isaacjamesbaker - Mar 17, 2022 12:38 pm Date Climbed: Feb 5, 2022
Solitude in the cold
I was waiting for a really nice cold day to do this hike, which turned out great. (I don't play around anymore with Shenandoah off-trail bushwhacks in warmer weather due to ticks.) The way up was pretty easy, following a faint trail. The true summit doesn't have much views, but keep going just a bit and check out the south-facing slabs. Really cool place to sit and observe Mary's Rock. I must've sat there an hour just watching ravens. There's also some cool boulders just to the north of the slabs that, at least in winter, offered some great views to the north. After the slabs, I found the bushwhack a bit less intuitive and got mixed up a bit. The other high points aren't the greatest, but the furthest high point to the east has a sick rock outcropping. On the way back, I ended up losing the trail and heading south down a ravine and got a good amount of mountain laurel -- again, winter is awesome. A really delightful solo hike that's worth checking out if you like solitude with your Shenandoah views.
cgard61 - Mar 2, 2016 2:26 pm Date Climbed: Nov 20, 2013
kept Going East
I had tried this bushwack in Sept 2013 but realized I stopped before I got to the true summit. This time, I continued further east to the summit.
tbaranski - Nov 30, 2014 9:57 am Date Climbed: Nov 29, 2014
A fine bushwack
Did this one twice in the last two weeks -- the second time in ~6 inches of snow. Fun stuff. I find that the best views are actually on some rocks above the slabs (left side of the trail), but the 3rd summit isn't too shabby either.
hightinerary - Dec 19, 2011 2:30 pm Date Climbed: Dec 19, 2011
Lovin' the Oven
I stood on every high point along the ridge, all the way to the eastern (and best) summit. It was more or less a bushwhack, but a pleasant one.
Did it a few years back by going up the Pass Mountain Trail (Turnbridge Trail) to where it used to intesect with the Butterwood Branch Trail and the Oventop Trail and then following the unmaintained Oventop Trail - you can still go that way, but it's probably more of a bushwhack now.
CheesySciFi - Dec 2, 2009 7:42 am Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2007
Took a different trail
In July 2006 and February 2007, I hiked up the Pass Mountain Trail, and started hiking up the old trail along the ridge. At the site of a couple of large blowdowns, a trail went off to the right and continued below the ridge. Eventually, the trail gained the ridge near an outcropping of rock that offered views to the south and southwest. From there, I turned back toward the west and hiked along the ridge to the true summit.
isaacjamesbaker - Mar 17, 2022 12:38 pm Date Climbed: Feb 5, 2022
Solitude in the coldI was waiting for a really nice cold day to do this hike, which turned out great. (I don't play around anymore with Shenandoah off-trail bushwhacks in warmer weather due to ticks.) The way up was pretty easy, following a faint trail. The true summit doesn't have much views, but keep going just a bit and check out the south-facing slabs. Really cool place to sit and observe Mary's Rock. I must've sat there an hour just watching ravens. There's also some cool boulders just to the north of the slabs that, at least in winter, offered some great views to the north. After the slabs, I found the bushwhack a bit less intuitive and got mixed up a bit. The other high points aren't the greatest, but the furthest high point to the east has a sick rock outcropping. On the way back, I ended up losing the trail and heading south down a ravine and got a good amount of mountain laurel -- again, winter is awesome. A really delightful solo hike that's worth checking out if you like solitude with your Shenandoah views.
cgard61 - Mar 2, 2016 2:26 pm Date Climbed: Nov 20, 2013
kept Going EastI had tried this bushwack in Sept 2013 but realized I stopped before I got to the true summit. This time, I continued further east to the summit.
tbaranski - Nov 30, 2014 9:57 am Date Climbed: Nov 29, 2014
A fine bushwackDid this one twice in the last two weeks -- the second time in ~6 inches of snow. Fun stuff. I find that the best views are actually on some rocks above the slabs (left side of the trail), but the 3rd summit isn't too shabby either.
hightinerary - Dec 19, 2011 2:30 pm Date Climbed: Dec 19, 2011
Lovin' the OvenI stood on every high point along the ridge, all the way to the eastern (and best) summit. It was more or less a bushwhack, but a pleasant one.
Buz Groshong - Dec 7, 2009 1:51 pm
Now a bushwhackDid it a few years back by going up the Pass Mountain Trail (Turnbridge Trail) to where it used to intesect with the Butterwood Branch Trail and the Oventop Trail and then following the unmaintained Oventop Trail - you can still go that way, but it's probably more of a bushwhack now.
CheesySciFi - Dec 2, 2009 7:42 am Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2007
Took a different trailIn July 2006 and February 2007, I hiked up the Pass Mountain Trail, and started hiking up the old trail along the ridge. At the site of a couple of large blowdowns, a trail went off to the right and continued below the ridge. Eventually, the trail gained the ridge near an outcropping of rock that offered views to the south and southwest. From there, I turned back toward the west and hiked along the ridge to the true summit.