July 22 Old Rag

I've heard of Old Rag in Shenandoah NP for years but never had the opportunity to hike in the area. When I saw it on the ATC schedule, I was pleased and signed up immediately. Since it was to be an organized hike, I didn't even have to check out the logistics, just had to show up in the parking lot at Winchester. After 5 days of brutally hot and humid weather, we are treated to what may be the best summer day of the year. Our hike leader is Scott from Richmond area. We are a small group of 6 hikers. The original hike leader, Bob Look is unable to hike with us due to some heat related issue he suffered a few days before. However, Bob is to meet us in the Old Rag parking area for some interpreting and again on top, via an easier route.

Old Rag is such a popular hike, on a nice summer or fall weekend, there can be as many as 800 hikers. There can be 200 hikers waiting up to 2 hours to get through the rock scramble. "Rock scramble"? What is that all about? Apparently, that is part of the attraction of the hike. Due to its popularity, the small parking area at the end of the road was closed long ago. It looked big enough for a dozen cars parked like sardines in a can. Cars would park along the road and it would become a one way route and something had to be done. So, one mile back down the road the park uses a large field for parking. When that fills a nearby farm charges $10 per vehicle to park. We park in the park field. There is a parking kiosk where you can pay $20 per vehicle to park. My $10 senior pass ensures we do not have to pay this fee.

The walk to the end of the road where the hike used to begin is .8 mile. Here we start hiking up on a wide trail through forest. The trail is quite nice. We are headed steadily up. After a hour we see a couple views and scramble over some rocks. 

Then we pop out onto a very pretty rock balcony with great views. It seems as though we are at the top but a quick glance around reveals otherwise. We have much higher to go and it looks rough. This is the beginning of the rock scramble. Right away one of our group has some difficulty negotiating a down scramble. Sometimes the rocks squeeze up so close, my water bottles rub the sides. A bladder would have been a better choice. And the hiking pole I brought along was useless here.

The one fellow with the early difficulty is not enjoying this section. His vertigo is kicking in and he has many problems through here, slowing us. I was able to manage all the scrambling without assistance but I can see that most hikers will need a hand or a butt push in several spots. This would be a very dangerous hike in wet conditions. Good foot traction and pant bottoms that slide well are needed here. The scramble continues for 3/4 mile and takes about an hour. 

The views are spectacular whenever there is a break in the rocks. Most of the time we are surrounded by boulders and just trying to squeeze through them. A knee pad would have helped in a few spots too as I found myself on one knee about half a dozen times.

The 1.3 billion year old granite has weathered into all sorts of shapes, some look like there are about to fall or roll away.

The crack above is not one we go through but the one below is a passage complete with steps and a boulder holding the crack open.

One final false summit and then we have a short distance to the top. The top is a large rock balcony with all sorts of erratic boulders perched haphazardly. I found a spot in the shadow of one for a leisurely lunch. I went shirtless and shoeless for the lunch break. It was quite a pleasant day to be on top of Old Rag

Our hike back was a more gradual descend on other trails making our hike a 9 mile loop. On the return we saw mama bear and her two cubs. We also passed through the former community of Old Rag, now completely reclaimed by the forest.

Great hike!

July 20 AT Roller Coaster to West Virginia

Last minute instructions from hike leader, Mary. We're back on the roller coaster today. After hiking about an hour we met a south bound section hiker. He informs us, there is a backpacker in distress ahead. I am the defacto sweep at this point. One of our group has slowed some so we become separated from the other by a short distance. I can't see the two backpackers heading our way but hear, "hey Jim". I peer through the small tree blocking the way and see hiking friend Jay from Greensboro. Jay is the fellow in distress. He hasn't be able to keep any food down for 2 days and is trying to make it to Bear's Den Hostel for a recovery day. I make arrangements to come by there in the evening and bring him whatever he might need.

It again is a hot day with some humidity but it is much easier than the first day of the roller Coaster. Our group comes all together at a beautiful rock outcrop with far views of the Shenandoah Valley.

I see many mushrooms and fungi today, including the Earth Tongues above and Orange Spindles below.

At lunch we stop at some rocks for a longer break. A couple backpackers come along. They are from Siberia and say they have not seen any other Russians on the trail when we ask. It just so happened that one of our group was an 81 year old gal originally from Russia. So they had a nice visit and took several selfies.

Our hike ends at the Blackburn Trail Center, A PATC owned hostel. Again a private home converted to a hostel. PATC had a caretaker in residence who enjoyed our company.

July 18 AT Roller Coaster & Bear's Den

This is the first hike I have scheduled for this year's Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Biennial event. Situated in Winchester, Virginia, this year's event is close to Harpers Ferry, Shenandoah National Park and the AT as it touches four states in the area.On the AT at the WV-VA line and roughly 20 miles south is a section known as the "Roller Coaster" It is low elevation, near the Shenandoah River. Its profile looks like an evenly spaced hilly roller coaster.

  

Our hike with about 20 on board, have to sit in our cars for about 45 minutes while a thunderstorm passes through. Finally, after 10am, we begin hiking in very humid conditions. The storm had cooled things off but that did not last long. We were in for a long hot day with temperature topping out at about 95 degrees. All creeks were a little murky with the early morning storm's water. Our first stop of note was a short spur to a small waterfall. We did have one rock overlook with a limited view. Otherwise we were hiking up and down all day.

Everyone was feeling the heat an humidity. One older gentleman was of concern to our hike sweep. She kept pestering him with questions about water and how he was feeling. Bob seemed annoyed at the questions. He must have had water inside his pack as there was no visible bottles or bladder.

We made a late lunch stop at a shelter and had to wait a good 30 minutes before Bob and the sweep showed up. I learned there was a plan to hike Bob out on a spur trail to a nearby road and wait for the rest of us to finish and meet up. I volunteered to walk behind Bob at his pace over the next couple hills to the spur. We walked slowly but he was very methodical and not sloppy. After an hour we reached the spur and Bob was having none of the spur out. I thought he could make the full hike but I was tiring walking at his pace and needed to walk at my own pace as I was suffering too.

Our leaders told us to stop and wait at the next stream crossing. We did for a good 20 minutes. Everyone was suffering and I didn't think it was a good idea to keep our bodies idling so long. Several of us headed up the final hill. 

Once at the top, we were rewarded with the view above. Nearby is the Bear's Den hostel. We waited about an hour for the final stragglers to arrive. A gal from Texas with sneakers had bonked on this last section and really struggled.

Bear's Den Hostel was a private home built in 1930. The ATC acquired the property and the trail corridor in more recent years. Now it is the fanciest hostel I have ever seen. 

After shuttles and the ride back, it is 6:30 before I get back to Winchester. That 6.7 mile section took us about 6.7 hours to hike.

July 12 Yadkin River Float

Nineteen paddlers in nineteen boats line up along the Yadkin River in Rockford for a 10 mile float toward Pilot Mountain. Our group is organized by Belinda Lamm and is part of a Meetup group. Those without boats could rent them from Yadking River Adventures in Rockford, YRA is providing the shuttle back to Rockford after our float. A short safety instruction is given and we are launched.   

The course is punctuated with a series of class one ledges and one long rock garden. There are experienced paddlers and there are first timers. Some are in traditional kayaks and other in Sit on Tops. A few folks got caught on rocks and needed to be dislodged and we had one swimmer during the float. 

River level was low but I barely touched bottom in a few spots. When I did it was on a sandy bottom.

Toward the end of the float, Pilot Mountain came into view. As we came closer, it disappeared behind trees.

Lunch was on a sandy beach. Actually, lunch was on two sandy beaches since a few of our group assisted the swimmer and his water filled boat while the rest floated a bit farther down river.

This is as rough as the going got. Everyone made it through this ledge.

Some Trumpet Creeper along the riverside.

As the float entered Pilot mountain State Park, there was some concern we had somehow missed the take out spot. The river is split by some islands just ahead and our leader doesn't recall that on the previous float. A call to YRA is placed and we are assured we have not missed the take out. Actually, we go another 200 yards and we are there. The take out is a bit of a chore but soon we are headed back to Rockford.

July 10 Uwharrie Chanterelles

After this week's rains, we are finally seeing some mushroom pop. I collected these in about 30 minutes in the Birkhead Wilderness. This basket weighed in at 2.66 lbs.

Cleaned and ready for the pan

July 5 Town Creek Indian Mound

Town Creek Indian Mound is a North Carolina State Historical Site located on Little River despite its name. It is near the confluence of the Little River and Town Creek. The site was part of a farm. It was known as an Indian site by the owners who did some amateur excavations before the state took possession in 1937. Funded by the WPA, the University of NC began professional excavation under the direction of Jeffrey Coe who would be involved here for 50 years. For a short period it was known as Frutchey State Park, named for the family who gave land and later sold additional land to the state. 

It is believed to be a spiritual and governing center within the Mississippian Culture of mound building Indians. The Mississippian Culture took hold just prior to 1000 AD and marked a shift to large scale agricultural settlements. This mound and the land surrounding it was fenced and contained several ceremonial and spiritual buildings. Excavations have shown where support posts were. So the size of the buildings are accurate. Clans from the surrounding area are thought to have come to Town Creek at least once a year for a ceremonial renewal. Fires were put out and new ones started. All debts and disagreements were settled. A game similar to lacrosse also was played during this period.

The demise of the culture occurred in the 1400s with some areas holding out for another 100 years. It is not known what caused the decline.

A number of human remains have been found at the site. During the amateur excavation, a tractor pulled a blade across the ground, unearthing tools and bones. Some of the site was destroyed in this fashion. The bones are likely from important members of the clans or the spiritual leaders who resided at the mound site. there are some artifacts in the visitors center as well as a 20 minute film describing the site, culture and excavation.