Hiking in Ricketts Glen State Park, Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

I like to believe I could turn every week into a hiking week, but alas, life’s other obligations must be met.

Since I can’t make every week a hiking week (except at Compass Points, naturally) designating a full week to a cause or issue raises awareness and might inspire a few to take a new look at something they never before considered.

The Pennsylvania state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has teamed with the Keystone Trails Association to name May 29 to June 6 “Hiking Week 2010.”

The website lists almost 100 organized hikes for the week, from a tromp on the Loyalsock Trail to a walk in Forbes State Forest to Pennsylvania’s high point, Mount Davis (3,213 feet). Doesn’t look like joining these hikes will cost you anything, and you can’t beat the woods for free entertainment.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until Hiking Week 2010 to go for a walk in the wilderness. We have Trail Blazes guides to four stellar hikes in Pennsylvania available now for download:

• Kelly’s Run and The Pinnacle, a 5.4-mile hike in Lancaster County, Pa., through a cool glen fool of watery pools, then up to a sweeping view of the Susquehanna River. About 90 minutes west of Philadelphia.
• Mount Minsi, the eastern most peak on the state’s portion of the Appalachian Trail. This five-miler in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area takes in wideopen vistas of the Appalachian mountains arcing northward into New Jersey and beyond. Just a 90 minute ride from New York City.
• Ohiopyle State Park, an adventurous southwestern Pennsylvania park about an hour and a half drive from Pittsburgh. This 12.6-mile journey on the Laurel Highlands Trail takes you into Ohiopyle’s wild heart with intimate looks at the Youghiogheny River.
• Ricketts Glen State Park, the crown jewel of the state park system. This 7.1-mile loop between Williamsport and Wilkes Barre takes in 21 named waterfalls.

A lot of hard work and time went into producing Trail Blazes to make them quality guides. Give ‘em a try, and we’d love to hear what you think! Find Your Direction!

Jason Stevenson, author of a new introductory book about hiking and backpacking. (Jason Stevenson)

Jason Stevenson, former editor at Outside and Backpacker magazines, just released his first book, The Complete Idiots Guide to Backpacking & Hiking. The 344-page book sells for $16.95, and is packed with more information than any other hiking starter books I’ve seen. And I’m not just saying that because Stevenson and I have known each other for more than a year. I’ve learned a thing or two perusing the pages (like how to take a sponge bath on the trail … I’m not kidding, Stevenson has solved the stinky backpacker dilemma).

Stevenson of Lancaster, Pa., said, “Hey! Why not?!” when Compass Points requested a Q&A, after threatening to reveal plenty of embarrassing personal information which might endanger the success of his new book. Here’s what we learned:

CP: This book has tons of great information for newbies, but it seems you’ve added plenty for the veteran hiker to learn. What was the strategy for this book?

JASON: Well, with a title like “The Complete Idiot’s Guide” we’re not exactly aiming for readers like Ed Viesturs or Bear Grylls. On second thought, maybe Bear could pick up some tips.

I wrote the book to be a ‘soup to nuts’ guide to human-powered outdoor recreation. The first few chapters might be review for intermediate or experienced hikers, but they can still learn something new. For instance, in Chapter 2 I provide advice on how to introduce a newbie to backpacking.

I designed the book to be a resource that you can pick up again and again as you become more confident and experienced in the outdoors. Now, it won’t tell you how to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. But it will show you how to plan weekend hikes, get equipped, pack everything you need, and set up camp to sleep overnight. It even introduces you to the challenge of hiking AT and other long-distance trails. My goal is that this book will get you started on an adventure that could eventually include an AT thru-hike.

CP: What did you learn about yourself as a backpacker while writing this book?

JASON: Even though it’s a book, I did have space constraints. My editors wouldn’t let me include everything I wanted to, which forced me to focus on the essentials

For instance, if you have only 5,000 words to cover hiking first aid–what injuries and treatments do you focus on? Blisters? Definitely. But what about broken arms? What about concussions?

Deciding what to keep and what to cut forced me to review my camping and hiking experiences. As I wrote the first aid chapter, I asked myself, ‘What are the first aid emergencies that I’ve encountered on the trail?’ As a result, concussions didn’t make the cut, but heat exhaustion and allergic reactions did. I used my own backpacking experiences–including my many mistakes–to decide what should make the cut.

The space constraints also encouraged me to be a little creative, too. Case in point: The first aid chapter starts off with a section on injury prevention. The best way to stay safe on the trail, after all, is to not get injured in the first place.

CP: While hiking has always had a primitive element to it, today’s high speed chase for new technology means the outdoor industry can’t always avoid new gadgets. How much can readers learn about the technological aspects of backpacking in your book, and where do you think backpacking is heading when it comes to techie stuff?

JASON: I included directions and tips on navigating with a GPS in Chapter 6 “Never Get Lost (Again).” I personally bring a GPS on most of my trips, and I think GPS navigation has become a widely accepted and used tool. Just think about how quickly GPS technology has leapt from the outdoor device to being embedded in smartphones. Of course, if you don’t have a cellular signal on the trail, most phones–including the GPS chipsets–become useless ounces of plastic and cobalt.

Even dedicated outdoor GPS units have limitations. As I reminded the readers of the book–all it takes is one clumsy fumble to drop your GPS off a cliff or in a lake. And then you’re dependent on your map and compass skills. Assuming you brought them, which you should on every hike.

The same rule applies to carrying cell phones on hiking trips. Sure, knowing you have cellular service detracts from the isolation and adventure of the wilderness. But if you become immobilized by a broken leg or come across another injured hiker, being able to call 911 can shave hours and even days off a rescue. Ounce for ounce, a cell phone might be your most useful safety tool. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should phone your friends to brag when you reach the summit of a mountain. That’s just damn annoying.

CP: What do you look for in a person that tells you, ‘This person can be or is a backpacker?’

JASON: Shoes. It’s true. Hikers tend to wear different shoes than non-hikers–even during trips to the grocery store. Take a look and you’ll see that I’m right.

CP: What is your favorite piece of gear?

JASON: My wife will laugh at this answer. It’s my clothesline–a 30-foot piece of yellow and blue nylon rope that I bring on most hikes. There’s just so much you can do on the trail or in camp with a good, strong rope. Part of the fun is figuring out how to use it.

Besides drying my clothes at the end of the day, I’ve used that rope to hang bear bags, lower packs down cliff faces, and make a safety line while traversing a narrow trail. Of course, it’s also helpful to know how to tie knots if you bring a rope. For instance, the bowline is a great safety knot for lowering gear because its easy to untie yet won’t budge under strain.

CP: You have one week and three readers to come along. Where are you taking us backpacking?

JASON: That’s when I give you a call, Dave. You’re my hiking destination man for the Mid-Atlantic region.

But if you insist that I choose the place, then we’re heading to the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire. This is the place where I learned backpacking on trips organized by the Appalachian Mountain Club–and it’s been years since I’ve been back there.

And to make it worthwhile, we’re going on a week-long loop inside the Pemigewasset Wilderness –right in the heart of the WMNF. The highlight will be seeing Bondcliff–a strikingrock formation juts over a green valley–from as many vantage points as we can.

You in?

Jason joined me and Chris Seiple, Web designer for Compass Points Media, on a two-day backpack in Shenandoah National Park, Va. Here’s the story, The Ghostly Heart of Shenandoah.

Looking out from the Black Forest Trail, Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Hard to believe sometimes how quiet places can create such an uproar.

Here in Pennsylvania, in a section often far from the public’s conscious, where some of the state’s most scenic long-distance trails meander, we find ourselves wrangling over not just what grows above the ground – forests which have regenerated after falling victim to the timber industry’s saw a century ago – but what lies below.

Beneath the bedrock in northcentral Pennsylvania lies a golden opportunity to diversify Pennsylvania’s energy portfolio, deep pockets of natural gas ready for extraction. Energy companies have already negotiated extraction rights and royalties with residents who live in Mansfield, Tioga and other counties, and they have their eyes on the vast swaths of state forest land in the area.

Advocates for natural gas drilling see many advantages – tax revenue would pour in, economic development in a traditionally poor rural area and so on.

But some Democrats in the state House are moving to prevent natural gas drills from going up on state forest land, where trails like the Black Forest Trail and the West Rim Trail take in these shadowy glens and plateau panoramas. Last week, the state House Appropriations Committee by a 20-8 vote recommended approval of a bill that would slap a five-year moratorium on any additional state forest land being leased to energy companies.

Pennsylvania officials have already leased 692,000 acres for natural gas drilling.

Pine Creek Gorge from the West Rim Trail in Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

The bill (House Bill 2235) is sponsored by Democratic Rep. Greg Vitali of Delaware County, which is no where near the natural gas-rich area known as the Marcellus Shale. The bill would also require the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to report every year on the impact of natural gas drilling.

The full House, run by the majority Democrats, is expected to vote on the bill, but it could face significant roadblocks in the pro-business Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. Pennsylvania is facing a $525 million budget deficit, plus federal stimulus dollars will soon end, which means the state has to find $2.7 billion somewhere, all of which makes allowing natural gas drilling in northcentral Pennsylvania so attractive – more jobs, more income tax revenue, higher property values, more property tax receipts, more sales, more sales tax revenue and so on.

I believe in a perfect world, this area would make a great national park if an arrangement could be worked out so natural gas could safely and non-destructively be extracted. Set aside some land to be forever wild as a park since the region already felt the heavy hand of industry a century ago (logging).

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most painful foot injuries. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

The pain shot so severely down the arch of my right foot, I thought for sure I’d stepped on a razor.

I had been sleeping soundly in my tent at a relaxing view of Pine Creek Gorge, Pa., when in the morning, fog soaked my tent and the pain in my foot made me worry about the day’s prospects for canyon views and walking pain free.

The pain proved to be the first sign of a condition many hikers, like their distance running brethren, must deal with at some point, a tearing of the most important foot tendon.

The condition is called plantar fasciitis. From MayoClinic.com:

It involves pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, which runs across the bottom of your foot — connecting your heel bone to your toes.

Plantar fasciitis causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your very first steps in the morning. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position.

The plantar fascia is the tendon which transfers weight from your toes to heel, so yeah, it’s kind of important.

I’ve dealt with plantar fasciitis in both feet for nearly five years. The injury was most severe during the first year, but with cortisone shots (um, ouch!) and physical therapy, my pain is now manageable.

Here are a few tips about how to prevent plantar fasciitis from wreaking havoc on your feet:

STRETCH EARLY AND OFTEN: Lack of stretching was a major cause of my plantar fasciitis, particularly but not limited to the hamstring. The legs are well-connected muscle machines, each muscle working in conjunction with the other. If the hamstring is tight, it pulls on the calf, which pulls on the achilles tendon, which then agitates the plantar fascia.

Stretch when you’re at the trail head before you start hiking. Stretch a little when you stop at a vista or waterfall for an extended period of time. Stretch when you get to your campsite. Flexibility goes a long way to preventing plantar fasciitis.

VICTORY ARCH: Plantar fasciitis often results from you not having enough arch support in your shoes. The generic insole that comes with boots may not provide adequate support. Consider a custom orthotic (expensive!) or look into insoles which have a more aggressive arch like Superfeet. I use the green Superfeet, but ask your doctor to make sure you have the right insole.

WHAT A CROC: Prevention of plantar fasciitis often comes before you even hit the trail. Don’t walk around your house barefoot, especially if you have hardwood floors and especially in the morning. When I wake up in the morning (when plantar fasciitis is at its worse), the first thing I do is not drink coffee, not eat cereal, but slip my feet into a pair Crocs. Crocs unique design and composition allow my foot to squish the material into a supportive formation, where if I walked barefoot, I would put additional strain on the plantar fascia. Crocs went a long way to rehabilitating my plantar fasciitis.

THE GREAT GOLF: I take a golf ball with me when I go backpacking, but I leave the wooden driver at home. Actually, I don’t own any golf clubs, but that’s beside the point. I use the golf ball to massage my feet in camp by rolling the golf ball around the plantar fascia. The golf ball is hard and small enough to effectively massage the plantar fascia, and oh what relief it can provide.

Have tips or your own story about plantar fasciitis? Why not share them in the comments section?

The Appalachian Trail runs through Shenandoah National Park, Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

-WHAT ARE TRAIL BLAZES?

Trail Blazes are new audio hiking guides produced by Compass Points Media, available for download to any iPhone, iPod or Mp3 player. Each Trail Blazes provides information about where you’re hiking, what you’re seeing and where to go next.

-WHAT WILL I HEAR?

Trail Blazes aims to enhance your hiking experience by giving information about the natural, cultural and geological highlights of each hiking destination. Plus, for iPhones and iPods, we included photos to help guide you through the hike. Trail Blazes also provides directions to the trail head, important safety information and directions at trail junctures to keep you on track for a successful hike.

-WILL I LISTEN TO TRAIL BLAZES FOR MY ENTIRE HIKE?

No. You only need to turn Trail Blazes on at specified stops like mountain vistas, waterfalls or trail junctions, and even then, each segment only lasts between 30 and 90 seconds. We want you to enjoy the sounds of nature, too!

Compass Points Media jams in a comprehensive but concise amount of information to make hiking with Trail Blazes enjoyable and not a distraction from the environment in which you hike.

-HOW MUCH DOES A TRAIL BLAZES GUIDE COST?

Trail Blazes cost either $2.99 and $3.99. The cost relates to the length of the hiking guide. The shorter the Trail Blazes, the less the guide costs.

-IS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION SECURE WHEN I BUY A TRAIL BLAZES hiking guide?

Yes. That’s why Compass Points Media chose PayPal, a trusted brand in e-commerce, for distribution and payment services.

-WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAIL BLAZES AND A GUIDEBOOK?

Trail Blazes weighs nothing compared to a guidebook, costs less and instead of carrying a book about the 50 best hikes in a certain destination, all you need is the specific Trail Blazes for your chosen hike.

Compass Points Media does not want to replace guidebooks because – let’s be honest – our founder and publisher started out in the print industry and considers guidebooks to be excellent resources for planning and completing a successful hike. Trail Blazes aims to enhance your hiking experience by providing in depth trail highlights which you won’t find in guidebooks.

-WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN m4a AND AN Mp3?

Trail Blazes which are m4a’s are produced specifically for an iPhone or iPod. They feature photos to help you know you are in the right spot and listening to the correct Trail Blazes segment.

Trail Blazes produced in an Mp3 format can be downloaded to any digital music player, phone or device as long as it plays Mp3 files. Unfortunately, photos could not be attached to the Mp3. You still receive, however, the high quality audio content as an m4a.

Compass Points Media did not want to leave anyone out, so we produced two versions – an m4a and an Mp3 – for each Trail Blazes.

-HOW CAN I REQUEST COMPASS POINTS MEDIA PRODUCE A TRAIL BLAZES ABOUT MY FAVORITE HIKE?

We’d love to hear about your suggestions, and we plan to expand beyond our current Trail Blazes roster.

You can send us suggestions by filling out the boxes on our contact page.

This blaze marks the Whiteoak Canyon Trail in Shenandoah NP, Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

The woman asked a relevant question, but no one around seemed to know the answer.

She sat with her husband on a famous rock outcrop called The Pinnacle, a stop on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania where mile after mile of mountain ridges and patchwork farms roll beneath an expansive sky. It’s the finest view along the A.T. in the Keystone State, and a popular one judging by the hordes of kids and adults perched on The Pinnacle.

“I heard you can see Allentown from here,” the woman, in her 40s, said to her husband. “But where is it?”

A brief moment of revelation sparked like the first firecracker on Fourth of July in my mind. I’d been reading guidebooks for years about places like this, and I’d say no less than four books I know of say you can see Allentown from The Pinnacle, but they never say exactly how. Allentown is a speck of gray buildings in the distant horizon, barely noticeable even on days when haze doesn’t cloak the view.

I’d call that the conception of Trail Blazes.

Compass Points Media proudly announces today the official launch of Trail Blazes (www.trail-blazes.com), what we call a “new generation of hiking guides.” You may have seen a message about it at the start of the Compass Points TV episodes, but until today, we’ve kept details about Trail Blazes to ourselves.

No longer.

A green blaze marks the Dunnfield Creek Trail in New Jersey. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Trail Blazes are audio hiking guides to some of the best trails and parks, available for download to an iPhone, iPod or any Mp3 player. The idea is when you reach a mountain vista, a notable waterfall, a trail junction or other highlight, hit play to hear concise but comprehensive information about where you are, what you see and what to see next.

We’re going to post a “frequently asked questions” section here later today so you can learn more about Trail Blazes. But we do want to say that the goal of Trail Blazes is to enhance a person’s hiking experience. We hope through Trail Blazes to build a hiker’s understanding of the natural aspects, the cultural history and the geological forces which created the sublime and beautiful scenery we know to be America’s wilderness.

We don’t imagine a line of hikers moving through the woods, all with earbuds connected to iPods staring at the leaves of a tree. Trail Blazes won’t be for everybody. But if you carry an iPhone, iPod or Mp3 player in your pack and you want to know more about where you’re hiking, where that trail leads, how did this waterfall came to be, what you can spy at a mountain vista, why not take Trail Blazes along with you for the journey?

Chris Seiple of TrailSauce.com pauses along the Loyalsock River (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Spring blooms across the mid-Atlantic, and as temperatures rise the number of backpackers and new backpackers making multi-day trips goes up, too.

Before throwing that 3,000 cubic inch backpack on your back and setting out for a 20-miler, let’s go over how to properly fit your backpack. If you don’t fit it right, you’re susceptible to an uncomfortable journey and an injury.

Once you’ve packed your tent, food, clothing and whatever else into your pack, set it on the ground. Loosen all the straps.

There are five sets of straps to know – the hipbelt, shoulder, load lifters (near your neck), load stabilizers (near your hips) and chest.

Before adjusting those straps, you have to first put the pack on. I’ll let Jason Stevenson, author of the new The Complete Idiots Guide to Backpacking and Hiking, tell you how:

Slightly bend one knee and lean forward to raise the pack by its haul loop so that it rests on your knee with the shoulder straps facing you. Then place one arm through a shoulder strap, and lean forward and twist your body to shift the pack around to land on your back. Once it’s in place, put your other arm through the remaining shoulder strap.

Now that the pack is on, tighten the hip belt until it’s snug but not too tight.

Next, pull down on the shoulder straps for a similarly snug fit.

Hiking the orange-blazed Black Forest Trail, Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Now adjust the load lifters by your neck. If you pull them too tightly, the weight will shift to your shoulders, where you don’t want it to be. You want the pack to shift the weight comfortably to your hips.

Lastly, adjust the load stabilizers by your hips.

Now, hike on!

I spent most of this week wishing I could return to Shenandoah National Park, Va., since last Saturday and Sunday proved so glorious. There’s something about the spring that renews your love for the trail, gear and all things connected to backpacking.

Check out our hiking photos and share your trips at the Compass Points Facebook page, where Pointers Dan Mohler (who currently is thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail) and Dan Szczesny of New Hampshire have posted pics from their recent hikes. Help inspire others to find trails they’ve yet to discover.

The conversation remains lively with the Compass Points Twitter, where we hope to soon hit 500 followers. Drop us a line, ask a question, give us feedback or tell us where your going hiking and camping.

See you Monday, Pointers! Hike On!

Granite boulders mark the Ridge Trail on Old Rag, Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Old Rag stands as the most recongizable mountain in Shenandoah National Park, Va., and for good reason. Even though Old Rag is not the park’s highest or most easily accessed, this 3,268-foot mountain about two hours west of Washington, D.C., offers up an unusual hiking experience for Mid-Atlantic walkers. The trail goes over, under and around car- and house-sized granite boulders for more than a mile before reaching the summit.

The exposure challenges a hiker’s endurance and balance (do not attempt this if rain or snow is falling), but the payoff is an around-the-world look at Shenandoah’s muscular mountains to the north and south as well as the bucolic Virginia piedmont rolling on toward the Atlantic Ocean.

DIRECTIONS: U.S. Route 522 intersects at a T with U.S. 211 at Sperryville, east of Shenandoah National Park. Turn onto U.S. 522, and follow that through Sperryville to Fort Valley Road (VA Route 231), where you turn right. Follow Fort Valley Road southward for 7.3 miles until you turn right onto Sharp Rock Road (County Route 707). About 1.7 miles later, continue onto State Route 600 and find the Old Rag parking lot to the left after 1.5 miles. Cost to park there is $15 per car from March to November, $10 for the rest of the year, which includes a 7-day permit for the entire park.

HIKE ON: Start from the Old Rag parking lot and follow the road uphill for 0.8 mile to the former (now closed) parking lot. Here you find the start of the blue-blazed Ridge Trail, which starts you off in a towering, shadowy forest of oaks. The path meanders up the north side of Old Rag for about 2.2 miles, and look for a change in the forest make up at 1,800 feet as long- and short-needle pines as well as azalea shrubs become more abundant. Rise a total of 1,480 feet until you emerge from treeline and onto Old Rag’s rocky spine.

Old Rag, Va., stands on the east side of Shenandoah NP. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

The path now turns westward as you carefully navigate the granite boulder field, which can look daunting as you look up at the mountain. Look for unusual rock features like the Guillotine (a stone stair case where a rock is wedged between the walls which you must crawl under) and the Galactic Egg (a massive, egg-shaped granite stone). Views northward show Robertson, Corbin and Hot mountains as well as the higher peaks of the park. To the south stand the mountains of the Rapidan River region, and eastward rolls the Virginia piedmont.

The summit is found at 3,268 feet, a full 2,500 feet above where you parked. At this point, you’ve hiked four miles, and you’re only halfway done. Enjoy the 360 degree view, including to the west Shenandoah’s highest peak, Hawksbill at 4,051 feet.

From the summit, find the blue-blazed Saddle Trail, which walks off the mountain for 1.9 miles, passing two day-use shelters (the last one has a privy) as well as views of Hawksbill and other nearby peaks. Meet a junction with three fire roads and turn right onto the Weakley Hollow Fire Road, which takes you 2.46 miles back to the closed parking lot where you started the Ridge Trail. Follow the road back to your car.

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip here instead.

A waterfall in Whiteoak Canyon, Shenandoah National Park, Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

You can cite black bears and quiet mountain views for what makes Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia great. I’d advocate for waterfalls.

Shenandoah’s deep mountain folds harbor some of the most magnificent wilderness cascades you can find, and perhaps the most famous is the watery loop linking the Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon trails.

The trip ends with an upper deck view of Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls, the second tallest in Shenandoah at 86 feet. Take note, though: You’re going to earn the view of these waterfalls. The trip takes about 8 miles, dropping 2,200 feet off the Blue Ridge only to regain that elevation before returning to your car. It’s a quad bustin’ calf rippin’ good time.

DIRECTIONS: Find the trail head for Cedar Run between Skyline Drive’s mile markers 45 and 46 about two hours from Washington, D.C. The small parking lot is along the northbound lane.

HIKE ON: Down you go. The blue-blazed Cedar Run Trail drops immediately from Skyline Drive into a deep ravine carved by its namesake stream. Cross Cedar Run at 1.4 miles after meeting several small cascades, then arrive at Upper Cedar Run Falls (34 feet) with its deep green pool. The trail continues to descend, but several waterfalls can only be partially viewed from the trail due to the foliage. Cross Cedar Run one more time at 2.28 miles, then follow the trail until you arrive at a junction.

Lower Whiteoak Canyon Falls, in Shenandoah NP Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Follow the Link Trail to the left, which easily takes you to Whiteoak Canyon after 0.8 miles. Cross the river on a series of boulders, then turn left to ascend the Whiteoak Canyon Trail.

The trail moves up the canyon in unrelenting fashion, but the payoff is a series of towering, camera-ready waterfalls. Up it continues for 1.6 miles until it arrives at a rock outcrop above Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls.

A third of a mile later, cross the river, again, and hook up with the yellow-blazed Whiteoak Canyon Fire Road. The road meanders uphill for 725 feet over 1.66 miles until you turn left onto the Big Meadows-Skyland Horse Trail. That path takes you back to your car in just 0.68 mile.

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip here instead.

Blooms of mountain laurel in Shenandoah National Park, Va. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

I started this week with a long needle piercing my neck and spinal cord. My doctor, who said he just moved to Pennsylvania from near Yellowstone National Park, told me as he injected a steriod to help heal an inflamed neck disc to go to my “happy place.”

As best as I could, my imagination attempted to dissolve the monitor broadcasting a black-and-white image of my spine with the needle inside into a trail and a mountain forest enveloped with new spring foliage. There at 1,800 feet of elevation I came across quite a surprise – stringing pink-and-white blossoms of azaleas opening in mid-April.

The memories sprouted from Saturday and Sunday’s day hikes in Shenandoah National Park, a finger of mountains in northern Virginia. I’ve previously visited and backpacked in the 3,000 to 4,000 foot high mountains of Shenandoah – which many believe is an Iroquois name that means “daughter of the stars” – in mid-April, and usually the weather is akin to late February or March. But in 2010, the ravines and mountain slopes appeared like June had overtaken May to be friends with April.

If you live in the Washington, D.C., northern Virginia, West Virginia or any area close to Shenandoah, I’d say go see the park now and beat the summer hordes. The trails have crowds but certainly not overwhelming human trains moving through the mountains, the wildflowers are in bloom, and all but the peaks have tree foliage.

The mountains of Shenandoah National Park, Va., as seen from Old Rag. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

New Day Trippers for Cedar Run-Whiteoak Canyon and Old Rag will appear later this week at Compass Points.

As for my neck, I’m doing alright. While training in a gym four months ago, I overextended during a lat pulldown, which strained a disc between my vertebrae. Hopefully within two weeks, I can resume normal cardio and strength conditioning for upcoming hikes and backpacks. Too many Compass Points TV episodes to film, which is a test of your stamina carrying the camera and tripod (as Tony Farley of Beautiful Places in HD can attest, I’m sure).

Where did you go this weekend? Have pics? Why not share them with other readers at the Compass Points Facebook page, where you’ll see some of my Shenandoah photos.

Welcome back to another exciting week at Compass Points! Let’s hike on!