Tipping the Scales

Leaving Damascus was a bit bittersweet. I had spent the previous day retracing my steps from the family reunion a few years before: the bike outfitter, the apartment where we stayed, and The Old Mill where we enjoyed dinner and some amazing bluegrass complete with undeniable authentic twang. As the AT left town it joined up with the Virginia Creeper Trail for a half mile. On that stretch was the ice cream shop where we collapsed on the grass after cycling all day and treated our tastebuds, keeping cool under the shade of a nearby tree. Walking the trail brought many of the reunion memories back in full force, a welcome distraction from the heat of the day.

It wasn't long before the AT left the Creeper trail to scale Iron Mountain. As the AT rose, the Creeper trail and it's companion river were soon lost in the spring foliage, the sound of water crashing on rock fading into the rustle of a soft mountain breeze. Then, true to AT form, the trail then descended the back side of Iron Mountain and rejoined the Creeper Trail once again. Nothing like going up just to come down, especially when you know an easy 4% grade would have accomplished the same thing.

That said, the new pairing wasn't meant to last. A mile later the Creeper trail kept on to Whitetop the town, while the AT headed up Whitetop the mountain. Even though the climb was long, setting up the trek to Mt. Rogers, the highest summit in VA, it held its reward: after days of looking, I finally spotted my first wild columbine -- one more flower to add to my list.

Whitetop's top was a white top indeed, a viewless summit encased in cloud. Whether or not that's how the mountain got its name remains unclear as we walked through a stand of old apple trees that blossom white. That, and the nearby Mt. Roger's summit is known for being cold; the area is likely one of the last to let go of its snow. And cold it was: other hikers who had stopped at Buzzard Rocks for a snack already had ice forming on their eyelashes. I threw my raincoat on to help block the wind and pressed on.

Coming off of Whitetop was one of my favorite parts of the trail. After coming through Elk Gardens I entered the Lewis Fork Wilderness, part of the Virginia highlands. There the woods thinned into open field, speckled with grazing wild ponies. After a morning of rain, the sun decided to join me to help enhance the magic of this place. Just past the side trail for Mt. Rogers we came up on Thomas Knob Shelter, where the ponies assumed they had the same rights as the hikers.

After slipping through the "Fatman Squeeze" rock tunnel, the night was spent at Wise Shelter in Grayson Highlands State Park. It was a night of anticipation as the next day brought with it a milestone: 500 miles made. That happened at "The Scales," where cattle used to be weighed for market in the high country, where they weighed more, before being herded down to market. Indeed, even though there are still 1,700 miles to go, it feels as though the scales are starting to tip.