Trail Section: Elk Garden to Beartree Gap
Distance: 12 miles
After a year things are still the same with one major difference, there is now a 5th wheel trailer and Ellen is staying in it at what will probably be our base this year. We start the day off in the same old early manner and the same old fog is still here.
Ellen drops us off at a place by the name of Elk Garden. It got its name from a now extinct eastern elk that once roamed the area along with timber wolves and mountain lions.
We are ready...we think
From Elk Garden, we had a short climb 2-½ miles up White Top Mountain. This is the second highest peak in Virginia; however, the trail did not go all the way to the top. It was so foggy that we couldn’t tell where we were. Due to the fog, we nearly missed the only wildlife for the day when I startled a young deer. Richard missed it due to the fog.
Just a little fog near the top of White Top Mountain
There was a cow standing guard on the trail. The fog was the same when we got to Buzzard Rock. From there, with a short break for lunch at Summit Cut, we hiked on to Lost Mountain shelter, where we took a long and needed break.
Without the password, you can't use the trail
While at Lost Mountain shelter there were awesome breezes and thunder rumbling in the distance. At this point we were eight miles into a planned 12 mile day. Two miles further down the trail we have our first encounter with the Virginia Creeper trail. It’s a trail that follows an old narrow gauge railroad. At this point the AT follows the Va. Creeper trail for about ½ mile. We are heading for Beartree Gap where we plan to spend the night.
Old rail beds make great trails
With less than ¼ mile from Beartree Gap, we encounter a torrential downpour. We were able to get our pack covers on but not our rain jackets. We got soaked to the bone. We also found out that our boots were waterproof…they held every drop that ran down into them. The area is flooded so the thought of putting up a tent in the rain promised everything would get wet including our sleeping bags.
We proceeded to look for shelter. We hiked out to a highway and began walking. After a short distance we spied a turn off for Beartree recreation area. Surely there would be a covered picnic area where we could hide out until the storm blew over. When we got to the entrance of the park (½ mile up the road), the park manager informed us that there were no shelters.
Soaking wet, lightning all around and beginning to get cold, we decided it was time to bail and get Ellen to come pick us up. We were promptly informed there was no cell service, however the manager did have a phone for us to use. Fortunately, even though it was a strange number Ellen answered the phone. She said that it would probably take her two hours to get to us. The manager let us stay in the rear of the entrance building until Ellen got there; he even gave us towels to use. He and Ellen were our heroes. Sorry there are no pictures of the two wet hikers. We were too cold and too wet. Our only goal was to get warm and dry. After a long wait and a long ride back to the trailer, the hot shower was great. However, I did not get warm until after I was in my dry, real bed for awhile.
Side note: On the way down Buzzard Rock towards Lost Mountain Shelter, we encounter three people, two ladies and a gentleman (late 70s early 80s). They were counting rattlesnake root plants. To quote one of the women, “not the crawly kind, the kind that grows in the ground.” The variety here is getting rare and only grows in two places in the Appalachians. When I ask what the plant is used for, one of the ladies responded “we don’t know; it is just getting rare.” Below is a picture of the plant.
Date: 8/10/11
Trail Section: Beartree Gap Trail to Damascus, VA
Distance: 11.7 miles
Even though the mileage indicates we walked 11.7 miles, that represents only the actual Appalachian Trail portion of it. Ellen dropped us off at the entrance to the Beartree recreation area which is approximately ½ mile from the trail; and we had a ½ mile walk to where we thought there were tables to have lunch. A great day for hiking.
The hike today starts out with an up and down climb of about 300 ft over 2-½ miles, nice grade and good trail. From there we drop 1100 ft over the next 3-½ miles; a lot of down hill, left the feet a little sore. From there a 600 ft climb to Iron Mountain trail over 2-½ miles with a sharp drop off into Damascus. The hike was a great hike with the downhills leaving the legs and feet sore. Trail for the most part was nice; only a few rocky areas.
For reading purposes this was a boring day with the exception of getting into Damascus with less than a ¼ mile to the car another downpour occurred. However this time we were within 50 feet of an old empty gas station with shelter so we waited out the rain under the shelter. I did (at Richard’s urging) call Ellen and request her to come pick us up and take us to the car so that we would not get wet, her edited response was only once this trip will I do that.
Some of the things we saw on the hike today were:
Scaly Rock
Trail Pet
Scene of a Rock Slide
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