March '08 Hikes
March 2. Fallingwater Cascades Loop/Flat Top Mountain summit and back. 7.2 miles. A warm day brought out a few hikers on both trails, and at the 4,000-foot-plus summit of Flat Top, the views were a good as they get: east over Bedford Reservoir and on toward Bedford and the piedmont; south to Sharp Top; north to Apple Orchard Mountain; and west onto Harkening Hill Mountain and the Johnson Farm, and over rippling mountains into West Virginia. And the weather was perfect enough that after lunch, on the east-facing rocks, we stretched out and, oops, let the sun burn us just a little in the face. You could tell the impatience for spring wildflowers from The Greatest Day Hiker Of Then All by virtue of her picking up and carefully inspecting a clump of that odd white tree rot you see sometimes on a long-fallen trunk. Maybe next week.
March 8. Harkening Hill Trail with side trail to the Johnson Farm at Peaks of Otter. 5.0 miles. The day began with the forecast unfolding perfectly; clouds early and by the time we drove north on the Blue Ridge Parkway in late morning, clearing nicely, with the breeze coming up and temps headed toward 50. But when we got out of the car at the visitor center and glanced back to the south, the sky was as ominously dark gray as you see it in these parts. Gail and son Adam counseled a wait to see what would happen, which proved itself a good idea within 10 minutes as rain and hail came pounding on in. While we waited, we aided and abetted one another on how, on this day devoid of people, the animals might take their seats at the tiny amphiteather area behind the visitor center; chipmunks would fill the first row, squirrels the next, then bunnies and on up the size chain to maybe bears standing around the back, smoking cigarettes. After maybe half an hour, amid signs of clearing, we headed out and up Harkening Hill. We'd made much of the climb – to the point where there are winter views to the west – before things began to look dark. For the next mile or so – to the top of the 3,300-foot peak and on down to the old farm – we walked in what was as good a snow as we saw all winter, covering the ground as we walked. At the Johnson Farm, with the family apparently away (I hear they've been gone for decades now), we helped ourselves to the south-facing porch for our lunch. We watched the snow abate as we ate, and by the time we got up to make our way down the rest of the mountain, most of what had fallen had melted. No 50s on this little trek on this day.
March 16. Hoop Hole lower and upper loops. 9.0 miles. A hike we hadn't done for years and it seemed to be a good one before leaf out, as the limited views pretty much disappear when the trees are green. This proved to be true, to the extent that we noticed, at the 3,700-foot high point on Pine Mountain, we could see a Tinker Cliffs-like massif to the west of what we'd thought to be the high point of the area. The Day Hiker, many wonderful things in the woods but not a bushwhacker, could not be persuaded to explore a ridge line that surely must be 4,000 feet in elevation. We settled for lunch on the highest knob of the trail, which The Day Hiker admonished me from time to time to "stop looking over there." What a great place for a spur trail or a third Hoop Hole loop.
March 22. Appalachian Trail from Va. 621 south to the Audie Murphy memorial and back. 7.6 miles. The section begins with a series of bridges across feeder streams to Craig Creek and across Craig Creek as well, with the trail staying relatively flat, as if saving all the climbing to come for one sustained ascent. Which is of course exactly what the trail does, shooting up about 1,500 feet over just a little more than two miles. The trail turns left after the climb, leaving the last half mile as a pleasant forest-road walk. We ate lunch looking out over the Craig Creek Valley, nicely visible when the leaves are off. Over the out-and-back, we came across several sets of thru-hikers. The first – Tabasco was his trail name – had begun on January 10, the earliest we've ever heard of anyone starting. The next pair had begun on February 10 and the couple we came across last began on February 18, I think it was. They were all hiking, at this point some 700 miles north of Spring Mountain, in a loose group, and all appearing immensely pleased to be out on the AT. The couple had a young dog along, spurring speculation between The Day Hiker and me that since dogs already have pretty goofy names, that when they get their trail names, they have to be things like Mike and John and Larry.
March 29. Dragon's Tooth Trail from Va. 311 to Appalachian Trail to Dragon's Tooth and back. 4.6 miles. The trout lilies were up and blooming in some abundance along the easy, stream-crossings start of the trail, much to the pleasure of The Day Hiker. This relatively short walk always surprises with the rock scrambles toward the end of the AT stretch before reaching the ridge line and Dragon's Tooth. The day was clear enough and the trees still leafless enough to afford good view to the east and north from our lunch spot on a sunny baby tooth away from the main tooth.
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