Complicated by above average temperatures, I am forced to make a disappointing decision in Shenandoah’s backcountry
- Where: Shenandoah National Park
- When: September 2019
- How many nights: 1, although planned 2
- Nearest town: Elkton, VA
- Weather: Sunny and clear skies, very hot
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Familiar Mountains in Virginia
Often I will seek out new places for each hike or overnight trip. By habit, I tend to see as much of one area as I possibly can while I am there. It is not unusual for me to exhaust myself while on a two, three or four day trip. Knowing I might never see that place again, I see as much as I can. When it is time for another adventure, I go somewhere else.
Shenandoah is an area that I have been to several times and I have once backcountry camped there. This will be my second backcountry camping experience at the park and, if the plan is successful, my first two-night hike.
Seven hours of driving will get me to the Swift Run Gap entrance of Shenandoah National Park. I have two route options. Either I-77 South to I-64 east, I-81 north past Staunton, or the more scenic route along US-33 east through the Monongahela National Forest and Harrisonburg. Since I am alone and driving through dark hours of the early morning, I decide to pay the tolls and use the interstate highways.
Why have I repeatedly driven to Shenandoah over the years when the more challenging and higher elevation Great Smoky Mountains National Park is only a six hour drive? Two reasons. Mostly all hikes at Shenandoah are accessed from one road – Skyline Drive. The other reason? Less people. Skyline Drive is a blessing and a curse. The simplicity of only having one road to travel while accessing dozens of trailheads is quite convenient. However, depending on your timeline, it makes it difficult to see multiple areas of the park over the span of just a couple days. Imagine a scenario where you are car camping at one of the parks several established campgrounds. Every day, you will need to utilize Skyline Drive to complete another hike. How far from camp do you want to drive? If you are staying in the central portion of the park and want to see the far ends of either the north or south areas, how early do you leave camp? After that one hike, are you too tired to hike another? You will be driving all the way back to camp. Re-energized? Back in the car. So, there you have it. The reason I have made several trips to Shenandoah over the years. The convenience of Skyline Drive, less people than the Smoky’s, and the inconvenience of Skyline Drive which makes it difficult for me to experience more of the park over a two or three day trip.
Agree or disagree? We all have different habits and strategies to our adventuring.
For this outing I have my usual Gorilla pack from Gossamer Gear and Lunar Solo shelter from Six Moon Designs. The plan is to camp two nights in the Big Run area, located in the parks South district. The National Park Service’s (NPS) website for Shenandoah is a fantastic resource for planning hikes and overnight adventures. A Backcountry Camping section on the site provides a large amount of hike suggestions based on difficulty level, what you want to see or do, and how many nights you want to camp.
After researching for hours across several days of several weeks, I think I have decided. I have wanted to try my hand at fly-fishing and bought a cheap fly rod for the trip. Big Run is known for its wilderness status, so there will be less people, and offers arguably the best fly-fishing in the park. Beginning at the Brown Mountain Overlook, I will hike over Rocky Mtn and Brown Mountain before descending into the Big Run area. The idea is to find camp somewhere near the river and spend the rest of the day exploring along the river in both directions. I would like to find the most ideal areas for me to try fly-fishing. The second day, I will spend most of the morning and afternoon attempting to catch some trout. On the third day, I plan to leave Big Run. Day three will be a work out as I hike up and over Rocky Top before following the Big Run Portal Trail back into the watershed and taking the Rocky Mountain Run Trail back to the overlook.
This will be my first time entering the park at Swift Run Gap. During my previous three visits, I entered at the parks northern gateway near Front Royal, VA. In the car, I have reached Harrisonburg. It is early and I am hungry. Changing to US-33 east, I know from my research that the town of Elkton has a diner and its open. Enroute to Elkton, I see a brand new gas station to my right along US-33. This might be my last chance to stock up on a few liters of water. So far, I am liking the idea of entering at Swift Run Gap. Harrisonburg and the surrounding area provide everything you could need for any last-minute essentials, and the C&S Diner in Elkton is along the way. Diner’s in general can be hit or miss and, regardless of how good their reviews might be, you can never be certain of what you will get. I say confidently that C&S Diner was a great experience. The food was good and prices were low.
At the Swift Run Gap entrance, I pay the fee and complete a free backcountry permit. I keep one tag, and the other copy is deposited into a box at the station. This, of course, allows park staff and rangers to know my itinerary and if my rental car is still at the Brown Mountain Overlook after two days, well, they will know something during my hike went wrong. I climb back into the rental car, a silver Nissan Sentra, and make a right turn onto Skyline Drive.
Brown Mountain to Big Run
The weather is beautiful. Today is a clear day with an expected high temperature in the low 70-F range. No rain in the forecast for any of these days but tomorrow I will have to hike with a higher temperature near 80-F.
Brown Mountain Overlook, if you are headed southbound, is between mile markers 75 and 80. Along this stretch of Skyline Drive, the Appalachian Trail crosses the road a total of five times. This is the first time I have been this far south in the park. When I arrive at my trailhead, the parking area of Brown Mountain Overlook, there are several other cars but not one person in sight.
A short rock-wall borders the parking area to prevent humans or vehicles from tumbling over the edge. The Brown Mountain Trail begins at an open space in this rock-wall and immediately descends. After locking the rental car and securing the keys in my pack, I pause for a few moments and gaze westward towards the mountains and horizon. From this spot you can clearly see Brown Mountain and Rocky Top. Behind me, another car arrives at the overlook and interrupts my day-dream about what my campsite near Big Run will look like. I step past the rock-wall and begin following the trail.
Brown Mountain Trail descends quickly then rises again as you skirt around Rocky Mtn. This stretch of trail offers beautiful views. You are along a rocky and very exposed section. If you look left, you see mountain and know that Skyline Driver is over there somewhere. Directly in front of you is a fantastic mix of mountains, changing flora, rock, and sky. I snap a few photos here continue towards Brown Mountain.
With the great weather and relatively easy difficulty, I am cruising. The trail crosses over the summit of Brown Mountain. Similar to Rocky Mtn, this section of trail is above tree-line and you are rewarded with great eastward views. I notice that the few, barren trees that remain standing are blackened and smooth. I would later read about a April 2016 forest fire in this area that spread to over 10,000 acres.
The trail continues eastward and, as I begin to descend towards Big Run, I can see Massanutten Mountain in the distance.
At the bottom of the mountain, the trail flattens out and I know I am getting close to the river. I am hiking with a purpose and ready to find a good campsite. Left of me, in some tall grass, I see a dark object. There are no trees around, and it is too dark to be a rock. It’s black. For half of a second, I stop and watch. The object does not move. Knowing this could be a black bear, I quickly get back to walking. Was it a bear? I will never know. Out of all the miles hiked and nights spent in bear habitats, I have not seen one black bear in the wild.
Not that I necessarily want to run into a bear while hiking in the backcountry. However, it does make me curious how I have managed to avoid seeing one after all of these years. Perhaps this can be credited to how often I chatter while hiking, and how serious I take my food storage in the evening. Not one bear.
Water rushing over rocks can be heard just a short distance from me. A bridge is ahead of me. The bridge is a metal structure, and each step I take is a loud one. Big Run is about twenty feet or more below the bridge and at this particular location the water flow is crawling. I make my way down to the water. This is a great place for lunch! The concrete supports of the bridge have ledges that are about the height of my chest. Perfect for setting water, a stove, and other items. While my water boils, I take a dip in the river. The water is cold but feels great.
About halfway through my rehydrated meal, I notice a large insect performing some curious fly-bys around me. Although I love the outdoors, to quote Charlie from an episode of Lost, I have an irrational fear of bees.
To finish my meal I have to walk constantly. If I pause, the insect returns and begins zooming past me. Left side, right side. Near miss after Near miss. This is increasingly irritating and two more identical insects arrive and begin behaving similarly. That’s enough for me. I set the meal bag on the concrete ledge and retrieve my pack from the riverbank.
Uh oh.
A crowd has formed around my meal bag. I count no less than seven of these insects. They are large. My initial fear is that they are European hornets but after watching them buzz around, I realize they are mostly black. Possibly the similarly sized Cicada Killer wasp. Great. What do I do? I wait several minutes, hoping they would dislike the rice and pasta. More arrive. They land and crawl into the bag. I cannot imagine how many are inside the bag at this point. This strategy of waiting is not working. I will come back later.
Atop the bridge, I begin searching for a spot to camp. Zero established sites exist within this general area and I know I will have to put in some work to find a decent site. Leaving my pack behind, I walk southward approximately three hundred yards along the Big Run Portal Trail. I find a few good spots but nothing spectacular. It is warmer than I had expected, yet still cool in the shade. The bee situation had caused lunch to last longer than anticipated. I will not lie, I felt a little defeated after the tiny insects stole my meal.
This campsite will have to do. It is not the grandest of backcountry accommodations but deep in a wilderness valley you will find such campsites are hard to come by. Sometimes you are lucky to find a ten square foot area of dirt without any roots or rock. If you are really lucky, it will truly be flat.
Now that my shelter is set up, I inflate my sleeping pad and pull out my sleeping bag. Both get tossed into the Lunar Solo. It is time to find a fishing spot!
I continue south another two hundred yards or so. There has not been one decent-sized area that would work with the fly rod I purchased and I rarely see a section with any good water flow. If you search for fishing videos in Big Run you will find a decent amount on YouTube. Forgetting that the park boundary was just to the north of that bridge, I get the idea to walk back to the bridge and search for any down stream fishing spots. As mentioned before, I have never fly fished and to be honest I do not necessarily know what exactly it is that I am looking for.
Realizing my mistake involving the river and the park boundary, I resign to my tent for a nap. I awake an hour or so later and see that daylight is quickly fading. Knowing that I am in an area with an average of several bears per square mile, I decide to skip a hot dinner and instead eat a couple protein bars. Instead of using a bear bag like I have on all of my previous trips, I am using a BearVault BV450 canister. It definitely weighs more than the dry bag I usually use, and I could feel the extra two pounds. All food and scented items are secured inside and I wander, tired and defeated, about a hundred yards upstream and hide it along the river bank.
Today has not been the day of fishing and relaxation that I had hoped for. Instead of a calm lunch by the river, I was interrupted by some kind of bees and forced to retreat. Instead of finding some decent water for my first attempt at fly-fishing, I walked hundreds of yards and did not get to cast one line. Sometimes you hike the day and sometimes the day hikes you.
Settled in on my Therm-a-rest pad, I recall moments from this odd day. Breakfast at C&S Diner in Elkton, entering the park at Swift Run Gap, the possible bear in the grass, the bees, and the views back on Rocky Mtn. This day definitely had it’s moments of misfortune, but how could I be upset? I am spending the night in a designated wilderness area and listening to the sound of Big Run as its water flows over rocks.
Daylight is gone. I turn off my headlamp and rest my head on my pillow. Laying there, I think about tomorrow and if I will catch a fish.
High Temperature, Low Morale, and Spiders
Day two. Good morning! I rarely sleep well in the backcountry. Excitement gets the best of me and I have trouble clearing my mind.
After spending too much time in my tent, I decide to retrieve the bear can and make some breakfast. Although it is only 0900, I can already feel the temperature is warmer today than yesterday. Thinking of the forecast, I remember that today should be warmer.
Fly rod in hand, I retrace my steps from yesterday along the Big Run Portal Trail. I am determined to find a fishing spot and at least see some brook trout beneath the surface. Not knowing the in’s and out’s of fly fishing has left me in an unfortunate position. Big Run has some spots where the water level is decent but its mostly shallow pools spread far from one another. Without knowing what I am doing, I grow frustrated and decide to depart the shade of the Big Run area and start climbing Rockytop Mountain today instead of tomorrow.
Day-dreaming of a campsite for the second night, I imagine a site up on Rockytop that sits near a ledge. Simliar to Franklin Cliffs. A site that has views to the west and high enough that I can feel a cool breeze. The temperature down here by the river is already approaching 80-F.
The decision is made. I pack up and begin hiking north, crossing the bridge, and making a sharp left switch-back onto the Rockytop Trail. Here we go.
Earlier I mentioned that the bear canister was a new piece of gear and that I could feel the additional two pounds. Well, I feel it now more than ever. A half mile into the climb and I am sore. The rising temperature does not help. I have approximately five miles to hike until I would reach the other end of Big Run Portal Trail. My original plan was to hike this section tomorrow on what would be my third and final day. Hopeful for a decent mountain campsite, I continue climbing. The elevation gain from Big Run to Rockytop is something like 1300 feet in two miles.
It is hot. Sweat covers my forehead and my shirt is drenched. Feeling the weight of my pack during this climb, and in this heat, is slowing me down. My trekking poles are getting used to the max. Not only are they assisting me in continuing the climb but I am having frequent moments of exhaustion where, using the straps, I lean over to get relief from my pack weight.
Spider web. I wipe it from my face and arms and walk forward.
Another spider web. I wipe it from my face and continue.
Another spider web. I know this is wilderness but its still within the NPS and I am surprised that the trail sees such a small amount of human activity. I am walking into spider webs, no exaggeration, every ten or fifteen feet. Several spiders, the size of 50-cent pieces, have almost ended up on my chest or face.
It is hot. I am not happy.
I feel that I thoroughly researched this part of the trail loop but it’s feeling much more difficult than I expected. The temperature is now 83-F. At this point I was actually considering leaving items of gear beside the trail. I would have less weight to carry and someone else would find quality gear to take home.
Passing the summit of Rockytop, I have seen zero existing campsites. The situation is not looking good. Should I have kept my campsite from last night? Will there be any campsites ahead, or, along the stretch of Big Run Portal Trail that I had yet to hike? More questions than answers. Another mile and another 300 feet of gain, I reach an intersection with the Lewis Fork Trail where I take a break. There are two and a half more miles between where I am not and another trail intersection. Less than a mile beyond that is the Appalachian Trail which would take me to Skyline Drive. The thought of bailing begins to form in my mind.
86-F. At an elevation of 2800 feet and in the month of September. It looks as if the temperature could exceed 90-F. I could not possibly be more irritated with the current situation when I walk into another spider web.
This is all too much. I did not at all expect the temperature to near 90-F and I am not too committed to turn back. I am not descending Rockytop only to have to climb it again tomorrow. One mile from the intersection with Big Run Portal Trail. I know I am now less than two miles from the AT and can road-hike back to the rental car.
Hitchhiking to an Early End
Sweaty, frustrated, and covered in spider webs, I arrive the at the next intersection and remove my pack. What was originally to be a two night adventure has undoubtedly changed to one night.
Less than a mile away is the AT, and a half mile from the AT is Skyline Drive. There has not been a time in any of my previous hikes where I have been this miserable. Reconsidering the thought of bailing, I review the sweat-covered map. It would be, minimum, another three miles and for all I know I could be at the same campsite as last night. I have had enough.
I fold the map and stuff it into my pack. Once I reach Skyline Drive, I will have another five and half miles of road to hike. Confidently I can say that I have zero moments of regret from any of my hikes, but this sucks. Occasionally I can hear a car passing through the area and I know I am close to the road. I never thought I would be so excited to hear road noise.
The temperature is 88-F when I reach Skyline Drive. Elsewhere in the Shenandoah Valley that day, a high temperature of 93-F was recorded. In September. Anymore it seems that it’s either raining, storming, or too hot. What happened to hiking season? What happened to those few weeks in Spring or Autumn that are typically pleasant? I see trail sign ahead. Finally, I am at the AT.
Less than ten minutes later I am standing on the asphalt of Skyline Drive. I cross the road, remove my pack, and sit on the rock-wall that borders the east side of the road. If I feel one more spider web on me, I may sell all of my gear. I am being dramatic and I do not care.
After five or ten minutes of sitting on the wall, putting my pack on and walking up the road, northward, is no easier. These five miles are going to be a drag. If the heat was not so unbearable, I would consider finding a nearby legal camp site and ending the day right then and there.
Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. Wipe sweat, swat at insects, repeat. Normally a clear sky is something I am appreciative of. At the present moment, however, I would give anything to have some cloud cover.
As a car passes me in the opposite direction, I begin to day dream about being in a vehicle with air conditioning that is driving as fast as legally allowed to a restaurant with great food and beverages. The menu will have all of my favorites and the drinks will be as cold as ice. Two trucks pass me, both driving northbound. Here comes another car.
Without another thought, I turn to face the silver colored sedan as my arm extends, my fist closes, and my thumb rises. The car drives by me without slowing down. I try again when the next vehicle approaches but they continue on as if I am not there. I cannot fault them. I am a sweaty, exhausted, and desperately in need of a shower. A large pick-up truck is up next. Once again I create the pick-me-up hand signal and the truck passes me. This time, I give a friendly wave as they pass.
Brake lights.
The truck comes to a stop and reverses about ten yards until we meet. I explain my situation and the couple agrees to give me a ride back to Brown Mountain Overlook! Unable to hide my excitement or gratitude, I climb into the back-row of seats. They are spending a few days in the park and currently on their way to a hike of their own. As fate would have it, they too have spent some time in the city I currently reside in and the man actually knows of some people who work at the same company as me.
When they drop me off at my car I insist on giving them some cash. They politely decline and no amount of persistence on my part will change their mind. We say our goodbyes and they continue driving on Skyline Drive towards their trailhead. What should I do now? The answer is: drive to the nearest wayside and buy some ice cold water. While on my way to find water and food I see the couple’s pick-up truck parked at a trailhead.
At the wayside there is a gift shop. I buy a few waters and decide that, since I am so very grateful for their kindness, I would like to buy them a gift and leave it above the windshield wipers on their truck. Some nice wooden postcards have caught my attention. Though I am not going to buy a ten dollar pen to write with. The cashier allows me to borrow a pen and I, true to my style, write out a lengthy thank you. Once back in the rental car I take a photograph of the postcard and my note.
Planning to be discreet, I decide that I will park next to the truck and not turn off my rental car. I will quickly leave the postcard under the driver-side wiper blade and then get the heck out of here. That plan is shot when I see them returning to the truck as I pull up. When on the trail or in the city, I tend to very much to keep to myself. This interaction will be awkward for me but I must do it.
“Excuse me,” I say while waving. “Hello again!”
They are very surprised and thankful for the gifts. For a second time, I tell them goodbye. It is time to find some food and I have an idea to look in the nearby towns of Shenandoah or Lura. A quick search on the phone finds that an Italian restaurant, Mamma Mia’s, in Shenandoah is opening soon but it is a forty minute drive. Forty minute drive? I could not care less. The menu looks great and I am on my way.
If the waitress at Mamma Mia’s was concerned with my order, she did not show it. Several glasses of water, a glass, two entrees of chicken parmesan and spaghetti with some sides, and a glass of red wine.
Rehydrated, back at normal temperature, and rested, I feel satisfied. This day had been a mess and, mentally and physically, I was exhausted.
Tonight I staying at a hotel in Harrisonburg. This town is home to James Madison University. After checking-in, I read about some breweries in town and drive to Restless Moon Brewing. There is a spot at the bar and I take a seat but not before I realize it’s bingo night. The bartender slides me a bingo card and a large dry-erase marker. Only a few minutes later, a man with a dog enters the place and takes a seat next to me. As I have said before and said earlier, I am quiet and generally keep to myself.
The man seems friendly and we begin chatting. I learn where he is from, the dog’s name, his history with the dog, and his love of music. He has a young son that he cares about very much but he and the mother are no longer together. We play a few more rounds of bingo before he asks if I want to leave Restless Moon and join him at another place. Having spent the past hour or more sitting here with him, I conclude that I trust the guy.
We arrive at a bar with live music. I must admit, one of the acts was not too good but that is not the point. This is great and I am having a lot of fun. That said, I am very tired and it’s time to call it a night. The man and I exchange social media info and agree that, if I am ever back in town, we will make plans to meet up.
Back at the hotel, I think about the past two days and the strange journey that today has been. The morning comes quick. After departing the hotel, I make a quick stop at Devil’s Backbone Brewing. I had read about this place and it looked pretty neat. Their food was good.
I am ready to get on the road. Interstate 64 is waiting and before long I will not be far from home.
Final Thoughts
How fortunate are we that we can ensure that each day of our lives is different than the day before? The world these days can feel so small at times.
After what I consider to be a day of failure on the trail, I still managed to have nice conversation with the couple that picked me up, thank them with some gifts, find a restaurant in a town I had never been to before, play bingo at brewery in another town I had not been to before, then meet a man and his dog and end up listening to music in a bar with them. All of which would not have happened if the temperatures had stayed in the low 70-F because I would have spent a second night in the wilderness as originally planned.
It amazes me how some people forget that they are capable of such adventures. They take for granted the ability to leave the house and see new places or meet new faces. People that I have known for years, people that I learned everything from, now mostly sit with their face buried in their smart phones and spend their precious time on Earth scrolling through or commenting on social media posts. It makes me sad.
I am not saying hiking in the wilderness is something they should try, but I feel like they have zero motivation to leave town or break their toxic, sleepy routines. One time, a few years ago, I had asked someone to join me on a trip to a place neither of us had been to. The response was, shockingly, that they did not know what they would want to do there and did not think anything would interest them. What happened to them? What happened to just spending time with one another in a new setting?
My take? Never take your health for granted. Always take every opportunity you have to explore a new place and always love family and friends unconditionally.
My time in Virginia these past few days has provided me with a lot to think about. I am not sure where or when my next backcountry adventure will be, but I am certain that I will not waste the opportunity when it’s in front of me.