November 2: Appalachian Trail from Va. 311 to McAfee Knob and back. 7.8 miles.
One goal on this favorite was to try to run into, as we nearly always do, ultra runner Joseph Teh, to talk to him about a possible story for Blue Ridge Country’s sister magazine, Life Outside. But as fate has it so often, we didn’t see him—slightly unusual in that the last time we went up (actually coming down on the forest road), I asked him with a grin if this might be his third time for the day, and he said yes, it was. maybe next time. A good crowd on the nice rayon the rocks, and a strong climb from The Day Hiker, who goes at it more adamantly when she has a destination, especially one she likes.
November 8: Appalachian Trail from Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 97 to Wilson Creek Shelter and back. 6.4 miles.
We picked this hike because it was cold and the plan was to build a fire. But the combination of a good pace and a good sun warmed The Day Hiker sufficiently that we ate under said sun at the picnic table, and in good comfort.
November 15: Andy Layne Trail and Appalachian Trail to Tinker Cliffs and back. 7.6 miles.
On another cold day, we set out with the maybe 30 percent chance we’d get to Scorched Earth Gap where the Andy Layne meets the AT, and decide to go north on the great trail to the Lambert’s Meadow Shelter for a fire rather than up to the winds of the open Tinker Cliffs. And once again, the climb and the sun were a strong enough combination to dismiss the fire and go for the view. And our favorite rock for lunch was not only nearly breeze-free but warm enough and undisturbed enough for a brief nap before we headed back down.
November 22: Cornelius Creek Trail to Appalachian Trail to Black Rock and back. 7.2 miles.
“I didn’t really foresee us going up the Cornelius Creek Trail again,” I said to The Day Hiker as I finally caught up with her for water at the top of the steep section of the Cornelius Creek Trail, after it turns away from the creek. But on this day, given time constraints and the recollection between us that just shy of the Black Rock overlook is a shielding rock that sits in the afternoon sun, we took it on. And the 2,000-foot climb, accented by that steep rocky stretch, reinforced that the more leisurely parallel of the Apple Orchard Trail is indeed the way to go up, saving the Cornelius Creek for the descent. We had a comfortable lunch on the overlook. Well, not the top of the overlook, since the whiney dog can’t get up there, but close enough to see half of the view anyway, and the dog didn’t even look at that part.
November 30: (In eastern Baltimore County) Honeygo Boulevard to Honeygo park and its 2.1-mile loop and back. 3.2 miles.
The shortest hike of the month was also by far the most distant from home, as it was undertaken the morning after the 50th reunion of the Kenwood High School class of 1964, which I think would easily take any national competition for the most self-aware and celebratory of any high school class ever. And likely take the Most Complete Website for a Single Class competition as well. The hike itself was undertaken from about a half mile north of the park, in the Dunkin Donuts lot, which provided us a pretty good end-of-loop destination, since the walk was pre-breakfast. Among the highlights: A nicely wooded loop trail complete with an official Maryland Scenic Overlook, offering a view down maybe 40 feet to the flow of Honeygo Run, we assumed. The park was full of walkers on the upper paved loop, but we had the wooded loop nearly completely to ourselves.
