Dragon’s Tooth Trail to Appalachian Trail; AT to Dragon’s Tooth and back. 5.2 miles.
What with the two-year-old dog’s recent semi-diagnosis of maybe a torn ACL or something (what is she a running back or a dog?), the decision was to stay pretty short, even on a day with a bit of a respite from the summer’s generally unrelenting heat.
And the dog of course has no sense of her possible injury or of possibly pacing herself and instead attacks the woods full-bore every time, including the tough rock scrambles near the top of this trek. It’s only the following day that she limps, working unmercifully on her mistress’s senses of guilt and dismay.
But back to the walk: There are new signs at both the bottom of the Dragon’s Tooth Trail and at Lost Spectacles Gap* announcing that the president has been by. Well, sent some people by to install several new wood and rock water bars along the way.
The Appalachian Trail from the gap up has been left alone.
We caught some drizzle on the way up and some fog at the top, and thus ate under a tree and away from the (non-existent) views. Lunch was as good as ever nonetheless, and the walk down on this hike is as consistently down and easy as any.
* Very small movement continues, to rename it Lost Doughty Gap in dishonor of Roanoke Times sportswriter who some years back inexplicably lost his way here.
How to get there: Va. 311 out of Salem toward New Castle to Dragon’s Tooth Parking on the left not far beyond Catawba.
July 31, 2010 Hike
