Grandview and the Castle Rock Trail
Sep. 18th, 2023 05:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerWest Virginia Travelog #5
New River Gorge National Park - Sat, 16 Sep 2023. 5:30pm
While hiking at Sandstone Falls earlier today we temporarily forgot that we'd flown a red-eye from California— and then drove several hours hours. When I walk in beauty I forget how tired I am. The adventuring day wasn't done when we finished visiting the falls, though. While we were in the southern part of New River Gorge National Park we wanted to visit Grandview. As we got back to the car from this hike our late second wind was spent.
We started with a short walk to a lookout point.
Grandview is the highest point in the park. Here the ridge is some 1,400' over the New River in the gorge below.
Visiting the main lookout point atop the ridge wasn't a hike. It was just 100 meters or so from the parking lot. As tired as we were we decided we had it in us for an actual hike. I laced up my boots, and Hawk switched from her street sandals to hiking sandals, and we set off on the Castle Rock trail.
The Castle Rock trail drops down slightly from the top of the ridge. It winds beneath eroded layered rocks that form the top of the ridge. The views of the gorge weren't any better here, but that wasn't the point. Walking below the castle-like rock walls was.
After 0.6 mile the Castle Rock trail ascended back to the ridge. We hiked the ridge-top trail from there back to where we started. Along the way were several more outlooks over the gorge 1,400' below us. All were... not as compelling as I hoped they might be... due to (a) the late afternoon casting part of the gorge into deep shade, and (b) trees growing nearby partly obstructing the views. Dangit, those trees are spoiling my enjoyment nature! 🤣
In beauty I walk.
New River Gorge National Park - Sat, 16 Sep 2023. 5:30pm
While hiking at Sandstone Falls earlier today we temporarily forgot that we'd flown a red-eye from California— and then drove several hours hours. When I walk in beauty I forget how tired I am. The adventuring day wasn't done when we finished visiting the falls, though. While we were in the southern part of New River Gorge National Park we wanted to visit Grandview. As we got back to the car from this hike our late second wind was spent.
We started with a short walk to a lookout point.
Grandview is the highest point in the park. Here the ridge is some 1,400' over the New River in the gorge below.
Visiting the main lookout point atop the ridge wasn't a hike. It was just 100 meters or so from the parking lot. As tired as we were we decided we had it in us for an actual hike. I laced up my boots, and Hawk switched from her street sandals to hiking sandals, and we set off on the Castle Rock trail.
The Castle Rock trail drops down slightly from the top of the ridge. It winds beneath eroded layered rocks that form the top of the ridge. The views of the gorge weren't any better here, but that wasn't the point. Walking below the castle-like rock walls was.
After 0.6 mile the Castle Rock trail ascended back to the ridge. We hiked the ridge-top trail from there back to where we started. Along the way were several more outlooks over the gorge 1,400' below us. All were... not as compelling as I hoped they might be... due to (a) the late afternoon casting part of the gorge into deep shade, and (b) trees growing nearby partly obstructing the views. Dangit, those trees are spoiling my enjoyment nature! 🤣
In beauty I walk.
