A Walk In The Woods

As fall approaches, I start to get excited about hiking. One of the great things about living in such close proximity to the Blue Ridge is the abundance of trails within a short drive.

I'm a bit of a wimp hiker, in that I'm not going to strap on a huge backpack and go overnight or try to through hike the Appalachian Trail. I like a nice day hike. Generally I carry a fanny pack with two or three quarts of water (depending on the length and difficulty of the hike). Sometimes I'll pack a lunch, but usually, I'm just out for the morning and home by lunchtime.

Twelve miles is about my limit, but I tend to keep them between five and eight miles. I'll never forget the time I took my wife to the Rock Castle Gorge trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was about eleven miles down into a gorge and back up. It was before we were married, and I'm surprised she didn't up and leave me after that. It was a killer.

Today, since it's a little cooler than usual for July, I thought I'd get out and stretch my legs. I found a trail last year that is easily accessible from my house. Off Yellow Mountain Road, there is a little cul-de-sac called Morrison St. Right across from a big stone house is the beginning of a trail that parallels the parkway spur that leads to Mill Mountain and the zoo. Most of the hike, however, is far enough from the road that you won't hear the traffic. The trail ascends very steeply at first, then eases up, but it's never really flat. After 1/4 mile or so, you begin descending and eventually reach a point where the Zoo access road begins. Off to the left is the Woodcliff Trail, which descends steeply back down to the neighborhood. If you keep straight, you ascend again for another 1/4 mile to reach to Zoo entrance.

Overall, this hike is about 1 1/2 miles round trip. It took me 45 minutes, but I was just strolling slowly today. I'd estimate the elevation gain from the trail head to the zoo at about 400 feet. This would be a good one to take the kids on, just to get out in the woods. I think my six year old could handle it without too many complaints. I'm not sure about younger ones, because there are some steep stretches.

I'll document our hikes throughout the season. Hopefully you'll try some of them if you feel like a walk in the woods. There are also lots of great books on hikes in Virginia. One of my favorites is Walking The Blue Ridge, by Leonard Adkins.