Route: Thornveil Pass Trailhead to Upper Canopy Overlook (out and back) Distance: 14.3 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 2,800 ft Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Time: 6 to 8 hours depending on pace and how long you linger at the top (you will linger) Conditions as of this writing: Trail is in good shape through the lower section. Upper switchbacks are muddy but passable. River crossing at mile 4.2 is running high.

I run this route two or three times a season, which, yes, means I run it two or three times forever, but it has not gotten old yet. The Thornveil corridor is one of the best stretches of old growth forest in Wexamour, and the overlook at the top gives you a view across the full canopy line that is genuinely hard to describe without sounding like a pamphlet.

Miles 0 to 3: Thornveil Pass to Fiddlehead Flats. The trailhead starts at the north end of the Groves, about a twenty minute walk from the nearest apparition point (or a forty minute broom ride if you are coming from Vaelthir; see my notes on trail access). The first three miles are gentle. Well-maintained path, mostly packed earth, moderate tree cover. You will pass through two groves of shimmerbirch, which are doing their usual thing where the bark catches the light and makes the whole forest look like it is breathing. It is annoying how beautiful it is.

Miles 3 to 4.2: Fiddlehead Flats to the River Crossing. The terrain flattens out through the fern meadows. This section is easy walking but the trail gets narrow in places where the undergrowth has crept in. The Groves Council keeps saying they will send a crew out to cut it back. They have been saying this for six years. Bring gaiters if you do not want fern spore on everything you own.

Mile 4.2: The Crossing. This is the one everyone asks about. The Ashwinder Creek crossing is unbridged. In a normal week it is knee-deep and manageable with trekking poles. Right now, with the runoff pouring off the Greypeaks (see the Dispatch’s flood advisory for the Downs; same rain, different drainage), it is thigh-deep in the center channel and moving fast. I crossed it on Tuesday and it was fine, but I am tall and stubborn and those are not universal traits. If you are shorter or carrying a heavy pack, consider waiting for levels to drop or bring a rope. Do not attempt it after rain. There is no alternate route.

Miles 4.2 to 7.15: The Switchbacks to Upper Canopy Overlook. This is where the elevation hits. The trail gains about 1,900 feet over the last three miles through a series of steep, tight switchbacks carved into the ridge. The forest canopy closes in here, which is spectacular but also means the trail stays damp. Mud is a constant. Footing is uneven. Poles help. The final half mile opens up onto a granite shelf with a clear line of sight across the Whispering Groves canopy stretching south toward the Rolling Downs border.

It is one of those views that makes you stand still.

Notes

Water: Filter from the creek at mile 4.2 before the crossing. There is no reliable water source on the upper section.

Navigation: The trail is well-cairned through the switchbacks but the cairns are mossy and easy to miss if you are moving fast. Slow down above mile 5.

Wildlife: I saw a pair of ridge hawks circling the overlook and something large moving through the undergrowth around mile 6 that I did not get a clear look at. Probably a tuskboar. Possibly not. Make noise.

Camping: There are two flat spots near the overlook that work for a bivvy. No formal campsites. Leave no trace means leave no trace.

Overall: This is one of the best day hikes in the Groves and one of the better ones in the region, full stop. The crossing is the only real obstacle and it will calm down in a week or two (probably; the rain is unpredictable, like everything else). Go early, bring layers, and give yourself time at the top.

Maren Voss covers trails, routes, and backcountry access for the Whispering Groves section of the Chronicle. She has hiked every marked trail in the Groves at least twice, which is both a point of pride and a sign that she needs more hobbies. Corrections and trail updates can be sent by owl.