Our group of 19 hikers and 2 dogs started from the east junction of South Prong Trail with FS 19 near the Dolly Sods Picnic area. Backpackers were from Pittsburgh (8), Baltimore-DC (5), Lincoln County WV (2), central VA (2), Reading PA (1), and one unknown location. The trip was led by Bruce Sundquist, the co-author of the Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide as a joint hike between the Sierra Club and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.

Our campsite for the evening was a delightful meadow with a view of all of North Fork Mountain. Spruce Knob lay in the haze to the south and Seneca Rocks could be spotted 3000 feet below the campsite. But beautiful views sometimes come with disadvantages. The closest water was a sweet spring one-half mile back on the pipeline. So hauling and purifying water became a regular ritual of the trip.

After a cool night with coyotes yipping in the meadow around the campsite, we set off retracing our path on the pipeline to Roaring Plains trail. This trail alternates between sections of old railroad grades through cedar and blueberries, and trail winding through the rhododendron and laurel. At one point the trail passes an old retaining wall for the railroad grade which is above the trail at eye level. The campsite was nestled into a red cedar grove with a small overlook to the south. The early arrivals then hiked back about 1 mile to the closest spring to fill all the water jugs. This was a short day for the required part, but now came the fun.

An adventurous group followed an old railroad grade around the base of Mt. Porte Crayon headed toward Haystack Knob.

The weather on the third day stayed hiker perfect, cool and clear. We again backtracked, returning to the pipeline on the Roaring Plains trail. After a short stretch on FS 70, we turned onto the stony Boar’s Nest Trail. For most of the trail on top of the Flatrock Plains, the laurel, rhododendron, and azaleas were just above the head, so that you felt like you were out in the open, but really could not see far. After a brief stop at a rocky overlook looking toward Weiss Knob and the bottom of Dolly Sods, we started the long descent through the rhododendron thickets alternating between railroad grade and narrow steep trail. After a nippy, but welcome stream crossing in bare feet or water shoes, we continued the short climb to the cars ready for the drivers’ shuttle to the top of the hill.