by Morgan Kurst 

On Sunday, May 20th, Wild Virginia members went on a hike to Kaylor Knob in the George Washington National Forest right outside of Elkton, Virginia. The hike was very successful last year, and so co-leaders Dave and Joseph have decided to make it an annual trek.

After driving on dusty gravel roads for several miles, we reached the mouth of the trail. We immediately encountered a stream crossing. Armed with our hiking poles, we waded through the cold, refreshing streams and observed all of the rocks through the clear water. During the out-and-back hike, we crossed streams a total of ten times! Some of the streams were more formidable than others, and hikers enjoyed trying to cross the streams without falling over or getting their socks completely drenched.  We hiked a trail along Boone’s Run, which ascends about 2.5 miles to the top of Kaylor Knob. Lots of turkey beard, cinnamon fern and pink lady’s slipper orchids were along the trail. Additionally, hike co-leader Dave Carey found mysterious orange fungi in one of the still puddles of water.

The weather on Sunday was gorgeous, with sun and a breeze blowing through the trees. The ground was surprisingly dry in most places, considering the amount of rain recently. Taking a chance on the weather was definitely the right call! Pink azaleas filled the air with a flowery, sweet scent that made the hike all the more pleasant.

One of the highlights of the hike was relaxing at the top of the knob. We encountered several  mountain bikers on the trail, and a man enjoying the day with his dog, Sarge. Sarge was very friendly and seemed to be enjoying the warm weather just as much as the rest of us. Apparently, people mistake Sarge for a bear sometimes out on the trail, but he would never hurt a fly.

After a long hike full of flowers, we waded back through all of the streams and found ourselves back at the head of the trail again. All of the members enjoyed themselves on the hike.

If you find yourself interested in going on hikes with Wild Virginia, check out our Outings and Education page to see what we are planning next! Our outings include hiking, overnight camping, and fun water activities like canoeing and kayaking.