This weekend, I was able to take a bit of a break from my duties. My youngest and I took a trip up to Spy Rock. We rode the four-wheeler as far as we could and then hiked up the rock base to sheer splendor. Spy Rocks rests in the midst of the highest elevations of the Appalachian Trail on top of Maintop Mountain in Central Virginia. It is a long, rocky, and winding trail to get to the base of the rock. And then the steep hike really begins. The lichen and moss covered rocks were damp from a fresh rain that made footing slippery. As we reached the peak, we watched the fog rolling off the mountain. This spot is probably the best viewpoint of the Central Blue Ridge. It’s elevation is 3,980 feet, providing a 360 degree panoramic view of numerous mountain summits. It is said to have been used by Confederate scouts to monitor movements of Union soldiers, hence the name Spy Rock. Sitting there on top of the world basking in the magnificence of God’s great canvas, I was humbled. I am a mere speck in this universe. We took about eighty pictures. I randomly loaded ten of them to share. It is even more beautiful on a clear day, and especially in the glory of an Autumn palette.
what fabulous photos,
you rock!
love the nature and its wonders!
Happy Tuesday!
Wow,
Nestled right between Gods Glory and a History lesson, you can’t get any better than this.
The Good Lord sure paints a pretty picture.
Thanks for sharing
Beautiful and great company too.
Wow. We are just specks in the universe, aren’t we? And mere blips in time, as the name of the place reminds us.
What beautiful photos..thanks for sharing your little slice of heaven!
Susie
Reminds me of home. I’m glad you had a peaceful time.
Absolutely gorgeous.
I so miss being able to climb to out of the way places like this that it’s great to share your trek. This looks wonderful.
Thank you for dropping by my blog so I thought I would drop by…and WOW what a wonderful photo essay!! Such a beautiful place you have to explore there…I really miss living by mountains. Thanks for sharing!
Those photos are so wonderful – they really convey what it looked like up there and I can just imagine the way the air smelled and the way there was hardly any sound.
I love the first photo especially.
What a fabulous view! We don’t have anything like that in Florida.
As as someone interested in Civil War history, I appreciate you sharing this one. That must have been some view.
I wish I could do something like this….you took some beautiful & incredible photos—thanks for sharing!
Wow! Great scenic pics. Glad you and your youngest enjoyed the break
Loved the pictures. Thanks for letting me come along on your journey.
Can I come visit? It looks gorgeous!
Oh, my. That is lovely. I wish I lived in such a picturesque area!
I love nature. I love going on hikes. These pictures? Absolutely beautiful. I can’t believe the view!
Love the pics. Love the mountains. We vacationed in Tennessee a couple of years back and spent time in Chattanooga. Full of mountains and civil war history. It rocked. These pics reminded me of it so much!
Glad you had a great time!
♥Spot
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing these photos of nature’s splendor with us. Makes me feel centered again whenever I can go places like this.
These are breathtaking! Looks like a hard hike up there though! Yikes! Beautiful place!
OMG…what GLORIOUS photos, SC!
Especially the one of the eagle!!!!
One time I took a 7-day retreat up to the Pocono Mountains and what you shared is exactly how I felt too….
“Sitting there on top of the world basking in the magnificence of God’s great canvas, I was humbled. I am a mere speck in this universe.”
Thank you for sharing dear lady!
X
Wow! Spectacular! Simply stunning!
Great pictures. I love the one with the full bird and then I think there is one with just the tip of the wing.
Awesome!
It is so nice to be able to be out in the spectacular and be reminded of the wonder of it all, huh?
Thank you for sharing!
these are nice photos. they convey a sense of the vast solitude that you might have felt along with the serenity of the wildlife you observed. what a great connection!
Being a native of the flat land that is Florida, these photos are awe inspiring. I’ve only been out of the state once and we were able to visit the mountains in TN, honestly they were so imposing, they really made an impression on me. Seeing these photos brings back those feelings of wonder and being overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. Definitely humbling…and the heights were more than a little scary.
What an awesome place. Being in those types of surroundings truly transcends reality and brings an inner peace to our souls. Thanks for letting us “hike” with you. I’m sure I’m not nearly as tired as you were when finished!
Ah, these photos take me back to living in North Carolina, where you could drive to the mountains in an hour. We know the mountains hold a lot of sacred things. I so miss proximity to the Blue Ridge! Thank you for taking me there today.
Be still my heart. That is beautiful country. Absolutely spectacular, and even more so that you shared it with your son.
I hear Grieg’s great thrumming music in the background. Hall of the Mountain King. I half expect to see those ancient stones wink at me like giant trolls only awakened for your footfalls to pass by. The fingers of the old crone trees reach up pointing their winter withered hands skyward.
Those pictures are gorgeous!! I love the Appalachian Trail. The mountains are so beautiful and magestic!
-Jen
Amazing views! I have never been to this part of the country.
Awesome views. It must be quite a hike. Thank you for sharing.
Abosutely gorgeous pics! Looks so peaceful!
I used to love it when we go through the Virginas, Carolinas, Tennesse and Kentucky. It is just so gorgeous there.
ok, i did it again. I left a comment for this post on another post. Dang!
fantastic shots.
http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/thursday-poets-rally-week-16-april-29-may-5-2010/
please comment and ask poet traveler what he is going to do with his perfect poet award this week,
he must nominate a poet…
thank you.
You’re not kidding, that place is beautiful. Those foggy pictures remind me of a scary movie though… like Cape Fear or something. Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh. Scary.
Awesome pictures!!!