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Name: Scott
Date(s) of Hike: /11/15-7/12/15
Hike Name: Big Schloss
Ranking: 3
Outing Critique: Big Schloss is amazing, one of the best views in the
Blue Ridge from what I've seen. The trail is well marked and the
directions on this website work very well. There are also a number of
nice campsites along the way. However, I did find 2 issues. If you're
hiking this trail in the summer when the leaves are out, expect to have
very few views other than Big Schloss itself. It was literally a green
tunnel for the rest of the hike, other than one small overlook. This may
well be different during different seasons. Second, the section of the
trail between the Big Schloss cutoff trail and the Big Schloss spur
trail is very, very overgrown. I am writing this 3 days after my hike
and am still itching from all of the nettle and thorn pricks.
All of that being said, Big Schloss is spectacular.
_______________________________________
Name: Craig Hardy
Hike: Big Schloss
Date(s): 02/22-23/14
Rating: 5
Critique:
I did this hike as a 1st backpack of
the season thinking that the weather was great in Richmond so it would
be good in the mountains. What a surprise to see so much snow. I
attempted to do this hike as outlined in the Hiking VA guide book by
Bill and Mary Burnham. You find the trailhead on Waites Run Road as you
make your way behind the town of Wardensville, WV. The trail starts off
just near the bridge and quickly gains elevation following the main
creek with multiple crossings. As there was a lot of snow runoff, the
water was really flowing. The trail tops out in a hardwood forest on the
ridge with a major intersection of the Tuscarora, Half Moon, and Mill
Mountain Trails. Interestingly there are several board walks in this
section, presumably for the bog type environment. I then hiked in very
deep snow in the direction of Big Schloss. The guidebook says to stay on
the new Tuscarora trail and not take the cutoff so I did that on the way
up. On the way back I did break bad and follow this cutoff to save time
and not have to walk so far in the snow. I saw the airway beacon ruins
and did not think it was such a much. I did meet up with a group of guys
from PA at the Sandstone spring and thought it was a nice place to camp.
The next item of note was the overlook on the Mill Mountain trail The
view was pretty amazing. I caught a glimpse of Big Schloss off to the
left and decided to push on. The view from the top was amazing and even
more so was the feat of engineering to have built a huge footbridge at
the top of the mountain. I have often wondered how they got the material
up there. It had to be by helicopter. Sadly there were folks setting up
camp at the summit. It was getting late so it was time to head down. I
made it back to Sandstone Spring to find I had this great site to
myself. I saw the other review and hope that I do not catch anything as
I did not filter my water. The next day was a bit easier as a bit more
snow did melt overnight and I was back tracking in a lot of my own
footprints. I did not see a soul on the way back down
Sunday
am. I really want to come back here in the summer when the weather is
warmer. This is a great hike with a great view. I highly recommend it.
_______________________________________
Name: Fernando
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 4/13/2013 - 4/14-2013
Rating: 5
Critique: Great hike. We turned this into a 17+ mile backpack by adding
an extension to Half Moon lookout (take Tuscarosa Trail past Mill Mtn
Trail, descend 1.5 miles to intersection and take yellow blaze to
lookout. There is a great unmarked overlook and campsite right at the
intersection)-- highly recommended. Mid April with 60 degree temps
during the day and 30s at night. Didn't see much water once we headed
down Mill Mtn. Camped at Sandstone spring which was flowing (treat
water, said to have giardia). Great solitude, tough but fun trail.
Didn't see anyone except near Big Schloss. Much of Mill Mtn Trail
follows the ridge and you can see mountains to the east (Blue Ridge) and
west (Allegheny). Timber rattlesnakes are active in the area and we
were greeted by a huge rattler on our ascent up Stony Creek. Great
campsites everywhere, a great alternate to SNP. I will be back to
explore White Rocks and other nearby peaks in GWNF. I used PATC Map F
and found the Lee
District Rangers to be really helpful. The trails are well marked and
easy to navigate. As noted, the descent on the cutoff trail is brutal
(though brief).
This is my first review though I use the site often. Thanks for this
website-- it is really an incredible resource.
_______________________________________
Name: Bogdan
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 12/16/12
Rating:
Critique: Big Schloss is indeed a special place, but perhaps camping
should be restricted on the outcrop. An alarming amount of living woody
vegetation has been hacked away to serve as firewood for the numerous
campsites near the peak. The plant communities found on the rock
outcrops are astounding for their ability to exist in a windswept
environment with minimal organic material and should be admired, not
burned to cook your hot dogs. While it may be "cool" to camp on Big
Schloss, there are multiple campsite options nearby in which short hikes
to the rocks can be made.
M.R. Hyker Note: While the PATC or Forest Service could post the proper
signage it would probably just be used for fire wood.
_______________________________________
Name: Travis Murphy
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: Oct. 26 - 27th, 2012
Rating: 4
Critique: We did this hike as precisely as outlined by the Author. The
first day started out overcast and in the 50's. The hike up Little Stony
Creek trail was very enjoyable and offered a few nice views of the creek
at the beginning. About the first half mile of this trail is not that
bad of elevation gain. After the first half mile the trail starts to
steadily gain in elevation and becomes more of a strenuous hike,
although it is still not that bad if you have done hiking before. We
stopped and ate lunch at the cabin before making our way up the
Tuscarora/Pond Run Trail. This is a wide access trail that is very easy
to navigate. After being on this trail for half a mile, we came to the
intersection to pick up the Mill Mountain Trail. This trail starts out
uphill, but levels off once you reach the top of the ridge. The old
beacon tower is grown up now and is not a very big grassy area. It is
now overgrown in brush with the exception of a small access trail and a
small clearing where the tower used to sit.
We made our way to Sandstone Spring where we topped off our water supply
as well as filled a 4 liter water tank for use at camp for the night. We
set-up camp a short way up from the spring in a campsite off to the
left. This was a nice site with plenty of space and a nice fire ring.
Firewood is scarce, so be prepared to walk down the main trail a ways to
find some.
We woke the next morning to a damp and chilly surprise. We hit the trail
around 9am on our way to Big Schloss. We stopped at the unnamed vista,
which was a beautiful, foggy morning view. At this point the rain
started to fall, so we put on our shells and continued on our hike. We
reached the intersection of the Mill Mountain and Big Schloss Cutoff. At
this point we dropped our packs and hiked towards the Big Schloss Trail.
We made it to the summit of Big Schloss, but it was very overcrowded.
There was a bus trip from DC with about 40 hikers from an area hiking
Club on the trail, and summit. The rain and weather made the views very
foggy, but it was still a very enjoyable site and climb. After a while
enjoying the Schloss, we made it back down and backtracked to our packs.
We picked up our pack and continued down the cutoff trail back to the
parking area and our vehicle.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable hike. Very clearly marked trails with
enjoyable scenery. This hike would have been more enjoyable without the
40'some people from the hiking club trying to get to the top of Big
Schloss, but it was pleasant talking to them. I will definitely do this
one again in the spring when the weather is projected to be better.
________________________________________
Name: .com
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: Oct. 27, 2012
Rating: 5
Critique: A great hike, interesting terrain, lovely woods. Trail was
leaf-covered so footing was tricky since the leaves covered the rocks.
At one point it was helpful to use hiking poles so as to better navigate
along the hidden rocks. Weather was foggy & slight drizzle, fog always
enhances a hike in the woods. Mike's directions were right on, except
for locating FS 92. There is a brown sign painted w/ 92 & nailed to a
tree, but it can be hard to spot. We had to turn around and backtrack a
bit. Mike's trail descriptions & map were excellent, and definitely
needed to complete this hike safely. We decided to skip hiking up Big
Schloss due to no views & light rain, so will return again. Next time
maybe an overnight, there are so many lovely campsites along the way.
Thanks, Mike, for listing such a great hike!
________________________________________
Name: Jon Lee
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 10/6/2012-10/7/2012
Rating: 4
Critique: Overall a great hike. Amazing views and fall foliage made the
hike spectacular. Did not get to see much wildlife except maybe an owl.
There were a few other groups on the hike but not too packed. Drove down
with a friend from Baltimore and met up with another friend from North
Carolina. Trailhead was a little tricky to find if coming up from
Johnstown road; you need to make the left at the fork in the road but
there were no markings.
Got excellent fall weather during our first day all throughout the night
even though there was a forecast for 50% chance of rain. But it probably
rained the days prior since most of our firewood was pretty wet and had
a hard time keeping a big fire.
We did the loop counter-clockwise from the trailhead like the directions
said. Not too challenging but definitely some good elevation gain in the
first day. Hiked about 5.5 miles to get to the Mill Mountain camp site
by 4:30 (a little over 3 hours). Set up camp, gathered fire wood and
cooked dinner before night fell. Later in the night, decided to hike to
the overlook to see if we could get a good view of the stars. Was
actually very tricky because it was hard to find some of the markers
especially at night. Ended up leap-frogging the entire way and managed
to make it there safely. The view was superb and the sky was extremely
clear but a bit windy.
Day two, we woke up a little later (6:30) because it rained overnight
and into the morning. Was hoping to catch the sunrise but unfortunately
that was not going to happen. Packed up and made our way over to the
overlook and got a better view of the valley. Was still cloudy but rain
had slowed down to a little drizzle by then. A little further down we
found a rock formation to our left and decided to climb up to the top to
see if we could see any views. Definitely was tricky and a bit scary
because of the rain and the slippery rocks. Eventually made it down to
Big Schloss after crossing the foot bridge and saw awesome views! We
tried to continue on the white trail to see if it connected back to
orange trail in a loop but ended up not doing so especially since it was
wet and unclear. Went back on our way and made it back to the trailhead
by noon.
________________________________________
Name: Will
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 2-3 June 2012
Rating: 5
Critique: We turned this into a 17-18 mile backpack by adding a side
trip to White Rocks. The trail condition was generally excellent, and we
didn't get lost once. We stayed at the campsite closest to the
intersection of the Big Stony Creek and Tuscarora Trails, which was
excellent, as advertised. The Mill Mountain Trail occasionally had rocks
hidden by grass, which were a bit treacherous. In general, a great time.
________________________________________
Name: Eric Lengel
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 11/8/11
Rating: 5
Critique: Be ready for the long haul on this hike. It's particularly
challenging in the fall. The leaves obscure rocks in the trail and make
for hazardous walking. It's all worthwhile though, b/c the views are
magnificent!
________________________________________
Name: Donna Miller
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: September 30 - October 2, 2011
Rating: 5
Critique: This is one of my very favorite hikes. We usually do a 1-2
night backpack on it. Parked at Little Stony Creek Parking lot.
Walked Little Stony Creek Trail to Tuscarora Pond Run Trail, to Half
Moon, to Half Moon Lookout. Camped at Halfmoon Lookout (not the
greatest/flattest site, also dry, you'll need to fill up on water 1 mile
before--but the views off the cliffs and up top Halfmoon Mt. are
incredible).
Next day, reverse, same trails to Mill Mt. Took Mill Mt. to Big Schloss,
nice campsites up top BS, if you can get them (dry, too). We kept going
on Mill Mt. to the mountain ridge above Wolf Gap. Social trail goes off
to left when trail goes right off/down ridge. Social trail leads to
several nice tent sites. Again, dry. You'll need to walk down to Wolf
Gap (steep) for water. Worth it though.
Last day, we hiked back out on Mill Mt., to Big Schloss cut-off trail,
back down to FR 92, 1/2 mile to Little Stoney Creek Parking Lot, and our
car.
Loop of about 20 miles total. Very, very pretty, not taxing, great views
when leaves are down. Temps Sat 45 degrees, with rain and wind. Blah.
Woke up to 35 degrees Sunday. All in all, in was a miserably fun trip.
________________________________________
Name: Joseph Dooley
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 10/01/2011
Rating: 3
Critique: The middle portion of this hike between the Sugar Knob Cabin
and the unnamed vista was tedious, but it got better towards the end. On
a cool, windy October day I hardly noticed the 1,500-foot climb up
Little Stony Creek Trail. It's a gentle ascent that literally anyone can
do. At various points I heard rushing water but could not see where it
was coming from. It was only further on that I discovered the source of
the sound. There's a spring underneath Mill Mountain! I hadn't read up
that much on the hike and was pleasantly surprised.
The views were very good as it was a clear, windy day. I could see all
the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Once you reach the bridge you see
why it was built in the first place. A dangerous class 3/4 scramble
would have to be attempted to reach the true summit.
The weather forecast called for a rain/snow mix on Big North Mountain on
Oct. 1. Remembering how the meteorologists botched the previous weekend
(calling for 2-4 inches across Maryland when in fact we received almost
none), I chanced this hike and was rewarded with decent weather. I was
surprised, however, at the number of people on the mountain. I
encountered about 20 hikers and 2 camping parties.
The descent back down to FR 92 is the steepest portion of the hike. I
was glad I was descending this section, not ascending it. Just off the
trail, there are many scrambling opportunities, but watch out for
thorns.
NOTE: Finding FR 92 for the first time is tricky. It's made of gravel
and the only signage is a stop sign. Someone has painted "92" on the
back of the stop sign in 3-inch high letters. If you cross into West
Virginia, you know you've gone too far.
________________________________________
Name: Rose
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 5/21/11 - 5/25/11
Rating: 4.5
Critique: Great hike! Reading the trail notes and looking at the topo, I
expected it to be harder than it was.
Thanks to the slow, wet spring we've had there was plenty of water and
the wildflowers were plentiful. We saw wild geraniums, pink lady
slippers, wild azaleas, and columbines. The mountain laurel was just
beginning to bloom.
We had several days to spend here, so we hiked to Sandstone Spring and
set up base camp for a couple of days. The area was VERY wet and we had
to watch where we stepped or we'd be up to our ankles in water. Also
very buggy, but that's to be expected at this time of year.
We hiked to Big Schloss on a day hike. The views are marvelous! As
another reviewer noted, do NOT miss this section!
This is the 3rd hike I've done in this area (also did Pond Run/Tuscarora
and Signal Knob loops) and I'm very impressed with the GWNF. I'll
definitely be back for more hikes in this area.
________________________________________
Name: Kenny Lee
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 3/19/2011
Rating: 4
Critique: Very pleasant hike. The bridge work has completed and you can
get to the top of Big Schloss and enjoy the great view!
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Name: Patrick O'Steen
Hike: Big Schloss Loop Trail
Date: 9/5/10 - 9/6/10
Rating: 4
Critique: The loop was very pleasant, and a good level of challenge.
Camped near the overlook about 6-7 miles in and had a perfect view of
the sunset and a nice spot for breakfast.
I'm not sure if it's posted anywhere online, but as of August 29th,
2010, the Big Schloss Trail is closed due to bridge repair for the next
2 months approximately. A bummer to not be able to get to the best
viewpoint, but the hike sans Big Schloss was still really nice.
Also worth noting is that as of a couple days ago the Sandstone Spring
was completely dried up. Made for some fun water conservation practice!
________________________________________
Name: Keith Lehman
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 5/17 - 5/18/09
Rating: 5
Critique: What a completely wonderful hike! Had a little trouble finding
my way in as FR92 isn't marked from the intersection with 675. You'll
know you made the right (left) turn if you come to a relatively fresh
logging clearcut on the left as you go up the road.
The first section along Little Stony Creek trail was rather muddy from
the weeks of rain prior to my trip. I expect it would be fine any other
time and the mud wasn't deep and could be avoided. There are no stream
crossings so the high water wasn't a problem.
The trail was beautiful with the creek views at first giving way to
blooming laurel as I ascended to the Sugar Knob cabin.
After the haul up to the ridge to Mill Mountain Trail the going was
pretty easy. The campsites really aren't that great until you get to the
one's near Sandstone Spring. They all looked really nice. However, I
wanted to camp on the ridge so I filled up on water at the spring
(necessary as there was no more water even with the heavy rains).
The campsite at the overlook about a mile beyond the spring was
outstanding. The nearby cliff overlook gave me a great view of the
valley and the sunset. The winds were high but the campsite is
relatively protected so it wasn't bad at all. You could probably squeeze
two tents in at this site.
The views from Big Schloss are the best in the area. What a marvelous
place to relax for a nice lunch. There is a small campsite at the peak
but it may not be all that private as I met a few day hikers even on
Monday.
The hike back to the car from the peak was a little bit brutal as it's
fairly steep and the last half mile or so is in the sun while walking on
the road.
This is now one of the few hikes that I will definitely do again and
will use to hook my friends on backpacking. It's probably the best hike
within easy reach of DC.
________________________________________
Name: Faye
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 7/12 - 7/13 2008
Rating: 4.5
Critique: Overall a very good hike. We arrived around 11am. Steady
incline. Rock hopping at times. 1st stream very low but still able to
get water. Very buggie at times. We came across a very nice grassy
campsite.. thinking about staying there but were pretty far away from
water. We decided to go on and stay at one of the three campsites by the
2nd stream. It was a great place to soak your feet after a long hike.
Came across 5 other hikers passing through. We arrived at the campsite
around 4pm. Some bad flies there. Mt. drainage was low, caused some
stagnant water around. Nice and open. There was a calming breeze at
night very peaceful.
We did come across some bear droppings but didn't run into any bears or
any wildlife for that matter.
Nice and easy hike once initial incline out of the way. Beautiful views
from top of the mountain... be sure to go out its worth it.
Would do it again.
________________________________________
Name: Peter
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 07/12/2008
Rating: 5
Critique: I got to the parking lot around 3pm Friday afternoon. There
were only two cars in the lot. I was able to fast pack it to the first
scenic view at about 7 miles, about a mile past the last water stop.
There is enough space for a couple campsites and the view was
magnificent. The bugs were terrible, and I didn't have bug spray, so I
built a small fire in the rock fire ring. This really helped.
The next morning I took the trek up to Big Schloss, a little over 2 hike
(out and back). The view was worth it.
This rates as one of the most beautiful hikes I've been on in the
mid-Atlantic area. I'm going to do this hike next spring when the
Rhododendrons are blooming.
Beware: I did see signs of Black Bear (large scat and diggings) while
hiking the Mill Mountain Trail.
________________________________________
Name: Jenna and Ben
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 06/07-08/2008
Rating: 4.5
Critique: This was a great hike! We got a late start, started the hike
around 3 on Saturday, but found a great place to camp overnight right
before the first cabin. There was a perfect stream and we didn't see
another sole until the next day, after a few hours of hiking. The laurel
was perfect and the trail was varied, which kept things interesting.
This time of year was hot, but the forest, especially during the first
3/4 of the hike kept us cool.
There is plenty of water. Remember bug spray. Don't miss the Big Schloss
turnoff. It is definitely worth it.
________________________________________
Name: Karen
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 1/12-13 2008
Rating: 4
Critique: Did this hike over the weekend and camped. Great hike, camp
site we found was perfect, note that while it looks like there is a lot
of dry wood lying around, its not after 2 days of rain!!
Along the orange trail heading towards Big Schloss Cutoff there is a
trail off to the right(west) marked with white paint, this is very
confusing if you are reading the map and think you have passed the
cut-off trail. No where on the map do you see another white trail so
needless to say we back tracked and then went back and decided it must
be some error.
I would have to agree with Nicholas, the descent on Big Schloss is quite
steep, you drop 1,000 feet in 1.71 miles and if we had been to this
website BEFORE heading out we would have hiked up Big Schloss to the
camp sites!!
No worries though, it was a great hike, great weekend and now we know
for next time.
MRHyker Note: The white trail is only
about 30 feet long. It leads to a vista that can be seen from the main
trail. I had it marked with a camera. I added a white trail segment to
it on the large map.
________________________________________
Name: Nicholas
Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 1/5-6/2008
Rating: 4.5
Critique: The description of the hike is perfect, except as to what the
most difficult part was, in my opinion. The gain in the first four miles
was significant, but not unreasonable. The difficult part of the hike
was the descent from Big Schloss back to FDR 92. Losing a bit over 1000
feet in two miles, it felt like we were rolling downhill at times.
Regarding water, there was plenty of it in a number of places. To update
the Sandstone Spring report from November, it seems to have recovered -
we had no water worries while camping there for the night.
The camping near Sandstone Spring was a little difficult to find -
having them marked on the map was necessary to know where to look, as
they were not right near the trail.
For those with sore feet who might consider skipping the trip up Big
Schloss - DON'T. The views were spectacular. It was a cool morning, a
bit cloudy, and you could see for miles in every direction.
Thanks for the website - I just found it, and this was my first hike I
found here, but it will definitely not be the last.
________________________________________
Name: Peter Fleszar Hike: Big Schloss
Date: 11/18/07
Rating: 4
Critique: Water report from November of dry 2007. Sandstone Spring was
not running, just a fist-size pool of water that some unthoughtful
person had dumped orange peelings into. Spring by the PATC cabin was dry
but stagnant pool 100 yd. downstream was good enough for the cabin
weekenders.
For those interested, Mill Mountain Trail and the portion of Tuscarora
Trail north of the junction on this loop are considered now also part of
Great Eastern Trail, as of today on the GET's web site
http://www.greateasterntrail.org a photo of Big Schloss is on the
opening page.
________________________________________
Name: Gary Hike:
Big Schloss
Date: Various
Rating: 5
Critique: I have hiked this circuit several times in the past, both as
part of a weekend trip and as a day hike. It is an awesome day hike in
the spring or fall. But if you are going in the winter, BEWARE! I spent
a VERY cold night at the campsite by the small cave on the left of the
Big Schloss connector trail with my brother. The winds were amazing. Big
Schloss can be a very cold place in the winter, so pack accordingly. I
also highly recommend you try it. Sandstone spring is a great spot to
camp, stop for lunch and a quick foot soaking, or just a quick water
refill while trying to reach Big Schloss before sunset. Overall this is
a great hike, and of course you would have to travel a lot of miles to
find a better view than what's had on top of Big Schloss.
________________________________________
Name: Charles Caldwell
Hike:
Big Schloss
Date: 11/4 - 11/5
Rating: 4.5
Critique: Did this as described as a one night backpack, and had a
fantastic time. The initial climb is enough to make you sweat and work,
but won't discourage most hikers.
The campsites at Sandstone Spring are fantastic. Plenty of firewood and
fire rings to keep warm. We really enjoyed the second day and the hike
to Big Schloss. I would recommend this as a 2 day outing if you have
the time to spare. You really get to enjoy the scenery more. Thanks
for the great hike!
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