Newbie Hiker - Planning 1 day hike in Appalachians - Looking for advice

[nathanfeigel]

Hi All -

From the suburbs of Chicago.

I'm new to the site, and new to hiking. Well let me be specific, I've been hiking horizontally for a while (Suburb Trails, Forest Preserve trails, bike trails, etc) and I'd like to add some elevations and views!!

I'm planning a weekend trip to Virginia in two weeks (I'm also throwing in a HUGE surprise for someone as well, so I need to be detailed and make sure I cross all my T's and dot my I's)

Here are the details, and what I have so far:

Hike will be Saturday morning, early (starting around 6:30-7:00am)
Location: http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/HawksbillFranklinCliffs/
Bought some new gear - Backpack, hiking shoes, stiff blade knife w/ belt loop leather case, standard survival equipment just in case (flint, shelter blanket, flashlight, paracord, fire starters, whistle, etc)
You can all stop laughing at me now - I know I'm over preparing for this hike, but I'd rather be prepared than not if something were to happen.


I guess my only concern would be the duration of the hike (9.2 miles), and the difficulty of navigating. I have questions such as, is the hike clearly identified? My assumption is yes. Will I have to frequently use a compass? My assumption is no, since this is somewhat of a mild-mediocre hike with little to no bushwhacking.

HikingUpward.com does a great job of including detailed notes, pictures, directions, and advice for the novice hiker looking for a great experience. I just dont want to bite off more than I can chew.

I will be hiking with my girlfriend. We're both in decent shape (her more than me, I have somewhat of a beer gut), but were not ones to just sit around on the couch. I'm anticipating I'll get slightly winded with the elevation change, and I'm prepared for that.

There are a zillion other hikes out there that I can do, but this one offers the best views, and most scenic locations (cough** the big surprise! cough**)

We're flying into Washington DC - Ronald Reagan National Airport, and staying at a hotel approx 30 miles south west of that airport. So if anyone has any suggestions to another location that offers great views let me know!!


Thank you for reading and responding! I appreciate any advice/information you have to offer. If you see I'm forgetting something obvious point it out!

[Venchka]

You may be over thinking this hike. Read the reviews at hiking Upward & adjust the hike accordingly. You are hiking on the East coast. You won't run out of oxygen.
Just do it!

Wayne

[Chaco Taco]

Hi All -

From the suburbs of Chicago.

I'm new to the site, and new to hiking. Well let me be specific, I've been hiking horizontally for a while (Suburb Trails, Forest Preserve trails, bike trails, etc) and I'd like to add some elevations and views!!

I'm planning a weekend trip to Virginia in two weeks (I'm also throwing in a HUGE surprise for someone as well, so I need to be detailed and make sure I cross all my T's and dot my I's)

Here are the details, and what I have so far:

Hike will be Saturday morning, early (starting around 6:30-7:00am)
Location: http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/HawksbillFranklinCliffs/
Bought some new gear - Backpack, hiking shoes, stiff blade knife w/ belt loop leather case, standard survival equipment just in case (flint, shelter blanket, flashlight, paracord, fire starters, whistle, etc)
You can all stop laughing at me now - I know I'm over preparing for this hike, but I'd rather be prepared than not if something were to happen.


I guess my only concern would be the duration of the hike (9.2 miles), and the difficulty of navigating. I have questions such as, is the hike clearly identified? My assumption is yes. Will I have to frequently use a compass? My assumption is no, since this is somewhat of a mild-mediocre hike with little to no bushwhacking.

HikingUpward.com does a great job of including detailed notes, pictures, directions, and advice for the novice hiker looking for a great experience. I just dont want to bite off more than I can chew.

I will be hiking with my girlfriend. We're both in decent shape (her more than me, I have somewhat of a beer gut), but were not ones to just sit around on the couch. I'm anticipating I'll get slightly winded with the elevation change, and I'm prepared for that.

There are a zillion other hikes out there that I can do, but this one offers the best views, and most scenic locations (cough** the big surprise! cough**)

We're flying into Washington DC - Ronald Reagan National Airport, and staying at a hotel approx 30 miles south west of that airport. So if anyone has any suggestions to another location that offers great views let me know!!


Thank you for reading and responding! I appreciate any advice/information you have to offer. If you see I'm forgetting something obvious point it out!
9.2 in the Shennies is cake. You have too much stuff for a day hike, especially where it will be over run with tourists. There are plenty of blazes, about every other tree it seems. Backpack, water, snacks, a small first aid kit and hiking shoes, thats it. The Shennies are nice but there are no really hard climbs, even for someone with a beer gut :)

[nathanfeigel]

Do you think this specific location will be over run with tourists? I don't know how much HikingUpwards "Solitude" rating holds true - this one is a 3 out of 5.

I'm looking for solitude and views.

Do you think I should stretch for a slightly longer hike if I'm only going for 1 day?

[Venchka]

My experience in National Parks is that Rubberneckers rarely travel more 100-220 yards beyond pavement.
On the other hand, you are on the East Coast and there are a lot of folks everywhere you go.
Ask a Ranger when you get there for a place without crowds. The best hikes are often random, unplanned, spontaneous events.

Wayne

[Coffee]

If you are heading out at 6:30-7:00 am on a Saturday in Shenandoah and looking for a view with some solitude for your surprise, I would look for a point somewhere near a trailhead so you can get up to that point as early as possible before lots of people arrive. Mary's Rock is one possibility but is also very popular. On a recent Saturday morning around 8am, I hiked through the North Marshall area and didn't see any other hikers. There are some very nice views from North Marshall - see picture in my trip report. http://www.ramblinghiker.com/?p=196

Of course there are tons of other options in the park as well.

[nathanfeigel]

Thank you for your advice! I appreciate it!

Nathan

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

Hello Nathan,

My backpacking days are decades in the past and may never return, but I day-hike a lot. Here are some thoughts about your plan:

Skip the survival gear. About 1/3rd of this route is within rock-throwing distance from the Skyline Drive. With the exception of the weather being terrible (more on that later), a nice Spring Saturday on the SD, so close to the DC area, assures lots of traffic on the highway. Your planned early start leaves much time for one of you to reach the highway and flag down assistance in the event of illness or injury. If you feel especially vunerable, take a paper copy of the trail map and a small compass simply to ensure you can reach the SD by the most direct route.

Plan for chilly weather. Even under sunny skies, the temps at Hawksbill's summit are likely to be 15-20 degrees colder than at sea level, where Reagan National is. Average ambient temperature changes due to elevation are 3 to 5 degrees F per 1,000'.

Plan for wet weather. Instead of the survival gear, make sure you have a full rainsuit for each of you. Further make sure you've got synthetic layers beneath--no cotton. The synthetics help keep you warm even when wet. Your principal danger on the SNP hiking trails is hypothermia, and your principal risk for hypothermia is getting wet. Use your daypack space for foul weather gear, lunch, and of course, Champagne.

Have a Plan B. If long vistas are essential to your plans, have some lower-elevation scenic driving or hiking routes in mind. With my frequent visits to the Blue Ridge Mountains, I consider it fortunate to average one day in two when fog/clouds don't obscure the view to one degree or another at our vacation home's 4,000' elevation. In reality, the good to obscured ratio is probably more like 2 out of 3, but either way, you're putting a lot of eggs into one basket by betting on good weather that high up, so a Plan B seems wise. Massanutten Mountain parallels the Blue Ridge but tops out some 1,500' lower than Hawksbill. I believe there are some George Washington National Forest trails at various places along the 60 mile length of Massanutten Mountain. A hike there may bring you a view to the west overlooking the Shenandoah River and the broad, pastoral Shenandoah Valley. Not as nice as a "top of the world" view from Hawksbill, but if that's socked in, a nice alternative.

If you're flying into National on a Friday afternoon/evening, getting even 30 miles away might represent a somewhat arduous journey (at least from the viewpoint of this writer, who has had a 1.6 mile commute for the last 14 years. Chicagoans may see the Northern Virginia/DC suburbs traffic quite differently). You might share the direction from which you intend to access Hawksbill (from the north entrance at Front Royal or from US 33 at Swift Run Gap, or perhaps from US 211 at Thornton Gap?). I lived in Madison County, VA and Charlottesville, VA for half a dozen years 30 years ago (first home we owned had a great view of Hawksbill, from the Piedmont side at Wolftown, VA, in fact). With an idea of your intended overnight city or of what direction you might access the trail from, there could be other suggestions as to where to stay. For example, if you're presently looking at the Quantico/Stafford area, no mountain views from there whatsoever. From along the US 29 corridor all the way from Gainesville to Danville, you have nice to wonderful views of the Blue Ridge in the near to middle distance.

AO

[nathanfeigel]

Wow! Thank you for all of that information. I also figured I really shouldn't even bother with the survival gear, I just didn't want to end up the subject of a movie similar to 127 hours....but since it’s all so light, I thought it wouldn't hurt to always have it in the pack. A first aid kit makes more sense in this situation though.

I'm sure my mindset will change if and when I ever get to the league of going on 7 day-70 mile backpacking trips, then I might want the whole "shabang" including the survival equipment.

Anyways, below is a screenshot (if you can see it) of the distance from our hotel to the hike. So to "Alleghanian Orogeny", I’d be coming in from the north side from 211. It’s quite a drive to get to the hike early, but I plan on leaving the hotel in the morning around 5:00am. This in itself will offer a nice drive (scenic views) I'm assuming, since it gets pretty curvy as I get closer to the trail entrance. Btw, all of this information as far as the trail entrance and location that I'll be parking, etc. I'm getting from HikingUpwards.com.

The reason the hotel is so far away, is on Sunday we'll be doing a little site seeing at our Nation's Capital (since both of us have never been) I really want to check out the Smithsonian Institution National Museum and also the changing of the guards, not sure if we'll be able to fit both in in one day, but we'll wing it.


21383

Good call on the champagne!! Never thought of that :)

I'm really hoping for decent weather. Being a novice/newbie hiker, I never anticipated the elevation change making that much of a difference. I think we'll both be so engaged in the hike, and just happy to be away from all the hustle of our day jobs - that some wet weather, and even clouds isn't going to trump getting outside and enjoying the hike.

I'll also take your advice and plan for an alternative hike or site seeing adventure :) With all the planning I've already done, a little more wouldn't hurt just in case the weather is absolutely awful (ugh! I don’t even want to think about that)


I'm really glad I found this forum and decided to post. You've all been so helpful. This site will also inspire me for future spontaneous trips, as there is so much information here to read!

[Coffee]

The drive out to the park on 211 is very scenic countryside and only the last few miles up to Thronton Gap at Skyline Drive are winding. I have driven out that way many times early in the morning if I'm doing a day hike. There won't be any significant traffic that early on a Saturday morning. If you have time on the return trip, you may want to take Skyline Drive north all the way to Front Royal and then return on I-66 rather than going back the way you came. The north district of the park is nice to drive through. Have a great trip!

[Chaco Taco]

Do you think this specific location will be over run with tourists? I don't know how much HikingUpwards "Solitude" rating holds true - this one is a 3 out of 5.

I'm looking for solitude and views.

Do you think I should stretch for a slightly longer hike if I'm only going for 1 day?
The closer you get to Memorial Day weekend, the less and less the solitude

[HikerMom58]

"I'm really glad I found this forum and decided to post. You've all been so helpful. This site will also inspire me for future spontaneous trips, as there is so much information here to read! "

Nice to have you here Nathan!! AO has gone above and beyond on this thread!! :sun If you don't mind coming back to WB and giving us a "trip report", we'd love to hear how it all went down. ;) Enjoy yourselves!!

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

Yes, the SD from Thornton Gap to Front Royal would be a nice postscript. But, you'd miss the nice western Piedmont and foothills farm countryside which will be completely in the dark on your outbound leg. I don't imagine there is much light until maybe 5:45-6:00 during mid- late May up there.

Also a second to HikerMomKD's request that you post a trip report once you're finished.

Enjoy!

AO

[DeerPath]

Welcome to WhiteBlaze Nathan, keep checking in, you'll love it here. :welcome

[DavidNH]

yeah you are over-prepared for a day hike particularly for the Shenandohas (why do some of you call them the Shennies?). The terrain is easy, it's nearly impossible to get lost, you cross roads, there will be tons of tourists. You don't need a knife beyond a Swiss army knife or one of those pocket size fold up gizmos. Leathermans? You surely don't need a survival kit. I'm assuming you will be on the AT, though that's not clear from your post. the AT in SNP is about as easy as hiking gets in the east.

[perdidochas]

My experience in National Parks is that Rubberneckers rarely travel more 100-220 yards beyond pavement.
On the other hand, you are on the East Coast and there are a lot of folks everywhere you go.
Ask a Ranger when you get there for a place without crowds. The best hikes are often random, unplanned, spontaneous events.

Wayne

I agree. Often the best hikes are those recommended by the rangers the day of. They have a good idea of trail conditions, etc.

[Studlintsean]

I agree with Ramblinhiker in that coming in from 211 and exiting in Front Royal is a great idea. Although crowded, I personally recommend taking 211 and cutting over to Old Rag just outside the actual park. That is a great hike that will offer some of the best views this area has to offer (in addition to the unique rock scrambles on the way up). From there you can enter the park via Skyline drive at Thornton Gap and either call it a day and head north or do another hike or two (see: Mary's Rock at Thornton Gap). The drive through the park via SD is a nice ride and offer lots of views on your way up the mountain. If you started hiking at 6:00 you could be done with Old Rag by Noon, climb Mary's Rock by 3:00, and be back in Chantilly by 6:00. If looking for somewhere for dinner, check out the Apple House in Linden just outside of Front Royal on your way back to 66.

[Blissful]

You are overrating all the tourists on trails. The tourists and hikers hang out in certain areas - like White Oak Canyon, Dark Hollow Falls, Old Rag, Stony Man. There are popular hikes with views like Mary's Rock, Bearfence, Blackrock. Avoid Skyland area and Big Meadows and the trails in those vicinities. I think Franklin Cliffs is a great little spot with a nice view on the AT. It's rather off the beaten path for tourists but on the AT. You are more likely there to run into thru hikers. It's getting to be the season for them. I just did a circuit hike (park at "Upper" Hawksbill Parking) that encompasses Hawksbill, go down the Salamander trail to the AT, Franklin Cliffs, to Fisher's Gap, down the fire road opposite the Skyline Drive to Dark Hollow Falls and Rose River Falls. Return to the parkinglot via the horse trail. I got out early and only starting seeing hikers at the falls.

Just take the basics for a day hike. A map is good to have. The trails and distances are marked with cement posts - a nice feature.

[Coffee]

Although crowded, I personally recommend taking 211 and cutting over to Old Rag just outside the actual park. That is a great hike that will offer some of the best views this area has to offer (in addition to the unique rock scrambles on the way up).
I love Old Rag but I should point out that the rock scrambles are not for everyone and can be intimidating for some. I've seen a few people literally crying up there over the years, not due to injury but apparently being afraid. Some people get halfway up and don't want to proceed and then going down the rock scramble is harder than coming up.

Just FWIW given the OP's stated goal for the hike...

[Trillium]

Welcome to WhiteBlaze, Nathan! As a romantic at heart, I am excited for you and your lady and am looking forward to your post-hike report!

[nathanfeigel]

Thank you to all for your help! The weekend went absolutely perfect.

Saturday morning was touring all the memorials of DC (we went to Arlington National Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, etc etc). Then, I randomly checked to see if the Washington Nationals were playing at home and they were, and better yet, they were playing my Chicago Cubs!! So we went to the game Saturday. The rain held off the whole time until we got into our car.

Sunday morning was the hike. Everyone who talked about the chilly weather was correct. Thank you for the heads up on that! We were prepared!

We parked at 'Hawksbill Gap Parking' and started down Cedar Run Trail and met up with the AT, took a left and started southwest. The views are insane! I'm betting the trees are gorgeous in the fall. We passed up Hawksbill Summit with the anticipation of seeing it a little later. We continued down the AT, and then at the intersection of AT/Fire Road we just turned around and went back (a little unorthodox, but we didn't care). On our way back, we took a right at Salamander Trail and headed up to Hawksbill Summit. Another amazing view. This is where I surprised her with a ring and she said YES!!! Yay!!!

Thanks again for all your advice! I appreciate it!


21606

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

Thanks for the kind words and for updating the forum as to how your trip went. Now, for planning a backpacking honeymoon..................

AO