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[at-l] New Year Hike



David,
	Your report brings back fond memories from my hike of the Tuscarora 
Trail. Fantastic views of the Shenandoah River and valley. Elizabeth 
Furnace are was nice too. We camped there one night. I think it was 
about this time of year when we hiked thru this section. I look 
forward to hiking the TT again someday.
	The TT and the ALT (Allegheny Trail) are both well worth walking 
again. I think I only saw about 5 other hikers on either of these 
almost 300 mile long trails. I still have not hiked the Mary Ingles 
connector that joins these two trails. I did meet someone doing the 
TuscA-lachian loop. Which uses the TT. AT and C&O for I think about a 
600 mile loop. Add the Igles trail to these three and you can make a 
loop almost to Pearisburg VA were the ALT ends.

chase, TT-01

David A Jones wrote:

> Happy New Year everyone!  May you each make big miles this year.
> 
> Thanks, Chase, for the great trip report.  Or should I say movable-feast 
> report...you sure have learned how to do it right!
> 
> I spent 3 days on Massanutten (the next ridge West from the AT at 
> Shenandoah) over New Years weekend.  I would have liked to have had more 
> hiking time over the long holiday, but my back (an old - well, maybe not 
> so old - leaf raking injury) was not cooperating over Christmas.  It 
> felt better New Years eve.  Massanutten is not far from home (90 mins) 
> so it had the right characteristic for the first over-nighter with my 
> new gear.
> 
> I didn't know it was bear season.  It's probably good I didn't.  If I 
> had stayed home I would not have seen the one that got away.  I was 
> walking on from Buzzard Rock Overlook toward Signal Knob when I heard a 
> dog barking far up ahead.  When all of a sudden a shape I could not 
> clearly make out around the bend ahead moved off the trail and raced 
> past but down hill from me, obscured in the brush.  It was moving fast, 
> but hardly stirred the brush.  I turned and looked behind me to see a 
> young, but still impressively large, black bear move up out of the brush 
> onto the trail (I had just walked) to get a clear view of what was ahead 
> of him before making his next move.  If I had been a hunter he would 
> have been dinner.  A good while later, a blue-tick hound came bellowing 
> as he followed the bear's scent along the path the bear had followed 
> down hill from the trail.  I hoped for the dog's sake he wouldn't catch 
> his game.  I can't say how relieved I am that bears are perceptive and 
> man-shy.  He could just as easily have taken the trail and knocked me 
> off the mountain.
> 
> There was a lot of hunting activity on Massanutten while I was there.  
> Shots from many directions peppered the peace.  Not long after passing 
> the bear, I stumbled past one group including at least a dozen 
> pre-teens, half as many adults, and as many dogs on leash.  I don't 
> think any of these para-packers were packing (guns that is), but it was 
> obvious they were there for the hunt.  The adults were armed, but I 
> doubt they snuck up on much.
> 
> New Year's eve was mild and partly sunny.  I over-dressed with two 
> layers and had to strip one off before climbing far.  I climbed to 
> Signal Knob and camped overlooking Strasburg.  I was not alone: there 
> were two other tents there that I saw.  Many day hikers passed me, 
> coming off the mountain.  It felt good to already be here where I would 
> spend the night, rather than worrying would I get back to the car before 
> dark.  Dinner was not too special.  I was frustrated fumbling with the 
> alcohol stove: spilling fuel, getting it lit.  The water was not boiling 
> when the stove blew out.  I added it, anyway, to my organic macaroni 
> healthy hiker-chow.  In the bag by 6, I was still awake when fire 
> crackers brought in the New Year in the valley below.  At moon rise, I 
> got up to look.  The stars were laid out over a clear sky.  The wind 
> stirred along the ridge all night.  It was like a spirit moving about, a 
> purposeful visiting thing.  Occasionally it would visit the spot where I 
> was camped and giggle the tent; but, mostly I heard it moving about 
> elsewhere as if inspecting many special places.
> 
> New Year's day was over-cast but fair.  I hiked on past Signal Knob and 
> descended along a gathering creek.  3 horses with 3 riders passed me.  2 
> of the riders looked like granddad and grandson on the same horse with 
> one horse riderless.  A hunter and a hiker were up and about.  I stopped 
> for water at a spring (that was some good water) when the horses 
> returned but now there were 4.  The new horse was soaking wet, and under 
> a young man with firm hand.  It looked to me like the new horse had gone 
> on walk-about and had to be fetched home.  The riderless horse was the 
> same as I had seen before and was struck with curiosity over what I was 
> doing, and nosed into my business.  Back along the Tuscarora trail I 
> completed the loop I had started the previous day.  There were lots of 
> trees blown down along the Tuscarora section in a broad pattern that 
> suggested they had gone down together.  At Elizabeth Furnace I crossed 
> Passage Creek and climbed up to Shaw Gap to camp for the night.  At a 
> major trail intersection a friendly couple were feeding a fire.  We 
> swapped stories, and I took over their fire after they hiked out.  After 
> I had dinner (actually 2) and set up the tent, a hunter-camper 
> approached from up the trail.  He said he had been hunting bear a couple 
> days, some from under a rock table.  He was righteously dirty.  But what 
> was most startling about him was when he turned to the side, and I could 
> clearly see what he was carrying, the bundle of stuff was trailing out 
> behind him as far as he was tall.  I am not kidding.  That man had 120 
> pounds on his back if he had an ounce.  Mama musta wondered where half 
> the house was.  As much as I like scenery, that was just the second time 
> I wished I had a camera, to bear witness to this feat of strength I was 
> beholding.
> That night was colder, and I slept better.
> 
> My last day I hiked out to Buzzard Rock.  I don't actually suppose that 
> Massanutten is all that high, but in juxtaposition to the flat expanse 
> of the Shenandoah valley it would be hard to find a better panorama.  
> And there is business on a Sunday below: tiny car-dots making their way 
> to church, a toy prop plane landing at Warren County airstrip.  Buzzard 
> Rock is not on the Tuscarora trail, but well worth the detour.
> 
> I didn't see a (live) deer.  But there were hunter leavings over the 
> bank where I had parked.  Driving home, there were many carcasses along 
> the road-side.  I guess the hunters startle them onto the interstate 
> into the traffic.  I hope there are plenty left.
> 
> One last observation before I close.  I've heard alot about hiker stink, 
> but my wash smells like day old pizza. It does.  At least to me it 
> does.  I should probably produce an impartial witness.  Now, I'm not 
> meaning any brag, but maybe that's from clean living?  And who's to say 
> that smelling good (or maybe better said: not smelling so bad) is such a 
> good thing.  I wonder if bear like day old pizza.
> 
> :David
> 
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