You would think after being on a trail 3 times in the past, that one wouldn’t have any trouble navigating that trail again (even though it was a year since the last time I was there). But here’s the thing, if a trail is not CLEARLY marked, I can easily take the wrong path.
Today, surrounded by five fellow hikers, we took off for what should have been a short 3 mile round trip to High Rocks, in Wytheville, VA.
Smiling with anticipation: Hannah, Peggy, Cindy, me, Jan and Sharon.
Shortly into the hike, I felt like something was not right. It’s called Sand Mountain, because there is sand on the trail, presumably from sandstone rocks. So my first clue was that I didn’t see any sand. I also didn’t see a road that I remembered running parallel to the trail. And, though I do remember a lot of vegetation closing in on the trail, I did not remember all the thorny bushes that rubbed up against us as we walked on. Finally, at one point, I convinced everyone to turn back and try again. About half way back, we ran into 3 other hikers and we excitedly asked if they knew where the main trail was. Unfortunately, it was their first time and they were making the same mistake as we did. But they were young, and looked like they knew what they were doing, so we followed them.
For a while, we took turns following each other, looking for the real deal. Jan, who came equipped with a phone app with GPS, could see our trail just to the left of where we were. But, there was no easy way to get to it. We had to walk through brambles, brush and all kinds of rocks and obstacles. Finally, after many detours, we made our way to the proper trail. I recognized it immediately and was so excited that we would not have to turn back without completing the hike.
Yay, we made it!! Only took us a little over 2 hours and 1.5 extra miles.
But it was fun at the top, and though I’ve seen it before, it’s still fun to hang out on the rocks.
It was another beautiful, January day and I was so happy to be outside.
The trip down was much shorter. When we got to the bottom we saw where we made our mistake. If you go there, from the parking lot, walk between the two boulders and then go to the LEFT! If the trail is not straight and you don’t see sand, turn around and try again. Don’t bother looking for tree markings, there aren’t any.
For some reason, my “lost girls” were not discouraged. We had a great time and they talked about going out again. It’s always an adventure, and we always manage to get back home. So I guess I’ll get busy planning the next outing.
The weather looks stunning and being lost apparently agrees with all of you! What a great adventure you had together, so glad it all ended happily!
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Thanks Pauline, we all had a good time and that’s what it’s all about.
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I love how you and your hiking friends never seem to get discouraged….and barely finish one hike before you begin planning your next adventure. So inspirational!
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They inspire me.
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It was great fun! And a fantastic view at the top. We don’t always take the most direct route, but Karen always gets us there. Thank you Karen!
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Thank you Cindy, for coming back again and again.
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It was a great hike! We had fun, even when we weren’t sure which way to turn! Always an adventure with you, Karen! Beautiful day, with beautiful views! Thank you Karen!
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Thanks Hannah, so glad I found you in water aerobics, it’s fun having you along.
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“Not all who wander are lost” or, maybe they are but they find their way soon enough 🙂 Beautiful views!
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It makes for an exciting adventure!
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At least it looked like a lovely day for a detour on the trail! I admit I don’t do “lost” on the trail very well. I’ve come to appreciate trail apps a lot. It’s comforting to me to the right trail is nearby and I’ll get to it eventually.
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This is not as popular as some hikes in our area, BUT it should be marked, at least the starting point. We did take heart when encountering the other hikers, I believe in safety in numbers.
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We don’t often see others in our travels except the occasional dog walker near urban areas. It’s both a good thing and bad.
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Well done. I was always getting lost in The New Forest 🙂
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Having grown up in the flat, Midwest, I have no sense of direction in the mountains.
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I was never worried. The car was marked on my GPS so knew we’d find our way back. The view was worth the search. Great day.
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Thanks Jan, I’m just glad we didn’t have to go back the same way we went up.
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