Evening star., 1938-07-31
BY Ralph Gray,
Tourist Counsellor American
Automobile Association.


Automobile Association.
~ EVERAL months ago was in
Winchester, Va, and as night
gradually darkcned the valley
~ and massed the mountains in
deep-relief blocks, took . short drive
to Stephens City, White Post and
Voyce. South of me reared the alb
rupt end OF the Massanutten Range,
like tongue filling the mouth OF the
Shenandoah Valley. I was surprised
to see that this tongue was cleft by
q deep fissure that cut 1t In half,
making two ranges Of the Massa-
nutten. I had always thought that
Massanutten was one solid folded
stratum of rock. rising directly to q
summit the entire length Of its rs
mile range. I took look at the ever
present A. A. A. map and noticed .
stream, Passage Greek, flowing the
length Of the northern half Of Mas
sanutten. What magic was this-a
stream flowing along the crest Of =
mountain range?
The next night an octogenarian
with q Methuselah beard explained
the Massanutten enigma to me and
told me many interesting and doubt
full stories about his mountains. AZ
we stood in front OF his house on Vir-
ginia No. 3. between Nineveh and
Cedarville, and looked across at the
range, he said what every mountain
man says sooner or later about his
mountains:
II have lived here day in and day
out for 60 years, and I have looked
at Massanutten q thousand times a
day, and never once has it looked the
same"
T ASKED him about the stream f1ow-
ing along the crest of the range
and about the cleft in the end OF the
mountain.
That's Fort Valley" he said. "The
stream must have been there before
the mountain. As the mountain grad
ually rose. the stream carved out the
middle OF it and made q valley
"A valley within q mountain within
4 valley" I said.
Yes, and that's not the only strange
thing about MasSanutten." He went
on to tell me about q man named
Powell who caused the place to be
named Fort Valley; he told me about
general named Robert E. Lee who
thought Of using 1t as = fort, and he
told me about an time watering
resort called Seven Fountains,' where
the management. not satisfied with six
springs Of different water, piped a
seventh variety OF mineral water In
underground.
If come back out here sometime
would you show me around?" asked
The old mans eyes glittered. but
he answered restrainedly that he
would If he were not busy at the
time.
When returned q few days ago
hired hand told. me the old man
was sick; 80 went into Fort Valley
by myself
The only entrance Is at Waterlick,
and best way to get to Waterlick is
to take Virginia No. IS at Gainesville
and follow 1t through Front Royal.
As you turn left on the new gravel
road the mountain closes in on every
side. and soon you are deep in the
defile that Passage Creek makes as 1t
fights its way free OF Massanutten.
This is one Of the most precipitous
gorges in the Alleghenies. and 1t is
only 10 miles from Washington Be-
fore the present road was built by
the national forests, only one
way dirt path served as entrance
and exit Before that the stream
bed itself was used It must have
been into such q fissure as this that
the Pied Piper led the children Of
Hamelin.
IN ABOUT 3 miles the defile widens
into a narrow valley, entirely
ramparted by mountains. Elizabeth
Furnace Forest Camp occupies q neck
Of the valley beside the road. 1t Is
an excellent place for picnicking-
many nreplaces. water spigots, tables
and conveniences provided. And also.
If sleeping under the stars appeals
to you, this forest camp. as well As
every other one In the United States,
Is equipped for overnight camping.
Many outdoor travellers are discover
ing the national forests and their