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Black Ridge Trail- (8-11-09) The drive to the Rocky Knob station (milepost 169) was through some more populated meadows. I noticed more side streets off the Parkway. The lady at the station told me how to get to the trail and we were off. The weather continued to be delightful as we worked our way through the forest and crossed the BRP. The trail was marked with blue blazes and for the first mile or so, it ran in conjunction with the Black Castle Gorge trail. I plan to do that one, but as it is so long we will have to work our way up to that. The hike was steep through this forest as we climbed past ferns and views of the Gorge. We reached a fence with a quasi-ladder across it and took stock of our surroundings. It seemed like we were summiting a bald that doubled as a cow pasture. The winds were blowing the waist high yellow grasses causing them to undulate in successive waves. I could see far off into the distance at other mountains and homes doteed the landscape. Be alert where you step as there were quite a few cow patties. Dante and I stopped at a tree near the top of the bald so I could feed him. Being so high, it seemed as if I was back in time and that settlers might have used this tree for the same purpose. When the hike continued we made a sharp right (leaving the Rock Castle Gorge Trail) and travelled adjacent to another barbed wire fence. We eventually happened upon a huge black cow and then some more of its bretheren. We skirtted them and made our way to another of those quasi ladders and crossed the BRP again. After walking through a meadow we were put on a trail that was obviously made for a vehicle as it had two tracks in the earth. This was followed for a long time past a couple of farms. I saw a deer grazing in one of those pastures and continued to hike along the well marked path. The trail takes a right and immediately in front of me was a very large stone chimney from days gone. Also after we crossed a creek there was a stone formation where people added rocks to make a little face. The hike back to the station was moderately strenuous but well worth it. This was a fantastic hike. 5/5.
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