This section of the AT is a tough, but rewarding one.
Although there aren't a lot of great views, hikers "get to" experience the rite
of passage that is the Roller Coaster, the toughest stretch of the trail in
Northern Virginia. You'll begin your hike in the pastoral Sky Meadows State
Park, cross highway and eventually reach the sign that trail maintainers have
put up to inform people about the infamous Roller Coaster. At the end of your
wild ride, you'll reach Bear's Den Hostel (It's a little castle! In the woods!)
and finally get some nice views on top of Bear's Den Rocks. Afterward, you'll pass Blackburn Trail
Center, where on a clear day, you can just make out the Washington monument in
the distance. This is also the 1,001-mile mark for Northbound Thru-Hikers, so
be sure to congratulate any and all skinny, dirty backpackers you see hanging
around. You climb up to the West Virginia border and enter into the state. Your
(summertime) trip ends with a well-deserved dip in the North Fork of the
Shenandoah river and some equally deserved ice cream in town.
Posted here
No comments:
Post a Comment