Trail people - a connection that boggles the mind

Thursday, October 11, 2012:

This is "Mag-Lev" (as in 'magnetic levitation').  It's not a great photo - taken early in the early morning in a patch of bright glaring sun.

I first met Mag-Lev yesterday, passed him twice and then met him at the Pass Mountain Hut during my late evening visit.  Our conversations were friendly but superficial then.   I didn't learn his trail name then.

Today I hiked south to the side trail to the Hut and turned around (no need to visit a shelter twice when it's 0.2 miles off the AT).  On my way back north this fellow passed me.  He's a fit man, 40-ish, fast hiker.  And he had a deadline to meet - Front Royal to meet his pick-up by 1PM tomorrow.  But we had a conversation before he pushed ahead.  That's when I learned of his destination, still didn't ask his trail name.

Somehow the conversation picked up again before he was beyond ear-shot, and he slowed down again.  I learned that he had started at Montebello last Wednesday, just out hiking for a week and a half.  On that rainy frigid day when sleet fell, he had the unexpected luxury of staying at the hiker cabin at Loft Mountain Campground - something neither he or I knew existed.  And when he asked, I told him the basics of my adventure, and that I have just a bit over 250 miles left to hike.  Then I apologized for slowing him down and bid him good luck getting to US 522 by 1PM tomorrow.  He wished me well on my final 250 miles.

Fine.  Nice Guy.  Really glad to have met him.  I still hadn't learned his trail name.

But the guy was still in sight when he got to the road crossing at Beahms Gap (where I had parked), and he started to turn right toward the overlook, not seeing that the trail went into the woods a bit to the left. I called out to him to correct him, and pointed out my vehicle parked as close to the AT crossing as I could park in the south end of the overlook.  I asked if he needed anything - snacks, water, etc.

"Thanks, I'm fine," he said, then he asked: “Where are you from?”

I answered that I had just moved to NC at the beach.

His response “I live in North Carolina too - at the other end of the state, in Boone.”

“Oh,” I said, “You know, I’ve met a few hikers from Boone during my travels. One who stands out in particular is 'Huckleberry', who I met way down south in Smoky Mountain …”

“That’s my son!”

Yes.  Wow!  After a bit more discussion the amazing connection was confirmed.  'Huckleberry' was one of the special foursome who I took the time to talk with at Tricorner Knob Shelter on a day when I had no time to talk - a day I needed to cover 30 miles before midnight.  But this bunch impressed me with their chemistry and friendliness - I just had to take the time to get to know them better.

Mag-Lev had met the other three as well - Green Bean, Moses, and Spoon.  It turns out that they had spent a night at his home (where Huckleberry still lives).  He was as impressed as I was with this gang of kids - really great people, his son not the least among them.  At left is the close-up of Huckleberry from the group photo I took back on March 10th.  The family resemblance is pretty obvious.

Finally, after taking one-another's pictures, we parted company and my day's hike settled back to a more normal pattern - beautiful fall woodlands on a bright chilly fall day.  The trail gave me a good view or two of the Shenandoah Valley, the best being this one, taken from the "overlook of the overlook" where the AT leads you to a rocky perch above the vehicle overlook on Hogback Mountain, with a grand view of the Shenandoah Valley on a crisp, clear day.

The rest of today's 20+ miles of hiking was pure pleasure, but there weren't any more good photo-ops that I feel are worth sharing - just road crossings and side trail junctions and lots of time strolling the Appalachian woods.  There are worse ways to spend an October day!

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Here's today's map and photo link:

AT Day 254 - Hogback at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Virginia

Views galore

view west from The Pinnacles

Wednesday, October 10, 2012:

Today I hiked the north part of the Central section of Shenandoah Park - a 9 mile piece of trail that features several very popular day hiking venues with excellent views, mostly all toward the west, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.  The best of these, from The Pinnacles, I've included above.  The other most prominent viewpoints came from Little Stonyman and Mary's Rock - both stunning high rock outcrops that are not for people with acrophobia.   Weather was cool and breezy, but up to near 60F by afternoon - perfect!  I'm posting my personal journal entry below for more details.

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Morning view of Shenandoah Valley from Little Stonyman

I was on the trail at 7:30 and made the one mile climb to little Stonyman, where the views were great this morning. The hike was so quick and easy it was hard to believe it was the same piece of trail that had seemed so long and grueling to me back in 2009.

I made a short leg north and back, turning around at the Corbin Cabin parking area, and this piece had steeper sloped trail (short ups and downs of a couple hundred feet) than the trail up to Little Stonyman!

I then moved my vehicle to the Jewell Hollow Overlook and hiked back to Corbin Cabin side trail – a fairly easy section of walking that included a walk through the Pinnacles Picnic Ground. There the AT goes right past a water fountain with excellent water, picnic tables, and two restrooms. And there is a nice welcoming sign there, inviting casual walkers to stroll a short piece of this famous trail. It’s probably my favorite such sign of many along the AT because of the way its worded and because of the pretty setting with the trail paved and with restrooms and water fountain.

Marys Rock as seen from The Pinnacles

Back to Jewell Hollow I started a much longer leg north, climbing over The Pinnacles with excellent views to the west, and then to Mary’s Rock. I took the short side trail to that summit and finally got the views that I missed when Jim, Rik, Ryan and I hiked here back around 2007 on a horribly cold and rainy foggy May day when the forecast was for the drizzle to end but instead it poured down rain all day with temperatures in the 30’s and made us all nearly hypothermic.  I can't remember ever being colder.

I made the return hike from Mary’s Rock to Jewell Hollow and then moved the old two-ton steel tent to the Panorama parking area at Thornton Gap and did the long climb back up to Mary’s Rock from the north. Although the climb was 1200 feet, this wasn’t too tough because the grade was steady on the old CCC constructed trail, but the footing was rocky.

I got back to Thornton Gap at 4:45PM so had time to do a final piece of trail north to Pass Mountain Hut where I found five guys setting up to spend the night. Four of them were people I had passed multiple times through the day and even yesterday. So we had some nice conversation, though quick, as I signed the register and needed to head back. I got back to Panorama at 6:40, just a few minutes before sunset.

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Here's the map of today's hike, with a link to more photos:

AT Day 253 - The Pinnacles, Marys Rock at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Virginia

So much to see

Tuesday, October 9, 2012:

Even before I got on the trail, as I was driving up Skyline Drive at sunrise, there was a show that I just had to stop and see - fog spilling over the gap, great fall color painted by a narrow slit of sunlight in otherwise overcast skies:

I hiked from Big Meadows Lodge to Little Stonyman, and there were sights of all kinds along the way.  The fog was playing with the sun.  The concert was a re-enactment of the moment of creation.  And I got to be a witness!

The fog gave fall color its own unique signature.

And the moisture brought the natural rock gardens to life:

And there were views - views galore!  How can one person be so blessed in one single day, to have experienced such glory!?!

Franklin Cliffs in the fog

Crescent Rocks and its adjacent overlook

Morning view northward from Big Meadows campground

Looking North from Little Stonyman

View SW from Pollock Knob

I guess it was a good day.  Wow!
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Here's the plot of my hiking on a map, with a link to more photos:

AT Day 252 - Big Meadows to Little Stonyman at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Shenandoah National Park

Snow!

Monday, October 8, 2012:

Well, Okay, actually it was sleet with little globby snow lumps mixed in, and some rain mixed in as well.  But it was 35 degrees, and it felt like winter.  So hiking in this stuff today gave me the sense that I had come all the way through the annual cycle.  I hiked through many small snowstorms in January and February farther south in Virginia, and now the first of the new season has hit here in the Big Meadows area of Shenandoah Park.

I don't have a photo to show you of kids making snowmen, or of Lodge workers shoveling snow (they were actually there working - but were raking leaves as the snow fell).  But I do have a special photo to share.

I hiked only 4.5 miles of new trail, returning to Hazeltop from the north and hiking as far south as the side trail to the Big Meadows Lodge.  The photo is of the hands-down best 'green tunnel' spot anywhere on the trail (in my humble opinion).  I hiked here in June 2009 and noted it then.  Here's how it looked today, complete with a father-son day-hiking team who agreed to let me include them as they strolled down the long-straight grass-lined section and away into the distant 'tunnel' at the end.

By the way, I passed the Meadows Cemetery - the trail goes right by it, at Tanners Ridge Road.  It provides tangible proof that Big Meadows was NOT named for the big grassy meadow across from the wayside, but for the family named Meadows who owned land and lived in the area long before the park took over.

Today was a short hiking day because I didn't get back to the area until 10AM after driving back from Maryland, and because after 5PM the rain became steady and fairly heavy.  No more snow, but the temperature remained in the 30's.  It looks just a tad warmer for tomorrow, and the leaves are now changing here in earnest.  I'm looking forward to a full and colorful hiking day.

Looking SW from Hazeltop on a chilly fall morning

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Here's the map of today's hike with a link to more photos:

AT Day 251 - Big Meadows at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Virginia

A Zero for the Hero

... the hero of the day, that is (sorry, I think I've been reading too many sappy birthday greeting cards).  Anyhow ... my son Brandon celebrated  his birthday today,

Sunday, October 7, 2012,

and I came up to College Park, MD to join him and daughter Ellen for a nice visit.

It was a big day of activities.  First we spent an hour at the Verizon Wireless store putting orders in for the new iPhone, one for each of my kids - I'll stick with my dumb phone and wireless mobile hot spot ... prefer to have the luxury of a full sized screen to do my web browsing, thank-you-very-much.

Next we took in the movie 'Looper', which was a hoot once you decided to stop worrying about the numerous irresolvable time travel paradoxes.  Acting and story were otherwise very entertaining.

Then finally we had a big dinner at Sakura, a local chain of excellent Japanese hibachi restaurants, always with great sushi and a great show.  Here the chef is injecting 'fireworks' into the iconic 'onion volcano':

It was a wonderful day to be off the trail - wet and raw and rainy all day.  More of the same is forecast for tomorrow as I head back to Shenandoah National Park.  If I get any hiking at all it, it's likely to be short, bone-chillingly cold, and pretty wet.  We'll see.

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Seven Little Yo-yo's

Saturday, October 6, 2012:

Every day I hike a little piece of Appalachian Trail both ways, first north, then back south, or vice-versa.  In trail parlance, that's called a 'yo-yo' - an out-and-back hike following the same route both ways.  I've been doing things that way since January 1st, and today marked the 250th such day hike.

But today I further split the hike up into seven mini-yo-yo's, if you will - seven short out-and-back hikes, parking at four different access points along Skyline Drive to accomplish this.  I covered 9.5 miles of new trail and hiked for about 10 1/2 hours.

For those who want all the details of each of the seven little yo-yo's, I'm pasting in the day's entry from my personal journal:

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I got up at 7AM and changed and headed back up to the park and parked at the South Mountain Picnic Grounds and finished preparing. I was on the trail much later than I wanted to – after 8AM – and hiked the first of seven short legs, this one north to the wooded summit of Bald Face Mountain. There’s barely a view anywhere on that mountain, just a very limited one from a rock a little south of the summit.

Back at the picnic area I moved to the hidden and unmarked parking area on Pocosin Fire road, hidden from view of Skyline Drive. But the parking area was almost full. I squeezed in beside a trailer that looked to be permanently parked there, and hiked a leg south back to Bald Face. On this leg, the trail takes pains (many rock steps winding up a rocky outcrop) to get you to a viewpoint on a secondary peak called Upper Pocosin that is now almost totally overgrown and doesn’t seem to have had a view of anything but adjacent mountains in the first place. Then the trail resumes its easy gentle nature the rest of the way up to Bald Face.

Next I did the leg north for about a mile, turning around at an unmarked trail that runs 50 feet or less to a grassy parking area on Skyline Drive at MP 58.5. It’s clear people use this parking spot, and the access trail is clearly visible.

I returned and moved my vehicle to the picnic area at Lewis Mountain Campground and hiked back north to the unmarked trail access point, which is also near a prominent big slanted rock slab beside the trail.

Back to Lewis Mountain picnic area I continued on and did a leg north, stopping at Bearfence Mountain Hut. The side trail to it has been entirely rerouted – the old and very steep direct trail was closed almost exactly a year ago (was open when I visited last September), and replaced by an access trail three times longer via fire roads.

From there I continued on north to the summit of Bear Fence Mountain, seemingly named for a big linear spine of high rocks that runs the length of the mountain for a quarter mile or more (acting as a ‘Bear Fence’?). This is a hugely popular day hiking destination and was crawling with people on this beautiful Saturday. But the AT avoids all the popular spots – the view point, the rock scramble and the various rock spires along the ‘Fence’. It passes beside the base of the ‘Fence’ and bypasses the summit altogether, letting a loop trail and a direct trail up from an overflowing parking area take most of the day-hiker traffic.

I returned to the Lewis Mtn. picnic area and moved on to the parking area at Bootens Gap. It had only one open parking spot out of five available. I hiked back south to ascend the other side of Bear Fence Mountain, then returned and had plenty of time to hike one final leg north that took me to the summit viewpoint on Hazeltop where brother Jim and nephew Rik and I camped back in June 2009. That remains the only place that I have ever camped on the trail, and I now wish I could say I *never* camped on the trail.

Today’s weather started out warm and a bit humid but with the passing clouds from the dissipating showers, doing just what the forecast said they would, a cold front pushed in. So that by the time I was on the summit of Hazeltop at about 6PM it was clear and chilly with excellent visibility. Here’s how it looked, bringing back the memories of a very similar evening spent here three years ago:

Evening view from Hazeltop

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That view is actually much more panoramic when you stand on the rocks shown in the foreground.  It's a very pretty spot; and just back from it is the little patch of grass where I 'cowboy' camped back in 2009.  I do wish I hadn't done that, so that I could say that I've absolutely never spent a night on the trail, rather than just saying that I did the entire trail *this year* without spending a night on the trail.  Ah, the follies of our 'youth' - how often they come back to haunt us :-)

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Here's the map of today's hiking route and a link to more photos:

AT Day 250 - Bear Fence, Hazeltop at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Virginia

Hightop Mountain on a gorgeous day

Friday, October 5, 2012:

Do you prefer your views with berries or without?

View with berries, looking NW from Hightop

View SW toward Massanutten from main rock outcrop, Hightop

This was the choice at the summit of Hightop Mountain, not far south of Swift Run Gap in Shenandoah National Park, at the US 33 crossing (the highway that runs west past Massanutten Ski Area and on to Harrisonburg, VA).

The weather was magnificent - there is no more perfect weather than fall weather in the mid-Atlantic region, and today was the epitome of perfect fall weather.  It was clear, nearly calm, and mild, with the temperatures in the low 70's F up on the mountain tops.

Sunrise view from rocks just S of Powell Gap

It was such a great day that I simply had to hike during every daylight minute.  I started before sunrise climbing up an unnamed peak between Powell Gap and Simmons Gap (there's an apple tree right at the summit shading a couple of rocks that you can sit on, but no view).  And I hiked until after sunset, making it north to the South River Picnic Grounds.

And in the middle of the day I got to climb the biggest mountain of the day, Hightop, up and down from both sides.  The walking was easy despite the 800 feet of elevation change.  There is no difficult trail, it seems, in this part of Virginia, or at least in Shenandoah Park, where much of the trail was professionally built (by the CCC) at the time that Skyline Drive was put through between 1931 and 1939.

Days as perfect as this are few and far between, so I felt blessed to be able to soak up every moment of it as I hiked 11 miles of the Appalachian Trail both ways.

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Here's the map of today's hike with straight lines on the track that simply connect the several parking spots I used to access the trail.  The title is a link to more photos.

AT Day 249 - Hightop Mountain at EveryTrail
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Virginia