The 4:30 alarm woke me from a deep sleep and I reluctantly rolled out of the warm bed. I forced myself outside in the cold 39o dark foggy misty rain for my daily 5.1 mile run through Columbia's Oakland Mills neighborhood. After topping the first hill I circled the village center and greeted a young friend power walking to rehab a knee.
Back in the warm house I prepared blueberry pancakes and sausage for breakfast with orange juice, banana and milk. After a quick change into hiking clothes I was ready to go so Anne and I departed at 6:34.
We drove south on US-29 to west on MD-32 to the county fairgrounds. I dropped off directions to the Old Rag trailhead to Chet and Alice Miller, Rosie Suit, Don Brown and Reuben Dagold waiting in their cars. Anne and I continued on west on I-70 to US-340 west in Frederick to US-522 in Front Royal to VA-231 near Sperryville to VA-707 to VA-600 to the trailhead at 9:40 143.8 miles from Columbia. The hike leader Jack Bateman, wife Jo, Stew Weyforth and MJ Veverka were waiting as I followed Nina Dean and Dick and Susan Whiteford into the parking area. Soon Ron and Sylvia Cully arrived followed by Pete and Sylvia Flaton. No one from the fairgrounds had arrived until Rosie showed up with Don about 10:20. We circled up and counted off and were ready to go when the Millers and Reuben pulled in. Jo Bateman and Sylvia Cully were not hiking with us.
About 10:40 sixteen of us started up the switchbacked wooded Old Rag Ridge Trail in
the cold fog and misting
rain at about 1100'. We hiked up through forest for 2.2 miles before emerging onto the rocky ridge. We were spread out at this point so Stew, Anne and I continued up the rocky ridge over the wet rocks. Shortly after a brief dip in the ridge we caught Chet and Alice Miller continuing on up with them. We climbed over, under and around huge boulders, down into and up through and over crevices and through a tunnel. We caught MJ, Jack and Reuben at a crevice in a large area of table rock in the last section of the ridge. The eight of us soon reached the 3291 foot summit after 3.3 miles of hiking at 1:16 to find Nina, Don and Ron eating their lunch.
Anne was tired, wet, cramping and getting cold by the time we finished lunch at 1:36. Eleven of us started down the backside of Old Rag on the Saddle Trail before Rosie, the Flatons and the Whitefords arrived. We warmed up quickly as we descended the trail through the trees past the stone Byrd's Nest Shelter. We continued past the Old Rag Shelter to the Weakley Hollow Fire Road 2 miles from the summit. We followed this road down much of which is along a stream for 2.4 miles to the parking lot at 3:25. We hiked 7.7 miles climbing and descending 2300 feet in 4:45 hours. That is really good for Anne who only does this one hike each year especially considering the conditions that made it more difficult.
We retraced our route back to Sperryville turning left on US-211 up the mountain to Thornton Gap where we got on Skyline south to milepost 51 and Big Meadows Lodge. We checked into room 17 for $86.46. Anne bathed warming up and drying out while I enjoyed a draft Sam Adams and a basket of home made potato chips $8.
About 6:30 Anne and I walked to Hawksbill 60-62 for a wine and hors d'ourves party. We were greeted by Don and Pat Bowie, Pat and Carol Mooney, Joe and Mary Lou Flynn, Frank and Carol Heber, Gary and Sandy Cox and Marty and Sandy Kappert plus our fellow hikers today. With the wine, crab and shrimp dips, smoked oysters and with a glowing fire, I was soon relaxed and comfortable. Talked to the Flatons and found out that they with the Whitefords and Rosie completed the hike without a problem returning to their cars at 4:20.
At 7:40 we walked back to the lodge's restaurant for supper. Stew Weyforth had returned with wife Ami who has degenerative MS. We were glad to see Ami as we hadn't seen her in a long time. I enjoyed a salad, trout, rice, corn on the cob and ice tea for $50 including Anne's meal and tip. Went to bed a good tired at 10:25.
October 21, 2004 Thursday Hike Cedar Run & Whiteoak Canyon
I could hear a light rain on the roof sometime during the night. Despite the windows being open it was warm in the room but I slept soundly until 7:25. Anne stubbed her toe badly on a rock coming down the back of Old Rag Mountain so she planned to go shopping with Jo Bateman and Sylvia Cully. We went down to breakfast at eight with the Flatons. I had a 3 egg omelet with cheese, onion, mushroom, sausage and tomato with a biscuit, large glasses of orange juice and milk. With Anne's meal and tip I paid $25.15.
Most people were going to hike to Hoover's Camp but MJ Veverka, Jack Bateman, Ron Cully, Pete Flaton and I drove down Skyline Drive to the Hawksbill Gap parking area near milepost 45. We started down Cedar Run Trail about 10:00. The trail is not that steep along Cedar Run but is very rocky. Cedar Run is very pretty with bright red, yellow and green leaves that are brilliant in the damp fog. With all the rain, the stream is running well and the falls are spectacular. Cedar Run Canyon is remote and very pretty in it's own right but pales in comparison to it's more popular Whiteoak Canyon with it's five large falls. Although it is a coolish 50 something degrees we remove our jackets despite descending. We cross Cedar Run twice before reaching the Link Trail 2.7 miles from Skyline Drive.
We bear left on the Link Trail for about three quarters of a mile through the woods to the Whiteoak Canyon Trail. Crossing the Robinson River we turn left on the trail going up along the river. We pass a couple of lesser falls that are full of water and quite scenic before crossing Negro Run about 4.2 miles into the hike. We continue along Whiteoak Run ever steeper a short distance to the first large falls. It is noon so we stop for lunch enjoying the falls and cascade below.
Over the next mile we climb steeply around each of the three falls. We have great views of the
falls from below and above them. They are full of water and truly spectacular. At 5.7 miles into the hike we turn left crossing the run onto Whiteoak Road. It is an old fire road we follow up for 1.5 miles to the Big Meadows Trail. Here we turn left .6 miles to a right on Cedar Run Trail and parked cars .1 miles later at 1:36. We hiked 7.9 miles climbing and descending 2330' in 3 hours 39 minutes.
We say good-bye to MJ and ride back to Big Meadows Lodge with Jack. Ron and I wait about an hour in the great room for Anne and Sylvia to return from their shopping trip. I am scheduled to lead tomorrow's Senior Cyclers ride at Antietam so I canceled my room for tonight and am heading to my daughter's house in Shepherdstown for tonight.
At 4:40 Anne and I say good-bye and drive the mile out to Skyline Drive turning left heading north in the fog and rain. About a mile later I see a large black animal in the road and I come to a full stop. It is a bear cub blocking my lane. He is smaller than a large dog and very cute. He acts a bit like a playful puppy. He moved to the side of the road and took a good look at us before ambling up the steep slope then bounding off through the woods. We watched him for about a minute. We were both stunned and excited. It is probably the most unforgettable sight I have seen after years in the outdoors. We stopped in Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant in Front Royal for tortillas, salsa, seafood enchiladas, rice, fried ice cream and a Dos Equis for $31.65 including Anne's meal and tip. We shared the fried ice cream which was huge and delicious.
We arrived at Kara's house about 7:30 and enthralled our three year old grandson Logan with our bear story. I have been trying to go for about a year so my son-in-law Jason drove me about a mile to O'Hurleys General Store. We entered the middle of the large room on the side of the store. It is packed with people quietly sitting in rows some in large rocking chairs with price tags hanging from them. There is an ellipse of about 15 musicians deciding on the next song. Finally one will start to play and the others will join in creating a beautiful mix of music very close to the sound of a large orchestra. The music is has a very definite Irish sound and can be humorous, serious or uplifting. There are several vocalists in the group that sing together or solo. I saw guitars, banjos, violins, flute, harp, dulcimer, bass, accordion, etc. Two lady musicians got up and did an Irish dance around the room. Musicians got up and left between songs and even more came in and joined the group. I thoroughly enjoyed the music and atmosphere but we had to leave about 9:15. People and musicians were still filing in and out.
October 22, 2004 Friday Bike Antietam
Got up about 6:40 and ran a few miles in the neighborhood. It is in the 40s and threatening rain. Drank some orange juice and ate a bowl of Life cereal. Anne is not biking today because of her sore toe and the weather so I unloaded her bike from the car into the garage.
I drive 7.4 miles to the Antietam Battlefield Visitor Center arriving about 9:30. I can't believe it but Marcie Smith and Margaret Chapman drove from the Westminster area through the rain to bike this tough hilly ride.
The three of us biked from the center at 10:00 into a chilly breeze. We rode together through Sharpsburg down to the Potomac River then along the river for several miles. As we turned away from the river on Limekiln Road at about 8 miles we climbed steeply to a right on Harpers Ferry Road and continued to climb at 10-15% grade for about .5 miles. At 9.8 miles we came to the historic Kennedy Farm on the left where abolitionist John Brown launched his attack on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry. We began a nice 2 mile glide down Mt Briar Road into Keedysville. Turning right on MD-34 we stopped for lunch at the Red Byrd Motel restaurant at 19.7 miles about 12:05. I enjoyed some hot bean soup, fish sandwich with chips and homemade blueberry cobbler a la mode for $13.15 including tip.
Back on the road we passed Don from Ellicott City who joined us. He didn't arrive for the ride until 10:30 because I-70 was closed westbound. The four of us finished the ride passing many beautiful gray stone houses, barns and other buildings skirting the edge of the battlefield on Dunker Church Road. We finished the ride at 2:12 bicycling 32.6 miles in 3:06:36 hours averaging 10.5 miles per hour reaching a maximum 48.6 miles per hour climbing and descending 1570' in two major climbs.
I returned to Shepherdstown to pick up Anne and her bike before returning to Columbia 75 miles distance at 6:00.
Last Updated October 26, 2004