Skookum Traveler: The Grand Finale--Part 1: Tar Jacket Ridge (VA)

Tar Jacket high point in the distance.

February 1^st was the last day to complete my quest for Sixty Summits. I still needed two more, so I knew at least one would have to be a shorty. I looked for the meatier one first, which had to be special and more substantial, preferably with a couple thousand feet of gain. It also had to be enjoyable and have a great view. (The forecast was for a clear, 60-degree spring day—an anomaly amidst all the cold weather we’ve had.) It also had to be within reasonable driving distance of DC so I wouldn’t have to get out of bed at three in the morning. And it had to be new to me, since the deal I’d made with myself was that a summit didn’t count if I’d already been up it—Old Rag and Stony Man, for example.

I originally wanted my last hike to be Mount Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia, as part of a multi-day race to the finish. But with only one day to do it and a five and a half-hour drive to get there, the tedium would zero out the fun factor. It would clearly be more sensible to save Rogers for actual springtime when Kris and I could make a long weekend of it and see a few other cool places along the way. So I looked for a summit farther to the north and east, preferably within three hours of home, and found several intriguing possibilities: Big and Little House Mountains, Elliott Knob and Big Rocky Row. I then began scanning the map for an easier summit nearby so I could bag my two-fer for the day. Big Rocky Row had popped up some time ago as a regional favorite, making somebody’s top-ten list of the best hikes in Virginia, right up there with Rogers. A little to the north, I spotted Tar Jacket Ridge, its highpoint not quite a mile up the trail. The trail departed from the same trailhead as Cold Mountain, which we had hiked back in September (summit #20). Ah-ha. Trumpets tooted and drums rolled. I had a plan. I would do the easier hike first.

59. Tar Jacket Ridge: I rolled out of bed at 5 am on February 1^st and was quickly on the road. A gas and coffee stop eventually woke me up and I continued down the I-81 to Buena Vista, with the CD player pumping out old R&R favorites. I followed my nose toward the familiar trailhead, although the side road heading into the forest was still snow-covered. It was well tracked and grades were gentle, however, so I made it to within a half-mile of the trailhead, before chickening out on a steeper hill. I got the Corolla turned around and parked at a wide spot, then walked up to the abandoned trailhead. Only 100 yards up the trail, I was on sunny, grassy, south-facing slopes where the snow had mostly disappeared. There were still broad patches in the copses and it was fun looking at all the different animal tracks in the snow: birds, rabbits, deer and presumably bobcat, since the prints were clawless and not too big. No sign of humans, though. The morning seemed unusually still and quiet. I was soon at the lonely highpoint looking across at Cold Mountain. I snapped a selfie and quickly retreated. On the way down, I met two young guys heading up and we talked briefly about some of the other great hikes in the area. They assured me that my next objective, Big Rocky Row, was a good one.

Miles (RT): 1.8 miles; elevation gain: 500 feet
Cumulative mileage and gain: 278.0 miles / 69,450 feet