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By Katherine Brooks

Special to The Farmville Herald

What is a “Wilderness” anyway? In this application, it is “an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence without permanent improvement or human habitation which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions, with outstanding opportunities for solitude containing at least 5,000 acres”. Further, it is protected by The Wilderness Act of 1964. 

This is St. Mary’s Wilderness, a place of 10,000 acres that was designated a Federal Wilderness in 1984 and is Virginia’s largest designated wilderness area. While making preparations for their hike, the weather prediction several days ahead had called for storms. The Grateful Boomers waited and as it is many times the case, the morning of, they traded texts of “weather looks good”! With the “10 essentials of hiking” packed, they headed to the lush, rocky St. Mary’s Wilderness, a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Curdsville, located in Augusta County to begin their 4.5 mile out and back hike.

The St. Mary’s River meanders through a lush fern, rhododendron and mountain laurel lined gorge with the trail criss crossing over it at least seven times from parking to the falls.

Formerly mined until the mid 1900’s for iron ore and manganese, scars are still visible on the towering hard sandstone walls. Armed with Gortex and sports sandals “just in case”, they were not needed since the Boomers were the fortunate beneficiaries of trail maintainers having pushed large boulders to create a “path” through the river. Using trekking poles, high levels of concentration and good balance, they crossed it over and over without a single spill! 

Blooming wildflowers and native shrubs hugged the trail which, in a Federal Wilderness, is not marked in order to keep it as close to a natural experience as possible. Except for passing a couple of groups of 20 something-aged backpackers, they saw no one else which made for excellent birding. Their Merlin Bird ID apps came in handy while they stopping for lunch next to the gurgling river and were able to be still and listen.

Along the way, they identified several easily accessible deep and clear swimming holes which will definitely be dipped in during another hike in the hotter months.