ROCKY KNOB - ROCK CASTLE GORGE TRAIL

Rocky Knob

ROCKY KNOB - ROCK CASTLE GORGE TRAIL - FLOYD, VA - 5/12/13 10.8 MILES - 4 HOURS 2 MINUTES This was my first real hike by myself. My parents weren't too thrilled to hear that I was going to be hiking by myself, much less hiking an 11 mile trail by myself. Waking up this morning, I wasn't so sure about the hike either. I decided to come hike this trail today rather than yesterday because of the threat of thunderstorms. This morning was cool and in the mid- 40s, but the wind chill on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains probably put it into the mid- 30s. Cold. For a Florida boy at least. However, I packed a jacket to help keep myself warm. As I reached the Visitors Center at Rocky Knob off the Blue Ridge Parkway, I learned that the Center was still closed for the off-season. So I had to carry on this hike with no map or advice on the trail from park rangers. Scary. I made my way to the trail head and studied that map on the weathered wooden sign for bit. And then I was off. I soon realized that the trail was much like my dad explained his trails were like on the Appalachian Trail, thin little footpaths.

This trail was marked with green blazes and signs. Throughout the entire trail they were marked very clearly and often. As I first started my hike into the woods, I soon came out over a little ladder into a meadow. Throughout the hike there were many of these little ladders to get across the fences we would hike through. As I walked into the meadow, I soon met a group of cows roaming which certainly caught me off guard. As did one of the cows in the meadow as well. He stared me down every step that I took until I was clearly out of sight and out of the meadow area. After the meadow was the descent towards the Gorge. Now I was beginning to figure out why this hike was given such a strenuous reputation. Descending towards the Gorge, I had to cross running streams, by climbing carefully, picking out raised stones to keep my feet dry. I ran into about 10 of these. Also coming down the trail was literally a cascade of boulders. It took a lot of time and careful selection to maneuver my way safely to the other side of these boulders. After making my way down from over 3,00 feet of elevation to around 1,700 feet of elevation, I had reached a nice wide portion of the trail that ran parallel to the large creek. This portion of the trail ran for around 3 miles. After reaching a little over 5 miles on the hike, I found a little bench to rest and eat some snacks on. It was a nice beautiful area to watch the little river flow. Something that I hadn't mentioned yet, but had been in the back of my subconscious was the fact that really, there were no other hikers on the trail that I had encountered. I felt really alone which didn't help that fact that I was already kind of "uneasy". It really was only my first real hike. However, once I hit the this portion of the trail, I began to see other hikers. I felt much better with this calmness that came over me. I continued on my hike along the creek until the trail once again split off to the small footpath. This time, however, I knew that the long descent I had taken to get down to the Gorge, must go all the way back up eventually. So the brutal incline began. I also noticed that when the trail split back on the wider trail, there was a parking lot at the beginning of the wider trail. I knew that I had been mistaken for these hikers actually hiking the trail I was on. I had the sense of anxiety crawl back into my head. I felt for at least 2 miles a constant strain on my legs, and I felt as if my face was staring right into the side of this large mountain. The incline seemed like it really would never end. WELL. It eventually ended. I was completely out of breath, and drenched in sweat. I had to take a seat on one of the many boulders that I was literally crawling over to make it up the trail. I began to thank Jesus, because I could see a flattened trail ahead of me. Finally a slight break for my legs. I could understand why I hadn't really encountered any wildlife on my hike thus far, they didn't want to be climbing this long incline either. I did see a fox on the drive up here, too fast for my camera though.

As I was sitting on that boulder, I began to think about the videos I had watched on the "Thru-Hikers" hiking the Appalachian Trail and how they had been given or gave themselves trail names. All I kept thinking about was these rocky boulders that had been killing me all day long both on the incline and decline. I had also been able to push through these rocky patches in the trail and keep myself going. "Rocky". That name fit in more than one sense of the word. It just fit. It was almost a moment of self-realization. I loved it. I was ready to keep hiking. I checked my GPS app, it had me at 2,800 feet. I knew I didn't have much more of an incline left. After just a little bit more hiking, I was able to make it out of the woods into a huge wide open meadow. This is where I would find some of the best views I have ever seen. I also spotted some more hikers, who actually had been hiking this trail. I was also able to spot the camping area for overnight backpackers who would want to take the hike nice and easy. I continued back into a wooded section where I was able to see an "overlook". I knew I had to be close. MY GPS app had me at just a few miles away from where I started my trail loop. Passing these "overlook" areas, I was able to get some tremendous pictures once again. I came along what looked like a little shelter. I had heard and read online that there was a portion of the Appalachian Trail that went through this trail back in the 1950s. It was very cool to see this, and at the front of the shelter was a cliff that overlooked the valley off in the distance. These views are definitely breathtaking to say the least. It's just something I feel everyone should have the chance to experience. I knew that I was almost back after continuing past the trail shelter, maybe just a little over a mile left. Then something that put me on the edge happened. Quite literally. I was on the trail, and remember how I said that the trail was well marked with the green blazes throughout the trail? Well I hadn't seen a blaze for quite some time. Maybe even around 10 minutes. I glanced down and saw a hiker below me on another trail. I started to stress and freak out. So I carefully traversed down the side of the mountain to the lower trail, just to see a sign that told me I had been on the right trail all along. It would connect to the trail I had come down to in just about 0.4 miles. Anxiety. Killer. I found the green blazes on the trees and continued onto the end of the trail loop and my truck. A full 10.8 mile trail hike had been completed. Not to mention one of the most strenuous in the area. And it had been my first. I felt like I was on top of the world. And technically, standing on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I almost was.