Virginia - Appalachian Trail from the Harper's Ferry to Ashby Gap (Rt. 50)

 

Maps:

• Software - Topo! Mid-Atlantic

• PATC Map 7

Books:

• Appalachian Trail Guide to MD and Northern VA with Side Trails, PATC.  Ed. 16, 2000

• Cabins, PATC, 2004

• Enjoying VA Outdoors.  A guide to Wildlife Management Areas, Bob Gooch, 2000

• 50 Hikes in Northern VA – Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks from the Allegheny Mtns to the Chesapeake Bay, 2d ed., Leonard M. Atkins, 2000

• Hike America: VA – an Atlas of VA’s Greatest Hiking Adventures, Bill and Mary Burnham, 2001

• The Trails of Virginia, Hiking the Old Dominion, 3d ed., Allen de Hart, 2003

Note: Appalachian Trail is always blazed White!

            Hikes in this section are sorted North-to-South and then by date

 

Hike 1.  AT: View of the Harper's Ferry

 

 

Club: Jack's trace

Date: 09/27/2006

Parking: don't know

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_ViewOfHarpersFerry_GP20060927JThorsen.tpo

 

Hike 2.  AT: Keys Gap - Loudoun Heights - Harpers Ferry

 

 

Club: Chris Nolen and Tuesday Group Hikers

Date: 01/01/2007

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_KeysGap_LoudounHeights_HarpersFerry_GPS20070101CNolen.tpo

 

Hike 3.  AT: Keys to Snickers Gap

 

 

Club: Mike Fischetti's first hike as a leader for the Northern Virginia Hiking Club

Date: 04/22/2004

Parking: good in both places, driving between them is a bit hard on the car

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_Keys_SnickersGap_GPS20040422.tpo

Description File: AT_Keys_SnickersGap_GPS20040422.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_Keys_SnickersGap_GPS20040422.gtm

Photo Album: AT_Keys_SnickersGap_GPS20040422

Notes: Blackburn Center is a good rest stop.  One good overlook

 

Hike 4.  AT: Snickers Gap - Blackburn Center

 

 

Club: Chris Nolen and the Tuesday Group Hikers

Date: 11/12/2003

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_SnickersGap_BlackburnCtr_GPS20031112CNolen.tpo

 

Hike 5.  AT: Snickers Gap - RT. 605

 

 

Club: Russ's scouting for MWROP

Date: 03/07/2003

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_SnickersGap_RT605_GPS20030307.tpo

Description File: AT_SnickersGap_RT605_GPS20030307.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_SnickersGap_RT605_GPS20030307.gtm

Warnings: not a good loop, better to do a shuttle.

 

Hike 6.  AT: Snickers - Ashby Gap

 

 

Club: my scouting; Jack's trace

Date: 01/24/2004; 01/16/2007

Parking: good at Snickers, bad at Ashby Gap.

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_Snickers_AshbyGap_GPS20040124.tpo; AT_Snickers_AshbyGap_GPS20070116JThorsen.tpo

Description File: AT_Snickers_AshbyGap_GPS20040124.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_Snickers_AshbyGap_GPS20040124.gtm

Warnings: This hike is all up and down.  Other names are Rollercoaster, Halloween Hike, Hike from Hell

 

Hike 7.  AT: RT605 - Ashby Gap

 

 

Club: me leading for MWROP

Date: 02/21/2004

Parking: start - OK, end bad

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_RT605_AshbyGap_GPS20040221.tpo

Description File: AT_RT605_AshbyGap_GPS20040221.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_RT605_AshbyGap_GPS20040221.gtm

Notes: Fisher's Hill Loop is very worth doing.  The waterfall is small but great.

Warnings: Originally planned to do Snickers to Ashby Gaps, but northern hills off the Snickers Gap were all super icy.