EISPIRATEN

I've been saving up a few trips in my new home region that didn't feel totally worth their own thread. Instead I'll just put them in this one as a centralized spot, though I still plan on separate threads for larger/more noteworthy trips as they happen. Three incoming!

Appalachian Trail - Annapolis Rock/Black Rock Cliff and Washington Monument

This was a modest outing consisting of two out and back trips from the same trailhead along the AT, Anapolis Rock/Black Rock Cliff to the north, then Washington Monument (not the big one, a little one!) to the south.

Description of the first leg from Hiking Upward:

The Annapolis Rock/Black Rock Cliff hike on the Appalachian Trail, is one of the most popular in Maryland, and for good reason. The views from both lookouts are spectacular on a clear day. From Annapolis Rock the vista is to the southeast and Greenbrier Lake, and from Black Rock Cliff a 180 degree panorama west.
Annapolis Rock is also a popular camping area, with a campground of 16 sites including 2 group sites. A campground caretaker is also on-site during the warmer months, and helps monitor the area and provide information to hikers. The Annapolis Rock Campground is a non-fee first come-first-serve location.
Annapolis Rock is not only a popular location for hikers, but also a favorite spot for rock climbers. Black Rock Cliff, 1.0 miles further north on the Appalachian Trail is the favorite of the two overlooks with many local hikers for its panoramic views and less traffic.

Joining the AT from the trailhead



A short climb up to the ridge



Followed by pretty smooth going from there to the two viewpoints



I had been jealous of the nice snow I saw in various photos from SoCal, but then I saw this frozen puddle and knew I had you guys beat. Plus I had a cookie!



Unfortunately things were pretty foggy today, so views at both stops were limited.



Heading back south now, typical trail.



Info sign at the Washington Monument



Majestic! You can actually go inside up a little curved staircase to a viewing spot at the top, unfortunately I couldn't see very far into the distance due to weather.



No big finale, just a few nice hours on the trail and a couple more cookies when I got back to the car!

Harpers Ferry, WV - Maryland Heights, C&O Canal/Weverton Cliff, Loudoun Heights

Harpers Ferry is a historic town at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, with a role in the Civil War as well as the economic development of the region as a transportation hub/route. The lower section of the town is a National History Park and is a very popular tourist destination for both history and outdoor activities, which is why I chose to go on a weekday! The Appalachian Trail also runs through the town and Harpers Ferry is roughly the midpoint of the trail, so the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is located here as well.



Panorama shot showing the river confluence



Looking back towards the historic downtown area



The classic shot of the town from Maryland Heights. The trail up is fairly steep and had just reopened after a washout. The rivers were running pretty high from recent rain!



Back down from Maryland Heights, this is one of the locks along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which runs from DC to Cumberland, MD. The 184 mile long canal is a victim of technological progress, but the towpath running alongside is now a popular recreation trail.


Rail line above, canal with some serious aquatic plant life, towpath, and river.



The canal is long abandoned, defeated by the train! The stuff growing in the canal is green here instead of red, in some places it was kind of mixed together, in others they were clearly separated for whatever reason. Also saw some turtles chilling on a log along here, but the picture didn't come out very well.



Leaving the towpath and climbing up to Weverton Cliff.



View from Weverton Cliff. Harpers Ferry is out of sight off the the right from here.



Back down through Harpers Ferry and heading up to Loudoun Heights, one of several minor stream crossings. Still getting used to how much water is in this part of the country!

The more exotic fungi are done for the season, but these ones are still around.



Saw a few deer along the way.



The alternate view of Harpers Ferry from Loudoun Heights as the sun is getting lower. Maryland Heights is on the right above the train tracks.



Trail along the ridge here is a little rocky in places! Luckily it didn't last too long!



Since it was so close to Loudoun Heights I took a minor detour to the Virginia/West Virginia state line.



Just another nice water feature on my way back to the car.



My somewhat convoluted route for the day.



I have one more trip to post, but it's getting late so I'll do it tomorrow!

Old Rag - Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Old Rag (Wikipedia, HikingUpward route description) is the most popular hike in Shenandoah NP and one of the most popular and well known in the whole Mid-Atlantic region. This is due to a combination of fairly easy access, nice views, an unusual degree of topographic prominence for the region, more exposed rock, and some fun scrambling. I went with my wife and this was the first time for either of us in Shenandoah NP, we hoped the combination of season and government shutdown would mean it wasn't too crowded, as apparently it's ridiculous during the peak season. We certainly weren't the only ones, and did get stuck behind another group during some of the scrambling, but overall it was quite manageable.

Parking area sign with shutdown notice.



What did the shutdown mean in practice? Mainly that fees aren't collected (irrelevant to me since I have an annual pass anyway), trash isn't picked up (leave no trace!) and porta potties aren't stocked or cleaned (luckily as an expert adventurer, I always keep a roll of TP in the car). Overall the trash situation was actually better than I expected. The trail wasn't pristine, but it wasn't bad and actually better than I expected for such a popular trail.



Minor creek crossing on the way up.



Typical bit of trail in the lower portion of the climb.



Up on the main ridge.



Really cool little passage between boulders.



Example of the boulder scrambling of the upper ridge. Blue blazes mark the route.



Looking NE from our lunch spot shortly before the summit to avoid the crowds.



View from the Old Rag summit looking west towards the main north-south ridge of the park.



Little moss forest along the return leg of our loop.

More typical trail conditions.



View of Old Rag from below.



Nice stream along the return leg.



Overall this was a lovely hike and it's popularity is well deserved. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of scrambling that was required and while there was nothing actually challenging, I could feel the workout in my upper body a little the next day. Views were nice even if skies weren't very clear, plus nice vegetation, geology, and water features. That said, I'd be pretty reluctant to go during peak season when it's truly crowded, dealing with two way traffic in the scrambling sections would be kind of a nightmare. Overall very nice first trip into Shenandoah and I plan on going back and getting into the main body of the park soon!

Everything is better with a cookie.

?

I couldn’t find any trail in some of those pics. Right now it looks nice and light and open, sure it’s much different in the spring and summer.

Looks like there're nice forests out there! Are there more people out when the trees have leaves on them?

From some pics I've seen it does get extremely busy during the summer. I'm looking forward to getting out regularly and watching the seasons change this coming spring and summer since I didn't really get out of town into places like this until after the leaves fell. Going back to Shenandoah tomorrow for a bigger solo outing.

Shenandoah NP - Old Rag/White Oak Canyon/Nicholson Hollow Loop

This was my second time into Shenandoah, partially overlapping the TR for Old Rag posted just above. This time I went over Old Rag and down the other side, then up to the main ridge with some nice waterfalls along the way, saw a few points of interest around the ridge, then descended a different trail to make a big loop with just a little overlap right before the parking area. I stole the route from Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (link shows a map of my route), which I have found to be an excellent resource for longer routes in that area and will be doing more of.

The day started at Wawa, which is a regional gas station/convenience store chain. I have found they tend to have some of the cheapest gas, as well as reliable bathrooms. They also have a pretty large selection of hot foods made to order, which are slightly better than they need to be. While it certainly lacks the taste and character of random Mexican food places back in SoCal, it's become my new default stop on these outings.



The trail started with Old Rag (pics in the last post), it was fun to be solo this time and go faster without getting backed up by other hikers at the choke points. I didn't see a single person on the trail until I was heading down the backside, which is apparently not usually the case! From there I dropped down a steep and intermittently paved road to the White Oak Canyon trailhead.



The trail climbs the canyon along the stream, with two major falls along the way. Lower White Oak Falls:



Typical section of trail:



The one way distance of this trail from the lower parking area to the road at the top is only 4.5mi but it's fairly steep and apparently quite popular during the peak season. I wonder how many minor rescues were initiated here before they installed this sign?



Upper White Oak Falls. Hard to get a decent sense of it from from this angle, but it's very nice.



I was about to hop some rocks across the water where I fully expected to slip and get wet, when I looked upstream and saw this nice bridge instead!



Finally up to the main ridge, this is Skyline Drive, which runs the length of the park and is supposed to be quite nice. The Appalachian Trail also follows the ridge, paralleling the road with a few crossings.



Panorama shot from Hawksbill, the high point of Shenandoah.



Product placement section of my trip report! I was using a fancy new pack for the first time and the marketing materials called the large zipper pocket on the left shoulder strap the "burrito pocket" so I had to test it out. Works pretty well! Also fit my phone well for the non staged photo parts of my day. I'm also highly pleased with the size of my new InReach Mini, though I don't like the UI and controls as much as the old one. Costs of miniaturization I suppose, I'll get used to it.

Nice moss along the post-burrito section of the trail.



The enteral rivalry between paint and fungus!



View from Stony Man overlook.



Most of the way through the descent here, this is Corbin Cabin, built in 1909 and historic enough to have a small wikipedia page. It is rentable from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.



Terrain flattens out for the last few miles along Hughes River, of course it was in a section not much rougher than this that I tripped on a rock and wiped out. Luckily I didn't break anything, body or gear.



I ended the day as I started, with fine dining from Wawa.



Overall a very nice day. Cool weather but never more than a few sprinkles of rain. It was great to have Old Rag pretty much to myself. I did see one group of eight or so people by the falls, then a few singles or couples along the main ridge. There was also a group at Corbin Cabin as I passed it. I saw one of them carrying a bow saw, but as there was also a prominent "no fires" sign there, I'm sure they were only using it cut wood they had hauled in and would then haul back out the next day in smaller pieces. Lots of fun and I look forward to checking out similar routes I steal from the VHTCR website.

Stats: 8h4m, 29.5mi, my GPS said 6,500ft but CalTopo and VHTRC both say 7k, so I guess I'll split the fairly minor difference on that part.

Loving these posts man. Glad you're exploring and enjoying it out there since your big move.

Man I wish we had Wawas here. I have a hard time finding reliable places to get food/coffee + toilets prior to big hikes in socal super early in the morning. McDs will only have drive thrus open usually

Thanks, I haven't gotten out as much as I'd like but I'm doing what I can.

Also Wawa >>> Sheetz

Sweet trip. I keep missing these when they are posted but find them eventually. Super fast time for almost 30 miles and a great view from Stony Man.

Since you've had it for a while, what is your impression of the InReach? Are you paying monthly for the sat-text feature and is it worth it? I go back and forth on this.

tekewin wrote: Sweet trip. I keep missing these when they are posted but find them eventually.

With all the different sub forums I find the easiest way to browse is to just use the Discussions button at the top, which just gives you a list of all threads by most recent reply, regardless of which section they are posted in.

I've only used this version (InReach Mini) twice so far since I haven't been getting out that often. I do love how much smaller than the old version it is. I find the UI a little less friendly than my old InReach SE because of how the menu and button setup works, but I'll get used to it. Sending presets is easy enough, though unlike the SE it doesn't have an LED that blinks while sending a message so you know it's working. As a result I have sent messages twice because I wasn't sure it was working, but I just need to figure it out a little better. I have only tried using bluetooth phone pairing to type out a custom message once so far, it worked but took quite a while to actually sync up and send. You can also type out custom messages just on the device, but I haven't tried it yet and with more limited buttons I imagine it's even clunkier than on the old model.

I have the cheapest monthly plan ($13/mo) that allows unlimited uses of your GPS tagged preset messages, then a limited number of custom messages, and more if you pay per message. That has always been plenty for me, I don't have much need for the more expensive option that regularly tracks you and puts it on a map that others can access. I mainly just use it at the start, turnaround, and finish of my trips to say things are good, then have the option to say if I'm running late. Overall it's not cheap, but I have found it useful for communication and think it's worth it.

There is a very detailed review here if you are interested.

Good tip on Discussions.

Thanks for the info on the InReach. I am about half way through the review...and still on the fence. There were two times last year when I wished I had the messaging feature, which comes out to (12 * 13) / 2 = $78 per message for the year. A tough sell, but if I was ever in real trouble, the two way feature would be worth it. My only option now is an all-or-nothing ACR resqlink.

Yeah, it certainly isn't cheap. Spot has a messenger with similar capabilities that is cheaper, but I don't know how it compares in functionality and subscription costs.

SNP Bluff Trail/Big Devil's Stairs/Appalachian Trail/Mount Marshall Trail Loop

I'm trying to see different sections of Shenandoah and wanted something more moderate than last time since I'm recovering from a minor injury, so this was kind of a test to see how I did. I'm a bit slower than I'd like, but felt pretty good! I ran at an easy pace where the terrain was easy and/or I felt good, and hiked the rest. This time I did the Bluff Trail — Big Devils Stairs Trail - Appalachian Trail — Mount Marshall Trail Loop from the VHTRC list.

For whatever reason the Jordan River Trail that starts from the park boundary and connects to the Bluff Trail wasn't on CalTopo, Google Maps, or Gaia, but is on my printed NatGeo map of SNP, so I could confirm it existed before starting the drive. There is a pull out area where you can park at the end of Bean Hollow Road and after passing a gate and dirt road along some private property you quickly reach the park boundary. Weather was partly cloudy and started in the low/mid 20s, but warmed up to the mid 30s or so over the course of the day. The Jordan River Trail is well established and maintained, climbing at a moderate pace up to the junction of Bluff Trail and Mount Marshall Trail. At Thoroughfare Gap I considered taking a side trip to the weirdly named "The Peak" since it was right there, has a decent degree of topographic prominence, and probably wouldn't be worth a separate trip to visit, but decided I didn't feel like dealing with the scrambly/bushwhacky stuff on what was supposed to be a moderate day. The Jordan River and Bluff trails both had some patchy snow here and there, but never more than an inch or two and the trail was still easy to find and hike/run on. The snow was either crusty, or later in the day, soft enough that I could run/hike on it just fine, though I give myself five Preparedness Points for bringing my microspikes just in case.

A couple miles into the Bluff Trail you reach the junction for Big Devil's Stairs, so I took that minor detour to check it out. The two overlooks partway down the trail are nice, and there was some cool ice on the "stairs" across from the trail. I decided to go down to the bottom of the trail, but it turns out there isn't really anything down there and the trail isn't really maintained below the overlooks. On the plus side I added a little pointless vert and got my foot wet stepping in a puddle covered in dead leaves! From the dead end I made my way back up and rejoined Bluff Trail, which goes to Gravel Springs Gap, crossing Skyline and joining the AT. At this slightly higher elevation the trail was pretty consistently covered in snow, but still only about two inches at most, so while it slowed me down a little it wasn't a big deal. This section of the AT crosses the three Marshall peaks, and has the best views of the loop. I took my lunch break and enjoyed a fine wrapped sandwich from Wawa at the overlook below North Marshall, the high point of the route.

From there it was an easy descent to Jenkins Gap, where I saw my first and only other person of the day, who said he was a flip flopping AT thru hiker. From Jenkins Gap you have to walk Skyline for a short distance, but then join the Mount Marshall Trail. This is a dirt road crossing a couple streams before returning to Thoroughfare Gap. The grade and terrain were easy, but there was quite a lot of deadfall in places, which occasionally required skirting around, or at least threw off my pace a little. It probably doesn't see a lot of traffic, but would be a nice place to do some quick trail work. From there I returned to my car via the Jordan River Trail. Luckily it was still early because I discovered I had a flat tire, which I wasn't super thrilled to deal with when I was tired and hungry. At least I left a thermos of hot tea in the car for my return, and after putting on the spare I enjoyed a leisurely drive back home at the spare tire rated max speed of 50mph (ok, I cheated a little and sometimes hit 55, don't tell anyone).

Stats: 20.1mi, 5h22m, 3,700ft gain/loss

Park boundary



General conditions of Bluff Trail

Cool ice crystals



Creek at the end of the Big Devil's Stairs trail



Big Devil's Stairs from the overlook



Cool ice along Bluff Trail



Crossing Skyline at Gravel Springs Gap



General condition of the AT from Gravel Springs to Jenkins Gap



North(ish) view from the AT below North Marshall



View west from below North Marshall



Marshall Trail back to Thoroughfare Gap with the first of many blowdowns



Highly sub-par burrito, Wawa let me down this time

Sugarloaf Mountain - Dickerson, MD (3/14/19)

Sugarloaf Mountain is a local area designated as a National Natural Monument, as well as a very original name. It's actually private land, but with free access for the public thanks to a trust, foundation, and so on. It is a modest high point of the area, which makes it a popular spot for people to visit, as well as hosting events in some historic buildings on the property (wikipedia link with more info on history, geology, etc). It has a network of trails for hiking/running, and occasionally allows horses and mountain biking. The one downside is that it is privately managed, which limits access a little bit. They open at 8am and close one hour before sunset, so when I arrived at 7:30am I took a nap in the car outside the gate. Another car pulled up and waited alongside, when the gate was opened and we made it to the upper parking lot the other guy unloaded rock climbing gear and headed off someplace, so apparently there is something worth climbing, which is pretty cool.

It doesn't take much to be called a mountain in Maryland (1,283')



Map of the trail network, which is surprisingly extensive



Getting to the summit from the main lot requires a short but steep climb, including some stairs.



Typical trail section



Looking west from one of the view points



Remnants of an old building, pretty sure this isn't one isn't available for rent though...



Getting to the high point from the other side, a short but steep and demanding little section.



Nature!



More typical trail and vegetation



No grand conclusions or anything, just a nice spot to play around on some real trail without having to drive all the way to an Appalachian Trail connection, Shenandoah NP, etc. I was doing an easy run and stopping frequently at intersections to try and stick to planned routes and not get turned around. I did 9.8mi in 2h17m with 1,900ft of gain/loss. It has a nice mix of terrain for such a small area, and some parts of the trail are quite rugged and technical for running. As the days get longer I'm hoping to make it out out there once a week after work to run and get some variety, since my local park doesn't have much terrain. It would make a great training spot for doing long enough laps to be meaningful, but with easy access to your car in between. Apparently it's quite a zoo on nice weekends and frequently fills up, so you won't find a lot of solitude then. Overall a nice place and I'll definitely be back when I want to get some trails in without committing a full day.

Looks like a great training area and some interesting boulders just off trail.

Yeah, I should have asked the guy with climbing gear where he was going. I saw a couple potential spots later in my run but didn't see him on them, so there must be a better spot tucked away. I assume anyone who waits at the gate first thing in the morning on a weekday to climb knows the best spot! I also saw signs on my way in saying "climb at your own risk," so it's pretty cool of the property owners that they allow so many kinds of public use on private property, I would have guessed the lawyers would try and nix that.

Do a lot of AT hikers flip flop in freezing temps? I didn't realize that was a category of thru hiker. They must have a club.

I didn't get any detail on his plan, I was a bit surprised to hear that from him and don't think it's a common. According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, these are the more common flip flop routes on the AT, neither is consistent with going south in SNP at that time of year...

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/ex ... g/flipflop

Perhaps he was section hiking as well, I didn't ask because section vs full thru (even if flip flop) can create arguments over if section hiking really counts as thru once completed, and I wasn't in the mood to start that conversation...

Not only is there a club, there is a festival! https://www.flipflopfestival.org/

Doh! I thought it meant they hike in flip-flops.

Spent a nice weekend (April 27th/28th) car camping in Shenandoah National Park and did a few of the popular hikes. Tons of info on these, so I'll just post a few pictures and very short report unless anyone has a question. We arrived at Big Meadows around 11am on Saturday and apparently got one of the last spots, because when we went back out at noon the Campground Full sign was up. I imagine it'll only fill earlier and earlier as it warms up. I was a little surprised how brown the upper elevations of the park are, Skyline is still pretty brown, as is most of the park above about 2,000ft. The lower areas of the park are quite green, the upper elevations might take another month as many trees are still just budding out. We did two short hikes on Saturday and one slightly longer hike on Sunday.

Hawksbill/Salamander Trail/AT loop - Lower Hawksbill Trail to the summit is short and steep, with a nice view from the high point of the park. The return leg is a nice section of trail that will have fewer people, making a nice little loop.

Dark Hollow/Rose River loop - We started from the connector trail at Big Meadows. The Dark Hollow trailhead to the falls shortly below was quite crowded as expected, but the falls are fantastic. The people thinned out shortly below the main falls and the whole loop is quite pleasant. Rose River falls are nice, but my favorite part was the nice stonework steps along the side. On the way back up near Skyline we came across a park ranger and park LEO taking care of a woman with a hurt ankle. Nothing serious, but that last half mile was going to be a slow crutch shuffle out for her... At Skyline we encountered a group of gentlemen who didn't seem to all be getting along. One was yelling stuff at the others while stomping off ahead and insulting one of the other members for still living with their mom. We returned to the Big Meadows connector via the horse trail.

Cedar Run/Whiteoak Canyon loop - Another popular waterfall loop. The waterfalls in Cedar Run are less spectacular than Whiteoak Canyon, but overall I found that section of the trail to be the most beautiful part of our trip. Everything was lush and green, with the sunlight just right, great views and proximity to the water along the trail, and fewer people than Whiteoak. The hike up Whiteoak was nice, with quite a few people around. We saw quite a few people from Cedar Run who were doing the same loop in the opposite direction. Very nice hike overall. We stopped at a place just outside Sperryville on the drive home for some local artisinal peanut butter cups and root better, followed by some quality Wawa's for dinner.


Nice view from Hawksbill



Lots of people at Dark Hollow Falls



A little further down Dark Hollow




Spring hasn't fully arrived yet, but it's getting there



Stone work next to Rose River Falls



Nice section of Rose River



Pleasant spot in Cedar Run



Creatures!



Flowers here and there




Lower Whiteoak Falls

Upper Whiteoak Falls




Native wildlife of Sperryville

Spring must be a great time to be out there, looks like the water is flowing well.