Catoctin Mountain - Cat Rock loop (Maryland, Oct/25/2019)
Oct 26, 2019 22:28:51 GMT -5
Post by GaliWalker on Oct 26, 2019 22:28:51 GMT -5
Catoctin Mountain - Cat Rock loop (Maryland, Oct/25/2019)
This particular hike was a near-identical repeat of one I did earlier in the year. I wanted to see what Catoctin Mountain Park - site of the Presidential retreat Camp David - had to offer as far as fall foliage goes. Plus, I wouldn't have to think much about my hike route, which would make it a more relaxed affair, one in which I could focus on photography.
The weather forecast for my hike was for a hint of sun in the morning hours, followed by overcast conditions for the rest of the day. I held on to thoughts of the former and hopes of being able to catch a sunrise from the Chimney Rock vista. So, I left Pittsburgh at 2:30am and reached the Chimney Rock trailhead around 6:30am. A half an hour of hiking later I was standing atop Chimney Rock, with another half an hour to go till dawn.
Dawn began as a brilliant red blush, but just as I began to ooh and aah, it disappeared behind a veil of clouds. It was still pretty amazing to see the fall foliage on display, offset by the white rocks of my perch in the sky.
Wolf Rock, a super interesting 550 million years old quartzite mesa, was only a short 0.4mi away, but the trail led through a magnificent forest in autumnal bloom, which meant that I only progressed at a snail's pace.
Transition (selfie)
The wolf of Wolf Rock
I zipped past the underwhelming Thurmont Overlook, paused at the much more interesting Blue Ridge Summit Overlook, before heading over to Hog Rock. Fall colors, both in the lower story - fields of ferns - and the upper - trees in near peak bloom - were magnificent.
Blue Ridge Summit Overlook (selfie)
Glorying in the autumnal display (selfie)
Hog Rock vista (selfie)
About two years ago, I saw this lovely painting by Andre Geraux, "Forest Interior with a Painter, Civita Castellana", in the Smithsonian National Museum of Art. It struck me immediately, because I'd seen elements of the scene in nature many times, but the way it was framed was so artistic; a graceful tree hung over the figure in the painting, forming a natural arch. I knew I wanted to recreate its magic, although not necessarily the actual thing, in a photograph. On every hike since, I'd kept that painting in the back of my mind, and many times I thought I had it, but something would always be off so I never got to take it. As I headed down from Hog Rock, I suddenly came upon a scene that snapped Andre Geraux's magic back to the forefront of my mind. This was it! The photo wouldn't be anything like the painting, which was good, but it would have all the elements that had grabbed my attention.
"Forest Interior with a Painter, Civita Castellana", by Andre Geraux
Forest Interior with a Hiker (selfie)
Cunningham Falls didn't have a lot of water, so I took a documentary picture of it, and then continued up the mountainside on the Cliff Trail. This was much more interesting, featuring a huge rocky bench past which you hiked, and which was most likely the reason for the trail's name.
Cunningham Falls
Cliff Trail (selfie)
I picked up the Catoctin Trail, which took me up the mountainside in a series of long meandering switchbacks. Just before Bob's Hill it intersected with the Cat Rock Trail. I toyed with continuing on to the two Bob's Hill overlooks, but that would have added 3mi or so more to my hike, and I'd already spent too much time in photography, so was running behind schedule. I took a left and made a beeline to the jumble of jagged boulders, which was the Cat Rock vista.
All that remained was the quick 1.2mi or so back to the car to complete my loop hike.
Stats: 11.5mi, 2820ft elevation gain, 9.5hrs
This particular hike was a near-identical repeat of one I did earlier in the year. I wanted to see what Catoctin Mountain Park - site of the Presidential retreat Camp David - had to offer as far as fall foliage goes. Plus, I wouldn't have to think much about my hike route, which would make it a more relaxed affair, one in which I could focus on photography.
The weather forecast for my hike was for a hint of sun in the morning hours, followed by overcast conditions for the rest of the day. I held on to thoughts of the former and hopes of being able to catch a sunrise from the Chimney Rock vista. So, I left Pittsburgh at 2:30am and reached the Chimney Rock trailhead around 6:30am. A half an hour of hiking later I was standing atop Chimney Rock, with another half an hour to go till dawn.
Dawn began as a brilliant red blush, but just as I began to ooh and aah, it disappeared behind a veil of clouds. It was still pretty amazing to see the fall foliage on display, offset by the white rocks of my perch in the sky.
Wolf Rock, a super interesting 550 million years old quartzite mesa, was only a short 0.4mi away, but the trail led through a magnificent forest in autumnal bloom, which meant that I only progressed at a snail's pace.
Transition (selfie)
The wolf of Wolf Rock
I zipped past the underwhelming Thurmont Overlook, paused at the much more interesting Blue Ridge Summit Overlook, before heading over to Hog Rock. Fall colors, both in the lower story - fields of ferns - and the upper - trees in near peak bloom - were magnificent.
Blue Ridge Summit Overlook (selfie)
Glorying in the autumnal display (selfie)
Hog Rock vista (selfie)
About two years ago, I saw this lovely painting by Andre Geraux, "Forest Interior with a Painter, Civita Castellana", in the Smithsonian National Museum of Art. It struck me immediately, because I'd seen elements of the scene in nature many times, but the way it was framed was so artistic; a graceful tree hung over the figure in the painting, forming a natural arch. I knew I wanted to recreate its magic, although not necessarily the actual thing, in a photograph. On every hike since, I'd kept that painting in the back of my mind, and many times I thought I had it, but something would always be off so I never got to take it. As I headed down from Hog Rock, I suddenly came upon a scene that snapped Andre Geraux's magic back to the forefront of my mind. This was it! The photo wouldn't be anything like the painting, which was good, but it would have all the elements that had grabbed my attention.
"Forest Interior with a Painter, Civita Castellana", by Andre Geraux
Forest Interior with a Hiker (selfie)
Cunningham Falls didn't have a lot of water, so I took a documentary picture of it, and then continued up the mountainside on the Cliff Trail. This was much more interesting, featuring a huge rocky bench past which you hiked, and which was most likely the reason for the trail's name.
Cunningham Falls
Cliff Trail (selfie)
I picked up the Catoctin Trail, which took me up the mountainside in a series of long meandering switchbacks. Just before Bob's Hill it intersected with the Cat Rock Trail. I toyed with continuing on to the two Bob's Hill overlooks, but that would have added 3mi or so more to my hike, and I'd already spent too much time in photography, so was running behind schedule. I took a left and made a beeline to the jumble of jagged boulders, which was the Cat Rock vista.
All that remained was the quick 1.2mi or so back to the car to complete my loop hike.
Stats: 11.5mi, 2820ft elevation gain, 9.5hrs
