Michael,

Is your definition of the true source the highest point from which water is continuously

flowing or the longest distance from the mouth to the most distant tributary's source?

Since Topozone is slow cruising I went up the Shenandoah via DeLorme. Discounting the

North Fork of Shenandoah which comes in at Riverton near Front Royal as originating

too low and not distant enough, I kept paddling upstream. I found that water called

Shenandoah originates at the junction of North River and Middle River. South River

comes in at Port Republic, slightly downstream.

It appeared that both South and Middle have longer courses but to me the best source

was either North River itself near the VA-WV line about 100 yds east of Public Road 85

a little south of Dyers Knob (4080 ft.), or it may be the Briery Branch of North River

which originates about a mile north of the above mentioned location. This one is more

easily accessed via routes 42, 257 and SSR924 to Briery Branch Gap. At this point

Public Road 85 comes in from the south so you could make a loop trip. If you want to

follow the North River more closely to the first named source, go south about 15 miles

from Harrisonburg to Moscow, then west on SSR731 which becomes SSR 730 after 4

miles to near Stokesville where you want SSR 718. After a mile turn off left on an

un-named road which follows North River, Skidmore Fork and then back up North River

with several crossing up to where Little River comes in . After about 1.5 miles along

Little River a very sharp right turn will put you on Public Road 85 which follows the

VA-WV line north and a little east to the head of North River mentioned above.

This State line ridge (Shenandoah Mountain) forms the divide separating drainage

to the Shenandoah from the Bullpasture, Cowpasture, Calfpasture Branches which

are the origins of the James River. Also over the next ridge west is the beginnings

of the South Branch of the Potomac, a long ways from Fairfax Stone which heads

up the North Branch Potomac.

How soon are you leaving on this jaunt? If any of the above has any value and you

would like Delorme maps let me know before this Thursday. We are leaving for

England on Saturday on the QE2. Will have 4 days in London and 3 in Paris

before flying home June 3.

-----Original Message-----
From: michael donner [mailto:m@...]
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 7:58 PM
To: BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [BoundaryPoint] sawanabori rocks wet or dry

not a question about a low tide elevation but an appreciation & enhancement of the allegedly ancient japanese or possibly just fantastic art & sport & ritual of tracing rivers to their source as previously described in & between messages 1847 & 1855 having pondered & searched long & hard for a good act to follow that unusually rewarding ascent of the potomac i finally determined just this week to try next the greatest tributary & closest kin of the potomac the shenandoah it is a beauty of a river & valley too & a beauty of a name so i know already it will rock & too excited to hold back until actually arriving at its mouth next week precisely on the mdwv state line between harpers ferry & mdvawv i started zooming it in on mapquest & topozone & of course couldnt stop panning til i reached its most probable source many entertaining hours later since i am admittedly crazy about zooming & panning nor was the imaginary journey so trivial or easy to make as it may sound & indeed i highly recommend it as an armchair adventure some rainy night whether in the form of up the shenandoah or some other river that calls you climbing the waters themselves in a boat or snaking high & dry over all the bridges in a car or actually slogging the last mile with bare feet or just letting your fingers & mouse do the walking many of the challenges & satisfactions are the same & if you are doing the virtual sawanabori in preparation for an actual one as in the present case you will get the extra bonuses of saving gas by predetermining the shortest routes & of advancing the research by previewing all the critical confluences anyway i do have a question can anyone confirm the true source of the true shenandoah i think i have found it on topozone but i would like a second opinion m
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.