At 11:30pm Wednesday night I sat along Interstate 81 in my truck reading a news article on my phone so unbelievable I had to read it twice. The man I had met earlier was the real deal.

When I started vacation last Saturday I planned on hiking to the summit of Mt. Rogers. The mountain has the distinction of being Virginia's highest peak and even though there are no views from the top, I had been itching to hike there for quite some time. I usually hike with my buddy Shane on the weekends but was able to talk him into finding an evening during the week to go with me since he had been a few times before.

Blooming bush along the trail leaving the parking lot at Massie Gap.

The Appalachian Trail leaving the Rhododendron Trail.

Our original plan was to go on Tuesday but threatening storms and Shane's schedule conflicted so we settled on Wednesday. The forecast wasn't looking the best with more storms in the forecast but I was determined to hike and packed my rain gear just in case. I had several errands to run that morning and a host of problems seem to greet me at every turn. Somehow I managed to get to the parking lot in Abingdon by 3:30pm, our agreed meeting time. When I didn't see Shane sitting there waiting on me I became a little concerned as he is usually the early one. When he finally came roaring into the lot at a little before four, the look on his face told me his day had been stressful as well. I tossed my gear in his truck and we were back on the road heading toward Damascus. I usually drive on our trips so getting to be the passenger was good for me to enjoy the scenery and settle into story telling unwinding from the days stress. Shane told me at one point he thought he may not get to come and was going to tell me to just go on without him, but as the drive went on we both got in better moods anticipating a fun hike.

The road to Grayson Highlands from Damascus is narrow and curvy and only a short distance in we found ourselves stuck behind a slow driver. The skies overhead grew increasingly threatening with several distinct thunderheads hovering over the mountains. I told Shane not to worry that with our pace we could easily knock out the four miles between the showers. Shane had  a puzzled look on his face saying, "Four miles? Jason, it's EIGHT miles!" My mind started racing as I glanced at the clock on the dash seeing that it was now a few minutes until 5pm, and we still were a long way away.

One of the pony foals near Wilburn Ridge.

Another foal near Wilburn Ridge.

We finally got rid of the slow driver on our turn toward Whitetop Mountain but we still had to stop and get some snacks and change to have some cash to pay to get in at the park. By the time we reached the park entrance it was going on 6pm and we were the third car in line. The driver of a truck at the pay window didn't seem to be in any hurry either having a map unfurled pointing at it as he questioned the attendant. My patience was wearing thin and it took everything in me not to reach over and blow the horn. It's a short drive up to Massie Gap and both Shane and I were excited to see there only a few cars at the parking area. We were in such a hurry that Shane had decided to change out of his work clothes when we arrived and I worked on getting all my gear rounded up for the eight mile race against sunset.

Looking back over the rocky path that makes up the Wilburn Ridge Spur Trail.

Shane reaching the top of one of the rock outcrops of Wilburn Ridge.

Gopro shot from Wilburn Ridge.

One of the few times I got to use my real camera. Wilburn Ridge from the Canon Rebel.

Suddenly, a stranger's voice said, "Can you guys do an old hiker a favor?" My first thought was 'how annoying' we were already pressed for time and now someone was asking for a favor we didn't know. I listened on and off as I continued stuffing my pack making sure I had enough water for the trip. The hiker told Shane he had originally planned to hike to Fox Creek where his wife was to pick him up but found the trail to be too difficult and couldn't make it before dark. He couldn't get service to contact her and asked Shane if he could try to use his phone to reach her. Shane happily agreed and was able to send a text and leave a voice mail. The hiker introduced himself as Enoch with Shane asking, "from the Bible?" Enoch said, "yes, that's my trail name!" Shane asked how far he had hiked that day and when he answered. "23 miles" he had my full attention. They continued talking with Enoch telling him what a spiritual journey the trail had been so far and asked him how far he had planned on hiking, and when Enoch answered, "all the way" I now stood in awe. Enoch wasn't a very tall man and looked to be in sixties but here he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. I finally butted into the conversation introducing myself as Dozer, which is my trail name. Enoch said he could see why they would call me that and I asked him more about his hike. He told me that his brother had fell ill with  Parkinson's Disease five years earlier and the medical burden and heartache on his family led him to trying this hike to raise awareness and money for Parkinson's Research! It was if someone had took a hot iron poker through my heart since my family is going through the exact same thing with my Uncle John. I grabbed my wallet and handed him a ten dollar bill with Enoch waving it in the air exclaiming, "THIS matters!" He told me that he had been sponsored for a hundred dollars a mile and so far had raised $35,000 dollars. I almost fell over....35 THOUSAND dollars! Shane felt better about Enoch being reunited with his wife if he went to the ranger station at the bottom of the mountain. He flagged down another hiker and told him that Enoch needed some help and asked him to give him a ride. He seemed a little reluctant but Shane told him, "this man has a great story and is doing big things" and the hiker agreed to take him telling him to grab his stuff. Enoch ran over grabbing his pack and hollered to Shane as we set off down the trail, "Thanks, you guys are my trail angels."

Enoch aka Don Havener. Please see the link later in the blog to read his whole story.

Despite the lost time with Enoch I didn't care. Our visit with him had moved me in a way that I can't fully express and made it clear that all the delays and frustrations of my day where meant to be, I was meant to meet Enoch. Both Shane and I were on an emotional high and our legs showed it. easily obliterating the first mile toward Wilburn Ridge. We passed a hiker who told us about a group of ponies and foals up ahead across the ridge.  I ran on ahead of Shane who had called home to tell his wife the story of Enoch and when I popped across the ridge I found a group of around fifteen ponies. I quickly snapped some pictures with Shane catching up and taking a few of his own. I probably could have stayed there the rest of the evening but he reminded me we needed to keep moving since we were about thirty minutes behind.

Shane's panoramic shot of me on Wilburn Ridge.

Coming off Wilburn Ridge to more fantastic views.

From the Rhododendron Trail the beginnings of Wilburn Ridge were as far as I had ever hiked. It only took  a few minutes on the Wilburn Ridge Spur Trail for me to realize my mistake. The rocky pass lifted us high above the surrounding mountains giving us some of the best 360 views I had ever seen. Shane kept our pace fast and each time I stopped for a picture he would vanish across another set of boulders. When I would catch up he would remind me of our time constraints and take off again, increasing the pace each time.

It was a role reversal for him that I'm sure took some getting used to. Normally I'm the guide taking him to some of my favorite places and my reactions to all the new scenery had him grinning from ear to ear. The blue blazed trail was a challenge with lots of scrambling across uneven boulders. I took pictures as fast as I could while trying to keep sight of Shane. Being behind we avoided the second section of Wilburn Ridge and rejoined the Appalachian Trail passing through an area known as Fat Man's Squeeze, a narrow pass through some rock formations that popped us out to more stunning scenery. We were only two miles in, and I had proclaimed it as the best part of the Appalachian Trail with all the variety so far.

Shane at the entrance of Fat Man's Squeeze.

Inside of Fat Man's Squeeze.

When we finally left the rocky outcrops the views were no less spectacular. I could see deep into Virginia and North Carolina and recognized several peaks on the horizon. Both the Roan Highlands and Grandfather Mountain were visible and I cringed thinking about how crowded they probably where as Shane and I were alone the majority of our hike so far. We encountered another group of ponies and the distant views behind them made for some more wonderful pictures. Soon we entered into the Lewis Fork Wilderness and the trail winds through some pine forests and large dead trees haunt both sides of the trail. The AT passes between two huge boulders that perfectly frame Mt. Rogers and Shane looked back at me saying, 'THIS is your sunset spot." I agreed but looked nervously over to Mt. Rogers thinking we still had a long way to go!

More long views.

Grandfather Mountain and Roan Highlands from the Appalachian Trail.

The trail mercifully levels and I was able to close up on Shane's heels. A short distance later we came into a clearing at a shelter and found some hikers preparing dinner at a picnic table. We visited with them briefly before tearing off again knowing we were closing on the summit spur trail. Sure enough, within five minutes we found the small sign and spur trail with Shane taking the lead pushing me to keep up. We passed  through blooming blackberry bushes and started seeing the old growth forests ahead.

Mt. Rogers Spur Trail.

Entering the old growth forest.

Nothing could really prepare for me the scenery in the forest. Thick green carpets of moss covered everything and knee high ferns lined the trail. The occasionally peeks through but only in bright rays and I started to really hate myself for not carrying a tripod. When I caught Shane he was stopped on some rock stairs and let me take the lead cluing me in that we must be close to the summit. I wound up the steps almost circling back on myself arriving at a rock jutting into the air and the survey marker indicating the highest point in the state of Virginia. I had worked so hard to be here I almost knelt unknowingly and kissed the marker in celebration. Shane and I both posed for a few pictures and I made sure to get one of our hiking sticks next to the marker since Uncle Jim had made them for me and I wanted him to be part of our celebration, if only in spirit.

Shane leading the way toward the summit.

A woodbooger finally captured on film.

The celebration of the summit.

Shane on Virginia's highest point.

The tallest man in Virginia on it's tallest peak.

Having succeeded on one half of our mission, I found new energy and both Shane and I continued the fast pace as we raced the sun back to the rocks near Wilburn Ridge. I looked at my watch as we passed the spur trail sign noting that it was ten minutes til eight. I pushed myself as hard as I could realizing the sunset would be within the hour and when I made it back to our rock it was only 8:15! The sun was already beginning to streak some color in the sky. Unfortunately some other sunset hikers had arrived but I was able to get several good shots before deciding to climb higher along the cliffs to a rock with  Shane to watch the sun fade from the Heavens. I celebrated with a granola bar and some water before deciding the sun had ran it's course and packed to head out as darkness started surrounding us.

Mt. Rogers framed at Sunset.

Mt. Rogers from a rock outcrop near Wilburn Ridge

Shane was an excellent guide and picked a great spot for sunset.

Mt. Rogers shot with the Canon Rebel.

Appalachian Trail toward Mt. Rogers. Shot with the Canon Rebel.

Hiking back was no less of an adventure. We passed another group of ponies and a small foal approached Shane for some scratches. I took a few pictures before deciding I wanted one of me petting it as well. When I attempted to scratch it's head it latched onto my finger causing Shane to erupt with laughter. I shook free only to have another foal approach and steal the button off of my cargo shorts pocket. My turn to laugh came only a few minutes later after Shane said he had never seen a snake although it looked like a prime habitat for one. Just as he finished saying it, he stepped on one unleashing a hilarious dance as the snake retreated into some tall grass out of sight. The snake served as a blessing to me as it slowed Shane's pace as he watched the ground the rest of the way back.

Shane's friend.

My enemy.

My finger!

The park closed at 10pm and we made it back to the truck with 10 minutes to spare. The drive home was no less entertaining with wildlife popping out of the woods everywhere. Some of the highlights were two foxes and a doe with a very small fawn. Shane was so pumped about our day that he blazed by where my truck was parked before realizing the mistake a few miles down the road. He dropped me off at 11pm and we said our goodbyes agreeing it had been our finest overall hike. I lingered in the parking lot after he left for a few minutes to look through my pictures being too excited to wait for when I got home. Once I got on the interstate my phone buzzed with a text from Shane. It was a link to a news article about a 76 year old Ohio man who was attempting the Appalachian Trail to raise money for Parkinson's Research.  Our friend Enoch aka Don Havener, was indeed, the real deal. To read the entire article please visit here: http://weeklyvillager.com/garrettsville-man-takes-epic-journey-along-appalachian-trail-for-parkinson-research/

There are several records being attempted this year on the Appalachian Trail with Scott Jurek's speed attempt and a double amputee to name a few. Both of them have gained national media attention while Enoch marches on through the highlands a virtual unknown with a purpose. When news crews finally catch up to him somewhere along the way he may tell them the story of the day he was reunited with his wife only hours before their 55th wedding anniversary by two trail angels. Until next time, happy trails.

The year is quickly coming to a close and I wanted to end it with some of the more difficult and remote hiking locations the area has to offer. While seeking out the adventures I stumbled across a waterfall deep in Carter County named North Fork Stony Creek Falls. A quick Google search yielded very little additional information but did give me the location of the headwaters of the creek near the Double Springs Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. I've earned some stripes this year as far as the difficulties of my hikes go so if I couldn't find a trail to follow I would just mirror the creek down the drainage to the falls. I checked with local trail guru Larry Jarrett and he was kind enough to give me a few pointers to aid me on my mission. Having what I deemed to be sufficient information I decided the trip to the falls was a must! I recently transferred stores and finding the time to hike has been the greatest challenge of all, but Sunday I was off and the weather was nice enough to break in my new boots on the hunt for North Fork Stony Creek Falls.

Lincoln and Sallie crossing one of the hiker fences on the AT. Photo by Halley Burleson.

Appalachian Trail heading into the rime ice covered trees.

A closer look at the ice covered branches.

I haven't had any trouble finding people willing to hit the trails as the notoriety of some of our hikes really have everyone eager to hit the woods and see what it's all about. When I transferred stores I began working with Justin Hopkins again. For those of you that follow the blog, you will remember Justin as poor soul that lost his tooth on a nasty fall at Red Fork Falls. I've probably laughed more about that moment than anything this year so when he asked to take him hiking again I told him as long as we could keep our teeth he could tag along. My North Carolina connection came through as Halley and Lincoln also joined our group in the days leading up to the hike.

Lincoln, Justin, and I inside the Double Springs Shelter. Photo by Halley Burleson.

Frozen spider webs on the side of the shelter.

Time to head off trail! photo by Halley Burleson.

Heading down the drainage. Can you see the others?

When the springs started popping up in the drainage so too did the Laurel. At this point you're still over a mile from the main waterfall!

Dead end above some cliffs.

Sunday morning, Justin and I met in Gray and departed for Elizabethton to meet Halley and Lincoln at Food City before following highway 91 to the top of the mountain. The Appalachian Trail crosses there at the Johnson County/Carter County line. Larry had cautioned us all to wear orange and I was thankful for it as there were three groups of hunters with dogs tracking bears. As I ate my breakfast in the gravel lot it was fun to watch the hunters chase their eager hunting dogs and one of them took a hilarious belly flop fall while holding his dogs tail. I talked to the oldest of the hunters about the falls and one of the first things he said was, "if you don't have a GPS you can't find them."  Undaunted by his assessment, we hit the AT through a unusually tricky gate lock into a pasture field. The field was open and being on top of the mountain we could see deep into Shady Valley and the frosted tops of the distant mountains. Halley and Lincoln seemed happy to be with us and I was glad to have her dog Sallie back out for the first time in what seems like forever (and yes she was wearing orange as well!) Justin seemed focused and quiet marching through the woods occasionally stopping to take a cell phone picture. Our pace on the level ridge was fast and soon we entered the woods over one of the hikers fences that make the AT so wonderful. The trail stayed relatively flat still following the ridge line and I felt like I was far enough away from the truck to break the news to Justin that the hike might be a little longer than six miles. I had screen shot the conversation with Larry so all we had to go on was his map and the hopes we could read the lay of the land enough to know where to turn off the Appalachian Trail. Halley and Lincoln fell behind photographing the forest coated in ice. I was so excited my pace was leaving Justin further behind and soon I was heading down a small valley and could see the Double Springs Shelter. I already knew I had went too far for the turn down the drainage but I was interested in seeing the shelter and the headwaters of what was, at least in pictures, a large waterfall. I settled into the shelter digging out the trail journal scouring for any mention of people that may have wandered down from there to the falls. Almost a full year of entries later, and not one mention of North Fork Stony Creek Falls! I didn't want to alarm the others so I tucked it away in it's plastic bag and back into the rafters of the shelter. I scouted down the blue blaze trail to the spring and found the creek bubbling to life right at my feet. I rejoined the others and told them we had came too far according to Larry and needed to head back but I now could see the valley that I thought would lead us to the waterfall. As we hiked back around the ridge the rime ice began to fall like snow and we all stopped to take it in. I kept starring at my map and decided we were entering the right drainage and if I was correct we would drop right down to the top of the falls...

Found a way down by the fallen tree at top left. You can also see the top of first waterfall here. Photo by Justin Hopkins.

Halley eager to set up for photos!

Shot from the tripod.

Justin coming through the brush heading downstream.

Another large waterfall on the creek.

The first part of the off trail hike was easy. The occasional tangle of thorns or slick leaves did little to slow us down. The fact that we were hiking downhill was a welcome relief since we were already 3.5 miles in. The ridges grew steep around us and the valley deepened. The open forest hiking soon closed into Laurel thickets and creeks roaring to life from springs on either side of the drainage. I tried to stay as close as I could to the newly formed creek but it was a crooked journey avoiding the trappings of the Laurel. I heard what I thought was a waterfall downstream and as I grew closer I was cut off by another creek cutting in from the right and a steep bank descent. I found my way down upstream and the boots paid off as I waded through the small branch with dry feet. The creek now was double in size and the water was loud. I realized the others were no where to be seen so I waited until I could see Halley's red jacket coming through the laurel to keep hiking. I could definitely hear a waterfall and arrived at the top of about a 25ft waterfall! Everyone was excited to see the falls and asked if we had made it. I couldn't tell much about the falls other than I wanted to get off the ledge and to the base. Over the years the cliffs surrounding the waterfall gave way and created a rocky path to get down for a better view. I was first at the base and waited for Justin to catch me since he was packing my tripod. While trying to find the best angle to see the falls I found a clearing and a neatly trimmed branch, a good indicator that Larry had been there although it had been a few years. We took pictures and snacked resting after around four miles of hiking. I wanted to check downstream and beat my way through more laurel to find the creek level and unremarkable and couldn't help but wonder, where were we? I took my phone out to look at the topo map and it seemed like we should be either near or on the North Fork drainage but I had never seen a published picture of the waterfall we were sitting by. Justin proved his merit here by pointing out the lines on the map and saying "here's where we left the AT and look how sharp the lines are here so the main waterfall should be downstream from where we are now!"

My first glimpse of the main waterfall. You can tell how steep the banks around the falls are here as well.

Me walking behind the falls.

I took my jacket off where my shirt would stand out more. I'm tiny behind the falls!

I started back out through the laurel from where I had just came with Justin, Halley, and Lincoln close behind. I kept my head down and feet moving forward. I eventually fought my way into the creek and just waded down the drainage hoping to see some sign of hope. When I stopped at a small clearing I found myself alone again and decided to wait for the others. Nearly 10 minutes went by before I could see Justin hiking toward me alone. Apparently Halley had hurt her knee on the climb down the drainage and couldn't continue fighting through the laurel. Justin told me they said they would wait for a while on us if we kept going but would hike out after an hour or so. I was really disappointed they had traveled so far and felt like I was failing them in not getting them to the falls. I pushed myself hard down through the creek and small creeks continued to dump in on either side of me. I could hear more roaring water in the distance and arrived at the top of another decent waterfall. It was a large cascade that squeezed the creek into a steep gorge. I found the area to be really cool and noticed what looked like an old logging road on the right side of the stream even though it was still really overgrown. Justin would lose sight of me but each time I stopped I could hear him thrashing my way with the tops of the laurel shaking. Although it was brutal hiking, it was really enjoyable to be in such a remote area with very little sign of human interference. In one of the many side streams I found a old bread bag which was bittersweet, it showed that someone had been here for some reason but that they were also littering. The logging road narrowed and I had to dump off into the creek now completely surrounded by the mountains. I waited for Justin and he caught me just above a small waterfall but one that I recognized from TN landforms as the upper falls on North Fork Stony Creek! We were on the right creek and from what I remembered close to the main waterfall. I found a renewed energy and could soon see large rock formations on either side of the ridge and noticed that the forest floor on the opposite side of them seemed to be a lot lower! I continued on the right side of the stream and suddenly it vanished over a large drop, we had made it to North Fork Stony Creek Falls! I waited for Justin to reach the brink with me before we continued around the ridge looking for a way off the cliffs to the base. With a week of rain the falls was roaring but we couldnt' lose focus because the leaves were slick with water seeping across the bare rock beneath our feet. I found a doable but sketchy gap in the cliff to slide through to a ledge right at the main drop. I bear crawled away from the drop and found a rock shaped similar to stairs that dropped me down to the last stretch of loose rock to the base. Justin chose a different and probably safer route and remained high above me. When I stepped out into the creek for my first unobstructed view of the falls I was stunned. I know I've said that a lot in the past, but truly stunned! The waterfall flowed in to distinct drops off the cliff. One of the drops was a little over 15ft higher than the other but the whole scene was wonderful. Justin caught up to me and we congratulated each other standing in the creek. I still lack seeing several waterfalls in Tennessee but this one topped my list of favorites in the first few minutes of being there. Justin crossed the creek below the falls and hiked around walking behind  the falls, I couldn't believe how tiny he was against the rock wall framed by the two drops. I took a few pictures and decided I had to have one of those shots for myself. When I got behind the falls I could tell not many people had been there the moss was so thick. I tried to stay on the rock to not disturb the scene and found my way out to the opening between the two drops. I can't remember being more proud on a hike. Almost two miles off tough off trail hiking had paid off, I was in Heaven. I waited for Justin to finish taking pictures and hiked around the rock amphitheater to rejoin him. We savored a few more minutes there at the base before knowing we needed to start the two mile climb back UP to the Appalachian Trail. It was a little after 2pm when we finally tore ourselves away from the falls and started hiking out. The climb around the waterfall was more difficult going out and when I reached the slide down the cliff I had took earlier I realized how foolish I was for attempting it. A narrow ledge separated me from tumbling out over the falls and to my death. I hiked further away from the falls to find a safer route back up. When we reached the top  we still had miles of laurel struggling ahead of us but we vowed to stick together and take our time. Soon we were wading the creek below the first waterfall and climbing the bank to reach the upper springs of the drainage. Justin pushed himself hard and not having water or food was catching up with his body. Our rest breaks grew more frequent as the sun started to fade behind the ridges. Both of us had waded in knee deep water and after seeing the ice coated trees that morning I knew I didn't want to be there after dark. Justin stopped a few 100 yards shy of the intersection of the AT for one final break, the promise of fresh drinking water just over the ridge pushed him onto the summit and back on the trail. Hiking back is usually a breeze on level and downhill grades but even my legs were sluggish from the climbing and scrambling we had been doing for nearly four miles off the main trail. After stopping at one of the trail side springs we pushed on the final 2.5 miles to the truck.

Tripod shot of North Fork Stony Creek Falls.

North Fork Stony Creek Falls captured with Canon Rebel T3I.

Almost home.

Shadow Selfie overlooking Shady Valley.

The red line is our trip. You can see that almost half the hike was completely off trail!

I told Justin I was so tired that it hurt to move my eyebrows and he soon faded into sleep on the ride back home. It gave me time to reflect on what a truly wonderful day it was in the mountains. Justin had redeemed himself from the infamous fall earlier in the year and knocked out a hike very few people do. Thousands of people pass by the falls on their quest to tame the Appalachian Trail each year and yet the area around the falls is nearly flawless. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you set your mind to do something! Again, special thanks to Larry Jarrett for his insight and more importantly his friendship, I couldn't have done this trip without you. Until next time, happy trails!