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yew non-technical
Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham |
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yew
non-technical
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Sat May 28, 2011 12:38 pm
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Not enough time to write up a comprehensive trip report but here's a 4+ minute movie of vistas, birdsong, wind and forests from a recent trip to Virginia and West Virginia.
After 3 days near Gaudineer Knob and Allegheny Trail on Shavers Mountain, West Virginia, I hiked from Spruce Knob down to High Meadows Trail. The High Meadows Trail has old pastures with very nice views of Allegheny Mountain and other hills.
Spruce Knob observation tower Spruce Knob trailhead sign looking down to farm and houses on Laurel Run from road to Spruce Knob Spruce Knob looking northwest from Spruce Knob Trail Spruce Knob trail meadows and red spruce on Huckleberry Trail cherry blossoms on Huckleberry Trail near Spruce Knob northern hardwood forest on Lumberjack Trail bleeding hearts on the soggy, north end of the Lumberjack Trail old pasture and orchard trees at north end of Lumberjack Trail where it meets High Meadows Trail looking north into Seneca Creek valley from the upper High Meadows Trail looking north into Seneca Creek valley from the upper High Meadows Trail High Meadows Trail above Judy Springs forest on trail # 533 south of Judy Springs High Meadows trail in the Spruce Knob Nat'l Recreation Area high country on Huckleberry Trail north of Spruce Knob looking southwest into Monongahela National Forest from near Spruce Knob
Next day, the weather was not that great so I did short sampler hikes to areas I wanted to scout out. I hiked part of Lauel Fork South, the Allegheny Trail near Wymer and on Canaan Mountain
sunset over Shavers Mountain from FR 14 south of Wymer from clearcut sunset over Shavers Mountain from FR 14 south of Wymer from clearcut Laurel Fork South Laurel Fork South Laurel Fork South Laurel Fork South Laurel Fork South wildflowers on Laurel Fork South Wilderness Area Laurel Fork Campground in Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia Allegheny Trail trailhead on US 33 east of Alpena, WV Allegheny Trail just south of US 33 west of Wymer, WV Allegheny Trail just south of US 33 west of Wymer, WV Allegheny Trail just south of US 33 west of Wymer, WV Allegheny Trail #701 south of the Canaan Loop Road wildflowers on the Allegheny Trail just north of the Canaan Loop Road
A few days later we visited George Washington's Birthplace National Monument and Westmoreland State Park on the Northern Neck of Virginia. There are few miles of paths through the historical part of George Washington's. There's a also a gorgeous sandy beach on the Potomac River that makes for a nice, short walk.
swamp that drains into George Washington's Birthplace Monument beach frog hiding in sand at George Washington's Birthplace Monument beach George Washington's Birthplace National Monument house built in 1920s not an exact rebuild pigs at George Washington's Birthplace National Monument pig at George Washington's Birthplace National Monument beach on Potomac River at George Washington's Birthplace National Monument George Washington's Birthplace Monument beach where swamp drains into Potomac River
Westmoreland State Park has a nice network of trails. This hike is in Leonard Adkins' northern Virginia guidebook. We hiked the Turkey Neck Trail down to Yellow Swamp and looped back around. We saw a nutria in the swamp.
mountain laurel on the coastal plain Northern Neck of Virginia in Westmoreland State Park's Turkey Neck Trail Yellow Swamp in Westmoreland State Park yellow irises in Yellow Swamp Yellow Swamp with yellow irises near observation tower in Yellow Swamp Westmoreland State Park Virginia cardinal off turkey neck trail in westmoreland state park virginia Colonial Beach, Virginia before the thunderstorm hits. walking the beach at Colonial Beach, Virginia before a thunderstorm osprey in Colonial Beach
The weather was pretty bad for the next week with heavy downpours. We returned to West Virginia. We toured the Fernow Experimental Forest, hiked the Zero Grade Trail and looked at forestry experiments.
West Virginia mountains from Lead Mine Road north of Thomas Cheat River north of Parsons, West Virginia after days of heavy rains view of hill north of Otter Creek from mainstem road into Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest beginning of Zero Grade Trail in Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest single tree selection logging in Fernow Experimental Forest individual tree selection in Fernow Experimental Forest Fernow Experimental Forest prescribed burn in Fernow Experimental Forest
We hiked the Allegheny Trail through Canaan Valley State Park. The trail was very wet and soggy.
bog view in Canaan Valley State Park soggy, flooded Allegheny Trail in Canaan Valley State Park pastures on Allegheny Trail on south end of Canaan Valley State park pastures on Allegheny Trail on south end of Canaan Valley State park Blackwater Falls after days of heavy rains Blackwater Canyon lodge in Blackwater Canyon balsam fir in Blackwater Canyon windmills (renewable but not "green" power) on Backbone Mountain in western Maryland
We drove south to Cass and rented cheap, mountain bikes for a 2 hour ride during a short window of good weather on the Greenbrier River Trail which the Allegheny Trail .
trailhead in Cass near Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail near Cass, West Virginia Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail azaleas on Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail Allegheny Trail / Greenbrier River Trail campsite on Allegheny Trail and Greenbrier River rail-trail Cass, West Virginia and Greenbrier River
Next day, we headed north to the Lee Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest and hiked Tibbett Knob. On the way down we went for a short stroll on Shenandoah Mountain gated road across from the Confederate Breastworks but go rained out. We hiked around Braley Pond near West Augusta, Virginia.
gated FR 396 south of Confederate Breastworks before the rain wildlife meadow on FR 396 on Shenandoah Mountain in rain rock layers on Braley Pond Braley Pond wildflowers on Braley Pond wildflowers on Braley Pond wildflowers on Braley Pond wildflowers on Braley Pond wildflowers on Braley Pond Braley Pond near West Augusta
Tibbett Knob has great views and is an easy trail. Flies and gnats were pretty bad, kamikaziing into eyes and ears.
recent shelterwood cut south of Wolf Gap on FR 94 rocky trail to south of Tibbett Knob. Now that's a trail! runaway campfire was suppressed with a small fireline near top of Tibbett Knob Trout Run valley from Tibbett Knob ridge north of Big Schloss from Tibbett Knob looking southwest from Tibbett Knob looking southeast from gap in canopy on Tibbett Knob pink azaleas on Tibbett Knob many flies and gnats on south end of Tibbett Knob Trail
Last day, we hiked the Crack Whip Furnace Trail from Rockcliff Lake which involved a short ford since the creek was so high from recent heavy rains. We saw wild turkey chicks and a barred owl near Trout Pond.
barred owl (?) near Trout Pond prescribed burn on FR 344 on Buck Mountain We didn't have much of our normal equipment for car camping, just a notch up from backpacking gear because we only had luggage we could check on the airplane and were in a compact rental car. Rockcliff Lake rock outcrop north of Rockcliff Lake creek that drains Rockcliff Lake sign on trail north of Rockcliff Lake wildlife opening on Crack Whip Furnace Trail wildlife opening on Crack Whip Furnace trail sign on Crack Whip Furnace Trail wild turkey chick old clearcut and grassy wildflower opening on Crack Whip Furnace Trail rocky part of Crack Whip Furnace Trail
Except for the heavy downpours, it was a fun trip. I miss the Appalachians and think the lush, green eastern deciduous forests are beautiful. The Pacific Northwest has more variety with high mountains, sagebrush steppe, lowland Westside forests, eastside pine forests, the coast. The mid-Atlantic has some diversity with the Appalachians, Chesapeake Bay and Piedmont but it all has the same green, humid feel to it.
"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Sat May 28, 2011 7:57 pm
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Spruce Knob observation tower looking northwest from Spruce Knob Trail
Dang. Things have gotten pretty fancy up on Spruce Knob, in the fifty-odd years since I used to go camping in (what used to be) the meadows south of (what used to be) the fire lookout. There was an area of big granite boulders, much more spread out than the ones in your pics, about a hundred yards up from the road that made a great place to set up camp.
To this day, that spot up on Spruce Knob remains one of the two places from which I have ever seen the Northern Lights, in spite of all my years here in Washington.
Anyway, Yew, thanks for the memories.
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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GaliWalker Have camera will use
Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 4929 | TRs | Pics Location: Pittsburgh |
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GaliWalker
Have camera will use
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Sun May 29, 2011 2:05 pm
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A number of familiar views...I feel less lonely.
Thanks for the report!
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yew non-technical
Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 1173 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham |
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yew
non-technical
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Sun May 29, 2011 7:27 pm
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Scrooge wrote: | Things have gotten pretty fancy up on Spruce Knob, in the fifty-odd years since I used to go camping in (what used to be) the meadows south of (what used to be) the fire lookout... |
That's cool! There's a house and a really tall communications tower about 1 mile (?) south of Spruce Knob now. It looks like it's been there for atleast 20 years.
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GaliWalker,
I haven't checked your Flickr page in awhile but you must check out the two Laurel Fork Wilderness areas. The beaver ponds and wetland meadows are really nice. You can see the hills and the creek from these openings.
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BTW, Canaan and Laurel Fork were May 11-12, George Washington and Westmoreland May 16 and Tibbett Knob & Crack Whip Furnace May 21st.
"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
"I aint jokin woman, I got to ramble...We gonna go walkin through the park every day." - Led Zeppelin
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EastKing Surfing and Hiking
Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics Location: 77 miles from Seattle! |
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EastKing
Surfing and Hiking
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Sun May 29, 2011 7:33 pm
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Been to Spruce Knob back in my college years. Pretty area. Glad you got to enjoy this area.
YouTube | SummitPost
Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
YouTube | SummitPost
Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
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