So for the last couple years I've really been wanting to explore the Dolly Sods Wilderness, WV and the Art Loeb trail in NC. Beverly was kind enough to be my hiking companion for a weekend in Dolly Sods a few weeks ago. They say the scenery is more like Canada than West Virginia (never been to Canada, so I'll trust everyone else). We were past blueberry season, and a little past peak leaf viewing season, but it was pretty awesome. I love being up on ridgelines and high meadows, and we did indeed find a little of that! As well as plenty of bogs...so thankful for waterproof boots (although after you've already made it to the campsite 7 miles in...and misjudge a rock in the stream, you'll still end up wet! ;) ).
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| On the drive up we stopped by Seneca Rocks (and got a map of Dolly Sods because I oh so smoothly forgot it at home...) |
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| Ready to go (yeah my sock cap is kinda covering up my eyes...) |
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| Heading down the trail - although the sky looks ominous, we didn't have any hard core rain, but did have some off & on |
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| one of many stream crossings... |
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| or beaver dam crossings... |
We had such diverse scenery - the open bogs and pine trees, hardwood forests, streams, rocky highland meadows (but who can resist a little rock scrambling...
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| our fall-side "glamour shots" |
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| The sky turns a little pink at sunset... |
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| a little water "feature" near our campsite! |
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| Sundown... |
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| Home sweet home for the night... |
Probably my favorite thing about camping is eating...and finally getting to get up in the morning because I didn't really sleep all night (but that's what I expect at this point) Since it was pretty chilly (didn't freeze the water though, so I'm thinking upper 30's, 2 nice fellas who let us share their campfire since our attempts with wet wood (that's why we brought a stove...) were unsuccessful gave us a couple hand warmers, and I brought one of those thermal heat wraps you stick on from the Dollar Store and stuck it on my backside. Totally helped. New strategy for sleeping - hand warmers in the socks, thermal thing on the back, ear plugs, and tylenol pm (which I got, but forgot in the car...)
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| Breakfast!!! |
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| Hot chocolate! (old school boyscout wear & new age squishy bowl) |
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| whoops... |
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| a couple miles into the 10 miles on day 2 |
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| If we'd been there a week early, the place would have all red! |
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| Looks like an unexploded missile to me! |
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| a little bit of ridgeline... |
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| gotta admire the view! |
Hiking and getting away from it all is usually where I feel closest to God - look at what an imaginative, creative Creator we have. It's like every breath you breathe out there is an act of worship.
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| ahhh nature! |
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| Bev demos how the wind blows & tree limbs point in 1 direction |
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| holly berry? |
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| The hills are alive! |
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| Taking it all in... |
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| on top of the mountain! |
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| Gourmet lunch, ala Dottie |
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| Delivery? not even close...about 3-4 miles left! |
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| beautiful day! |
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| one last stream crossing! |
I definitely would recommend some Dolly Sods hiking...if you're doing the northern section, waterproof boots would be advantageous as well...or something you don't mind getting wet in warmer weather. I think another trip when the blueberries are in season is in order! :) Art Loeb...you'll have to wait til I get back from Guinea and I can figure out when to do about 30 of the prettiest miles in NC... :)
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