Backpacking Mount Rogers again

Last weekend, my friend N and I had planned to go on a backpacking adventure in western North Carolina, but the remnants of hurricane Sally pushed us north into Virginia instead. Thus I hiked my second loop of the summer around Mount Rogers in the Lewis Fork Wilderness Area. 

Things I learned: spontaneously purchasing that 20oF-rated Marmot sleeping bag the day before we headed out was a smart move; a one-person bivy (or as E calls it, "coffin tent") that you can't sit up inside is not ideal when you wake up to subfreezing temps and frozen condensation on your rain fly; and the unblazed Cliffside Trail is just as beautiful as the Pine Trail and the Crest Trail. And word to the wise: starting the loop on a Saturday is a good idea only if you like sharing the most congested parts of the trail with a hundred or so other people. We were glad we chose to camp a mile or two past Rhododendron Gap.

Backpacking Mt. Rogers

A week ago, seeking cooler temps, we drove up to Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia to backpack a route similar to the one I hiked in 2018 with L. The rhododendrons had all bloomed already, but greenery abounded and spring water was abundant.

I mapped out our route in All Trails after we got home; I've kept the route "private" because it isn't entirely accurate--two of the connecting trails aren't on their map--but feel free to contact me if you'd like directions. I'm pretty sure the trail would be comfortable in one day without the heavy packs, with an early enough start.

Knots

There are two metal markers at the top of Mt. Rogers. One is apparently the highest point in Virginia; the other (shown here) is the almost-highest point. We took our family photo on the almost-highest point because it was a national holiday during a pandemic, and the other rock was way too crowded with two other people.

Courtesy of E

The artist at work. 

Our campsite

Hang gliding not allowed