GET Section 3d Trail Report
October 31, 2021
A GET sign was placed at the north end of this section.
April 1, 2022
A GET sign was placed at the south end of this section.
July 11, 2015
I weed-whacked about 0.7 miles of the south end of this section.
August 28, 2009
Dominion Towers to CR 20/VA 691 (Judge Rye Road) on Great North Mountain (6.4 miles)
This is the section just north of the section hiked on 7/25/2009, and it was partly reported on (road access) in the report of 7/5/2009.
It threatened to rain, and much of the day was foggy, either in the valley or up on the mountain. There was some thunder near the end of the hike, but it didn't rain while we were hiking, but there was some before and after, although fairly light. I did this hike with companions David, Nancy, Nancy's dog Aslan, and my dog Sid.
Some observations:
- North Mountain Trail is a good bit wider than the Shenandoah Mountain Trail, evidently built with a machine. The trail is also much rockier than on Shenandoah Mountain. Most of the trail had a gentle grade, but there were a few hills with a definite steepness.
- There are several viewpoints along the way, although some are grown in with trees that top out over the cliffs (and above the eyes of someone on top of the cliffs).
- There are places that are grown in with tree branches. There are several different types of trees that do this, but the most frequent are probably Scrub Oaks. There are a few Black Locusts, and just a few Thistles and Blackberries, but not too bad--the trail is fairly wide and even with in-growing branches, it's easy to slip through.
- There were ripe blueberries and blackberries for picking, although not as many blueberries now.
- There were a few campsites with fire rings, and even some stacked wood along this section.
- There was a little Gypsy Moth damage, but not much.
- There was no poison ivy in this section.
- I noted the trail intersection with purple-blazed Stack Rock Trail, but I did not see yellow-blazed Falls Ridge Trail.
- We saw a rattlesnake beside the trail (that is, David did, and pointed it out to me--everyone else had already gone by). It didn't curl up or rattle.
September 8, 2012
I repeated this hike (N-->S) with Nancy Ruggles, Chad Churchman, Bill Amonette, and Mary Huffer. In the later part of the hike we got a rain with a strong wind from the west.
We saw the intersection with Falls Ridge Trail this time. The trail was still grown in at places--not much change since 2009.
Guidebook for this section
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