HIKE SHENANDOAH N.P.

October 10, 2001 Wednesday Hike Old Rag Mountain

Got up at 5:00 a.m., ate breakfast and departed at 6:30 a.m. for the Howard County Fairgrounds. Donna Jenkins pulled in just before 7:00 so everyone was there and ready to go. We drove west on MD-144 to MD-97 north to I-70 west to US-15 south to US-29 south to Warrenton, VA where we stopped at McDonalds for breakfast at 8:45. We drove west on US-211 to US-522 south to VA-231 south to Old Rag Mountain access road. We pulled in at 10:00 a.m.. It is cool but sunny. Anne McQueen and Jo Bateman decide not to hike Old Rag so there are 10 ready to go at 10:20 a.m.. Day hiking are Donna Jenkins, Ron Cully, Lee Manger, guest Wayne ? and Dick Whiteford. Staying over in Shenandoah National Park are Jack Bateman (hike leader), Dan McQueen, Reubin Dagold, Gary Gray and Ralph Bader.

We set off at 10:20 going up gradually through the woods. We are hiking at a good pace so Gary and Ralph decide to hang back and continue at their own pace. We keeping going up at an increasing slope and start a series of switch backs. All sweaters and jackets come off. We emerge from the woods onto a large rock plate on the ridge line after about 1 ½ miles. There is a good breeze but we are comfortable with great views north, south and east as it is perfectly clear. we wait for a while but Gary and Ralph do not appear. It is a rock scramble from here to the peak about 1 ½ miles distance. We climb for a ways then dip down through a notch in the ridge then continue climbing to the peak. We have to scramble up over and down huge house sized rocks. We step across deep crevices, climb down through and up through crevices. We hike under rocks jammed in the crevices and under overhanging rocks. We pass through an L shaped 40' cave, squeeze between rocks and climb up wedged between large boulders.

We reach the summit at 12:15 and I show Donna the throne seat at the very pinnacle of the peak with great 360 degree views. She seems a little nervous suspended in space so she doesn't stay long. Eight of us settle down on a rock cliff for lunch with outstanding views.

Gary and Ralph have not arrived by 1:00 so we figure they have returned to their car. We start down the steep but easy trail into the woods past the Byrd's Nest, an open sided stone shelter, and near the bottom another hiker's shelter. We get to the fire road and follow it back to our cars at 2:40 p.m., much of it along a pleasant mountain stream. We completed the 7.1 mile circuit in 4:20 while climbing and descending 2240'. Gary's car is still there so we know they continued to the summit.

The day hikers depart for home and I drive Jack about 50 miles to Big Meadows Lodge on the Skyline Drive but only about 5 miles up the mountain from where we ended the hike. It is about 4:10 and Anne has checked us into room 55 in a cabin in the woods. Jack and Jo Bateman have a room in the lodge. I clean up and we walk over to this year's hosts Don and Pat Bowie's cabin room 65 about 6:00 p.m.. There are 23 of us including Marty and Sandy Kappert, Gary and Sandy Cox, Walt and Noreen Pleines, Frank and Carol Heber, Gary and Lee Gray, Ralph and Nancy Bader, Bucky and Barbara Buchleitner, Pat Huelskamp and her sister Carol. Everyone brought a bottle of wine and or d'ouvres. There is a constant hubbub of laughing and joking amongst old friends as we enjoy the wine and many special treats. About 7:45 p.m. we all walked to the lodge's dining room for dinner. I enjoyed an Old Rag Mountain Ale, vegetable soup, catfish, green beans and French fries while Anne had chicken for $37.35. We walked back to our room and were in bed before 10:00 p.m..

October 11, 2001 Thursday Hike Cedar Run & Whiteoak Canyon

I slept well in the very dark and cool room consequently I didn't get up until 7:00 a.m. too late to run. I hustle down to the TV room in the lodge to try to catch the piece on the Today Show about my friend Max Beilke killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. I watch for an hour but I apparently missed it so I go upstairs with Anne to breakfast. I enjoy fresh orange juice, a banana, buttermilk blueberry pancakes and milk along with Anne's full country breakfast for $21.80.

The group split up into 4 groups each doing a different hike. Reuben drove Jack and I to the trailhead and we started down the Cedar Run Trail at 10:05. Cedar Run Trail descends from the Skyline Drive for about 3 miles. Basically it follows the stream and the top half is very rocky but not as steep as the lower half. The canyon narrows as you descend and gets more rugged with water falls and narrow slots for the stream. It is very scenic and a great hike but pales when compared to Whiteoak Canyon which is over the ridge north of it. We crossed over Whiteoak Canyon Trail at the end of the ridge separating it from Cedar Run Trail. We started up immediately stopping for lunch at 12:00 in the beautiful fall setting below the first large falls about 50' high.

After lunch we climb steeply for ½ to ¾ mile. We pass two pretty but lesser falls before the second major

falls probably 70' high. We continue the steep climb to the third major falls just as high and dramatic as the first two falls. Above the third falls we cross the river and follow a fire road over to the Cedar Run Trail and our car on Skyline Drive at 2:18 p.m.. We hiked 8.4 miles in 4:13. I forgot my altimeter so I have no descending footage. We talk to the Buchleitners headed for Luray and the caverns on a scouting trip.

At 6:00 p.m. we again headed for the Bowie's cabin for wine and snacks. By 7:45 no one is hungry so we walked to the downstairs pub in the lodge for sandwiches. I enjoyed a Yuengling Lager and a mediocre turkey club sandwich and Anne's supper for $18.74. As we were finishing supper, Mike Gillies started singing and playing Jimmy Buffet, Eagles, his own music and others songs. Debbie, our waitress, joined in on a few songs and sounded bit like Patsy Cline. Mike is good and soon had the whole pub, which is full now, singing and dancing. It is over by 10:30 and we are back in our room and in bed by 11:00 p.m..

October 12, 2001 Friday Drive to Richmond, VA

I sleep in again until 7:00 a.m.. No excuses this morning, I get up and run 5.1 miles. There are deer everywhere and I must have seen over 100 many up close and personal. I even saw a couple of young bucks (2-3 points) butting heads as it is the beginning of rutting season. Back from the run I clean up and pack the car. We walk over to the lodge dining room and have orange juice, milk, eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast for breakfast for $18.46 including Anne's.

We say good-bye to everyone, check out and drive south on the Skyline Drive to US-250 east into Charlottesville about noon. We stop for lunch at Amigos Mexican Restaurant for $14.84. We continue east on I-64 stopping at McDonalds for a hot fudge sundae and then to Richmond and my son Kevin's place in the fan about 3:20.

We hang out then drive to the Renaissance Hall where we start setting up for tomorrow's Fanconi Anemia benefit event. Kevin and wife Lorraine started this benefit last year and raised $35-40 thousand for FA research. We make a few trips to houses to pick up silent auction items and enjoy delivered pizza. Anne and I take grand children Kelsey and Sean back home at 9:30 and put them to bed. We follow close behind them.

October 13, 2001 Saturday Fanconi Anemia Fundraising Event

Got up a little before 7:00 a.m. and ran north on Floyd St over to Grove across I-295 to Antrim right to Monument Blvd and back through the fan to Floyd St for a total of 5.1 miles. Kevin and Lorraine were busy with the last minute details of the fund raiser so Anne and I had Kelsey and Sean for the day. We drove to the Ashland Berry Farm north of Richmond. We waited in line then rode a hay wagon to a pumpkin patch where we picked pumpkins. Sean picked a misshapen green pumpkin. I tried to dissuade him but he was adamant. We got 5 pumpkins of varying sizes and rode back. The deal was it cost $15 for all the pumpkins I could carry. I easily carried the 5 but it was too much of a hassle to get more. We stopped at McDonalds in Ashland for lunch. The kids ate very little.

Lorraine's sister Allison and husband John arrived about 5:30 and relieved us so we went to the Renaissance and the Fanconi Anemia Fundraiser Event. We were among the first arrivals who were all workers. There were tables of vegetables, cheese and dip, hot our d'ouvres, and sweets with wine and beer served at a bar. We were cashiers from 8:00-9:00 p.m. as were our old friends Peggy and Tom Loeper. There were several game tables, a silent auction, diamond in a glass, putting contest, 50/50 drawing and drawings for prizes. Kevin had a large screen set up showing slides of sponsors, FA facts and FA kids profiles. There were about 200 people in attendance and it is anticipated that the event will clear over $30,000 for FA. We left about 11:45 p.m. and relieved the baby sitter.

October 14, 2001 Sunday Drive to Columbia, MD

I got up about 7:20 and ran the same route as yesterday covering 5.1 miles. Kevin and Lorraine spent the night in a hotel so we had the kids all morning. Allison and John arrived about noon and Kevin and Lorraine arrived in the early afternoon.

About 2:30 John headed for the airport for his flight to New York City and we followed suit by heading north on I-95. I got off at the Ashland exit and filled the gas tank for $1.059 per gallon. Anne and I stopped at a Cracker Barrel for lunch/dinner as we hadn't eaten much for two days. We headed north again and arrived home in Columbia, MD about 5:30 and were faced with unloading the car, unpacking and going through almost a weeks worth of mail.