Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway: Last Day

Day Four: We stopped along the roadside to buy sourwood honey, jams, jellies and bark baskets crafted by two local gentlemen.

Then we headed back down the Parkway to Linville Falls. After a stop at the visitor center, we hiked up to several of the overlooks. At one, we continued our conversation about a Dopp kit. Three of the Babes were mystified by Firepink’s reference to her LLBean organizer by this name. Plenty of men seem to use this term also, so Nettle asked one of the gents at the lookout if he knew what a Dopp kit was. Everyone shook their head and looked puzzled. Nettle explained that a Dopp kit is another name for a toiletry kit. The man replied, “Who needs a toiletry kit? I just go in the woods!” : )

We enjoyed lunch at the Linville picnic area and decided to look for a gem mine in Little Switzerland. Instead, we found a gem of a bookstore and a charming old country store and café with creaky old wood floors, great t-shirts and wall signs. After pleasant browsing we decided to head home but not before listening to the Wailin’ Jennys sing “One Voice”. It seemed so appropriate for the Babes.

What an amazing trip! What an amazing group of women! Thanks, Babes!

Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway: Third Day

Day three: After a leisurely morning at the Blue Ridge Villas, we hit the Tanawha again.

This time we stopped first at the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center. There is a short trail that winds underneath the viaduct through large rocks, some covered with the most amazing tree root formations. Rosebay Rhododendron was beginning to bloom (see eNature link for description).



This part of the trail is entirely in the woods. There were large patches of blooming Galax and more incredible roots both in the trail and creeping over large boulders at the side. The Babes really got into singing, perhaps to drown out the noise of the Parkway. Here the Tanawha runs too close to the road. Nettle taught us an old girl scout tune:

Sing your way home at the close of the day/Sing your way home, drive the shadows away/ Smile every mile/For wherever you roam/It will brighten your road/It will lighten your load/If you sing your way home.
(Traditional; copyright unknown. Listen to the tune at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/singhome.htm)

When we reached Rough Ridge trail it was nearly 6 p.m. The hike up to the top consisted of many rock steps through Huckleberries and Sand Myrtle. After the boardwalk there are several very large (and not very level) boulders. We selected one for “Hard Rock Café 2” and enjoyed a dinner of veggies, peanut butter and trail mix. Evening was truly a beautiful time to be at the top of Rough Ridge. One can understand why the Cherokee named the trail Tanawha, "great hawk". It is a place where spirits soar.

Hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway: Tanawha Trail

Addendum to Day One: The most interesting plant at Moses Cone was Dodder, a golden parasitic vine which looks like silly string, tangling everything in its path. (See eNature link for a description.)

The second day, we planned to hit the Tanawha Trail early in the morning. A bit too relaxed, I guess but we managed to find the trail head before noon after consulting several park rangers. (Don't they hike?) We left one car at Rough Ridge and drove to Julian Price Memorial Park. The trailhead is near the amphi-theater in the campground, near Price Lake.

This part of the Tanawha Trail alternated between lovely cool woods and open meadows which contained an orchard and a family of horses.









We entertained the idea of feeding them an apple but realized that we needed half a dozen, one for each, including a lovely colt. We were also afraid that if we fed them, they would follow us on the trail. They decided to hit the trail anyway and were persistent but gentle. We had to navigate around them and headed off into the woods.

After awhile we began to get hungry, and Nettle spotted the perfect spot, overlooking a steep rock face with views of the woods under a sun-speckled canopy of leaves. We named it "The Hard Rock Cafe."
After lunch, we continued through the shady trail. Shortly, we came upon an abandoned backpack in the trail. Someone was probably in the woods taking a leak. . . . A little further down the trail, we came upon another abandoned pack in the trail. Mysterious. . . . Why would two hikers just drop their packs? To run from a bear? Now we were concerned. The next clue: a couple of two foot long rebar in the trail. Then, more back packs and a pile of hard hats. Who would drop all this gear? The SCA (Student Conservation Corp)! It wasn’t long before we came upon the nicest group of young people, gathered on the Tanawha from places as far away as California.


With them, was a little dog, Buddy, who decided to follow us up the trail. Thank Goodness, he had an identification collar and Nettle had a cell phone. We agreed to meet the owner at Boone Fork parking area. Was he ever happy! After the joyous reunion, we opted to ride back down to our car at Rough Ridge in the back of his pick-up and spent the rest of the afternoon in Blowing Rock shopping.
(What would a women’s retreat be without at least one shopping event?)