Shenandoah National Park

“No shame in going up the Saddle trail It's still a great view”

“Nothing will deter me from sticking to my plan including a lack of skill or experience. Hey people... This is me.

The snow was so pretty today but it was a wet and heavy snow. I can't see it being pretty for long except 'pretty wet'.

I am really ready to get out I still have to pick up some stove fuel and a lighter. I could not take these on the plane.”

“Posting from inside my hammock. It is really cold and gonna get colder! I am sure it will snow. I got an early start and was glad to get a parking spot at the inner Old Rag parking area. The hike up Old Rag was spectacular! There was 3-5 inches of snow on the ground so it was easy hiking. Most of it had been kicked in so I didn't need the crampons. There were quite a few people at the summit, most having come via the fire road. The scramble was classic class 3 stuff and was a real treat. The descent down saddle trail was fast and painless and I enjoyed a late lunch at the Old Rag shelter. I walked down the fire road and then cut over to Old Rag fire road where I walked until 4 pm. Then I trucked off the road and found a great place to eat and bed down.

What a great day!

I only get service on and off. I have tried to post this like 10 times now. Now my battery is almost dead. Not very smart.”

“Yogisan! You suck! LOL!
Sounds awesome bro. enjoy. take it easy. Later.”

“My next swag in this amazing place will be in April. The dates are still tentative since it will depend on the timing of my quarterly company meeting in Reston.”

“Troll”

“...I am thinking of making this a climbing trip to the Potomac rather than a trip to the Shenandoah. There is a guy in Reston that said he wanted to go rock climbing and I am for sure game for this.”

“Your Reston connection is probably thinking about climbing in Great Falls National Park. There is also some good hiking on both the VA and MD side of the river. Bring your hiking gear. Here's a couple of shorties from my site. There are more trails that can be added to them:

http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id163.html

http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id164.html”

“Thanks for the beta man! This is good stuff.”

“I don't describe on the MD side. Do you white water kayak? I don't but that looks like a crazy place to do it to me but they do.”

“not whitewater. mostly open water. i have done a few river trips with other TTers.”

“updated agenda for my next trip to this wonderful park... if i don't go climbing on the potomac with my friend. i am giving him a 85% chance of bailing right now in which case for sure i'll be backpacking in the park this weekend.”

“Rocky Mount / Gap Run is a good loop but campsites are a bit thin unless hammocking - if I remember correctly there is one good spot for tent camping down on Gap Run under some Black Walnut trees

Doyle River/Jones Run - "ok" campsite where the two join at the bottom - cross Jones Run and go down river a little bit IIRC”

“thanks hoi! great beta! i am a hammock convert so perhaps this will work out. hope you are well.”

“I'll be climbing with my friend at Great Falls on Saturday, camping in the Shenandoah on Saturday Night, hiking about on Sunday, and flying home Sunday night. I am not sure where I will hike on Sunday... nothing too rough or i'll do old rag again... that was great this last winter.”

“It's not far from Old Rag and is probably the #2 hike in all of SNP. (OR being #1.”

“Little Devils Stairs Canyon is nice too
(northern section)”

“I will be camping with my kids at Big Meadows and we will be doing some non strenuous hikes in that area.

The Rocky Mount/Brown Mountain loop is awesome.. As are the Doyle River Jones Run and Cedar Run White Oak canyon loops.

For shorter hikes The Rose River Loop is pretty neat as is the Lewis SPring Falls Trail.....

'fool”

“Great day! Wonderful weather. Climbed 8 routes at Great Falls this morn and now am driving to SNP to hike for the rest of the day. I am doing Old Rag tomorrow I think. Great weekend!”

“I just did the Old Rag loop and opted to try and catch an earlier flght home. The loop was MUCH easier without all the snow and ice when I was there in winter. It was windy and cold but this is good for such a scramble in my book. I had the mountain top to myself! There was rain in the forcast but I never saw a drop. Anyway, with the day of climbing plus the scramble up Old Rag I would mark this as a great weekend.”

“We need to get you on other primo SNP trails. There are soooo many of them.”

“camped at big meadows this weekend..

Took my son on the Hawksbill Summit, Lewis Springs Fall, and Bearfence Mountain Trails..

Then picked up my younger son and hiked around tne meadows for awhile..

Another great weekend in SNP!!!!!!

Oh yeah, woke to snow and sleet on Sunday

'fool”

“Lewis Springs Falls should have been chugging right along.”

“it was, i think. can you see it from the top of old rag? there was what i thought was a clear waterfall (very large) i could see from the top. my eyes are not as good as they were and i did not have a monocular with me. i was going to hike there.

snow and sleet on sunday? wow! it was overcast but there was no precip. i was on the road by 7 and at the trailhead by 8. i must have missed the weather! i did not have any rain gear with me so i guess this was lucky.”

“I don't think you can see Lewis Springs Falls from Old Rag. You may have been seeing falls in White Oak Canyon.”

“i got there early to beat the crowds at the old rag parking area. it was 1/2 full at 8! when i hiked out the lot was pack jammed and the upper lot was really filled up as well. I didn't see anyone all morning from the scramble up (had the entire mtn top to myself) and then on the way down i ran into tons of ppl hiking in on weakley hollow forest rd.”

“Cheaters!!! There should be one way turnstiles on that road ... except for handi-capped.There should only be one way up.”

“Yogisan, I think that you were probably seeing the Upper White Oak Falls, although even that is sort of surprising. White Oak falls is on the East side of Skyline drive, Hawksbll sumitt is on the west My son and I pulled over at the old rag lookout so I could show it to him.

He wants to go back and do it in a couple of weeks.

..and yes Lewis Spring Falls was gushing compared to what it looked like 3 weeks ago... If I could do it over again though I would have hiked the White Oak Canyon Trail..

'fool”

“The Falcon Guide Hiking VA book suggests that you take the fire road up and the scramble down... The first time I did old rag that is the route that I took.

It is harder coming down the scramble than going up it...

That and the fact that you are going against traffic on the way down: I will never do the hike that way again.

'fool”

“I agree. Going up Old Rag is much more fun!

Glad you had a good trip yogisan.
last edited: 4/14/08 9:41:54 AM”

“Many folks hike up to the top through the back door than turn around and walk back down w/o ever doing the scramble. Those are the ones I call "Cheaters"! I honestly can't imagine going down that thing. Definitely more chances to get hurt.”

“Next time you stay at big meadows, here's another one:

http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id113.html”

“I love that hike.. I did it 3 weeks ago along with the Lewis Falls One. I admit that I didn't hike up Dark Hollows as I only had one car, but The Dark hollows out and back is on my list. The cemetary along that trail is pretty neat as well... I would have done that rather then the Lewis falls one last weeknd, but I was in a time crunch and didn't have enough time.

I will be back at Big Meadows May 3 doing Rip Rap on Saturday and who knows what on Sunday if anyone is interested.. I believe that rest of the campgrounds are opening shortly as well.

'fool”

“My focus has been the southern SNP. Rip-Rap is also on my "to hike list". We stay at Loft Mountain Campground. It's right in the middle of everything down there.”

“Last weekend we did the AT from MP 87 to 66. While we were hiking this weekend I kept thing about all of the great views the thru-hikers miss out on...

I will start concentrating on the southern end this summer.

'fool”

“I've done all of the AT through the SNP, but I have found that the best hikes are off the AT. The waterfall hikes are my favorite!!

Rip-rap is fun, but really rocky!”

“I seldom hike sections of the AT in SNP unless it is part of a loop. I think I shuttled 2 sections. Now, hiking the AT south of SNP is another story. Doing 27 miles as a backpack this weekend.”

“Are you doing the McAfee Knob Trip this weekend?”

“Hiking from Sunset Field to the Punch Bowl with the James River Face smack in the middle of it all.”

“Trip page updated with new dates for my next romp in SNP...”

“this trip might get scrapped.”