Virginia - The Rest

 

Maps:

• Software - Topo! Mid-Atlantic

• PATC Map 12, 13

• George Washington National Forest, VA&WV, USDA FSM, AGO.  1989

• Jefferson National Forest, VA, USDA FSM, AGO.  1983

• Saint Mary’s Wilderness, GWNF, VA, USDA FSM.  1990

• Mount Rogers High Country and Wilderness, AGO.  Nov. 1999

• Lake Moomaw & Gathright Dam, GWNF, VA, USDA FSM, AGO.  Apr. 1991

• Bolar Recreation Complex and Lake Moomaw Hiking Trails, Warm Springs Ranger District.  Hot Springs, VA.  GW&JNF, USFS Southern Region.  Ed. 05.1998

• Hidden Valley Disperced Recreation Area, Warm Springs Ranger District.  Hot Springs, Va.  Hot Springs, VA.  GW&JNF, USFS Southern Region.  Ed. 01.1998

• Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness, Virginia, GWNF, USDS FSM.  Apr. 2000

• Chincoteague, Nat. Wildlife Refuge, VA; US Fish And Wildlife Service, USDI.

• Assatique Island, Nat. Seashore, MD and VA, NPS, USDI

• Nat. Geographic’s Trails Illustrated Maps:

  • #772 Delmarva Peninsula, DE, MD, VA, Definitive Map and Guide (not detailed at all).

  • #786 Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, JNF, VA

  • #787 Blacksburg, New River Valley, JNF, VA

  • #788 Covington, Alleghany Highlands, GWNF, JNF, VA

  • #789 Lexington, Blue Ridge Mtns, GWNF, JNF, VA

  • #791 Staunton, Shenandoah Mtn., GWNF, VA/WV, x2

• http://www.dgif.state.va.us/ - wildlife management areas.  Maps are so-so.

• http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/ - state parks.  Masps so-so.

• http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stforest/index.htm - state forests.  Bad maps if exist.

• http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/ - George Washington and Jefferson National Forests - few bad maps, but shows closed areas due to bears and fires.

  http://www.uvrpa.org/naturalchimneys.htm - Natural Chimneys Regional Park

Books:

• Hiking Guide to the Pedlar District, GWNF.  Ed. 2, 1990.  Ed. 3, 2002

• Appalachian Trail Guide to Central VA.  Ed. 1, revised with 3 maps:

  • Map 3: New River Valley Ranger District, JNF.

  • Map 4: Glenwood and New Castle Ranger District, JNF.

  • Map 5: Peddler Ranger District, GWNF.

• Appalachian Trail Guide to Southwest VA (from ATC).  Map numbering starts from the bottom of VA. Second Ed., with 3 maps:

  • Map 1: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, GWNF, JNF.

  • Map 2: Whythe Ranger District, GWNF, JNF.

  • Map 3: Blacksburg Ranger District, GWNF, JNF.

• 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

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

• 50 Hikes In Southern Virginia, from the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, Leonard M. Adkins, 2002.

• Walking the Blue Ridge, a guide to the trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Leonard M. Adkins, 3d ed., 2003

• Waterfalls of VA and WV – a Hiking and Photography Guide, Kevin Adams, 2001

• Waterfalls of the Blue Ridge.  A hiking guide to the cascades of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Nicole Blouin, Steve Bordonaro, and Marilou Wier Bordonaro, 3d ed., 2003

• Waterfalls of the MidAtlantic States: 200 Falls in MD, NJ, and PA, Gary Letcher, 2004

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

• Mount Rogers: Outdoor Recreation Handbook – a Complete Guide for Hikers, Campers, Anglers, Equestrians, and Other Outdoor Enthusiasts, Johnny Molloy, 2001

• Hiking Virginia’s National Forests, by Karin Wuertz-Schaefer.  Ed. 7, 2001

Note: Appalachian Trail is always blazed White!

          Hikes in this section are sorted by date and then by area.

 

 

Hike 1.  AT: Crebtree Falls - Old Hotel Road

 

 

Club: My Scouting

Date: 12/28/2002

Parking: good for Crabtree Falls, icy and unpaved for the Old Hotel Road

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_CrebtreeFalls_OldHotelRd_GPS20021228.tpo

Description File: AT_CrebtreeFalls_OldHotelRd_GPS20021228.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_CrebtreeFalls_OldHotelRd_GPS20021228.gtm

Notes: Crabtree Falls are very commercialized and not overly impressive.  The second loop is very good.

 

Hike 2.  AT: Virginia Triple Crown

 

 

Club: my leading for MWROP

Date: 03/31-04/02/2006

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_VATripleCrown_GPS20060331_0402.tpo

Description File: AT_VATripleCrown_GPS20060331_0402.doc

Garmin MapSource Trace: AT_VATripleCrown_GPS20060331_0402.gdb

Photo Album: AT_VATripleCrown_GPS20060331_0402

Notes: One of the best loops in VA and on the AT in general.  Spectacular views. 

Warnings:

• On the last few miles there were a lot of No Trespassing signs.  I am not sure if those were referring to the sides of the trail, or to the fact that the last stretch is no longer available for hikers.  Finding the trailhead and trail going the other direction would be very hard. 

• The trip is very strenuous: initially, very steep and rocky, then ok.  Last stretch starts with a very steep descend and ascend and ends with a very steep descend.

• Try to avoid sleeping in the shelters - first night we had mice making noise on the metal roof, second night we had dear coming so close to us, I was afraid they would walk over out tents. 

 

Hike 3.  AT: Hog Camp - Reeds Gap

 

 

Club: Paul Fofanoff for AMC-DC

Date: 05/26-28/2007

Parking: good on both sides

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_HogCamp_ReedsGap_20070526_28.tpo

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_HogCamp_ReedsGap_20070526_28.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: AT_HogCamp_ReedsGap_20070526_28.gdb

Google Earth Trace: AT_HogCamp_ReedsGap_20070526_28.kmz

Photo Album: AT_HogCamp_ReedsGap_20070526_28

Notes: very good hike.  Spy Rock is the most spectacular place with 360deg. views.  Lots of flowers.

Warnings: My GPS wasn't working very well, so the trace and thus the elevation profile is intermittent

 

Hike 4.  AT: Mount Rogers

 

 

Club: Jay scouting with me

Date: 07/13_15/2007

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AT_MountRogers_GPS20070713_15.tpo

Description File: AT_MountRogers_GPS20070713_15.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AT_MountRogers_GPS20070713_15.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: AT_MountRogers_GPS20070713_15.gdb

Google Earth Trace: AT_MountRogers_GPS20070713_15.kmz

Universal GPS Format: AT_MountRogers_GPS20070713.gpx; AT_MountRogers_GPS20070714.gpx; AT_MountRogers_GPS20070715.gpx

Notes: When I came home I tried to find a longer loop, but there wasn't much.  Lots of long trails out there, ghough.

 

Hike 5.  RamseysDraft

 

 

Club: my leading for MWROP

Date: 08/07-08/2004

Parking: good

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: RamseysDraft_GPS20040807_08Incomplete_MyAndSBurns.tpo; RamseysDraft_GPS20040807_08SBurns.tpo

GPS TrackMaker Trace: RamseysDraft_GPS20040807_08.gtm

Photo Album: RamseysDraft_GPS20040807_08

Notes: very pretty hike.  The best views of the ridges out there.

Warnings: Both my and Shelly's traces are incomplete, but give a general idea.  The elevation profiles are incomplete, too.

 

Hike 6.  Natural Chimneys.  Elliott Knob - Crawford Mountain - Wild Oak Trail

 

 

Club: me leading for MWROP

Date: 11/24-26/2006

Parking: almost no parking, we left the cars on the curb of the road

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: ElliottKnob_WildOakTr_GPS20061124_26.tpo

Description File: ElliottKnob_WildOakTr_GPS20061124_26.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: ElliottKnob_WildOakTr_GPS20061124_26.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: ElliottKnob_WildOakTr_GPS20061124_26.gdb

Photo Album: ElliottKnob_WildOakTr_GPS20061124_26

Notes: One of the best backpacks out there.

Warnings: I made a mistake of leading this trip in the first days of the rifle hunting season.  Not a good idea.  One of the most strenuous trips out there but very rewarding.

 

Hike 7.  Assateague Island

 

 

Club: Paul Fofanoff leading for the AMC-DC

Date: 11/04-05/2006

Parking: good, not free on the MD side

Topo! Mid-Atlantic Trace: AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05.tpo

Description File: AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05.doc

GPS TrackMaker Trace: AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05.gtm

Garmin MapSource Trace: AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05.gdb

Universal GPS Format: AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05.gpx

Photo Album: AssateagueIsland_GPS20050612; AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05BillSchuerch;  AssateagueIsland_GPS20061104_05PaulFofanoff

Notes: Nice trip.  I wish we did it a little slower paying attention to wild life.

Warnings: never do it mid-April to mid-October because of the nasty flies.