Actually, I made that decision in the summer and reserved a campground spot for mid-July. The weather that weekend was hitting high 90s, so I moved the booking to late October which also coincided with the most visited time of the year due to leaves changing their colors. I built the rest of the trip around that camping night and booked 2 other nights on Airbnb. No need to challenge myself too much in one trip...
My trip started from Knoxville where I dropped off Kitty at my friend's house. I drove 5 or so hours to West Virginia to hike Falls of Hill Creek, a short one and a half mile trail to the falls.
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| One of the 3 falls on the trail |
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| Leaves are really amazing this time of the year! |
My second hike a longer one, just over 3 miles round trip. High Rocks Trail was a stunning trail with incredible views.
After the hikes, I headed to my Airbnb. It was a remote apartment rental above someone's garage. It even had a propane heater! It was very peaceful and quiet.
The following day I had a reservation for a day trip on Greenbrier Express, a train ride going in the forest along Greenbrier River. Cass Bold Knob Trip, the most popular train ride was already booked for that day, so I had to try the new excursion. I was not disappointed. The train slowly went from Cass, WV to Durbin, WV, both small towns in the middle of nowhere with zero cell service.
Riding the Greenbrier Express was like stepping into a postcard. The train left the historic town of Cass and followed the sparkling Greenbrier River through the gorgeous, tree-covered mountains of the Monongahela National Forest. Along the way, I saw a river otter, and a hawk soaring overhead—it felt like nature was putting on a show just for us. When we reached the tiny village of Durbin, lunch was waiting, and I grabbed a basic "bologna sandwich" type of meal near the depot. Honestly, lunch was a huge disappointment for the price I paid for the excursion.
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| View from the train |
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| At the train station for lunch |
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| 100 year old train |
The train ride was done just past 3 PM local time, and it was time for me to drive another 2 hours to my next Airbnb. I got there just before dark. It was a tiny house, very comfortably furnished. I had a good night of sleep but had to wake up really early as I had to hike Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park the following morning.
Driving at night is not my favorite thing, but I was determined to arrive just after the sunrise to find parking at this popular trailhead where you need a permit to hike the trail. Indeed, I got there on time to park in the closest parking lot. I bought my National Park Pass and headed uphill. I felt good until I got to the "scramble" area. It was not just scrambling, but full on climbing. After a few attempts to descend safely I made a decision to turn around. It hurt my ego a bit, but safety was my number one concern. I wanted to play it safe.
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| Deer was very comfortable with my presence there |
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| Another deer |
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| Beautiful views from my turnaround point |
After the failed attempt to concur the mountain, I decided to head to my campground, but wanted to do some more hiking and stopped at Dark Hollow Falls Trail. The hike was more challenging than I expected, and very very very crowded. Almost to the point of not being enjoyable.
My first experience arriving at a campground was exhilarating. I checked in at the entrance and quickly found my spot. I was car camping sleeping in my car. That's why you get a Subaru, I guess!
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| Cooking set up |
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| Storage at the bear box |
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| My fire pit |
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| A must have smores experience |
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| Sunset from the back of my car. |
I took a shower for $5 at the campground before bed and felt completely refreshed. The neighbors were relatively quiet, and the night went well. The only challenge was me sliding in my car as I discovered there was a bit of an angle from the top of my folded seat. It still was relatively comfortable as being only five foot tall I could fit with my legs stretched out.
Before heading out home in the morning, I made a hot cup of instant coffee with oat milk and decided to go on another hike Rose River Falls just a few minutes away from the campground. That is the best thing about camping - easy access to trails without having to drive.
While the falls didn't impress me much, the peace and quiet of the trail this early in the morning did. I stopped at a few spots before leaving the park to take the last few shots of the colorful forest.
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