Caledonia State Park to Rocky Mountain and Tumbling Run Shelters – Appalachian Trail Pennsylvania

This was a great hike ~22 miles in and out from Caledonia State Park to Tumbling Run Shelters. There is not really any good water source between these two points on the AT. The guide says there is water 0.5 miles downhill at Rocky Mountain shelters but it was too far for me to investigate. The tent sites are a hundred yards or so downhill from the Rocky Mountain shelters. About a mile north of Tumbling Run Shelters is Chimney Rock. This formation has the only great view on this section of trail and well worth exploring. There also appears to be a lot of tenting in the Chimney Rock area. Tumbling Run Shelters are the most beautiful shelters I’ve seen between Shenandoah at I64 and here. The spring, located on the other side of the river, is awesome at Tumbling Run Shelters.
Rocky Mountain Shelters - 7:07
Chimney Rock - 11:48
Tumbling Run Shelters - 15:50 

Kelly Kettle - Using Pine Cones as Fuel

This is my Kelly Kettle chimney type water boiler. It's a little heavy to take on the trail for any distance but is fun on quick overnights or messing around in the back yard. It boils water very very quickly and burns pretty much anything that is lying around. I wanted one really bad so my wife got me one for Christmas a couple years ago. It's one of those things you absolutely must have until you have one. In this video I'm burning pine cones as fuel - and almost part of my back yard by accident. This is the small aluminum version and it holds about 20oz of water.

https://www.kellykettleusa.com/aluminum-trekker-small-kelly-kettler

Beagle Gap – Calf Mountain – Shenandoah National Park – Zhiyun Smooth-Q

The view at Little Calf Mountain is outstanding, as is the easy 1 mile hike to it. There is ample parking at the Beagle Gap parking area in-between mile posts 99 and 100. There is no view at the Calf Mountain Summit but there is a disc inset marker just south of a large rock pile marking the summit. The distance from the parking to the rock pile is 1.8 miles. I thought the shelter was a lot closer (it is as the crow flies and how my GPS indicated) but the trail circles far North before the side trail cuts back to the shelter. It is a full 2.7 miles to the shelter from Beagle Gap. The spring appeared to be working well. The approach to the shelter and the trail North of the Calf Mountain Summit skirts private property and some interesting hunting dwellings / structures. There were cars present at some of them. At one point on the trail there was a large sign indicating the property was up for sale. The shelter was only a couple tenths of a mile from the park boundary and the shelter showed signs of poor maintenance and maybe homeless activity. Given it was the cold of winter and I was hiking alone, I chose to hike back to the parking and end my journey for the day. 

Hike starts at 2:13

Chimney Rock and Calvary Rocks – Shenandoah National Park

This is a really nice hike that can be done as an easy day hike or combined with any number of moderately strenuous loop options. I chose to hike 3.4 miles from the Riprap trail head parking at mile post 90 to the rocks and back, and then another 3.5 miles to BlackRock Hut for the night.
There are a number of turns on this hike, so pay attention! From the parking lot, take the blue blaze trail at the sign just a short way up to to the white blazed Appalachian Trail and turn right. The Riprap trail is on the left about 0.4 miles north on the AT. The Calvary Rocks are about 0.8 miles from the intersection with the AT and Chimney Rock another 0.5 miles. The view from the viewpoint just before Calvary rocks is awesome. On the way to Chimney Rock, don’t be fooled by the Calvary rock formations on the left – keep going. Chimney Rock is right on the trail on the edge of a cliff. The outer chimney is too far to jump to – DON’T! I did want to get to the bottom of the formations and bushwhacked clockwise to get there. I should have gone off to the right, it’s much easier to get down that way. The formation is really cool and I highly recommend going to the bottom and walking around inside the formation. If it were a lot warmer and I were a lot younger I'd climb all over this thing!

Viewpoint - 4:45
Calvary Rocks - 6:20
Chimney Rock - 6:43
#bluffage - 9:30
Suspended rock - 10:35
Shout out to Shawn - 12:55
Camp - 14:18

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hikeriprap.htm
https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/Riprap_RoadTrail.pdf

I already had a video of the BlackRock Hut here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD3v8KAzRxg

Hiking with Shawn: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkPCRdch1HDCKfayXJ6KiLw

Lindamood School - Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia - Appalachian Trail

Stopped by this iconic schoolhouse located at the Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia right on the Appalachian Trail. The Museum places water for the hikers in the box in the corner of the school. There is often trail magic and other goodies available. Today there was only frozen water. It is really neat, no wonder so many people stop here. I'll be sure to visit the rest of the property on a section hike when they reopen the whole property in the Spring.
http://www.settlersmuseum.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SettlersMuseum/  

Piney Point Lighthouse – Winter Storm Grayson – Zhiyun Smooth-Q

Taking a quick walk at Piney Point Lighthouse in Southern Maryland during winter storm Grayson to try out my new Zhiyun Smooth-Q 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer. It will take a little time to learn hot to use it well, but I think this came out well for my 1^st attempt! The wind was blowing 44 knots (51 mph). I’m a sailor and have sailed this section of the Potomac many times – it was blowing dogs off chains out there – great blue stink!

https://www.visitstmarysmd.com/site/detail/piney-point-lighthouse-museum-and-historic-park

http://lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=437

Groovy Icicles on the AT

Appalachian Trail – Albright Loop Trail – Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

This was a quick overnighter where I wanted to get some practice in very cold conditions again. The weather did not disappoint, it was 1°F! I parked at the Humpback Rocks parking area on Skyline Drive and hiked a short 3.6 miles to the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. Total loop distance, including down to the shelter, is 6.4 miles. The shelter has great water and privy.

Check out RockEastwood Outdoors: https://www.youtube.com/user/rockeastwood14

Check out Bassfishing SoMD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RAIXZQOn2k

Old Dominion Appalachian Trail club: http://www.odatc.net/

BlackRock Gear: https://www.blackrockgear.com/