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Date of Hike: Sunday, September 06, 2009 |
I had a hard time finding the parking lot off of VA613. Be careful, as there is no sign, just a dirt road that leads up to the lot. I was scared I was driving on private property until I saw another car and the parking lot gate. The lot needs to be paved or covered in gravel because it was overgrown with high grass. This was a foreshadowing of the hike to come...
The hike up the Shawl Gap trail was fairly monotonous, since most of it was a fire road, which petered off to a trail. It looks like it was hardly traveled by foot and less by jeep. The grass was about a foot high outside of the wheel wells. If you're hiking in the summer, slather on the deet and do not wear shorts. It's a tick paradise.
The Tuscarora/Massanutten trail which follows the ridge was much more enjoyable, although still overgrown. Not unlike other GWNF hikes in the area, I've been finding that the trails need a bunch of maintenance and/or a couple hundred boots to stomp through the vegetation. The upper part of the ridge had a bunch of stone stairways and large boulders, which were fun to hike. The dense vegetation was slowly displaced by low scrub brush and conifers, which was much welcomed. It would be nice if the park rangers made a clearing to overlook the valley/VA613 below somewhere along the boulder strewn ridge. One would probably be able to see Skyline drive as well.
The Sherman Gap trail was equally as boring and overgrown as the Shawl Gap trail. Spider webs were also a nuisance. I must have walked face first into about 10 spider webs before I had enough. I hiked more slowly and whacked the webs down with my hiking poles. It was relieved once I finally reached the VA613 leg of the hike.
I might try this hike again in the Fall or Winter. There vegetation was out of control in the summer and didn't make for an enjoyable experience.
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Date of Hike: Sunday, November 23, 2008 |
| Lucked out and got a dry, sunny day right before Thanksgiving. This is a great workout - Monday, for the first time in a long time, I really felt it in my legs. Nice, challenging ascent to a great walk along the ridge line with great vistas, lots of rocks. Descent is a challenge on the knees, but worth the effort. You get to meet all the neighborhood dogs on the final leg back to the trail head along the public road. Trail is well marked and easy to follow throughout. Only issue was what I guessed to be the "Speed Racer Hiking Club" had an outing on the Veach Gap portion of this trail -- I felt like I was in the left lane of Intersate 70, with eager, grimly determined speed walkers passing me on the right. And for some reason, they felt the need to leave orange, rubber arrows at any and all turns in the trail. Not really needed, given the clear blazes and markings. The ascent and descent were nice and quiet, however. Would recommend this trail to anyone.
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Date of Hike: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 |
It was a 60 degree day in mid-December when two friends and I did this hike – great day for a hike. The trails were in great shape. All the leaves had fallen, so the views along the Tuscarora/Massanutten ridge trail were at their best. The leaf fall was deep and contrasted nicely with the heavily lichened rocks and deadwood. I would rate this hike about 3.5 in terms of difficulty. The ridge trail is very rocky and good boots and poles are recommended – especially with wet leaves. There were ¼ to ½ mile stretches of 15% grades going up and coming down from the ridge trail. My edited GPS track log found the hike to be 8.2 miles with a total ascent of about 1900 feet. Photos and elevation profile at:
http://arthurhass.fotopic.net/c1423301.html
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Date of Hike: Sunday, July 22, 2007 |
| A beautiful day allowed us to hike this trail in comfort with a mids 80's temp, and low humidity. I didn't like the first mile of the trail, becaues it was mostly the fire road portion up to the meadow. The meadow offered limited views of the valley, because of the foliage. However, the difficulty of the hike increased greatly as we worked our way up the ridge line. Just after the intersection of Shawl Gap Trail and the trail straight down to SR 613, There was a shallow pool containing some frogs, and a sluggish box turtle. From that point on, it was a direct shot up the ridge to the intersection of Shawl Gap Trail, Buzzard Rocks Trail, and The Tuscarora Trail. That part of the hike was the most difficult. It was very rocky and uphill. We continued on the Tuscarora Trail South along the ridgeline hoping to get to High Peak. We then realized this part of the trail just skirts beneath High Peak, and then continues further south. After about a half mile, we turned around to start heading back to the car. Of course, with any trip up a mountain, the return trip always seems to be a breeze. This allows for more time to check the scenery out. Unfortunately, there was not alot to check out; however, we did find a dense patch of blackberry bushes which had not been stripped by the wildlife. After enjoying a few hand picked berries, we completed our journey to the car. The parking lot could use some grooming, as it was difficult to maneuver when other vehicles are present. Ultimately, we would like to complete the circuit of combining Shawl Gap Trail, and Buzzard Rocks Trail.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, February 24, 2007 |
Enjoyed this hike. Snow covered most of the trail which added to the beauty. It was challenging in several areas due to the ice covered trails. The Sherman Gap section was slick due to the ice. The views along the ridgeline were beautiful. If you are looking for solititude this trail would be perfect. The walk along US613 was a view into country life.
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Date of Hike: Sunday, November 27, 2005 |
| Started out as a crisp morning and as I climbed to High Peak the sun was out for a bit and the views from the summit(s) were gorgeous. With the leaves down, the view of the Shenandoah River in the distance was especially nice.
I downloaded the gdb file and used it with my new GPS. Very handy, although this trail is very easy to follow.
The major downside to the circuit is the walk along 613 at the end (I recommend reversing the route and getting the nasty road section over first). I didn't do that and there were a number of cars flying down this road. It is now largely paved and there are many new homes along the road (a testament to the views and urban crawl).
I can't wait to come back in the Spring (with less leaves on the trail). I recommend hiking boots with ankle support!
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