News from the Valley Trails
Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter of PATC
November 2020 Newsletter
Welcome to our newsletter for November, 2020. We hope that you all are doing well. With winter coming and the start of hunting season, we have included tips and information on hiking during this time of the year. We plan to offer hikes and work trips but continue to limit our numbers and practice Covid-19 protocols.
If you have a Facebook page, be sure to look for and like our page, PATC Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter. On there, we will try to post updates as we have them. If you don't already receive them, you can also subscribe to our email blast by using the link on our home page: SSVC PATC
If you have a Facebook page, be sure to look for and like our page, PATC Southern Shenandoah Valley Chapter. On there, we will try to post updates as we have them. If you don't already receive them, you can also subscribe to our email blast by using the link on our home page: SSVC PATC
Notice for all upcoming hikes
All SSVC hikes will follow Covid-19 rules. Facemasks should be available and used when close to other hikers. Social distancing should be maintained throughout the hike. Attendance will be limited at the discretion of our hike leaders. Preference will be given to PATC members. PATC rules do not permit children under the age of 18 to participate in a hike without a parent or guardian present. Dogs are not allowed on our Chapter hikes.
All SSVC hikes will follow Covid-19 rules. Facemasks should be available and used when close to other hikers. Social distancing should be maintained throughout the hike. Attendance will be limited at the discretion of our hike leaders. Preference will be given to PATC members. PATC rules do not permit children under the age of 18 to participate in a hike without a parent or guardian present. Dogs are not allowed on our Chapter hikes.
Upcoming Events
An additional email blast will be sent out as a reminder the week of each event.
Saturday, November 7: Work trip on Club's section of the AT. Contact leader: Jeff Bolander (jblndr@hotmail.com) for details including meeting time and place.
Sunday, November 8: Shenandoah National Park: Lewis Peak. 9 miles. Join us for a hike on November 8 to Lewis Peak. It will be an out and back for a total of 9 miles. Enough leaves should be down to make for great views at the top. This is a moderately strenuous hike so keep that in mind. Due to social distancing plan on a limit of six. Also due to the crowds in SNP plan on an early start. Contact hike leader: Jim Fye (jfye40@icloud.com or 540-830-2023) for details.
Wednesday, November 11. Saddleback Mountain Trail. 4 miles. Saddleback Mountain Trail is part of the South River Falls area in the SNP. The hike is a 4 mile circuit, easy/moderate. Hike is limited to 6. Contact hike leaders Mike and Karen Waterman: home phone 540-337- 1273 or karenswateramn@gmail.com for details.
Sunday, November 15 : Whetstone Ridge Trail. 8 miles. This will be an approximately eight mile out-and-back moderate ridge hike. We will turn around before the roller coaster section of the trail begins. Contact hike leader: Jean Fraser (540-490-0195 or by email at jeancfraser2@yahoo.com) to register and get final details.
Wednesday, November 18: PATC Annual meeting to be held virtually starting at 7:00 p.m. Click on this link for more information on registering. Annual Meeting
Saturday, November 21: Appalachian Trail. 10 miles. This will be an out-and-back hike along the AT south from Rockfish Gap. We will hike 5 miles to the Paul Wolfe Shelter on Mill Creek, have lunch on the shelter's porch or down by the creek then head back. There is a 400-foot descent down to the shelter and another 200-foot dip near the Gap, so just about 1,000 feet of elevation change. Contact hike leader John Kolp (JLKolp@yahoo.com or 540-887-1235) to register and final details.
Friday, November 27: Furnace Mountain via Blackrock Summit 6.8 miles, 900' elevation change. As REI advertises, "#optoutside" for Black Friday. Let's work off some of that Thanksgiving meal and take a hike to Furnace Mountain. We will start at the Blackrock Summit Parking area and go to Blackrock Summit for outstanding views of the Shenandoah Valley. We will then follow the Trayfoot Mountain Trail to the Furnace Mountain Trail to the peak of Furnace Mountain for another view. We will return following the same route. For details, contact Jean Stephens at jtstephens12@yahoo.com or 443-986-5649 for details.
Saturday, December 5: Doyles River Falls-Jones Run Loop: 7 miles, 1400' elevation change. We will begin at the Doyles River Falls parking area and descend to Doyles River Falls. We will then continue on to the Jones Run Trail past the falls on Jones Run. We will ascend to the AT and follow that to Brown Gap where we will pick up the Brown Gap Fire Road to loop back to the Doyles River Trail and the parking area. Contact Jean Stephens at jtstephens12@yahoo.com or 443-986-5649 for details.
An additional email blast will be sent out as a reminder the week of each event.
Saturday, November 7: Work trip on Club's section of the AT. Contact leader: Jeff Bolander (jblndr@hotmail.com) for details including meeting time and place.
Sunday, November 8: Shenandoah National Park: Lewis Peak. 9 miles. Join us for a hike on November 8 to Lewis Peak. It will be an out and back for a total of 9 miles. Enough leaves should be down to make for great views at the top. This is a moderately strenuous hike so keep that in mind. Due to social distancing plan on a limit of six. Also due to the crowds in SNP plan on an early start. Contact hike leader: Jim Fye (jfye40@icloud.com or 540-830-2023) for details.
Wednesday, November 11. Saddleback Mountain Trail. 4 miles. Saddleback Mountain Trail is part of the South River Falls area in the SNP. The hike is a 4 mile circuit, easy/moderate. Hike is limited to 6. Contact hike leaders Mike and Karen Waterman: home phone 540-337- 1273 or karenswateramn@gmail.com for details.
Sunday, November 15 : Whetstone Ridge Trail. 8 miles. This will be an approximately eight mile out-and-back moderate ridge hike. We will turn around before the roller coaster section of the trail begins. Contact hike leader: Jean Fraser (540-490-0195 or by email at jeancfraser2@yahoo.com) to register and get final details.
Wednesday, November 18: PATC Annual meeting to be held virtually starting at 7:00 p.m. Click on this link for more information on registering. Annual Meeting
Saturday, November 21: Appalachian Trail. 10 miles. This will be an out-and-back hike along the AT south from Rockfish Gap. We will hike 5 miles to the Paul Wolfe Shelter on Mill Creek, have lunch on the shelter's porch or down by the creek then head back. There is a 400-foot descent down to the shelter and another 200-foot dip near the Gap, so just about 1,000 feet of elevation change. Contact hike leader John Kolp (JLKolp@yahoo.com or 540-887-1235) to register and final details.
Friday, November 27: Furnace Mountain via Blackrock Summit 6.8 miles, 900' elevation change. As REI advertises, "#optoutside" for Black Friday. Let's work off some of that Thanksgiving meal and take a hike to Furnace Mountain. We will start at the Blackrock Summit Parking area and go to Blackrock Summit for outstanding views of the Shenandoah Valley. We will then follow the Trayfoot Mountain Trail to the Furnace Mountain Trail to the peak of Furnace Mountain for another view. We will return following the same route. For details, contact Jean Stephens at jtstephens12@yahoo.com or 443-986-5649 for details.
Saturday, December 5: Doyles River Falls-Jones Run Loop: 7 miles, 1400' elevation change. We will begin at the Doyles River Falls parking area and descend to Doyles River Falls. We will then continue on to the Jones Run Trail past the falls on Jones Run. We will ascend to the AT and follow that to Brown Gap where we will pick up the Brown Gap Fire Road to loop back to the Doyles River Trail and the parking area. Contact Jean Stephens at jtstephens12@yahoo.com or 443-986-5649 for details.
Hike Leader Training
Because of the COVID-19 issues, the PATC Trail Patrol is not offering Hike Leader Training at this time. I have requested and been given permission by PATC to provide Hike Leader Training to interested persons in our chapter on a one-on-one basis. If you are interested in becoming a hike leader and would like to participate in the training, please contact Jean Stephens at jtstephens12@yahoo.com for more information. We could certainly use more hike leaders at this time!
Because of the COVID-19 issues, the PATC Trail Patrol is not offering Hike Leader Training at this time. I have requested and been given permission by PATC to provide Hike Leader Training to interested persons in our chapter on a one-on-one basis. If you are interested in becoming a hike leader and would like to participate in the training, please contact Jean Stephens at jtstephens12@yahoo.com for more information. We could certainly use more hike leaders at this time!
Announcements
Save the Date: Saturday, December 5
December 5, 1985 was the date that SSVC adopted their Constitution and By-laws and became a chapter of PATC. This was approved by PATC Council on December 10, 1985. I asked one of the chapter's founding members and former president, Doris True, what the first hike was that the chapter did after becoming official. The earliest one she can remember is the Doyle's River Falls Trail. To celebrate our 35 years as a chapter, we will hold a commemorative hike on Saturday, December 5 on the Doyles River Falls Trail. Afterwards, weather permitting (meaning not too cold), we will have a short celebration at the Dundo Picnic Grounds. This will also be the first hike to qualify for our 35 miles for 35 years patch.
The 35 miles for 35 years patch is in the works. All you have to do is hike on official PATC chapter hikes for a total of 35 miles in one year. Miles will be tracked using the sign-in sheets turned in to the President by hike leaders. All who qualify will receive a patch at our annual meeting (or later if completed after meeting date) in 2021.
Official Rules:
1. All 35 miles must be hiked on official SSVC PATC hikes.
2. Hikers must be PATC members.
3. Hikes must be taken between December 5, 2020 and December 10, 2021.
Jean Stephens is leading a 7 mile hike on the Doyles River Falls Trail on Dec. 5. If another hike leader is interested in leading a shorter hike to the Doyles River Falls and back that same day, please contact Jean.
So mark your calendars and plan to join us on Saturday, December 5 to kick off our anniversary year.
Massanutten Mountain Patch
And speaking of patches, we are also working on a patch for those who hike all the specified trails on Massanutten Mountain. We are currently compiling a list of required trails and working on a patch design. Complete rules will be published soon, but the hikes will not have to be done as official SSVC PATC hikes. In the meantime, we are starting a Massanutten Series of hikes to help you get started. We will try to offer at least one hike on Massanutten Mountain a month. We hope to see you out there!
Save the Date: Saturday, December 5
December 5, 1985 was the date that SSVC adopted their Constitution and By-laws and became a chapter of PATC. This was approved by PATC Council on December 10, 1985. I asked one of the chapter's founding members and former president, Doris True, what the first hike was that the chapter did after becoming official. The earliest one she can remember is the Doyle's River Falls Trail. To celebrate our 35 years as a chapter, we will hold a commemorative hike on Saturday, December 5 on the Doyles River Falls Trail. Afterwards, weather permitting (meaning not too cold), we will have a short celebration at the Dundo Picnic Grounds. This will also be the first hike to qualify for our 35 miles for 35 years patch.
The 35 miles for 35 years patch is in the works. All you have to do is hike on official PATC chapter hikes for a total of 35 miles in one year. Miles will be tracked using the sign-in sheets turned in to the President by hike leaders. All who qualify will receive a patch at our annual meeting (or later if completed after meeting date) in 2021.
Official Rules:
1. All 35 miles must be hiked on official SSVC PATC hikes.
2. Hikers must be PATC members.
3. Hikes must be taken between December 5, 2020 and December 10, 2021.
Jean Stephens is leading a 7 mile hike on the Doyles River Falls Trail on Dec. 5. If another hike leader is interested in leading a shorter hike to the Doyles River Falls and back that same day, please contact Jean.
So mark your calendars and plan to join us on Saturday, December 5 to kick off our anniversary year.
Massanutten Mountain Patch
And speaking of patches, we are also working on a patch for those who hike all the specified trails on Massanutten Mountain. We are currently compiling a list of required trails and working on a patch design. Complete rules will be published soon, but the hikes will not have to be done as official SSVC PATC hikes. In the meantime, we are starting a Massanutten Series of hikes to help you get started. We will try to offer at least one hike on Massanutten Mountain a month. We hope to see you out there!
PATC Annual Meeting
The PATC Annual Meeting will be conducted virtually this year on November 18th at 7:00 pm. Watch you email for information on how to register. The Zoom webinar link and dial-in information will be sent out in advance of the meeting to registered participants. Click on the following link for more information about the meeting and to register: Annual Meeting
The PATC Annual Meeting will be conducted virtually this year on November 18th at 7:00 pm. Watch you email for information on how to register. The Zoom webinar link and dial-in information will be sent out in advance of the meeting to registered participants. Click on the following link for more information about the meeting and to register: Annual Meeting
Hunting Season
We thank Jeff Monroe (Charlottesville Chapter) for compiling this list.
We have updated some dates from the original list.The various hunting seasons change depending on the county you are hiking in. It can be very confusing. We recommend to plan to wear blaze orange or pink from now until January 23, regardless of the dates given below. This includes outfitting your hiking dog in the same. While there is no legal hunting on public lands on Sundays, there are many private lands located inside of the general National Forest boundaries.Both Blaze Orange and Blaze Pink are legal colors to wear. More information on hunting and trapping regulations can be found using this link: Hunting and Trapping Regulations
Firearms Bear Season: Nov 23 – Jan 2
Bear Archery Season: NOW Oct 3 – Nov 13
Bear Muzzleloader Season: Nov 7 – Nov 13
Early Archery Deer Season: NOW. Oct 3 – Nov 13
Firearms Deer Season: Nov 14 – 28
Late Deer Archery Season: Nov 29 – Jan 2
Deer Muzzleloader Season: NOW Oct 31 – Nov 13
Archery Turkey Season: NOW. Oct 3 – Nov 6
Firearms Turkey Season: Augusta/Rockingham Counties: Nov 26 (Thanksgiving Day!). Rockbridge County: same as Augusta, plus November 30 – December 26 and January 9 – 23.
We thank Jeff Monroe (Charlottesville Chapter) for compiling this list.
We have updated some dates from the original list.The various hunting seasons change depending on the county you are hiking in. It can be very confusing. We recommend to plan to wear blaze orange or pink from now until January 23, regardless of the dates given below. This includes outfitting your hiking dog in the same. While there is no legal hunting on public lands on Sundays, there are many private lands located inside of the general National Forest boundaries.Both Blaze Orange and Blaze Pink are legal colors to wear. More information on hunting and trapping regulations can be found using this link: Hunting and Trapping Regulations
Firearms Bear Season: Nov 23 – Jan 2
Bear Archery Season: NOW Oct 3 – Nov 13
Bear Muzzleloader Season: Nov 7 – Nov 13
Early Archery Deer Season: NOW. Oct 3 – Nov 13
Firearms Deer Season: Nov 14 – 28
Late Deer Archery Season: Nov 29 – Jan 2
Deer Muzzleloader Season: NOW Oct 31 – Nov 13
Archery Turkey Season: NOW. Oct 3 – Nov 6
Firearms Turkey Season: Augusta/Rockingham Counties: Nov 26 (Thanksgiving Day!). Rockbridge County: same as Augusta, plus November 30 – December 26 and January 9 – 23.
Other Informational Links
Leave No Trace Online course: If you are interested in learning more about Leave No Trace principles, this online course is free. It only takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and you can earn a certificate. Online Awareness Course-Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.
Proposed Rails to Trail through the Shenandoah Valley: Read the latest news on plans for creating a rails to trail through our area. What a great addition for hikers and bikers. Shenandoah Valley Rail Trail
Leave No Trace Online course: If you are interested in learning more about Leave No Trace principles, this online course is free. It only takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and you can earn a certificate. Online Awareness Course-Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.
Proposed Rails to Trail through the Shenandoah Valley: Read the latest news on plans for creating a rails to trail through our area. What a great addition for hikers and bikers. Shenandoah Valley Rail Trail
