Blue Ridge shuttle runs

I have a place on mount weather in bluemont, and while I have been building trail on our property, the lower end doesn't connect to a road. This is a problem.

I have been looking at the topo maps for the area, and I think there is a potential shuttle run from the raven rocks down to 643. Some minor pedaling at the end, but on the map it looks doable on a big bike. The legality of this route is somewhat questionable and the topozone map is sufficiently out of date that the AT sort of disappears around the area in question, so I was hoping some locals might have some info on the area.

There also looks to be some potential coming from 601 down toward the river between rt 7 and rt 50, but as I said, my maps are out of date. Any firsthand experience in the area?

I know there is a section of the AT that is shuttleable, but i dont want to anger the trail nazis if i can avoid it.

Bearmntpicnic said:

dont ride the AT.

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I know the AT is sacred, but don't tell me you've never poached a trail.

I'm not the guy you met I'm afraid. I went back to cali and totally forgot about you guys down in the valley. However, the main trail now goes from the road to the bottom of my driveway and is quite fun, but the extension down to the bottom of my property still needs work.

I live on the mount weather side facing east-ish. Our property *i think* borders trappe farm on the south end, but its densely wooded and steep and rocky and nobody ever really goes there. We don't really know the downhill neighbors, but it's possible that they would allow a trail to cross through as long as it didn't get too much use and we didn't build any huge dangerous stunts.

Do you have a gps unit?

corey_dcstreet said:

Mt Weather? I'd be more worried about getting shot by the 'shadow government' than heckled by the granolas... that place has always fascinated me...

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/mt_weather.htm

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PS: mount weather is indeed freaky. they've been pretty quiet lately, but the road gets repaved all the time and the always plow before anything else. sweet for us.

As for poaching the AT, I have seen other riders and done it myself on occasion. You just have to go to areas that arent in actual parks with the accompanying rangers. The worst thing that will happen to you there is a trail nazi with a cell phone calling you in. That can usually be avoided by totally getting off the bike and being super duper polite. It also helps to be on a small bike without armor.

Why I poached a trial just yesterday. It was great.

dhphoto said:

Yeah pretty much. I've hiked some of the AT myself, and one of the reasons I go is to get away from the world for a bit. I would venture a guess that others you might encounter out there would feel the same and may not be quite as bike friendly, IMO. I'm all for some sketchy situations, but not on the AT.

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Actually the people I met last time riding the AT were super friendly. It was kinda wierd. They actually stopped to talk and seemed interested in the fact that we were able to get down the trail (pretty rocky and steep).

While the AT is a NP, it also crosses through other real parks (Smoky Mountain, Skyline, etc.) and these are typically where the rangers reside. I don't make a habit of riding it, nor do I plan to, but as I said before, don't act like you've never poached a trail. If any of you can honestly say you've never had any illicit dirt on your tires I'll mail you my left nut.