ROUNDABOUT

Most years, the Rhododendron bloom is just getting good around the middle of June. This year though, it was much earlier. On the weekend of the 17^th, I decided to head up to Mount Rogers for a backpacking trip and one last Rhododendron show.

That weekend, Christy was in Key West, participating in the annual swimming race around the island. In case you’re wondering, the race is 12 miles. To me, 12 miles sounds like a nice hike, but a swim?? Obviously, I married a crazy woman. Technically, her participation in the race was my fault. I read about it in a magazine and mentioned it to her, not thinking that she might actually want to attempt it! Meanwhile, Myron and Dorcas were traveling out west, and Bob and Joel were backpacking in New Hampshire. So, I planned for a solo trip (not counting the dog, of course). The idea of it actually made me a little nervous. After all, my last solo backpacking trip didn’t go so well.

When I backpack solo, I like to be just that – by myself. Aside from seeing the Rhododendrons, my goal for the trip was a campsite with solitude. In fact, I was hoping for a 5-star campsite, and I wanted it all to myself. Impossible, you say? I know, it was a summer weekend, with a great weather forecast, and I was heading to one of the most popular hiking destinations in the southeast. But I had a plan.

I drove up Saturday morning, and headed for the “back side” along VA route 603. This road provides easy access to the area, but it isn’t nearly as popular as Grayson Highlands. Of course, starting at Grayson Highlands involves driving most up the way up the mountain. I’d be starting in the valley and hiking up. I drove past the parking area for the Appalachian Trail, which was full. This was not an encouraging sign. I drove another couple of miles, and pulled into the Mount Rogers trailhead. The Mount Rogers Trail is a major thorofare, but there wasn’t a single car in the parking area.

Originally I had planned to hike the Mount Rogers Trail up to Deep Gap and the AT. From there, I’d follow the AT through the high country, passing over Thomas Knob and through Rhododendron Gap. From there, I’d cross Pine Mountain to Scales, and continue on to a campsite I’d noticed on a previous hike on top of 3^rd Peak. On Sunday, I’d return by the same route as far as Pine Mountain, but I’d descend back into the valley on the Lewis Fork and Cliffside Trails.

Unfortunately, Friday’s rain and fog was still lingering when I arrived at the trailhead. The forecast suggested that the skies would clear, but when? Sunday’s forecast looked perfect, and I didn’t really want to hike one of Virginia’s most scenic stretches of trail in the fog and drizzle. Spontaneously, I decided to reverse my route and save the best part for Sunday.

I started out on a horse trail that runs parallel to route 603. This trail isn’t shown on my map, but it was built to keep horses (and hikers) off the main road. I’m glad it’s there, as it isn’t much fun walking the dog and dodging traffic. After a mile or so, I reached a meadow in sight of the road. I knew from past experience that the Lewis Fork Trail starts across the road from that point, on the other side of the meadow. Unfortunately, there is no connecting path. I headed that way, wading through waist high brush that was still sopping wet from the recent rain. I probably should’ve put on rain pants first, but of course this didn’t occur to me until after it was too late. As I turned off the main trail, I spotted a deer back in the woods, watching me. It was the first of several deer we’d spot over the next couple of days.

We eventually made it through the gate, across the road, and through the next gate. This is a fun exercise with a dog on a leash! From there, we traversed another lovely meadow, but this time we had the benefit of a trail. The trail weaved through a landscape of grasses and blooming Buttercups and other wildflowers. Behind me, the bulk of Iron Mountain loomed out of the breaking fog.

We joined the horse trail, and reached a sturdy bridge over Lewis Fork. From there, we began a steady climb up through the valley. It wasn’t long before we reached a fork. The Lewis Fork Trail bears left here, as it zigs and zags its way up through the valley towards Pine Mountain. If you follow this trail from the road to Pine Mountain, you’ll cover 5 miles. However, the Cliffside Trail provides a more direct route, and that is the path I decided to take. The Cliffside Trail is a substantial shortcut, but I had overlooked that fact when I planned the trip. As a result, Saturday’s hike ended up being quite a bit shorter than expected.

A bit later, I stopped for an early lunch at a nice campsite along Lewis Fork. From there, the climb got steeper. It wasn’t long before we crossed the Lewis Fork Trail again, as it continued its leisurely climb out of the valley. The Cliffside Trail actually got steeper though, and I was working pretty hard when I finally rejoined the Lewis Fork Trail just below the crest of Pine Mountain. A couple of minutes later, I reached the junction with the blue blazed Pine Mountain Trail. The clouds were breaking when I arrived, promising fine afternoon views.

I stopped for a break, but after only a few minutes I began hearing voices. There was considerable hooting and hollering, and the sounds were getting louder. It didn’t take me long to decide that I didn’t want to be around to meet their owners.

I headed out on the Pine Mountain Trail, which runs through open meadows, heath glades, and dark forest. Some time later, I joined the Appalachian Trail, and continued on towards Scales. I followed the trail as it contoured below the crest of Pine Mountain, and passed a series of usually reliable springs. On this day, those springs were mere trickles or mud puddles. This worried me, as my intended campsite is high and dry. Despite some recent rain, an exceptionally dry spring could mean some difficulties, especially since I had the dog with me.

I reached Scales around 2:30. I was way ahead of schedule, as my intended campsite was no more than a mile away. One of my motives for this trip was to get in some training. I was hoping to cover some serious mileage, as I’ve got some big trips planned later this summer. Spending the afternoon lounging around camp would’ve been nice, but I decided to extend the hike. I revised my route again, deciding to approach 3^rd Peak the long way. This is the sort of improvisation that I could never get away with if I’d had my wife or friends along.

As we left Scales, we ran into one of the resident herds of “wild” ponies. This was very exciting for Saucony, who wanted nothing more than to play with them. Fortunately, I’d already leashed her for the stroll through the Scales trailhead. It turns out that it wasn’t Saucony I needed to worry about. One of the ponies walked right over to check her out. At one point, I think they actually rubbed noses. As luck would have it, the batteries in my camera chose this exact moment to die. Sigh.

We continued on the Appalachian Trail, climbing the grassy balds of Stone Mountain. The day had finally cleared, although lingering haze mucked up the views a bit. As I climbed, I spotted a brilliant red Flame Azalea blooming up near the summit. It was off the trail, but I had to check it out. After a bit of easy bushwhacking through the blueberry bushes, I reached my azalea. It was actually looking a bit droopy, but it was still a cool spot. I took a break there in the shade of a single tree before heading back to the trail to resume the hike.

I’m not saying that the Appalachian Trail through the Mount Rogers area is crowded, but I actually had to merge into traffic to get back on the trail. Fortunately, I knew I’d be leaving the crowds behind soon.

I crested Stone Mountain, and descended through more scenic meadows before entering the woods. Before long, I reached a junction with the Bearpen Trail. I turned left here, and followed horse tracks through the mud to another junction. At this point, the Big Wilson Trail turns right and descends. I could’ve gone this way, and eventually worked my way around to the First Peak Trail. However, the Bearpen Trail continues directly ahead, or at least it used to. At the junction, there is a sign that states, “Deep mud, travel not recommended”. That stretch of trail is one of the few in the area that I haven’t done. I reasoned that after all the dry weather, if I was ever going to do it, now was the time. I decided to give it a shot.

The good news is that the Bearpen Trail provided the perfect avenue to escape the crowds. The bad news is that it was every bit as muddy as advertised. I spent the next hour hopping from rock to log to stick in an effort to avoid the worst of the mudholes. At least the trail provided a water source. I was about halfway to One and a Half Gap (the saddle between First and Second Peaks) when I crossed a small stream. I filled up everything I could, knowing that it might be the last water (not counting mudpuddles) that I’d see.

Just when I thought the trail would never end, I reached One and a Half Gap. There are some nice campsites in the meadows here, but I was still after a 5-star spot. I decided to pass these sites up and push on.

I climbed to Second Peak, which is a lovely mountain featuring a combination of heath balds and beautiful forests. At one point, I followed a side trail up through heath meadows, passing dozens of blooming Flame Azaleas along the way. Another stretch of trail led past some nice views to the south. Eventually, Second Peak gave way to Third Peak, and I knew my campsite wasn’t far. I could only hope that it would be vacant!

I reached an immense meadow on top of Third Peak, with views stretching away north, west, and south. A minute later, I arrived at the junction with the Third Peak Trail at a large, flat boulder. Nearby, I spotted what I was looking for. There’s a great campsite here, among the trees along the edge of the meadow. Best of all, there wasn’t anyone around.

I set up camp, pitching my tent under a stand of trees. Afterwards, I found a perfect branch to hang my food. Then, I wandered down through meadows bursting with the colors of blooming Buttercups and blazing Flame Azaleas, enjoying the views unfolding in front of me. Just across the valley was the rocky spine of Wilburn Ridge. To the left, the high peaks of Ashe County gave way to distant blue haze.

A few minutes later, I found a small stream at the bottom of the valley. There wasn’t much water, but it was enough to satisfy the dog. This was a huge relief, as I knew I had plenty for myself. Ironically, this was the headwaters of the same stream I’d filtered out of earlier that afternoon.

I returned to camp and made a dinner of Asian noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Afterwards, I walked to the very crest of the mountain to watch the sunset. I was treated to a colorful one that eventually gave way to an eye-catching crescent moon. It got chilly later, but I hung out long enough to enjoy an impressive display of stars.

Gusty winds flapping the tent fly woke me the next morning. Such are the hazards of camping on high mountain balds. Despite the wind, I was able to make a scrambled egg & cheese sandwich on a bagel for breakfast. Then I packed up, and we hit the trail.

We followed a braided path over the crest of 3^rd peak and descended towards Scales. Great views unfolded in nearly every direction until we finally reached the first of the trees. Just beyond, we stumbled on another herd of “wild” ponies. After a bit of excitement from Saucony, we rambled on to Scales, where I took advantage of the toilet and trash can.

From there, we continued on the Appalachian Trail, stopping at a meager spring, which just barely had enough flow to filter out of. This was fortunate, as I was almost out of water. Afterwards, we climbed to the crest of Pine Mountain, and followed its namesake trail towards Rhododendron Gap. Until now, the Flame Azaleas had stolen the show. As I neared the gap, the Rhododendrons began to take over. Although the peak bloom had already passed, there were still many blooms there to enjoy. Saucony didn’t enjoy them nearly as much as I did though. It was a warm, sunny day, and the shrubs didn’t provide any shade. She was a bit overheated by the time we reached Rhododendron Gap.

It was lunchtime, so we climbed to the top of a rock overlooking the gap (and much of the surrounding area). Surprisingly, there wasn’t anyone up there. The rock provided a great view, as well as a wonderful place for lunch in the sun. It also provided water for Saucony, in the form of potholes holding rainwater. We lingered there for awhile, before another group arrived, and I decided it was time to move on.

We headed up towards Thomas Knob, passing several great campsites along the way. Apparently everyone had packed up and hiked out already, as I didn’t see anyone around. After an easy climb, we passed the Thomas Knob Shelter, and more great views south. After a few more minutes of spectacular scenery, we entered the woods for the long descent around the far side of Mount Rogers. We crossed several flowing streams, which provided more water for the dog. Eventually we reached Briar Ridge, and one last viewpoint west towards Whitetop. After a brief pause, we resumed the descent. The last 4 miles were a bit tedious, as there wasn’t much to look forward to, except for heading home. Plus, I’ll admit it, I was pretty tired. After covering 11 or 12 miles the day before, I was beginning to feel it.

Eventually we passed the turn off to Deep Gap, and resumed our descent on the Mount Rogers Trail. This path took us along a ridge through a pleasantly open hardwood forest, before giving way to switchbacks. I finally reached the road after 5pm, having accomplished pretty much everything I’d hoped to. I caught the last of this year’s Rhododendron bloom, hiked an exceptionally scenic stretch of trail, and spent the night alone at a 5-star campsite. I’ll probably be back in the area next June, but Mount Rogers is likely to draw me back before then.

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