Howdy Neighbor!

Yesterday had to have been the most perfect hiking weather ever.  Sunny, a little breeze, about 60 degrees.  And what a great hike:  the Neighbor Mt. Trail.  I could have done a circuit hike but I liked it so much going up that I turned around and came back the same way (I couldn't log any new trails or new miles anyway).

I was welcomed to the woods by two wonderful smells:  woodsmoke from nearby homes and that earthy smell of the woods after a rain soaking.  The day started out on a good foot because of a visit by two wild turkeys who scared me to death flapping into the woods just ahead of me on the trail, gobbling their way up the hill.  I started out along the very scenic Jeremy's Run, which has dozens of boisterous cascades on the bottom section of the Jeremy's Run Trail.  Having discovered a few ad hoc trails down to the riverside (the path, unfortunately goes high above the most dramatic sections) I was able to check out the cascades and pools. 

I noticed that the redbuds in the forest (but not along the roads) were post-flower but the dogwoods were still in bloom.  And many new wildflower treats awaited me.  First, when I put my pack down to strip down to shorts and t-shirt, I spied a funny looking mushroom on the ground.

I think it's the rare and valuable morel mushroom, prized by gourmet cooks.  Here's a mystery plant that I hope some reader will identify for me:

I also saw these interesting fruiting bodies (or maybe they're galls) on the ground.  Anyone know what they are?

The trail is an absolutely wonderful trail at this time of year.  Because there are no leaves, once you leave the Jeremy's Run valley, you have non-stop scenic vistas all the way up to the summit of Neighbor Mt. (2.6 miles from the Jeremy's Run Trail intersection).  In addition, the trail winds around 3 separate valleys or hollows, so there are different vistas in different sections of the trail.  In the first part, coming up from Jeremy's Run, you can see Knob Mt. to the north

Then you pull into a second hollow with views to the south and west, with views to the "Three Sisters" (not captured).

Then you walk along the ridge, with views to both sides.  Eventually you cross into a third drainage which includes farmland that goes right up to the Park boundary and more great views to south and west.  Finally you get to the wooded summit which has peekaboo views at this (leafless) time of year.  Just beyond the summit is a cool rock formation called The Gendarmes, at the head of a slide, with views to all sides after a rock clamber.

From the summit of Neighbor Mt. up the the Appalachian Trail the trail is largely a steady upward track but delightful walking because the surface is foot friendly and because there are scenic vistas to both sides of the ridge.  I loved the little valley just south of the ridge and enjoyed fantasizing about owning one of the farms tucked up against the National Park.

From the A.T. intersection it is a 0.5 mile gentle uphill walk to Byrd's Nest 4, a day use shelter with an incredible view and a picnic table.

Although I was ready to stop for lunch, I decided to trudge down the rest of the Neighbor Mt. trail (actually a service road) to the Skyline Drive and back before a break.  That chunk of the trail was my least favorite:  steep down (and up) over loose rocks.  I met two backpackers at the bottom who had hiked up the Hull School Trail and were too tired to walk up to the AT and hike back to Mathews Arm Cpgd. so they were hoping I had a car in the parking lot.  Too bad, guys.  Back at the shelter, I sat down for lunch with a nice New Yorker out quasi backpacking with his husky-oid dog.  After lunch, it was all gravy as I hiked back down the Neighbor Mountain trail admiring all the views to right and left of the bucolic countryside in the Shenandoah Valley.

Here are some of the beautiful wildflowers I saw on the way:  Orchids at low altitudes: 

Another mystery flower:

Pussytoes, which were also out last week:

At the higher elevations, I'm quite sure that the wild azaleas actually bloomed between the time I passed them going up and when I passed them going down.  They have a lovely clove scent:

And finally, down close to the Run, wild geranium, a humble but lovely wildflower.

I also saw lots of butterflies including a large dark brown one with black borders and these two white butterflies mating (the female has a couple of spots on her wings):

All in all it was a wonderful day, though short.

New trail miles:  5.6
New trail:  1
Total miles for day:  12.8