SNAP500: Skyland-Big Meadows Loop

White Oak Upper Falls

What a surprisingly pleasant hike. Thursday dawned quite cold and very windy but Skyline Drive was open so I decided to hike one of the routes best accessed from the Drive: a Skyland/Fishers Gap loop using the Skyland/Big Meadows horse trail and the AT. I'd been putting it off because I assumed hiking on the horse trail would be horrible. I was in for a pleasant surprise.

I parked at the Limberlost Trail parking lot and hiked down the Old Rag Fire Road to where I had left off the horse trail last year. Yes I walked all the way back and retraced my footsteps to the place where the southbound horse trail leaves the fire road. The horse trail wasn't bad at all. I usually think of horse trails as full of loose rocks about the size of softballs. Yesterday the trail was filled with streams (the day before we had had torrential downpours) for much of the way but, except for a few short stretches, it was not as bad as expected. Rapidly reaching the White Oak Canyon, I mosied down the foot trail a stretch to get a good view of the falls. Needless to say they were full (see above). Instead of crossing the rushing stream at the horse ford, I walked upstream to the hiker bridge and then returned to the horse trail none the wetter. I have Melanie Perl to thank for this advice from our hike last year.

Ford of White Oak stream (avoided by using bridge)

Water water everywhere (just off Old Rag FR)

The horse trail rolled gently along. After crossing the White Oak it became coincident with the White Oak Fire Road (expunged from the Excel table due to overlap) which made for great walking (where there weren't pools of water). Up and down it went. On the east side of the ridge, when the sun shone it was a pleasant temperature for walking but I had some problems getting my clothing right. When the sun was behind a cloud and wind blowing, I needed wind jacket zipped up, neck gaiter, and ear band. But going uphill without wind and in the sun, that was too hot. So I had several stops to adjust clothing.

As I said, it turned out to be a very pleasant trail for a stroll. Because it was winter, the views east were great and Old Rag looked gorgeous. Eventually I came to two tributaries of the Rose River. The first ford was easy. The second (below) gave me pause. I was able to beat my way upstream a bit and cross over on rocks, luckily. I then rejoined the Rose River Loop Trail, which I had hiked just a couple of weeks ago, and tramped the final 0.8 miles up to Fishers Gap. Before I got to the gap, a nice log presented itself so I sat down to eat my sandwich and make Gatorade. The water was just beginning to crystalize so I think the temperature was close to freezing.

Ford of Rose River (avoided by rock hop upstream)

After that quick stop I walked over to the western side of the ridge and picked up the AT. What a difference that small relocation made. The wind was roaring up from the valley and it was really cold. Back on with the winter head gear. The AT north from Fisher's Gap has spectacular views to the west even without going out to the numerous scenic pullouts on rocky outcroppings. The weather was clear although at around 2:15 a few flakes started falling. Thinking this might portend Friday's predicted snow coming early, I picked up my pace. I did take the time, however, to walk out the Rock Spring Fire Road (listed on the map but not in the book) to Skyline Drive and back. The water on the trail was alternately solid ice and liquid, which makes me think the temp was just hovering around the freezing point. I was worried about tree limbs falling on me as I heard creaks and groans but managed to escape unscathed. Pollock's Knob, which I didn't remember from my thru-hike, was quite nice.

Before I knew it I had reached the Skyland Stables. I continued on the AT until the Skyland Road then walked down to the Drive and took the Skyland Horse Trail to the Limberlost parking lot.

Total mileage for the day about 17 miles. New miles: 16. New or finished trails: 3.