Roan Mountain to Settlers Museum June 2005

Maps of the route with terrain features: Roan Mountain to Damascus | Damascus to I-81 | Detail of the area north of Mt. Rogers

Sun 6/12 US 19E à Roan Mountain 15.9 Elevation Map

In June of 2005 we had some time for a trip in June. One of my goals in section hiking was to hike various sections of the trail during a season when they might be best appreciated. We knew that in the Roan Mountain and Mt. Rogers areas there were natural gardens of rhododendrons that would be in boom around mid-June, so we decided to head that direction. The trip was organized around the idea of base camping for several days in one place while we day-hiked sections of the AT. We stayed at three different National Forest Service campgrounds, the first of which, Cardens Bluff, was on Watauga Lake. The campground had been recently refurbished and was one of the nicest we have stayed in. As is typical in Forest Service campgrounds, the sites were relatively secluded and surrounded by trees. This campground was situated in a hilly area, and the sites were well constructed with the use of retaining walls and gravel. Some of the sites looked out on the lake, although those were all taken when we arrived. There was also a rustic-looking wooden modern bathroom building, with showers.

We started with our southernmost section. Tatiana dropped me off at US 19E, a road notorious in the trail community because many cars parked at the road crossing have been vandalized. The problem is serious enough that the Forest Service has posted permanent signs along the trail, a short distance from the road, warning users of the danger. The trail rises steadily from 19E to the top of Hump Mountain, which is the beginning of the long, grassy ridge that makes up Roan Mountain. Many hikers were around, evidence of the popularity of this section of trail. When I arrived above treeline on the grassy summit the weather was windy and cold. Fog shrouded the mountaintop, and it was difficult to see far. A number of hikers were huddled next to rocks taking breaks, some breaking out their stoves to make some hot drinks. After several miles on the ridgetop the trail dropped toward the picturesque Overmountain Shelter, which is really an old red barn. The shelter sits at the edge of the woods, overlooking a grassy clearing that leads down the side of the mountain. The name of the shelter refers to a group of patriots from the American Revolution who marched over the mountains from Kentucky and Tennessee to engage the British in battle. The historic trail that marks their route passes over the mountains at the gap where the shelter is now situated. Soon the trail rose again above the trees, and by now the fog was beginning to clear. I met up with Tatiana, and we took the side trail to Grassy Ridge, the highest natural 360-degree view near the trail. We continued another three miles along the open ridge, with views of mountains in every direction, to Carvers Gap. The trail then crossed a paved road near a parking area, and ascended through fragrant spruce-fir forest to the top of Roan High Knob. This is as far south as we would go on this trip, and the beauty of the area led me to make this spot my finishing point for the whole trail, two years later. We wandered over to the rhododendron gardens before leaving the mountaintop, where Tatiana had parked. Although the plants were not yet in bloom, the area was still nice to walk around in. Check out a map of the route.

Mon 6/13 US 19E à Laurel Fork Gorge 26.5 Elevation map

The next day we again drove to US 19E, where I started hiking south. We had originally expected this would be a shorter day, but had discovered upon reading the updated trail guide that a recent relocation had added several miles (somewhere around 3-5) to the section. This area, like the road crossing where it starts, has been notorious because of problems with the neighbors. Unlike many other parts of the trail, the locals seem to resent the nearby presence of a wildness trail, and stories have been told of fishhooks left hanging from overhead tree branches at face height, ready to snare an unsuspecting hiker. A rape took place along the trail in this area 20 years ago as well. There have been numerous relocations, mostly aimed at resolving problems with local landowners. The new stretch of trail was actually quite scenic. It passed mostly through woods for miles, following streams and past a waterfall. The history of this section has also left the route devoid of shelters – until 2007, there was an 18 mile stretch with no shelters here. I met up with Tatiana in the afternoon, and we returned toward where she parked on Dennis Cove Road. We passed a shelter with a crushed roof, the casualty of a fallen tree. We also traversed a very steep section that a trail crew was in the midst of replacing with switchbacks. When we reached the parking lot, across from the popular Kincora Hostel, I decided I had enough energy to hike the next three miles through Laurel Fork Gorge. At the far end, I could take a short side trail that lead out to route 321, near the campground. The gorge was very scenic, passing a waterfall that was probably at least 30 feet high, then following the narrow, rocky walls for several miles.

Tues 6/14 Laurel Fork Gorge à TN 91 26.2 Elevation map

Tuesday morning dawned damp and humid. It had rained overnight, and the moisture hung in the air and seemed to permeate everything. I started on the side trail from US 321, and after reaching the AT immediately climbed up Pond Mountain, which is designated a wilderness area. Although remote and wild, the area did not offer any views, and was not memorable in the humid conditions. After several hours of up and then back down the trail brought me right back to route 321, just a mile or two down the road from where I started. The route now crossed the road and passed through a day-use recreation area on the edge of Watauga Lake, then followed the edge of the lake for a few miles. The lake is actually a reservoir, created by the Tennessee Valley Authority as a byproduct of Watauga Dam. The trail soon crossed the dam, and climbed to the crossing of a minor road. Upon reaching the road I noticed a tan Chevy Prizm and thought “odd . . it looks like our car”. Soon I realized it was indeed our car – Tatiana had realized that she could drive to this spot, and decided to meet me here before heading to the other end of the day’s section. She told me that since her knee was bothering her, she might not hike very far – so I should not be worried if I did not see her on the trail for a while. The route climbed up onto a long ridge above Wautoga Dam – a ridge that is actually followed without significant elevation change until reaching Damascus, VA – a distance of about 35 miles. Perhaps that statement is a bit inaccurate – the trail actually goes up and down quite a bit, but it does not cross any notable high mountains, nor does it drop to pass through any significant low-lying valleys or rivers. I took a break at the Vandeventer Shelter and enjoyed a spectacular view from a rock outcropping, surveying the entire lake and surrounding mountains. It had rained as I was crossing the dam, but now the sun was out and the hiking pleasant. I stopped at Iron Mountain Shelter to dry out my socks, and read in the register about a resident cat. Soon the cat made an appearance, walking over to check me out and see if I had any food. There were only a few miles to go, and were it not for her injury I would have been wondering where Tatiana was. Soon I did meet up with her, and the first words out of her mouth were “so, do you want the good news or the bad news first?”. That is never a good phrase to hear. I opted for the bad news, just to get it over with, but she led off with the good “the good news is we have a place to stay tonight”. I was really beginning to wonder now, because according to our plans we would indeed have had a place to stay – at another campground about 10 miles further north. She continued to fill me in on her story. Shortly after returning to the main road – after seeing me that morning – the car had overheated. A local guy stopped to help, and directed her to a small repair shop just down the road. The water pump needed to be replaced, but the work would not be finished until the next morning. The guys at the shop knew another local who had property near the road and at the edge of the woods, and arranged for us to be able to stay there. The good Samaritan who first stopped to help drove Tatiana to the trailhead, and dropped off our gear at the campsite. She had just enough time to hike a couple of miles and meet me – and all of this was going on while I was blissfully wandering through the woods! The only downside to the scenario was that we had to walk an extra three miles down a twisty, steep road through the woods to the place where we would stay. The next morning, we walked another 4 miles down the road to the repair shop to get the car. The campsite consisted of cleared land with a small artificial pond. There was a gazebo build over the pond, where we had our dinner. Not a bad place to spend the night, all things considered.

Wed 6/15 US 421 à TN 91 6.5

We ended up with a short hike the next day, since it took most of the morning to get the car squared away. We drove up the winding route 91 pass, and on the other side found ourselves in a peaceful pastoral valley. The tiny community of Shady Valley was at the intersection with route 421, which we followed to the trail, where I got out and hiked back to route 91. The route was very similar to the section I walked along the previous afternoon, nearly always staying along the ride top, with many short, steep climbs and ascents along a well-graded trail. A mature forest with fairly large trees surrounded the trail. Nearing route 91, the trail crossed through a scenic farm. The humidity was gone, and blue skies made for pleasant hiking.

We camped for the night at Backbone Rock Campground, located several miles further north on route 91. The campground was in deep woods on Forest Service land, next to a rushing creek. At the campground, the road passed through a short tunnel that had been cut into the rock for a railroad that ran along the route. It was a very unusual and interesting feature. The campground was small, with no more than 12 sites – and other than the campground hosts the sites were nearly empty.

Thurs 6/16 US 58 à US 421 20.4 Elevation map

The unexpected car repairs forced us to alter the rest of our planned hikes, so today we started by driving through the famous trail town of Damascus, to a trailhead at US route 58. I started hiking south, and Tatiana drove back to US 421 near Shady Valley and started north. After a few easy miles the trail descended a steep set of wooden steps and arrived at Damascus. Damascus is perhaps the “friendliest” and most convenient of all the trail towns, with many outdoor-related services and everything a hiker needs within a short walking distance. The trail route follows Main Street through town. A major trail festival is held here each spring, and it was interesting to ponder what the place might look like with hundreds of hikers wandering around and camping in the town park. At one end of town an old AT trail shelter is on display. At the far (south) end of town the trail passed between two driveways and immediately began ascending, soon reaching the Virginia/Tennessee border. A northbound thru-hiker reaching this crossing will expect to spend the next 4-6 weeks in Virginia – almost a quarter of the entire trail is in this one state. I was going the other way, and traversing a ridge that many thru-hikers barely notice. I have heard many stories about hikers racing to Damascus, sometimes hiking through the night – eager to arrive in time for Trail Days or just to have a break. The route was similar to the previous day – the same sort of ridge walking, forests, and terrain. I passed a side trail that led to our campground; it would have been nice to use this trail and hike straight from the campsite, but we could not find a way to make the logistics work out.

Fri 6/17 US 58 à Elk Garden 18.2 Elevation map

In the morning we packed up our gear and drove north toward the next section, planning to spend the last two nights at another campground. We tried an unusual strategy this time, because if Tatiana would start hiking from Elk Garden right away she would have ended up hiking a significant descent, and likely need to turn right around and go back up. So instead, she hiked a couple of miles with me in the morning, then went back to the car and drove to the northern trailhead. The section we were hiking felt quite different from the previous few days. Pine trees and drier, more sandy soil characterized the forest surrounding the trail, and we were no longer at the top of a ridge all the time. We stopped for a break at a spot that afforded a partial view before a continued on. I soon came to the Virginia Creeper Trail, which is a rail trail that is popular with cyclists. The trail has a much more significant grade than most such trails, and one popular itinerary is to get a ride with a outfitter from Damascus and then ride, downhill all the way, the 30 or so miles back to town. The AT followed the Creeper trail for a short distance, and crossed a creek on the old railroad bridge before striking off on its own again. After several more miles, it climbed steeply through pastureland, leveled off a bit, and then began a long steady climb through thick woods towards the summit of Whitetop Mountain. Tatiana was waiting for me at a rocky outcropping where the trail emerged from the trees at 5120’. The trail does not cross the summit of Whitetop, but it wandered between woods and open, grassy areas for a few miles before dropping to a gap called Elk Garden – which at 4435’ it one of the higher gaps along the trail route. We ended the day’s hike here, and drove a few miles to Hurricane Campground. The campground was a classic Forest Service facility, with rustic structures and wooded sites. We chose a spot near the rushing Hurricane River. I was reminded of a campground with a similar name in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which sites next to a picturesque river that tumbles into Lake Superior. The campground is a short distance from the AT, and hikers sometimes take the side trail to use the showers.

Sat 6/18 Dickey Gap à Elk Garden (Mt. Rogers) 25.4 Elevation map

Today’s hike was one of the most strenuous of the trip, with over 5000’ of elevation gain in addition to 25 miles. I hiked south this time, starting at a road crossing near the campground. Knowing that I had a lot of ground to cover, I strode through the first 10 miles quite quickly. The trail in this section had a similar to feel to where I started yesterday, the forest sprinkled with pines. Several sections passed through rhododendron thickets as well – a trail feature that is very common in Virginia. In the morning I passed a waterfall, as well as a new shelter. After crossing a road, the trail began the major ascent of the day, up toward the high mountains that surround Mt. Rogers. After a long climb I reached the first high treeless region on Pine Mountain. For the next 13 miles, much of the trail crossed open, grassy fields at elevations of 5000 feet or more. This region is known for its population of wild horses, most of which are concentrated in a state park called Grayson Highlands. The area is also popular with horseback riders, whose trails cross the AT at several places. The most dramatic of these crossings was a horse corral known as the scales, where the trail passed right through the middle of the corral. As I reached Grayson Highlands, I was thrilled to see that we had timed this hike correctly for the rhododendrons – the beautiful, large pink flowers were in full bloom. I soon met Tatiana, who had been slowly wandering through the flowering meadows and taking lots of pictures. The area was also marked by large, dramatic rock outcroppings, which in combination with the grassy ridge made it feel a bit like Colorado. We saw several wild ponies, and soon also lots of people – it is possible to drive quite close to the trail within the state park. The rhododendrons increased in concentration as we approached Rhododendron Gap, near which a narrow passageway like a tunnel was fun to explore. Moving beyond the crowds, we soon came to the Thomas Knob Shelter, which at 5400 feet, exposed to the wind and weather at the edge of a grassy meadow, can be a cold place to spend the night. A short distance beyond the shelter we followed a side trail to the top of Mt. Rogers. Ironically, the summit is wooded – after hiking several miles along trail with outstanding views, we could see nothing but trees from the top of Virginia’s highest mountain. Another couple was there, and was celebrating their accomplishment with a bottle of champagne. Continuing on the trail, we soon reached the trailhead at Elk Garden, after passing through a field where cows were grazing.

Sun 6/19 Dickey Gap à Settlers Museum 23.4 Elevation map

For our final hike of the week, we broke camp and I again started hiking near the campground at Dickey Gap. The route followed more of the dry, pine-dominated forest, with scattered thickets of rhododendron along the creeks. There were many stream crossings – the rhododendrons often grown along streams – and a few limited views. Midway through the hike I arrived at the Partnership Shelter, which is one of the more unusual shelters along the trail. Built to accommodate 16, maybe 20 people, it sits a short distance behind a Forest Service Visitor Center that serves the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The shelter includes a sleeping loft, a sink for doing dishes, and a cold-water shower. Because a road is nearby, hikers are known to use the pay phone at the Visitor Center to order take-out food – a novelty while camping! We stopped to see the visitor center, which had some interesting displays about the AT, including several pages from a shelter register. Near the end of the hike, the route passed through a clearing under high-tension power lines. The lines buzzed ominously – and more loudly than I have ever heard. We ended the section at the Virginia Settlers Museum, a small collection of historic farm buildings that interpret the 19^th century rural way of life. It was a short drive from there to I-81, where we entered the highway and drove home.