The veteran and inveterate hiking couple learns anew not to let a bit of rain get in the way of the walk.
Photo Above: The observatory functions after rain and fog lift.
“It’s raining.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s raining really hard; we won’t have any views.”
“So? We can still enjoy the woods and, anyway, we have rain gear and umbrellas.”
With that statement from Laurie (whose Appalachian Trail thru-hiking name is The Umbrella Lady), I knew we were committed to taking the walk to the Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory in Monroe County, West Virginia.
The rain continued as we walked uphill into the fog—or maybe we were so high up on the mountain we were actually in the clouds. No views and a muddy trail had us keeping eyes downward, dodging puddles and slippery rocks. But that turned out to be a good thing, for bursting forth from the water-soaked soil was an abundance of mid-spring wildflowers. Creamy yellow bellwort, lavender-colored geranium, starkly-white chickweed and sprays of star-shaped stonecrop blossoms.
© Joe Cook and Monica Sheppard
The presence of trilliums led to a discussion and an amazement, of how they could be so prolific when it takes an individual plant anywhere from seven to 10 years to blossom once it starts growing from seed. Or how those minute flowers at the end of Solomon’s plume become bright red berries at growing season’s end.
The wooden observatory was shrouded in swirling mists when we arrived, precluding any chance of witnessing any raptors flying overhead or taking in the celebrated view. A chilly wind drove us indoors where we learned the tower was originally a fire lookout constructed in 1956, but abandoned in 1972. Since then, a coalition of bird enthusiasts, governmental agencies and civic organizations has cared for the site, coming here to watch the annual fall migrations. An astounding 3,812 broad-wing hawks were seen sailing by here on a single day in 2020.
We realized the rain had stopped as the observatory’s interior suddenly brightened, as if a high-wattage light bulb had been turned on. Looking up, I saw that a vast expanse of West Virginia was now visible below. Going out onto the catwalk, I witnessed uplifting streams of fog gradually uncovering bits and pieces of Craig County, Virginia, to the east. The long rocky ridgeline of Peters Mountain was being revealed, reminding us of how we had been here before when we became the first people to walk the Allegheny Trail’s full length years ago. And, we didn’t see any hawks, but we did watch three circling vultures as they were silhouetted against the sky’s now deep blue hue.
Lesson learned: Do not let a bit of rain convince you to back out of what could end up being an absolutely wondrous, and I venture to say even glorious, walk in the woods.
When You Go
© Leonard M. and Laurie Adkins
The Walk: A moderate two-mile (roundtrip), rock-strewn outing along the Peters Mountain ridgeline in southeastern West Virginia for a vast 360-degree view.
Getting There: Follow Zenith Road (WV 15) eastward from the WV 3/WV 15 intersection in Gap Mills for 3.6 miles. Here Zenith Road becomes Limestone Hill Road and you continue 1.7 additional miles to the parking area on the right.
More Information: The US Forest Service has a short description and rudimentary map of the walk on fs.usda.gov/recarea/gwj/recarea/?recid=73737.
A Great Lunch Stop
One of my fondest memories of this region is stopping at Cheese ‘N’ More in Gap Mills, West Virginia, ordering a sandwich (made with bread from Kitchen Creek Bakery across the street) and sitting at the picnic tables to soak up the sun and local color. In addition to dozens of cheeses and lunch meats, the Mennonite shop has an array of nuts, dried fruit, baking ingredients, jellies, candies, spices and herbs.
In Nearby Union
The White House (airbnb.com) has retained its historic charm throughout an extensive renovation by Janet and Robert Tuckwiller (named Best Mountain Artist by Blue Ridge Country readers in 2013). Laurie liked that all five bedrooms had private baths, and I enjoyed watching small-town life unfold from the front porch overlooking Main Street in Union, West Virginia.
Leonard has written 20 books on the outdoors and travel. Find out more at www.habitualhiker.com. He also writes Mountain Wildflowers, found on BlueRidgeCountry.com.
The story above first appeared in our November / December 2024 issue.
