Buffalo Mountain in Floyd County, Va. Up up up up and back. 2 miles
No, it’s hardly up at all, what with the distance being only a mile and with several switchbacks along the way.
Yes, what with a free pass to FloydFest for the day and not having been up on Buffalo Mountain for a long time, we weenied out as badly as we maybe ever have on a hike. But it was worth it on several counts.
One, on a hot hot day in July, we crossed a little group on the way down with a report of a “good breeze up there.” A few minutes later, with the summit in sight, I told The Day Hiker they must have made it up. She noted some movement in the leaves on the last trees before the rocky, pretty-bald summit, and we headed on up. And into a great breeze.
Which made lunch in the sun at the high point very pleasant, because of both the breeze and the 360-view out over southwestern Virginia.
The shortness of the walk came into clearer focus on the way down when the car appeared out of nowhere not long after we’d packed up.
Our taste of Floydfest 9 was fun, highlighted by an odd little band called The Low Anthem – three young guys and a young lady playing everything from clarinets and banjos to saws and drums, and building around the quirky sound with equally quirky lyrics.
The band could likely get a song out of The Day Hiker’s strange little focus for the afternoon and evening: Saying as soon as we walked in that she was getting a funnel cake for sure, repeating the self-pledge several different times over the hours of walking around and listening, and departing the festival site with her record of never having had one still intact.
Funnel Cake Blues
Yes, I wanted some, wanted it really bad
Oh, I wanted some, had to have it real bad.
Worst case of funnel cake blues I think I ever had.
Deep fried goodness, sugar on the top
Oh, deep fried-tasty, sugar all over the top
Take one bite, you can’t never stop
Kinda like popcorn, smells as good as can be
Oh, just like popcorn, no better smell to be
Just afraid the eatin won’t be quite as good to me
Funnel cake callin, callin through the wind
Oh, funnel cake callin’, right on through the wind
Still never had one, someday I’ll try again.
How to get there: From Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 174, Va. 799 north to Halls Store Road, left; to another left onto Va 727. Becomes gravel at some point and beware of sharp right at about halfway of the 2.4 miles o this road to the parking area.
July 24, 2010 Hikette
