What an awesome weekend for a hike. When we got to Deep Gap trail head it was 62ºF in August! A welcome relief to the hot summer days. Our hike to the summit would be 2.6 miles with around 1150′ elevation gain. The summit altitude is 5,499′
Traveling to the trail head from Blue Ridge was very scenic. Today I was accompanied by Lynn, Izzy and our two dogs, Sparkles & Annie. Lynn always makes sure you don’t go hungry when you hike with her. Today was no exception. We hiked to Standing Indian Shelter and took a nice break for lunch. We had sandwiches and veggies with hummus dip. Then it was time to hit the trail again. The trail was a nice steady climb, with only a few steep spots. One side of the mountain had been involved in a recent fire and you could really tell. There was an absolutely beautiful section that went through a canopy of rhododendron. Though it was damaged by the fire it was still a sight to see. I can’t imaging how breathtaking it must have been before the fires. Several overlooks along the way provided views along ridges that had been claimed by the fire. Fire can be destructive, but also healthy if managed. It clears lots of undergrowth to promote a healthy canopy of larger trees. Some areas around the country recover quicker than others from fire. I guess it all depends on how hot and uncontrolled the fires are. We took in the views in near perfect weather. The summit has a large grassy area and some great overlooks. We set up our hammocks. The girls relaxed while I made several radio contacts. Then we all kicked back for a bit in the hammocks. We packed up and headed back down. There were quite a few hikers and campers on the trail. At least one hiker was at the gap awaiting a shuttle when we returned to the Jeep. I am so blessed to live so close to these areas of adventure and vast scenery. God’s handiwork is truly amazing!
Enjoy the great pics of our fun trip: Standing Indian Mountain
KC4WZB 