Waynesboro Reservoir, Michaux
Dec 30, 2014 22:41:18 GMT -5
Post by AegisIII on Dec 30, 2014 22:41:18 GMT -5
Photos
Way behind on TR's so I'll be brief.
Michaux State Forest in September, Waynesboro Reservoir circuit. Started at a horse trailer parking lot off of Old Forge Road, very busy, nearly full. Headed south on ugly trail thru logged area, become nice single track before dropping to "Older Forge Road," a roadbed with a sharp 180-degree turn in it. Got passed by some horseback riders, caught up to them at the wooden bridge over Antietam Creek, where one did not want to cross. Took the horse trail north on the east side of the creek, getting passed again by the horses. We tried talking about the trails, but as they have no names, it's tough to know what each other was talking about.
Took the horse trails up to High Rock Road, then a short road walk back onto the trails. Climbed up to a thinned area, then north along a logging road, somewhat overgrown but well used. Apple trees in a clearing. Then crossed Cold Spring Road, and took an assortment of trails, woods roads to the large Teaberry parking lot. Much less full, had lunch.
On the west side of the lot, searched for a trail to continue, eventually found a way, not my original plan but probably better. Then onto an old logging road with an astoundingly ugly fungus, and thence onto an eroded roadbed, probably an older iteration of Cold Spring Road. This dropped me out on the present road, which I took uphill a short distance until I reached a nice woods road heading south.
The woods road took me through a nice scenic lowland area beneath pines and hemlocks, crossing some small streams. Eventually I reached a junction, the trail splitting, one way heading uphill, the other to the reservoir. And here I entered the massive blowdown zone. Probably only 300 feet via trail to the reservoir, but took quite a while getting there as I wound my way around or over numerous fallen trees. I then followed a fisherman's trail around the east bank of the reservoir. A couple of stream crossings, some rocky trails, a couple of detours climbing from the reservoir to avoid yet more massive blowdowns. Then made it to the dam.
Next I was to take one trail a short distance, leave it where it went uphill, and do a very short bushwhack to a second trail. Never found the first trail, so bushwhacked. Found a trail, assumed it was the first. Followed it south; when it turned uphill, I continued straight ahead on an extremely faint old woods road, the bushwhack. Followed it a while, much longer than it would take to get to the second trail. Decided I was lost, and figured it best to just turn downhill to Antietam Creek where I'd certainly be able to find the trail. That worked. I first decided to follow the trail back north to see where I got it wrong. Still some massive blowdowns on the trail, some had been cut thru, others not. (I figure the rest had been in the next two weeks, after my hike, due to a mountain bike race then). A nice hemlocks and pine area. The blowdowns eventually made me turn around. Followed the trail past a steep bluff above the Antietam, past a side stream, a mossy charcoal flat, and back to the horse trail.
Took it back to the bridge, then onto Older Forge Road. Back at the hairpin turn, took a woods road that headed north, wondering if it would connect with a parking area. It continued above Antietam Creek, fading out as it reached a side stream, flowing gently between some rock outcrops. Went upstream slightly, before deciding to bushwhack uphill. Not too difficult, until I reached the top and the logged area near the beginning of the hike, as plenty of slashings basically formed a wall between my location and the trail. After finding an opening, made it back to the trail just south of the parking area, which by then was empty save for my car.
Basically, the lower woods road and the reservoir area is nice, but frankly, then rest was just walking along mostly logging roads and similar, so I'd probably want to find a better way to utilize the trails in this part of Michaux.
Way behind on TR's so I'll be brief.
Michaux State Forest in September, Waynesboro Reservoir circuit. Started at a horse trailer parking lot off of Old Forge Road, very busy, nearly full. Headed south on ugly trail thru logged area, become nice single track before dropping to "Older Forge Road," a roadbed with a sharp 180-degree turn in it. Got passed by some horseback riders, caught up to them at the wooden bridge over Antietam Creek, where one did not want to cross. Took the horse trail north on the east side of the creek, getting passed again by the horses. We tried talking about the trails, but as they have no names, it's tough to know what each other was talking about.
Took the horse trails up to High Rock Road, then a short road walk back onto the trails. Climbed up to a thinned area, then north along a logging road, somewhat overgrown but well used. Apple trees in a clearing. Then crossed Cold Spring Road, and took an assortment of trails, woods roads to the large Teaberry parking lot. Much less full, had lunch.
On the west side of the lot, searched for a trail to continue, eventually found a way, not my original plan but probably better. Then onto an old logging road with an astoundingly ugly fungus, and thence onto an eroded roadbed, probably an older iteration of Cold Spring Road. This dropped me out on the present road, which I took uphill a short distance until I reached a nice woods road heading south.
The woods road took me through a nice scenic lowland area beneath pines and hemlocks, crossing some small streams. Eventually I reached a junction, the trail splitting, one way heading uphill, the other to the reservoir. And here I entered the massive blowdown zone. Probably only 300 feet via trail to the reservoir, but took quite a while getting there as I wound my way around or over numerous fallen trees. I then followed a fisherman's trail around the east bank of the reservoir. A couple of stream crossings, some rocky trails, a couple of detours climbing from the reservoir to avoid yet more massive blowdowns. Then made it to the dam.
Next I was to take one trail a short distance, leave it where it went uphill, and do a very short bushwhack to a second trail. Never found the first trail, so bushwhacked. Found a trail, assumed it was the first. Followed it south; when it turned uphill, I continued straight ahead on an extremely faint old woods road, the bushwhack. Followed it a while, much longer than it would take to get to the second trail. Decided I was lost, and figured it best to just turn downhill to Antietam Creek where I'd certainly be able to find the trail. That worked. I first decided to follow the trail back north to see where I got it wrong. Still some massive blowdowns on the trail, some had been cut thru, others not. (I figure the rest had been in the next two weeks, after my hike, due to a mountain bike race then). A nice hemlocks and pine area. The blowdowns eventually made me turn around. Followed the trail past a steep bluff above the Antietam, past a side stream, a mossy charcoal flat, and back to the horse trail.
Took it back to the bridge, then onto Older Forge Road. Back at the hairpin turn, took a woods road that headed north, wondering if it would connect with a parking area. It continued above Antietam Creek, fading out as it reached a side stream, flowing gently between some rock outcrops. Went upstream slightly, before deciding to bushwhack uphill. Not too difficult, until I reached the top and the logged area near the beginning of the hike, as plenty of slashings basically formed a wall between my location and the trail. After finding an opening, made it back to the trail just south of the parking area, which by then was empty save for my car.
Basically, the lower woods road and the reservoir area is nice, but frankly, then rest was just walking along mostly logging roads and similar, so I'd probably want to find a better way to utilize the trails in this part of Michaux.
