Monthly Archives: October 2016

mill creek waterfalls

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We first discovered Mill Creek in early spring when the rhododendrons provided the only green foliage on the hike. The trail goes over one waterfall and passes by two others. The waterfalls are simply amazing! We thought they would be lovely when framed by blooming rhododendrons and returned several times in late spring and early summer before coming to the conclusion that those rhododendrons don’t bloom. We did make a point to visit again in the fall, and we were fortunate to have great weather at the peak of autumn color to take photos of the waterfalls.

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Photo date: October 23, 2016.

spectacular color at peaks of otter

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Though the fall colors were a bit muted this year in Blacksburg, they were brilliant at Peaks of Otter. I hiked up Sharp Top, expecting a relaxing three-mile hike and having forgotten that those are a steep 1.5 miles! The view of Flat Top, in all its fall glory, was worth it.

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The 1.5 mile round-trip hike to Fallingwater Cascades was much easier. The loop follows alongside the cascade and provides numerous photo opportunities. Photo date: October 19, 2016.

indian summer at mcafee’s knob

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It was already warm at 9am when I started up to McAfee’s Knob, so I’m glad I went early. The great advantage of starting early is that there are fewer people on the trail and at the overlook. I made it to the top just before it started getting busy and got to see the still-early fall colors in the Catawba Valley.

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The colors along the trail were even more stunning, with bright yellow and red leaves at every turn. Photo date: October 18, 2016.

autumn arrives at mountain lake

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Within one week, the green leaves gave way to yellows and reds. The quarter-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that leads from the Wind Rock parking lot to the overlook doesn’t exactly qualify as a hike, but it’s perfect when short on time. There’s a beautiful western view (think: sunset) though, true to its name, the overlook can be windy at times. Photo Date: October 16, 2016.

back home through hanging rock

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Coming back from Spruce Knob, we stopped at Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory for a short (2 mile round trip) hike to the observation tower. As you can see, it was still quite green in the area.

Hanging Rock is one of my favorite places. Also located in West Virginia, it features a 360 degree view, and although I’ve seen sunset from the observation tower, I have yet to hike up for sunrise. Photo Date: October 10, 2016.

spruce knob daytrip

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On Columbus Day, we wanted to see the leaves in peak fall season, and since it was still quite green in the New River Valley, we drove to Spruce Knob, West Virginia’s highest point. There’s plenty of hiking in the area, but since we did this as a daytrip, with an 8-hour round-trip drive, we just walked the short loop around the observation tower and around nearby Spruce Knob Lake. Photo Date: October 10, 2016.

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