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illabelle
03-01-2016, 08:58
My husband and I spent this past weekend (Th evening thru Sun evening) finishing up SNP. We were suffering from cabin fever, and wanted to use some of our winter gear for a change. First I'll tell you about our trip and share some pictures, then I'll tell you about the only other backpackers we saw the whole time we were out.

Forecast (thank you, atweather.org) was low temperatures of 21, 21, 31 for our three nights, and highs of 30, 38, and 54 with cold blustery 25-35 mph winds Th-Fr-Sat and gradually clearing after heavy rain earlier in the week.

We met our shuttle at Skyland at 6 pm and entered the trail at Chester Gap about 7:20. Night hiked 3 m to Tom Floyd Wayside. Nobody there. Spread our sleeping bags and dove in. Wind roared all night long, in the trees, up the hill, and into the shelter. Brrr!

Very difficult to get out of bed Friday morning. Laid there much too long, didn't get walking till 10:40. Snow and ice on the trail here and there. A few slips, but no falls.
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Typical view of the Shenandoah Valley.
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It's hard to stay hydrated when it's 20-something degrees and your water is slushy cold. Friday was a day of layering and unlayering depending on the climb, which side of the ridge we were on, what time of day, and whether the sun came out. Arrived at Gravel Springs Hut, ate supper, and refilled water. Nobody there. Set up tent inside to escape from the wind.

Another hiker showed up after dark and settled in on the bunk above. Chilly, but better than night 1. We piddled around Saturday morning with camp chores and talking. I have little appetite, give half my food to my husband, who never seems to be full. Another late start.

Trail picture:
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Abandoned springhouse?
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Rocks and climbing uphill.
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Late in the day we're three miles and one big hill away from our intended stop, and I'm out of steam. We set up the tent upslope, get water, eat, sleep. I know people hate shelters because of the mice and other reasons, but one of the best things about them is a level floor. Spent the whole night scrambling back onto my pad.

Much better start on Sunday morning. Still chilly, but definitely milder. On the trail by 8:00. With the weekend and the nice weather, there were lots of dayhikers on the trail, especially near Mary's Rock.
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Spaced out the remaining food through the day. Saved us some treats, an apple and three small oranges! One here at this sunny spot, another after we get to the top of that hill, the next when we reach that rock...

We made it to the car at dusk Sunday evening, rolled over what we thought was a stick in the parking lot, then a few minutes later heard a flapping noise. Flat tire? Pulled over, noise continued. The alternator belt! With my slightly-more-than-an-inch pocketknife blade, my mechanic husband trims the damaged portion lengthwise from the belt, and we limp the 6.5 hour drive back home. Turns out the A/C belt is also damaged, and the radiator has a leak (might not be related, though). Another section done, and we're thinking about the next.

So those two backpackers we met? The first, a guy at Gravel Springs Hut, carries a 9-lb wood-framed pack that he made in high school and swore he would take on the AT one day. The body is a re-purposed denim shirt. He carries no stove or tent. He makes a stick fire and boils his water, sharpens a stick with his big knife and uses the stick to eat peanut butter. He carries a military surplus -40° bivy "body bag" that makes a gigantic bedroll. And yes, he wears jeans and heavy rubber boots. A Shenandoah native, he started the trail a few days prior with the intention of hiking north to Katahdin, then turning around for a SOBO. As he set off down the trail, a practiced thwack from one of his large wood poles sent his cooking pot back over his shoulder where it belonged. Sixty-two pounds (half his weight) before food, but he was happy! For the record, he acknowledges that he will be trading out some gear, so please don't start bashing him.
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Later in the trip we meet the second:
Me: Finally, a real backpacker! Where'd you start?
Her: Springer Mtn.
Me: Wow, you're way ahead.
Her: Yeah, I'm the #1 NOBO.
Me: What's your name?
Her: Speedstick.
Me: I've heard of you! The Triple Crown! ...
Speedstick looked strong, fresh, and like the first guy, very happy.
Very different gear, different goals, different styles.
More info for the curious at http://marriedtothetrail.com/
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Studlintsean
03-01-2016, 09:10
Great trip report. That pack is huge but I guess HYOH and glad to see he was enjoying it. The weather Sunday was unbelievable in this area and I am jealous you got out.

colorado_rob
03-01-2016, 10:40
Excellent!!!!! Thanks for sharing. I'm heading there in April to repeat a section, can't wait. again, thanks!

And: Go speedstick!

illabelle
03-01-2016, 12:45
Great trip report. That pack is huge but I guess HYOH and glad to see he was enjoying it. The weather Sunday was unbelievable in this area and I am jealous you got out.

Yes, Sunday was very nice! We saw almost no snow left by the time we got to Stony Man, even though it was higher elevation than the stuff we did Friday.

Forgot to mention about the guy with the huge pack, we plan to go back to SNP in a few weeks to do Old Rag, so I asked him if he'd done it, being a local. Sure enough, he did it - BAREFOOT!

chknfngrs
03-01-2016, 12:58
Awesome report and great photos!

Studlintsean
03-01-2016, 13:05
Yes, Sunday was very nice! We saw almost no snow left by the time we got to Stony Man, even though it was higher elevation than the stuff we did Friday.

Forgot to mention about the guy with the huge pack, we plan to go back to SNP in a few weeks to do Old Rag, so I asked him if he'd done it, being a local. Sure enough, he did it - BAREFOOT!

Haha of course he did. I know you didn't solicit a suggestion but if I might....

My favorite approach to Old Rag is a sunrise hike. In recent years, anything but a sunrise hike is going to be very crowded. This is more of an issue if you are planning on going up/ down the rock scramble. I have done sunrise hikes multiple times in the past few years with two different approaches:

Overnight: Arrive late in the evening and camp about a mile up the Weakley Hollow Fire Rd where it intersects with the Corbin Hollow Trail. There are spots for 2-3 tents on the left hand side. Water is directly across the fire road. Lots of trees to hang food from. In the early AM, I usually just walk up the fire road with my pack and then back down the fire road after breakfast and coffee at the summit.

Early AM Arrival: Hike up the rock scramble and back down the fire road. You could come down scramble but their are usually tons of people coming up by the time I am heading down.

Either way, stop at the Thornton River Grill on the way out of Sperryville for a beer and a burger (or breakfast if you make it in time). You deserve it.

ExNihilo
03-01-2016, 13:40
Great trip report! I drove Skyline Drive over the weekend and it was quite different from my experience in the summer.

illabelle
03-01-2016, 14:32
Haha of course he did. I know you didn't solicit a suggestion but if I might....

My favorite approach to Old Rag is a sunrise hike. In recent years, anything but a sunrise hike is going to be very crowded. This is more of an issue if you are planning on going up/ down the rock scramble. I have done sunrise hikes multiple times in the past few years with two different approaches:

Overnight: Arrive late in the evening and camp about a mile up the Weakley Hollow Fire Rd where it intersects with the Corbin Hollow Trail. There are spots for 2-3 tents on the left hand side. Water is directly across the fire road. Lots of trees to hang food from. In the early AM, I usually just walk up the fire road with my pack and then back down the fire road after breakfast and coffee at the summit.

Early AM Arrival: Hike up the rock scramble and back down the fire road. You could come down scramble but their are usually tons of people coming up by the time I am heading down.

Either way, stop at the Thornton River Grill on the way out of Sperryville for a beer and a burger (or breakfast if you make it in time). You deserve it.

Thank you for this! We are planning a sunrise hike with the rock scramble, but don't have details nailed down yet. Actually, the rock scramble is the main reason we're going. We plan to climb Katahdin in August, and figured Old Rag would be a good place to learn a thing or two. Tentative plan was to camp nearby if there is a place, or sleep in the car (small SUV) if there's not, and beat the crowds with an early start. I'm guessing the tentsites you mentioned on Weakley Hollow wouldn't work so well if we want to do the scramble?

Also, wanted to ask if Old Rag is likely to be safe in late March. My concern is slipping on ice or even frost. We have two weekends we could do this, one in late March, the other late April. Your thoughts?

Studlintsean
03-01-2016, 14:52
I have seen people camp (tent) in the parking lot but I am not sure that is legal. You may want to look this up or call the Old Rag ranger station. The campsite on the fire road would have you backtracking about a mile to the Ridge Trail in the AM to get to the scramble (easy walk that would take 15 min or so). The only issue I see with this is carrying packs up the scramble but I know people do it (I personally have not). Some of the rocks can be a tight squeeze but with both of you, it should be doable. This is probably the approach I would take if camping in the lot is not legal. I have also seen people leave tents up while hiking but this isn't really something I would do.

The weather here has fluctuated so much lately that I would bet it is safe to climb right now. Assuming no major snow or ice before your trip, you should be fine but I have not been up there since late October. There is a SNP Backpackers group that you can get trail reports within a day or two. I would use this as you get closer but if March is more convenient, I would stick with that as it might be less crowded.

I hope this helps and here is the Old Rag map. The campsite is at the junction of the fire road and corbin hollow trail.

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Studlintsean
03-01-2016, 14:58
SNP Backpackers Group on Facebook ( I meant to include that). Below is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/shenandoah500miler/

illabelle
03-01-2016, 15:24
Thanks for your detailed reply. Great information!

chknfngrs
03-01-2016, 16:58
SNP is beautiful this time of year ain't it

illabelle
03-01-2016, 17:42
SNP is beautiful this time of year ain't it

Indeed! Some people seem to prefer the mountaintop views, seeing the valleys and ranges in the distance. Me, I prefer the way the trail turns through the trees, the way the sunlight falls on the rocks, the way the moss looks so luxurious and soft. I'm a pretty amateur photographer, but I enjoy those views. :)

It was interesting that the trail was very empty. Except for the Sunday dayhikers, and the two backpackers, we saw probably only a dozen other people the whole time we were out. Toss in a couple chipmunks, a squirrel, a skunk, three flies, two grouse, and an assortment of other birds - but that's it. Not much for 37 miles of trail in a highly visited and accessible park. I imagine within 2-3 weeks that will change in a dramatic way as spring begins to approach.

Tipi Walter
03-02-2016, 10:01
Thanks for the excellent trip pics. And just think, you guys didn't have to endure harley motorcyclists and their loud noise pollution on the skyline drive. Cold weather keeps them at home, thank you Buddha.

I was camping on Mary's Rock in March of 1987 inside a large Windy Pass dome tent during a terrible midnight windstorm. I left the tent to get something and dangit if a dead tree snag didn't fall right onto the tent and break a pole and rip the fly. Had to hitchhike off the mountain to a Yoga Ashram in Farmville and use their sewing machine to repair the tent. Got to meet Swami Satchidananda though and stealth camped near the community's golden temple etc.

illabelle
03-02-2016, 10:16
Thanks for the excellent trip pics. And just think, you guys didn't have to endure harley motorcyclists and their loud noise pollution on the skyline drive. Cold weather keeps them at home, thank you Buddha.

I was camping on Mary's Rock in March of 1987 inside a large Windy Pass dome tent during a terrible midnight windstorm. I left the tent to get something and dangit if a dead tree snag didn't fall right onto the tent and break a pole and rip the fly. Had to hitchhike off the mountain to a Yoga Ashram in Farmville and use their sewing machine to repair the tent. Got to meet Swami Satchidananda though and stealth camped near the community's golden temple etc.

True, there was very little traffic on Skyline Drive. We often forgot which side the road was on because we would go long periods without hearing any road noise at all.

Tipi, I was sure if this thread came to your attention, you would have something to say about the guy with the big pack. :)

Tipi Walter
03-02-2016, 11:41
Tipi, I was sure if this thread came to your attention, you would have something to say about the guy with the big pack. :)

All I can say is those wooden back panel slats look very uncomfortable. And his minus 40 below bed roll looks ridiculous. But we used such gear back in the 1970s when we were dirt poor and needed bulk and weight to really stay warm. Who could afford a subzero $700 down sleeping bag? I often went out carrying such a bedroll---a cheap polarguard bag augmented with an old Army feather bag and all under a rectangular flannel bag.

But I remember using packs with canvas shoulder straps and hipbelts as in the pic. Not anymore. If his pack was 62 lbs w/o food, well, let's add 20 extra lbs for food and you'd be at my regular pack weight for my usual extended trips at around 85 lbs. His wooden pack frame and straps would kill me.

Cadenza
03-02-2016, 23:26
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Like a flatbed truck hauling a bulldozer, this is going to require a "WIDE LOAD" permit to be legal. :D