6001' Shining Rock

The Parkway was closed, so we came back down slope to Shining Creek to start our nine mile hike up to Shining Rock. The weather was cool and damp, but no rain to start off.

I told my daughter that this trail was old-fashioned, no switchbacks, just attack the mountain side head on. The peak is called Old Butt Knob.

You know, of course, that there is a difference in level and flat. A vertical wall can be flat, but it is certainly not level. This difference can sometimes cause you to see a flat but steep slope as level. The trees probably give it away and my daughters seeming lean forward might if she was close enough to see well. This slope is quite steep and quite flat. Much of this trail was steep and rough, sometimes with step-ups as high as your hips.

While resting along this upslope, I spied a curious root on a rhododendron that seemed to be squeezing out the base of the bush. It also was decorated with a rattlesnake plantain brooch.

There was quite a bit of the greenery covering the forest floor largely hidden by the season's leaf fall.

Seriously, the trail was steep.

There are many benefits to hiking in the winter. One is the views even on forested slopes. The dendritic drainage patterns of these folded mountains remind us of extreme upheaval and wear down, in a word, the Flood.

A small rock outcropping here and there opens up the surrounding landscape to view. The hand on the sapling is not just a pose, it's a safety factor atop a small cliff.

So much to see. I would guess we were coming up the south slope from the abundance of pine trees that tolerate the baking sun of summer drought.

Were you planted in a crack in the rock? Show your stuff anyway. It will shine all the more in the midst of the stony surroundings.

Now we are looking down on the ridges and the trees and bushes are looking more high elevation.

This sapling appears to have been abused by antlers. I guess he was marking his territory.

'At over 5000' now, Spruce trees begin to appear with Galax patches.

Bearly missed the owner of this fur I'd say. (1)

At around 5500' the snow went from widely scattered patches to nearly continuous in the less than fully sunlit places.

This is not ground cedar but it does grow in vines along the ground. Is it ground fir?

Nearing the top! There are no sharp peaks up here. It feels like it was once a large, gently sloped field.

Shining Rock is a curious outcropping of quartzite. The outcropping is perhaps several acres in extent and juts up 25 feet on one side, but I see no evidence of this rock type beyond a few boulders that have rolled off of the cliffs. I wonder if it shone in the sunlight in years past after the top had been logged. It is surrounded by trees and bushes and mostly covered with lichen, not really all that shining now.

And on this particular day there was variable fog and drizzle with some occasional light rain.

There is a certain quiet, solitude, and peacefulness coupled with melancholy to foggy forest and brushland.

Add a stiff little breeze with damp air and lack of sunshine and you want to keep moving.

My son-in-law surveys the high country.

Seed spikes of the ground evergreen vine

Our hike to Shining Rock and back would be nine miles, but we had gained the ridge which was significantly level. So, I convinced my daughter to hike out an extra 1.5 miles (3 miles roundtrip) to bag another peak. It was actually somewhat difficult to discern the peak since the ground sloped so little. Between the GPS and a small boulder we found, we feel confident that we found the top.

I didn't even notice how red the branches of these leaf naked bushes were when I was there.

On the return trip I stopped to record the cliff side of the Shining Rock.

It is unique and seemingly unparalleled on this ridge.

By the time we reached the car, it was nearing dark on this winter day. 12 miles and weary, we shed our wet boots and coats for the warmth of my car. Conversation, shared experience, the subtle beauty we observed, and making another step toward the goal were reason enough to challenge our bodies. God has so blessed us to be able to do such things.

1. Just goes to show you how useless grammar check is when you really need it.