The beautiful Blue Ridge

Monday, June 18

Today I drove down a stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This scenic road stretches from Northern Virginia to southwestern North Carolina. Today I drove about 100 miles, taking about 4 hours, including stops to enjoy views and such along the way. I made my way west along an extremely windy stretch of US 58 to Virginia's Grayson Highlands State Park.This gem of a park contains some nice open highlands, has facilities for camping and horseriding, and is also along the Appalachian Trail. I stayed in the campground for the night, but not before enjoying a spectacular sunset view from a point called (imaginatively enough) Little Pinnacle. Along the way I spotted rabbits and deer.

The park is adjacent to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, where I spent some time the next day.

Tuesday, June 19

This morning featured a bright and early start. Since a chance of thunderstorms was forecast for this afternoon, I thought it wise to tackle Mount Rogers early today. I actually managed to break camp and be at the trailhead by 7:15. I know, not impressive, unless you know how much I like getting up some mornings.

The hike to Mount Rogers (5729 feet, highest point in Virginia) was about 8 miles round trip, with about 1000 feet of elevation gained. Parts of the route are on the AT. The landscape was fairly open, often with views mostly in southerly directions. The primary large inhabitants of the area seem to be wild ponies, some of which were not shy at all. (At least they're not as dangerous as bear, which are also a presence along much of the Appalachians.) The summit of Rogers is wooded, but the whole rest of the hike was very pleasant.
The weather was overcast with pockets of sun and drizzle. I returned to my car around 11:30.

From Grayson Highlands, I drove further down the very twisty US 58 to Abingdon, VA, where I picked up I-81 and made my way on to Asheville, NC. After ensconcing in my hotel on the outer edge of town (and also napping), I headed downtown for dinner and ice cream. I find that Marble Slab serves pretty nice ice cream.

Wednesday, June 20

My first full day in the Asheville area, and time to do some research. I'm interested in hiking Mount Mitchell (highest point in the eastern US) and Clingman's Dome (scenic high point in the Smoky Mountains). I decide to drive more of the Blue Ridge Parkway toward the main NC entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, to acquire maps and information about permitting. Along the way, I stop to summit Mount Pisgah (not to be confused with a church or a similarly named peak in Pennsylvania.) This was a short hike, 3 miles RT and 700 feet up to the summit. I met a middle-aged couple and his father, who had originally been on the summit 40 years before. They had interesting insights into the changes in the summit area (which features a TV transmission tower among other things).

Lunch was a southern affair at The Tupelo Honey Cafe. Toasted tomato and cheese sandwich with a side of fried okra. Yum.

Dinner was also a local affair, at the Early Girl Eatery. Once again Yum, but not much Russell-friendly here.