Next outing

With scheduling looking the way it is right now, it appears the next outing will be another camping trip with the boys. School finishes for both of them on Tuesday, so I'm looking to get them out on Wednesday and Thursday. I want to try a new campground, and am looking at "Gooney Creek Campground" in Front Royal. I have passed this campground a few times in my trips up the valley to hiking destinations. It features numerous creek side sites and has a small camp store and play area. I really want to try and experience different camping areas this year to come up with some favorites to return to. I hope some of my critiques of places will help people consider getting out and try camping as well.
With rising costs of gas and vacation activities, the camping industry appears to be experiencing a resurgence. It is a wonderful way to experience nature and to discover that particular part of the country you live in. Wonderful to see.
I hope to head out to look at expanding our camping gear on Sunday. It is father's Day after all!!

Shawl Gap/ Sherman Gap hike

Well, Saturday still proved to be a bit humid and warm, but better than it had been. I was able to sleep in a bit more than past hikes and still get to the trail head by 0715. I geared up and was off. The trail starts at Elizabeth Furnace in the George Washington National Forest near Front Royal. The ruins of the old furnace are a nice thing to check out This remains my favorite place to go for hiking, camping and picnicking. Passage Creek flows through this area and offers numerous swimming holes to cool off in.
The trail was wet from the previous night thunder storms and was a tad uncomfortable as the trail started very overgrown. Despite rain, Passage Creek was a bit lower than I had seen it before, a testimate to the lack of rain lately. Once I started climbing Massanutten Mountain the trail was better. I forgot how much of a workout this trail is. Still, it allows for a decent pace with normal rest times. I had seen a bear on this trail last year on my return from Buzzard Rocks, and was hoping for a repeat appearance. Not to happen. The trail has a number of nice switchbacks with stones steps and is really nice to hike on. There are some interesting boulder fields and rock formations on the way up as well. I made the summit and intersection of trails in just over an hour.
From here I headed south along the Massanutten trail riding the top of the Mountain for the next two plus miles. The trail swayed back and forth over the summit as it did on Kerns Mountain last week. There were a couple of views to the east and the Shenandoah Mountains and valley below, and to the east of Meneka Peak and Fort valley below. Unfortunately, full leaf coverage and haze obscured a great many views, which was disappointing. This hike would be wonderful for views in early Spring or late Fall and Winter. At a number of spots along rocky patches on the summit, Poison Ivy has completely engulfed the trail...I hate Poison Ivy. I was too far out to turn back, so I carefully stepped my way through it. Hopefully I remain unscathed. There was one last sharp climb to another peak before descending to the next trail intersection. I could see this next prominence from the trail as something to look forward to. The terrain varied a lot up this peak, from Pine forest to scrub, to nice hardwood. Nice mix. A couple of slight views made it a nice climb.
I reached the intersection for the Sherman Gap Trail. From here, I continued on so as to get out to a prominence on the Mountain with apparent overlooks of "The Point", an area of one of the curves of the south fork of the Shenandoah River. The trail to this point was about a half mile further from the intersection I was at. I was disappointed with this part of the trail as it had three different colored blazes on the tree, plus markers from the "Old Dominion 100" long distance race, and still other markers hung by a stable group for their horse walks. It all added up to looking like garbage to me. Anyway, the hike out to the spot mentioned also entailed a sharp little climb. I was soon offered views back along Massanutten Mountain and looking at the peak I had last climbed and the valley of to the east. The trail followed the ridge top, which was exposed to glaring sun. It was pretty hot. The path was choked with wild blueberries but, unfortunately, they still had about another week or so before they would be ripe. There was enough to keep quite a group of hikers happy. I reached the spot for the overlook, but it entailed some bushwhacking through the scrub. Not too bad. The view was very nice, though obscured from leaf cover. I sat for a while and then headed back.
Reaching the intersection for the Sherman Gap trail again, I headed down Massanutten Mountain and my way back to the car. The trail was steep and rocky, making for an uncomfortable journey down. Rocks were frequently loose, causing a few slips here and there. Eventually, the trail's descent became more gradual as it ran north along the lower mountain side. I stopped along the way for lunch and assess the water situation. My hydration pack was empty , but I still had my 2 outboard bottles. I made some Gatorade and pressed on. I eventually came to the intersection with the Botts Trail and my next route. The trail is marked by a small stone memorial to Mr. Botts who was the founder of the OD 100 and maker of the trail. I was not impressed after all the blazes as I noted earlier. Botts Trail follows along Passage Creek and returns to the picnic area at Elizabeth Furnace. I started passing more hikers on the trail and kids playing in the creek. The trail spills out to a parking lot and back to the car where I was parked. It was nice to be finishing up earlier than I had been the past couple of hikes. I considered a dip in the creek, but I wanted to get home. Not a problem, I know I'll be back again soon.

New Poles and next hike

I was very excited to receive a set of Komperdell Trekking poles from my father this week. I had mentioned to him that I had bent my other poles on one of my recent hikes. He had two sets and was not using his Komperdells that much and offered them to me. Great poles!! These are 3 section poles and have replaceable tips and an anti-shock system. A tad heavier than my Summits, but not by much. I can't wait to try these out on my next hike, which comes tomorrow.
My plan is to give the gas tank a rest and head back to Elizabeth Furnace near Front Royal. This will cut my latest travel time in half and allow for an earlier return home. My target is the Shawl Gap/Sherman Gap trails for just under a 10 mile hike. Should feel pretty good after last week. Humidity levels are expected to be lower, so hopefully some good views can be had. Stay tuned.

Strickler Knob

Saturday, June 2nd, marked my biggest hike undertaken to date. I chose, with the help of my friend, Mike, to undertake what he calls the Wil Kohlbrenner Memorial Circuit. This loop starts atCrisman Hollow Road about 2 miles in from Rt. 211. It ascends Kerns Mountain , around to Near Duncan Knob, on to Masanutten Mountain and finally a grueling climb up Waterfall Mountain. I added an additional two miles out and back in order to reach my primary goal of Strickler Knob at the end of Massanutten Mountain. In all, I ended with 14.7 miles!
I got off to a good start, hitting the trail at 7:15 that morning after a two hour car ride. The ascent up kerns Mountain was brief as Crisman Hollow Road is well up into the mountains to begin with. I reached the rideline within 15 minutes and started on what is now my favorite trail hiked. This is part of the massive Massanutten Trail, and is extremely well maintained and blazed. I had seen reviews stating the trail is strenuous, but I found it to be a lot of fun! The trail is rocky in spots, but otherwise great footing. There are nice switchbacks to climb and descents along wonderful rock formations. the trail crisscrosses back and forth over the ridge. Nice views can be seen along the way, many more, I'm sure when leaf cover is less plentiful. The day was hot and humid, and I was grateful for the shade. Haze obscured the views slightly, and would continue to do so for the remainder of the day. I had a good groove going for the pace and I was thoroughly enjoying the hike. I reached Jaw Bone Gap at 9:30, pretty much right on my mark for estimation. It was almost 4.5 miles to that point. I did another half mile out and back to a wonderful overlook with views of Mount Jackson to the west and Duncan Knob to the east. Just gorgeous! I returned to the trail and descended Kerns Mountain to Crisman Hollow Road. along the way, I had what would be the first of three bear sightings that day. I was just realizing the black in the tree I was looking at was a big ball of fur, when it went crashing to the forest floor and took off down the mountain. The bear looked rather small and I started scanning my surroundings for a disgruntled mother bear. I was alone, thankfully. I crossed Crisman hollow Road at the base of Kerns Mountain and stopped at Passage Creek to filter water and have an early lunch. I knew I had a lot of climbing to do for the remainder of the hike. It was early, but I was pretty hungry. I had a tuna fillet in a packet, I think by Bumble Bee Tuna, and it was pretty good along with a dollop of mayo on a kaiser roll. I sat by the creek and ate and counted myself lucky to be able to have the dining environment that I had. I also made and drank down 16oz. of Gatorade. I have come to enjoy that mix and feel better for drinking it when I do.
Lunch over, I hit the trail heading up Gap Creek Trail. Another bear sighting about 15 minutes later, but all I saw was the tail end of the thing running off into the woods. I had passed two other hikers who I could hear talking long before I got to them. I wonder if they know how much they miss by making so much noise. I must say, I do wish I had a hiking partner at times. As I neared the intersection with Scothorn Gap Trail, I had the third encounter with a bear. This was a bout a 300 or so pound bear. I don't think he had noticed me, but he was moving along at a brisk walk. I got a couple of blurred photos from the distance, but was happy just to be able to have watched him for a while. His snout had a white band of fur around it, which I thought interesting. I turned onto Scothorn Gap Trail and continued on. I had been on this trail a little earlier this Spring, but it seemed like a brand new trail to me. It was a little less muddy than before, but there were still some wet spots. One patch showed signs of more bear activity. I must say I was scanning the surroundings a lot more carefully than usual. The trail was a steady but gradual climb. I got a good pace going again and I was getting psyched to try for Strickler Knob. I came to a four way intersection with the Massanutten trail again and turned onto it heading up Massanutten Mountain. The climb became more aggressive hear and I was taking more breaks. The sun was hot and the humidity seemed to be intensifying. I passed a couple of guys running a crosscountry race. They looked like hell. I couldn't even imagine doing that. My ankles hurt watching them go by. I reached the trail head to Strickler Knob. This is an unofficial trail and was blazed in magenta along with purple and red. The sign warned of trail being slippery when wet. the trail was difficult to follow and I wasn't sure about it. It only got worse. The trail was essentially a bushwhack at best with rocky terrain that deteriorated rapidly to rock scrambling and eventually to non technical rock climbing . I went off trail numerous times trying to follow the next blaze which were poorly laid out. I wasn't worried about getting too lost, as the ridge fell off quickly to either side. The trail was a mile out,about a 1/2 mile more than I was anticipating. a little over a half mile out, I noticed storm clouds gathering. I wasn't surprised and actually was welcoming the idea of rain to cool me down. The last spurt to Strickler Knob was hand over foot rock climbing. My trekking poles had become useless. Above me, Turkey Buzzards circled. I finally made it to the end and laughed when I saw a trail log book lashed to a tree. It was a nice break to read the entries and I laughed at some of the comments on the trials it took to get out there. I was happy to sign in. I took my customary "I was here" photo and drank a lot of water as I looked around. Views were incredible, though greatly obscured from haze. I would like to return in cooler weather and the Autumn to take it in. Still, It was pretty impressive. It was also a wake up call to what I had ahead of me, as I looked off to the west at Waterfall Mountain. I now had a mile of rock climbing and bushwhacking back to Massanutten Trail and descend for about 2 miles so I could climb up that mountain. I knew also that that climb would be the toughest part of my day. I headed back with thunder becoming more prevalent and a few rain drops falling. Just as I got out of the major rock formations, the rain came down pretty steadily. It felt wonderful! I knew though, that I did not want to be soaked and having to climb Waterfall Mountain. just as I was getting a bit wet, I came upon a rock formation that offered excellent shelter. I sat on a rock shelf under this and watched the rain come down, now in torrents with frequent, loud thunder. No lightning, thankfully. I took out my first aid kit and tended to a small scratch on my leg and ate some gorp. I was drinking, but now worried about my water supply. The rain let up after about 20 minutes and I resumed my trek out of the Strickler wilderness. The sign proved a good warning as I slipped and fell on a rock at one point. I caught myself just before my face smashed on the rock. I literally could have touched it with my tongue I was so close! I was a bit scared, but more cautious in my footing. I eventually got to the trail head, a bit easier now that I had passed on this trail coming out. I still got off trail a couple of times. Strickler Knob was a done deal and well worth the trip!!
Back on Massanutten Trail, I again descended that mountain. Another racer passed me. He looked so beat up, I almost asked him if he needed help. he looked to be in his late 50's early 60's. There was not an ounce of body fat on that man. His legs looked like raw muscle moving. Still, his face betrayed his sheer exhaustion. He was out of sight within a couple of minutes. He never tripped or faltered. Amazing. I turn one my ankles afew times just hiking. I reached the trail intersection with Scothorn Gap again, and turned south down between Massanutten and Waterfall Mountains. My feet were soaked now with rain from the leaves and muddy trails. I had not brought my usual change of socks. Not sure if it would have helped. My feet were becoming sore, and the miles were catching up with me. The trail was lush green and I was deep in the canopy of woods. Waterfall Mountain kept rising higher and higher to my right. I started hearing flowing water and eventually could make a stream out far below me on the left. I was hoping to get there to filter. I was drinking more now. I checked the map, and noticed a stream marked where I was heading that I had missed earlier. I finally crossed it, stopping to filter another liter. Now I was ready to hit the mountain. I would be remiss if I did not mention a number of other encounters I had along the trail, bioth here and a couple of times along Kerns Mountain. Female Grouse. these birds have just hatched there young and are very protective. They are also very loud with a hissing noise. I reference the reader here to my fear of snakes. One bird was only a few feet away from me when she flared her plumes and started hissing and running toward me! I am amazed this time at how fast I could move at that level of fatigue. I love to see different creatures in their habitats, but I truly wanted to kill that bird when I recovered myself.
I reached the base of Waterfall Mountain and the trail split down towards Rt.211. I rested for a minute, getting psyched up for the climb. I began the assault which immediately started steeply.... it stayed that way. The climb became brutal! I was stopping every 20 feet or so at times to catch my breath. a couple of small switch backs offered slight relief. There are no waterfalls on Waterfall Mountain. The waterfall is from the hiker climbing that trail. I was more wet from sweat than form any rain earlier! Every time I looked ahead of me the trail seemed to climb forever as it disappeared into the forest above me. I finally dragged my ass to the summit and I was exhausted. I have never been so happy to reach a point on the trail then at that time! I looked behind me to the trail disappearing into the forest below me. I think I drank a good half liter of water there! The trail now followed the ridge line south. It was smooth packed and lined with mountain laurel. My feet were burning now. I came upon a small overlook to the west and Strickler Knob was in the distance. The whole day and what I had just accomplished washed over me. What a great feeling! What wonderful things I had seen and experienced! The trail meandered along the ridge fora short while, until suddenly I walked out onto Crisman Road directly across from the car. My journey was finished. I had completed the longest, hardest hike to date. I was thrilled with it all. The fatigue felt well earned and like something I wanted to pin to my pack for others to see. I drove out and at times could make out Strickler Knob off to the west. Returning to Rt. 211, the road headed back down towards Luray. As I reached level land, Strickler Knob Rose high above me to the north on Massanutten Mountain. The knob was shrouded in the haze that had, earlier in the day, obscured my views of the valley I was now in. Time to go home.