On today’s 5.5-mile “clip and clomp hike,” I was joined by David Crowe, C.J. Woodburn, Lindsay Brown, Pete and Bev Fink, Marian Styles, Karen Siegrist, John Shannon, Dave Bennick, Rosette and Lloyd Moss, Virginia Masterson, Kyna Nelson, Don Blume, and Mike Smith. We consolidated cars at the Food Lion parking lot in Elkton before the 10-minute drive to the trailhead. Just before starting the hike, Mike Smith warned everyone that rattlesnakes are uncomfortably common in the area. Almost immediately, we saw a dead one on the road.
Most of us brought loppers or clippers and work gloves, and we cut back on some the blueberries closing in on the trail as we ascended to Kaylor Knob. Despite intense heat and humidity, many of us worked hard clearing the trail as we went along; cooling breezes were almost nonexistent.
We had lunch at the top, avoiding a container of a woman’s ashes, which had been placed where we used to sit.
During our break, some hikers appreciated the appearance of cookies from the Dayton Farmers’ Market.
The once great view at Kaylor Knob is now obscured by chestnut trees, but we did enjoy some views to the east on the way up. No one spotted the 80-year-old CCC trail marker along the way or a live rattlesnake.
We got spread out a bit on the way down but regrouped at the bottom of Second Mountain at the first stream crossing. Dave and Don took a brief side trip to see the Boone Run shelter, but it was a so hot that no one joined them.
Just before we got back to our cars, we detoured to a swimming hole. There we met Ginny Barber and Nancy Handley, who just missed us as we left the Food Lion in Elkton. They reported doing a good hike up Boone Run before we finally met up at the swimming hole. Most of us jumped or at least dipped in, but no one stayed in long; the water was refreshing but cold. For some of us, a cooling dip was the best part of the day.
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| Cooling off at the end of the trip |
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