We Tackled OLD RAG!

On Friday, October 12, we traveled to Shenandoah National Park and conquered Old Rag.  It was a very chilly morning, but the weather was beautiful.

The Trail was very crowded... about 50-75 teenagers were there on a school trip.  We waited for about an hour and let them pass.  We then teamed up with 2 older women who needed A LOT of help on the Rock Scramble.  However, we did make it to the top.

On the way down, Nancy rolled her ankle and sprained her foot.  She was able to finish thoughl

Got some cool pics along the way...

My attempt at a panoramic from the summit of Old Rag

Sunrise and Cup of Coffee on the Antietam Trails

We woke up before daylight on Saturday morning, grabbed the backpack, stopped at Duncan Doughnuts and headed out to Antietam.  Started out on Snavely Ford Trail, Final Attack Trail, and then down to Burnside Bridge.

The morning was a little wet and cloudy, but it was great morning.  BTW, my (Lowell's) new hiking shoes kept my feet completely dry.

Columbia Master of Faster Hiking / Trail Running Shoes

They were awesome!   Feet stayed dry, Nancy's did not!  She ordered herself a pair as soon as we got home.

Local Hikes We REALLY want to take...

OLD RAG - Shenandoah National Park

1 hr 30 mins from Martinsburg

STRICKLER KNOB HILL - Luray, VA

1 hr 30 mins from Martinsburg

Signal Knob - Luray, VA

1 hir 30 mins from Martinsburg

Pine Creek (Grand Canyon of the East) - Tioga, PA

4 hours from Martinsburg

September 28, 2012 

Antietam Battlefield, MD

A New development... we bought a GPS.  A Garmin etrex 20.

After 1 week, I love it!

Certainly have not figured it out yet; but i can see that it is a powerful tool.  I downloaded the Birdseye Software and have figured out how to add hiking files from the web.

Spent the evening hiking a trail at Antietam Battlefield.  Took the younger two children and a family friend.

It was a good day, but hiking might be better designed for two.  LOL.

Hikes we Hope to Take!

Many websites provide a great list of possible hikes to take. These websites include the National Park Hikes, the Trails.com website, and the Northeast HikesPage.

There are also several very helpful blogs of individuals and groups who log their backpacking trips.

• Meanderthals: A HikingBlog for Southeastern US and beyond
• Hiking Blog for Virginia and West Virginia

Bucket List of Hikes

John Muir Trail, John Muir Trail Overview, California - 210 Total Miles: Many shorter hikes

Great Smokey Mountains, Mount LeConte, Tennessee - 10 mile day trip

Bryce Canyon National Park, Queens Garden Trail, Utah - 3 mile day trip

Zion National Park, Angels Landing, Utah - 5.5 mile day trip

Acadia National Park, Sargent Mountain Loop, Maine - 5.5 mile day trip

Glacier National Park,Grinnell Glacier Trail, Montana - 11 mile day trip

Grand Canyon National Park, Nankoweap Trail, Arizona - 28 mile; 3 day trip. Major Bucket List!

Shenandoah National Park, Old Rag Loop, Virginia - 8.8 mile day trip

North Cascades National Park, Cascade Pass, Washington - 12 mile day trip

Shenandoah National Park, White Oak Canyon Falls, Virginia - 8 mile day trip

Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry to Gathland, West Virginia - 10 mile day trip

Harpers Ferry,Maryland Heights Trail, Helpful informationWest Virginia - 10 mile day trip

Shenandoah National Park, Big Devils Stairs, Virginia - 5.5 mile day trip

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Mount Rogers Summit, Detailed Trail Report - 13 mile day trip

Appalachian Trail, Bleumont, VA, Raven Rocks - 9 mile day trip

Bike Hikes to Take

C&O Canal, Williamsport, MD - Day Hike

Kayak Hikes to Take

Chesapeake Bay, Janes Island State Park Trail, Maryland - 5 mile day float

September 21, 2012 

Raven Rock, VA 

Awesome hike... great views, great trail, great weather, great day!

Spent the day hiking to Raven Rock by following the Trail information.  This was probably one of my favorite hike so far.  It had the best parts of many trails - challenge, views, solitude.

The trail was VERY rocky at places.  Would be easy to turn an ankle or step on a snake, but even so, it was very much manageable.  Found a set of rock walls that must have been from the Cival War Timeframe.  Planning to go back with a metal detector and shovel.

At the vista, we had a great lunch a nice time of relaxing and enjoying the view.  Next time, i plan to bring the hammock and just kick back for a long time.  Also, want to shoot some panoramic shots from the rock.

Must repeat this one.

September 15, 2012 

Maryland Heights
Harpers Ferry area

Hiked with Rachel and Anna to the top of Maryland Heights. Very secluded on the upper trail, but much more crowded on the lower trail. Great day, great weather, great trail

September 9, 2012 

C&O Canal 

Shepherdstown, WV

Short hike on the C&O canal South from Shepherdstown, WV. Beautiful weather - cool, slight wind, sunny day. Not able to see much of the river along the way. Need a better river hike.

September 3, 2012

White Canyon Falls
Skyline Drive - Shenandoah National Park

Hiked with the kids all the way to Falls #6. Very demanding hike. Not sure of exact distance, but the change in elevation was significant. Jacob's girlfriend, Rachel joined us. The morning started out very rainy and foggy, but cleared up as the day went on.

Somebody said this looked like a scene from Last of the Mohicans!

August 25, 2012 

C&O Canal Bike Hike
Williamsport, MD

Spent the afternoon and evening of August 25 biking on the C&O Canal. Maintained pretty easy pace for about 6 miles.