Hike 2.  Red Gate Fire Road - Big Fill Hollow Falls

Club: Jack's scouting

Date: 01/08/2005

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RedGateFireRd_BigFillHollowFalls_GPS20050108.tpo

Description File: RedGateFireRd_BigFillHollowFalls_GPS20050108.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RedGateFireRd_BigFillHollowFalls_GPS20050108.gtm

Notes: waterfall is not great.  This hike is interesting from the pre-park history

Warnings: strenuous bushwhack

Hike 3.  Red Gate Fire Road - Big Meadows

Club: Ted Fryberger leading for MWROP

Date: 12/15/2002

Parking: don't remember

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RedGateFireRd_BigMeadows_GPS20021215.tpo

Description File: RedGateFireRd_BigMeadows_GPS20021215.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RedGateFireRd_BigMeadows_GPS20021215.gtm

Notes: Skyline Drive got shut down because of the winter conditions and Ted redesigned the hike.  Red Gate Fire Road wasn't particularly exciting, but a good exercise

Warnings: Red Gate Fire Road was icy.  Bring Stabilicers if doing this hike in the winter.

Hike 4.  Mill Prong Trail - Stony Mountain Trail - Rose River Loop Trail - AT

Club: Jack's Trace

Date: 02/18/2006

Parking: don't know

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: MillProngTr_StonyMtnTr_RoseRiverLoopTr_AT_GPS20060218JThorsen.tpo

Hike 5.  Rose River Fire Road - AT - Upper Dark Hollow Trail

Club: my hiking with the Tuesday Group; Chris Nolen and the Tuesday Group Hikers; Jack's trace

Date: 04/30/2002; 11/09/2003; 10/24/2006

Parking: good both ways, but for few cars

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RoseRiverFireRd_AT_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20020430.tpo; RoseRiverFireRd_AT_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20031109CNolen.tpo; RoseRiverFireRd_AT_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20061024JThorsen.tpo

Notes: these 3 hikes are very similar.  I prefer the second one.  It starts at the Doubletop parking and thus eliminates a 4 mile out-and-back on the Rose River Fire Road.  The third one is my least favorite: it starts on the road much further down the parking lot then necessary.  It doesn't cover the Lewis Spring  Falls.

Hike 6.  RoseRiverFireRd_AT_StonyMan_UpperDarkHollowTr

Club: Jack's trace

Date: 04/08/2006

Parking: good but limited to about 5 cars

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RoseRiverFireRd_AT_StonyMan_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20060408JThorsen.tpo

Notes: another variation of the Rose River Fire Road hike

Hike 7.  Rose River Fire Road - AT - Stony Mountain Trail

Club: my leading for MWROP

Date: 10/05/2002

Parking: good for about 5 cars

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RoseRiverFireRd_AT_StonyMtnTr_GPS20021005.tpo

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RoseRiverFireRd_AT_StonyMtnTr_GPS20021005.gtm

Notes: another variation of the Rose River Fire Road hike.  This was my second hike as a leader.  I accidentally turned on the Stony Mtn. Tr. instead of the Upper Dark Hollow Tr., which made the hike longer and harder.

Hike 8.  Rose River Falls - Upper Dark Hollow Falls

Club: my scouting

Date: 12/31/2005

Parking: good for up to 5 cars

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RoseRiverFalls_UpperDarkHollowFalls_GPS20051231.tpo

Description File: RoseRiverFalls_UpperDarkHollowFalls_GPS20051231.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RoseRiverFalls_UpperDarkHollowFalls_GPS20051231.gtm

Notes: This was the first attempt to find the Rose River bushwhacking falls.  Didn't find the main falls, but did find an old road/trail going to them.  Originally planned to do a larger loop, but the ridge was covered with wet snow, so we decided not to.

Photo Album: RoseRiverFalls_UpperDarkHollowFalls_GPS20051231

Warnings: this was the most scary hike of mine.  I was going down the Rose Rive Rd when I heard a howling.  It was really scary.  When I started running, it started to approach, but when I stopped, it didn't pursue.  Turned out it was a dog from the pack that the hunters in Rapidan WMA used to chase bears and which got lost.  I didn't see it, but saw the hunters in the parking looking for it.

Hike 9.  Rose River Falls - Big Meadows - Upper Dark Hollow Trail

Club: my scouting

Date: 03/29/2009

Parking: good for up to 5 cars

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RoseRiverFalls_BigMeadows_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20090329.tpo

Description File: RoseRiverFalls_BigMeadows_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20090329.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RoseRiverFalls_BigMeadows_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20090329.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: RoseRiverFalls_BigMeadows_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20090329.gdb

Universal GPS Format: RoseRiverFalls_BigMeadows_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20090329.gpx

Notes: this is the bushwhacking hike where we walked along the Rose River and saw all the waterfalls of the central part of the river.  There is still a a bushwhacking waterfall to be seen in the northern part above the commercial waterfall.  Great hike.

Photo Album: RoseRiverFalls_BigMeadows_UpperDarkHollowTr_GPS20090329

Warnings: very strenuous, we finished 2 hours into the darkness.  Upper Dark Hollow tr. requires wading twice.  Rose River has to be crossed twice.  We managed to do it without wading.

Hike 10.  Climbing Rose River Falls - Buzzard Rocks

Club: my scouting; Jack's trace

Date: 03/26/2006; 11/25/2006

Parking: Place where we parked is good for up to 5 cars

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: ClimbingRoseRiverFalls_BuzzardRocks_GPS20060326.tpo; ClimbingRoseRiverFalls_BuzzardRocks_GPS20060326IncompleteJThorsen.tpo; ClimbingRoseRiverFalls_BuzzardRocks_GPS20061125Combined_Incomplete_JThorsen.tpo; ClimbingRoseRiverFalls_BuzzardRocks_GPS20061125JThorsen.tpo

Notes: the waterfall is good, but not spectacular, the views from the top are very good.  This hike is a bushwhack.

Photo Album: ClimbingRoseRiverFalls_BuzzardRocks_GPS20060326

Warnings: Walking on the road to the parking can be dangerous, since the land owners on both sides have vicious dogs.  The horse trail before that is not used often and has hornets who built nests in it.