Emerald Pond/Bird Knob Hike - September 8, 2015

Grace admires the view of the Shenandoah Valley near Bird Knob

    Marit Anderson and Grace Nui coming from south of Lynchburg met Michael Seth at the former Visitors' Center on 211 for this Massanutten Hike.  It was a sunny, late summer day. Despite the 90 degree weather below it was much milder on Massanutten, in fact, very pleasant.  We started the hike about 9:30 walking along the Wildflower Trail, which had no wildflowers, then joined the Massanutten Trail.  A nice feature of this eight mile hike is that almost all  the climbing was in the first mile and a half.  After finishing our climb we stopped for a snack and a photo shoot at one of the lookouts near the top.  Since it wasn't too hazy we had great views to the east looking of the Shenandoah Valley and the Alleghenies from Reddish Knob to Big Schloss.  We then followed the Bird Knob Trail (which does not go to Bird Knob despite its name). At 4.6 miles we came upon Emerald Pond. In the not so distant past this spot saw few visitors but recently it has become a popular weekend outing.  However, on this weekday we had it to ourselves.  We saw no one on the hike today.  Marit noted that it would but more accurately labeled Olive Pond, but it definitely is very green.  After lunch Marit and Michael went for a swim; Grace posed on the diving rock but declined to join them. The water was cool but not cold unless you swam where the spring come out.  Refreshed, we continued hking passing a series of giant anthills.  Looping back to the Massanutten Trail and we retraced the first two miles of our hike back to the parking lot. 

Marit and Michael near the many slate rock formations on the hike

Michael and Marit cool off in Emerald Pond, which is spring fed

Grace scopes out the pond from a good vantage point -nice way to spend a warm September day

 text by Michael Seth, photos by Marit Anderson