Hiking Manassas
In hopes of helping our quests to get in shape, Martha and I have decided to start taking day hikes on the weekends when we have nothing else going on. Two weeks ago, we took a trip out to Great Falls Park, Virginia to do some hiking. We ended up taking the "River Trail" for some scrambling over rocks that tested our endurance. The rest of the time, we were hiking the main path that was pretty flat and level.
This weekend. to enjoy the unseasonable 82-degree early August weather, we decided to enjoy a longer hike that would put us in the sun for a large portion of the hike. So, we decided to head out to the Manassas National Battlefield Park. We ended up hiking about 10 miles of trails on the day, which took us approximately four hours.
There were two parts of the hiking trail - First Manassas Trail and Second Manassas Trail. We didn't know which one would be more difficult, so we started on 1st. In retrospect that was probably a mistake, because it was must easier than 2nd. 1st consisted of mostly flat, well-maintained trail through farmland. There were a few hills, and a portion of the trail that we had planned to hike was closed (Stone Bridge Loop Trail on the map linked above). About half of 1st was in the sun, while the other part went on a leisurely walk through the woods. In all, it was about four miles on this first part of the trail. After the first couple of hours hiking 1st, we went back to the Visitor Center to use the facilities (after about a 200 meter uphill hike towards the end). I also changed into a dry shirt (I was a bit sweaty), and we rehydrated and ate some salty snacks.
The Second Manassas trail was pretty eary to begin with, but quickly became a more moderate hike. Although we had some difficulty finding the actual beginning of the trail, we ended up hiking through some more farm-land area to start. However, after the "Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail," think got a little more difficult. The trail was not maintained as well, and a large part of the trail was uphill through some rough terrain. By the time we got to Chinn Ridge Loop Trail, we were pretty exhausted. 2nd wasn't as hot as 1st, as a lot of it was through the woods, but it was quite a bit more physically exerting. Both Martha and I were so tired towards the end, we were checking the map every 500 yards or so to see how much longer we had to go. It ended up that 2nd was probably about 6 miles of hiking, which was more difficult terrain as well. We'll probably do 2nd at the start if we hike this park again.
All in all, a moderate hike. We both ended up pretty sore after our hike, but we celebrated with a good higher calorie dinner (as we were both starving). In addition to the hiking, it was nice to read a little bit about the history of the Battle of Bull Run on the signs as we walked around. To think that we walked where these major battles took place was pretty neat.
Unfortunately, the camera battery was dead, so there are no pictures. The next time we go for a hike, I plan on writing another entry and adding some pictures.