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MAY 6 - 14, 2006
$1500
Lalita Malik, Leader
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Tentative Itinerary
Itinerary subject to change due to weather and/or group needs. Day 1-Saturday, May 6, 2006: Arrival and orientation Plan to arrive before 1 pm at Dulles Airport. Early arrivals may tour Air and Space Museum adjacent to airport. Group will be met and transported to Canaan Valley Resort. Those driving may leave their vehicles at the outfitter's parking lot in Knoxville, MD. ADK orientation meeting will be held before dinner. Day 2-Sunday, May 7, 2006: Dolly Sods, 7.8 miles After 7 am breakfast and hiking orientation, the group will proceed to the Dolly Sods. We begin with the Northland Loop Interpretive Trail--a .3 mile walk which will give you a preview of the flora and fauna of the area. The main hike of the day starts with the Blackbird Knot Trail, 2.2 miles, which offers good views of the open country for which Dolly Sods is so well known. It connects with the Red Creek Trail. Red Creek is the main stream flowing through the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. We will walk this scenic trail for 3 miles until it connects with the Fisher Spring Run Trail, which we follow through hardwood forest hills for 2.3 miles to the trail head. Return to Canaan Valley for relaxation, swimming, and supper. Elevation gain, approximately 400 ft. Options to shorten the walk are available. Day 3-Monday, May 8, 2006: Otter Creek Trail, 11.4 miles or Spruce Knob, 10.7 miles An early breakfast is followed by hiking on the Otter Creek Trail. Since the creek is ever present, the sound and sight of falling water delights the eye and ear along the way. Several stream crossings require sturdy, water-tight boots and gaiters. This hike is on a level railroad bed along a high wild plateau of some 20,000 acres that tower over the hills and valleys in northern West Virginia. Flora consists of ferns, grasses, rhododendron, and laurel. It is completely uninhabited, except for the black bears, otters, and other wildlife indigenous to the region. Otter Creek is a black bear sanctuary. There are no shorter options. If Otter Creek is too high, our alternative is Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia at 4811 feet. The hike of 10.7 miles starts at the summit on the Huckleberry Trail with broad vistas of the distant mountains and the valley below and descends through dense groves of conifers, open meadows and hardwood forests to the Seneca Creek Trail. The stream along this trail has wild beauty and has the reputation as one of the best trout streams in West Virginia. There are no shorter options. Day 4-Tuesday, May 9, 2006: Cathedral State Park/Herrington Manor/Swallow Falls Hike, 8 miles Today we leave the Canaan Valley Resort for a morning hike in Cathedral State Park before crossing into Maryland for a hike from Herrington Manor State Park to Swallow Falls. Cathedral Park is mixed virgin timber predating earliest European settlements. Ninety foot hemlock stand among other stately trees of yellow birch, red oak, black cherry, maple and beech. We will walk some of the 7 miles of trails through the forest. Lunch will be at a restaurant overlooking Deep Creek Lake. After lunch we will hike 5 miles to Swallow Falls to view four distinct waterfalls. Then it's on to the Casselman, an Amish inn which will be our home for the next two nights. Day 5-Wednesday, May 10, 2006: Green Ridge State Forest, C&O Canal towpath and Paw Paw Tunnel, 7 miles The morning 3 mile hike starts upstream at the end of Paw Paw tunnel on the historic C&O Canal. The tunnel was completed in 1850 and renovated by the National Park Service in 1966. The downstream canal bed is partially drained and habitat in the bed ranges from small lily ponds to cattail swamps. Along the canal are several square miles of riparian forest. The remains of the old locks and lockhouse are a mile downstream. The canal runs along the shale cliffs covered by a variety of ferns, wildflowers and lichens. Blue flag iris bloom in the canal bed in May and June. Otters have been sighted in the area. The return trip will hike the hill over the tunnel through deciduous upland forest. Elevation gain 300 feet. In the afternoon we will do another loop hike of approximately 4 miles through open fields, upland woods and by Fifteen Mile Creek. Along the way, we hope to see cohosh, bayberry, ferrywand flowers, spring beauty and wood sorrel. The hike ends at Bill's Bait & Beer, a combination general store, restaurant, bar and billiards parlor where we will enjoy our evening meal amid "traditional Maryland Americana." Day 6-Thursday, May 11, 2006: G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area Hike & Wine Tasting, 6 miles The most popular Springtime activity at Thompson is the viewing of wildflowers, including orchids, ladyslippers, and a remarkable display of large flower trilliums. We will be hiking on a network of side trails connecting with the Appalachian Trail. After wine tasting we will proceed to Skyline Resort for dinner and rest and our lodging for the next two nights. Day 7-Friday, May 12, 2006: Shenandoah National Park, Cedar Run and White Oak Canyon Loop Hike, 7.8 miles This is a waterfall hike descending the Cedar Run Canyon through poplar and hemlock forest and ascending the White Oak Canyon. There are probably more waterfalls here than anywhere else in the Park. Another attraction is the blooming mountain laurel in May. Day 8-Saturday, May 13, 2006: River Rafting and/or Maryland Heights Hike, 5 miles By van, we travel to Harpers Ferry, headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conference, for a tour of the town and a hike to the top of Maryland Heights--the cliffs above the Potomac River. From this point you can stand in Maryland and see both Virginia and West Virginia, plus two rivers, the Shenandoah and the Potomac. For those interested in whitewater rafting, we offer an optional guided trip on the two rivers rated at 3+ on a scale of one to six. The raft trip goes through the Potomac Water Gap--one of the most scenic river journeys in the country. Thomas Jefferson said the sight was worth a voyage across the Atlantic. The cost of the rafting trip is $54.55. Participants not rafting can explore Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, hike the AT through the town, and/or hike the 2.2 mile carriage trail from the visitor center to the overlook of the rapids and the Shenandoah River. We will end our adventure with a grand banquet in Harpers Ferry. Day 9-Sunday, May 14, 2006: Departure Start the day with a hearty breakfast. Then depart for Dulles or your cars to fly or drive home. The van will leave Harpers Ferry at 10 am, arriving in Dulles at 11 am. Flights should be booked for departure after 1 pm. Return to Outing Description. |