Canaan Mountain hikes (West Virginia, Sep/3/2022)
Sept 4, 2022 13:39:20 GMT -5
Post by GaliWalker on Sept 4, 2022 13:39:20 GMT -5
I'd tweaked both hamstrings over the past week, so decided to take it a bit easy yesterday. I headed off to Canaan Mountain, West Virginia, and began with a hike to the Table Rock overlook (2.5mi out and back) to catch the sunrise.
First light
Sunrise
After a thoroughly enjoyable photo session at the overlook, I returned back to the car, but then continued on foot up Canaan Loop Road for 1mi to the northern end of the Mountainside Trail. The Mountainside Trail was a bit claustrophobic for the first mile, as it worked its way through rhododendron tunnels, but then things opened up. Over the next 5mi I countered around the forested slopes below Table Rock and worked my way back to the Canaan Loop Road. Another 2mi got me back to the car.
Cumulative stats: 11.5mi, 1050ft elevation gain, 6hr (including 1.5hr for photography).
First light
Sunrise
After a thoroughly enjoyable photo session at the overlook, I returned back to the car, but then continued on foot up Canaan Loop Road for 1mi to the northern end of the Mountainside Trail. The Mountainside Trail was a bit claustrophobic for the first mile, as it worked its way through rhododendron tunnels, but then things opened up. Over the next 5mi I countered around the forested slopes below Table Rock and worked my way back to the Canaan Loop Road. Another 2mi got me back to the car.
Cumulative stats: 11.5mi, 1050ft elevation gain, 6hr (including 1.5hr for photography).
