Seneca Rocks (WV)

My three-summit day (June 1^st) culminated not terribly far from Spruce Knob (see below) in a fun trek up to the Seneca Rocks overlook, a 900-foot gain in 1.3-miles.  After some loitering in the visitor center waiting for a brief rain to pass, t-shirt weather quickly returned.  I empathized with the rock climbers caught in the mini-storm, having been there and done that a few times myself (though not at Seneca).  I had no idea whether the summit of the higher north crag was attainable without a rope, especially if wet, but regardless, I needed another good hike to finish up the day.

5. Seneca Rocks:  From the overlook, an easy scramble on dry rock led to the exposed summit and a great sense of being astride a giant dorsal fin.  The final few feet are very exposed so I did not go for the hero shot and stand on my head or anything else newsworthy.  The rock is highly textured quartzite (formerly a sandy marine shoal folded edgewise) and satisfyingly gripable.  It just might lure me back for a bit of climbing next time, if I can wrestle up a partner.  It was a fabulous finish for a triple summit day.  Only 55 to go...

Miles (RT):  2.6 miles; elevation gain: 950 feet

Cumulative mileage and gain:  14.1 miles / 4,490 feet

 

Spruce Knob (WV)

In keeping with the “something-Knob” theme, and also with a secondary interest in eventually attaining a whole bunch of state highpoints, I planned my day (June 1^st) to include both High Knob (below) and Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia.  Nothing heroic about this one, however, since a paved road ascends to within three hundred yards of the top.

4. Spruce Knob:  To make a tiny bit more of a hike out of it, I first ventured down the Huckleberry Trail a short distance, snapped a picture of an odd blade of rock sticking out of the ground, then hiked back up, which gave me license to pretend that I had actually done something with my feet.  Nevertheless, the hike across the broad summit of Spruce Knob is sub-alpine (more sub than alpine) and quite scenic.  The weather was perfect.  The wide gravel path leads past rocky clearings to a view tower and a nature loop, which offers better views and should not be missed.  Yes, it was an easy (I won’t say sissy) hike/stroll/amble/ramble/cavort, but after careful review I determined that I must count it as one of the Sixty, being how purdy it was.  I soon departed for my third summit of the day.

Miles (RT):  1.0 mile; elevation gain: 100 feet

Cumulative mileage and gain:  11.5 miles / 3,540 feet

 

High Knob(VA, WV)

In keeping with the “High-something” theme, the third of my Sixty Summits quest would be High Knob, a moderate hike I’d stumbled on whilst searching the internet for possibilities.  I departed solo for this one late in the day on May 31^st.  It was a longish drive over to Brandywine Recreation Area just across the West Virginia line, but a very nice campground awaited with plenty of sites to spare—and ample warnings about hungry bears.  The tent pad was perfect and I slept the night without a stir.

3. High Knob:  The trail leaves the back of the campground and I was on it around 7:30 am.  I borrowed a walking stick from the forest, which was used primarily for clacking against trees now and again, just in case (as an alternative to bear bells).  A very pleasant hike up a sometimes steep-ish ridge led two miles-plus to a fire road near the crest, followed by a short path then a few more yards of gravel road to the tippy top, where a fire lookout and outside catwalk afforded views in all directions.  For such a pretty hike and worthy destination, I was a little surprised that I encountered no one coming up as I descended the 2,100 feet back to camp.  I was packed in no time and on my way to the day’s second summit, Spruce Knob.

Miles (RT):  5.8 miles; elevation gain: 2,110 feet

Cumulative mileage and gain:  10.5 miles / 3,440 feet

Herndon and Leesburg to Great Falls (VA, MD)

Lock and lockhouse near Rowser's Ford.

Another fine forecast suggested another fine bike trip and an opportunity to close the loop, so to speak, on the unridden (by us) portions of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) and the C&O Canal Towpath.  The entire loop from home is about 80 miles, which is doable, if a tad more than my specified comfort zone (as in pain vs gain), although Kris was willing to give it a try.  Since we had already biked the W&OD as far as Herndon, and the C&O as far as Great Falls, I concocted a Metro-assisted plan that entailed the unridden parts, but required spotting a car at Great Falls for the return.  The plan chopped the total biking distance in half and allowed for some time to linger in Leesburg—or so we thought.

It must have been mid-morning before we got out of the house.  Kris in the Toyota and me in truck, we headed for Great Falls, only to get stuck in a long line-up at the entrance (don’t go to the park on Memorial Day).  Then it was back to the house to hop on the bikes for the downhill glide to Foggy Bottom.  We wheeled our bikes onto the train, but then got booted off at Ballston, along with everyone else.  Track work was underway and shuttle busses were taking us all to the stations beyond.  We racked our bikes on the bus and shuttled out to West Falls Church, where a local bus took us on to Herndon.  It doesn’t sound like much, but by the time we were helmeted and ready to ride on the W&OD, it was already three o’clock.  With stops, we typically average about 10 MPH, so there wasn’t much cushion here for a 40-mile ride that also depended on a ferry ride across the Potomac.

But first things first.  A block into the ride, a strange magnetic force drew Kris to the bike shop/slash/coffee shop (where she’d purchased a new saddle last time we were in town), so since she was already inside, she grabbed a coffee.  I snatched an Italian soda.  Once we ascertained that we were sufficiently rested, caffeined and sugared up, we boarded our bikes and pedaled past the Herndon caboose where some carnival rides were seemingly being assembled on top of the trail.  Not our problem; we headed for Leesburg.  Later, a baby opossum padding across the trail threatened to chew me to pieces if I got any closer with my phone camera.

 

All the day’s delays meant no time to dawdle in Leesburg, so we continued on to White’s Ferry, by way of a mile or two of busy-busy highway, somewhat enerving despite a decent shoulder.  Our timing at the ferry landing was perfect and we rolled up behind a load of 20-something cars and were motored across the river.  By the time we could pay our three bucks each to the guy onboard, the ferry was already tying up to the Maryland shore.  The C&O intersects just a few yards up the road and at 5:45 pm we started our 21-mile downriver cruise to Great Falls.

Historical sites abound along the C&O, but I was perhaps most intrigued by the story of 5,000 Confederate cavalry crossing the Potomac River at Rowser’s Ford at night in June 1863.  The surprise move by General Stuart cut off Union soldiers and supplies from Washington DC.  The Southerners breached the canal and burned nine boats before turning north for Gettysburg and more monumental events several days later.

Dusk set in during the final few miles of the ride as wildlife encounters increased, including deer swimming and hopping across a channel and Canadian geese ambling with their babes along the towpath.  The last of the ride was so serene, I nearly had to pry Kris from her handlebars when we finally reached the truck.

 

A horde of Harleys

What began in 1988 as a cozy Memorial Day gathering of 2,500 motorcyclists riding through DC in support of veterans, POWs and MIAs, has exploded into a massive throng that, this year, was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, possibly a half million.  A good many of these patriotic riders were mounted on Harleys.  Imagine watching strung-out herds of bikes buzzing by, all singing guh-lumpa-thumpa-chugga-thumpa completely out of harmony, for hours on end.  On Sunday, I pedaled my 21-speed, zero displacement, quiet-as-a-mouse, almost classic bi-cycle down to the Mall for a looky-loo.  Very impressive.

Let the peak-bagging begin: Shenandoah (VA)

When I turned 50, I decided to bag 50 new summits, including way too many easy ones, and a few harder ones, like the 5.9 South Buttress of Cathedral Peak in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness (bragging rights are still in force for that one).  This year, I’ve stewed up a similar hankering to attain 60 new summits, which is only about one every six days.  The point isn’t to impress anyone (other than me), but more to ensure that I get my backside out there exploring new ground.  As if I need the prodding.  I committed to this year’s quest months ago, yet here it is almost the end of May and I have scurried up a grand total of zero summits in 2013.  So with a nice forecast for the Memorial Day weekend, Kris and I zipped over to Shenandoah on Saturday for a two-fer: Hightop Mountain and craggy Bearfence.  Both were short hikes with tantalizing views and some rock to sit on at or near the summit.  Now this is civilized peak-bagging.

We began the day visiting a colleague from work who was spending the weekend with family and friends at a semi-remote cabin in the eastern foothills above Stanardsville, Virginia.  A scenic drive on a narrow road led us to Entry Run and a ten-minute walk up to the cabin.  We found everyone dutifully chilling at what is just one of dozens of cabins maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.  Kris and I vowed to join the club soon and partake in the wilderness cabin thing too.  Next stop was Shenandoah.

 

1. Hightop Mountain:  The trailhead for this one is right on Skyline Drive, a little south of Swift Run Gap (Highway 33).  A pleasant woodsy walk on a steady grade led about 1.7 miles to a fine overlook and a Krissy-approved snoozing rock with a wide view west across the Shenandoah Valley to the Alleghenies.  The actual summit was in the trees nearby and a signpost pointed the way.  At 3,587 feet, this is also the highest point in the park south of the Gap.  We made it official by documenting the occasion with several million pixels of evidence.  While lunching on the rock, a family sauntered by and mentioned to our surprise that they had been chased up the trail by a deer.  Just in case, we kept a sharp eye out for flailing hooves on the descent.  Summit #1 in the bag.  Only 59 to go.

Miles (RT):  3.5 miles; elevation gain: 950 feet
Cumulative mileage and gain:  3.5 miles / 950 feet

The PATC cabin at Entry Run.

 



2. Bearfence:  Since I only need to impress myself with my Sixty new summits thing, I’ve decreed that even the little ones must count.  Admittedly, had I claimed Bearfence as a “peak” out in the Pacific Northwest, my fellow mountaineer buddies would still be chortling and flicking their nuts and raisins at me.  But Bearfence sounded kinda fun as a short rock scramble and it wasn’t too far down the road from Hightop.

A quick hike up some steps led to the start of the craggy spine that aptly gives the ridge its name.  It was over all too soon, however, and we sat a spell to enjoy the 360 panorama.  The 3,620-foot summit is in the woods again, but was quickly reached, and a return via the Appalachian Trail added a few more minutes of new scenery.

Miles (RT):  1.2 miles; elevation gain: 380 feet
Cumulative mileage and gain:  4.7 miles / 1,330 feet