The document summarizes a hike to Crabtree Falls in Virginia. It describes the 1.7 mile trail that leads to views of the falls and surrounding mountains. It warns hikers to stay on the marked trail, as the rocks around the falls are slippery and at least one hiker died after falling off the trail recently. Driving directions are provided, noting the scenic Route 56 passes nearby breweries that make a good destination after the hike.

1. Rappahannock
Magazine
www.rappahannockmag.com
JULY 2015 Vol. 1, Issue 10
FREDERICKSBURG | SPOTSYLVANIA | STAFFORD
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2. 14 Rappahannock Magazine
JULY 2015 Vol. 1, Issue 10
I’ve often wondered if I’d love Crabtree
Falls more if I could get there in a more
direct way. I’ve only made the trip a few
times, but I’ve never used the same route
twice, and I know I’m
getting close when I get
the feeling of despair
that goes along with
being truly lost.
This time, on the advice of my GPS, I
found myself on a narrow mountain road,
paved only in the most generous sense of
the word with a thin coating of loose gravel.
The prospect of oncoming traffic filled me
with dread, but its absence made me wonder
why my GPS had sent me here. When I felt
the back end of the car slide toward a steep
drop, I made a promise that I’m now a little
ashamed of.
“I hope whatever is at the foot of this road
is interesting,” I said to myself, “because
that’s what I’m going to write about. Crab-
tree Falls be damned.”
Fortunately, the potentially deadly road
took me to Route 56, only a few miles from
the Falls, and I was able to make another
promise. I promise that at the end of this
story I will provide better directions than my
GPS gave me.
Located in the George Washington Na-
tional Forest, Crabtree Falls is a series of
waterfalls, where Crabtree Creek rushes over
more than 1,000 feet of rocks toward the
Tye River in Nelson County. Amateur hikers
looking for weekend fun, couples seeking a
beautiful retreat, and travelers in search of a
rest stop all enjoy the 1.7 mile trail to the top
of the falls. The trip features plenty of spots
to pause for a rest and take in the beautiful
views.
About 500 feet from the parking lot, on a
paved walk, a seating area awaits those who
want to enjoy the scenery without a lot of
physical effort. From there, it’s possible to
watch other hikers as they make their way
onward and upward, and cool breezes make
the area comfortable and inviting. Beyond
that point, it’s a brief but steep climb up
trails and steps to the next overlook, sur-
rounded by pink and lavender blossoms
reaching down toward the crystalline waters.
After the first three quarters of a mile or so, Continued on Page 20
EscapeArtist
For a Weekend Getaway, Follow the Road to Crabtree Falls
Expedition and
Photo by
Lexi Walker
The summit at Crabtree Falls in Nelson County offers amazing views of the surrounding mountains, but the
1.7-mile trail to the top also offers plenty of spots to take in the beauty of the falls and their surroundings.
the climb is not so steep, but there are very
few places to sit. The trail is rocky in plac-
es and slick with mud in others, and while
inexperienced hikers shouldn’t shy away
from it altogether, some measure of caution
is warranted.
The trail leads hikers toward the falls and
then back away into the woods, where gor-
geous greenery and shade await. Whenever
the trail draws near the water, it provides a
vantage point where visitors can photograph
white streams sliding over smooth stones or
deep pools beneath fallen trees. The route
passes a large cave at mile marker 0.9, about
halfway up; on my trip, it smelled faintly of
smoke. At mile marker 1.7, the trail opens
onto the top of the falls, a bright sunny spot
that’s perfect for enjoying a snack and a
smashing view of the Tye River gorge. In
the summer, the mountains rise up green and
majestic in the distance. Standing over the
falls, where the waters burble and hiss over
mossy rocks, is a fitting reward for a summer
hike and the long road trip. Some hikers will
want more, of course, and the trip to Spy
Rock, on a route that joins the Appalachian
Trail, awaits more adventurous visitors. The
trek to Spy Rock and back again is about 14
miles long.
A word of warning about hiking the falls:
Stay on the trail. The temptation of cool
mountain water on a hot summer day is
almost painful to endure; many have called
it the Siren of Crabtree Falls. The rocks are
coated in a slick, nearly invisible algae, and
since 1982, dozens of hikers have lost their
lives on the slippery stones off the trail. Just
days after my visit, the Siren claimed an-
other victim; a young hiker fell to his death
after leaving the trail to approach the water.
There’s another reason to stay on the trail,
however.
As I was dropping my parking fee in the
dropbox at the trailhead, a group of young
hikers stopped in front of me. One of them
pointed at the ground, and I thought I heard
her say she’d seen a rat.

3. 20 Rappahannock Magazine
JULY 2015 Vol. 1, Issue 10
weird rules, the pushy parents,
the half/whole diminished scales,
and the 32nd notes, Young, who
has delivered pizzas, worked as
a cashier, and waited tables in
order to afford his music career,
suggests something they may not
want to hear.
Be a teacher of music, he says.
“I have always come back to
teaching music. It was never
NOT something I wanted to
do,” he says. “It’s very tough to
make a living as a performer no
matter how much talent and skill
you have, so education is a great
way to supplement your income.
It also keeps your skills and
knowledge sharp and keeps you
honest about practicing.”
He gives a nod to his private
instructors, Ed Fraederich and
Rick Parrell, for his successes in
the music world. He also credits
his high school band director,
Mary Ulrey, for showing him
what a confident, passionate
music educator looked like. The
trio of music educators had a
profound impact on Young’s life.
Another group influenced
the smooth blues and jazz that
typify Young’s saxophone
playing style. He points to jazz
Audio File
From Page 11
“What an odd place for a rat,”
I thought. Maybe she’s seeing a
possum.
But I was mistaken. She hadn’t
been pointing at a rat. She’d
been saying “rattler.” As we
watched, a rattlesnake with a
postprandial bulge in its middle
slid across the warm stones near
the information board, moving to
quieter, shady places off the trail.
The moral of both these sto-
ries is that it’s safer on the trail.
It’s also worth mentioning that
saxophonist Charlie “Yardbird”
Parker and Julian Edwin “Can-
nonball” Adderly as well as the
iconic guitar player Jimi Hendrix
as his top music influences. He
sees these musicians as masters
of the art form. “I think if you
ask any musician, they will tell
you that ‘you never get there.’ It
sounds a little daunting but it’s
not. Just like in life, in music
you are constantly setting new
goals and pushing yourself in
new directions. It’s a fantastic
journey and I highly recommend
it,” he says. “And if you know
someone who is making a living
as a musician, give them a big
hug because they probably need
it. Support local musicians,
artists, and ‘creative types’ in
general.”
Many are working very hard
for very little beyond the reward
of playing. Music may be a
reward in itself, but that doesn’t
pay the rent.
Check out Forte Music Stu-
dios at www.fortemusicstudios.
com and to hear Young jam, hop
over to YouTube and type in
his name. (Yes that’s his given
name. No, he’s not French. No,
he’s not Cajun. Yes, he is an
obnoxious Saints fan just the
same.)
there is no cell phone reception
whatsoever at Crabtree Falls.
Save that sense of adventure for
something a little less lethal.
Getting to Crabtree Falls is no
mean feat. I had to overcome
my distaste for the Interstate
to get there, but it’s possible to
spend most of the trip on Route
29, which meets Route 56 near
Lovingston. Watch for the large
sign promising an observation
site and a smaller sign that says
Crabtree Falls. Parking at the
falls costs $3 for the day. Con-
sider using the bathroom before
you arrive; the falls have two
small vault toilets at the trail-
head.
From the falls, a right turn onto
Route 56 leads to the unfortu-
nately named Route 666. Follow
it to 151 and take a left to find
Wild Wolf Brewing Compa-
ny, the Bold Rock Cidery, and
the Devil’s Backbone Brewing
Company within a very short
distance of each other. A long
hike — or even a short one —
deserves a cold beer.
Escape Artist
From Page 14 Try one of the campgrounds
along Route 56 for an overnight
stay. Most offer both cabin and
tent camping, as well as a place
to wade in waters cool and
refreshing enough to make a
person forget how long, hot, and
confusing her trip was. When
it’s time to return to the camp-
fire, memories of being lost in
the Virginia mountains will be
far away. Firelight and rushing
waters and peace will be all the
more welcome for the trouble it
takes to get there.
before. Almonds, chicken salad,
and lettuce on … bread make up
the sandwich and it was one of
the better tasting healthy foods
that I have had. The littering
of the almonds throughout the
chicken salad added an enjoy-
able crunch to every bite. It did
not taste as good as the Monte
Cristo, which isn’t saying much
as the Monte Cristo was one of
the best sandwiches I have had
in some time. But it was more
than just a flavorful sandwich;
it was a healthy, flavorful sand-
wich. This worked in conjunc-
tion with the portion size of the
sandwich; it was much bigger
than the Monte Cristo, but I still
managed to eat half and still had
room for dessert.
Everyone knows that desserts
are the true main attraction of
any restaurant, but this is where
I was slightly disappointed. I had
heard many great things about
Eileen’s Strawberry Frasier Cake
and was really looking forward
to trying the cake. But I arrived
at 2 p.m., and by then, many of
the desserts had been snatched
up. In order to sate my dessert
craving, I decided to order a
chocolate chip macaroon and a
brioche roll (unheated this time).
Macaroons are somewhat
foreign territory for me. I cannot
remember the last time I had
one, so I figured that it was high
time that I try something new.
Luckily for me, I found it to be
the perfect snack after eating
those sandwiches. The coconut
and chocolate flavors mixed
perfectly. The cookie was soft
even though it had been cooked
earlier in the day, which honest-
ly surprised me. The number of
rock-solid cookies I have had
at bakeries far outweighs the
number of decent ones I’ve had,
so I was fully expecting this
macaroon to disappoint. One
thing I will say is that I was not
too fond of the texture of the
cookie, but I am not sure if that
was because of the mixing of the
cookie or because I have always
had a bit of an issue with the
texture of coconut shavings. It
ended up being much better than
the brioche roll, which unfortu-
nately was a bit stale. This did
sour my opinion of their desserts
somewhat, but it seems that the
roll was intended to be heated,
so I could not judge it too harsh-
ly. All in all, though, the cookie
was more than satisfactory as a
farewell to my lunch there.
Eileen’s Bakery and Café
1115 Caroline Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 372-4030
Last Call
From Page 15