uphills and downhills. Wookie is actually really well-mannered on a leash – but he likes to walk up and down hill much faster than I do! I envy his energy.

We took a short break atop Bear’s Den Mountain to enjoy the open views. The radio towers are a distraction from the natural beauty of the area, but I suppose they’re necessary. Upon leaving the summit, the trail was actually a little bit confusing. There were some unmarked side trails that crossed the path. The fire road that runs alongside the trail was also somewhat misleading. Luckily, the AT through Shenandoah is generously marked with white blazes and even when we took the wrong path, we were quickly able to notice the lack of blazes and set ourselves right.

Climbing the Stile — Adam climbs the stile heading south out of McCormick Gap. Below: A beat up old AT sign; Wookie and Adam share some trail mix; The PATC does a great job maintaining trails and shelters along the AT in Shenandoah.

I noticed that this section of Appalachian Trail was a bit more up and down than typical for the park. The climb down and up through McCormick Gap is actually quite steep – especially the southbound climb up leaving Skyline Drive. That was really the only tough section of this hike.

Once we were out of McCormick Gap, the remainder of the hike was a gentle series of rolling ups and downs (mostly). We passed a lot of giant boulders, had a snack, crossed a shallow stream, and enjoyed the views looking down into Waynesboro. We passed a couple other hikers headed north and saw one southbound backpacker. Soon, Skyline Drive and the distant interstate came into view and we were back at the car.

Wookie Says…

When I heard Christine and Adam talking about hiking from Beagle Gap, I knew I had to come along. I was assuming that this was an area that beagles gathered, so I thought it would be great. But alas, there were no beagles around. We hiked up to the communication towers and I got to sit on the old tractor seats. I was a little skeptical at first, but I found a good seat to enjoy the views and relax a little. I had two big highlights on the hike. The first was meeting Winnie. Winnie was another pug that I met on the trail. Her master was a PATC member that actually maintains this section of the trail. It was impressive to learn that Winnie’s master also backpacked the entire Shenandoah National Park over ten days for her 70th birthday! I’m always a little nervous meeting new dogs on the trail, but it’s nice to see some other hiking pugs out there. My second highlight had to be the snack that I had. Adam gave me a few bites of Cinnamon Apple Pie trail mix which included some dehydrated apple bits, cinammon-covered yogurt, and pecans. It was a great boost to give me some energy to finish the hike. Overall, the trail wasn’t too tough for me. There are a few steep sections in the beginning and from McCormick Gap up to Scott Mountain, but by the end I was proudly leading the way.

Trail Notes

Distance – 5.7 miles
Elevation Change – 800 feet
Difficulty –2.5. There are a few uphill steep sections heading southbound, but the longest stretch of them is .3 miles.
Trail Conditions –4. The trail is well-maintained and the footing was great.
Views – 3.5. The best views are during the beginning of the trail before you reach the communication towers. There are obstructed views towards the second half of the trail.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 1. Other than birds, we didn’t see much wildlife here.
Ease to Navigate –3. The only tricky section was around the communication towers. You just want to be sure you follow the white-blazed trail. I believe the other trails from the communication towers will still bring you the same way, but I would stick to the white blazes.
Solitude– 3. We only ran into a few people on this trail. During the summer, the hike from Beagle Gap to the summit of Bear’s Den Mountain is quite popular, though.

Directions to trailhead: On Skyline Drive, park at mile 99.5 at the Beagle Gap gravel parking lot on the eastern side of the road. The trail begins across the road on the western side and through the gate.

Beaver Lake Trail

March 13, 2011August 26, 20151 Comment

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

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

Christine Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Death of Beaver Lake – an earthcache that explains the geological features of the lake succession
Piglet’s Cache – a nice geocache in honor of someone’s pet

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

Trail Notes

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

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

Snowshoe Trek on the Middle Ridge Trail (WV)

February 6, 2011September 4, 20181 Comment

With all its snow, Canaan Valley provides wonderful opportunities for southerners to try out snowshoeing. The 2.5 mile Middle Ridge trail in Canaan Valley State Park is a pleasant trek through the woods.

Doe in the Woods — A whitetail doe watches us in the woods. Below: Adam walks along the trail, being careful not to ruin the cross country ski tracks; The Blackwater River is covered with snow and ice; A sign cautions cross country skiers to take care on the steep hill.

Adam Says…

We wanted to go snowshoeing at least once this winter. We enjoyed going to Canaan Valley last year, so we decided to take another trip to the high country of West Virginia. There are several short trails throughout Canaan Valley State Park that are suitable for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.

Snowshoes can be rented for a day behind the Canaan Valley Lodge near the ice rink for $20/adult. You can also pick up a map and trail guide of the Canaan Valley Resort area at the lodge. The last two times we had rented more modern, aluminum snowshoes; this time, they had the traditional snowshoes with rawhide webbing. While we felt the traditional snowshoes seemed a little heavier initially, I actually found they were a little easier to use. The snow tends to not get piled on the top as often as with the modern snowshoes, making them feel a little lighter while on the trails.

Tubbs Snowshoes — We rented snowshoes from Canaan Valley State Park.

We left the rental center and drove to the Balsam Swamp Overlook. From here, the trail starts cutting down across the meadow. At .2 miles, take a right on the green-blazed Middle Ridge Trail. This trail starts off with a short, steep uphill before easing to a gentle incline for the first mile. You then go down a steep hill until you reach the view of the Blackwater River at 1.2 miles. This area along the river has the best views of the meadow and the mountain ridges in front of us were covered with rime ice.

The trail takes a sharp left at this point and you follow the river for about .1 mile. At 1.3 miles, you reach a junction with a spur trail to the Railroad Grade Trail. Ignore this spur and continue on the green-blazed Middle Ridge Trail. You will begin your ascent. The trail ascends about 150 feet over the next .7 miles. While the map made it look quite tough, I felt that the elevation was not too bad. Near the crest, the trail tends to wind through the forest. You will then start your descent. At 2.1 miles, you will reach another junction leading to the Ridge Top Trail. Ignore this trail also and just stay on the Middle Ridge Trail. You will then steeply descend the Middle Ridge Trail. Stay straight on the trail until you reach your vehicle at the Balsam Swamp Overlook.

Rest Stop at the Trail Junction — Adam takes a rest stop at the trail junction.

This snowshoe trip was more challenging than the Deer Run-Mill Run trails that we did last year, but it was worth it. The snow tends to keep people away from many of the hiking trails, so I really find it quite peaceful when all you can hear is your breath and the light crunching of the snow below you.

We finished up our trip with a short drive to Sirianni’s Cafe in Davis, WV. It is probably our favorite pizza place on the planet and you shouldn’t miss it. If you have the option, try to get a seat near the back left of the restaurant and read the notes/business cards placed under the glass-covered tables.

Christine Says…

I love making a quick trip over to West Virginia for a day of snowshoeing. It’s become one of my favorite winter traditions! We chose to go on a weekend right after the area received a little over a foot of new snow. The conditions were great – the snow was a bit heavy and soft, but it was still fresh and pristine – a real winter wonderland.

I liked the traditional showshoes we rented. They were made by Tubbs and looked like snowshoes that explorers or fur trappers in the 1800’s might have used. The trail we chose didn’t offer any grand views or spectacular scenery, but it was a beautiful walk through the woods. The few trails we’ve showshoed on before were completely flat, but the Middle Ridge trail has a couple “easy” climbs. I say easy in quotes because climbing in showshoes is always harder work than walking on a dirt trail. It’s also tough to snowshoe across deep, unbroken snow. Even though the snowshoes hold you aloft and prevent you from having to go post-holing through deep snow, you’ll still sink a little bit if the snow is deep and soft.

Trees and Snow — The trees and fresh snow made a beautiful and stark landscape. Below: Adam looks down on the trail from the Balsam Swamp parking area; Walking uphill across the open meadow; The snow was heavy and deep.

We really tried our best to stay off the cross-country tracks, but in some places the trail was too narrow or the tracks were already trashed by other walkers. I have to admit, I was thankful whenever we got a chance to walk on already-broken snow!

The lowest point on the trail is along the Blackwater River. We couldn’t see the river at all under all of the ice and snow. It looked more like an open field than a river basin. After leaving the river, we had a slow and steady uphill back to the top of the ridge.

I enjoyed coming across a lone doe making her way through the deep snow. Deer in the Canaan area are very accustomed to humans, so she made no effort to run when she saw us. It gave me the opportunity to get a couple photos.

The rest of the hike along the ridge and back down to the parking area was easy and quick. After changing clothes and turning our snowshoes in, we headed over to Davis, WV for our pizza lunch. Sirianni’s was recently named West Virginia’s best pizza by USA Today. In addition to great food, I love the atmosphere in their little restaurant. It’s such a warm and cozy place!

Sirianni's pizza — We got to sit in our favorite little corner booth at Sirianni’s – best pizza in West Virginia. Below: People from all over have written notes to tuck under the glass tabletops in the back corner of Sirianni’s – such fun to read!; Sirianni’s is right on the main street through Davis, WV.

Trail Notes

Distance – 2.5 miles
Elevation Change – about 300 feet total.
Difficulty – 2. The snow makes this easy trail a little more challenging. Take some breaks when you’re tired, but overall, this trail is quite manageable for most people.
Trail Conditions – 3. While there were cross-country ski tracks, we tried to avoid those at all times for other people. Walking on snowshoes and establishing new tracks can be challenging, so it is best if going with others to alternate who is breaking the trail.
Views –2. The only views are of the meadow and mountains near the Blackwater River.
Waterfalls/streams – 2. You have views of the Blackwater River, but you won’t be getting too close to the river from the trail.
Wildlife –3. You are likely to see some deer on this trail any time of year.
Ease to Navigate – 3. Without any previous tracks, this could be challenging, but look for the green blazes on the trees.
Solitude –5. We were the only ones on the trail, but this trail is used somewhat often by cross-country skiiers. If you’re going when it is not snow-covered, I would lower the solitude rating, since it is a popular, short hiking trail.

Directions to trailhead: The Canaan Valley State Park is located off Route 32. For snowshoe rentals, follow the signs from the entrance to the Canaan Valley lodge. This trail takes off from the Balsam Swamp Overlook.

Appalachian Trail – Big Meadows to Bearfence

January 23, 2011August 26, 20155 Comments

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

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

Christine Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trail Notes

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

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

Saddleback Mountain Loop

December 16, 2010April 29, 20221 Comment

The Saddleback Mountain Loop is a hike for people that are looking for a convenient day hike of moderate length – about six miles. There aren’t any great views, but it is an enjoyable walk.

Gnarled Tree on the Saddleback Trail — Adam walks under a fallen, gnarled tree on the Saddleback Trail.

Adam Says…

Sorry it has been awhile everyone. We’ve had a crazy fall and haven’t been able to get out as much as we had hoped.

We have had a plan this winter to try and do sections of the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park. We thought we would start with a shuttle trip to cover the section from Swift Run Gap to Lewis Mountain. We made our way up to the Swift Run Gap entrance to Shenandoah Park and talked to the ranger at the gate. He told us that the entire drive was closed, but we could do some day hikes around the area. He said there was snow and ice on the road and they were also worried about more bad weather moving into the area later that night. Boooo! We went back to the car, upset that our plans couldn’t work out the way we wanted. Rather than admitting total defeat, we decided to try a loop hike that included Saddleback Mountain. It was close enough to the entrance gate that we could walk into the park from Route 33.

Skyline Drive Closed for Snow. Below: The trailhead had a small amount of snow; The trees overhead were all bare; We saw a little bit of milkweed still hanging on.

Throughout the hike we got a few glimpses of Skyline Drive through the woods and we never saw any snow. I talked to a friend of mine who is married to a ranger and he said that often they close the road because they don’t want to have people get trapped up there. Then, the rangers have to deal with them, since they typically close during hunting season at 5PM. I also found out they send one ranger north to inspect the Central section and one ranger drives up from Waynesboro to view the Southern section. We found out later that the Southern section ended up remaining open all day, so we could have done a different hike. Oh well, at least we were able to cover something we hadn’t done yet for the blog.

The hike starts where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road at the border between the Southern and Central Districts of Shenandoah National Park. Heading north up the white-blazed trail, the trail ascends steadily. After a few tenths of a mile, you will see an unmarked path to the right that leads to an old family cemetery. It was nice to pay some respects to the families that lived and died here on the mountain. Continuing back on the AT, the trail continued to slowly ascend. At 1.4 miles, you reach a junction with the blue-blazed Saddleback Mountain Trail. Take a right on this trail to make this hike a loop. The Saddleback Mountain Trail goes around the mountain, which was a nice break from climbing uphill. We saw a few nice icy formations and some heavier patches of snow on this shadowy side of the mountain. At 2.6 miles, you will come to a PATC maintenance hut. These huts are scattered throughout the park that serve as places where PATC volunteers can have access to some tools to help repair sections of the trail. There is an open outhouse here and a spring nearby, but we found that the spring was mostly dry. We continued past the PATC maintenance hut for .2 miles on a fire road until we met the junction with the AT. Head south on the AT and you will have 2.7 miles until you reach the original trailhead. As I mentioned before, the Saddleback Mountain goes around the mountain, so when you start the trail you will again be heading uphill until you reach the summit. The summit was not marked, but it was nice to have a downhill trip back to the car.

Snow on the Trail — The shady side of the mountain had a little snow. Below: We took a short side trail to take a look at an old cemetery; Even though there was a little snow on the ground, the morning temps were well above freezing; We saw some recent bear scat and scratches along the trail.

On our way back downhill, we ran into two hikers that were there hoping to catch up to the Valley Hikers group that were evidently doing that hike to South River Falls. They got a late start but said there was a note on a car telling them where they went. We talked to the couple for a while before parting ways. When I got back home, I checked my email and it looks like the Valley Hikers changed their itinerary completely and were not doing the South River Falls after all. I hope the couple didn’t get too discouraged on their trip. Valley Hikers is a great group to join if you are interested in meeting up with some other people in the Shenandoah Valley that enjoy hiking. Members are of all skill levels and they do a good variety of hikes and an occasional backpacking trip. I do belong to the group, but I have yet to meet up with them to do a hike.

When Skyline Drive is open, you can also do a shorter version of the Saddleback trail, starting from the South River Falls picnic area. From that direction, you would have just a few tenths of a mile of an uphill hike to the summit area.

I’m glad we were able to get out and do a hike after our hiatus. Even though this trail doesn’t have a lot of great views, it is a nice walk in the woods and it was good to get some exercise outdoors on a cool winter day.

Christine Says…

With our original plans foiled, we sat in the car for a few minutes and deliberated our options – go home or figure out an alternate hike route that allowed us to walk into the park from outside the pay station. I’m really glad we decided to go for the latter, because the hike (while rather uneventful) turned out to be a pleasant way to spend the morning. It was great to get back out on the trail after a month of sloth (the flu and three weekends of art shows severely limit the ability to hike!)

PATC Maintenance Building. Below: Adam checks out the map at the first trail intersection; Someone left pennies on top of each of the cement trail marker posts; We saw some pawprints in the snow – maybe a fox or bobcat – they were too smudged to determine for sure.

As we started up the Appalachian Trail, I couldn’t help but remember that this was the exact spot we met our friends from The Traveling Circus back in May. The trail looks pretty different now than it did back then – bare trees and fallen leaves instead of a lush tunnel of green. While the woods might be prettier in the spring, summer and fall, there is still something I really enjoy about winter hiking. I like the lack of bugs, the fact that I don’t get sweaty, the solitude and the glimpses of views through the trees that you miss the rest of the year.

A few tenths of a mile up the trail, we took a short spur to take a look at an old cemetery. Headstones we saw dated back to the turn of the twentieth century. Many of the people buried here lived in the park throughout the 1800’s up until they were forcibly removed in the early 1900’s by the US Government. I think there were many older unmarked graves as well, but we took a few minutes to read each of the headstones still left standing.

After leaving the cemetery, the trail climbed gently, but endlessly, uphill to the junction of the Saddleback Mountain Trail. There really wasn’t anything remarkable about the trail to this point – no amazing scenery, just the occasional peek through the trees at the valley and Skyline Drive below. Adam and I laughed at how bare of the snow the drive was every time it came into view. We really don’t understand why it was closed at all.

We turned onto the Saddleback Trail and enjoyed a relatively flat walk skirting around the shoulder of the mountain. Near the end of the trail, we passed a PATC maintenance cabin and a pit toilet.

We stopped to rest a few minutes. I noticed a thermometer on the hearth outside the cabin and saw that it read 40 degrees – pretty balmy for a winter hike! The morning we hiked, a bit of a southerly air flow arrived. The warmer air came in aloft, creating the rare phenomenon that it was much warmer in the mountains than it was down in the valley.

From the PATC cabin, we passed the South River spring (a boxed spring intended as a water supply) and headed up a short fire road to meet back up with the Appalachian Trail. We turned south, and walked along the AT, climbing up to the summit of Saddleback Mountain. The summit of Saddleback is covered with trees and does not offer a view.

After crossing the summit, the hike was an easy, all-downhill stroll back to the car. Even though we didn’t get to hike the route we originally planned, this Saddleback loop made a great substitute and we had a fun morning.

Trail Notes

Distance – 5.9 miles
(Check out the stats from Map My Hike)*
Elevation Change – about 1080 feet
Difficulty – 2 There is some steady uphill, but it is manageable.
Trail Conditions – 3.5. Since most is on the AT, the trail is very well-maintained, but rocky and steep in spots.
Views – 1. We only had a few views through the trees, that I’m sure would not be there when leaves are on the trees.
Waterfalls/streams – 1. Two springs near the shelter.
Wildlife – 3.5. We did see deer and heard the echoing sounds of a pileated woodpecker. There was also fresh bear scat in the area and possible tracks in the snow.
Ease to Navigate –4. This is fairly easy to follow if you read the concrete posts at the junctions.
Solitude –4. You may see some hikers on the AT due to the proximity to the South River picnic area.

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

Directions to trailhead: Once you go through the Swift Run Gap entrance station, park your car across the street from the stop sign. The Appalachian Trail sign is straight ahead and head north.

Duncan Knob

October 30, 2010October 27, 201612 Comments

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

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

Christine Says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Says…

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

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

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

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

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

Wookie Says…

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

Begging for Treats — Wookie enjoys trailmix!

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

Trail Notes

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

Download a trail map (PDF)

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

Sharp Top

October 23, 2010October 27, 201629 Comments

This 3.4-mile hike leads to gorgeous views from the summit of Sharp Top. You will be treated with gorgeous views of the area around you.

View of Abbot Lake from Sharp Top Summit — The view from the Sharp Top Summit is gorgeous! Below: Adam walks by some of the huge boulders along the Sharp Top trail; The trail is very rocky; A set of stone steps leads you to the summit; Looking back on Sharp Top mountain from Buzzard’s Roost.

Adam Says…

Sharp Top has such a special place in my heart. I grew up in nearby Lynchburg and I couldn’t even tell you the number of times I have hiked this trail. I went with family, friends, church groups, and scouts. My family used to regularly have picnic lunches at Peaks of Otter, so this is a place I’ve been visiting all of my life. On one hike with a friend I had growing up, we spotted some trail runners. Trail runners are common on Sharp Top most mornings. My friend had said he wanted to try and be in that good of shape, so we took weekly hikes up during one summer. We never made it up to the intensity of running the mountain, but it was some good exercise. Lately, Christine and I have made this hike a nearly annual fall tradition. I’ve brought my older brother a few times over the last few years. Each year, he seems proud to know that he can still “climb up that hill.” He was working the day we hiked it this year, so he didn’t get to make the trip. I’ll try to get him to haul his cookies up the mountain again next year.

The Peaks of Otter Nature Center is the start point for this hike. Below: The trailhead sign; The Sharp Top bus takes riders close to the summit and is a great option for those not physically able to do the full hike; The trail starts off smooth and gentle – things soon change!

You start up the trail near the nature center. There is a plaque there that mentions that Sharp Top was once believed to be the tallest mountain in Virginia and that a stone from this mountain was used to build the Washington Monument. On the stone in the monument, it is inscribed “From Otter’s Summit, Virginia’s Loftiest Peak, To Crown a Monument to Virginia’s Noblest Son.” It is hard to believe that this was thought to be the highest summit. According to official elevations, this Sharp Top doesn’t even make the top 50 list. (another mountain, also named Sharp Top, is #42)

For those that don’t feel the need to hike all the way to the summit, you can take a bus ride that brings you closer to the summit. More information is available on the Peaks website (http://www.peaksofotter.com/Sharp-Top-Shuttle.aspx)

This is an extremely popular hike for families and larger groups, but it definitely has some steep sections. However, most people should be able to accomplish this hike since it is only a three-mile round trip (the side trip to Buzzards Roost adds .4 miles). The trail starts off with a slow but steady climb and then crosses the bus summit road at .25 miles. Continue to climb up the trail which includes some sections of stairs. At 1.2 miles, you reach a junction. Continue left on the trail to the summit. The remaining .3 miles to the summit starts off relatively flat, but there are more sections of rock stairs along the way. You will see a day-use only cabin at the summit and stairs to different platforms to soak in the views. You will see the Peaks of Otter Lodge and Abbott Lake to the North. To the South, you will see Turtle Rock (which some of the adventurous will find a way to climb up it) near the roof of the cabin. Go back the way you came. When you reach the junction .3 miles from the summit, I would highly recommend adding .2 miles (.4 miles round trip) to check out Buzzard’s Roost. The trail is relatively flat with minimal elevation difference. You will get more great views from here and can actually get some nice views of the summit of Sharp Top. Buzzards Roost does require some rock scrambling and carefully navigating around large rocks, so it isn’t for the faint of heart. Once you leave the Roost, go back to the junction and take a left down the trail to make your way back to the car.

There are lots of places to perch on Sharp Top. Below: Adam makes his way up the trail; The trail has many stairs built into the rock; Adam on Turtle Rock.

As I mentioned above, there are a lot of great places nearby for a picnic or you can dine at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. There is also a gift shop that sells sweatshirts inside that say “I Survived Sharp Top”. While I personally don’t think it is that difficult, I can understand some people feeling that way. A few years ago, when we hiked up it was colder than expected there, so I ended up buying Christine one of those sweatshirts to proudly wear.

Christine Says…

I’m so glad Adam introduced me to this hike. It’s a tough little climb, but the summit is spectacular. It’s covered with boulders the size of houses and has a view that rivals any Virginia hike. The one downside to Sharp Top is the crowd of people you’ll be almost guaranteed to see. It is indeed a popular place!

View of Sharp Top from Abbot Lake — A view of the mountain from the lodge at the bottom. Below: A sign lets you know you’ve arrived at the summit; At this point you can turn and go to Buzzard’s Roost or continue to the Sharp Top Summit; Another beautiful summit view.

I always thought Peaks of Otter was an odd name for a place, so I did a little research and found some information about the origin of the name on the nearby lodge’s website:

“There are three opinions on how the Peaks of Otter got their name. The name may come from the Cherokee Indian word, “ottari,” which means “high places.” The Peaks may have been named after the Otter River, which has its headwaters in the area. Finally, Scottish settlers may have named the Peaks after Ben Otter, a mountain in their homeland that resembles Sharp Top.“

We got a really early start on our morning, and were headed up the trail by 9:30 or so. It was cool and brilliantly sunny. Even though it was the second weekend of October, the leaves were still mostly green. That was a little disappointing – I had hoped to hike Sharp Top at the peak of fall color. We’ve done that in past years, and the foliage makes the view even nicer! As we hiked up the trail, we passed several downhill hikers on their way back from watching sunrise atop the summit. Other than that, we had the trail mostly to ourselves.

The uphill grade starts of gently, on a mostly smooth and wide trail. For some reason, this is always the only part of the Sharp Top trail I remember. I don’t know why, but I always seem to block the steep and rocky parts out of my mind. After you cross the bus road, the path gets a lot tougher. It’s fairly relentless uphill for a while. Periodically, there are reprieves where the grade moderates and you get a chance to catch your breath. But after each little flat spot, you’re guaranteed to have more climbing. As the summit draws near, you’ll find yourself hiking between and around gigantic boulders. The rock formations on this mountain are impressive! Near the end of the trail, there are quite a few stone stairs to climb. Almost immediately upon reaching the summit, you’ll pass the cabin. The inside is an empty room – concrete floor, fireplace and small windows that look out to the view beyond. It apparently used to be a concession stand. I’m glad someone thought better of the idea and closed the place down – do we really need hot dogs and ice cream for sale on mountain summits?

Adam looking out the building window — The empty building on the Sharp Top summit. Below: Inside the summit house; A boulder jumble at the summit; View of mountains in the distance.

After passing the building, the path winds between the stones up to the highest spot. All over the summit, there are small alcoves and large rocks to perch upon to take in the view. Unless you started very early, the mountain will be crawling with people who took the bus ride to the top. You can usually spot the bus crowd easily – they’re never sweaty and are often wearing dressier clothing and insensible shoes. 🙂 Hikers seem to enjoy quietly referring to the bus riders as “cheaters”. I think it’s great that a bus ride is available for people who aren’t physically able to hike up, but I see lots of young families that I wish would give hiking a chance.

On the way down, Adam and I took the side trail to visit the Buzzard’s Roost. For some reason, this was the first time I’ve taken the option. The roost had amazing views, but I did not enjoy climbing up the rock. I had an inner ear virus a few years ago, and have suffered serious bouts of vertigo ever since. Anytime I climb places with uneven footing and precipitous, open drops I get an awful spinning sensation. It’s like the feel of my feet doesn’t match what my eyes are seeing. It’s a very strange sensation. Sometimes I start to panic, but I’ve found that if I stay low to the ground and go very slow, I can always manage to get where I want to go. But needless to say… you’ll never find me doing any serious rock climbing!

Adam on Buzzard's Roost — Adam takes in the view from Buzzard’s Roost. Below: Another view from Buzzard’s Roost.

After the stop at Buzzard’s Roost, we started our final climb down. I was so glad to have my trekking poles on the steep, uneven ground. So many upwards hikers commented on them! Everything from “We thought you were skiing down!” to “Why do you have two hiking sticks?” to “Darn… I wish I remembered to bring my trekking poles!”. I was surprised so many people had never seen trekking poles before, but I suppose Sharp Top has a very high percentage of people who aren’t regular hikers. Personally, after using trekking poles for a while now, I don’t know how I ever hiked without them!

The hike down was over pretty quickly and we were off to lunch! Typically, we pack a picnic – but this time we decided to try the restaurant at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. They had a buffet option, but it was really expensive and there was no way I could have eaten my money’s worth. But I have to admit… that mountain of fried chicken on the buffet table looked very compelling! We settled for sandwiches instead.

After lunch, we walked along the water and did a bit of people watching. I even saw (allegedly) an otter swimming across the lake.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3.4 miles. You can make it just 3.0 miles if you don’t do the Buzzards Roost side hike.
Elevation Change – 1340 feet
Difficulty – 3. The hike is fairly steep most of the way, with a number of stairs to climb towards the middle and end of the trail. The hike to Buzzards Roast does not have much elevation change.
Trail Conditions –3. The trail is well-maintained, but there are a number of sharp rocks that can make footing tricky.
Views – 5. Amazing 360 degree views from the summit give you some of the best views in Virginia. Go up on a clear day and you will see for miles.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife –1.5. Due to the popularity, you will likely only see birds. You may spot soaring hawks at the top.
Ease to Navigate – 5. Trails are well-labeled, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty navigating the area.
Solitude – 0. This is one of the most popular hikes in Virginia. To escape the crowds, go up early in the morning.

Directions to trailhead: The trail begins near mile marker 86 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trailhead is to the left of the nature center, which is directly across from the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center.

A Walk for Sunshine

October 19, 2010August 26, 20154 Comments

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

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

Snead Farm

October 11, 2010April 29, 20227 Comments

This 3-mile hike leads to the old Snead Farm. It’s one of the few hikes in the park that really shows off what life at the turn of the twentieth century must have been like for the people who made their homes where the park now stands.

Snead Farm - Barn and Cistern — The barn at the old Snead Farm is still in good shape. Most of the other structures are gone, only foundations left. Below: There is a view from the fire road before you follow the final fork to the farm.

Christine Says…

The walk to Snead Farm is really easy and perfect for families. Much of the trail is level and follows a fire road. There are a couple of route options, too. If you start from the visitor’s center, you’ll walk .8 miles on the Dickey Ridge trail before reaching Snead Farm Road. This ends up making a three-mile route, and is the route we followed. You can also start from Skyline Drive, directly on the Snead Farm road. This cuts the route to a mere 1.4 mile out-and-back. Just be sure to follow the correct forks in the road, or you’ll find yourself on a walk to nowhere (like we did… more about that later). Whatever route you choose, the going is easy and relatively level.

As far as I know, Snead Farm has the only remaining barn left standing in the park. In fact, it’s one of the few non-park structures of any kind left standing within the boundaries. The doors are barred closed, so you can’t go inside – but you can peek through windows and gaps in the doors to see the old hayloft up top and animal stalls on the lower level.

Behind a tangle of vines, you can still climb down into the root cellar located behind the barn. The cellar is deep and lined with sturdy shelves, which undoubtedly held stores of food for the farm. The main house’s foundation and several sets of stairs still stand slightly uphill from the barn. The boxwoods that stood on either side of the front door are still there. They have grown tall and wild! The cistern is still there as well. The farm was occupied until the early 1950’s, so the site doesn’t feel as old as some other places in the park, like Pocosin Mission.

Adam Says…

Our hike to Snead Farm ended up being longer than we were expecting. We were using our Falcon Guide Shenandoah National Park book as a guideline and there was misleading information in the book. I’ll try to set things straight with our own directions. From the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, cross Skyline Drive and walk to the flagpole. Take a right at the plaque with hike information. In .2 miles, you will come to the intersection with the Dickey Ridge Trail. Take a right here and proceed for about .3 miles until you reach a fire road (Snead Farm Road). Take a left on the fire road. In another .2 miles, you will reach a fork on the trail. Stay to the left. In another short distance, you will come to another fork where you will see a concrete post. Go to the right, heading uphill. You will continue this trail for about .5 miles until you reach Snead Farm. You will begin to see the barn through the trees.

We did misinterpret the information in the book since it told us to take a left at the last fork. Since we were going a different way than the book, we ended up second-guessing ourselves. When we thought we had gone far enough, we decided to turn around and take a different fork. When the other fork came to a dead-end at a utility building, we realized we had been going the right way. We went back the way we came, took the correct fork, and made our way to the farm. We ended up adding only an extra mile to our hike, but after doing a couple of other hikes that day, we weren’t in the mood for more miles.

The Snead Farm Fire Road is pleasant walking. Below: The old root cellar is still standing; Another view of the barn.

Christine and I marveled at how well-maintained the barn looks. Since it was abandoned in the 50s, it is clear that the park service has kept up with maintaining the barn and even painting it. I wonder if this will be a permanent part of the hike or if the park service will one day let this building fall prey to the elements and the woods.

Overall, this hike was a decent leg-stretcher and a good family hike.

Trail Notes

Distance – 3 miles
Elevation Change – 300 feet
Difficulty – 1.5 An easy walk down a mostly level trail.
Trail Conditions –3.5. Half of the trail followed the Dickey Ridge trail which was well-maintained and the rest is on fire roads.
Views – 1.5 Some views are seen from the final fork to get to Snead Farm.
Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
Wildlife – 2. You may run into some of the usual park animals like deer and birds.
Ease to Navigate – 2.5. The turns did us wrong, so we’re marking it down.
Solitude – 2.5. This is a popular hike due to the proximity to the Northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park and the short distance.

Directions to trailhead: Follow Skyline Drive to the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center (around mile marker 4.6) Park at the visitors center. The trail begins on the east side of the drive, across from the center.