Minebank-St Marys River Trails May 25, 2013

Reported by Marian Styles


Lady slipper

PATC Far North members

Today’s hike featured several special guests, among them PATC Far North Chapter hikers Ken Coelho and Leena Snellman. Leena and Ken now live in Toronto with Sam The Fabulous Hiking Dog, but Leena and Sam formerly lived in Charlottesville and were regular PATC hikers. Good thing the temperature had cooled down for the weekend because these northerners aren’t used to the heat.

Yes, we saw rhododendrons

Bleeding hearts

Former hiker David Carter, who threw us over for Saturday morning tennis, also made a special appearance. David kept track of how many stream crossings we made on the way back; I think it was 18!

Leena had asked for a hike featuring rhododendrons, which is why hike leader John Shannon chose today’s route, which started near the Fork Mountain Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As we followed St. Marys River, we and saw lots and lots of about-to-bloom rhododendrons. We eventually saw enough opened flowers to satisfy Leena, and though the area was beautiful, it was going to be spectacular in a week or two.

Flower seekers

Rhododendrons about to open
were a common sight

We saw a lot of pretty wildflowers, most of which we could not identify, except for bleeding hearts and a couple of gorgeous pink lady’s slippers orchids.

After hiking about 4 miles, we stopped for lunch. Most of us wanted to do an out-and-back, so nearly everyone headed back the way we came—a climb of 1,100 feet. Meanwhile, John Brandt did the 10-mile loop past Green Pond to the Bald Mountain trail and still beat us back.





Flowers of the future: mountain
laurel

Learning what an IBU is in
this context

Lindsay Brown, Liz Lyons, Eileen Seaman, and John Brandt headed off for the Blue Ridge Brewery while John and David escorted me and my daredevil passengers (Debra Fisher, Ken, and Leena) to the nearest gas station.

One of the stream crossings

A picturesque area
even without flowers

If I hadn’t had my hands on the steering wheel, I would have been chewing my nails. My car’s gas gauge had hit empty upon pulling into the parking area this morning, and I wasn’t sure we would make it to a gas station without getting out of the car and pushing. It seemed like a LONG way to the first gas station, but we thankfully made it. As another person who has been in the same situation observed, when ridge hiking, it is a downhill, high mileage but worrying trip to the gas station on empty.

I vowed to check my gas gauge the next time I drive to a hike, and we joined the others at the brewery, where we sat outdoors to enjoy beer, dinner, or both.