July 14, 2020 - Woodstock Tower West Un-Named trail(s)

Picture of the day

    This blog chronicles the hikes I've completed in the "Lee 333 Challenge". I haven't set a challenge deadline because I can't dedicate myself 100% to it. However, if the SNAP500 (or SHEN500) can be done in one year, I don't see any reason why a dedicated enthusiast couldn't complete the "Lee 333" in under a year also. 

Today's Hike:

Distance: 2.45

Duration: 1:39

Ascent: 1043ft

PATC Difficulty: 71

Lee 333 Progress Summary:

Trails: 33 of 118

Trail Miles: 98.37 of 289.36 miles (190.99 miles to go)

Hiked Miles: 182.2 miles

Today's Track

    Today's hike was a last minute decision late in the day. With not much time on my hands I chose to pick up a loose end from a previous hike and see what else I might discover in the area. I'm discovering more unnamed and unmapped trails as I progress through the Lee 333. Eventually I'm going to have to rename the Lee 333 Challenge because the total number of miles will probably exceed 400 miles.

Massanutten Trail near the Hang Glider Launch Point

   On my last hike I missed a small section of the Massanutten trail where is crosses Woodstock Tower road to just before the Hang Glider Launch Point so that's where I started. I parked on Woodstock Tower Road and hiked up to the point where I'd intersected Massanutten trail last hike where I turned around and went back to the car. 

The first of the Woodstock Tower West Trails just off on Woodstock Tower Road
The first of which passes under the Glider Launch Point

    From there I hiked west (downhill) on the road until I found an unnamed trail with several side trail and loops. I'm going to call them the Woodstock Tower West Trails.

The trail was unexpectedly nice

   I followed the trail down the mountain and found a few branching trails. I marked the branches on my GPA as I descended and then hiked them on my way back up.

    On the map above, the yellow star near the center of the map indicates a trail that was on my map but not actually there. On the other hand there were trails that I found that were not on the map. After exploring all the trails I'd marked on the GPS, I returned to the car passing under the Launch Point at sunset. 

Poisonous Mushroom (Possibly Death Cap Mushroom)

Hiking back up to the car, sunset was coming.

The unnamed trail passes just below the Glider Launch Point

Sunset from just below the Launch Point

This trail, off the Woodstock Tower Road, is only 50 yards long until you reach private property

    I drove down hill passed yet another unmapped trail. I parked there and was growing dark but I wanted to get in one last short exploratory hike. I donned my head lamp and headed down hill again.  The short trail connected two loops in the road. I hiked back up to the car in the dark.

Hiking up Woodstock Tower Road after dark

The camera makes the sky look bright, but I needed a headlamp.

Back at the car on Woodstock Tower Road

    Finally, as I drove down hill towards Woodstock, I spotted yet another extension of the trail I had just finished hiking heading towards the Forest boundary. That trail will have to wait for another day. On the map above it's the yellow star in the upper left.

June 15, 2020 - Wagon Road (aka Nasty Downhill), Massanutten, Lupton and Peter's Mill Run

Picture of the day (Rose)

    This blog chronicles the hikes I've completed in the "Lee 333 Challenge". I haven't set a challenge deadline because I can't dedicate myself 100% to it. However, if the SNAP500 (or SHEN500) can be done in one year, I don't see any reason why a dedicated enthusiast couldn't complete the "Lee 333" in under a year also.

Today's Hike:

Distance: 5.75
Duration: 3:42
Ascent: 1229ft
PATC Difficulty: 118

Lee 333 Progress Summary:
Trails: 32 of 112
Trail Miles: 96.31 of 356.65 miles (260.34 miles to go)

Hiked Miles: 180.75 miles

Today's Track

    Today's hike was another section of the Massanutten trail and 3 other trails that connect to make a loop. I started at the Little Fort Campground on Woodstock Tower Road.

    I parked in one of the campsites next to the Wagon Road trailhead. After getting out of the car I met a couple and their 7 year old daughter as they were reading the trail sign. They ask me about the fire tower trail. Since it was obvious to me that they did not want to hike up to the ridge from the campground with a 7 year old, I suggested that they drive up to the ridge and take the short trail from there. They thanked me a headed back to the car.

Looking back towards the campground (my car in the distance)

Wagon Road crosses Peter's Mill Run ATV Trail

Wagon Road goes west up hill off of Peter's Mill Run

Wagon Road Climbing to the ridge

End of Wagon Road intersecting with Tower Trail

    From the campground, I hiked up Wagon Road (or Nasty Downhill?) until I came to the Woodstock Tower Road then turned south (left) onto the Tower Trail. I should have continued out onto the road and picked up the Massanutten trail. Nearing the fire tower, I passed the family I'd met in the campground and said hi again.

Massanutten Trail between Woodstock Tower Road and the Hang Glider Launch Point

Place where I scrambled down from Tower trail to the Massanutten trail

     I turned west near the fire tower and scrambled down hill less than one hundred on a make shift trail to intersect the Massanutten trail. I hiked south from there.

Hang Glider Launch Point View from Park Bench

    I didn't know it, but there is a hang glider launch point just below the fire tower. No one was there and I spent a quiet 20 minutes or so sitting on the bench and enjoying the view and the breeze. Another perfect day.

Massanutten Trail going south from Launch Point

Rose

Glad I'm not on the ridge here

Mother Nature's Levitation

Unripe Blue Berries (Huckleberries)

Massanutten, Lupton intersection

    An uneventful and pleasant walk of just about one and a quarter miles brought me to the Lupton trail. Lupton goes east off the ridge and meets up with the Peters Mill ATV trail.

Lupton Overgrown

    Lupton is a bit over grown but easily discernible. I followed it until I got to the creek area where I lost the trail. Using a GPS, I knew that I was only one or two hundred yards from the ATV trail and I easily made my way there.

Lupton better in some spots

Lupton getting near the stream (Peter's Mill Run)

Crossing Peter's Mill Run

Peter's Mill Run ATV Trail

    I was hesitant about hiking the ATV trail, given there might be fast moving traffic. Since I could not hear any traffic, I decided to give it a try. I hiked north where the ATV trail leads back to the Little Fort campground.

Peter's Mill Run ATV Trail

Peter's Mill Run ATV, Lupton Sign

Peter's Mill Run ATV Trail Obstacle

I did encounter a few ATVs but could hear them coming from a long way off and moved into the woods until they passed.

Peter's Mill Run ATV Trail Concrete stream crossing

Peter's Mill Run ATV Trail banked corner

Anyone know what type of animal this is? Most likely a mammal of some sort.

I arrived back at the campground and the car without incident.