Columbus Day Weekend PATC Trail Patrol Stuff

This post is mainly up to provide  visual aids for my Trail Patrol reports for Columbus Day aka Indigenous Peoples Day reports.

Check out the swarm of Old Rag visitors cars parked on Sunday.  A glorious Fall day to hike Old Rag

Little Devils Stairs Blowdown # 1 note the spring loaded tree on the downward bound hikers left

 

 

 

Little Devils Stairs Blowdown # 2 note the spring loaded tree on the upward bound hikers right

 

Sunday September 13, 2015

Wonderful cool clear Fall-like late summer Sunday.

Double Click On Pictures For Larger Image

Ranger Grant W.

A couple examining the map that includes the R and S markers after returning from their hike.

Some of the ground cover is beginning to color up.

A blow down across the Weakley Fire Rd not far from PO Junction.   I sent a note out about it from around 3PM and if you look at the  picture below I found it taken care of when I passed it on the way to my car around 8:30 PM

Blowdown from above is already all taken care of just four or five hours after I encountered it.

Fall Aster's

Sunset from the summit.

Dusk from the Saddle Trail slab that looks down on Byrds Nest Shelter

Twilight from the last view point just above the CCC Stairs on the Saddle Trail about half mile up from Old Rag Shelter.

Blowdown Pictures To Go With My PATC Trail Patrol Report

 

 

 

 

Picture 1

Picture 2

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Blowdowns caused by Hurricane Sandy

 

HURRICAN SANDY BLOWDOWNS

 

 

These are posted to help those that maintain Fire Roads and trails.  

On Weakley Fire Road  just before PO Junction

 

 

On Old Rag Fire Road about two thirds of the way to Old Rag Shelter and just before the bend that takes you up the last steep section of road before Old Rag Shelter.

Sarah Skating & Short Day

Saturday December 4, 2010

Managed to get a couple hours of intense skating training in Friday night. Even though I was able to push it to the limit my limit at the moment is probably at 30% of peak capacity so I have my work cut out for me to get back at least into good shape for my age.

My oldest is an Olympic hopefull speed skater, is damn good on hockey skates and competed as a figure and ice dancer until she was ten when soccer(one year George Mason), distance running (medaled as a Junior Olympian) and american football(high school varsity boys starter all four years of high school) took over her sports focus. Her ability to oxygenate (VO2max) has been scientifically measured by numerous of her various sports trainers (rowing, running, swimming, cycling) and it is up there near record levels. Her resting heart rate is around 40.

In any case, her old man at least likes to be able to keep up with her for a few laps as we laughingly dance and weave dangerously close through each others skate lanes and maybe even jostle each other a little before I have to collapse from lack of oxygen and she sails on for another forty or sixty laps. I will be elated if instead of three laps I can get it up to ten or twelve before I have to collapse. (Of course this will mean I will have to be in better cardio shape than probably 98% of twenty year olds and may be beyond my reach at 56.)

Since I had put in such a hard workout and got home about 11:30 the night before I decided to sleep in late and just do a slow amble up to the first false summit and back.

The next picture is of a major blowdown and is posted for trail maintainers. The notebook on blowdown is shirt pocket size.



It was a little chilly and overcast.

Here is the classic picture looking up the rock scramble from the first false summit.

This picture was taken so as to show the beginnings of some of the mountain's ice flows for those interested in that type of thing.

Sunday September 27, 2009

Sunday September 27, 2009 Early Fall After A Night Of Rain

Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature's darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but nature's sources never fail.
John Muir (1838 - 1914)


Morning Glories on a country road along the way to Old Rag.

Old Rag about fifteen miles away.

Old Rag about three miles away.

Fall berries.

Berry clusters of a Flowering Dogwood

Last weeks giant blowdown has already been fixed. Great work by the trail maintenance team.

Looking back at first false summit from near the cave.

Some leaves have changed but not many. (5 to 10 percent)

The ravens were cavorting in the gusty breezes near the summit.

The view from PATC aka Skyline Wall.

Sunset from the slab above Byrds Nest Shelter.

Last Patrols of Summer September 20 and 21, 2009

The last two patrols of Summer 2009 Saturday and Sunday September 20th and 21st.

About fifteen miles from Old Rag.


Four miles from Old Rag.

Lots of folks getting directions and paying the boundary station entrance fee.

Note picture distorted on purpose.

One of Shenandoah National Park's friendly and informative rangers.

ADVICE
Take note of the metal bands. They have direction and mileage information.

My point and shoot does funny things with just slight changes of shooting angles. The photos stitched together below were taken from the exact same spot within a few seconds of each other.

An interesting snail was out on the Saddle Trail at night.

A large blowdown in the switchbacks just below Bartenders Spring on the Ridge Trail.

The mist/fog was blowing from the southeast and rolling down the north west side of Old Rag as evening approached. It was a smokey wispy fog.

A family coming down the Ridge Trail on the rocks at the top of the first false summit.

There were two eyes glowing from my headlamp in the upper lot. Thinking it was a raccon I grabbed my camera and flashed a picture only to discover it was a Grey Fox or very small Coyote who disappeared after recovering from the flash.