I’d have to rank Old Loggers Path as one of my favorite trails. Not too long, not too hard. You pass by burbling streams and enjoy scenic valley views. This was going to be my fourth time doing the route—given that it is almost a four-hour drive, you can get a sense of how much I enjoy walking it.
Marika and I picked up Greg from Grosvenor and made our way north. Overall, the drive was an easy one with the requisite Sheetz stop along the way. As I suspected, though, the trailhead at Masten was full of campers and backpackers. I circled twice, but then quickly went to Plan B, which was parking at the Krimm Road trailhead just a few miles up the trail. Only one other car was there—I felt very clever with myself.
We also spared ourselves the initial climb from Masten. The trail was mostly flat for a long stretch before dipping down to the Rock Run area. The campsites by the falls were mostly empty when we arrived, but slowly filled in over time. Still, we counted only four groups in this popular place, and we were spread out. Water was flowing, but you could tell that it had been a dry stretch—you could walk down the streambed by our campsite and sit along the edge. If it were only a bit warmer, it would have made for perfect swimming.
We tucked into our dinners and watched as hikers trickled by. Two hikers came into view—one was carrying two packs, while the other hopped painfully along. It turned out that she had taken a hard fall and wasn’t able to put much weight on her foot; her partner carried both packs. I went over to say hello, and offer to share our site if needed—more space was available just next to us, so they headed that way.
I looked at the map and realized that my car was a short distance away—at least shorter than going back to Masten. If they needed an out, I had an easy way to get them off the trail. I let them know to reach out if needed, but the hope was that rest and a soak in cold water would help. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a fairly severe sprain.
The new plan was for Marika and Greg to continue doing the trail on Sunday, while I hopped off the trail at the next junction and took the road back to my car. I’d then make my way to the shelter for us to rendezvous that night as planned. Sunday, we were up early and on the trail. It was a pleasant morning, and we reached the junction with the road in good time. I started to make my way to the car.
I became rather philosophical on my road walk, as road walks sometimes have the tendency to do. It certainly wasn’t the day I planned, but it was turning out to be a pleasant day. The road was pleasantly shaded and slightly graded uphill. At one point, I must have walked near a patch of wild mint—the air was lightly scented with it. Sunlight trickled through the trees. As road walks go, it was a nice one, and the miles went by quickly. I arrived at the car in good order and zipped back to the trailhead where the hiker was waiting. Within minutes, we were at Masten. All in all, an efficient side quest.
Less efficient, however, was getting water. The Sprout Point shelter offers a great view, but it is dry—and given how low streams were running, I didn’t want to count on any seasonal sources. I started up the path and aimed for what I thought would be a good source. The water was too low, however, and I couldn’t determine a safe way to get to the part that was flowing. I headed forward for a bit, but the stream to the side of the trail was bone dry. I turned back. A less ideal source was back by the road, but too close to the house for comfort. I worked my way back to the trailhead and did a mini bushwhack to the stream to pull water from there.
Now fully loaded with water, I set off again, passing my original two spots. And, of course, just 10 minutes past where I turned around, a lovely stream was gurgling across the trail. I took the opportunity to guzzle a bit of water and then top off from the stream.
From that point, it was a long, steady climb to the top. I passed by a few backpackers on their way out, found a shady rock for lunch (part 1), and enjoyed the ferns that surrounded the trail. I arrived at the shelter as a family was enjoying the view. We chatted while I ate lunch (part 2)—as they left, I had the place to myself.
Greg texted that he and Marika were three miles out, so I took the time to set up my hammock and scout out options for Greg and Marika to set up. I then walked a little bit downhill to meet them on their way up.
We still had the shelter all to ourselves, so we made use of it for dinner and chatting. From the vista, you can get a great view of the sunset. We wandered over just in time to watch the sun dip behind the surrounding hills.
It was another early night, but definitely a warmer one. Sunday, we were up early and hit the trail around 7:15 a.m. From the shelter, it’s an easy walk out – just a little jog uphill, and then a flat stretch before heading downhill and back to the car.
It’s a long drive for a trail that’s under 30 miles, but I’ve always found it enjoyable to walk – it puts me in a good mood to be walking those trails. I definitely have a preferred way to do it. This is the third time that I did the loop with Rock Run first and then the vista second. I know some argue to leave Rock Run, which is arguably the prettier section, to the end, but I like having time to sit and enjoy the views. One could also do it as a one-night trip, which we did our first time there, but it’s a long drive so why not give yourself time to enjoy the route. It’s a trail worth doing, even if Bullfrog is closed for Labor Day.
DC UL Backpacking 
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