Nalgene Bottle

Gear Review: Nalgene Bottle

 

Pros:  Holds a full 32oz. of water, comes in all the great Nalgene colors, reasonably durable, light weight, low cost, water purifier screws to the top, the new plastic no longer causes cancer.

Cons:  The cancer free plastic is not nearly as durable as the old lexan. 

 

Personal Thoughts:  For some reason when they came out with that new info that said the Nalgene bottles could cause cancer or something like that everyone got rid of their storied sticker covered bottles and switched to trendy metal ones.  (I am not pointing fingers I was one of them) However Nalgene is back and those metal water bottle companies had better be ware. 

So why do I like Nalgene better than the metal ones besides the fact that they come in tons of cool colors, are the prominate place to put stickers from all of your adventures, actually hold a full 32oz. of water, and work so well with purification systems? 

Consider the durability, I will admit that the new plastic is no longer capable of being chucked over every cliff and run over by 15 passenger vans, but then again we only did that for fun anyway.  The plastic is not going to crack if you drop it from mouth height and it is defiantly going to be ok if it slips out of your pack and rolls down the mountain.  Metal ones not so much.  Sure they don’t break but they do dent.  I had my primus one for less than a week and dropped it on a rock and it got a nice dent in the side.  Nalgenes don’t do that. 

Then there is the fact that they are now cancer free.  For what its worth you no longer have to worry about growing a third leg if you drink from the new “every day” (that is what they all say on the side for some reason) Nalgene.

Nalgene has said high adventure for a long time and now it says it again in a cancer free form, that still (and most importantly) makes all of those cool destination and gear stickers look really really good!

So go out and get your self one or two of the new cancer free (have I said that enough to ease your doubts) Nalgenes and reunite with an old lost love.

Spruce Knob National Rercreation Area

Day 1

Hike: Hike In

Trails: Seneca Creek Trail (515)

Location: Spruce Knob National Recreation Area

Specs: This trail begins at the Seneca Creek parking lot and gradually descends, following Seneca creek, about 720 feet over the course of 5 miles to Seneca Falls.

Difficulty: Easy

Description: We found our way up through winding mountain roads to the Seneca Creek Parking Lot where we tightened up our packs and headed down the Seneca creek Trail. The trail descends very gradually through Hardwood forest with many spruce trees mingled in. There are several points where the trail becomes a corridor between thick stands of spruce trees. The trail is an old road for about a mile and then narrows down to a well worn foot path. The woods were just past their fall peak so there was color all around us as we followed the creek sized stream that is Seneca Creek into the valley. There are many well developed camp sites along the trail that are perfect for setting up a base camp from which to do some nice day hikes or you can load up all of your stuff and hike it up the hills and set up camp somewhere else in the valley. There are several waterfalls along the trail (see points of interest). And the area does get kind of crowded on the weekends so be ready to hike around on the trail a bit to find an open camp site. Lastly be prepared to ford several stream crossings. I believe we encountered 4 and maybe a couple more along the way. They weren’t that bad this time of the year (we used rocks to cross the creek) but in the spring or after a rain I would bring some river crossing shoes.

Point of Interest: Seneca Falls. I had gotten a tip from a local gear shop that there was a cool campsite above and below Seneca Falls and so our goal was to get there and camp the first night. However since neither Jason or I had ever been there we did not know exactly where Seneca falls was (not labeled even on the USGS topos). We ended up not going quite far enough but still found a great site that was kind of secluded across the creek from the trail. It might be hard to get on of the sites at the waterfall (we did manage to snag the one below the fall the second night) but make sure that you hike far enough down the trail to see the falls. If it is warm when you go bring a swim suit because there is a great swimming hole beneath the falls and it might even be deep enough to jump off of the 16 foot falls.

Day 2

Hike: Day 2, Hike up Allegheny Mountain (I think that is what its called at least that is the name of the trail that runs along the top of it)

Trails: Seneca Creek (515), *Horton Trail (580), Allegheny Mountain Trail (532), Bear Hunter Trail (531)

*The Horton trail is also labeled the Horse Rock Trail on the USGS Topo Map that you can purchase for 6 dollars at the Seneca Rocks Visitor Center.

Location: Spruce Knob and Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

Specs: This day loop climbs nearly 1100 feet from Seneca Creek to the crest of the Allegheny Mountain.

Difficulty: Moderate

Description: When you break camp in the morning you will descend even further into the valley following the Seneca Creek trail (Unless you hiked the whole way in and camped at Seneca Falls) until you reach Seneca Falls. Make sure to plan to spend some time here the falls are beautiful and the pool below them would be great for swimming in warm weather, it is also a great photo opp. After you pass Seneca Falls you will come to a trail sign that is pretty worn out. The Name Horton Trail is scratched into the upper left (I think that is where it was) hand corner of the sign and if you look across the creek you can see a blue diamond trail marker on a stump a little ways up the hill. Descend to the creek and work your way across the log bridge (I use that term generously) to cross the creek, it may be a good idea to let someone with good balance go first and have them hold up the railing for the others. (You will se what I mean)

You will now climb up the Horton trail until it meats the Allegheny Mountain trail. This trail rises steadily so take lots of water and don’t rush as there are lost of great places to stop and look across to the High Meadows on the other side of the valley.

When you hit the Allegheny Mountain trail you will make a left and follow it up to the top of the mountain. There are several open wildlife feed plots that are great for eating your lunch but not a lot of views of the valley from the top. (We waited to eat lunch till we came to a plot that was off the trail a bit with a bit of an overgrown road leading back to it)

Proceed along the trail until you come to the Bear Hunter Trail, the sign for this trail has been eaten away at by a lot of little animals but you can still make out (B ar Hnt r) or something like that. If you have time you could turn right and make another loop out of the Bear Hunter Trail and the Swallow Rock trail or you can just turn and go down the mountain like we did.

The Bear Hunter Trail descends the mountain eventually meeting up with a little intermitted stream that flows along side of it to Seneca Creek. I would highly recommend this trail. The draw it is in is shaded from the sun and the Hardwood Forest sprinkled with Spruce trees and the stream, make it a beautiful trail. It also maintains a pretty pleasant grade the whole way down that saves some stress on your legs.

You will arrive at the bottom just down the trail from the Judy Springs campsite and the only bridge on Seneca creek. Take a break and find your self a campsite to set up at for the night or hike out if you were only doing an overnighter.

Hone Quarry Circut

Hike: Hone Quarry Circuit

Trails: Heartbreak Trail (435A) > Hone Quarry Mountain Trail (435) > Big Hollow Trail (430)

Location: Hone Quarry Recreational Area, about 20 miles west of Harrisonburg off of Rt. 257

Specs: The trail is about 6 miles in length and gains 1250 ft. of elevation as you climb to the top of Hone Quarry Ridge.  The trail is marked with yellow blazes and National Forest Signs at trail junctions.  Note: all trails are blazed yellow so there is no change of blaze color to indicate trail change. 

Difficulty: Moderate > Difficult

 

Description:  I started out at the Hone Quarry Campground where I had spent the night.  You follow a gravel road for a no more than ¼ of a mile until you hit a sign for a National Forest trail that points you up a logging road to your left.  As you enter the woods you will find a sign for Trails 435 and 435A and a yellow blaze.  Next you come to a wooden sign that points you onto the Heartbreak Trail, you could go right and follow the Big Hollow trail and do the circuit in reverse but I would recommend following the Heartbreak Trail to the left.

The heart break is a beautiful trail that climbs up the face of the ridge.  It crosses several streams so be ready for water if there has been recent rain.  My favorite parts of this trail were the places where it cut through rock beds.  The Forest Service has done a wonderful job of moving the rocks and creating a stone stairway up the sides of this very steep ridge.  There were still a lot of leaves on the trees but I would imagine that as they fall this trail will lend itself to beautiful views of the valley below.  The trail gets steep at some points and never stops going up.  My map shows that it climbs from 1850 ft. in elevation to 2500 ft. over 1.5 miles.  The trail ends at the Hone Quarry Mountain trail.

 

The Hone Quarry Mountain Trail is a beautiful trail that runs along the spine of Hone Quarry Ridge.  There were still some beautiful little flowers growing on the top of the ridge which was surprising because it has been getting reasonably cold down here in the evenings and there were strong wind gusts that were blowing across the top of the mountain.  There were several points at which the ridge got really narrow and whenever the leaves fall off of the trees you will be able to catch majestic glimpses of the valleys on either side of the mountain.  This trail continues to climb, with the exception of a couple down hills as you follow the rises and runs of the ridge top, to the high point of the circuit where the HQMT meats the Big Hollow Trail at 3100 ft for a total elevation gain of 1250 feet over the course of 4 miles.

 

The Big Hollow Trail then winds its way back down the side of the ridge wrapping out around a finger of the ridge and back through a draw before it begins to follow an intermittent mountain stream down to the base of the ridge.  Walking down this trail was even harder than walking up the other two because you loose all of your elevation in 2 miles making it a rather steep descent.  The trail is cool though as it is hidden in the shade of the ridge and if you were able to hike it when the stream had water in it, it would be a lovely place to sit and eat a lunch or just spend some quiet time.  Make sure you wear a good pair of boots because there are many rocky sections and it would be easy to sprain ankle. 

 

Point of Interest:  There is an amazing overlook about 1.5 miles into the HQMT.  My intention for the hike had been to hike along a narrow ridge in hopes of finding some great overlooks to sit and spend some time at and I was getting frustrated because everything was hidden by the tree leaves.  Then as I made my way up what I thought was the last climb on the ridge (it turns out that I still had .5 miles to go) I could see a break in the trees and just as the trail cut to the right to go down a bit of a steep rocky descent there was a little rock bed that opened up the trees just enough to allow for an amazing view of the valley.  You couldn’t see any roads just wilderness as far as the eye could see.  I can’t even begin to describe the view, all I can say is that it was amazing and I would recommend to anyone that you go and check it out.  It makes the hard up hill hike well worth the effort.  And it provided a great place to sit and just be amazed for a while at all that God has so wonderfully and awesomely made. 

 

Inspiration:  Hiking in general is a good thing.  It keeps you in shape and allows you to build an appreciation for God’s awesome creation.  It lets life slow down for a while and takes you back to simpler things.  However, all of that is pointless without the one who made it all and spending time with Him is always my objective on any wilderness voyage. 

Today I walked through the Psalms for a while as I sat there looking over the gorgeous valley.  First I read Psalm 42, a great place to start when you are out side.  It is a Psalm that encourages you to place your hope in God and to be reminded of that as you gaze out over the vastness and majesty of what He has created is something special. 

Then I read Psalm 40 and was reminded of what God has brought me out of and that He has indeed set my feet on a rock.  A foundation that will last even longer than the huge boulder I was sitting on, longer than even the mountain itself. 

Finally I read Psalm 71 and was reminded at the end that though God has brought be through some really low points in life He is always faithful and that He will always lead me back into the mountain tops. 

And as I was hiking out I began to think of faith.  Being reminded of what God has done for me is good, but it is not something to put faith in.  How can I have faith in something that was already done, if I sat in a chair it wouldn’t take a lot of faith in it to sit again?  I know what God has done for me, I am continually reminded of it and thankful for it but I place my faith and hope in the future and what I know that he will be faithful to continue to do, that He will always pour out His rivers of Grace into my life.  

Why This Blog:

I live in the Shenandoah Valley between two large tracts of beautiful National Forests and some pristine wilderness areas. All you have to do is look to the east and west of Harrisonburg and the valley rushes upwards into stunning mountains that contain some of the most beautiful areas on the east coast. As I drive to work I turn for a short while on to route 33 the road winds its way up and over these beautiful mountains, and everyday I think man Albert its about time you go out there and experienced the beautiful majesty of this special area that God created. So now I am. I went to the local outfitter (as sweet little store called Wilderness Voyagers) and bought a map of the National Forest and now I am setting out to Hike as many of the trails as I can and find all of the best views and pristine camping spots that my legs will carry me to. As I hike these areas I want to share my trail experiences with you. This blog will be part trail review, part story telling, part devotional, and part gear review. Who knows maybe you will even read about a trail that you can’t wait to get out and hike for your self; I hope and pray that is the case!!