Trip Report: Saint Marys Wilderness, Vir ginia

“Unforcasted rain, a lost trail and hunting dogs. Full report to follow.”

“I got to the trailhead around 5:30 PM and started out about 3 minutes later. A quick easy 1.5 miles later (interrupted by two deer in the path and a grouse startling me) and I was at the campsite saying hey to HogOnIce. I got out the pocket rocket and heated some water so we could talk over a cup of mint tea (got the teabag idea from jerbear). I got the bivy set up and HOI helped me get my tarp up for gear. The weather man said this would be one of the best weekends in the history of backpacking but the clouds overhead were giving a different story. It was dark by now and we turned in. Something came up to my bivy in the dark and took off scared through the brush (deer I suspect). Then the rain started. It rained for a good 1.5 hours and then a beautiful, clear, starlit sky. By this time the entire inside of my shelter was wet due to the lack of weather worthiness of the Slumberjack bivy. The temperatures dropped to mid 30?s and, despite the collected moisture, I stayed warm and comfortable (praise to Polarguard 3D).

I woke before light and got up to start hanging things to drip off for a while. We were treated to a beautiful sunrise and clear blue skies. The view of Three Ridges framed in the trees from the clearing was awesome. We ate, packed and hit the trail around 8:15. We took the forest road for a couple of miles and then onto the eastern end of the Saint Marys River Trail. The trail was rather nondescript and not much traveled (or maintained) on this end. The Rhododendron branches touch each other across much of the trail (except the steep rocky parts) as we descended into the wilderness area. About 2 miles down this trail we came to a nice flat open area and the remnants of an old mine works. We went into the area and looked around, couldn?t find any blazes and since we knew the trail pretty much followed the river, took the trail leaving the clearing near the river. This is a mistake. Never take the trail near the river out of this clearing. It leads to 1.5 hours of bushwhacking through the thickest rhododendron in Virginia. We went down the river, across the river, back across the river, over to the edge of the bluff, back to the river and then finally up the bluff and came to the trail. After this we decided to follow the trail back to the old mine and set up camp. It turns out, when we came up the trail to the flat, that unless you now where the trail went in the past, you will not be able to find it now. It has turned into a series of 5-foot gullies and washes and heads out and around and is not got much evidence of foot travel (and no blazes). We set camp, cooked dinner and got to eating just in time for the two hunting dogs to show up. They tried getting into every bit of garbage I had sitting around where I was cooking. There were two so every time you tried to shoo one the other would investigate. After a few minutes we got our food and garbage packed and hung and everything was cool. Then the four guys showed up. They set up camp a ways over but we could still here them for most of the night. They had an 8-man tent that must weigh 20#. I tried to get a picture of it but it didn?t turn out. The good point is the dogs eventually went over to their site. It drizzled rain as the skies had promise most of the afternoon then the sun broke through. We hit the sack just before dark.

Up before the sun again Saturday morning and everything is nice. The skies were a bit overcast, but it had warmed up a bit overnight. I packed a few things and started preparing water for oatmeal and coffee just in time to hear HOI let out a verbal abuse on the dogs that were now back down by his pack. After chuckling at this for a few minutes and getting my coffee around I went and sat on a rock down in the river. Aaaahhhh. Trickling water, the wind in the trees and birds all around. Put this with a cup of coffee in the morning and I don?t know of much that is better. If yesterday was nondescript, today was the pay off. Two trails and both were awesome. Mine Bank Trail heads up a gorge with a beautiful creek and large hardwood forest. It turns into a pretty healthy climb to get up to the Bald Mountain Trail just before you reach the parkway but the trail is awesome. The Bald Mountain Trail starts out mildly from the parkway end. It takes a long, gradual descent down an old roadbed in through some old Hemlock trees. Awesome! Following this graded trail let you lose track of how much you were descending. You are reminded a little later as you head up to the Forest road. From the trailhead on the road to the cars is about .5 miles of downhill.
HOI is a great guy with an unbelievable knowledge of plants. He had me noticing more different plant types, and asking questions of each, then I even knew existed. Or at least that I had paid attention to in the past. I enjoyed the last two days with him and hope he did too. He would fit in, and is a welcome addition, to any of the TTer?s I have met. I appreciated the company and had a great time.

I got some”

“Oooooops. I meant, I got some pictures back.”

“Good report, baume. I bet Virginia's nice this time of year (when it's not rainin'). Got pics?”

“Another simul-post”

“Yep nice fall colours alright. Don't ya love this time of year? Nice pics.”

“thanks. this is my favorite time of year by for. i'll be heading out again in two weeks with running girl and boy. the colors should just about be at peak by then.”

“The pictures look very good Baume 66. Thanks for having me along - an enjoyable hike even if there were a few too many blowdowns. The bushwhacking was ahhh interesting - some of the toughest brush I have ever whacked I must say - the stuff fought back. Personally I think Murphy was laughing at us all the way - the uncertain weather, those darn dogs, the troop of people with that huge tent chopping wood well into the evening - (sigh) it just was one of those Murphied trips that I think we adjusted to quite well. Some good things to report is the gear testing went well - the Guidelite Thermarest worked very well in the hammock to keep me warm as did the Army surplus ECWCS polypro long johns. The verduct is still out on the fleece bag liner - mostly I used it to insulate my right arm since that was the only place I was touching the hammock wall not covered by the Thermarest. A good time was had and some good sights were seen. The hike on the last day did however kick my butt - I'm afraid Baume 66 was held up by my slow ascents however it was a good day and we got out to the cars with plenty of time in spite of Murphy and the questionable weather which actually turned out to be just right for hiking.

HOI”

“Hey Baume66 - Know what ya mean about those rhododendrons! Sounds like a trip to remember. What'd you think of that Mtn. Hardwear sl pad?
And I wonder which Slumberjack bivy model do you have, as I've had the summer one (lots of mesh with full coverage fly & too good a deal to pass up!) in pouring rain w/o it leaking.”

“Hey cow patty, the bivy I bought off jerbear. It only has mesh near the head section and the fly is only large enough to cover this mesh. I stayed dry on the upper end where the fly covered but the rain soaked through the bottom end (waist down). The mountain hardware sleep pad is nice. In my opinion it is as comfortable as my thermarest. No worry of leaks, and will make an excellent winter pad. The only non positives (they weren't negatives) were the foot end is narrow and I found my feet off it a couple of times and it is bulkier then my thermarest. No bulkier than any other closed cell pads but heavier. This will work as well as a closed cell and thermarest set up for winter camping with less weight. The pillow pocket inside the liner is nice and it comes with a built in strap to cinch it with when you roll it up.”

“You got rain, huh?

No rain but cloudy and lots of ground water....how the hell do you grind water?.......going up to and on the plateau at Roaring Plains.

Hey, we had a bushwhackin' time too!”

“I went back to Saint Mary's Wilderness this weekend, base camped at the last/first obvious campsite on the Bald Mtn. Tr. - the one closest to FDR 162 and did a fair amount of blowdown removal. Probably a couple more weekends and that trail just might get cleared of blowdowns. A nice relaxing solo weekend - just me and my 21 inch Corona (grin). Had to leave a few big ones - I'll probably come back with my 5 ft. crosscut and come-along and get them later. Trail mostly cleared from 162 down to where it levels off before heading up to Mine Bank Tr.”

“you da man. thank you! the trail org will never know who did it, but I will.”