December 30, 2017 - Shawl Gap Trail and Shawl Gap Spur

The "Lee 333 Challenge"

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: 5.63 mi
     Duration: 3:24
     Ascent: 1457ft
     PATC Difficulty: 128

Lee 333 Progress Summary:
     Trails: 10 of 115
     Trail Miles:  31.95 of 342.5 miles
     Hiked Miles:  50.28 mi

Today's Track

     Today's hike started late, it was very cold and I took a nap in the car at the trail head before I ever got started.

Start of the trail on Panhandle Road

View of the ridge from the valley near the start of the trail, that's the destination.

The trail begins as a forest road

It's nice and easy going... at first.

The trail is open sky and sunny just before the 'road' section ends, glad it's not summer or I'd hate the heat here.

Trail starts to climb in earnest now that the road section is behind me.

The trail has a few rocky sections, but not many and not for long

Nice easy going....again

Looking back down hill, a spur trail leads back down the mountain towards private property.

    To the left in the picture, I came up the trail to the right. I'll explore the spur to the forest property line on the way back.

The trail gets steep as it approaches the ridge

Almost there...the ridge is in sight

This is the ridge, the Shawl Gap trail meet the Massanutten trail.
It was cold and windy, so I didn't stay long.

On the ridge (looking west)

On the ridge (looking east)

In this picture is what I think is a horse's snow shoe, it must have fallen off. 

    On my way back down I took the spur trail about a mile to the forest boundary line. The trail continues onto private property, but I turned back since it was getting late. Apparently there are a lot of trail that are like this spur in the National Forest, I'm going to add them to the Lee333 challenge as I discover them.

Nice burl on the spur trail

I didn't stop to rest the entire hike since is was too cold to be comfortable. I later paid the price with sore feet and aching calves.

A view into the valley looking east as the day lost it's light and the cold began to set in.

December 9, 2017 - Mudhole Gap Completed

The "Lee 333 Challenge"

Just leaving the car at Little Fort Valley on the ridge

    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: 6.13 mi
     Duration: 3:30
     Ascent: 1172ft
     PATC Difficulty: 120

Lee 333 Progress Summary:
     Trails: 8 of 114
     Trail Miles:  28.75 of 339.22 miles
     Hiked Miles:  44.65 mi

     A beautiful day with light snow all day.

Mudhole Gap Track for Little Fort Valley to Sidewinder Trail

     The day dawned with snow in the forecast but I was not going to let that stop me from getting out on the trail. I drove out to Front Royal and into Fort Valley intending to hike the Mudhole Gap trail. However, when I turned on to Boyer Road I saw a sign that said that road ahead was closed. I assumed it meant F66 and that it was because of the snow. I pulled over and spent a few minutes looking through the trail guide for an alternative. A local resident stopped to see if I needed help, nice! I settled on Mine Gap trail because I could walk to the trailhead if the road was gated near Mine Mtn Road. But when I got to the intersection of F66 and Mine Mtn Road the road was open so I was able to drive to Little Fort Valley. 

Looking back at the parking area at Little Fort Valley, and the 1st of 4 stream crossings.
(My car is just behind the trees)

    It was lightly snowing but the road (F66) was not icy in spite of the gently falling snow. I parked at the Mudhole Gap trailhead in Little Fort Valley. The hike was pleasant under gray skies and light snow. The trail headed gently down a nice stream valley until it made a sharp left turn (north) and soon became a forest road. At the left turn there is an unmarked trail that continues straight, I decided to explore that trail on another day or on my way back to the car.

Another one of the stream crossings

Mud holes on the first half mile of the trail, not a surprise!

Nearing another of the stream crossings

Looking back to the point where the 'trail' and the 'road' meet.

     I was kept entertained during the hike by the falling snow, the stream and an audio book playing on my phone. Time passes quickly with a book and while going downhill. I haven't been hiking much in the last year so I wasn't sure If I'd make it all the way to the Sidewinder trail (3 miles, a point where I'd already hiked). I really wanted to make it since it would mean that I'd complete the entire trail. Six miles would be my longest hike in quite a while.

Junction of Mudhole Gap and Sidewinder Trails

Looking back from the Sidewinder trail junction

   At some point I realized that I was walking on another hiker's footprints in the snow. This hiker must have come up the trail earlier in the day but not all the way up to the ridge. Once I reached the Sidewinder trail intersection, I paused to eat some lunch before hiking back up to the car. After eating, I was getting cold and when I reached for my gloves, discovered that I only had one. Since they are black I thought I'd be able to spot the missing one against the new snow on my return journey. I found it after about a mile.

A view from Boyer road

   Once I got to the end of the road portion and was at the sharp turn in the trail, I turned down hill to see what trail options might be in that direction. I thought it might be only a few hundred yards to the Forest Boundary line but when the trail split into two with in a couple hundred feet I gave it up for that day. I was getting tired and it was getting colder so I made the hike back to the ridge along the creek with the snow highlighting the trees and bending branches into my path. I reached the car at 4pm and headed home.

A view of the Little Crease Mountain from Boyer road

    

November 26, 2017 - Sidewinder and Mudhole Gap (partial)

The "Lee 333 Challenge"

Intersection of Sidewinder and Mudhole Gap Trails

    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: 3.79 mi
     Time: 2:05
     Ascent: 795ft
     PATC Difficulty: 78

Lee 333 Progress Summary:
     Trails: 7 of 114
     Trail Miles:  25.6 of 339.22 miles
     Hiked Miles:  38.52 mi
     
    Today's hike was a nice uneventful day with perfect weather. I'm just easing myself back into hiking again. It's going to take a while to get my climbing legs back into shape. This loop, just under 4 miles, was just the thing to get me out there again and at the same time complete one of the 114 trails in the Lee 333 (Sidewinder).

     A note on the "Ascent" and "PATC difficulty" numbers above: I'm using the GPS on my Android phone now but I'm not sure how accurate these numbers are yet. I'll bring my Garmin next time to compare the results. I think the Garmin is more accurate but I'm not using it anymore since the Android ViewRanger app. is easier to use and has a bigger screen. BTW: I've already downloaded all the maps for the Lee Ranger District so don't need a network signal to use it. FYI: I have 5 extra cell phone batteries with me and a paper map.

     The yellow dot on the map below was supposed to be a trail to the "Glass House" cabin but I couldn't find the trail. On a later date, I'll rent the cabin and hike up to Mudhole Gap to find the intersection. I know there's one there because the PATC cabin description says there is one.

Today's Track

Mudhole Gap Trail at the Parking lot on Fort Valley Road (678) 

just across from the Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground

Intersection of Bear Wallow Spur and Tuscarora Trails

Fine Views on a Perfect Day

Tuscarora - Bear climbing towards Sidewinder

Descending Sidewinder Trail, see the trail outlined in leaves below.

A dry creek on the Sidewinder Trail

The Mudhole Gap Trail is actually a forest road

Mudhole Gap Trail

Mudhole Gap Trail

Mudhole Gap Trail

Mudhole Gap Trail

November 19, 2017 - My first actual "Lee 333" Hike (Elizabeth Furnace - Botts, Charcoal, Pig Iron Trails and the Woodstock Tower Trail)

    Today's hike was just a warm up for the Lee 333, I wanted to get started hiking but also to drive around a bit in Fort Valley. I hiked three very short trails in the Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area and kept out of the back country. It's hunting season and I do not yet know the area and hunting rules/dates well enough to feel safe.

Elizabeth Furnace Track

     I tried parking in the outer lot of the recreation area but it was full with mountain biker's cars. So instead, I parked in the camp ground and walked through the amphitheater into the recreation area. After crossing the suspension foot bridge over Passage Creek, I joined the Botts trail and headed south. From the Botts trail I made a turn onto the Charcoal trail loop and then the Pig Iron trail and finally finished up by rejoining the Botts trail near the auto bridge. It was a short 1.91 miles. 

  

Cabin at Elizabeth Furnace

Suspension Bridge over Passage Creek

Charcoal Trail

Pig Iron Trail

Forge at Elizabeth Furnace

Forge at Elizabeth Furnace

The trail ended far too soon

Auto Bridge over Passage Creek

    After the Elizabeth Furnace trails, I explored the Fort Valley by car and eventually drove up onto the western Massanutten Ridge and then north along F66 to the gate just north of Little Fort Valley taking note of where trails cross the road for future trips. I passed many elaborate hunting camps including camper trailer and generators.




Woodstock Tower Track

    Turning around and heading south again, I eventually ended up at the Woodstock Tower parking area. Just after I pulled in, another car stopped. A very energenic guy immeadately engaged me in converastion. However, his english was not too good and my spanish is almost nonexistent.


Me at the top of Woodstock Tower

Me at the bottom of Woodstock Tower

     After a few minutes, we walked to the Tower together attempting to chat along the way. We climbed the tower and took a few pictures but it was too cold and windy to stay long and soon were forced back down to ground level. We returned to the cars and parted ways. After that I drove towards Luray to complete a loop back to my home near Warrenton having drove out via Front Royal. 




Amother Hiker I Met in the Parking Area

A cold, windy but short climb

View from Woodstock Tower (East)

View from Woodstock Tower (West)

View from Woodstock Tower (West)