State: West Virginia

Peak Name: Spruce Knob

A trip for a two-fer, both West Virginia and Maryland were on the docket for this trip. The pair were sandwiched with a backpacking trip at West Virginia's Dolly Sods wilderness. The drive up Spruce Knob was fairly long on a 1.5 lane road. Every time someone came the other way, both cars had to slow to a crawl so we didn't hit each other. The top reminded me of Mt Mitchell but considerably less foggy and less pointed at the top. The view was nice, but one could only see past the trees on the north side.

The trip to Dolly Sods was 20 varied miles of terrain. Creeks, mountains, flowering rhododendrons, beavers, and a lot more. The east part of West Virginia surprised me with its absolute beauty. In between mountains were picturesque farms with ancient barns, small towns, and of course the occasional mine. While I probably won’t return to Spruce Knob, Dolly Sobs and the surrounding area would be on my list for sure.