Last weekend Eric and I went on two amazing day trips to different places in the Allegheny Mountains of western Virginia. What a glorious weekend for hiking in the woods.
Up there spring was just starting. It was like traveling back in time about two weeks. In addition to taking in the beautiful views, we were hunting for spring wildflowers.
On Saturday, we drove to Hone Quarry in the George Washington National Forest. This recreation area sits at about 1,933′ and has several hiking trails running through it. We walked along one of the ridge trails for a while and saw lots of different budding and blooming wildflowers, as well as trees and shrubs that were beginning to break into growth.
On Sunday, we decided to drive up to the top of Reddish Knob, one of the highest points in Virginia at 4,397′ and the highest peak on the 73 mile long Shenandoah Mountain.
The drive to Reddish Knob was spectacular. We drove through an area where a fairly recent (within a few years) forest fire had gone through. The road appeared to be the firebreak and there was an interesting contrast in the vegetation between the two sides of the road.
At one time, there was a fire tower on top of Reddish Knob – which is the primary reason that there is a road to the summit. From the parking lot, the site of the old fire tower, you feel like you are on top of the world with a 360° panoramic view of the surrounding area! Stunning!
On the way back down, we continued south on a rough dirt forestry road. It was great road but I’m glad we were in my 4-wheel drive truck! We made frequent stops to check out wildflowers and scenic views along the way.
What an awesome way to spend a spring weekend!
Nice pictures!
Thanks! These were 2 great adventures!