SENECA ROCKS
Christy decided to spend this week with her family in Pennsylvania. I went along with her for the long 4th weekend, but I had to come back to work this week. I wasn’t very enthusiastic about making the 10 hour drive by myself, so I decided to break it up. My plan was to take the scenic route through West Virginia and camp Saturday night before finishing the drive on Sunday. Of course, I planned to get a little hiking in while I was there.
I reached the Seneca Rocks visitor center around lunch time. Seneca Rocks are high cliffs towering above the valley. I spent a few minutes inside and picked up a guidebook by Johnny Malloy. I hadn’t planned on getting a guidebook, but I was impressed with his Smokies book so I bought it. It had lots of great suggestions for hikes in West Virginia. Of course, there were far more ideas than I would have time for.
I left the parking area and started up the wide trail. I spooked a deer while still in sight of the cars. I was surprised to see any kind of wildlife, because the place was swarming with people. The trail climbed 900’ in a little over a mile, but it was well graded and the hike was actually pretty easy. I reached a platform with a nice view over the valley in less than an hour. This was ok, but a little disappointing. A route continued from here, but a large sign warned hikers that the path beyond was for rock climbers only. I’m far too uncoordinated to be a rock climber, but I decided to have a look anyway.
The route climbed up the face of the first rock outcrop. There were plenty of footholds though, and the climb was actually pretty easy. In Utah, this would have passed for a good trail. I reached the top of the first rock and found a good spot for lunch. From here the view was much more impressive. Behind me I could see the bulk of North Mountain. Ahead of me were more outcrops, crawling with rock climbers. Below me were the town of Seneca Rocks and the series of parking lots surrounding the visitor center. It wasn’t just a parking lot, it was parking system. I’m surprised they haven’t built a deck! Seneca Rocks has more outdoor parking than downtown Charlotte.
Fortunately the sign scared off many people, so the summit wasn’t too crowded. After lunch, I scrambled out to the next rock. This was a little more challenging, but still easy enough. I was really glad I ignored that sign. It would have been a disappointing hike if I had turned around at the official overlook.
The hike down was fast and easy. Before I left, I decided to cool off. It was a hot day, and I had spotted a big swimming hole from the cliffs. I reached the South Fork of the North Branch of the Potomac River (or was it the North Fork of the South Branch)? I like that name. It reminds me of Lower Upper Falls. It’s still a pretty good sized stream here, so it seems likely that it probably forks again farther upstream. I wonder if there is a north prong of the south fork of the north branch of the Potomac River? I hope so.
I reached the swimming hole, and it looked like a Turkish Bath, or maybe a family reunion. There were about 40 people around, but the water was refreshing. I took a quick dip, but I was ready to move on to the next part of my adventure.
I left Seneca Rocks and drove up to Spruce Knob. Spruce Knob, at just under 5000’ in elevation, is the highest point in West Virginia. I drove up to the summit and walked the short trail to the observation deck. The views were nice, though the terrain was much more gently rolling than the mountains of North Carolina. Spruce Knob reminded me a lot of Mt. Mitchell – a road to the top, an observation deck, tourists, a spruce / fir forest, etc. The highlight was simply walking among the spruce trees. They were in much better health than the balsams on Mt. Mitchell, and it was nice and cool in the shade.
I left the summit and drove down to Spruce Knob Lake campground. A friend had recommended it, and it did not disappoint. I found a great "walk-in" campsite which was totally isolated and cost only $5. The walk was all of 30 yards. It was probably the best campground I’ve ever stayed at.
After setting up, I drove down to the lake. It was small, but very quiet. I had borrowed Dave’s inflatable kayak for the trip, and I was looking forward to trying it out. It was easy to inflate, and in 10 minutes I was paddling out into the lake. I had just reached the deepest part when I heard a loud hissing sound. Uh oh! We’re sinking! Luckily I found that one of the plugs had come out. I replaced it before loosing too much air. I reached the far side of the lake and started back. Until then the sky had been completely cloudless all day. Now though, there was a purple wall approaching from the west. I became a little more serious about my paddling. I was not in a good place for a thunderstorm.
I made it back in plenty of time, let the air out of the boat, and raced back to camp. The storm was moving slower than I originally thought. I decided to cook dinner, and of course the storm hit right as a finished heating the sauce for my pasta. I jumped into the tent and ate dinner, and the storm passed as soon as I finished. That night I enjoyed the quiet before going to bed early. I had a lot planned for Sunday.
Continue reading about my trip as I travel through Virginia and hike in the Saint Marys Wilderness near Staunton.
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!