Vigorous hikers or banshee hikers?

Well THAT was a big day of hiking!  Yesterday, Jan. 24, I hiked with the PATC Vigorous Hikers in the Pinnacle Ridge area in the Central Section of Shenandoah Park.  We parked in Nethers at the Old Rag parking lot.  Although we had driven to the trailhead in pea soup fog, warm sunny weather developed during the morning.  We had many stream crossings along the way and some feared wet or icy rocks might cause problems in crossing the Hughes River near the beginning of the trail but the stepping stones were dry.  On the way up the hollow we saw many abandoned stone walls and home foundations.  It must have been really hard when the National Park came in and displaced homesteaders. 

Old homestead along Hannah Run Trail

As we walked up the Hannah Run Trail the weather warmed enough for me to strip down to a teeshirt and put on a bandanna to keep the sweat out of my glasses.

Crossing upper Hannah River

The group had subdivided in two bands of hikers quite soon after we started.  I was the caboose on the slower group.  After much huffing and puffing, we reached Pinnacles Overlook.  It turned out to be a splendid day and there was virtually no snow on the ridge.  A brisk wind, however, made us bundle up for the ridge section of the walk. 

Sign at Pinnacles Overlook

At the Pinnacles Overlook I just caught sight of the super vigorous hikers before they trotted away down Skyline Drive.  We slower vigorous hikers then walked (no rest stop for me) down the deserted Skyline Drive to the Jewell Hollow Overlook, where we picked up the A.T. for a mile or so, then crossed over the Skyline Drive to take the Corbin Cabin Cutoff down to PATC's Corbin Cabin where we ate lunch (my first chance to sit down since we started).  We just caught up to the fast group for a photo (below) before they took flight again.

The Banshee Hikers and the Vigorous Hikers overlap (momentary)

 
After a quick lunch, during which Phil caught up to us (we had inadvertently taken off from the parking lot without knowing he was part of the group), we climbed the Indian Run Trail to the Corbin Mountain Trail, which we took back to the Hannah Run Trail and the cars.  The Corbin Mountain Trail had a long section that was heavenly -- rock free gently sloping trail in the sun.

In the summer the Hughes River offers lots of opportunities for taking a dip.  Ken, the hike leader, warned me that the water wasn't much warmer in the summer than it is now.  

By the time we returned to the car we had walked 18 miles in 7 1/2 hours.  I had thought I was a "vigorous" hiker but that pace was just a tad too vigorous be comforatable for me.  Maybe I just need to get in better shape.  That fast group, however, completed their hike at a 3+ MPH pace.  Perhaps they should call themsleves the "banshee hikers" rather than just "vigorous".

I noticed one inconsistency in mileage. On the 2003 PATC map and in the 2009 guidebook it says the Indian Run Trail is 1.4 miles.  On the SNP trail post it says 1.7 miles.  Who is right? 

PATC vigorous hikers have outings every Tuesday and carpool from a commuter parking lot in Centreville, VA.  Check out the PATC website (PATC.net) if you're interested in joining them.

Final tally:  3 new complete trails (Hannah Run, Corbin Cabin Cutoff, Indian Run) and all but 0.6 miles of the Corbin Mt. Trail .

Total 19.7 miles and  10 sidetrails in the first 4 weeks of 2012.  That's 5% of sidetrail miles and 6% of sidetrails.  Got to up my weekly mileage if I'm going to make the 2012 SNAP 500!