State: Maryland

Peak Name: Hoye Crest

In between my visits to Spruce Knob (West Virginia’s high point) and Hoye Crest, I spent a night at Dolly Sods wilderness. Initially I wanted to spend two nights on the trail, but a quick foray into a creek meant I had the smelliest feet and socks one can possibly smell. I made a reservation at a nice hotel a few hours away and left to climb the Hoye Crest.

Hoye Crest is a part of Backbone Mountain, a mountain ridge that extends from Maryland into West Virginia. While the highest point of Backbone isn’t in Maryland, the highest point of Maryland is on Backbone. The trail starts and is mostly in West Virginia, with only the last few hundred feet extending into Maryland. A sign and mailbox containing a visitor log mark the summit, the log showing quite a few visitors (mostly local). The views of West Virginia are Maryland were that of pristine mountains speckled with farms and forests. A lovely and wet weekend ending a lovely high point.