This hike occured on Tuesday, January 1, 2019. Participants were
Mary & Ronald Gordon, their grandson Xander, Jeanne Bacot, Randall &
Laura Bartlett, their son John, Ann & Jon Fowler, their sons Andrew &
Thomas, Dave McIntyre and Mike Calabrese.
As usual we all met at the POPUMC parking lot. Since this was a First Day
Hike we met at 1:00 PM so people that stayed up for New Years Eve could sleep
in. Unlike last year the weather today was exceptionally warm. It was 60
degrees at sunrise, 57 when we started the hike and would fall to the low
50's by the time that we finished.
So we drove all of the cars to the eastern trailhead of this 3.5 mile hike. We
left my vehicle there and then drove the remaining vehicles back to the
western trailhead and started from there. We had 13 participants for this hike. That was a good number in that the group was not too small, not too
big but just right for hiking.
We started out in the woods for the first 1,000 feet or so. Then we hiked
another 1,000 feet or so along a power line right of way. This area was
extremely muddy from all of the recent rains. We would occasionally leave this ROW to cross a bridge, go up on the ridge or take part of the well maintained
gravel paths in the middle pf the park. But we would always return to the
muddy power line right of way. It was muddy. All of us would get muddy
shoes and pants by the time it was over. And some of us would slip and fall
in the mud. But we all survived.
There was one blowdown within the first few miles of the hike but we
managed to get around it with no issues. Generally speaking, with the
exception of the mud the trail was in decent shape. The trail blazes were
faint and probably need to be refreshed. Hopefully, some volunteer group
will do that eventually. Long term plans call for this trail to be moved
from the power line ROW into the woods so that the footing is better. The
bridges along this trail were in the woods in anticipation of the trail being
moved there eventually. The signage was good at the beginning and the end
of this hike but very sparse in the middle.
During the hike we had some great conversations among us participants. I
learned a lot about those that I was hiking with and I'm sure that they
learned a lot about me. I think that the kids had fun though I'm sure
that their parents made them shower and put on some clean clothes after this
hike. I know that I did.
Once we returned to the eastern trailhead I shuttled all of the drivers back
to the western trailhead so that they could retrieve their vehicles. They
followed me back to the eastern trailhead, we loaded up the vehicles,
returned to POPUMC and said our goodbyes.
This was a decent hike. The weather was perfect. If the trail would not
have been so muddy it would have been a perfect hike. But the trails have
been muddy for the last 3 or 4 hikes that we have done because of the record
amount of rainfall that we have received over the last few months. We are
scheduled to return to this park in July, 2023. Our next hike is at
Leopolds Preserve near Haymarket, VA on Saturday, January 5, 2019. I hope
that the weather will be as good as it was today. And that we encounter
less mud on the trail.
Mike C
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Group picture near end of hike.
By Mary Gordon

Looking at the digital map.
By Mary Gordon
On the trail @ Andrew Leitch Park.
By Mary Gordon
Jon & Randall @ Andrew Leitch Park.
By Mary Gordon
Ann, Laura & Dave @ Andrew Leitch Park.
By Mary Gorton
Taking a break @ 2 mile mark. By Mike Calabrese
Navigating a blowdown. By Mike Calabrese
Navigating a blowdown 2. By Mike Calabrese
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