Mountain Adventures: Cunningham Falls State Park, Thurmont MD

Cunningham Falls

The literature about Cunningham FallsState Park delivers, it is yet another park with multiple activities, scenic vista, and fantastic trails. The campgrounds are nestled in the mountain side under tall trees meaning the sun dapples trough the leaves and keeps your campsite cool. In spite of the weather (rain one day, sun another, and mist the third) we enjoyed the park and hiked each day.

Raw terrain due to erosion
One of the many scenic trails

The mountain forests were clear cut in the late 1700s and re-cut until the 1930 when the US government purchased the land for the first CCC training camp. Thus the forest is less than 100 years old and the trails show evidence of erosion as the mud slid down the bare mountain sides uncovering boulders.

Even though it is a new forest
there are many downed trees

Fungus and Emerald Ash Borer

The culprit and not hard to find

As with many parks there are actually two adjacent parks, Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin MountainPark (National Park Service). The Catoctin Hollow Road is the dividing boundary and reveals slight differences in management, development, and terrain. Both parks were built during the 1930s compliments of the CCC and the WPA.

Wolf Rock
Catoctin Mountain Park

Cunningham Falls State Park is the smaller of the two areas and geared towards families. All trails in the park are blazed and have intersection markers. Several trails have a gravel walkway and the park offers handicap access to the falls. Additionally there is a 42 acre like for fishing, paddling, with a beach area for swimming. Campers can select from pet-friendly (3), no-pet loops (3), and back country sites. The rangers offer a host of weekend activities for youth (young and old) ranging from hikes to talks. And someone posted a sign for Sunday church services.

Chimney Rock
Catoctin Mountain Park

Now Catoctin Mountain Park is rustic, from the entrance station to the remote campgrounds (no electric). This is a larger park with facilities for horse camping, groupcamping, a lodge, and training facilities.  From online mapping you find CampDavid is located in this park. Trails are equally beautiful, plentiful, and obvious but not blazed, at each intersection there is a directional sign. Keep your trail map handy as a guide.

Fungi or Street Lamp?

The area is dotted with small towns that line the two lane winding roads that crisscross the foothills. From here it is a short drive into the Antietam Battlefield area which is worth the visit regardless of your feelings on the US Civil War.  

Along the trails...
at Catoctin Mountain

Mountain Adventures: Shenandoah National Park, Front Royal VA

Entrance Sign at Front Royal VA

Shenandoah National Park home of the renowned Skyline Drive that travels the length of the park, similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway but there are four entry points.  Sometimes there is a little confusion between the two parks as they are similar in form and almost abut each other near Waynesboro VA.  We entered at the Front Royal station and exited mid-way near Luray VA.

One of many lovely views

Several ranges comprise the Blue Ridge Mountains and as part of the Appalachian Mountains, the oldest mountains in the world.  Erosion, ice ages, heat, and man have contributed to the steady decline in height and stature over the past 8-9 billion years. 

Lovely flower... Lupine family?

Trails were on tap for today as it is the perfect way to breathe in the scents, drink in the scenery, and discover wildlife.  Not to mention our bicycling legs are not ready for the steep climbs if we chose to pedal along the roadway.

Centipedes
in a tree stump 'pool'

A Luna Moth
that did not survive nature.

After a few short hikes it was time for lunch so why not visit Skyland with it's full service restaurant, lodge, conference center, cabins, and camping. This day the menu included pulled pork with fresh vegtables (for Marg) and chicken pot pie with salad (for Bill).  Yes, I recommend you plan a stop here to replenish your energy between those long hikes.

"I'm ready to tackle this salad."

After lunch we hiked several Skyland trails with fantastic views and lovely woods knowing we had traveled a few miles of the 500 miles of trails.

One Skyland Trail

Flowers, Ferns, and Shrubs
abound in early summer

With all this said, I'm certain you are ready to add the Shenandoah National Park to your next trip.

Grab your shoes and hit the trail!

Mountain Adventures: Shenandoah River State Park, Bentonville, VA

Shenandoah River

The river was calling, the Shenandoah River, so we headed north-east up highway I-81 to the next park, Shenandoah River State Park which is a Virginia park. This park has a late check-in time, 4:00 PM, and we arrived just after 4. You can reserve a space but select a site upon arrival – not a bad solution when you are new to the park. After setting-up for the next four nights we strolled down to the river for a look, met the neighbors, and played a few tunes.

The next day was sunny so we headed out on a hike along the river to the visitor center and points beyond.  Memories of picking and eating ripe berries along the trails date back to my childhood and this park kept the tradition alive.

Trail near the Visitor Center
The park is not flat!

Raspberries
A reward for hiking the trails

The rapids in the river were noisy but did not scare us, we were ready to paddle upstream regardless of the current! And paddle we did... against the current, over rocks, around rocks, and through rapids. Now, some rapids required more than one attempt to cross as we miss guessed the best crossing point. Not a problem, we would regroup, re-assess the water, and ford that rapid on the second attempt. Ninety minutes later it was time to float back down stream and this time over the rapids with the current. Wonder why it was so hard before?

Needless to say, sleep was not a problem that night. We awoke to the sound of rain which was a good excuse to go easy until the weather broke and we could hike to the other end of the river. 

View from the River Trail 

Flowers abound on the upper trails

And you may encounter a friendly snake!

The overcast afternoon gave us time to visit Front Royal for lunch and supplies.  Now, it was only 6 miles to the Skyline Drive aka Shenandoah National Park, you guessed it, we visited.

Front Royal, main street

Our last full day in the park was reserved for bicycling the dryer trails.  As with the previous trips, we were not disappointed.  Bill found more raspberry bushes with delectable berries.  The scenery was memorable and the trails we selected easy to ride.  Keep this park on your adventure list.

Along the trail

Wonder who lived here?

Mountain Music: Henry Reed Memorial Convention at Newport VA

What a treat, the 12^th annual Henry Reed Memorial Convention held June 13-14, 2014 in Newport VA. Every fiddle convention has a special flavor and this one is intimacy. Newport was a new location for the festival and for a newcomer it appeared to be the perfect setting. Henry Reed was an old-time fiddler from Glen Lyn VA who learned tunes from several sources. Alan Jabbour collected his tunes in the 1970s and saved many tunes from obscurity. A section of the articles in the Library of Congress is dedicated to traditional US music where Henry Reed is prominently placed.

Festival Grounds at Newport VA

The grounds opened on Wednesday afternoon and we arrived Thursday to discover we were the fourth group to arrive. Before us were another camper, a judge, and the organizers. Thus after we set-up camp Bill assisted Terry (organizer) with a few tasks. I circulated the area meeting other musicians as they arrived and eventually followed the sidewalk into the scenic town of Newport.

It is a short walk to town

After a bit a jam started at the PennVaTenn camp. This was the place to be Thursday evening with many smiles and good tunes. As other campers arrived they joined the group. So between breaks and camp cores there was a revolving group of musicians adding flavor and interest. The low-key friendly ambiance continued through the weekend.

Vendor tent with banjos and fiddles

One reason to arrive on Thursday was Alan Jabbour's fiddle workshops which happened Friday and Saturday 10-12 AM. Alan is an enthusiastic teacher who strives to meet the skill levels and needs of each participant. Alan's confidence has you playing a new tune each hour which means four new-to-you Henry Reed tunes! Not that I own these tunes (yet) but I have a good start.  And, yes there was a small charge for the workshops.

Sampling the banjos

Friday evening there area performances from 5 to 10 PM, both old-time and bluegrass. Saturday afternoon the fun begins with contests which run until 10 PM or the last band competes. Yes, I entered two categories: folk songs and old-time banjo.  Well, others took both contests but that's OK, I won because I entered.

The Stage at Newport

It was a fun weekend and not because Friday was a full-moon and the 13th.  

Put this event on your calendar for 2015.

Mountain Adventures: Carrollwood Campground, New River Paddle and Bicycling

Guess we still needed an old-time music fix after the Mt. Airy Old-time Fiddlers Convention  because we headed across the state line to a campground in Virginia.

View from our campsite

To be honest this just isn't any campground, this is Matthew's Carrollwood Campground and Big FishPark. We stumbled upon this jewel in 2013 and knew it was worth a return trip.

Above view at sunrise

Hillsville is centrally located in this mountain music mecca, it is beautiful, and owned by a friendly family. What is not to like... the sites are on the side of a hill and most have a wonderful view, the air is scented with the aroma of white pines, you can fish in one of two lakes, birdwatch anywhere on the property, and hike along a few trails. I only hope my recommendation doesn't leave me without a campsite next year!

A few rapids to ford on the river

Monday to prove there is more to life than music, we put the canoe in the New River near Fries VA.  The river runs rather fast but we managed to paddle upstream over small rapids and against the swift current. For about an hour and a half we fought the current and managed to ford several small rapids; however, several of the rapids required more than one attempt. Finally, it was time to turn and ride the swift current downstream allowing the canoe to float over the rapids while we observed the herons, campsites, and fields that border the river. As we left the river we chatted with a local mom as here three young sons played in the river.

Beaver Creek Trail

Being near Fries we opted for lunch at the gas station-deli owned by the mom we met at the river. Lunch was homemade, fresh, and tasty which we enjoyed at their outdoor table overlooking the New River. Following our repast it was time to cycle along the New River on the New River Trail State Park. This is a relatively flat another two hours. I called this Bill Messer's “Get Fit Trip”. Needless to say, Monday night was a quiet evening.

Tuesday we hiked to Beaver Creek Dam, please see that post as it is a lengthy story.

Our friend Norma Jean at the Independence Jam

As we live on the road, Wednesday was the day for chores. One chore is a trip to the grocery or local vegetable stands. It just so happens that the Southwest VirginiaFarmers' Market is just across the road so this is a no-brainer. We visited them for fruit, fresh tomatoes, local vegetables, and the experience. Luckily the weather held for an afternoon walk in Matthew's State Forest, please see that post, on the way to Independence for a jam.

Playing in Independence VA

There are many wonderful locations in our country and this area deserves a visit.

Mountain Adventures: Beaver Creek Dam, Hillsville VA

Stream along the trial

This was our second attempt at the Beaver Creek Dam trail.  The previous August it was raining when we located the trail head at the 'bottom of the hill'. Due to the frequent rains last fall, the trail head was underwater so we opted to skip the walk. Not so this year. The trail was high and dry plus it seems to have been recently resurfaced with re purposed roadway asphalt.

The trail is mostly gentle

The trip from the 'bottom of the hill' parking lot climbs about 1.3 miles along Beaver Creek through a green-way and pasture land. The babble of the creek sings along with the birds, frogs, and crickets. This a true treasure as you climb towards the dam crossing the creek multiple times.

After a mile or so you exit this section of the trail to find a medical center and convenience store on the outskirts of Hillsville. From here the trail skirts the back of a manufacture's truck loading dock to a school yard, residential community, and the Carter Pines Community Park. Travel a bit further along the trail and you arrive at the center of town.

Queen Anne's Lace decorates the trail

Add the Beaver Creek Dam Trail to your list of gentle and scenic trails.

Early summer eye candy along the trail

Mountain Adventures: Matthews State Forest, Galax VA

Yes, this is was a repeat trip to the forest which offers several short delightful trails through stands of pine, oak, hickory, cherry, and many other variety of trees. Why so many types of trees? Well, aside from preserving valuable trees it is use as an educational facility...

One of the trails

The Matthews State Forest was a gift to the Commonwealth from the late Judge Jack Matthews. The Judge had a vision for his property. He wanted to create a state forest "To provide for the scientific, educational, and research needs for Southwest Virginia’s children and the public."  http://www.dof.virginia.gov/stateforest/list/matthews-edu-programs.htm

The area is mountainous so you will ramble up and down two miles of interconnected paths. A diverse community of shrubs, grasses, ferns, and flowers abounds to complement the wide variety of trees. Regardless of the season you will find treasures to delight your senses. 

On this trip an elegant iris guarded the entry to the paths while honeysuckle draped the pines and colorful June flowers dotted the ground.

Looking for a shaded, short hike that will get your heart pumping and delight your senses? Then Matthews State Forest is a stop for you.

Note: Another stop on Bill Messer's “Get Fit Tour”.