{"id":3653,"date":"2009-10-04T13:50:26","date_gmt":"2009-10-04T21:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tommangan.net\/twoheeldrive\/?p=3653"},"modified":"2010-02-21T18:42:37","modified_gmt":"2010-02-22T02:42:37","slug":"sauratown-loop-trail-not-bad-for-a-wrong-turn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tommangan.net\/twoheeldrive\/index.php\/2009\/10\/04\/sauratown-loop-trail-not-bad-for-a-wrong-turn\/","title":{"rendered":"Sauratown Loop Trail: Not bad for a wrong turn"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had some exploring at Hanging Rock State Park in mind — the goal was to park at a remote trailhead and trek over to the Moore’s Wall Loop, which has an excellent view of Hanging Rock from the next hill over. Never got there; never came close. Well, I was within the park boundaries; except when I wasn’t. <\/p>\n

\"Wrong<\/p>\n

I started out at the Tory’s Den trailhead, where my last hike here ended a couple weeks back, glanced at the big map on the signboard and figured the trail markers would do the rest. It was a glorious morning to be hiking, and glorious woods to be walking in: dashes of fall color, empty trails, nothing but breezes, bird songs and one noisy squirrel blasting his way from tree to tree. <\/p>\n

Perfect conditions to send a hiker way, way in the wrong direction if he misses his left turn at Mile .3. I was three miles deep into the forest before it occurred to me to consult the map for my next turn. I walked on a bit more and thought this’d be a great time to try some GPS navigation for the first time. First thing I notice: I’m due southing when I want to be southeasting. Then I pan out on the view of my GPS track, compare it to my map and realize: crap, I’m totally on the Sauratown Loop Trail; if I stick to my original plan it’s a good five miles to the bottom of Moore’s Wall and another four miles after that, then four miles back to the car. Talk about a bliss kill. <\/p>\n

Because I’m not Fedak,<\/a> I do not glory at the prospect of an extra five miles with a thousand feet of climb, so I formulate a new plan: follow the orange blazes, hope my GPS batteries last and pray that I haven’t actually strayed onto the main Sauratown Trail — which connects Hanging Rock to Pilot Mountain State Park and goes even further out of my way. <\/p>\n

I had to sweat a mile and a half of fretting over the worst-case scenario — that I was truly, deeply lost — vs. the merely annoying scenario, that of retracing all my steps if the right trail didn’t show up soon. <\/p>\n

The trail did turn up, and from there it was about a mile and half of easy walking back to the car. I’m actually thankful for the wrong turn now, because it gave me a story to tell. The Sauratown Loop is about six miles with lots of up-and-down. It’s a fine walk (provided you dodge the horse poop — it’s a shared trail) that’s long on solitude but short on visual splendor. <\/p>\n

I took a few pictures, but knock-your-socks-off photo-ops weren’t happening. <\/p>\n

\"Nice<\/a><\/p>\n

See, it’s an Eastern deciduous forest in early October — about what you’d expect this far south. <\/p>\n

\"Broke-off<\/a><\/p>\n

I did like the way my flash lit up this stump. <\/p>\n

\"Wacky<\/a><\/p>\n

Not sure what was holding this termite-bitten tree vertical. Looks like horses and deer had scratched off about half of it. <\/p>\n

\"Bit<\/a><\/p>\n

One little vista, the only one on the route. <\/p>\n

\"It's<\/a><\/p>\n

I love the way these signs always seem to be pointing in the only available direction. <\/p>\n

\"Sauratown<\/a><\/p>\n

Another sign on the trees. <\/p>\n

\"Fall<\/a><\/p>\n

See, it is a pretty trail. Quite a bit of climbing in some places; my GPS tracked over 1000 feet of ascent over the course of six miles. <\/p>\n

\"Not<\/a><\/p>\n

I think the Blair Witch put this sign up. <\/p>\n

\"Trail<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, the trail sign I was looking for, revealing I had walked an extra three miles to reach this point. I head back, scouting for my missed turn. <\/p>\n

\"Key<\/a><\/p>\n

Here it is: the sign assumes all the hikers and equestrians will be coming from the opposite direction. I walked right past it, missed my left turn and barreled on into oblivion. But it was good kind of oblivion. <\/p>\n

Related links: <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. EveryTrail trip and GPS tracks. <\/a> | ET Destination page<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Waterfalls of Hanging Rock.<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. My first Hanging Rock hike.<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Hanging Rock State Park\u2019s official web page.<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Trail map<\/a> (PDF download).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Google map of the trailhead. <\/p>\n