Trillia, wateralls and .... snow???

Yesterday was a superb hiking day.  High sixties, mostly clear sky, and it had rained recently so the water was high and flowers in bloom.  I had been contacted by Melanie Perl, supervisor of trails for PATC for the southern part of the Central District of the SNP, and we hiked together.  First we started up the White Oak Canyon Trail, then took the Whiteoak Cedar Run Link Trail to the Cedar Run Trail, which was just lovely.  Lots of beautiful waterfalls, a big pool and water slide, and by lots of wildflowers, especially trillium which appeared to be just passing its prime. 

Cedar run

By the time the trail leveled off near the ridge, we were starting to see patches of snow.  We reached the Lower Hawksbill parking lot and saw a delightful little garden in a cavity of a tree.

Magical garden within a tree trunk

We then joined the Appalachian Trail for a short stretch, missing our turnoff at Crescent Rock overlook because we were gabbing too much.  En route we passed a beautiful succulent that looks like a sedum and "corn lily" or "false hellebore". 

This looks like a sedum.  Is it? 

There was a fair amount of snow on the western side of the ridge. 

We met three guys out on a multiday backpacking trip.  They seemed none too excited about their trip. 

Up at Crescent Rock overlook we took pictures of each other in front of a snowy Hawksbill. 

Melanie in front of a very snowy Hawksbill April 25

At the top of the Cedar Run Trail and along the Crescent Rock Trail were a number of trees that had bent over the trail, probably due to heavy spring snow.  Melanie, who always carries a saw, was able to clear the trail in several places.

After reaching the Limberlost Trail we sat down on one of the benches to eat our lunch.  It got chilly so we got going again pretty quickly.  In order to complete the trail, we continued on the Limberlost until it junctioned with the White Oak Canyon Trail and took the WOCT up to Skyline Drive and turned around (I just wanted to complete the trail but Melanie wanted to check out trail conditions).  Then we took the WOCT down to the bottom of the Limberlost loop (there are so many trails intertwined there!).  She waited while I complete the Limberlost Loop (entailing an extra 0.6 miles).  Then we descended the White Oak Canyon Trail.  I hadn't been on that trail in many years.  What a delight.  With the recent rains and melting snow, the stream was high and the waterfalls spectacular. 

White Oak Canyon just above upper falls

Upper Falls White Oak Canyon

Rattlesnake Weed

Hanging Wildflower Garden

We saw several wildflowers and a hanging wildflower garden. 

Lower White Oak Falls

Close to the bottom of the trail, Melanie and I parted company.  I was to complete the bottom 0.4 miles of the Cedar Run Trail while she headed for the parking lot.  I had intended as well to hike the Berry Hollow Fire Road but Melanie convinced me it would make more sense to do it as part of an Old Rag circuit. 

Total miles for the day:  13.1
Total miles of sidetrails to date:  124.1
Total trails to date:  50! 

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

The bugs have emerged!

Yesterday I hiked a familiar old route:  up the Overall Run/Tuscarora Trail and back around via the Beecher Ridge Trail.  The day was pleasantly warm and breezy.  In the lower elevations, the trees have leafed out enough to provide a little shade.  In addition to the redbuds, the dogwoods are now in bloom.  I'm extremely happy many have survived the blight that was attacking them.  Their snow white blooms radiate light in the otherwise brown woods.

I parked just off US 340, walked under the railroad bridge,

Start of Tuscarora Trail off US 340

and promptly lost the trail.  It goes right immediately after the stone pillared gate.  Instead, I sauntered up the road to a major deforestation project.  It surprised me that all the logging was taking place after I passed the following sign:

Backtracking, I crossed over a newly gravelled culvert (not the trail as it turns out) and by chance stumbled upon the trail.  Apparently very few people use this trail (and with good reason ... it's boring).  It goes up and down hills for 3 miles until it joins the Overall Run trail.  One thing I noticed right away was the flies.  Common house flies were everywhere.  Then I saw the butterflies:  tiger swallow tails, black swallow tails, little blue butterflies, little brown and grey ones, and a pretty almost white butterfly with a pink/red stripe.  Especially near the seeps there were lots of butterflies.  So far no biting insects but I fully expect them in the near future, especially after it rains. 

Overall Run is a great stream with terrific falls close to the top

Overall Run falls

There wasn't much water in Overall Run, however.  I'm worried that our dry winter is going to result in watercourses running dry this summer.

Right behind the natural wonder of the Overall Run Falls is the man made wonder of trail rock work

Great rock work near Overall Run falls

After emerging from the Overall Run canyon, I sat down for lunch at the junction with the Mathews Arm Trail.  In the 2009 AT Guide to the Shenandoah National Park it says the Mathews Arm trail extends for 3 miles beyond the Tuscarora Trail but has obviously be taken out of use.  On the back of the 2009 north section map the Mathews Arm trail is said to be just 1.4 miles.  Mystery solved and 3 miles of trail I no longer need to hike!

After a quick lunch I decided to hoof it down the Beecher Ridge Trail.  I'm not sure why I thought I didn't have enough time to take the Tuscarora the last 2.3 miles to the AT.  As it was I finished by 3:30 and could easily have worked in an extra 4.6 miles (note:  there is a lot of inconsistency between the book and the cement markers on the trail).  At any rate, I hiked a half mile along the Mathews Arm trail and the Beecher Ridge Trail, which was unchanged from January 6 when I last hiked it  I took a picture from my old lunch spot for comparison:

Comparing this to my hike on Jan. 6 you can see how much the new eaves now hide the view. 

I continued on the Beecher Overall Connector and the Overall Run Trail.  Neat huge rocks on the latter. 

Lower Overall Run crossing

Huge rocks off Overall Run Trail

After rejoining the Tuscarora Trail, I hiked out and back on the Thompson Hollow Trail.  If I were doing this circuit as a dayhike, I'd park at the start of the Thompson Hollow Trail.  Then I slogged out the final 3 miles of the Tuscarora, repeating my steps from the morning. 

Total miles for day:  13.9
New trails:  3
New trail miles:  10.6 (I've passed the 100 mile mark!)
As a percent of total miles including the AT:  21%