Big Run Loop - March 3, 2012

The weather forecast for Saturday had been foreboding for much of the week, and hike leader Ken Moss had some anxious moments in wondering what the weather would eventually bring, but by Friday afternoon it looked like any rain would be gone by our normal 9 AM assembly time. A crowd of eleven hikers showed up at the allotted time, though Marian Styles decided to stay back to search for a wayward John Shannon…a mystery followed with anxious anticipation by everyone throughout the day (he was later found to have participated in an all-day workshop, oblivious to the fact that he had raised such concerns!).

We packed the remaining ten people into two cars and proceeded to Doyles River Parking near the Big Run Overlook, from which our hike began with a descent into the Big Run Watershed, the largest in Shenandoah National Park. Because of heavy rain the previous night, there was some concern about an eventual crossing of Big Run itself, though this proved unfounded as the water level was quite reasonable.

A long slog uphill after the crossing brought us into bright sunshine and a trail junction for lunch, though most retreated from the wind along the ridgeline for a more sheltered location on the lee side of the mountain. A gentle hike back along the Appalachian Trail via Dundo Overlook, with clear views to the east, brought us finally back to our cars after less than 6 miles on the trail. The return trip found all but two hikers eager for a stop at Timberwood Grill on the way home, so those two were shuttled back to the high school while the rest of the group gathered for good food, beverages and lively conversation and one of our favorite watering holes following a good day on the trail.

Participating in the trip today were Dan Funkhouser, Steve Cohen, Bill Holman, Dan Ralston, John Brandt, Corina Gendron, Iva Gillet, and newcomers Paige Madison and Lu Jiang.

Trail Maintenance - February 25, 2012

A cold, blustery day was in store for members of the PATC - Charlottesville Chapter trail crew who assembled at Albemarle High School on Saturday morning. While the weather in town was expected to reach into the 50s, it would certainly be colder in the mountains, though this did not deter these hardy souls.

John Shannon led the small group in two cars to the Riprap Trail parking area, from which we would hike a short distance along the Appalachian Trail to work on Lindsay Brown’s section of the trail. Upon arrival at the parking area Ken Moss noted that the temperature was only 29 degrees and it was quite windy as well, with sustained winds forecast at 15-25 mph. Thus at the median of 20 mph and a temperature of 29, the trail crew, which also included Marian Styles and Don Davis, started working in a wind-chill factor of 16 degrees!

The work John had planned for us was to improve drainage…and thus decrease erosion…on a section not more than 5 minutes from the cars. We scalped off low berms on the downhill slope of the trail to allow water to exit more readily and also scalped off some of the slough which had encroached upon the trail over the years from the uphill side. Hand warmers and even toe warmers were put to use in the frigid conditions.

After the lunch break, which only meant everyone got colder due to the pause in physical exertion, Marian and Ken left as prearranged at about 12:30. Upon arriving back at the car Ken discovered that it was still below freezing at just 31 degrees, so the wind-chill would have still been in the upper teens. Marian stated that it was the coldest work hike she had ever been on. To warm their chilled bones, they stopped by Blue Mountain Brewery on the drive back to indulge in a mug of hot mulled red wine, which warmed them appreciably. John and Don toughed it out on the trail for another couple of hours before finally retreating to the comforts of hearth and home as well.

Three Ridges / Hanging Rock - February 18, 2012

Today’s hikers enjoyed a double treat: the chance to hike in February without a coat and to hike with PATC-Far North member Eric Bredo, who now lives in Toronto. Eric and Susanna Keller, who also joined us today, both formerly led hikes for our chapter.

We divided into two go-straight-home cars and one stop-at-the-brewery car. The latter was dubbed “the beer car,” eliciting the observation from Eric that the club really had changed since his departure 2 years ago.

We met Ken & Marie Moss at Reed’s Gap, bringing the number of hikers to 15. We set out on the Appalachian Trail, and a long uphill section early on served as an effective warm-up.

The route afforded some nice views. The overlook where we stopped for lunch offered spectacular views of the Tye River Valley and the Priest, though we had to contend with some wind. To make up for the wind, hike leader John Shannon passed around our favorite Breadworks treat (pumpkin bread), and Bill Holman shared chocolate.

After lunch, some hikers headed back (Susanna, Ken & Marie, Bill, Don Davis, Sue Tansey, Brian Muszynski) while some headed toward the summit, another 0.6 mile further (both Johns, Dave Borszich, Marian Styles, Dan Funkhauser, Joanne & Maynard Davis). Eric walked partway to the summit, and John Brandt made it to the summit then ran back fast enough to catch the beer car before its departure. We heard that Iva Gillet, who had been up at Crabtree Falls, joined the members of the beer car for a stop at Devil’s Backbone Brewery.

Hikers who went straight back from our lunch overlook covered about 8 miles, and hikers who went to the summit covered about 9.5 miles. The summit afforded a wind-free viewpoint, which was especially nice.

The non-refreshment-stopping cars pulled into the Albemarle High parking lot at a respectable 4:30 p.m., and we found that returning via Route 151 takes about the same time as the Blue Ridge Parkway-I64 route.

Soup Hike - February 11, 2012

For the 3rd annual soup hike, the weather forecast was more threatening than Nature delivered. A small gathering, by comparison to previous years, our group of 17 assembled at AHS, picked up a few others at Briarleigh Farm, and then proceeded to the intersection of Bacon Hollow Road and Brokenback Mountain Road.

David Ledbetter, Brian Muszynski, and first time hiker Corina Grendron sped ahead with Corina’s co-worker Dan Ralston struggling to keep pace. We proceeded up the infrequently used, winding, gravel road for 2 miles, stopping as needed as the ascent was constant. Michael Seth, Don Davis and Peter Callan talked of their travels for both business and pleasure, as Peter plans an upcoming trip to Bangladesh, then on to Nepal where Iva Gillet, Dan Ralston, and Marit Gay travelled last October.

At the intersection with Wyatt Mountain Rd, we travelled toward Flattop Mtn., though stopped at the small community near Stone Mountain Vineyard. Here Ken and Marie Moss, Briana Taylor, Dave Borszich, and Andy Wilgruber admired a cemetery of the predominant families of Bacon Hollow- Shiffletts and Morrises. Returning back the way we came for a mile, the threat of rain for the day was delivered in a much more lovely form- snow! We walked for about 15 minutes in the fluffy snowflakes and while making the final decent toward Shady Grove, the sun came out.

We convened into 3 cars and returned to Briarleigh Farm for soup, bread, cookies and good times. Don Davis’ corn bread and Marian Styles’ croissants were consumed along with John Shannon’s ever present special bread-of-the-hike. Corina added banana bread, and Leon Gorman and Wanda Hamlin joined us apres hike adding a bottle of wine. My favorite conversation was learning trivial knowledge of terminology of animal groups. Brian started it by commenting on my clowder- that turns out to be a group of cats. Don mentioned seeing a murder- that turns out to be a group of crows. Other popular groups were a crash of rhinos and a bloat of hippos. See the education those of you not present missed??? Hiking is very good for trivia!

Rocky Mount - February 4, 2012

John Shannon executes some garlic mustard.

Although not as nice as the 70-degree day we had midweek, the first Saturday in February turned out to be a not-too-shabby day for a winter hike. We started from Two-Mile Run Overlook, and a half-hour into our out-and-back route, coats started feeling like too much clothing.

We enjoyed some lovely Shenandoah Valley vistas, and the elevation gain ensured that we earned lunch. Hike leader John Shannon made sure no one went without sweets by providing pumpkin cake.

Don Davis had predicted that rain would commence at 1 p.m., but he was twenty two minutes off. Shortly after lunch, a few sprinkles fell but didn’t amount to enough moisture to warrant rain gear.

We finished the 6.8 miles (or 7 miles, depending on which source you believe) by midafternoon, leaving time for a stop at Timberwood Grill for those so inclined.

We were joined today by Barbara Shenefield, and her husband Richard Price who hiked with us for the first time. Richard and Barbara used to live in France, giving them and Ken Moss a common interest besides hiking. We were also joined by Southern Shenandoah Chapter’s Michael Seth, who is always a welcome addition. Other hikers included Sue Tansey, Dan Funkhouser, Lindsay Brown, and Marian Styles.