This morning, we climbed back onto the Appalachian Plateau, west of Harrisonburg, Virginia. We then undulated across the hills and valleys of the Plateau, fording the upper tributaries of the Potomac River. Our plan was to visit some of our old haunts, having completed our medical residencies at West Virginia University some 43 years ago.
Our first stop was at Spruce Knob, the highest summit in West Virginia (4863 feet). A 12-mile, winding ascent takes visitors to a summit parking lot, where a forest of red spruce and spectacular overlooks greet the visitor. The next destination was Seneca Rocks, about 20 miles to the north, where outcrops of Silurian sandstone loom above the Seneca Creek Valley. Finally, after crossing the Eastern Continental Divide, we visited Blackwater Falls State Park, near Davis, where a long series of wooden steps lead down to views of the beautiful cascade.
Tomorrow we'll stop at Dolly Sods Wilderness (see Almost Canada) for the first time in four decades before heading north to stay with good friends near Morgantown (whom we met during our residency). Overall, it will be an inspiring and nostalgic return to the Mountain State.
