Milam Gap Trail

Milam Gap hike is a nice little walk in the woods

MM: 52.8 on Skyline Drive.  Closest Entrance: Swift Run Gap

2.2 Miles Roundtrip to Tanners Ridge Fire Road / Cemetery (but you can continue this hike North on the AT for miles…..and/or tie into the Lewis Falls Trail to add more)

Memorial Day is the perfect day for a hike, especially considering the weather we had.  Our idea was to revisit the first hike we ever did as a family……Dark Hollow Falls, since we have not done it since that very first time in 2008.  But, as we approached the trail head and saw the no dogs sign, we realized we should have consulted our blog for planning purposes!!!  Of course we had J-Wow and Stevie the Wonder Dog with us so we had to turn back.    Skyline Drive / SNP is actually a very dog friendly park, thank goodness. Turns out many National Parks are not.  But, a handful of the trails….many of the most frequented ones prohibit dogs.  For all you out there who have four legged hiking buddies, here is a good resource as to guidelines of dogs in the park:  http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/pets.htm  Since the SNP is so dog friendly, we want to make sure to honor the guidelines so that it always stays that way!

With Dark Hollow falls out of the picture, we scrambled to ‘plan B’: Milam Gap hike, which was just on the other side of Big Meadows.  We have passed this hike many times on our way to other hikes, and even parked in the same lot when we have done the Camp Rapidian hike.  Yet, we knew nothing about what were were about to walk into.      As it turns out, Milam Gap was the perfect hike for us on this day, and I am glad we gave it a go!  Having just returned from Hawaii, I was still a little jet lagged, and quite tired.  And the boys have been slammed with the end of the school year activities.  A nice leisurely stroll suited all of us just fine.

Everything is green and in bloom this time of year.

 

White Blazes = AT

When I think  of the word hike, I picture big elevation gains and either a summit or waterfall as our destination.  I am sure that is not the official definition, but it is what is in my ‘minds eye’.  So, using that as a barometer, Milam Gap is more of a ‘walk in the woods’ than a hike.  And, a very enjoyable one at that.   This trail has no discernible elevation gain, and the final destination is somewhat anticlimactic (a graveyard);  and there are no major landmarks to see along the way.    And yet, this hike is simply lovely.  It passes over a few little springs (good for the dogs), through major patches of ferns, and if you look closely enough, you can see remnants of an old farm and field from a homestead of days gone by.    If you were someone who can identify different plants (which I cannot), this trail would keep you busy with all its variety.  I do know it is home to an old apple tree grove (of aptly named Milam apples).

What I loved the most about Milam Gap is that it is all Appalachian Trail.  This hike follows it entirely.  Again, bringing my minds eye into the equation, based on many pictures I have seen in guidebooks and memoirs, this is a ‘quintessential image of the AT ‘:

If you are doing the standard Milam Gap hike, this is your turn around point., with the grave yard off to the left. Or feel free to continue to ramble along this path like we did for as long as you wish…..in 1,000+ miles, you will reach the end of the trail in Maine!

And we had this view the entire time. A narrow worn out path that extends as far as you can see.  So peaceful and inviting and full of possibility.  And, on this day, and on this trail, we crossed paths with 11 AT Thru hikers.  I chatted a few of them up, asking about their time on the trail (until Mickey scolded me and called me the AT nut!)  Four things stood out from those interactions…….1) amazed that 7 of the 11 were young (college aged or so) females  2) How happy and energetic they all were…..I guess trail life is good for the soul!  3) Kicking myself again for not bringing up snacks/Gatorade to hand out for some ‘trail magic’  4) Making a mental note that Memorial Day weekend is prime time to do some trail magic through the central portion of the SNP in future years.

Milam Gap trail will not knock your socks off in terms of the ‘wow’ factor of views or rock scrambles.  But, it is a trail I would highly recommend.  Though I said it before, it bears repeating, this is just a lovely stretch of the AT, and a nice little walk in the woods.

So, here is our rankings: 3.8  (out of 5)

Minnie (4):  For the third time in this blog…..’just lovely’.  But, know if you do it you will not be getting any ‘Wow’ factor.  I loved meeting up with the AT thru hikers.  And because the lack of elevlation, we all stuck together at the same pace….allowing for some great family time!

Mickey (3.5)  I liked the trail a lot.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  It did not really lead anywhere and in the end might not be all the memorable, but I am glad we did it!

Billy (3.5)  I am glad we did it because it was a new hike.  But, I would not recommend it for anyone who is out of town or who does not hike a lot.  But, if you are like us and always wanting to try a new hike.  Do it!

JJ (4)  It was good because it was flat.  And because it was flat, I kept up with Dad and Billy.

J-Wow and Stevie the Wonder Dog getting refreshed at a spring. I love how their bodies form a heart, if you look really close. Though the rest of the family made fun of me for noticing that!

 

J-Wow and Stevie the wonder Dog:  4 :  We liked the springs we passed for some refreshing sips of cool mountain water.  We saw 2 deer which was really exciting (it would have been more exiting if we could have chased them!)  and all the AT Thru Hikers we passed loved us and gave us good ear scratches!

 

 

 

Chimney and Calvary Rocks Hike

A beautiful view from Chimney Rocks

MM 90 on Skyline Drive. 

Closest Entrance:  Rockfish Gap Entrance (Afton Mountain off of I-64)

Its been five long months since we have been out on the trails in Virginia (we did a short hike last month while on vacation in the Smokey Mountains: see post:  http://virginiavinesandtrails.com/2015/04/30/hiking-in-the-smokey-mountains/ ),  so needless to say I am thrilled to actually have a new report for the blog.   We have a list of hopeful hikes for this season that is pretty lofty,  so stay tuned!

When researching a hike to do this past weekend…..I wanted the following:  1) One we had not done yet.  2) One that was not too long (we all need to get a bit back into hiking shape!)

Chimney and Calvary Rocks fit the bill.   I was further sold on this hike because  the short section we did is the upper part of a loop that encompasses the Rip Rap Swimming hole which we love and have written up a few times here:  ( http://virginiavinesandtrails.com/category/rip-rap-swimming-hole/ ) And, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to ‘see the other side’ since the entire loop is a bit too extensive for our family at one time.

Unfortunately, Chimney / Calvary Rocks  ended up being a bit of a conundrum for us…..for it might be our lowest ranked hike ever.  And yet, there was a lot to like.

Photo credits: Billy! The view from the other side of Chimney Rocks.

Things I liked about this hike:

1)  We rarely enter into the park from the Rockfish Gap entrance, so it was enjoyable to have new surroundings.  And, I would not say that the overlooks there were more remarkable than the ones we are used to in the Swift Run Gap area.  But, the newness of them added novelty to our time on Skyline Drive.

2) This was a fairly flat hike, and when we did have elevation gains, they were in equal measure.  It was a nice ebb and flow of up and down hill both ways.  I am currently out of aerobic conditioning….so even the little uphill we had burned my lungs and legs.  And, anytime I can avoid a steep downhill experience, I am all for it.  It was good pick for early-in-the-season-get-your-hiking-legs-back kind of hike!

3) The hike followed a ridge much of the way, so we often had pretty side views:

 

4) The rocks came out of nowhere and it is awesome to come upon such an abrupt change in scenery:

JJ in front of the backside of the rock cropping that forms Chimney rocks

 

 

 

5)  The trail intersects with the AT, which I always love.  And we actually encountered a thru hiker at our trail head who was taking a lunch break.  He started at Springer Mtn, GA on March 14th….and by April 26th, he was essentially through half of Virginia.  I neglected to ask him his trail name, but I have now dubbed him Speedy Gonzales.  I always love my AT thru hiker encounters.  ‘Speedy’  was especially impressive….he looked fresh and rested and was very enthusiastic about his experiences so far.  I wish I had thought to bring along some food to give him…..in reading many of the thru hiker memoirs , that is known as ‘trail magic’, and such a small gesture is so greatly appreciated by the thru hikers.   Actually, it did cross my mind briefly, but then I thought it was too early in the season.  But, ‘Speedy’ proved me wrong!

I love the mystique of the Appalachian Trail, and always enjoy it when our hikes cross its path.

 

And what I did not like:

1) The trail was quite narrow most of the way….which means we had to hike single file.  I prefer the wide berths so we can pair up and chat along the way.  It really is true that some of your best conversations can happened on the trail.  But, not when you are having to shout from behind!

The boys and the dogs at the base of Calvary Rocks. Maybe one day we will go back, specifically to scramble. But, that would mean leaving the pups at home.

2) I thought there was going to be two great views from the rocks just off the trail, but it turns out that the second vantage point (Calvary Rocks) you must scramble to get to the top.  Which could be very appealing.  But, since we had the dogs and were not prepared otherwise, we did not attempt the scramble.  I know those who do are rewarded with great views (I have seen the pictures online).  But, because of our different expectation, we were a bit let down.  And, that is why (hopefully) our blog serves a purpose. Heed this advice:   If you want to get the most out of this hike, be prepared to scramble up Calvary Rocks!

3)   The trail head is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Harrisonburg.  This is on the long side of a drive for us – unless we are going to a ‘marquee’ hike.  And, after experiencing it, Chimney/Calvary Rocks is just not a marquee enough!

 

 

For sure, there was more to like than not on this hike….and yet we all came away feeling just ‘mehh’ about the hike itself.  I think Mickey summed it up best when he said, “It was fine…..but not a hike we should drive well over an hour for.  A lot of hassle without a major reward’.  Thus, I would say if you are closer to this hike than us, you might want to check it out.  But, we would probably recommend every other hike on this blog over Calvary and Chimney Rocks.

 

Introducing Stevie the Wonder Dog!! One of the critierias of getting a new dog is that it must be a hiker. SWD is a hiking rockstar!

With all that being said, it was great to be back on the trail.  And you might have noticed a new addition to our ‘pack’:  Stevie the Wonder Dog!  We adopted him from the Augusta County SPCA in December and just love him to pieces.  He is as naughty as a dog can be, but he has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ which makes him utterly adorable and a wonderful addition to our family, no matter how many remotes (5!) or footballs (3!) he might have destroyed!    J-Wow loves her little brother, and they make quite a pair.   And, just as we imagined, Stevie the Wonder Dog (SWD for short) is a rock star hiker.  He led our pack the entire hike.

Our rating:  2.9 (out of 5 for Chimney and Calvary Rocks)

Minnie:  2.5.  “Likely my least favorite hike of all.”

Mickey:  2.   “Nothing special”

Billy:  3.  “Just OK”

JJ: 4.  “Not my favorite, but it was easy, which I liked!”

J-Wow:  3  “No stream crossings which were are my favorites.  And pretty rocky on my paws.”

Stevie the Wonder Dog:  3  “Just copying my sister because I have nothing to compare it to!”

 

Truth be told, SWD thought this hike was a 10 because he had so much fun.  Here is a few shots of him ‘in action’.  We look forward to exposing him to more fun on the trails as spring, summer and fall of 2015 unfolds.  Stay tuned……

 

 

 

Some ‘beary’ good advice by Billy and JJ

Seeing a bear on a hike is an alternately a scary and yet exhilarating experience.    In the moment, your heart is pounding and the adrenaline is kicking in, along with a healthy dose of fear.  Afterwards, when the heart rate returns to normal, and safety is assured, you think, ‘Man, what a story I have to tell!”  Especially if you get a good picture:

We have been ‘fortunate’ enough to encounter a bear three times on our hikes, and an additional two times while in our car on skyline drive (one time seeing a momma bear and  her two precious cubs scamper across the roads).  The most recent time, was our very last hike of the season in November of 2013.  Mom Mom was visiting from Ohio and we had taken her up on Skyline Drive.   She has never hiked before, so we were glad of the chance to share our hobby with her.   But, because we had been trading off the stomach flu during her visit, we  ended up doing just a short jaunt from Big Meadows to give her a taste of the woods.  It was but just a short distance into our hike when we came upon a rather large crowd of people gathered, giving off an air of excitement.  A lo and behold, not too far in the distance was a bear.  Who literally seemed to be posing for us!    We had joked all the way up the mountain about seeing a bear, because it is a running joke with Mom Mom.  She is always fearful for us on our hikes that a bear will maul us, or a snake will ‘chase’ us.  So, it was quite apropos that she actually experienced this bear sighting with us.  I am not sure if it made her overall more at ease with us sharing the woods with various wildlife, but at least we all escaped unharmed with the best photographic proof to date of our sighting.

Which brings me to the inspiration for this blog post:  We have had a nasty, cold winter.  And as such, Billy and JJ have been out of school a lot….with full days, delays and various illness related absences.  In the summer, they have their own blog that they frequently post to:  The Adventures of Billy and JJ (http://billyandjj.blogspot.com/   ) in an effort to help keep their academic skills sharp.  They have missed so much school recently for all the said reasons, that I have felt compelled  to have ‘homeschool’ time in between their Spongebob, XBox and Snowbarding pursuits.    Mostly it has been math and reading…..but our favorite Spongebob episode, ‘How to prevent a Sea Bear Attack’ prompted me to have Billy and JJ inform VW&T readers of what they have learned about encountering a bear on the trails.

In their own words:

  What to do when you see a Bear….. by Billy

“What would you do if you saw a bear hiking?  Well, it sounds simple…..run, right?   Wrong Answer.  There are easier ways to not be harmed by a bear.  Remember, bears are just as afraid of you as you are of them, so if they don’t notice you , be quiet until it passes.  If it does notice you, be very loud and make lots of noise.  If the bear has a cub, DO NOT get it between it and its cub.  And don’t run.  That will startle it.  And it might chase after you.  The best thing to do is to get together with the rest of your group and try to look big.  Also, make as much noise as you can.  If you have bear-bells, rattle them like crazy.  That’s what you do when you see a bear!”

What I do when I see a Bear…..by JJ

“First, I stop what I was doing.  Then I either start shaking my bear bells (if I remembered to bring them) or I get together with my family and whoever else is around in a big group, and start to make noise.  Because bears are just afraid of you as you are of them.  Then I watch the bear (but do not make eye contact) and wait to see that the bear is a good distance away and hike on”

Take it from them, they have been there!

And, in case you were wondering (back to the Sp0ngebob reference, because that episode never gets old)……there is really only one way to prevent a Sea Bear attack; and that is ANTI- SEA BEAR CIRCLE (ONLY A CIRCLE, NOT AN OVAL, IT MUST BE A CIRCLE)- all the experts say it is the only way to stop a Sea Bear.  And those experts would be Patrick and Spongebob.

There are many ways, however, to ATTRACT a Sea Bear attack (again per Patrick and Spongebob) and those are:

1)Playing the clarinet badly (They might hate the sound or it upsets them.)
2)Waving a flashlight around (It’s their natural prey.)
3)eating or holding cubed cheese or possibly cheese in general (Perhaps they hate it or the smell might set it off.)
4)Stomping around (They take it as a challenge.)
5)Wearing a hoop skirt (It might disgust them.)
6)Wearing clown shoes (Ridiculous.)
7)Wearing a sombrero in a goofy fashion (Offensive, perhaps.)
8)Screeching like a chimpanzee (It may mimic the sound of a dying animal to them.)
9)Running from a Sea Bear (It might show cowardliness.)
10)Limping from a Sea Bear (It might also show cowardliness.)
11)Crawling away from a Sea Bear (This ALSO might show cowardliness)
12)Drawing ovals in the Dirt (Dirt ovals can’t protect against sea bears.)

Dragon’s Tooth Hike

Hiking Dragon’s Tooth means that Mickey and I have completed the trifecta of most famous hikes in Central Virginia.  The other two would be Old Rag and McAfee Knob.  Billy and JJ (and J-Wow) are now one for the big three.  This hike has been on our bucket list for a while now, but its distance away from us (close to 2 hour drive) and bad weather forecasts have made this hike a really hard one to fit in!  Labor Day weekend 2013 was the perfect opportunity for us to tackle ‘the tooth’, and we seized the opportunity!

Dragon’s Tooth hike is said to include the hardest .7 miles on the AT!

Located on the Appalachian Trail, atop Catawba mountain, Dragon’s Tooth is one of Virginia’s most known and popular hikes.  Its location not too far from Roanoke and Blacksburg makes it a well populated hike…..and a well maintained trail.  And, it lives up to its billing as a formidable hike.  Comparing it to the other big 3, I would say it is ‘harder’ than McAfee Knob and comparable to Old Rag (though Old Rag is much longer).  In fact, in some of my research on the hike, the last .7 miles (although I shall dispute that distance later in the blog) is the hardest stretch of the AT.  Comparing it to the about 50 miles of the AT that I have hiked, I would agree…..but I am not sure about the other approximate 2,150 miles!!!

I knew this would be a difficult hike for our family, but one that would be great to accomplish.  Thus, I did a lot of research on the topic.   Much of the information was contradictory or at the very least, confusing.  First off, the distance.   The distance most mentioned was 2.4 miles (or a 4.8 mile round trip).    That mileage, combined with the elevation gain we were going to experience, not to mention the rock obstacles put this hike right at the edge of our comfort zone.  Well, it turns out….the hike was 3.2 in by our map my run app (making it 6.4 miles round trip).  A big difference.  Now, there are a few ways to hikeDragon’s Tooth….including a Boy Scout connector trail.  But in looking at the map, we feel going the connector route would have made the hike even longer.  From what we could discern, the Boy Scout connector allowed the hikers to reach the AT much quicker than the Dragon’s Tooth trail option, and that was the reason to go that route.  So, a bit of confusion remains did we take the shortest route, making our research correct?   To add to the mystery, the distance markers themselves on the trail listed it as a 2.4 mile hike.   Maybe as the crow flies….but not as the hiker hikes!  We have noticed whenever we run a GPS, we always get a longer distance that what is published.  But, not by this much discrepancy!

We went not knowing how J-Wow would handle the hike. But, in the end, she was a rock star!

Taking dogs on the hike was also a big question mark for me.  I read in some places that the trail was a popular one for owners/dogs….and then contradictory advice that dogs could not make it through some of the climbs.  So, we were on the fence as if to take J-Wow.  In the end, we decided to take her, and it worked out.  But, not without a few caveats.

JJ was tough as nails throughout the whole hike.

One of the main reasons for starting this blog was to inform others on what to expect on hikes.  I rely on the internet when researching new trails a lot, and always appreciate the help.  I am not sure why, since it is such a popular hike, that in heading down to Dragon’s Tooth, we were very unsure of what to expect.  So, in the next excerpt, I will take the VVAT readers through a quick rundown of the trail.  I will not include topography and vegetation sightings (other blogs do that so much better than I ever could!) ….but a very brief synopsis of what to expect.

The parking lot for Dragon’s Tooth is located right off Route 311 in Catawba, VA.  It is about 4 miles South of the parking lot for McAfee Knob (my research told me the two hikes share the same parking lot…not true.  You could hike one to the other, since they are both on the AT.  But, it is about 13 miles on the AT between the two, which is more of two day event.  For day hikers, each has its own parking lot.)  Plan to arrive early….we arrived around 10:00, with few spaces left in the parking lot.  People began to create their own spots along the road once the lot filled up….which is was when we were exiting.

Billy and JJ getting ready to get thier ‘hike’ on!

There are two ‘glorified’ port a johns above the parking lot and a map at the entrance to the hike.  It gives strong warnings about being prepared for the hike….and that it would take at least 2 hours to get to the ‘tooth’.  We scoffed at that, since it was only supposed to be 2.4 miles!  Little did we know.  But, we agreed with the other notices about having ample water and wearing the proper footwear and clothes!  Very important on a hike like this.  Take more water than you think you need, and by all means wear SHOES and socks!

Shortly into the hike, you have the option of heading to the Boy Scout Connector trail that is listed at .4 miles, which then connects you into the AT and the eventually up to the ‘tooth’.  We opted for the Dragons Tooth trail because it looked shorter.  Again, the information on this was sketchy…so we went with our gut instinct.  Next time, maybe we will try the connector trail to gauge the distance, and make the hike more of a ‘loop’.

Billy surveying the scene

The hike consists of two sections.  The first section (the Dragon’s tooth trail)  is a series of switchbacks and stream crossings with a few notable elevation gains up the mountain.  At about 1.8 miles into the hike, (the map says 1.7….our GPS read 1.8, so pretty close here) there is a flat section with traces of past campsites.  This is also the area where the AT meets the Dragon’s Tooth trail.  (So those hikers opting for the BS connector would end up here too).  There is a sign pointing you towards the ‘tooth’ with the warning of the difficult and rocky terrain ahead.    That sign was correct about one thing….it was difficult and rocky…..but it was also about a mile longer than it listed.  Making that section all that much harder.

  As this part of the hike is all on the AT, we met up with the white blazes quite often.  Never before on an AT hike, have I seen such creative placements of the paint stripes:Because the hike went over, under and around, arrows even had to be added to the mix!

And then you encounter a few of these challenging climbs:

And now a word on dogs.  It can be done, and J-Wow did great.  But, your dog needs to be either small enough to lift and pass…..or able to go off leash in a few instances and able to get up the rocks themselves.  I think you are putting yourself in danger if you try and keep the dog on the leash and climb with them.   This is the hardest section for dogs.

You finally make it to the top of the rock scramble, then you walk back behind the rocks, and it is another .1 miles to the ‘tooth’.  The rock formations are intimidating and beautiful at the top, which made up for the views being underwhelming.  There were many nice areas to sit and picnic, which we did around the tooth….and for the adventurous in spirit. there were pathways to the top of the tooth itself.  During our hike, there were a number of college groups at the top and they were scattered all over the tooth itself.  So, we stayed down to the base and enjoyed the shade!

Lunch Break!

And then it was time to descend.  I felt the initial portion of the return was harder than the uphill, but we soon settled into a rhythm and made it down the mountain in pretty good time…..just ahead of a thunderstorm rolling in.  Over all, the hike was well marked, I am just surprised at the discrepancy of the distance marked versus the actual mileage.  To the vast majority of people who hike Dragon’s Tooth, this likely would not make a difference…but as our blog caters to families who often have young children, I want to make sure we are always accurate in our distances.  Because that extra couple miles can make a difference for kids.  JJ was a real trooper making it through this hike with minimal complaining, but it really was past his enjoyment zone.  Now that he has completed it, he feels proud.  But, the process was more than he bargained for!

Even though we were not fully prepared for how difficult and long Dragon’s Tooth is, we really enjoyed the hike.  And, now that it is finished and we know its length, we feel all that more accomplished in having hiked it!  I would recommend it for families with older children (8+) and those who have some experience in hiking.

We feel very accomplished to have completed Dragon’s Tooth as a family. It was hard, but rewarding!

Rantings  4.7 (out of 5) for Dragon’s Tooth”

Minnie: 5 “A great accomplishment to have hiked it as a family.  I liked the challenge of the rock scramble the awesome rock formations at the top!”

Mickey: 5 ” Rocks and Snakes!”  (Mickey and J-Wow were the only two of us to spot a snake…. a big long black snake.

Billy: 5 “I think it is the coolest hike I have ever done”

JJ: ???  I think it was really long and it really hurts your legs, so for that it is a 1….so do not do it!  But, it had some awesome rocks and some beautiful parts, which were really cool.  So really, I would give it a 4!

J-Wow:  4  “It was great fun to climb the rocks, but tiring.  I petered out at the end.  I think many of my 4 legged friends would do the same.  There were some good streams to cool off in at the beginning and end, which I always love!”