I have wanted to see more of Cunningham Falls, and I also needed a hike that had a similar elevation profile to section 1 of the Standing Stone trail. Thus I plotted a hike that started at the lake, headed up to the Bob's Hill Overlook on the Catoctin Trail, and then retraced that route back to my car. Most folks going to the overlook come up from the shorter approach from the Manor Area to the east, and I was surprised to encounter only three hikers en route to the top.
This was a really nice hike, and I hit it at the perfect time. At lower elevations, there were so many ferns. Fields of ferns! Seas of ferns! At higher elevation, there was mountain laurel, and it was in bloom.
The hike started off going steadily uphill, with about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. There was one stream crossing that required caution, but otherwise there were few obstacles. Eventually, the trail flattened out at the ridge top. Here, the trail was rocky - think football-sized rocks in the trail. I passed the trail to Cat Rocks to reach the north and south overlooks.
The north overlook was overgrown; it might provide nice views in the winter. The south overlook had better views. I could see as far as Sugarloaf in the distance, at the other end of Frederick County.
I would return here. Although it would be hard to beat the laurel bloom for timing, it would also be nice to visit once the leaves are off.
Overall, this was 9 miles round-trip, with about 1,250 feet of elevation gain. (It did turn out to be much less rocky than the Standing Stone section to follow, however, but that's another story.)
No comments:
Post a Comment