Tired and...

I'm physically exhausted. For the first time in a long while I am also suffering from writers block. I know that I need a long camping/backpacking trip to relax and recharge.

I'm hoping for a really good year in the back country for 2014. Planning continues...(and, yes, I'd take a campsite anywhere near one of these spots).

Confederate Furnace

One thing that I like about just driving around an area with no real destination in mind is that you can stumble upon some pretty cool stuff. Since Virginia was the heart of the Confederacy, there are all kinds of historic sites important to the CSA all over the state. As we were on our way to take a look at a National Forest campground (for possible future use), we noticed an old structure beside the road, along with a historical marker.

So, we quickly backtracked and pulled over to have a good look. It turned out to be a furnace that the Confederate Army used to smelt iron, mainly for the production of cannonballs. It finally ceased operation in early 1865 as the Union forces were kicking Confederate ass at will.

The National Forest sign that stopped us.

It's in wonderful shape. I'd seen another of these near Sherando Lake Recreation Area that's basically a vast pile of loose rubble.

Carole at the front of the forge.

The bars that protect the interior.

Inside the furnace.

Flat Top Mountain Trail (Part Two).

As I said earlier, I had hiked half this trail once before, some years back. That had been on one of our first visits to the Peaks of Otter. The day I had hiked to the summit the weather had not cooperated, at all. Mother Nature had thrown rain and thick clouds at me all the way to the top of the mountain and back down. This time, though, the air was about as clear as it gets. It was plenty cold, but the views were spot-on perfect.

Cross Rock had been one of the points I had missed on the first hike because I had just hit the summit, clambered about on the exposed rocks, and headed back down. From there I pushed on to the summit which was a half-mile away, hitting a shallow gap and then heading upslope to the very top of the mountain.

As with the first part of the trail, the grade was easy. To repeat: this has to be one of the most well-engineered hiking trails I have ever hiked. I didn't get winded at all, despite climbing about 1600 feet from the Parkway in a little less than two and a half miles.

The summit was as I recalled it, a vast area of patchy hardwoods and vast jumbles of tremendous boulders and steep cliffs. I found the same spot I had used to climb atop the rocks before and walked out onto the exposed stone to see the views. They were even better at the very top than I'd seen at Cross Rock. To my left was Apple Orchard Mountain and to my right was Sharp Top (which I'd been unable to see from Cross Rock).

I set up my tripod and remote control to get some self-portraits, but the wind knocked it all over and I almost lost everything to the cliffs. I was just damned lucky not to have been hiking down the mountain without my camera--or with a pile of shattered junk that had once been my camera. Because of the gusting winds I didn't feel safe setting up the tripod anymore and just decided to take photos of the scenery and forgot about self-portraits with the high country as a background.

After about a half hour at the top I decided against having lunch on the mountain and instead pushed on to return to the Lodge. I had now seen the half of the trail that I'd missed that first time some years back--everything else was relatively familiar to me as I made my way down the mountain.

Sign at Cross Rock.

Heading up!

Again...just a wonderfully engineered trail.

Just below the very summit!

Looking to my left, toward Apple Orchard Mountain.

And, finally, a view toward Sharp Top!

 

It didn't take long to locate the USGS benchmark.

I took a photo of this jumble of boulders last time.

As I got to the base of the mountain the terrain got a lot less rocky.

This is where the trail ends...at the picnic area.

But I had another half mile to go, passing "Big Spring".

It does have a tremendous flow of fresh water, and once supplied the drinking water for the town of Bedford.

This place was an actual lodge once upon a time. A primitive bed and breakfast in its day.

And then I crossed the dam to Abbott Lake and it was just a short walk to the Lodge.

Flat Top Mountain Trail (Part One)

The best trail I hiked while we were at the Lodge was the Flat Top Mountain Trail. It's a National Trail of some note. It passes over Flat Top Mountain which is one of the more impressive peaks in the area and the tallest of the three Peaks of Otter (and the only one of the three that's over 4,000 feet in elevation). There are spectacular views from the summit and at several points along the roughly five-mile trail.

I had Carole take me to the northern terminus of the trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway where she dropped me off and drove back to the Lodge. By hiking over the mountain and back down to Abbott Lake I could end my hike at our room at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Simple. Years ago I had hiked half the trail by starting at the lake and then hitting the summit and backtracking to the lake. But that had been on a very rainy day with no views at all. Plus, I'd missed out on hiking a little more than half the trail between the summit and the Parkway. This way I'd see everything I'd missed before, plus retracing my hike of several years back--this time in optimal scenery weather.

Carole dropped me off at about 9:30 after we'd had breakfast. It was pretty cool--about 20 degrees--with stiff winds blowing through the forest. After I began my hike and as I gained elevation on the peak, one thing that very much impressed me was how well engineered the trail is. The route follows the easier contours of the peak and does not tackle the slopes head on. Neither does it use very many switchbacks, instead moving easily over the slopes and meandering easily without any extremely steep climbs. It was almost like following a railroad bed and this very well may be the case--I couldn't say. But it was one of the easiest and most pleasant climbs of that height that I can recall. I'm pretty sure that I gained about 1600 feet between the Parkway and the summit, but I hardly felt it.

Also, I seemed to have the entire mountain to myself. I didn't encounter any other hikers on the entire trek. I had complete solitude and quiet for the entire duration. It was just me and the wind.

This is one of the easiest trails I've ever hiked. I hardly broke a sweat.

I guess they just decided to let this snag lay as it fell across the trail. It was easy to step over. You can see that the terrain was getting rockier at this point.

Climbing the slopes. This moss was about the only green in the forest.

The closer I got to the top, the more rugged the slopes.

I was getting even with some of the higher surrounding peaks.

This big patch of ice was actually a pain in the ass. I had a hard time getting around it without slipping.

This was at one of the first great views: Cross Rock. About half a mile from the true summit.

Peaks of Otter Lodge Review

I never seem to post actual photos of the inside of the Peaks of Otter Lodge and the lodge rooms. So I'll post a few that I took this time.

The Lodge now has a new concessionaire running the place. I didn't notice any drop in service and they have done a few things that I consider improvements. One thing that they have done is add wide-screen TVs to the rooms. In the past there were no TVs at the lodge. I tend not to watch TV on such trips anyway, because I'm generally hiking. But most people like to at least relax by watching television after spending the day walking or exploring the Parkway.

The restaurant was pretty much the same as I remembered it. The food quality might actually be a little better. One night we had the prime rib buffet which was very nice.

While we were there the Lodge was not heavily occupied. I doubt more than ten rooms or so had been reserved our first night, and on our second night that fell to about three guests. There was plenty of peace and quiet and we sat at the same window table for all of our meals. You can't beat the view overlooking Abbott Lake with the imposing mass of Sharp Top Mountain looming above it all.

If you've never stayed at Peaks of Otter Lodge you've missed out. I highly recommend it.

The front of the lodge on our arrival.

I took this one from the patio of our room.

From the opposite side of Abbott Lake.

Lodge office and restaurant.

View from the Lodge grounds.

The Lodge restaurant. Very comfortable. Excellent food and service.

I took this through the window where our table was located. You can't beat the view!

Ever-present deer herds around the Lodge.

Lodge office and restaurant the morning we left (in the rain).

The new TVs (and Keurig coffee makers).

Home!

Well, we're home from Peaks of Otter Lodge.

We had a good, relaxing trip. I got in a couple of hikes...one really nice one. More tomorrow after we've recovered from the drive back.

The view from above Cross Rock on Flat Top Mountain. The big mountain in the background center is Apple Orchard Mountain, the highest peak in that area of Virginia and one of the "tallest" mountains in the state--that is, one which shows a high level of relief from base to summit.

The view from Cross Rock, near the summit of Flat Top Mountain.

The Lodge!

Heading out for our favorite National Park inn!

Later, folk!

The Lodge and Lake and Sharp Top.

Good ol' Sharp Top Mountain!

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is one that surprised me. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it all that much, but I was very impressed with it. We were only able to spend one entire day there, so barely scratching the surface is an apt description of our time there. Still, we saw a lot and I was even able to hike to the summit of one peak.

Someday I'd like to visit again. But Carole says that she saw enough of it and doesn't care to return.

We'll see.

Carole at Skull Rock.

Carole took this one of me at a small reservoir in the Park.

Typical terrain in Joshua Tree. I got some kind of cactus bud stuck in my boot walking around out there. It was NOT easy to remove from the sole of said boot. Jove help you if it gets in your flesh.

This was actually really high up on a jumble of boulders. Maybe thirty feet up. I have several online pals who go to Joshua Tree to rock climb.