I Do Stuff…

I love the light and shadows here

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I was hoping to hike Uwharrie National Forest in North Caroline but that plan got scrapped when my directions broke down and I couldn’t find any trails.  I searched for almost two hours before I finally gave up and just headed to Raleigh.  While in Raleigh I did a search for parks between Raleigh and Portsmouth founding the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk, about thirty minutes from Portsmouth.  A little research revealed the land was donated from a paper company, Union Camp Corporation, to “the American people forever.”  I don’t know why they donated over 49k acres of land, but any time land is donated for the public domain, I am grateful.

The hike is only a few miles back and forth to a lake in the middle of the park and it took me just a few hours to finish it.  Even thought it is a straight shot from the parking lot to the lake I found many things to photograph.  I tried to get some shots of people enjoying the park and a few of the trail.  I just loved the cart path look and feel of the trail.  There were two gravel tracks with grass in the middle and either side.  When the light was just right, the grass was bright green and everything just popped.

the two cubs, up a tree

About halfway down the trail, I am just listening to nature, when I hear rustling of the leaves next to me.  I look up and across the canal to find two bear cubs scurrying up a tree.  I didn’t know it but I must have scared them and what I heard was the cubs climbing up the tree for safety.  The first think that went through my head was “Kick ass, bear cubs.”  My second thought was “Shit, bear cubs.”  I know that mother bears can be very protective of their cubs and I was only 25′ from them.  I quickly scanned the ground to see if the mother was near and I perked my ears to hear any rustling in the bushes.  I soon realized, to my relief, that the canal was between the bears and myself.  Not that she couldn’t swim, but I figured at best it would possible slow her down.

Realizing my opportunity was quickly slipping away, the danger of me being mauled a lot less, I quickly lifted my camera and started snapping shots of the bears in the tree.  The foliage was thick so it was hard to focus on the bears, but I did my best.  For a moment they both just grabbed the tree for dear life.  Eventually they looked down, probably toward their mother, who gave them the all clear to come down.  They shimmied down and disappeared into the woods.  I wish I hadn’t snuck up on them, I would have loved some shots of them just being bears, doing what bears do.  I was thankful for the pictures I did get and that I was not attacked.  My heart was racing the whole time, it was amazing.

No Hunting

After my bear encounter the rest of the trail almost seemed boring.  I got to the lake which was calm with overcast clouds so it gave everything a dark.  I didn’t have access to a weather report so I was hoping that it was not going to rain at the show that night.  I had a lawn seat and I hate getting rained on in my old age.  I stayed for a while and took some pictures of the lake and surrounding area but needed to get to Portsmouth for the Phish show that night.

On such short notice it was a decent hike but with only a few things to see.  Running into the bear cubs certainly made it a memorable trip, but not much else.  There are other trails that wind through the forest so I might try one of them next time I am passing through town.

Doyles cabin

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Another weekend and another opportunity to get outside and do some hiking.  The weather today was going to be close to perfect, low temps and only the slightest probability of rain.  Not to say that there wouldn’t be clouds, but almost guaranteed no rain that day.  After my previous attempt to hike Old Rag, I was already open to the idea of picking a never before hiked trail.  So when Tab, a cigar smoker and fellow nature photography, shows me some pictures from the Blue Ridge Parkway it peaked my interest.  I tried to find the Corbin Cabin he talked about but soon realized the Parkway is to far for an off the cuff hike.  Lots of options down there, but way south west from home.

I picked a trail within the Shenandoah National Park from an area I have never explored, Loft Mountain.  Doyles River Trail had two water falls and a log cabin all within 3.2 miles round trip.  When I arrived the first thing I notice about the trail you start going down hill.  This is already starting off pretty bad and going down hill is hard on my knees, and I knew I was going to have to hike up the mountain once I was done visiting the falls.  With plenty of water and some food I started down, running into a few people that were most coming up.  The first stop was the cabin which was locked and certainly looks old.  The view is pretty good from the front door, but there is very little flat land to speak of.  I don’t see how someone could have lived on the side of the mountain like that.

lower fall's, 63'

When I arrived at the lower falls there was a large family hanging out at the falls.  My intention was to hike to the lower falls any how so I just continued down the mountain till I reached the larger falls below.  Here I found peach and solitude.  I would hear a bird around me and sound of the water falls to the rocks.  With no one around I snapped some shots before sitting to enjoy some food.  My peace wouldn’t last long as I soon heard the large family coming to the falls for a look around.  This was my que to leave so I packed up and started up the mountain.  Let me tell you that trip up is steep, somehow I just keep pushing through mentally to force my legs.

I for the first time I used my camera to take bracket exposure photos to later be assembled into HDR photos.  Will have to see how these turn out.  My GPS data logger was a casualty of war and is now smashed to bits.  It was rather inaccurate in recording and difficult to connect to my Mac via Blue Tooth so I will get an improved model.

Old Rag parking area

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Labor Day weekend has traditionally been a time to see Jimmy Buffett at Nissan Pavilion and party our asses off for a solid day.  This year he was having the concert a week early freeing up the weekend for other activities.  Because of hurricane Irene the show got rescheduled and with the change in policy on tailgating Nancy and I decided to get a refund on our tickets.

For the last week the weather has been moderate with low humidity, if it could hold out to the weekend it would be perfect hiking weather.  Nancy’s wedding dress came in and had an appointment for a dress fitting, so I was free for the day.  I decided to get up early on Saturday, pack some gear,  and hike Old Rag for the first time this year.  Before leaving the house I made a check of the weather and the temps were going to be in the low 80′s with a 30% chance of rain in the mountain.  The last few times I have gone hiking in the Shenandoah it rains, come close to raining, or has at least been over cast.  Usually summers around here are dry and clear with only a slight possibility of thunderstorms in the late afternoon.  I just couldn’t catch a break.

Using the GPS in my car it was only going to take 1:30 hours and the suggested route took me through the back country of Virginia.  Since I got my new Mazda I have wanted to take it out and stretch its legs on some twisty back roads.  I took Rt. 3 to Culpeper and then, via two lane roads, to the parking lot for Old Rag located just outside the park boundaries.

All morning the cloud cover was thick but the temperatures were cool.  As I approached the mountain the higher elevations were covered in a thick fog.  I was not sure if the fog would burn off by the time I reached the summit, but that wouldn’t matter.  When I got to the parking lot it was smashed with day hikers taking the opportunity over the holiday weekend to get out and do a little hiking.  Despite the dreary weather, large groups made the journey to conquer the mountain.  Upon seeing this, I decided to change my route and hike a different path to avoid all the people.  I love hiking, one reason is the solitude and communing with nature.  I certainly was not going to find that solitude on Old Rag.

I hiked up Weakley Hollow Fire Road and when I came to the first fork in the road, headed up Corbin Hollow Trail.  This trail I have not done before and figured 95% of the people I saw in the parking lot would be hiking up Old Rag so I could avoid them.  You immediately cross over Brokenback Run which in this section of trail is a large creek that can easily flood during a rain storm, I kept that in mind as I continuously monitored the weather.  The temperatures never got hot but it certainly was humid as hell and I quickly sweated through my cloths.  Heading up the mountain the trail narrows from the wide fire road I was on and becomes this narrow, overgrown, and steep trail.  To add an extra challenge there are rocks strewn all over which were slick as ice.  I kept running into spider webs strung across the path so I new I was the only person out on the trail which suited me just fine.

The further up the mountain I went the poorer the weather got, threatening rain but never actually falling.  It was not until I heard the first clap of thunder that I decided to turn back, long before reaching the end of the trail.  I have been caught in the rain before while hiking and it is never fun if you can avoid the rain.  I also reminded myself that I needed to hike down the mountain and back to my car so now was a good time to return.  I didn’t reach my goal of the Old Rag Fire Road and loop back to my car.  I was able to complete approximately 6 miles (my GPS said 6.75 but it is pretty inaccurate) but it was good getting out with nature.  I certainly felt alive as my thighs were burning and my heart wanted to burst out of my chest from circulating large volumes of blood.  I don’t exercise nearly as much as I should so the strenuous hike felt good in combination with the fresh sweet air on the mountain.

On hiking down the mountain I finally ran across other hikers headed up the mountain, the first couple I meet even commented “I bet you didn’t expect to see anyone” and he was certainly right about that.  Back on the Weakley Hollow Fire Road a bunch of people where headed down the mountain after their respective hikes.  Surprisingly I ran into a bunch of people headed up the mountain.  I know that on my drive back home it rained heavy for a good half hour so I can surmise that it must have rained in the park before reaching me on the road through Culpeper.

With summer coming to a close, the weather will slowly get cooler with zero humidity and I will try to get out to the park more often.  Unfortunately with the cooler weather comes the changing of the leaves and more people get out to the Shenandoah to enjoy the fall foliage.  This will make finding solitude hard, but that doesn’t mean I wont find it.

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My first attempt at this hike didn’t necessarily fail, I just didn’t make it to the falls because of poor weather.  Second time around my friend Jeremy and I successfully made it to our destination.  Just like the first time around the weather was pretty bad, but fortunately it only rained in the early morning and late in the afternoon.  In fact as we entered the park is when it started to rain, never heavy, but enough to be annoying.  As we drove the 21 miles towards the parking lot the rain fortunately subsided the closer we got.  After parking we evaluated the likelihood of heavy rains and determined if we did get rained on it would only be a sprinkle and worth venturing into the woods.

The hike from the parking lot proceeds mostly downhill with few challenges along the way.  I was unable to take many photos as I find that to be a task best suited for solitary adventures.  I did however notice some big changes along the trail from just a few weeks before.  The floor was greener and the trees filled in their foliage nicely.  Less spring flowers seemed in bloom, on the other hand I saw more nature that finally started stirring with the warmer days.

When reach the falls lots of people were already camped on the ledge overlooking the 91″ falls which was a little disappointing.  We simply headed down a little to enjoy our lunch and catch our breaths.  When we headed back up the mountain we could finally get close to the ledge and have a look at the falls.  Unfortunately from our vantage point we couldn’t see much because the underbrush was pretty thick, obscuring our view for the most part.  As we headed backup the mountain I started to curse our time heading to the falls.  Every time I start a hike from inside the park the first thing you do is hike down the mountain which is easy.  I get lured into thinking I can hike further than I should, its only until I head back to the top of the mountain that things suck.  Jeremy and I had to take several breaks going up the mountain to catch our breath.

The rain started again, and pretty heavy, just as we got near the parking lot.  I had to quickly stow away my camera and we jogged the last few hundred feet to my truck.  We could not have planned the trip better if we tried.  It stopped raining just as we started hiking and started again as we got to within sight of the parking lot.  Round trip was 7.25 miles which took us several hours to complete, but was worth the time.  When I got home Nancy even had a home cooked meal waiting which was fantastic.

green everywhere

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Last week I had my first concert of the year and this past weekend I got my first real hike of the year.  I went to Leesylvania State Park in April but that was not a challenging hike by any means.  On Sunday I packed up my gear and headed for the mountains of the Shenandoah National Park to do some real hiking.  The weather was going to be cool, the low 70′s, perfect hiking temperature.  The spring bloom has already come and gone around my house but I was hoping the higher elevation would delay the bloom in the park.  There was a possibility of rain in the afternoon by which time I hopped to be finished.  But just in case I planned according and brought rain gear for such an occasion.

I was excited when I set off just before 9am for the hour and a half drive to the park entrance at Front Royal.  I know it is Sunday and I should be in church, but I decided to view the spender of God’s work first hand with a stroll through the park.  When I got to the gate the place was pretty deserted.  I would have thought being a nice day the park would have been smash but there was no line getting in and I ran into few cars along the road.  I did pass a lot of cyclists who where taking the opportunity to get one last ride before things turn hot and ugly.  For the next thirty minutes I leisurely drove up the mountain to the parking lot at MP 21 at the head of Overall Run trail.

penny for your thought?

Prepping for my hike it was windy and chilly.  This parking lot is at the crest of the mountain so the winds were strong for the first few hundred feet along the Appalachian Trail.  You are on the Appalachian for maybe a 1/4 to a 1/2 mile before taking the Overall Run trail.  I could have parked at Mathews Arm Campground and cut the trip down, but I wanted to do some serious hiking.  The remainder of the hike was mostly downhill which is always nice and other than a little discomfort with my knees it was pretty easy.  I always find going downhill harder, takes less energy sure, but it is certainly more stressful on my knees.

As I continued the weather started to change rapidly.  The wind picked up and I could see thick clouds starting to roll in across the valley.  Having not reached my goal of the Overall Run Falls I stopped and contemplated my next move for 10 minutes.  I was easily halfway to the falls and didn’t want to turn back.  There was plenty of daylight left and I have been trying to get to these falls for over a year.  But then there was the weather.  The mountains can get nasty very quickly and I didn’t want to get caught at the falls and hike all the way back, up hill, in the rain.  As I am standing in the middle of the forest all alone, I start to notice the birds singing.  It was silent when I first stopped, but I was serenaded as I made my decision.  I was suddenly struck by the solitude of where I was, this is one of the major reason I trek out into the forest as often as I do.  I erred on the side of caution and headed back to my truck.  No sooner than I got within sight of the lot and it started to rain.

budding tree blossom

It was still early so I took the time to stop and eat lunch.  After refueling my body I headed further into the park, hoping to drive past the weather and hit another trail.  I stopped at the Elkwallow Wayside and headed for the Cutoff Trail.  Here again you first hike part of the Appalachian Trail before turning onto Cutoff Trail.  Its amazing how many trails involve this behemoth of a trail.  As I descended the mountain I ran into several other hikers and backpackers coming up the trail.  It started to drizzle again but I was determined to not let the rain stop me this time.  Everyone I passed must have known the weather was turning once again and heading out of the valley.  Certainly the river I was headed for would be running deep from the recent days rain.  I was prepared of course for the change in weather and put my camera in my back and broke out my rain jacket.  I hiked several more miles in the rain, crossing the stream which was quickly rising, and headed up Knob Mountain.

Several hundred feet into the climb I finally decided to turn around and head back to my truck.  The rain had finally gotten to me and I had enough.  It was not the rain that did me in, I could live with that.  My problem was I couldn’t hear anything with the hoodie over my head.  The sounds of nature faded to white noise.  Yes most of the birds and other wildlife were hungered down for the rain.  I would have been more than happy to just hear the sound of water falling on the leaves, but it was not to be.  The hike backup the mountain was daunting but accomplished in about an hour.  Things really got nasty by the time I made it back to my truck.  The top of the mountain was fogged in and the rain was constant and heavy.

I drove deeper into the park, headed for Thornton Gap and Sperryville.  The driving was treacherous with the dense fog that blanketed the mountain.  As I would come around corners I sometimes couldn’t see the next curve.  Thankfully all the bikers were off the road which eased my mind a little.  It was not till I made it to Sperryville that the fog was finally gone.  The drive home was calming as I drove through the rural counties of Madison, Culpeper, and Fauquier.  It was still raining and overcast, but I was happy.  I was able to get out for my first real hike of the year and even though I never reached the falls and it rained half the day I had a blast.