Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act - in the Rough Mountain Wilderness

The Crane Trail in the Rough Mountain Wilderness is one of the first hikes I reported on this blog.  I hiked it during February back in 2009, over five years ago.  In the previous report, I recounted how hard it was to find this trail - it had taken me 3 trips to find the trail, and even then I only hiked half of the trail.  I've always wanted to come back and check out the entire length of the trail.

A couple of months ago, I hiked the incredible House Mountain Trail with some of my favorite hiking companions - folks with the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.  During that hike, we talked about "hard to hike" trails.  Since this year is the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, we decided to hike the Crane Trail.  Nobody else had ever hiked the trail; I am not sure they had even heard of it. But my fellow hikers were intrigued by the challenge this hike presents, and we ended up with 8 strong hikers exploring the Rough Mountain Wilderness.

This appears to be a Marbled Salamander, and was found on the railroad tracks.

Getting to the trailhead is an event in itself.  (Driving directions are at the bottom of this post.)  But unlike my previous three trips to the area, I drove the rutted forest road all the way to the final parking area.  I had always wimped out in the past - hiking 20 minutes on the final access road because I was afraid the Subaru couldn't make the trip.  But it wasn't a problem driving the to the final parking lot.

After parking in the small lot - it probably holds 5 vehicles - it was a little bit of a puzzle trying to get up to the railroad tracks while avoiding some wet, swampy spots.  After you get up to the tracks, you head north for a mile.  You will know when you have reached the trail's start when you reach a small bridge taking the tracks over Pads Creek.  It is the only bridge on the walk. Look in among the brush to the left (West) and you will see a trail sign and an old kiosk.

Once it starts climbing the mountain, the trail is very easy to follow.

But you haven't found the trail yet!  At least the first 700 feet of the trail do not exist anymore. Blowdowns and overgrowth have obliterated the trail.  Save yourself some effort, and follow the drainage heading west from Pads Creek at this point.  After travelling up that drainage for several hundred yards, take a right off of the drainage and look for the old trail alignment.  It will be a depression in the ground.  The further upstream you go, the easier the trail will be to find.  If you have a GPS receiver, set it for N37° 54.689' W79° 40.775'.  The trail should be pretty obvious by this point.

By the time the trail really climbs Rough Mountain, it is easy to follow and really nicely constructed. Our group did some vegetation clipping, doing our part to keep the woods from totally reclaiming this trail.  The trail takes a couple of switchbacks and, 3.1 miles from the parking lot, crests Rough Mountain.

Looking west from the Crane Trail.  Douthat State Park in the distance.

I had never gone further than this point before, and was excited to check out the trail heading back down the other side of the mountain.  The Crane Trail on the west side of Rough Mountain was in great shape - much better than on the east side.  And on the way down there were some pretty views through a thin cover of pine trees of the Cowpasture River valley and of Beards Mountain in Douthat State Park.  I hiked the trail all the way to the edge of the National Forest boundary, turning around at the 4.5 mile mark of the hike, where the trees were marked with red boundary paint.  There was no sign telling me to turn around or not trespass.  Maybe the neighbors figure that so few hikers would ever make it to this spot that it isn't worth the trouble.  The folks living around here have their own private trail into the wilderness, and they know that the woods behind their property won't ever be developed.  Pretty sweet.

The Crane Trail west of the Rough Mountain summit is in nice shape.

No sign saying "private property," just some red banded trees showing the boundary.

We all followed the trail back the same way we came, and I was interested to see how far I could go on the old trail alignment before it gets lost in the woods.  We did lose it again on the return, though we were nearly within spitting distance of the railroad tracks.  Blowdowns eviscerate the trail about 500 feet from the kiosk.  After a little bit of wandering around in the brush, we found our way to the trailhead.  I suggest getting down to the streambed and taking that back to the trail's start.

After the requisite mile return along the railroad tracks, the two groups piled in cars and headed back to our respective meeting places.  For the Charlottesville group, it was a 95 mile drive taking 2 hours. The first 12 miles were off pavement, and we averaged 20 mph over these roads, taking a little over 35 minutes.  The rest of the drive averaged 65 mph.

Topo Map of the hike.  The trail is missing between the two points shown on the map.

Hike details.
PATC Difficulty Factor: 244.6 (out and back)
Total Distance: 8.9 miles 
Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes, including stops.
Low Point: 1320 ft.

Highest Point: 2568 ft.

Elevation Difference: 1248 ft.

To get to the trailhead: Take Interstate 64 West past Lexington to the Goshen exit, Exit 43.  Follow signs towards Goshen, staying on Rt. 780.  Just as you come to a little burg named with a sign, "Little California," take a left onto Rt. 633, Rockbridge Alum Springs Rd.  There should be a sign for a religious camp here.  You'll pass the camp and lose hard pavement.  The forest road will snake its way through a gap in Mill Mountain, then drop down to an intersection with Pads Creek Road.  Take a left here and go past the Bubbling Springs campsite (privy).  You will have to ford Pads Creek before coming to a road to the right that heads uphill off of Pads Creek Road about 0.8 miles after the stream ford.  Follow this side road 1.4 miles until it ends at a small parking area.  Leave your car and head north next to the railroad tracks for a mile until you come to a small railroad bridge over the creek.  The trailhead is just west (left) of this bridge.

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Appalachian Trail Reroute Hike - Pearisburg to Rice Fields Shelter, Virginia

Earlier this year, the Appalachian Trail was rerouted over several miles from just north of the New River to the summit of Peters Mountain, reportedly bringing the single longest section of the A.T. still over private hands into public easements. I hiked the previous section earlier this year with my Boy Scout Troop (Link) and was left with the impression that this contained the ugliest mile of A.T. I had ever seen.  News accounts of the reroute contained only vague descriptions of where the trail would go - I wanted specifics!

I had made plans to join a group from the RATC to hike south of the New River on Thursday several weeks back, and it is just too far to go as a day hike.  When my son's high school then scheduled its open house for Thursday night, I had to get down there on Wednesday.  I planned to check out the new section Wednesday upon arrival in Pearisburg.

Unfortunately, work obligations kept me from leaving as early as I would have liked, so I could not get on the trail until 5:15 PM, after a 2 hour and 40 minute commute from Charlottesville.  Remembering a hike once taken where it got very dark (Link), I ditched the sunglasses and grabbed my most powerful headlamp, hoping to get as far as possible before darkness set in.

The original route passed through private land owned by Celanese LLC and was "open only at their discretion." Research on a new route reportedly dates back to the 1970's. After considering several trail corridors, a single route was chosen in the early 2000's, and Congress appropriated funds in 2009 for the aquisition. Celanese eventually donated lands, so the money was used elsewhere on the trail. The ATC also received a $40,000 donation from Columbia Gas to help speed up trail completion.

Upon arriving in Pearisburg, it is immediately evident what drove these donations.  I remember reading that the Celanese plant was switching to natural gas power, but didn't put 2 and 2 together until I stepped out of the car.  Peter's Mountain now has a big clearcut mohawk down the mountain where the natural gas line has been installed. I am glad that the new power source created the opportunity to protect the largest remaining unprotected section of trail.

But I am also clear-eyed that there were definite corporate interests driving both the acquisition and the timeframe. I am pretty sure that this cut crosses the the old trail alignment in two different locations, hence the need for the re-route by Celanese.  And the quicker Celanese switches to natural gas, the more quickly Columbia Gas can supply it. The old route is no longer open to hiking.  And if Celanese were really "pro-A.T." I would think they would provide a couple of parking spaces at the edge of their employee lot or next to the trail access point for hikers to use, saving us dayhikers from schlepping over the New River Bridge from the only available parking area.  Reports indicate that anyone trying to park on that side of the river will get chased away pretty quick.

Nevertheless, this is a pretty big deal for the ATC, which oversees the trail as a whole. There is a nice article about the re-route in the ATC's magazine (link), and hiking colleagues at the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club have helped with new trail construction for a long time.

According to one account from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in order to complete acquisition of this property, the National Park Service also had to purchase a 60 acre tract known as the Carter Property, which constitutes the top of Hemlock Ridge, and the NPS had to negotiate easements "with as many as 12 adjacent small lot ownerships" in order to complete the protection of this section of trail.  (Link.)

Here is a rundown of the trail, from South to North, since I have not found a guide online anywhere else. Impressions follow, and photos and a map are at the end of this post.

0.0 miles.  I parked at the Giles County Agricultural Cooperative parking lot in Bluff City (the old Wade's Grocery location), walked under U.S. 460 and took the pedestrian crossing on the Shumate Bridge over the New River that constitutes the A.T.

0.5 miles.  After a half mile roadside walk, the A.T. heads down some concrete steps, passes under 460, and enters the woods at the same place it entered before the re-route.  The new trail diverges from the old route not more than 100 yards off the road, hugging a ridge over the New River and Norfolk Southern Railway.  There are no views along here, though.  The trail is very wide and level - clearly laid out using a small bulldozer.

1.6 miles.  After about another mile, the trail switchbacks a couple of times before crossing a small creek and a dirt road.  Signs in either direction state that the water in this stream is non-potable, and you do not want to mess with that!  It comes down from an area that is the "Celco Industrial Landfill," according to the sign we passed when hiking the original trail alignment.  Your Sawyer mini isn't going to help you with that stuff! After crossing the dirt road, the trail begins an ascent lasting nearly two miles, at about a 9 percent grade.

2.0 miles.  There is a small overlook here with views to the east, along with a prominent sign indicating private property.  To the left, the trail passes by the edge of the Celco Landfill for the next 3/10 of a mile, with a buffer of about 50 feet of planted pine trees generally obscuring views.

3.0 miles.  The trail turns from generally north west to northeast as it continues to climb Hemlock Ridge.

3.5 miles.  The trail crests Hemlock Ridge, having ascended 910 feet from the stream crossing, and then heads back down through a series of switchbacks - some in rhododendron groves.

4.1 miles.  After a series of switchbacks, the A.T. descends to Clendennin Road.  It crosses the road and heads up a USFS road called the Pocahontas Road.  There is a stream passing under the Pocahontas Road here. This is the first safe water I have seen on the hike, but I would wait to obtain water until higher up the mountain, if possible.  I looked for parking here, but did not see any area clearly reserved for parking on either road.

4.3 miles.   The trail breaks from the dirt Pocahontas Road, heading up the mountain over a series of wooden steps.  I am told that the trail past this point has been complete for much longer than the portion I just completed, as the trail planners have been working on this section in advance of final readiness of the entire segment.  This makes sense, since the trail is on National Forest property after crossing Clendennin Road, according to the boundary signs.  Over the next few miles the trail passes over much stonework, sometimes elaborate, and this stonework is very nicely done.

4.6 miles.  The last of 3 switchbacks.

5.0 miles.  The trail passes under a power line, giving a nice view to the east.

5.2 miles.  After a consistent 500 foot ascent at a 9 percent grade over nearly one mile, the trail turns right at a campsite and follows a woods road for a short distance, dropping a small amount of elevation.  Fresh tire tracks tell me that this road is still used.

5.3 miles.  The trail takes a sharp left over some very nicely constructed stone steps. The trail is considerably rockier here, but many rocks have been used to construct steps.  I believe these trail portions have been constructed over a relatively long period of time.

5.7 miles.  The trail crosses the first of several springs after a couple of switchbacks.

6.3 miles.  Another spring.  Both springs were flowing in mid-August when I hiked the trail.

6.4 miles.  The trail takes a sharp right here and begins a steep climb.  The trees crowd the trail here before the trail merges onto another old dirt road.

6.6 miles.  The trail comes out behind the Rice Fields Shelter, and I believe the last portion of the trail uses the Rice Fields Shelter's water trail, back to the second spring I passed at 6.3 miles.  I was sure surprised that this is where the re-routed trail links up with the existing A.T.  Behind the Rice Fields Shelter is the single most exposed privy I've ever seen on the A.T.  It is basically a wooden platform that is shielded from the shelter by a sheet of plywood.  The privy is open to the world in every other direction.  One of those directions is the new A.T. route.  So now using this privy risks having exposure to any other hiker on the trail!  Ugh.

6.7 miles.  The trail passes right next to the Rice Fields Shelter.

It took me 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete this trail section from the New River Bridge to the Rice Fields Shelter.  I talked at the shelter with a section hiker named "No Regrets" who was heading north.  Then I turned around and worked on my trail running muscles, intent on covering as much trail as I could before sunlight faded.  I made it back to the landfill before the headlamp was on full time.  It took me 1 hour and 37 minutes to return, but I did not keep running after sunlight disappeared.

So how do the alignments compare?  The new route is certainly less ugly than the old one was.  Crunching the numbers, my data indicates that new route is also 4/10ths of a mile shorter from the New River to the Rice Field Shelter.  The new route also has about 80 feet less of a climb.  And difficulty formula grades out at 225.9 for the old route and 192.8 for the new one, making the new route easier, at least mathematically. While one friend told me that he liked the old route better, I think I favor the new route.

Hike details.
PATC Difficulty Factor: 316.8 (out and back)
Total Distance: 13.2 miles 
Total Time: 4 hours, 1 minute, including stops.
Steepest Uphill: from 6.4 miles to 6.6 miles; 22.2% average grade.  
Average elevation gain: 7.9% up Hemlock Ridge, 9.7% up Peters Mountain.
Starting Elevation:  1670 ft.

Low Point: 1593 ft.
Highest Point: 3363 ft.

Old and new alignments compared on a topo map. 

Mile 0.5: View of the Celanese Plant from just before the trail enters the woods.
Note the clearcut line down the mountain to the right - the alignment for the natural gas line.

Mile 1.6: Trail crosses stream with prominent warning signs.

Mile 2.0: The Celanese landfill is to the left of the trail here, separated by a cyclone fence.

Mile 4.3: The trail ascends from Pocahontas Road on a series of wooden steps.

Mile 5.0: The trail passes under a power line cut, which provides a view to the east.

Mile 5.3: the Trail takes a sharp left off of the dirt road (shown here on the left) to continue its ascent.

This is a photo I took back in April of the Rice Fields privy.  The A.T. now emerges from the right of this photo,
just behind the privy.  The shelter is behind the privy and to the left in this photo.

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July 4th Weekend - Appalachian Trail in Southern Virginia

With the rest of the family in New England and a neighbor kindly watching one of my dogs, I took off with another dog to check off some miles on the A.T. never before hiked.  I am trying to complete all of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, and it is a slow process for the portions of the trail south of the New River.

At either end of the southern Virginia portion of the A.T. - near the New River and down near Damascus - I can pull off solo hikes by employing local hostels or outfitters to provide me a shuttle. One of these helped me complete my hike over the 4th.

Gracie the Fabulous Hiking Dog and I took off early on Saturday and drove to the Woods Hole Hostel near Pearisburg.  My plan was to get shuttled south to where the A.T. crosses Interstate 77, backpack 2 days back to the hostel, stay overnight, then obtain another shuttle and climb from the New River to the hostel from the other direction.  It took a little over 3 hours to drive to the hostel from Charlottesville, and another hour plus to get shuttled to the trailhead, slowed down in part because the vehicle was also shuttling other hikers who stopped at Trent's Grocery near Dismal Creek to pick up packages.  I was on the trail just before noon on the 4th.

Wood's Hole Hostel

Crossing Kimberling Creek, beginning Day 2

Gracie was sporting her own pack, replete with two bowls, several bottles of water, and a generous allotment of doggie kibble.  I was carrying Gracie's bed, a two person tent, and the rest of the gear - weighing in around 25 pounds - including food and water.

Green Tunnel on the A.T.

We started from the point where the A.T. crosses U.S. 52, between Bland and Bluefield, Virginia.  The first mile is on roads - crossing Interstate 77 on a road bridge, then via a local road down to a trailhead parking lot.  Almost immediately the A.T. gets confusing, as it circles a small campsite but another trail heads straight from the camp.  I had to backtrack to get on the right trail.  The next mile climbs 600 feet to a ridgetop.  For the next 7 miles, trail elevation varies only by about 300 feet, and there are no views.  I passed the trail for the Helvey's Mill Shelter, but did bother to stop at the shelter - too many miles to cover!

Some really old signs in this part of the forest.

Shortly after our first shelter, Gracie and I came across a trio of hikers taking a break.  The trio was thru-hiking from Georgia, but planned to boat the Shenandoah River starting in Waynesboro to Harper's Ferry.  They were the most memorable people I met that weekend - a mother and twin four-year olds that were later featured in the Roanoke newspaper.  Link.

We hiked until 8 before camping under some trees.  Gracie the Fabulous Hiking Dog and I camped beside the trail, and were glad to make it to Dismal Creek on the second day because we saw no water the entire first 20 miles of the hike.

The trail was prettier the second day, as we walked through the thick cover next to the creek before climbing to another ridge top and getting our one really great view of the weekend.

The newer Wapiti Shelter

Before the big climb we visited the Wapiti Shelter, and I wondered why it was in a different place than the location shown on the USGS topo map.  I remember thinking that the area seemed a long way from civilization - more remote than areas I hike through in Northern Virginia.  When I returned to town I discovered that there had been murders here which caused the authorities to move the shelter.  Some of the investigation centered around Trent's Grocery, where we had stopped the day before.  And though the murderer was convicted, he was eventually paroled and returned to the A.T. to attempt to kill more people.  It is a very creepy story - set in a remote and dark area.  Washington Post account.  You really should read this account of the story - it is gripping.  The Post called the area "lonely, dark and deep."  It fits the region precisely.

Gracie and I made it to Woods Hole Hostel at about 3 PM on the second day.  The proprietor Neville greeted us like old friends!  I was happy to pay extra to get my shower in before driving back home. Although I originally planned to hike a third day, I decided to cut the trip short as I wasn't sure how my body would handle another day on the trail.  I'll be back on the A.T. again in August to connect my hike to the New River and finally complete the 120 trail miles maintained by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, which will qualify me to join the 113 Mile Club.

View of Pearis Mountain and the New River Valley from the best viewpoint in two days of hiking

The Hostel is what made this hike possible.  I could not imagine hiking out the A.T. then hiking back to my car - that would have taken 4 days.  There are parts of the trail where hiring a shuttle is not possible, but I plan to utilize a shuttle again down near Damascus.  I need to get out again soon!

Cellar Mtn Trail and Cold Spring Trail in St. Mary's Wilderness - June 1, 2014

I came across a hiking blog called Hiking Shenandoah a while back, written by a UVA student, who says he reads this blog "for some really off-the-beaten-path hikes around Charlottesville." This account should satisfy that reader, as there aren't many hikes more "off-the-beaten-path" than this one.  Admittedly, I have written about this hike before, back in November, 2011.  Link.  It would be interesting to see the changes during that time.  

The Cellar Mountain Trail is located in the St. Mary's Wilderness, just up the road from the trailhead for the uber-popular St. Mary's Falls hike.  It is about an hour drive from Charlottesville (Map).  The trailhead is a small parking area off of the locally infamous Coal Road, also known as Forest Service Road 42.

A side note. Locally infamous?  A friend who is a prosecutor in Augusta County has warned me away from this place, saying he prosecutes a lot of incidents occurring on the Coal Road, a dirt Forest Service Road which links St. Mary's Road with the Mt. Torry Road in Sherando.  And on the way back from this hike I came across a USFS Ranger, so I stopped and asked her about her knowledge of a trail that I don't believe officially exists anymore.  She didn't know the trail, as she said she was law enforcement.  But she said the Coal Road "is the single most crime infested forest road in the entire state of Virginia."  "Lock up your car and hide your valuables when you hike off of this road," she told me.  As a result, a notice at the trailhead states that alcohol is prohibited within 500 feet of the Coal Road and St. Mary's Road.  

Consider yourself warned!

The parking lot holds maybe 6 cars, but I have never seen another car in the lot.  And it is somewhat hidden from the Coal Road.  

There is a kiosk at the trailhead giving this information and warning folks that break-ins have occurred at this parking lot.  If you are still willing to risk going further, the trail continues past a livestock fence and a sign telling you that you are entering St. Mary's Wilderness - the part nobody travels.  The trail passes the only water source on the trail .04 miles into the hike - a spring next to the trail.  

At 0.7 miles you come to the singular highlight of the Cellar Mountain Trail, an overlook that looks southwest along the ridgeline.  Sublime.  

The view from the best overlook.

There are other views after several switchbacks, including the one below from the trail, looking west across the Shenandoah valley to the Goshen Pass area.

View from the trail at about a mile into the hike.

After two miles, much of the ascent is complete.  The elevation has increased 1500 feet from 2000 feet to 3500 feet.  There is a small, dry campsite here.  

Campsite at 3500 feet.

 From this point, it is into the thick overgrowth.  Eyes often need to be trained down, looking for depressions in the land that indicate you are on the right path.  There are no paint blazes on trees, and the overgrowth often totally obscures the trail.  The trail rides a ridge (so really, how lost can you get if you just stay on the ridge?), passing by but not over the 3645 foot summit of Cellar Mountain, and giving occasional views down into the St. Mary's River valley below.

My GPS read 3.4 miles when I reached trail's end, though the 10 year old Hiking Guide to the Pedlar District claims the trail is only 2.8 miles long.  This same guide doesn't even seem to recognize the Cold Spring Trail, however, calling it only an "unmarked trail," despite being labeled on the PATC maps.  At trail's end, just outside the Wilderness boundary, is a much larger parking area than where I parked.  But it is a rough road to get here and is best only accessed with a high clearance vehicle.  

The Cold Spring Trail starts right where the Cellar Mountain Trail ends.  It becomes overgrown immediately, as can be seen by the photo below indicating the state of the trail just inside the wilderness boundary.  

This photo shows the Cold Spring Trail near its highest point.

Another Cold Spring Trail photo.

The trail descends via several switchbacks with views of Cellar Mountain, and the growth really does not keep the trail from being easily followed.  I did have one problem keeping with the trail, when it crossed a talus slope - a rock slide - but I found the trail again a little downhill from where I expected it and stayed with it until several crossings of the Cold Spring Branch after descending the mountain.  

After the stream crossings and passing another campsite, the trail uses an old road bed that was very wet.  It was difficult navigating the low branch cover and keeping dry feet.  The road heads straight into somebody's backyard at the 5.0 mile mark.  While there were no "No Trespassing" signs and while I believe Virginia law allows me to use easement represented by the roadbed, I wasn't going to test my understanding of Virginia law in the face of a landowner.

The trail continues past this shed.  Or not.

 I backtracked to where I passed the trail sign shown in the photo below and bushwacked across Forest Service property along the boundary with the private landowners.  The boundary was often marked by red blazes on trees or Wilderness Area signs, and it was a relatively easy 0.7 mile walk around the properties to the Coal Road.  

Trail sign near the Wilderness boundary with private landowners.
It had moved since the last time I took this trail.

A twenty minute walk down the Coal Road brought me back to the car, for a hike loop totaling 7.1 miles.  Not one car passed us during those twenty minutes.

Here is a map of my hike, including the bushwack at the top of the circle.  I think combining the two trails with a bushwack is the best way to accomplish this trail.  MAP.

Veach Gap Trail and Massanutten Trail

The Veach Gap Trail is part of a hike I did a few years back with my son and a friend, and it was my son's first ever hike of 10 miles or more.  I recommended it to a friend who is in charge of listing the hikes for the upcoming 2015 Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial, which will be held in late July, 2015 in nearby Winchester, Virginia.  The Biennial's theme is "Hiking Through History," and there will be hikes throughout Northern Virginia north into Pennsylvania.  I recommended this hike because of its geologic history, but discovered after returning and researching the trail that there is American history associated with the route, as well.

Trailhead parking.

The trail starts in the Fort Valley of the Massanutten Mountain Range, which forms a big bowl. Drive through the Fort Valley and there is no cell service.  Just farms and churches and tiny hamlets.  It is a really beautiful place.  It is called the Fort Valley because it was considered as a refuge for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

From the north, take the Fort Valley Road south from Rt. 55 out of Front Royal approximately 10.2 miles to Veach Gap Road (Rt. 774).  Take Veach Gap Road left (East) approximately 0.7 miles to trailhead parking, just inside of boundaries of George Washington National Forest, (N38 52.568 W78 22.666).  The route is on paved highways until the last half mile, which becomes a nicely graded dirt road accessible by any vehicle. Trailhead parking is at the end of the road and can accommodate about 8-10 vehicles.

The Veach Gap Trail begins on the left side of the parking lot.  The trail begins as a gravel road which narrows to to a trail, then widens again to road width.  The Veach Gap Trail is blazed with a yellow "dotted i" blaze, which is a yellow square on top of a yellow rectangle.  

The trail follows Mill Run.

The Veach Gap Trail is believed to have originally been Morgan’s Road, and was created at the request of George Washington.  During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington ordered General Daniel Morgan to construct a road over the eastern ridge into this inner valley. The road into the valley was readied as a potential retreat in case the Continental army was defeated at Yorktown. Washington knew this area well, as he had surveyed it before he became a general, and he knew the valley inside could be easily defended and would make a great spot to regroup the Continental Army if the British won at Yorktown.  Washington's forces defeated Cornwallis at Yorktown, the Americans won the war, and the road was not needed for the war effort, but Morgan's Road was used as a primary trade route in and out of the valley for decades after it was built.

Don't cross here.

At the hike's one mile point is the only confusing portion of hike.  The trail appears to lead to the Mill Run stream and cross it, where the trail/old road disappears.  Be observant for a trail to the right just before reaching Mill Run that takes hikers 20 yards upstream before crossing.  The road travels up the stream bed for this short section, but is obvious on the other side when the trail to the right is taken.  The trail becomes very rocky after the crossing, as is common in old, abandoned roads in Virginia.

Cross here instead.  (Photo looking back at crossing.)

Old roadbed is some kind of rocky here.

Soon after crossing the stream hikers pass two anticlines, on the left, away from the stream.  An anticline is an interesting geological feature.  Most of the Shenandoah Valley is a syncline, a geologic formation that results in the rock layers folding concave up so that the youngest rocks are in the center of the fold, much like a bowl.  This occurred during the Alleghenian orogeny, which refers to the collision between land masses that would become North America and Africa and occurred 250 million years ago.  This collision folded and buckled the east coast areas of North America, creating the Blue Ridge Mountains.  However, in some spots, the great pressure created anticlines, or folds where the oldest rocks are in the center of the fold, and the fold is concave-down, like an upside down "U."  The anticlines you can see from the trail are bent rock that forms upside down "U" shapes with a hollow in the center, like a small cave.  Massanutten sandstone is normally an exceptionally hard rock; however it still bent over time.  For Geocachers, there is an Earthcache here that I composed several years ago and is found on geocaching.com.  (Link.)

Anticline Number 1.

Anticline Number 2.

 A few hundred yards beyond the second anticline, the Veach Gap Trail levels out and meets the Massanutten Trail, which runs concurrent here with the Tuscarora Trail.  The Massanutten Trail is a 71 mile long trail that circumnavigates Fort Valley, mostly along the dry ridges.  The Tuscarora Trail is a 252 mile long trail that departs from the Appalachian Trail in the North District of the Shenandoah National Park, and then ends at a junction with the AT near Harrisburg, PA.  The Massanutten Trail is blazed with an orange "dotted i" and the Tuscarora Trail is blazed with a blue blaze following Appalachian Trail standards.  For a while through the this part of Massanutten both the Massanutten and Tuscarora Trails follow the same path with each blaze used on trees. 

Veach Gap Trail meets other trails,
as indicated by colorful tree blazing.

Near the intersection, there are also a couple of small buildings near the stream that look like painted privies.  I am not sure what they are for – perhaps water measurement.  At this point, 1.2 miles into the hike, head left on the Massanutten Trail, which slowly climbs the drainage between Little Crease Mountain and Massanutten Mountain.  

Climbing the mountain, you will see a campsite to the right of the trail, and, at about the 3.0 mile mark, take a switchback near the origin of Mill Run, which was flowing strong during my May hike, but may be dry in August.  The trail had several muddy sections during this part of the climb, but this wetness is no doubt seasonal.  As you gain elevation the forest changes from hardwood forest to White Oak, Virginia Pine, and blueberry. 

Early May hiking was a little swampy in spots.

 After another 0.4 miles and one switchback, the trail tops the ridge.  At this point, the trail has been traveling through an area showing evidence of a forest fire.  This fire occurred in June, 2012, and was fought by a crew of 55 firefighters.  Because of the fire, the canopy is pretty open on the upper portions of the trail.  Hikers should be prepared for a hot hike with sunscreen and plenty of water, though the climb is gradual.

I came across this large egg at the edge of the trail.
A Wild Turkey flew away from nearby.  Perhaps related.

Once on top of the mountain ridge continue about a quarter mile to an overlook known as “The Point Overlook” (N38 53.161 W78 19.944). There is a small campsite just off the trail here – use this as the landmark for the overlook; do not bother bushwacking to the rocks prior to coming to this campsite.  From here, you can look 1500 feet down to "The Point," a 180 degree bend in the serpentine Shenandoah River, along with Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive.  It is an amazing view and a great place for lunch.

Fabulous view of the Shenandoah River and Shenandoah National Park.

Rocks at viewpoint.

I never tire of this spring view.

Turn around here and retrace your steps to the Veach Gap Trail, but consider heading south for another ¼ mile, crossing Mill Run, to see the Little Crease Shelter (N38 52.184 W78 21.594).  This is reportedly the only shelter along the 71 mile long Massanutten Trail.  It has four raised sleeping bunks, each sufficient for a couple of hikers.  There is a large stone fire pit in front of the shelter, and a stone wall behind the fire pit.  The shelter has a large bear pole for hanging food away from critters.  And there is a privy about 50 yards behind the shelter.

Again retracing steps, it is about a mile-and-a-half back to the trailhead parking, past the anticlines and along Mill Run. I didn't see a soul on a spectacular spring Sunday, on trails only a little over an hour from Washington DC.   

Little Crease Shelter

This is an easier hike than most I take on my own, but the trails coordinator for the Biennial tells me of a disconnect between hikers and hike leaders.  Apparently, hikers want easy or moderate hikes.  The leaders, on the other hand, prefer the harder workouts.  Although this hike really only has a couple of highlights over its seven-and-a-half mile length, I think it is the right difficulty for hikers looking for a nice hike with some history and views, without a tough workout.

Topo Map:  Link.
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Hike details.
PATC Difficulty Factor: 223.1
Total Distance: 7.6 miles 
Total Time: 3 hours, 31 minutes, including stops.
Steepest Uphill: from 3.2 miles to 3.5 miles; 11.5% grade.  
Average elevation gain: 5.7%
Starting Elevation:  801 ft.
Highest Point: 1911 ft.

The Appalachian Trail over the New River and Peters Mountain

This is the story of a Boy Scout backpacking journey that did not exactly go as planned, but it still provided a great learning experience. The group of six scouts and three leaders was following a plan I developed to backpack over three days and two nights hiking approximately 21 miles on the A.T. north from the New River in Pearisburg, Virginia. Of the nine participants, only I completed the original route.

When I plan a hike, I try to utilize as many resources as I can - maps, elevation profiles, guidebooks, and, if available, blog postings and observations from friends who have hiked the section. In this case, I came up with a hike that did not seem difficult on paper - a two hour climb on Friday, then a relatively minimal amount of elevation change on Saturday over about 12 ridgetop miles before dropping down off the mountain at the end of the hike with less than half a mile to complete on Sunday.  This would ensure an early departure.

On about 10% of my hikes the route seems much more difficult than the data would suggest. Northern Massanutten trails are on this list, and so is the last 10 miles of the A.T. before Harper's Ferry.  This weekend I added to this list. The climb up the mountain was a difficult one for one of the adults, particularly given the weight he was carrying. Because his legs were giving him problems, the three adult leaders discussed the option of turning back on Saturday. I traded backpacks with him part way up the mountain, and he had a heavy load. As a group, we will be working harder on lessening our pack weights before heading out again.

On the bridge over the New River during a brief quiet moment.

The hike started out on the south end of the U.S. 460 bridge crossing the New River.  (Route from Charlottesville to trailhead: Link.)  The mile-and-a-half of trail north of the New River is the most spectacularly ugly section of the A.T. I have ever witnessed. Walking the bridge is kind of interesting, though cars are whizzing past at interstate speeds.  At least you can look through the fencing at the river and railroad tracks.

On the north side, the trail drops down some concrete steps and passes by a giant plastics plant.  The plant is really enormous, and should be credited for not stinking like the paper mills in Maine can do. After a short walk up a private factory road, the trail exits asphalt and heads into the woods.  But the winter woods could not shield us from the factory view.

Update: The A.T. has since been rerouted between the New River and the Rice Fields Shelter.  I returned later in 2014 to hike the reroute.  Link.

Soon we crossed a road, where we were greeted by a large sign stating that this is the road to the plant's dump.

Stay out of the dump.

After about an hour of hiking (Scout time...), we came to Clendennin Road, where we had agreed we would meet one of the shuttle cars.  (Link to shuttle route: Link.) Two adults shuttled a car to the end of our hike then returned in one car to a parking area 1.5 miles into the Scouts' hike to join the group. But the parking area did not exist.  It was totally taken over by construction equipment.  Instead the car parked on the grass on the side of the road.  Fortunately, all of this trail is on the endangered list, as it will be replaced by a major realignment in the next year or two - stretching from the New River almost to the Rice Field Shelter, away from the factory and off of what I am told is the single longest piece of private property crossed by the A.T. over its entire 2100+ mile length.

Looking toward the factory on Clendennin Road when meeting the shuttle vehicle.

It took the scouts another couple of hours to hike the 3 miles to the ridge top, climbing from 1740 feet to 3275 feet at an average grade of 9.6%.  This is a pretty steep climb, especially with backpacks, and one of the leaders was feeling no love from his legs, thanks in part to his heavy pack.  I switched packs with him after 2.3 miles from the car drop (3.8 miles total) and his pack was at least 10 pounds heavier than mine.  On the way up the mountain, we crossed paths with an older guy who was a 1965 Va Tech grad and member of the football team ("back when they played teams like VMI.")  He seemed borderline offended that a group from Charlottesville (home of the rival University of Virginia) would be hiking the A.T. so close to his beloved university.  He spent 5 minutes on the trail telling us how much he hated UVA and hoped they would lose the basketball game that night.  None of us ever said we had any affiliation with his rival - we were suspect merely because of where we live. And now you know why I will never put a UVA sports sticker on my car and leave that car at a rural trailhead.

Rice Fields on top of Peters Mountain.

We decided to camp earlier than planned, tenting behind the Rice Field Shelter.  The shelter itself was only big enough for 8 and we had 9, so it was an easy choice to set up the tents in respect for the thru-hikers. One thru-hiker was already in the shelter and 2 more joined him, while a stealth fourth thru-hiker arrived after I was asleep and set up his tent not more than twenty feet from mine at 11 PM that night.

We asked permission of the thru-hiker first arriving if we could use the picnic table and he had no problem with that.  In turn, we tried to stay quiet as the hiker napped during our dinner.

The latrine at the Rice Field Shelter is a true outdoors experience.

That night, the boys enjoyed the spectacular view across the valley into West Virginia.  Considering the weekend was projected to have much rain, we felt very lucky to enjoy the sunset from the Rice Field viewpoint on a mountain that forms the border between Virginia and West Virginia.

The Money Shot.

The adults discussed the option of returning back to the vehicles the next morning because of the leg difficulties one adult was experiencing.  The decision was cemented as soon as we listened to the weather report on the NOAA radio transmission I received that night from the top of the mountain. The Blacksburg report stated that, in addition to rain, expectations the next night were for consistent 35 MPH winds and gusts exceeding 60 MPH. The transmission warned of extensive tree downings and widespread electrical outages. The leaders were unanimous in agreeing that this was not tenting weather. And, while we could have utilized the shelter in the area where we expected to camp, the shelter has a capacity of 8 and we had 9 hikers. And 3 thru-hikers had stayed in the shelter next to our tents the night we camped, so we could have exposed others to risk if we filled up the shelter.

Because we had a car shuttled to the end of our expected hike, the adults agreed that I would leave early and solo hike the 13 miles to that car, while the other two adults would descend directly to our starting trailhead.  Here is a map of our route: Link.  We came up from the south, and the Rice Field Shelter is marked with a point on the map.  The rest of the group retraced their steps.

Downed trees make it difficult to follow the trail ahead.

The next morning was misty and ripe for rain when I started off.  Though sizable amounts of rain never materialized, the threat was constant. Hiking the original planned route on Saturday confirmed for me that we made the right choice turning back, as there were literally hundreds of downed trees and branches on this section of trail, which caused difficulty following the trail. The number of downed trees was truly extraordinary - a thru-hiker commented the same to me - and makes me wonder whether the trail organization charged with maintaining this part of the A.T. is up for the task. At one point, I had to crawl on my hands and knees to get under a particularly large downed section.  I have since taken the unusual step of writing to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to highlight the poor condition of this section of trail.

I had to crawl under this one - there was no other way.

This experience confirmed that we made the right decision to turn the group around at the Rice Field Shelter - information we would not have if I hadn't gotten the vehicle using the trail. Was it the right decision to have me head north on my own?  It turned out well, and I am certainly experienced at solo hiking.  But I am not sure I made the right call.

The uphill section north of Dickenson Gap, about 8 miles into the hike, was particularly grueling.  I hit a wall here, and really slowed down.  In no small part, this was due to the fact that I brought very little water and could not replenish my supply on the ridge top. Though I hiked with a portable filter, I left the bulk of the water with the group, figuring I could obtain water along the way.  And I had very little to eat because I needed the fluids to digest the food.  By the time I reached the wide switchbacks heading down in the valley of the stream called the Pine Swamp Branch, I was spent.  But at least I could stop and get water out of the stream, using my backup filter.  And this part of the trail was exceptionally beautiful!

I'd like to say that I beat the other group down the mountain and returned up to help bring gear down. But they had been waiting over an hour for me when I arrived.  And I was totally wiped - glad that another adult was doing the driving.  After meeting up around 1:30 PM and stopping for fast food, we were back in Charlottesville around 6PM.

I have learned a few important lessons on this trip. First, the group should always bring a weather radio - I am very glad I spent the extra money to purchase a transistor containing that option, especially since I really purchased it to listen to a UVA basketball game that I failed to stay awake late enough to experience. Second, I need to get better information before heading out on a trail I have never hiked or stick to familiar locations. Sometimes plans turn out spectacularly well - as when the troop hiked Mt. Rogers on some trails I had never taken (though not all). But there is a risk that is totally separate from the extremely low risk of getting lost on the A.T. Part of the requirements for Backpacking MB is to discuss lessons learned and future adaptations. We will be doing that.

I am exceptionally proud of the boys who accepted this challenge.  They showed great flexibility when plans changed and they had to be returned home early.  They offered to take on extra pounds to help make it easier on a fellow hiker.  And they never complained that the weather or the activity wasn't what they hoped it to be.  I hope to get the chance to lead them again in the future - on the trail.

Addendum:  Shortly after our return, I learned of another troop's plight the same weekend on the Appalachian Trail between our hike and Charlottesville, at the Seely-Woodworth Shelter.  The troop woke up to several inches of snow on the second night of a 15 mile backpack.  They apparently felt that the boys would have difficulty returning the seven miles to the cars, and called a local rescue squad for help.  The squad advised the troop by phone to continue north on the A.T. to an exit trail, and met the troop along that trail.  When their plight first hit the news, I searched the net and came up with the troop's website and a notice advertising the hike that is no longer posted.  In the troop website's description of their hike, they stated that they were basing the trip on Hiking Upward's Tar Jacket Ridge backpack and gave a link to that hike on the site. The map Hiking Upward posts with that hike does not show other accesses to this shelter, and it really doesn't need to.  This appears to be a very experienced troop with top notch adult leadership. But I am guessing that the troop did not have the PATC Map 13, the Trails Illustrated edition for this area, or an A.T. Guidebook, so they didn't know how to get down to the closest road.  I think they would agree that they should have been prepared. They should have been prepared for the weather, even though snow was not in the forecast - the actual forecast was bad enough to confirm that we should pull our boys from the trail.  And the end of March does not mean the end of snow at 3800 feet elevation in the Blue Ridge.  But I do not fault a leader for calling for help, given that he probably knew there were closer trailheads than a return to their cars (but didn't have access to finding them), and he was responsible for the lives of several young boys with a potential icy and snowdrift laden hike ahead of him.

My experience preparing for hikes in the White Mountains necessarily includes knowing the escape routes in case of weather issues above timberline.  I try to apply that to all my hikes and constantly tell people that my favorite piece of outdoor equipment is a good map.  A $10 purchase would have likely made a big difference in their day.

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