Trail mix







Lawrence Dye (left) on a break
at Green Cove Station.

Lawrence Dye took to riding the Virginia Creeper Trail on a regular basis at the age of 62. Now, 20 years later, he has logged more than 177,000 miles on his bike making the 68-mile round trip an average of five times a week. Lawrence Dye is a VCT legend.

Knowing someone in his 80's who can pedal his way up and down Virginia's hills motivates me to keep active. Staying in a place where trails abound lets Leonard and me do just that. This week, we filled our water packs, laced up our hiking boots and headed out to tackle a segment that most legendary of all North American paths, the Appalachian Trail.

The A.T. access point at Elk Gardens

The “A.T.” (as it is known in the hiking world) passes through Mt. Rogers at several points. We scouted out a segment that looked suitable for our ability levels - that is to say, something that would challenge us without requiring emergency evacuation by helicopter. Our 1,500 foot ascent lead us into open meadows, through dense mixed-vegetation forest and along bubbling streams. The 5.3-mile loop left us feeling we'd accomplished something (and glad we hadn't tried to push ourselves further).

 

A good time was had by all, especially Sprocket (“the wonder dog”) who seemed to shed a bit of age with every mile. Our little hound dog was truly in his element.

 

Where else would you go to learn how

they made salt in the 19^th Century?

Earlier in the week, we followed a different kind of pathway, driving to the village of Saltville, Virginia. This quiet little community's once thriving salt production industry made it the “Salt capital of the Confederacy.” We visited the nice little park memorializing Saltville's role in the Civil War.

 

It's the kind of experience most people pass up on their way towards some bigger, more exciting attraction...and yet another reminder of how lucky we are to be able to explore life's trails and the possibilities they offer. Very lucky, indeed!

 

 

[Below: More photos from this week's travels]

White blazes mark the main A.T., blue

its side trails.



Great day for a hike!

Vistas like this can refresh even the weariest of walkers.

Flip flops won't do for a walk in these woods. You need good, sturdy hiking boots.

The A.T. intersects other trails at various

spots. We returned to our starting point

by following the orange blazes of the

Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.

Horses aren't allowed on the A.T. Riders take the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.

Kettles at Saltville, VA. Salt's importance to the Confederacy arises from its use in preserving food. (Troops tend to get cranky if all they get to eat is rotten meat.)

 

Slowly boiling away water drawn from ponds like those shown here yielded the sought-after prize: salt. As other food preservatives replaced salt, the industry's importance diminished along with the towns it supported.