Fourteen Scouts and seven adults set out on an unseasonably mild Sunday morning at 8:15 a.m. for an 11-mile out-and-back hike on the Loudoun Heights Overlook hike in West Virginia.
More than 150 years previously, Confederate General “Stonewall”Jackson and his troops used Loudoun Heights as a staging ground for the bombardment of the strategic town of Harper’s Ferry.
We saw no evidence of the Civil War on our hike, much of which required us to keep our eyes on the rocky trail to avoid missteps or slips.
After the Scouts figured out which way was north, we followed the trail at a moderate pace as it climbed upward, taking in a nice view under overcast skies of Virginia on one side and West Virginia on the other at a utility clear-cut. We had the trail almost exclusively to ourselves, and for the most part stayed together, stopping every 15 minutes or so to count-off and do a head-check.
Despite no rain being in the forecast, we experienced a bit of precipitation for a short period. The leafless trees allowed us to spot the Shenandoah River as we hiked along what become a ridge. At this point, a few Scouts, presumably eager for lunch, passed the lead Scout and failed to stop at a fork in the trail. Fortunately, they’d turned the right way and we were soon reunited. A Scoutmaster safety lecture for all and 50 push-ups for the unthinking Scouts helped emphasize the critical importance of sticking together as a group when hiking.
We stopped for lunch at the hike’s half-way point at Loudoun Heights Overlook – a rocky outcropping with spectacular views of Harpers Ferry which sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia meet. The clouds started to lift just before we turned back, allowing for some good photo shots. We saw a few more hikers and trail runners as we headed back the way we’d come as well as a group with a large dog loaded like a pack animal. We couldn’t quite figure out what was going on but the dog didn’t seem at all unhappy. We arrived back at our cars a little after 2:00 p.m. a bit muddy and tired but pleased.
You can check out the photo shots over here.