GET Section 2b Trail Report

April 23, 2016

What is called 2b will now be from Lucas Woods Trail to Dry Gap (Capon Springs Road).

The new relocated trail goes along Great North Mountain. At this time, it was fairly open north of the double power line, but somewhat grown in just south of the power lines until it was close to Eagle Rock. There were also a number of blowdowns through the section.

January 15, 2011

Capon Springs Road to Upper Loman Branch, 7.6 miles
       This is a 7.6 mile section of the Tuscarora Trail. The first 3.5 miles were on private property, mostly Capon Springs Hunt Club, and the rest was road walk. With me on this hike were David Frye and my dog Sid. The last three miles we were accompanied by a dog who wouldn't leave us. There was a bit of snow on the ground, primarily on the less-travelled road surfaces. The ground and creeks were frozen, although the temperatures got up to 45°.
       We drove to Wardensville and then north to Lehew, and took Back Creek Road to the end point of our hike. Rather than park at the north end of Kump Road, we went up to the next intersection, and did our shuttle through Capon Springs. (I will keep the Kump Road intersection as the divider between Section 2a & 2b, as the parking is better there. I will change the shuttle route, as I think Capon Springs is better than on WV 259--it's shorter, and probably easier.)
       There are no signs at the intersection of CR 23/3 and CR 23/11. At the intersection of Milk Road and Mt. Airy Road, there is a sign for the latter, but not the former. The intersection of Mt. Airy Road and Kump Road is signed. At the intersection of CR 23/3, Back Creek Road, and Kump Road, there is a sign only for the latter.
       Some trail observations:

The trail is fairly clear in the woods from Capon Springs Road to Milk Road. The forest has almost no underbrush.
There are a few blowdowns, usually trees whose tops come into the original trail. But these trees have been walked around, rather than removed. One in particular is at the crossing of Dry Run. Here, the blazes and walkway seem to go different ways.
It is a challenge finding where the trail goes under the power lines. A gravel road has been put between the two lines. From the south, the trail is evident to the gravel road, but not after that. I would recommend crossing the road from that point on a side road that turns into what looks like a parking area, then continue uphill to the edge of the woods--look for blue blazes.
At the north side of the power lines, the trail turns left, parallel to the lines, and it comes to a gravel road (probably graveled since the TT guidebook was written). There it makes a right turn, but there are no blazes along the road for a considerable distance (it took us 4 minutes to the first one).
This road is now gravel down to Milk Road (referred to as "Yellow Spring Road" in TT Guidebook, which also says Yellow Spring Road is "lightly graveled", but it is now paved.
The roads not named in the TT Guide are Mount Airy Road and Kump Road.
Kump Road is pleasant with only 3 or 4 houses, which only one looked like a permanent residence. At the pond, a dog (a black lab or mix) came out, then followed us the rest of the way.
In the winter Poison Ivy is not too noticeable. I did see occasional Poison Ivy vines, especially along the roads, but mostly out of reach.

Guide for this section

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