PATC District Manager

Saturday, February 21, 2009 Summit From Weakley Hollow Fire Road In Late Afternoon

Mel Ellis your friendly PATC District Manager. More information about PATC trail maintenance volunteers can be found on http://blueandwhitecrew.org/

An old rock pile from the days before the park when much of the land was farmed and had meadows or orchards. A popular distraction for the long fire road portion of the hike is to make up reasons why these mounds were built. Among many other creative explanations I have heard snake hotels, burial mounds of (fill in the blank), remanents of a canceled CCC road project, Weakley Hollow bling, and remanents of a rock pile building contest. Of course there are as many more explanations as time, interest and creativity will allow.

Good day on the mountain. My L4L5 disc was talking to me so I did a low key day. Started late. It was the first time I got to meet Mel whose crew does miraculous work on Old Rag so I spent quite awhile chatting in the Old Rag upper lot. That had me starting up the fire road even later. Ambled up fire road. There were quite a few campers this weekend. A single tent party near PO Junction, a multi-tent party hidden near Old Rag Shelter and a single tent party out of sight at Byrd's Nest Shelter. All was well. Got to summit long after dark and turned around and did an up and back.