One new trail

We rented a PATC cabin for Sunday and Monday nights.  The Vining Cabin is tucked up in a scenic hollow above Stanardsville, VA.  It has electricity, heat, running water, and wood stoves.  The heat took a LONG time to warm the house up (about 24 hours in fact).  To reach the cabin, you need to drive up a long unpaved road, ford a stream, and then, after parking, schlep your stuff 0.4 miles up to the cabin.  We had intended to stay for two nights.  Having gotten there in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday, we had time to explore the property.  I took off up a trail toward the other cabins in the Vining Tract/Mutton Hollow area.  This trail was straight up and I didn't even reach the first cabin due to fading light.

On Monday I had planned to do a nice long hike in the southern section of the the park but when we got to Swift Run Gap we found that Skyline Drive was closed.  So I parked at the AT crossing and hiked up to and around the Saddleback Mountain Trail.  It was a crisp clear day and perfect for hiking.  I tried putting into practice what I had learned in photography class the prior week and thought I did  pretty well.  Unfortunately, due to low battery, none of the photos were saved.  Although I had hoped to add on the South River Falls Trail and South River Fire Road, I decided that I needed to get back and abandon ship at the cabin.  In the car on the way up I heard that the forecast was for rain starting at midnight and continuing through morning.  I didn't want to have to ford the stream in high water the following morning (nor hike in the rain).  So I turned around.

On the way back to Swift Run Gap I saw three large groups of college-aged kids and a large family group.  It's terrific to see younger people in the woods enjoying themselves. 

I learned several lessons on this trip.  First, call ahead to make sure Skyline Drive is open.  Second, compile a list of itineraries accessible from public roads outside the park.  Third, recharge your camera battery, dummy!  All of these would qualify as meeting the first rule of "Leave No Trace":  prepare and plan ahead. 

I have created a database with all the "trails" in Shenandoah National Park.   According the the SNP Appalachian Trail Guide (published by PATC) and the three PATC maps there are 162 sidetrails plus the A.T. in the Park.  Sidetrails total 392.7 miles within the Park Boundaries plus 103.4 miles of the Appalachian Trail within SNP boundaries.  Except for the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area in the Central District and the AT park property in the Southern Section, I intend to stay within the boundaries of SNP. 

So far I've completed 15.4 miles and 8 sidetrails.