Mount Rogers, VA

ByMatt

Well, my time in Alabama has come to an end. To catch up on this thing, I spent the fall season at the McDowell Environmental Center as an educator down in northern Alabama. I enjoyed it so much that I returned for the spring season. The area is a sandstone highlands carved into canyons by the rivers. Its beautiful and biologically diverse and very interesting. I had a great birding season with 117 species this spring, lots of wildflowers, and good herping.

The season ended May 19, and on Sunday the 21st, I headed north with Damascus, VA as my first checkpoing. I spent the night in a backpacker’s hostel and proceeded to Mount Rogers the next day. Mount Rogers is Virginia’s highest mountain at 5726 feet. The next peak over is White Top mountain, with a road to the top. I drove up there to see the view and then headed to the Mt. Rogers trailhead. I spent three days and two nights on the mountain enjoying the view, the flowers, and the birds as well as the company of Appalation Trail through hikers. Its a really amazing place and gorgeous and probably the most relaxing 3 days of my life. I wish I could stay up there longer, but I must also get home and unpack my car. I’m sure I’ll see the mountain again.

I shall post a more detailed description of my time up there. For now, I’m headed North. Next checkpoint: Fredericksburg, VA to spend some time with an old friend.

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