Luray's Outfitters Merge

Some big news and not a very well kept secret on the business scene in Luray…after six months of planning, Evergreen Outfitters and Appalachian Outdoors Adventures have merged, combining the two stores at the 18 East Main Street location in Luray.

As I was visiting the Evergreen Outfitters store over the course of the summer, Howard and Andy kept me apprised of the progress with this exciting development, as they worked through the details of what stock to carry, which storefront to locate in, and other logistical matters. Finally, the time for talk is over and they’ve been able to complete the merger.

I checked Andy’s Facebook page, and here’s a quote about the opening:

“Evergreen Outfitters has now joined forces with Appalachian Outdoors Adventures. We are at 18 East Main Street in Luray, Virginia. We are all here today: Howard, Andy, Gary and Linda. Come see us! “

Later she added, with regards to the expanded team:

“We are having fun. We all work well together. Each has different strengths. A rockin' team we are! The entire downstairs has been turned into the GEAR area. Almost 2500 square feet on each level!!! Christmas presents galore for every person on the gift list - a one stop shop.”

Mary and I can vouch for this – my mom and sister too – we visited AOA on black Friday and there was a steady stream of customers. Here are some highlight photos of the storefront, upstairs, and the famous gear area in the man cave downstairs.

As a last note, I received an email from the Page Chamber that the new business will be featured on the Tourism Tuesdays radio show with Nina Long - December 8; 12:30 to 1 pm on 95.3 FM WZRV. As much as I’d like to, I can’t listen in. But I hope it goes well.

Best of luck to Howard, Andy, Gary and Linda!

G&H's AT Shake Down Hike - Part 3

Part 3 - Post-hike Report

After three days, completing a section hike of about 32 miles on the Appalachian Trail, Gary and Howard returned Tuesday night. From the main south bound AT route, Howard said they had made a few side trips to visit trail shelters, where they checked out the log books and signed in with their new “trail names,” which I won’t report here to protect their identities. As experienced hikers, they knew when they set out that anything could happen on the trail and they were ready to improvise if needed, but, as Howard says, “Everything went as close to plan as we could have hoped.”

As they shared their impressions of the route, I began to notice that their descriptions of the experience were similar to those I’ve read about in thru-hiking books such as “AWOL on the Appalachian Trail,” and “Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods.” One of the first things you notice on trail sections like the one they chose, is that even though the route follows a ridge and you wouldn’t expect major climbing, there is a cumulative effect from all the little “ups-and-downs” from short climbs and descents.

They took advantage of their freshness on the first day and did extra miles, so the second day was less difficult. Even so, the body rebels at the out-of-the-ordinary strain, stiffening at each break on the trail, or making it hard to get up in the morning. By the third day, they had begun to settle in to their pace, making the last day the easiest day on the trail for them.

When I asked them about what gear they found the handiest, they agreed that their water filters were the key items in the packs, with headlamps coming in second. Gary said that since the winter days are shorter, they often had to quicken their pace to reach the day’s designated camp site so they could set up before it was completely dark, which made the headlamps very important.

They had carried their water with them on this Spring’s overnight hike on the Massanutten Ridge, so the water filters allowed them to reduce some of the weight in their packs. Water was required for the dehydrated meals they carried – all samples from the selection in their stores – and they heated it on a Jet Boil stove. In fact, all of the gear they used on the hike is available at the stores.

Speaking of their stores, Appalachian Outdoor Adventures and Evergreen Outfitters, Gary and Howard have been planning to join forces for the last few months, and with this hiking adventure behind them, they are set to complete the merger by the end of the year. Gary said, “We had been sending customers back and forth to each other and now everything will be in one location,” so the merger is a natural progression. And both are looking forward to the opportunities to expand their services to potentially include guided hikes and tours.

Gary and Howard are planning overnighters in the Spring, but the next multi-day hike won’t be until next Summer or Fall. They choose routes in Shenandoah National Park along the AT but also adventure into the George Washington National Forest as well.

As for the north district AT section hike, it served as an excellent shakedown for longer hikes in the future, with the added benefit of being able to test out some of the gear they sell. The credibility factor is important in their business, and these hikes serve to build it. That’s going to be an important asset as they complete the merger and continue to serve their customers.

This is the final post of a 3-part series on Gary and Howards section hike of the AT. The previous posts were on Wednesday and Thursday, the 18th and 19th of November.

G&H's AT Shake Down Hike - Part 1

Part 1 – The Plan and Some Activities

Luray is getting a reputation as a great Appalachian Trail “Trail Town,” and with miles of hiking trails and plenty of camp sites available in nearby Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest, it’s an emerging backpacking, hiking, and camping destination. Gary Drum and Howard Thompson, owners of two outfitters stores in Luray, decided to set out for a Fall section hike of the Appalachian Trail this week.

Their stores, Appalachian Outdoor Adventures and Evergreen Outfitters, are planning to merge this Winter, but over the last couple of years the two have built a friendship on their shared enthusiasm for all of the outdoor activities this area has to offer. With the number of adventure-seeking tourists in Luray increasing every year, whether they are AT thru-hikers or families heading for SNP campgrounds, Howard and Gary set a goal to hike the entire length of the AT as it passes through the Park, starting with a 30-mile “shake down” hike of the northern section this month.

Joining Gary and Howard on the trip were Luray friends Garrett Johnson and Alan Jones, and three adventure dogs, Lilly, Martha and Athena. The group has done a couple of similar hikes together in the past, and made the “natural choice” to hike from Front Royal to Thornton Gap on the AT (it’s natural because “it’s there,” according to Howard. The group planned to hike about 10 miles per day over this section’s moderate terrain, from Sunday to Tuesday, spending one night camping back country and a second night in one of the campgrounds.

Besides the camping, the group had planned for other activities on the trail. Their families were tentatively planning to meet them on the trail one day, but the rendezvous was nixed due to scheduling conflicts. They are also planning to “taste test” some of the dehydrated entrees and breakfasts that they carry in the shops so that they can rate them and make recommendations to shoppers.

…tomorrow’s post will look at some of the gear Gary and Howard are using on the section hike.

Return to Blackrock

I mentioned in some previous posts that our intention on Saturday was to do a relatively aggressive hike on Saturday, taking in Jones Run Falls (42') and the Doyles River Falls (28' and 63') in the Southern District of Shenandoah National Park. With the foreboding forecast - depending on what source you consulted, the temperatures might fall to near freezing, with accompanying precip - Chris and I decided to change our plans rather than taking in a four-hour plus 7 mile hike.

After stopping by to visit Howard at Evergreen Outfitters in Luray we headed down to Rockfish Gap in Waynesboro to make our way to the trailhead. I picked up a new pair of Vasques from Howard, shown in the picture of me here at the Blackrock summit. We did make a stop at the outfitters at Rockfish Gap, too, enjoying a leisurely and thorough browse of their exhaustive store, but making no purchases - this time.

Then it was up into the Park for our short hike to Blackrock Summit - this route is only a mile roundtrip, so I didn't even bring a pack, only a small bottle of water. Chris went in full gear, as can be seen in the photo of him in the rock gap. He was disappointed to find that the scale of this passage was exactly human, somehow he had gotten the impression that this was a giant rock formation from my previous photos.

We spent a lot of time just below the summit scrambling on the quartzite formations, and then we climbed to the top and hung out for a while. We were finally interrupted by the storm warning on his Suunto, as the barometric pressure dropped sharply and clouds started moving in, shown in a couple of these photos.

We quickly got off the mountain, returning to the parking area via the AT. It started raining by the time we reached the car. We stopped by the Loft Mountain Wayside for some chili before making our way home.

As shown in the photos I posted yesterday and in this blog post here: http://oldragpatrolsbyrsl-blook.blogspot.com/2009/10/wilderness-weekend-sun-10182009.html, the rain that started on Saturday night eventually turned to a pretty, light and envigorating snowfall.

Miller's Head: An Easy SNP Day Hike

Despite the blustery early fall weather (and the promise of a crowd of fall foilage toursits) Mary and I decided to head up into the Park for a little hike. We chose Miller's Head, with its trailhead in the parking lot of the Skyline lodges, as our route. It's in the Easy Day Hikes book, but we didn't realize it until we were on the trail that we had done part of it a couple of times in the past.

We actually walked down to the trailhead from the Skyland dining rooom, adding negligible distance to the hike but retracing the route we took on the weekend we stayed here when we first got to know about Luray. Here's Mary on that portion of the trail (hat, jacket, and hiking pants - all from Evergreen Outfitters. Hi Howard!)

This is a short trail, less than 2 miles found trip, leading along a ridgeline to an observation platform that overlooks Page Valley. Along the way, there are the typical forested jumbles of greenstone, which is usually covered with a patina of green lichen in this part of the Park.

There is also some communications infrastructure along the trail in the early part, just before you reach a little rock terrace that gives a look to the northwest and west down into the Valley, shown in the next two photos. In the first, you can clearly see Lake Arrowhead; the second is more of the view over Luray looking towards the New Market Gap.

From the overlook there is a 180 degree view that spans over to Tanners Ridge and includes Stanley. Since it was a bit cloudy and overcast, we couldn't clearly make out landmarks, but here you can see Ida Loop Road cutting back towards Marksville, it's likely our little house is somewhere in this view.

On the way back to the trailhead, I noticed a little spur to the south, which led once again to a ridge with a view. Only this time, the trees opened up, and you're treated to this perspective of Hawksbill Mountain, the highest peak in the Park (and the one that the Hawksbill Cabin is named after, since it dominates our view as we turn into the neighborhood).

We were surprised during our time in Skyland - we ran into our neighbor, Ranger Sally - giving a presentation in the lodge on black bears. She had an impressive array of artifacts, including a cast of a paw print, some taxidermy items, skull and jawbone mock-ups, and rubber scat. The thing that most grabbed my attention was an ice chest that had been mauled by a determined bear. There were at least 20 people taking in the program, and we joined late and casually.

We also ran into Ranger Sally a short while later, leading another group out on the Millers Head hike. We were on our way back in then, so we just waved at her as we passed by.

All in all, a pleasant hike, not too demanding, with the best part the views of Page Valley.

A Week on Skyline Drive

Today I need to get back to work with a full agenda for the week, including preparation for an intercompany transfer, a road trip to Las Vegas next week for a speaking engagement, and all those delightful things that justify getting paid. Meanwhile, I also have a queue of blogposts that will be going up about discoveries last week in the Shenandoah Valley - I may not have accomplished everything I set out to do on the "staycation" - but I did get quite a few of them done.



After the preliminary kitchen upgrade work - deliveries and the dishwasher installation - was done on Tuesday, I was able to do five day hikes, averaging about 4 or 5 miles a day and 900 feet of climbing, all in Shenandoah National Park:

• Calf Mountain (Southern District) - photo is from this one
• Powell Gap (Southern District)
• Jones Run Falls (Southern District)
• Fox Hollow (Northern District)
• Compton Peak (Northern District)

Three of these hikes were from the "Easy Day Hikes" book (link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762734159?ie=UTF8&tag=hawkscabin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0762734159 ) and the others were "freelanced," although the Compton Peak hike was the result of a recommendation from Ranger Mike at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center.

For vacation reading, I completed Colin Fletcher's "The man Who Walked Through Time," (link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679723064?ie=UTF8&tag=hawkscabin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679723064 )

and "Long Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail for the Older Adventurer" (link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0938631209?ie=UTF8&tag=hawkscabin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0938631209 ) by David Ryan.

Both made for good recreational reading and a review will follow...

Of course, I had some time for socializing with friends in the Valley, special thanks to Howard on the tip to visit the Speakeasy (this is the pub at the remodeled Mimslyn Inn in Luray) on Thursday night - had a great evening out (and taught the bartender how to make a Ketel One dirty martini, up with two olives - and tested the results on Saturday night)...

Also, the farmers' market, a chat with Sally and Dan, cicadas, praying mantises, Jesse visiting to take a look at the work involved on the kitchen remodel...and a great walk through town with Mary on the Hawksbill Greenway on Sunday.

Of course, there is the sad note that Mary and I lost our beloved Gracie last week. So far, both of us find ourselves thinking about her a couple of times a day. I am still not ready to post on this; we had her for more than 14 years and there is a lot to sort through.

I am really looking forward to getting these hike reviews up, and will do so over the next two weeks. Meanwhile, ciao for now!

Outfitters' News -

The Page Valley Fair is coming up next week. I am really looking forward to it after missing it due to work last year. As I was looking through the fair catalog, I saw that Howard at Evergreen Outfitters and Gary at Appalachian Outdoors Adventures have made an announcement that they are joining forces late this summer.

They’ll consolidate into the AOA store soon. For convenience, both web sites are below:

http://www.evergreenoutfitters.com/
http://www.appalachianoutdoorsadventures.com/

Congrats to them both and best wishes for success in the merger!

The Luray Tri

This weekend is the Luray Triathlon - there are events on Saturday and Sunday. I decided to volunteer for both events - before I knew that the volunteer check-in time was 6:00 am. Mary is skeptical that I can meet this obligation.

The events support the United Way of Page County, and there are accessory events like a spaghetti dinner in town and the like that will make it a busy weekend. Two races are held, the International, and the Sprint, on the two days. Both fields were limited to 600 participants, and both are sold out!

The International, on Saturday, includes a 1,500 meter swim at Lake Arrowhead, 25-mile bike ride, and a 10K run. Participants are expected to complete the event in four hours or less. Sunday's sprint includes a 750 meter swim, 16.5-mile bike ride, and a 5K run.

Our friends at Appalachian Outdoor Adventures (Evergreen Outfitters is joining forces with them this Fall) are sponsors of the event, race packet pickup takes place there, and Gary will be in the International on Saturday! Best of luck to him!

There's more information at http://www.luraytriathlon.com/Home.html .

A Night at Shenandoah Speedway

Mary couldn’t join me at the Hawksbill Cabin last weekend; she had deadlines of her own to work on. So I was left on my own to try and get some writing done (I am having a horrible time getting a proposal done right now, total writer’s block – yet I still seem to be able to blog daily).

So on my own, I took off for the two short hikes I wrote about earlier this week. I checked in with Howard and the gang at Evergreen Outfitters – looking into catching a Wranglers game – but the team was on a road trip and wouldn’t be back until the next weekend.

I was settling into the thought of getting take out (from Momma Mia in Shenandoah), and sitting on the brick terrace with a fire, when I remembered we have racing in Page County, so I went down to Shenandoah Speedway (http://www.shenandoahspeedway.com/ ) to check it out.

This facility is just north of the town of Shenandoah along US 340. Massanutten Mountain – in fact, the motto is “Where the mountain roars!” – and Mary and I have been trying to take in a race for a while. I was sorry she missed it.

NASCAR this isn’t – it’s more of a minor league affair. But there is plenty of entertainment value to be had. The night I went, there were no less than six races on the “Fan Run Down:”
· INEX Legends (the two photos here) – 25 laps
· SVSRL Mini Cups – 25 laps
· UCARS – 30 laps
· Sportsman – 20 laps
· Street Stock – 30 laps
· Late Models – 75 laps

I sat down with a chili cheese dog and an ice cold Bud and enjoyed myself, from a seat right in front of the winner’s circle and the flagman tower.

We’re going to have to work on the ball game, but the summer season is only two months long (it is well covered by this blog: http://allthingsvalleyleague.typepad.com/, and it’s over by August. The town of Luray really turns out for the games, and we want to check it out. Mary also tells me she wants to check out the races…that’s a new one on me, but I am game for going back.

AT Thru Hikers Update

During some yard work on Sunday, Mary got stung by a wasp. I have some sting relief meds in my hiking first aid kit, so we took care the bite quickly.

I really like this stuff. It was a life saver on late summer hikes a few years ago when Chris and I were prepping for the Half Dome summit. Back then, he used to go down the trail first.
In the late summer, yellow jackets can often be found nesting in the ground or rotting wood near trails. It is not unusual that a first hiker will disturb a nest, and the following hikers walk unsuspectingly right into a cloud of angry insects. This is what tended to happen to me, and that is how I learned about the sting relief meds.

Since the ointment gave Mary instant relief, we decided to take a drive into Luray to see if Howard had any of the stuff sold alone or in small packs, so I could re-equip the first aid kit. He didn’t have the product I needed, but he had something else that is pretty good – Jewell Weed. Turns out Mary has some, but she left it at home.

We talked about how things are going in the store – big news coming at Evergreen Outfitters later this summer – and about the through hikers that are coming into town right now. Howard’s had thru-hiking visitors since late March, and I ran into one fellow, “Old Spice” in the store a few weeks ago.

Old Spice had stopped by to pick up a care package that was being delivered to the store one Saturday, but it hadn’t arrived yet. So he spent part of the day hanging out waiting for it around town, and I think he caught a movie, either Star Trek or Transformers. They kept his pack for him at the store, and the package arrived while he was hanging out. I was sorry I didn’t think fast enough to offer him a ride back up to the trailhead in the park.

Another thru hiker was hanging out in town this Saturday – she made her way around doing some errands. I heard that she was at the library, where she left the pack outside draped with a banner that said “I can’t believe I hiked all the way here from Georgia,” or something like that, as reported by Cindy, Howard’s mother-in-law.

Also in the store were three Dutch guys that were doing the trail, the “Three Stooges.” Here is a link to their blog about the trip http://www.bergopbergaf.nl/– it’s good reading. Howard said they had a good visit.

Back to the sting relief meds. Chris actually kicked up the bees on me twice back in those days, but luckily was right there with the meds both times after I’d gotten stung – this was always happening three or four miles into the hike, so it was a long way and very likely slow going back to the car for something.

These days, I go first on our hikes. Somehow, though, I don’t think it’s just about the bees. I think it’s because the young whipper snappers think I’m slow.

Vacation Thoughts from the Brick Terrace

Back from my golf round on Wednesday evening, again enjoying a break from the rain, I’ve got a 2-hour firelog going and I am indulging in a cigar and – finding a surprise in the beer case at the Food Lion – Shiner Bocks. This, while reading Michael Perry’s Truck: A Love Story, supervising Dude finishing up the pool-opening vacuuming, and watching my wildlife as it grows dark.

Howard invited me to an event tonight, but Mary’s been sick (food poisoning, we think from something she ate in H-burg) and I thought it best to be here tonight. She is almost through it, which is good.

The event Howard told me about is a steak fry to benefit the Boy Scout Council here in Page County. I wish I could have taken him up on it – looks like a great networking opportunity, and as we try figure out what we are going to do with this “weekends in Luray” lifestyle, that might have given some food for thought.

(Note to Howard: Thanks very much for the invitation! I will take you up on one of these things very soon!)

Back to what’s happening here in the hollow tonight. The sun has just slipped down to the right angle to light up the oak trees over on the ridge line, flooding me with reflected golden light here on the brick terrace. From over in the beaver pond, I have heard the “ker-plunk, splash!” from some beaver frolicking over there three times tonight. Off in the distance, the pileateds have been having a go at some tree, the bats are just beginning to rise, and I saw my first hummingbird of the season.
The little fire is petering out so I guess I’ve been enjoying the evening for a couple of hours now…time to decide about putting another one on – am I committed to two more hours out here? I think I might be…

The rain of the last two days has forced a reschedule of the hike Dave G. and I were going to take, Three Falls (#80 on the Hiking Upward site). I’ve got a rain check on that one; the other must do is a canoe float while the river is running like this (the photos here are from one of the landings off of US 340 near Newport, and two others from off of 675 west of Luray.)

There are still three and half days left to get in some prized recreation. We’ll get’r done.

Don't miss - Luray's Spring Fest!

It's a weekend where there will plenty of activities. And a favorite event, which Mary and I are going to miss, unfortunately - the Luray Spring Fest. The picture and link below are from the LDI site that has more details.

Activities this year include a beer garden (!) and the duck race. And Evergreen Outfitters is sponsoring a disc dog exhibition down at the ball park. Plenty of stuff for everybody to do - and the Farmer's Market will be on right smack in the middle. Wish we could join the fun.

http://www.luraydowntown.com/festivals.html

Prep for Signal Knob - Part 1

My hiking team - the guys that joined me for Duncan Knob earlier this year, is planning our next outing to Signal Knob near Front Royal. That will be a week from this Saturday.

As part of our prep, here's some helpful advice from a friend on Facebook: Appalachian Outdoors Adventures... There are ten essentials for backpacking. Without them you a short trip could turn into a longterm disaster. No matter how short a trip you are taking anything can happen and you need to be prepared. Essential #1 - Water, #2 - Compass, #3 - Extra food, #4 - First aid kit, #5 - Fire starter, #6 - Flashlight/headlamp, #7 - Extra clothing, #8 - Pocketknife, #9 - Map, #10 - Whistle.

I am planning to use my larger Rum Runner pack on this one.

And here is the Hiking Upward review as a happy reminder of our hike: http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/SignalKnob/

Funny Bear Story

Last week on our Mary's Rock outing, on the way down we found a lost item on the trail - a can of pepper spray. I guess a previous hiker was worried about bears on the trail. While that is always a possibility in the Park, my guess is that this trail, close to the Thornton Gap entrance and subject to so much highway noise, is an infrequent bear location.

Still, it's always good to be prepared. The Park has the highest population density for black bears in the US, and there is a good chance of seeing them elsewhere. (A tip of the hat to Evan Dyson, who wrote a series of posts on black bear sitings on his Wildlife in Photography blog - see my blogroll).

The pepper spray can reminded me of a little poster that Howard has up on the bulletin board at Evergreen Outfitters...repeated below.
====
Warning

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, hikers, hunters, fisherman, and any persons that use the outdoors for recreation or work related activities should take extra precaution in the field.

We advise outdoorsmen to wear noisy little bells on clothing so as to give advance warning to any bears that might be close by, so that you don't take them by surprise.

We also advise carrying "pepper spray" in case of a bear encounter.

Be on the look out for fresh bear activity and be able to tell the difference between black bear and grizzly bear feces:

• Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur.
• Grizzly bear feces has bells in it and smells like pepper.

=====

Of course, it is very unlikely you will see a grizzly bear in these parts.

Signs of Spring at Evergreen Outfitters

Mary and I ran errands into town on Saturday afternoon and stopped by to see Howard and the gang at Evergreen Outfitters. We talked about a number of things while picking up a few essentials (I am now an official Ex Officio fan).

First up, Howard's recent trek on the Massanutten ridge from Rileyville to Kennedy Peak - this is about 17 miles on the ridge, and his party did it with an overnight camp. They brought their dogs, who stayed with them in the tent. Among the challenges of this hike is the need to pack in your water, since on the ridge there isn't any. This adds a couple of gallons to the weight you have to carry, a serious logistics and planning issue.

Also, there have already been two AT thru-hikers in the store. One signed in during late March - Santa's Helper (NoBo). This means he probably started north bound in February...there has been some awful late winter and early spring weather, so kudos to him for already making it this far north.

Last one, I found out that Google Earth Street View has published the US 340 route into Luray and follows BUS 340 south to Stanley. The photo of Howard's storefront is unusual - it captured an image of a person...as a matter of fact, it's him!

Controlled Burn in GWNF

I had a note from Howard the other day - he was planning to make an overnight trip into the George Washington National Forest this week, focused on a trek to Kennedy Peak. He mentioned that there must've been a controlled burn on Massanutten over the weekend - the Valley was full of smoke.

Fellow H-burg blogger Evan Dyson has a photo of it on his blog (along with some other excellent images!): http://wildlifeinphotography.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/full-day-park-extravaganza/

Apparently Chrisman Hollow Road and other routes were affected. Here is an excerpt from a PATC news release (link follows):

"Catback Mountain Controlled BurnEdinburg, VA. - The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are using prescribed fire to help protect and increase the health of our national Forests. The Lee Ranger District is planning a 2800 acre controlled burn in the Massanutten’s Catback Mountain area of Shenandoah and Page Counties along Crisman Hollow Road also known as Forest Development Road (FDR) 274. This will be the second time the area is treated with a controlled burn. This project will take place within the next few weeks as weather and other conditions allow. Though for years Smokey Bear has broadcast the importance of preventing wildland fire, the fire managers of the USDA Forest Service know that prescribed fire, also called controlled fire, plays an integral role in the life and ultimate health of our forests. Prescribed fire can also help in the suppression efforts of uncontrolled wildland fires. "

More at: http://potomacappalachian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=656&Itemid=2

When Howard's back, he may have some news and views to share. Looking forward to that.

Duncan Knob - summit and final

My guess is there is less than 200 vertical feet to the Duncan Knob rock scramble (if anyone has authoritative information on this, please send it along). Still it is quite intimidating on the first encounter, for a few reasons:

• There is no indication of what’s ahead until you are there;


• There are no blazes through the rock field, so you have to pick your own line – which you will constantly second-guess all the way up; and

The boulders are of all sizes and shapes, and some of the small ones are loose, as if they’ve just arrived in their positions. This movement can be unsettling (…because who knows, maybe the whole pile will come down?).

The photo above was taken midway up the scramble, during one of my second guessing moments. I was heading generally up and to the right, but wondered if this inviting flat surface – down and to the left – might be hiding a better line for me.
Finally, at the top, we found our reward. A couple of wide open flat surfaces to have a seat on, adjust our gear, have a snack and a drink, and most importantly, enjoy the views. Here are photos of Chris and Andy just arrived at the summit and a look over into Page Valley. The ridge line of Shenandoah National Park is visible in the distance.

After about a half hour at the top, we began making our way back down.

Andy, Tom and Chris got a little ahead of me and stopped, so I had them pose for this final photo.
All in all, this is a great hike. Our version was 8 miles in all, with the rock scramble coming at exactly the halfway point. That couldn’t have worked out better.

Everyone was invigorated by the experience, and we’re thinking of what’s next. For myself, I want to do Duncan Knob again sometime, probably again next spring or on a warm break during next winter. I’m also thinking of some of the other summit hikes in GWNF – including Stickler Knob, “The Knob,” and Signal Knob, if these are feasible. Some research and planning ahead on this account.

A last note here – my friend Howard at Evergreen Outfitter gave us advice that was the key to selecting this trail – so thanks again, H!

Weekend Hike - Duncan Knob

With excellent weather forecast, we managed to put together the “winter” hike that we’ve been talking about since January. Although our plan at first was to do a two-day hike on the Massanutten and Tuscarora Trails, taking in over 20 miles and shuttling from the cabin, in the end we decided one day of up to half that distance would probably serve, and we decided to try Duncan Knob (Duncan Knob is the rounded peak in the center of this photo, taken from Luray).

There are a couple of reasons for choosing the hike, but one for doing it in the winter – the Hiking Upward site reviews the hike and has two pictures of timber rattlers guarding the trail. Since the destination is reached after a rock scramble, the pictures are enough to discourage me from the summit in summer.

Chris and I used portions of this hike to prep for our Half Dome expedition back in 2005, since it included a couple of steep climbs and totaled 2,200 feet of elevation gain – half the 4,400 feet of elevation gain on the Half Dome. We did the hike three times but never summitted – because of the snake photos.

We talked our friends Tom and Andy into joining us, and with Howard’s recommendation, finally picked Duncan Knob as the hike of the day. We planned to get to the trailhead at Scotthorn Gap at 11 or so, following a few logistics errands in town. We made our way to Chrisman Hollow, running a half hour late, only to find it still closed – despite sunshine and weather approaching 70.

We quickly rerouted through New Market, looking to come up through the northern entrance to Chrisman Hollow – also closed. A short lunch break, and then finally we drove to the spot on state road 675(?) where the Massanutten Trail crosses – putting Andy’s rental jeep to the test with a couple of stream crossings courtesy of the Forestry Service!

At last, the trailhead, finally at 1pm…quickly making it to this stream crossing, with Tom, Andy and Chris getting out of the way for an oncoming mountain biker. The first of three crossings, this one would prove to be a foreshadowing landmark, as we had to cross it in the dark on the way back.

Planning the Season's First Moderate Hike

A few weeks back I posted about putting together a winter hike, inspired by a two-day outing that was described in “Blue Ridge Outdoors.” That hike took in sections of the Massanutten and Tuscarora Trails over in George Washington National Forest. Chris was interested and we thought might try the 20-mile hike , basing out of the cabin and using a car shuttle strategy to make it more efficient.

Winter’s getting away from us, and since I haven’t done any rigorous hiking in a few months (actually, in a couple of years…) we have downscaled our expectations. We now are planning to do Duncan Knob using one of the two routes described on the Hiking Upward site:

http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/DuncanKnob/
http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/DuncanKnobHollow/

The final choice between these two will depend on the weather Saturday, since the access road through Chrissman Hollow closes when inclement weather is expected. Right now the forecast shows a warming trend starting Thursday going through Sunday, high of 71 expected on Saturday, with the possibility of rain.

Chris and I used the Duncan Knob hike as part of our training “regimen” getting ready for the Half Dome Hike we did back in 2005. Because this hike had some good altitude changes, we thought that the climbing would help us – I’m sure it did. But because we were doing that in the summer, and the Hiking Upward site has copious photos of timber rattlers, we never did the rock scramble to the summit, which is our goal this time.

Chris has confirmed, and another friend, Tom, is planning on joining us. There may be one additional hiker. These guys all live in the Leesburg area, where they are close to the AT, but they’ve “hiked out” all the nearby trailheads and were looking for something “extra” to try.

Howard from Evergreen Outfitters is a Duncan Knob enthusiast and suggested that it would be a good season-starting alternative to the longer hike we were looking at. When I chatted with him recently, he shared a photo or two of a group camping at the summit. My group will take its time getting up and back – if we are lucky enough to have good weather for the full circuit on that first hike, we will probably need five hours or so to complete it, as opposed to the four hours shown on the site.

Winter Scene in Alexandria

I visited with Howard at Evergreen Outfitters yesterday, and he mentioned that we might be in for it over in Northern Virginia...for once the forecast was right, we got about 6 inches of snow this morning.

While I was out shovelling and getting the cars scraped off, took some photos of the neighborhood...this last one is of our "wall" of Leyland Cypress, which are particularly impressive during snow.