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View Full Version : Where is the closest I can leave a car to



MedicineMan
10-23-2005, 23:44
Where is the closest i can leave a car to the Tom Floyd Wayside for a couple of days?
Thanks for any clues.

jlb2012
10-24-2005, 10:22
Closest would probably be the 4-H center - 0.3 mile side trail then 0.9 south on AT to Tom Floyd Wayside

Skyline
10-24-2005, 10:46
HOI, I got a grin from your tag line, "Broke down ex trail maintainer." Hope you're just kidding...

Anyway, if you park at 4-H, you're supposed to go to the main office (high up on the property) during weekday office hours and sign a form. This lets them know who's parked on their property and why, so they don't have your vehicle towed (though for only a couple days this is probably not a real concern; for a thru-hike of the entire park I'd be aware). Your signature also allegedly releases 4-H from responsibilities in case of theft or vandalism. It's a pretty safe place to park, though, and at the office they will direct you to precisely where they want you to park (usually near the pool).

For some, getting to 4-H during office hours is inconvenient so an alternative is the small trailhead parking area on VA 601 in Harmony Hollow ( PATC North District map shows the spot and how to get there). From there, a blue blaze leads up to the AT about 0.3 mi. before Tom Floyd Wayside. I don't know of any vandalism having occured there, but the location is both isolated and along a public road so it might not be as safe as 4-H.

Newb
10-24-2005, 13:06
There's a parking area at the top of Chester Gap with an approach trail to the northern Entrance to Shenandoah Park. I see cars parked there all the time, just don't leave food in it :)

jlb2012
10-24-2005, 13:35
HOI, I got a grin from your tag line, "Broke down ex trail maintainer." Hope you're just kidding...

Unfortunately its mostly true - as you know I was a blowdown specialist for mainly wilderness areas (ie hand operated tools). Last year about this time I went to the Sipsey WA for a week to work on the blowdowns there after the hurricane. After 4 or 5 days of cutting my shoulders were killing me - a bad case of bursitis - the left shoulder is mostly OK now but the right is still hurting especially if I do anything with it that is repetitive - for example using treking poles is now rather painful for me on my right side. The trail in St. Mary's that I used to take care of the blowdowns on I didn't do anything for this year - fortunately it looked like the FS had someone doing some work in the area to take up the slack but anyways - yep broke down and ex.

Other problems have come up too - since I can't use treking poles I now am having some knee problems and recently I had a systemic reaction to yellow jacket stings. The way things are going I don't know if I will be capable of hiking the AT when I retire in another 3+ years - sigh.

What really hurts is that I know there are some significant blowdowns in the Sipsey from the recent hurricane and I want to go an work on them but I can't. :(

Skyline
10-24-2005, 17:02
Unfortunately its mostly true - as you know I was a blowdown specialist for mainly wilderness areas (ie hand operated tools). Last year about this time I went to the Sipsey WA for a week to work on the blowdowns there after the hurricane. After 4 or 5 days of cutting my shoulders were killing me - a bad case of bursitis - the left shoulder is mostly OK now but the right is still hurting especially if I do anything with it that is repetitive - for example using treking poles is now rather painful for me on my right side. The trail in St. Mary's that I used to take care of the blowdowns on I didn't do anything for this year - fortunately it looked like the FS had someone doing some work in the area to take up the slack but anyways - yep broke down and ex.

Other problems have come up too - since I can't use treking poles I now am having some knee problems and recently I had a systemic reaction to yellow jacket stings. The way things are going I don't know if I will be capable of hiking the AT when I retire in another 3+ years - sigh.

What really hurts is that I know there are some significant blowdowns in the Sipsey from the recent hurricane and I want to go an work on them but I can't. :(

Sorry that you're still having all these health issues. I remember a post of yours awhile back about these or other issues but had hoped they were resolved.

Sounds like you might be a candidate for section hiking and/or slackpacking (er, Freedom Hiking) the AT? Nothing wrong with that...