Fire ring by the trail. Look at all the flowers! You might think the trail goes straight on. It doesn’t it runs to the left of the fire ring.
Galaxy S21 Ultra
Pilot Trail — I’ve taken pictures here before, but each time the light, the vegetation and the trail are different.
April 29, 2023 14:51
Sig Sauer P938 Extreme, Alien Gear Shape Shift Retention Holster, and a spare magazine — I could have sworn that magazine was full when I headed out.
April 29, 2023 13:17
Preparing and eating lunch — time to have some lunch before getting on the trail. And finally the sun has come out! +1
April 29, 2023 13:09
Packing away — It rained quite a lot last night and the drips were still falling from the trees, so I kept the tarp up while I packed everything away.
April 29, 2023 12:37
Lollygagging — it was quite cold early in the morning, I was glad I bought my big puffy jacket and some base layer pants to wear.
April 29, 2023 11:57
Once again camped at ‘Deep Hollow’ and it is summer tarp and bug net time. +1
April 29, 2023 11:49
Day Two — Starts with a lazy morning — and a morning cuppa! Two-minute read, +1
April 29, 2023 10:33
Here’s where I leave the Pilot Trail — Everything has gone green in the last few weeks. This is the point where the forest road I take to my ‘Deep Hollow’ campsite joins the Pilot Trail. Neither are that obvious from this viewpoint.
April 28, 2023 18:02
Trailside curiosities: ATV Tracks and a marker sign has been attached to a new tree. +1
April 28, 2023 15:44
Hike over, obligatory end of hike selfie — Trip total, a very modest 10.5 miles and 1,000 ft. of elevation gain.
March 19, 2023 15:58
Icicles on the Mary Hollow Trail — not huge, but I’ll take it as a sign of how cold it has been.
March 19, 2023 14:09
McGarr Spring — looking a lot nicer in the sunshine. I filled up my water bottle before starting my hike out.
March 19, 2023 13:44
I’m in no rush … I don’t need to be home until this evening, and it’ll only take around two hours to hike back to the trailhead. I might as well relax for a while.
March 19, 2023 11:41
Impressive food bag hang — even if I say so myself. at least 20 ft.
March 19, 2023 8:45
Camped overlooking McGarr Spring — It’s embarrassing to admit how long it took me to find the two trees I used when I camped here back in December. So I’ll just say It was far too long.
March 19, 2023 8:44
Frosty Morning — My coldest night out on the trail. Last night at 15°F, and ironically, I was too hot! There was even ice inside my hammock. +2
March 19, 2023 8:42
Scenic view of the North Fork River — Once my (leisurely) lunch was over there was nothing else but to tackle the three-hundred-foot climb to the McGarr Ridge Trail. This scenic overlook gave me an excellent excuse to catch my breath.
March 18, 2023 15:11
Blue Spring — This is popular area, I met seven people — two families — out for an afternoon walk while I was heating and eating my lunch here. I was last here with Ginger on a wedding anniversary backpacking trip, February 20, 2011.
March 18, 2023 13:36
North Fork River from the Blue Spring Trail — 1:30 p.m., time to make lunch and replenish my water.
March 18, 2023 13:35
Blue Spring Trailhead — You have to walk through the North Fork Recreation Area Campground to get to the trail that leads to Blue Spring and on into the Devil’s Backbone Wilderness and the McGarr Ridge Trail.
March 18, 2023 13:29
The Ridge Runner Trail Trailhead needs a bit of TLC. +1
March 18, 2023 13:19
One hour later … Crossing County Road CC — Once on the trail it was straightforward to follow, and where it crosses CC is easy to spot once you know where to look! +3
March 18, 2023 13:11
Ooh look, there are newish blazes on this trail too. Note the buff to keep my ears warm.