[at-l] Hike Report

[Gary Ticknor <garyticknor@starpower.net>]

Got out today - second Y2K conditioning hike.

Up at 4:30, coffee, drove to Front Royal, Virginia, and snuck into SNP -
they don't have Rangers up at 6:00 for the few cars entering the park.
Drove to milepost 21, seeing 18 deer in the various gaps, 1 fox near
Dickey Ridge visitor Center, 1 rabbit. Great sunrise views east. Parked
at  Hogpen Gap, then south on the AT to the Big Blue trailhead and the
start of the Tuscarora Trail. Down 1100 feet.  29 degrees, but sunny,
and no wind. Beautiful blue skies. Back up via Mathews Ridge, back to
the car and drove (12 more deer) to the Rte 340 crossing of the
Tuscarora trail. Found shoulder parking on a gravel road. Hiked trail
south through the railroad tunnel to the park boundary and then to the
junction of the Thompson Hollow Trail. And back. 58 degrees when
finished. Worried the poor farm dog to death where I left my car - as
far as I can tell he had barked the 3 hours I was gone ;)

My Tuscarora Trail hike is started - not too far from DC, not too
rugged, mostly low elevations for early spring temperatures. Should last
5 years. No hurry...

Finished by previewing next Saturday's road walks towards Massanutten
Mt.

- Gary from Fairfax

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