I am a planner. Before we set out on one of our adventures I research where to go, what to do and where we are going to eat. Everything is relatively timed out so we can do all the fun things we want to do. There is always some wiggle room so we can make adjustments as needed, but sometimes the best-laid plans go awry. Our latest trip to the mountains was one of those times.
Our plan was to take the Blue Ridge Parkway (I had verified that it was open the day before our trip) to the parking area for Flat Top Mountain. From there we would hike to a waterfall and then hike the mountain. I found a nearby campground that was open in February where we would spend the night before hiking Sharp Top Mountain the next day. As part of our hike, we would look for the crash site for a B-25 bomber that hit the mountain during World War II.
The trip started off just fine. It was a cold, wet day as we headed to the mountains, which were beautiful with the snow showing through the trees and the low-lying clouds hovering around the top. Our first stop was Foot of the Mountain Cafe for lunch. I double-checked the Parkway closures to realize that they had closed the section we needed because of the snow. No big deal, we would skip the waterfall and just hike Flat Top Mountain from another access point.
As we drove further up the mountain we could see that the trees were frozen. There had apparently been a storm recently, as there were trees down everywhere. We made our way to Peaks of Otter and found a place to park somewhat near the trail we needed. We walked 1/2 mile through the closed picnic area, by an old one-room inn and the big spring, where travelers used to stop to fill up on water.
We reached the trail and started the 1.8-mile trek to the top of the mountain. As we started the climb it began to rain. Dressed for the weather, we continued our hike. The trail was steep and closed in by the mountain laurel on each side. As we ascended the air grew colder and the rain turned into sleet. The ice-covered bushes and logs along the trail were beautiful. We were about halfway up the mountain when I noticed that the ground was starting to get icy as well. The thought popped into my head that coming back down might be treacherous if the trail turned into a sheet of ice. As that thought entered my mind Chris stopped in front of me. Just off the trail were two deer. They were unlike any deer I have seen before. Instead of the delicate features of a white-tailed deer, they had wide, hairy faces. As I reached for the camera there was a sudden, loud crack of thunder. Chris saw the bolt of lightning not too far from us. We looked at each other and both said, “It’s time to go”. We heard one more rumble of thunder as we worked our way back down the mountain. When we reached the car I changed into dry pants and socks.
We made our way down the Parkway to the road that would lead us to the campground. We followed the small, winding dirt road down the mountain. After driving what seemed a very long way (in reality it was only about 10 miles) we finally arrived at the campground. The campground sits on both sides of the road with a stream running through it. While they are open, the office is not this time of the year. There are no reservations. Instead, it is more of an honor system, where payment is left in an envelope dropped into a slot. We decided that we would go find firewood before we set up camp. We followed the small dirt road back up and over the mountain to the closest town. Unfortunately, the store we went to did not have firewood. We looked up other options and found a Dollar General, which seemed close. Apparently, when we turned on to the road we headed the wrong direction (GPS always points me in a specific direction, but that is not helpful when I don’t know which way is north), but instead of telling us to turn around, the app just rerouted us. We went on an epic journey through the backcountry roads. When we finally found the Dollar General we realized they did not have any firewood for sale either.
Once again we looked for more options and found a Food Lion 13 miles away. I called them to make sure they had wood before we made the trip. As we made our way to the store I suggested we find a campground in that area instead of going back across the mountain only to have to come back for breakfast in the morning. I did not have any luck finding an open campground in the area. Chris suggested that we just get a hotel room for the night, which we did. We saw Rodeo Chico across the street, so stopped there for dinner before heading to the nearby Red Roof Inn. The hotel was a good call. We were able to hang our wet clothes to dry and were able to get a good night’s sleep in a warm bed without the mess of setting up and breaking down camp in the nasty weather.
Refreshed in the morning we set out for the day’s hike. The weather was much improved, a bit warmer with glorious sunshine. After stopping at North Star Restaurant in Buchanan for a wonderful breakfast we worked our way back up the mountain to Peaks of Otter. It was chilly, but we discarded the heavy coats counting on the hike keeping us warm. The climb up Sharp Top Mountain was not as steep as Flat Top. The trail is more open and very rocky, but pretty easy to navigate. I was happy that there were no leaves to block the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. This was not the desolate journey of the day before, there were plenty of other hikers on the trail. Of course, Chris was able to spot several different types of mushrooms along the way.
As we neared the top of the mountain, the trail became more difficult as it narrowed and grew steeper. At the top, we found a shelter with what looked like a working fireplace. The shelter, built in 1858, was originally part of the Peaks of Otter Hotel for guests staying overnight at the top of the mountain. Now it serves as a respite from the sun, wind and surprise thunderstorms. We continued up the rock stairs to the top. The view from the top is breathtaking, with a 360-degree view of the valley below. The mountains seem to go on forever in the distance.
We didn’t stay at the top too long as the wind had picked up considerably. We started back down the mountain and veered off to get to the Buzzard’s Roost overlook. It was a little less windy, but also had an amazing view of the valley below. I plugged in the GPS coordinates of the plane wreck and picked our direction, but we abandoned that plan before getting too far off the trail. The ground was extremely wet and the mountainside is steep. We decided that it would not be a good idea to search for the plane with the conditions.
As we worked our way back down the mountain Chris spotted three deer (white-tails this time) just off the path. They were barely visible through the branches. I didn’t even spot the two laying on the ground until he pointed them out to me. I was able to take a few pictures of them through the tree branches. After our hike, we headed home with a stop in Lynchburg for a snack at The Texas Inn (The T Room).
While we were driving home we came around a turn to see the biggest moon hanging low in the sky. The Super Snow Moon is the biggest of the year. Disappointed that I could not find a safe place to pull over for a photo, we continued our journey. At one point we saw what looked like a small deer run into the road and then change its mind. As we passed, Chris got a better view of the animal which was actually a wolf. The moon at this point had disappeared behind the clouds and I settled on the fact I would not be able to capture its beauty with my camera.
As we continued to drive, the moon popped out into a clear space between the clouds just as we came to the top of a hill with a nice, wide area to pull over. I was able to get a beautiful shot before it rose into another cloud bank. As I turned around I saw a spectacular sunset behind us and was able to get a lovely shot of that as well.
Cost of trip – hotel $61.65, 1 3/4 tanks gas $43.66
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