Bear Church Rock hike
Posted on 08/24/2013 in misc
With a forecast of 78 and low humidity, there was no way I was going to waste a day like that on yard work or chores. Both kids were busy so I hiked solo at Bear Church Rock. It was actually the first time I had ever done that. I made it home without getting eaten by a bear.
The hike starts next to the Rapidan River and also follows the Stautoun River for a while. The first 2.2 miles of the hike are comfortably flat paralleling a river.
This looks like a great swimming hole.
At about 2.2 miles you turn left away from the river and the trail gets much steeper all the way to the top at about 4 miles. On the way I passed through the tunnel of mountain laurel that I'm sure would be spectacular in bloom.
The trail also featured countless spiderwebs spun across the trail. This is one that I saw before I walked into it. There were many that I did not see in time.
The spiders and the climb were worth it, as this was the reward at the top. I didn't see a single human on the way up.
That is Old Rag in the distance. There is absolutely no sign of human civilization from up there. I could not see a house, farm, cell tower, or road. I was no hurry to give up my peaceful solitude so I made a pillow out of my backpack and took a little siesta. I got about 15 minutes in before another hiker joined me on the rock.
The trek down was uneventful. On the way out I passed what has to be one of the smallest post offices ever in operation.
And no southern town is complete without a Civil War Memorial.
On the way in I had to stop for directions as my printout from Google Maps was missing the final turn. I stopped in at a county store / gas station. There were two old guys sitting by a wood stove chewing the fat, as they say. 5 hours later on my way out I stopped in for a cold drink. The old guys were still there. They are probably still there.