On Tuesday morning, after the countertops were delivered, I knew I would have a little time on my hands, so I took a short drive to run some errands. I planned the route so I could take a short detour into the GWNF, where I have been considering a future hike into the forest – this ridge that rises up above the Shenandoah Speedway, in fact.
Seeing the short front ridge covered in forest, I’ve often wondered whether you had to trek into there with two ascents, first over the short front ridge and then climbing to the peaks, or if there was a forest road that might provide access to a trailhead back there. I scoured the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club Map H for clues, finding that just as there is Crissman Hollow Road in the north half of Massanutten Mountain, there is Cub Run Road in the south half.
This route also has a historical attraction. It is the site of Catherine Furnace, a blast furnace dating to the early 1800’s, where pig iron was forged. From here it was carted down to the South Fork of the Shenandoah, and barged to Harper’s Ferry, where it was used in a variety of industries. By the Civil War, the Massanutten furnaces were in decline; they were reactivated during the war and the pig iron was taken by train to Richmond for armaments.
There is a rich history of the industry, which drew from local workers and the surrounding lands for resources to operate. In a future post, I may revisit what I’ve found so far, meanwhile, here is a photo of the furnace, and a stretch of Cub Run that passes by it. For the record, Cub Run is a stocked trout stream.
Apparently, Cub Run Road used to involve at-grade stream crossings. My PATC guide advised on careful navigation through here, as the crossings were nearly invisible from the approach – I was prepared to turn the Impala around at any moment if I encountered this kind of difficulty.
To my surprise, I found these new bridges, clearly constructed during the summer (maybe with stimulus money?) so no problems for me going up the Cub Run Hollow. I think this one is at Pitt Spring Run, for those following along on PATC Map H. And not to be forgotten, it is a forest road, and the GWNF is actively logged.
The little crests on the ridge are part of Third Mountain, which rises to 3,080 feet above sea level. The peak is called Morgan Knob, and there is a neighboring, unnamed summit of 3,045 on the ridge. It appears that the summit requires bushwhacking a route, as I don’t see trails marked on the PATC maps.
The last photo here is a campsite I stopped by for a look around. The campsites in the southern half are described as hunters’ camps, and with the season just getting underway it’s my bet that there is intense competition for them. This is near “Lokey Hollow” on the map.
Another interesting point is how close this is to Hawksbill Cabin – I’ve already mentioned that I made this stop while running errands. In fact, the state road leading up into GWNF is in nearby Newport, a small crossroads settlement (it may be a town, I think there is a small post office in the store there) that is between Stanley and Shenandoah. Newport is right on the South Fork, about a mile and half from the River’s Bend Ranch, which I have written about before.
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