G. Richard Thompson weekend survey
Jim Tomlin
I spent two full days this weekend walking side trails and forest
roads in GRTWMA, and acquiring positions for parking areas and trail
intersections. Attached is a general map of what trails I covered.
I found quite a few potential changes for the next Map 8. Working
from N to S on the PATC Map 8 insert map of GRTWMA,
1. All parking areas have been renamed. Each now has a name, not a
number. This is true for the parking areas along the ridgetop road
and along Rt. 688 to the east of the WMA. I wrote down all the names
and photographed each parking area informational sign (the GRTWMA map
says these are "kiosks", but they are just trailhead signs with small
roofs, not kiosks).
2. At the junction of the ridgetop road and Deer Path Lane, there is a
handmade sign "No Access to the Appalachian Trail". I took a photo of
it. So possibly the fire road shown on Map 8 that extends past the
A.T. should be cut short of it. I did not have time to drive down the
road.
3. The parking area shown as Parking Area #6 on the old Map 8 is the
uphill end of a very well-maintained forest road, which goes downhill
all the way to the intersection of the Verlin Smith Trail and the
ruins of an old metal shed. It could be shown on our next map as a
gated road instead of a trail. One could practically drive a sports
car on it.
4. This road continues to the WMA boundary and is shown on old Map 8
as a trail to "Private", but it degenerates swiftly after it leaves
the Verlin Smith trail, continuing downhill. It goes into a clearcut
area and becomes a bushwhack. I did follow it all the way to the end
(tearing up my clothes). It ends at a gate and a private residence
and driveway. I would suggest eliminating this section of trail from
the new Map 8 and/or putting "No Public Access" where it currently
says "Private".
5. The short trail shown as blue-blazed on the Map 8 insert that goes
from the road leaving Parking #6 to the A.T. is indeed the only
blue-blazed trail that I found. It is in good condition.
6. Parking Area #5 is no more. It is now just a pull-off on the
shoulder of the forest road that ends there. The forest road is in
good shape and is gated. It could be shown as a gated road on the new
map. Thom reached this road on his loop hike and would know how far
the road continued.
7. There is a heavily-used connector trail that is not shown on the
PATC Map 8 but is shown on the GRTWMA map. It goes from the Ted Lake
Trail to the forest road that leads downhill from Parking #5, right
near the junction of the AT with the Parking #5 road. I walked it and
GPSed it. A lot of people were seen using it to make a loop trail
from the Upper Ted Lake Parking Area to Manassas Gap Shelter and back.
I would suggest adding this connector trail to our new Map 8.
8. I could not find the dead-end trail going W from the junction of
the AT and the Ted Lake Trail. The old Map 8 shows a trail > 1000'
long leaving this junction and dead-ending. I found no trace of it.
It could probably be eliminated from the new Map 8.
9. Ted Lake Trail is in good condition from bottom to top. It is
completely unblazed. It is not blue-blazed, as specified on the old
Map 8.
10. I tried but could not follow the trail near the Lower Ted Lake
Parking Area off Rt. 688 that is shown as "Trail Poorly Maintained" on
the old PATC Map 8. I could find both ends of it, but both ends
petered out in the woods. I would suggest making the Ted Lake Trail
look like it does on the GRTWMA map.
Near Thompson Lake:
1. The trail shown circumnavigating the lake to the north is awful. A
real difficult bushwhack. I would probably suggest leaving it on Map
8 because it is shown on the GRTWMA map and there are a lot of people
congregating around the lake, which probably will keep it visible.
2. The short forest road that goes from Thom's circuit hike to Rt. 688
is clear. There is a gate at Rt. 688 (this is about 2000' south of
the entrance to the Thompson Lake Parking Area on Rt. 688). There are
NO PARKING signs all over Rt. 688 at the forest road gate. I took
photos. They really want you to park at the Thompson Lake Parking
Area.
3. I traversed the old AT access cutoff trail shown on the old Map 8
and not shown on the GRTWMA map. It goes from the trail leading due
north from the Thompson Lake Dam that Thom hiked, all the way to the
A.T. near Dicks Dome Shelter. If it were in good condition, it would
be the fastest way to the A.T. from the Thompson Lake Parking Area.
The trail was easy to see; it had been well-maintained up to a few
years ago (lots of sawed blowdowns on it). But it is a real terrible
mess now. One local hiker said that he slogs it in winter, but
"Forget it in summer - you'd need a machete". There are many
blowdowns and tangles blocking it on the lower half. The upper half
of it is quite good. This would be a great candidate trail to clear,
since it provides faster access the the A.T. northbound, and is
half-clear already. One person and a dog had traversed it this
weekend, based on footprints. But you really have to "want it" in
order to force yourself over, around, through, sloshing in many cases
in ankle-deep water, to get through all the tangled blowdowns.
I can send more detailed, zoomed-in sub-maps and .gpx files of my
weekend scouting work to the Maps Committee. These will show the names
of all the Parking areas, locations of intersections and parking
areas, and more detail of the GPS tracks that I covered on foot and in
the truck. The attached map is just a zoomed-out general map to show
where I visited.
Jim T.
D. Tundra
I went to the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area today and came back with 2
ticks on me. I was wearing long pants and long sleeve shirt. I did not sit
on the ground.
So, the ticks are officially out. It's time to get back into the habit of
wearing gaiters sprayed with Permethrin, and maybe pants and shits as well.
It's time to apply Deet 30% or more on your skin. It's time to check your
whole body after coming home from a hike.
I would also "not" recommend going to the Soldiers Delight, or any other
pine or serpentine barren area from now on till the first frost - ticks are
abundant there. If you do go, be extra cautious. Ticks smell blood from a
very long distance. If you even have the tiniest wound, immediately treat
it and apply band-aid.
Finally, remove the ticks from your skin slowly. I pulled the second tick
too hard and its head didn't get out of me with the tick. Had to get it out
with tweezers.
Dimitri T.
Thom Kaye
* Please note change of email address
Jim Tomlin
email them. I copied the data to my home PC, but didn't bring it to
work with me today.
Notes from my spiral notebook:
3/12/2011 G. Richard Thompson WMA
Upper Ted Lake Parking Area
Well-marked w/hanging sign by driveway entrance
Room for 30+ cars
Skyline Parking Area
West side of road - no east side trail access visible
Room for 25 cars
Trillium Trail Parking Area
Easy to miss entrance on the east - unmarked driveway
Room for 12-15 cars
Gated fire road on NE corner of parking area
Unnamed Parking Area
on east shoulder of road
Room for 12 cars
Old gated fire road to E (downhill)
No "kiosk" (sign) as indicated on GRTWMA map
At junction of 638 (paved) & gravel road leading north
Rt 638 turns west here and gravel road continues N along ridge
Ridge Parking Area
E side of road, 2 driveways lead to it
N Driveway has "Fire Trail" road sign, S driveway unmarked
Room for 8 cars
One old road leads SE from parking area
Rock Spring Parking Area
Unmarked driveway to E leads to it
Room for 8 cars
No trail access visible
County Line Parking Area
Unmarked driveway to E leads to it
Room for 12-14 cars
No trail access visible
Appalachian Trail Parking Area
Unmarked driveway to E leads to it
Room for 15 cars
Obvious trail access at SE of parking area (a mowed grassy path through vines)
Orchard Parking Area
Unmarked driveway to E leads to it
Room for 10 cars
Trail access at the informational sign
Lower Ted Lake Parking Area
Large sign by driveway entrance
Room for 30+ cars
Trailhead for Ted Lake Trail is well-marked with sign
Trail is gated at trailhead
Lake Thompson Parking Area
Driveway indication sign vandalized, broken off, missing
Room for 25 cars
Trailhead unmarked, just a fire road leading S
Fire road has a gate; gate was open up to handicapped
parking/unloading area by dam
I'll send coordinates for all of these parking areas this evening.
Jim T.