Belated TR: The Priest and the Mau-Har Trail (Virginia)
Jul 13, 2015 10:15:16 GMT -5
Post by rpcv on Jul 13, 2015 10:15:16 GMT -5
I am late posting this one. My cousin and her family (husband and three kids) came to visit the week of Memorial Day. They had been camping before and have done a lot of hiking, but none of them had ever been backpacking before, so they asked us to introduce them to it. We rounded up gear from friends and started planning. We took them on a three-day trip in central Virginia on the Appalachian Trail (AT). We started at the Spy Rock parking area. Unfortunately, this meant a fairly steep mile walk up to the top of the ridge just to get to the AT. They did it, though, and shortly thereafter, we were rewarded with Spy Rock. From there, we hiked to The Priest Shelter for the first night's camp (5.5 miles). We didn't stay in the shelter itself because we were a big group and there were lots of thru-hikers. The kids got a kick out of chatting with a few of the thru-hikers and reading the shelter log, though.
The next day (7 miles), we hiked down The Priest and up to the junction of the AT and the Mau-Har Trail. I hiked ahead of the group with the two teenagers, while my husband, cousin, and her husband hiked at the pace of the 10-year old. We camped at the waterfalls on the Mau-Har Trail. We listened to thunder all afternoon, but got lucky as it never rained. Since it was their first trip, I really didn't want them (especially the 10 year old) to have to experience a thunderstorm in the woods.
The next day, we did the short hike out to Reed's Gap (3 miles). We had a great trip. The weather was perfect and that section of the AT is just spectacular. The rhododendrons and mountain laurel were both in bloom. There were places on the descent from the Priest where we were walking through tunnels of flowers. My cousin's family seemed to really enjoy it and her teenagers took to backpacking like ducks to water. The 10-year-old was less convinced, but he did the whole thing and carried his pack like everyone else.
The view to the south from Spy Rock
Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) on day 1.
A Timber Rattlesnake near the trail. My cousin's older son spotted it, which was pretty remarkable considering how well-camouflaged it was and how far it was off the trail (~15 feet).
Rhododendrons (Rhododendron maximum) along the trail.
The teenagers walking under Rhodendrons (these are Rhodendron catawbiense)
Waterfalls on the Mau-Har trail.
The next day (7 miles), we hiked down The Priest and up to the junction of the AT and the Mau-Har Trail. I hiked ahead of the group with the two teenagers, while my husband, cousin, and her husband hiked at the pace of the 10-year old. We camped at the waterfalls on the Mau-Har Trail. We listened to thunder all afternoon, but got lucky as it never rained. Since it was their first trip, I really didn't want them (especially the 10 year old) to have to experience a thunderstorm in the woods.
The next day, we did the short hike out to Reed's Gap (3 miles). We had a great trip. The weather was perfect and that section of the AT is just spectacular. The rhododendrons and mountain laurel were both in bloom. There were places on the descent from the Priest where we were walking through tunnels of flowers. My cousin's family seemed to really enjoy it and her teenagers took to backpacking like ducks to water. The 10-year-old was less convinced, but he did the whole thing and carried his pack like everyone else.
The view to the south from Spy Rock
Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) on day 1.
A Timber Rattlesnake near the trail. My cousin's older son spotted it, which was pretty remarkable considering how well-camouflaged it was and how far it was off the trail (~15 feet).
Rhododendrons (Rhododendron maximum) along the trail.
The teenagers walking under Rhodendrons (these are Rhodendron catawbiense)
Waterfalls on the Mau-Har trail.
