Sandy had to be back at work on Saturday, so we left Pennsylvania Friday morning. Given holiday traffic, we decided to avoid I-95 and take I-81 south instead. It would add a little distance but potentially save a lot of hassle if I-95 was backed up. We stopped for breakfast at Dunkin Donuts before hitting the road. Although there was much snow in the ground still in Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, as we headed further south, it got lighter and lighter and soon was only visible high up on mountain peaks. Near Natural Bridge, we got off the highway and headed towards the James River Face Wilderness in Jefferson National Forest. We were planning a hike to Devil’s Marbleyard to break up the long drive. The small parking area for Belfast Trail was full so we had to park a little further down the road and hike back to the trailhead. It was a little over a mile heading upstream along Belfast Creek to Devil’s Marbleyard. Although there was no snow on the ground when we started, there was quite a bit by the time we reached the boulder field.
Fortunately, the exposed boulders had received enough sunlight that there was no snow here.
We got off the trail and scrambled around on the rocks for a few minutes before making our way back. Along the hike up, the elevation gain had kept us warm. But once out on the exposed rocks, it was quite chilly with the wind blowing.
Once we got too cold, we started making our way back and finished up the drive home.
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