Eric’s Hiking Journal

This last last minute hike was definitely full of surprises. I again made my way past Sperryville, Virginia, as I’ve hiked Old Rag, White Oak Canyon and Cedar Run, Catlett Mountain and Hawksbill Peak, all within the past 6 weeks. This route into Shenandoah National Park has become an old friend, and today we were once more reunited.

I arrived at the parking area that was on the left side of US 211 at roughly 10:30 am. The sky was overcast and the temperature was hovering in the lower 40s. I was appropriately dressed and was quite comfortable despite not wearing a jacket or coat. From experience, I’ve found that for me, temps in the upper 30s and lower40s required little more than a warm base layer, long sleeved shirt and an optional hooded sweatshirt. I brought along a light rain jacket, as Shenandoah National Park is known for bizarre weather throughout any season.

The parking area is little more than a glorified shoulder with just enough room for 5 or 6 cars. The trail head for Buck Hollow Trail is easily spotted and directs southwesterly with you reaching the Buck Ridge Trail in .2 miles, crossing Buck Hollow Stream along the way. You go right at the intersection, following the blue blazed Buck Hollow Trail as it slowly makes its way through the valley, crossing Buck Hollow Stream a few times. The trail is both quiet and serene, relatively easy to traverse, and affording you a few opportunities to photograph some very small yet picturesque falls made more pronounced by recent rainfall.

It was here that I encountered my first black bear in the park, a moment that was quite memorable. I had noticed that throughout the hike bear scat was abundant and relatively fresh. I’ve seen this before in recent weeks, but the foot traffic on more popular hikes tend to scare away bear by mid morning. Today was different. Buck Hollow Trail seems less traveled than many I’ve hiked, and is a more bear-friendly location I presume. I noticed warm scat that was still steaming, as it was still quite cold out. I followed bear tracks roughly 15 feet and off the trail to a steep hillside that lined the path. As I was looking around trying to figure out this bear’s route, I heard loud cracking sounds and then rumbles, as a bear that was not more than 30 feet from me rushed through an area of small trees and bushes, knocking over a medium size rock and rampaging over the hillside and out of view. This was intense! Still. I remained relatively calm, held my position momentarily, and then slowly resumed my hike. What fun!

Well I continued my ascent towards Skyline Drive and the Hazel Mountain parking area, admiring the hollow’s beauty as thick frost lined the near leafless branches of the mountainside’s many chestnut oak trees. It was within the last quarter mile leading up to Skyline Drive that it began to rain lightly. I broke out my Mountain Hardware rain jacket, and just in time, as within moments I was in the midst of a full blown rain storm.

Shorely thereafter I arrived at Skyline Drive, and was amazed at how suddenly rain turned to both sleet and snow, with the wind picking up and gusting to such an extent as to actually stop my forward motion. First bears, and now a freak winter storm? This was insane! Despite the fact I wore only my ragged trail shoes, I continued on, crossing Skyline Drive and making my way 50 meters to my left, picking up Meadow Spring Trail.

At this point, nothing surprised me, not even the 2 inches of snow that was on the ground. I could look across the road and see little more than some frost here and there, but as I began my ascent up what was now a rather steep trail, I saw nothing but snow and ice. In fact, my visibility was severely reduced at times, as wind and snow created a near whiteout condition. At this point, my feet were getting wet, which was definitely of concern, as was the fact my pants were seemingly drawing water from the slush on the ground. This caused the entirety of the back of my pants from knee level to my shoes to become absolutely saturated. Fortunately, they were loose enough as to rarely touch skin while I was in full stride.

After about .3 miles I came to the ruins of an old homestead on my left, something I’d normally explore, but today, I passed, as I was more concerned about dealing with the weather. In another quarter of a mile or so I came to the intersection with the white blazed Appalachian Trail. At this point, turn right and follow the ridge line a little less than one mile to Mary’s Rock Lookout Trail. The path here was slippery, so I treaded carefully. I also took a side trail that led to an overlook, but it was of no use, I could see nothing. What was odd, is that this should have been one of the best vistas in the park, and on a normal day would have provided nearly 40 or 50 miles of visibility. Not today. I managed to carefully climb a rather large and odd shaped rock, despite ice and snow, just to get a look of the mountainside below. My visibility was reduced to tens of feet, as I was barely able to see treetops.

After taking a left onto Mary’s Rock Lookout Trail, I followed the path up and around to what should have been a rather impressive overlook. Again, nothing in terms of visibility. However, I did find scaling Mary’s Rock, the eighth largest peak in the park at 3514 feet, very enjoyable. The rock was slick from ice and oddly shaped, and with wind gusts of up to 20 mph and snow blowing wildly, it was one wild climb. The rock itself is probably 30 feet give or take, but it might as well have been a hundred feet on this day, as I’ve only seen conditions like this on television shows. Despite the poor views, it was well worth it.

So I returned back to and then crossed Skyline Drive following the same route I had previously taken, but this time headed right onto the yellow blazed Hazel Mountain Trail. Amazingly, after crossing through intense winter weather and temperatures nearing 30 degrees, I found myself descending towards Buck Ridge and more agreeable weather. The snow and sleet had stopped, as had the rain, and it seemed almost pleasant. I removed my raincoat and enjoyed a brief ridge run as I made my way a half mile towards Buck Ridge Trail.

From here you continue straight onto the blue blazed Buck Ridge Trail, following a very narrow and poorly maintained path. Honestly, I loved it here. It was barely 18 inches wide in places, partially overgrown but clearly visible. My kind of hiking. I haven’t seen conditions like this since climbing Overall Run Trail towards Beecher Ridge. I even found wild blueberries on the trail, surprisingly still ripe and providing a delicious snack.

As I approached the steep descent towards the intersection of Buck Hollow Trail and Buck Ridge Trail, I got my first glimpse from high altitude of Buck Hollow. A nice change of scenery. Within a few tenths of a mile I again made my way into bear country, as bear scat was even more numerous here. Surprisingly, it is here that I first saw suitable campsites.

The .5 mile descent is no joke. I have never descended such steep terrain, and it was very rocky as well. I could have very easily spent 30-45 minutes carefully making my way off the mountainside, however, I perfected a short stepping jog that I used to move from tree to tree. I would catch myself, either slowing my descent or stopping completely, before heading off towards my next pit stop. The method worked and in no time I found myself back on Buck Hollow Trail and shortly thereafter, at the parking lot.

While this hike may have been more enjoyable without the freak winter weather, it certainly qualifies as one of my most memorable. I’m definitely going to make my way back to Mary’s Rock though. I won’t forgive myself if I never manage to enjoy what I’m told is an amazing vista. With or without the view from the overlook, the ridge walk was on the finest I’ve completed. The fall colors were amazing, as was seeing what many believe to be the oldest tree in the park, a nearly 700 year old hemlock. I definitely recommend this hike.

Photos from the hike:

I did this hike on a Sunday, a day after an awesome hike to Signal Knob in George Washington National Forest. It’s not very long, a little over 2 miles round trip, but the views are spectacular, and when combined with a few other stops along Skyline Drive, makes for a great afternoon. Even better, the company of a true champion-in-training — Margaret!

The weather was still holding, even though early in November. A light jacket was more than adequate, perhaps even overkill. I’ve been lucky this season, with mostly sunny skies and very agreeable weather when hiking in Shenandoah National Park.

My hike began in the Upper Hawksbill Parking area. There were few cars, so I was expecting near solitude on my way to the summit. You first take the Hawksbill Mountain Trail, which is both wide and gravelly, making the rather steep climb far more manageable than I had expected. I was amazed at how well the trail had been maintained, but considering how frequently traveled this path is, it should have come as no surprise. A lot of care had been taken to prevent erosion, as waterbars (small logs) were placed systematically up the mountainside to redirect water flow. The park is known for intense rains and thunderstorms, and a trail of this steepness and design would not last long without them.

Despite an ascent that provided little in the way of traditional views, I was still impressed by the natural beauty of this alpine mountainside. This Canadian-like forest is rare in the park, and in the area in general, as it is most commonly found above an elevation of 4000 ft.; red spruce and balsam fir littered the landscape, providing my first glimpse of a boreal forest. These trees were once common in the Shenandoah thousands of years ago, before the climate warmed and ancient glaciers receded. What was left were pockets of alpine forest, dubbed “sky islands“, that are now rare in the park.

Roughly one half mile into the hike you reach a point at which the Hawksbill Mountain Trail descends slightly before meeting the Hawksbill Mountain Fire Road. You make a right onto the gullied fire road and continue up the mountainside, passing an area devastated by gypsy moths. It was on this portion of the hike that I had an extremely close encounter with a grouse busily calling out in hopes of finding a mate. Amusing to say the least, especially since he had been entertaining a rather large crowd for well over 5 minutes. I enjoyed the show for a few moments, and then quietly moved on.

Within a very short distance you’ll find an intersection at which point you will make a left up a narrow footpath which almost immediately bears right onto the Salamander Trail. Continue straight until you reach a trail junction in which you will bear right, passing a few rock outcrops and soon meeting Byrds Nest No. 2, a day use shelter which lies right before the mountain’s summit. This is the second in a series of shelters built in the park thanks to Senator Harry Byrd.

From here, follow the trail to Hawksbill summt. At 4050 feet, it is the highest point in Shenandoah National Park. Here you will find a man-made observation platform, complete with metal plates showing the cardinal directions. From this vantage point, Old Rag, Stony Man, Crescent Rock and Nakedtop are all visible. These views, along with those of the Shenandoah Valley below are stunning. I lingered for awhile, before leaving the platform and exploring the rocky outcroppings that line the summit’s edge, granting a bird’s eye view of the Appalachian Trail below. This was a blast. I took in a few more sites and returned back to the parking area via the same route.

All in all, another great hike, especially considering it was but 2.2 miles round trip. It was nice to summit the highest point in the park. Next up, Buck Hollow and Mary’s Rock.

Photos from the hike:

Signal Knob was my first hike in George Washington National Forest. The hike starts only 8 miles from Front Royal, Virginia just off Fort Valley Road. I was the first person to arrive in the parking lot (with the exception of two cars belonging to campers), which is located off to your right (of Fort Valley Road) and spans either side of the road. I arrived before sunrise, roughly 6 am, and took a brief nap for a little over an hour. I awoke, geared up, and headed out.

The yellow blazed Signal Knob trail begins in the north lot. It was cold and humid, and the feel, before sunrise and under the canopy of the forest, was different, spooky, but I liked it. The trail meandered alongside a hollow, passing an old house, before crossing a stream. The stream is fed by a nearby spring house roughly 20 meters off trail. The water was sweet, and it went well with the makeshift breakfast I was eating, an apple and protein bar.

Follow the trail as it wanders 1.5 miles alongside the mountain, switchbacking on your ascent to Buzzards Rock Overlook. Within another .8 miles you’ll reach Fort Valley Overlook, and from there, reach a large campsite within another mile. The terrain can be tricky in places, as one portion of the hike and side of the mountain is comprised of rather large stones. It reminded me of a baby-like version of Devils Marbleyard.

You’ll pass a series of nice campsites, as well as the white blazed Meneka Peak trail to your left on your way to the main overlook that lies just beyond a large transmission tower. Again, surprisingly, a hike that midway through has mobile phone reception… full bars!!!

The overlook was amazing. The panoramic view of the Shenandoah Valley, Strasburg, Great North Mountain, and the Allegheny mountains was stunning, perhaps one of the best in northern Virginia.

Now from here you have two choices. The first and most common, is to take the orange blazed service road down 1.2 miles and make a left onto the blue blazed Tuscarora trail. I chose to do this hike. The other, and the one I would have now preferred, is to retrace the Signal Knob trail to the Meneka Peak trail, and take that until reaching the Tuscarora trail in about 1.2 miles. It provides slightly less distance, but more views of Fort Valley. You also reach the highest point on the west ridge.

So I crossed Little Passage Creek as it ascended Green Mountain and towards Maneka Peak, reaching the ridge line and Meneka Peak trail in just under .75 miles. It was here that I met other hikers for the first time, with the exception of some campers just before the transmission tower, and it was on the descent that I began to see deer in large quantities. You’ll follow the blue blazed trail roughly another 3.5 miles, passing the pink blazed Sidewinder trail, the white blazed Elizabeth Furnace trail, and taking in some beautiful scenery, all in near seclusion.

The trail begins to flatten a bit, and you’ll continue on for another half mile before making your way back to the parking lot. It was in this portion of the hike that I passed roughly 20 people spread out in roughly 8 different groups. Fortunately, I missed the crowds.

The hike was enjoyable, not the most scenic, save for that awesome panoramic view, but the foliage was still nice, the trail, at least in the early am of a cold fall morning, was peaceful, and though I didn’t have a chance to make use of it, the forest provided many great camping spots, definitely a plus. All in all, not bad, and I’d be willing to revisit this hike, especially with an opportunity to camp overnight.

Photos from the hike:

Catlett Mountain is definitely one of Shenandoah National Park’s best kept secrets. For starters, the fall foliage was amazing! Add to that, great water views as you pass the Hughes River, Brokenback Run, Hannah Run, and a handful of smaller streams that would normally run dry. However, the past week brought a few inches of rain, and water was flowing from practically everywhere. Best of all… no people. Absolute seclusion. From start to finish I passed only 5 people, all of which I encountered within the first mile or so, and this is a hike that begins within a half mile of the Old Rag Trail.

My hike began in the Old Rag Trail’s lower parking lot. I arrived a little before 1 pm, parked, grabbed my gear, my park entrance fee and made my way to the ranger station . Since I was camping in the backcountry, it was necessary to fill out an overnight camping permit. It’s free and essentially keeps track of campers in case of emergency. Within 15 minutes I was on my way.

The trail was roughly .5 miles from the lower parking lot and within .4 miles from the upper lot. The trail begins to your right, down a gravel road which leads to the blue blazed Nicholson Hollow Trail. Be mindful of the fact that you are passing through private property for the first 5-10 minutes of your hike. Respect the property of other’s and remain on the trail.

As you begin you veer sharply to the right and shortly thereafter pass over both the Hughes River and Brokenback Run. The water was high thanks to the recent rainfall, though small boulders provided ample means of crossing without becoming wet.

You’ll remain on the right side of the Hughes River for just under 2 miles, passing an intersection for the Corbin Mountain Trail. The path is relatively flat, provides some great water views and even access to a rather nice swimming hole that is clearly accessible by a short, yet wide, side trail that extends roughly 30 meters to a large boulder that creates a small waterfall. On my return route, I spent roughly 20 minutes here playing… I can’t resist deep water!

After about 1.7 miles in, you’ll come to the intersection of the Hot-Short Mountain Trail. This trail will provide your descent from Catlett Mountain, so continue on and soon after pass Hannah Run. This is where I was attempting a photo op mid stream, lost my balance and ended up 18 inches in water. Oh well, the water was invigorating, if nothing else. From here, move on and reach the intersection of the Hannah Run Trail within .2 miles.

On the first day of my hike I chose to camp roughly .75 miles up the trail. I descended a hill to my right, crossed Hannah Run and walked up the mountain roughly 25 meters to a small stretch of semi-flat ground.

I chose a spot that was absent of any shoddy looking trees, as any smart camper should, especially after a stormy period. I set up camp, and within an hour was sitting down for dinner. Nothing spectacular, soup, a protein bar, an apple and water, but it was enough.

It was a beautiful evening, not too cold, not yet windy, and very peaceful. I turned in early only to awake around 1 am as the weather abruptly changed from relative calm to extremely windy. A medium sized, rotting tree fell within 100 meters of my tent, limbs and leaves were falling all around, and the wind itself literally drowned out the sound of the stream. It was intense, but I loved every minute of it. The worst of it soon passed until early morning. Around 8 am gusts reached close to 20 mph and remained strong for 2 1/2 hours.

Apart from that, my night was wonderful. I was up for awhile reading, snacking on trail mix and playing the occasional game of bowling on my cell phone. After an hour or so I decided to go back to bed. Though temperatures reached into the lower 40s, perhaps upper 30s (I was sleeping at an elevation of 1900 feet), my sleeping bag and throw provided more than enough warmth and I slept comfortably. I didn’t even require my thermals.

Morning came and I had a small breakfast, closed up camp and headed back out on the trail. It was cold, damp, and unfortunately under the strain of a steep ascent, a heavy pack, and a slight calorie deficiency, I couldn’t help but sweat. Considering the cold morning temperature, I was concerned, even stripped down to one shirt and the outer shell of my coat. Better, but not by much. I continued on this way for the next 2 miles, running the risk of becoming hypothermic.

After returning to the trail, the path became increasingly steep, passing the occasional ruins of pre-Depression farm houses vacated during the construction of the park. On a few occasions, whole chimneys were still left intact.

The hardest portion of this trail came after crossing Hannah Run. The slope is intense, the path, partially washed out from the recent rains, and to attempt this weakened from eating to little, somewhat disoriented from the cold, all the while carrying an overnight pack, was anything but fun. However, after reaching the plateau that descends towards the Catlett Mountain Trail, I regained my composure and again, was making good time.

I soon came to the intersection with the Catlett Mountain Trail, went right, and enjoyed a relatively easy stroll. The ground was made soft thanks to the dropping of pine needles. Very comfortable.

After about 100 meters, you’ll again turn right to continue on the CMT as the Catlett Spur Trail abruptly intersects your path. Continue on another 1.2 miles until reaching the yellow blazed Hazel Mountain Trail, turn right and continue on for about 10 minutes until reaching the Hot-Short Mountain Trail.

The trailhead is difficult to see and is roughly 20 meters off of the trail. Very odd, but fortunately, I didn’t miss it. From here, you’ll have a slightly rockier hike, descending 2.1 miles towards the Nicholson Hollow Trail. It was on this path that you’ll be offered some amazing views of Old Rag and neighboring mountains.

As you approach the intersection of the NHT, you’ll find the ruins of a few more farm houses and even pass a stone wall that is primarily still intact.

After reaching the NHT, you’ll turn left, retracing your steps from the day before, and within 2.2 miles reach the Old Rag Trail parking lot.

My thoughts on the camping trip… refreshing. Being in the backcountry removed from the crowds, enjoying the fall foliage as well as the return of water to the many dry or nearly dry streams was a welcome change to overly populated campgrounds. The hike, though lacking in the many skyline vistas that most people seek, more than made up for it by offering solitude, amazing water views and more abundant wildlife.

Photos from the hike:

Another great late October day, and another amazing hike in Shenandoah National Park. Today’s hike was an 8 miler that was nothing short of spectacular. Great water views, some off-trail scrambling, and most remarkable, mobile phone reception midway into my hike… okay, so that wasn’t the most memorable part of the hike, but still, shocking!

I arrived at the park late-morning, and of course, the lot was full, typical for this time of the season. The fall foliage is beginning to peak, people are out trying to get in that last minute hike before cold weather sets in, and who could blame them? So I grabbed my gear, my park entrance fee, and made my way to the White Oak Canyon trailhead.

The first thing that I noticed was that the trail was crowded. Normally I’d find this to be a major turnoff, but today I would make an exception. For starters, I knew that the view of the falls would make up for any overcrowding, and apart from that, I realized that my rapid pace would sooner or later distance myself from the pack.

You begin by crossing two steel bridges, making your way to the right and onto the blue blazed WOC trail. At this point you’re following White Oak Canyon Run, and do so for approximately 1.5 miles, at which point you arrive at the base of the first set of major falls. This part of the hike is relatively flat, and it made for a great warm up.

Normally one would follow the trail a little less than a mile as it switchbacked up the rather steep mountain, but today I was intent on playing a bit. I climbed a number of large boulders looking for that perfect camera shot, and afterwards opted to climb the steep, overgrown mountainside that eventually led to the trail. I did this off and on for the majority of my ascent, and it was well worth it. What would have been a brief hike took a majority of my afternoon. I even managed to help a few hikers in distress, as a large black snake was blocking their path. I gently removed the snake from the trail and we continued on.

Now without going on and on about the amazing views, and they were numerous, I’ll just leave you with this… 6 major falls, the largest being 86′, and unlike many I’ve encountered this season, they had more than a trickle of water flowing over them. Like I said earlier, definitely worth the crowds, and I’m no fan of crowds!

As you reach the last set of falls, the path seems unnecessarily complicated as oddly positioned trail markers point in directions that seem “off” just enough as to cause minor confusion. Simply cross White Oak Canyon Run and head left towards the wide yellow blazed White Oak Canyon Fire Road/Horse Trail. It was here that I left the crowds behind, and with the exception of passing a parking area later in my hike that was just off of Skyline Drive, I didn’t see another soul until I was little more than 100 meters from my car .

The horse trail was a constant ascent, but the road was easy to walk, as most fire roads are. After a little more than a 1.5 miles I arrived at the intersection of WOC Fire Road/Horse Trail and the Horse Trail to Big Meadows trail. I continued left for about .6 miles, following the now narrow yellow blazed trail. This leads to, and I assume crosses, Skyline Drive. However, about 50 meters or so before the you reach the parking lot, you make a sharp left onto Cedar Run Trail. The descent was sharp, steep and rocky. So what do I do? I jog of course! It was getting late in the evening and I was afraid that I would find myself caught on the trail in darkness. I was making good time when… I was shocked to hear the theme to the Fitness Made Simple infomercial (my ringtone, long, long story)!!! I remember hiking Old Rag and having to wait almost 45 minutes for reception. Perhaps it was the close proximity to Skyline Drive, at any rate, I enjoyed a brief conversation and continued on my way.

After about a 1.5 miles I arrived at Halfmile Cliff and played a bit in the water, took some photos and went on my way. That was short lived. 60 meters downstream and I found a narrow gorge and I just had to descend down through it. My footing was precarious, and I eventually compromised with mother nature and opted to simply “slide”down a portion of the larger, slippery moss covered rocks on my butt. Cold but fun!

Okay, so now it was getting dark and it was time to get serious about getting down the mountain. In about .5 miles the path makes a very sharp left turn and crosses Cedar Run. Be careful, it’s easy to miss. Trust me, I know! It was from here that I ran most of the way back to the parking lot. You’ll come to the WOC/Cedar Run Connector Trail, you’ll turn right, continue downhill, and make your way back to the WOC trail intersection. From here, you’ll again turn right, cross the steel bridge and arrive back at the parking area.

I was a little disappointed that I arrived at the park and began my hike so late in the day. I would have loved to explore the Cedar Run Trail a little more, another hour would have went a long way. All in all, I had a blast, even though the trail lacked any true mountain vistas. Definitely a nice alternative to the usually crowded Old Rag Trail that begins just a few miles away!

So as usual, the great Shenandoah National Park doesn’t disappoint. Another great hike!

Photos from the hike: