McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs, 9/25/2021

 A stalwart group of seven hikers started very early from their homes to arrive at the McAfee Knob Trailhead on Virginia Route 311 just before 8AM.  Some of the participants no doubt thought the hike leader was just being nervous when he set the 8AM time, but the parking lot was already almost at capacity upon arrival.  There was just enough parking for our group, after we had dropped a shuttle car at the end of the hike.  

The group made the inital climb to McAfee Knob at a good pace, and completed the 4 mile, 1725 foot ascent in less than two hours.  At the summit, the group collected the photos that everyone takes before descending and hiking the ridge that separates McAfee Knob from Tinker Cliffs.  

At several points along the ridge, the group hiked through or along side of large boulders that provided visual interest.  Lunch occurred at a spot known locally as Snack Bar Rock, a spot that had a great view to the east, including Carvin Cove Reservoir.  

After the hike resumed post-lunch, the hike leader had a wonderful experience when he was recognized by a young backpacker who was with a group of five Virginia Tech students.  The backpacker was an Eagle Scout from the Scout troop the hike leader used to Scoutmaster, and the two had not seen each other in several years.

 

The hikers reached Tinker Cliffs exactly 5 hours into their hike, having completed 9.5 miles.  The group seemed to agree that views here are actually superior to the McAfee views, though both were amazing.

After Tinker, it was almost all downhill via the A.T. and the Andy Layne Trail - sometimes very steeply!  Near the end, the group hiked through a meadow and then over a couple of pedestrian bridges that cross a small river before reaching the shuttle vehicle.

Hikers included PATC members Anna Castle, Nancy Handley, Margaret Helber, and Sharon Celsor-Hughes, along with hike leader Jeff Monroe.  We also enjoyed the company of three younger hikers that the hike leader knows through a friend: Jacqui Stewart and Hayden Ardrey, who had joined a PATC ascent of Jump Mountain earlier in the month, and Aaron Cole, on his first ever PATC hike - though he had hiked this entire section earlier this year with his father.

The entire 13.3 mile hike took just under 7 hours to complete.  Those that had not hiked this section before were universal in their amazement!

Women's Trail Work Day - Ivy Creek Overlook/Loft Mt- Shenandoah National Park-September 14, 2021

 Marit Anderson led a Women's Trail Work Day in conjunction with Wild East Women (Appalachian Trail Conservancy women's affinity group) and PATC on Tuesday, September 14 in Shenandoah National Park. The event was organized to help trail maintainer Lisa Swales on her AT section between Ivy Creek Overlook and Loft Mt Wayside with the help of an all-women's Appalachian Conservation Corps.  ACC Volunteer and Youth Leader, Leah Cawthorn, had contacted Marit since she knew the crew would be volunteering in SNP for the week.  All the plans worked together nicely. Lisa's daughter is her co-maintainer, but has recently gone off to college, so the extra help was much appreciated.  The ACC crew had mostly been doing chain sawing, so they were enthusiastic to do the trail maintenance tasks set for the day, which included constructing and clearing waterbars, weed whacking, vegetation cutback, and harvesting rock for future repairs on a deteriorating rock stairway on the trail. PATC volunteers for the day included Linda Beights, Cheri Acker, Karen Wilson, Jeanne Siler, Kathy Thornton, Lisa and Marit.

"Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC) works to connect young people to critical conservation service projects across the Appalachian region and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, D.C., and Pennsylvania.  As a Corps program, ACC partners with public land managers to identify, plan, and complete projects that improve public access, habitat quality, and economic development. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation and service organizations envisioning a world of healthy lands, air, water, thriving people, and resilient communities."  The ACC crew that helped with the project on September included Sarah Lilly, Lauren Croissant, Cassie Bacon, Katie Mucha, Maria Jurioste, Erin Waldman, Silas Follendorf, Genesis Santiago, and ACC Volunteer and Youth Leader, Leah Cawthorn.  Many thanks to the 16 participants that gave the Appalachian Trail some love and TLC for the day!

submitted by Marit Anderson

Jump Rock Loop, September 4, 2021

Six hikers joined hike leader Jeff Monroe and his dog Gracie for an 8.5 mile loop to Jump Rock and two other vistas in the Goshen area.  Included among the hikers were Nancy Handley, Anna Castle, Margaret Helper, David Gilrain, and newcomers Hayden Ardrey and Jacqui Stewart.  

It was a leasurely hike, completed in 6 3/4 hours, with 2 hours and 20 minutes stopped.  The group lunched on top of Jump Rock and lingered at the other overlooks.  The bushwack portion, which occurred a little before Jump Rock, was a little more difficult than usual due to downed trees and a yellow jacket nest.  But the Tuscarora portion was in better shape than previous hikes.  

The group encountered some folks with a drone at Jump Mountain, and a trio who were camping in a hollow near the end of the hike, but otherwise there were no other humans on the loop.  Credit to Margaret Helber for most of the trail photos.  (Smile for the camera, Margaret!)