There are not many trails I miss — and by that I mean I am mostly compelled to walk new hikes, stare at new gushing waterfalls, and sit on new cliff edges to watch sunrises and sunsets. Often I do not miss a specific trail and want to re-hike it.
House Mountain is the exception.
I miss this hike almost daily — truly, I do. And it was one of those hikes where Andy and I made a mental note to possibly spread roots in the area and stay one day.
House Mountain is beyond all I am able to write because for whatever reason — or for multiple reasons — this hike stands apart from the others we have done in the best possible way …
One reason could be that I craved a camp. I enjoy backpacks more than day hikes because of the need to keep pushing further, the ability to pop a tent and call it a home, the feel of warmth physically and mentally by a fire, and the potential to dwindle life down so that only the most simplistic remains. Thus far, Andy and I had only camped one other time that year so I devoted energy in finding a trail worthy of hauling a backpack up and over one mountain to the next. House Mountain made these promises — and though it would be a shorter hike, it would be a challenge due to its difficulty level. Here’s the breakdown:
- Nearly 9 miles
- 2,850-foot elevation gain
- Level Five out of Five difficulty
The day was perfect — It was a beautiful July afternoon when Andy and I slipped on our backpacking packs and set off.
There was a large amount of parking, and the start of the walk was on an unpaved road which stretched alongside private property that showcased pretty views of the Blue Ridge mountains.
I should note House Mountain is comprised of Big House Mountain and Little House Mountain, and it is unique in that these mountains stand alone from the blue mountain range Andy and I were looking at in the distance. Back in 1989, local residents, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council purchased and named 950 acres ‘House Mountain Preserve.’ Today, the area is owned and managed by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, and people volunteer to maintain it.
It was immediately clear, too, that House Mountain Preserve is well loved — While private property surrounds the unpaved road, there were few houses. Among those here, the gorgeous homes had walls of windows and decks that spanned the perimeter to fully embrace the views.
In the drive, pride could be seen on license plates.
Andy and I were hiking both Big House and Little House Mountain — in that order, too. To get there, we had nearly one mile’s walk on the unpaved road then half a mile into the unblazed House Mountain Trail.
It was here a very long black snake slithered in the same direction before turning and heading further into the woods …
We stayed our course as I lead the way beside small flowers and layers of leaves …
Before long, we reached the saddle between both the big and little mountains.
Milkweed was in full bloom so butterflies and bees clung to the flowers to suck the nectar.
Young blackberries — just starting to gain color — grew wild as well.
I read this area was once a homestead then orchard and pasture; and while Andy and I would have been content to camp in this spot, we had vista-view plans at Big House Mountain so we only stayed but so long …
This portion of the hike is described with the following words: rocky, uphill, steep, and difficult — though in comparison to The Priest, there is still no match, which is why we expected the worst and were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at our overnight destination.
At the summit, rocky outcrops stretched, making it a dream for hikers who are keen to find a special spot to gaze out.
In the distance, the Shenandoah Valley’s mountain range sprawled separate from Big House Mountain, making the Blue Ridge seem even more spectacular.
The color blue surrounded us as a bird soared high in the blue sky and the mountains took the shape of an odd sea of rippling blue waves.
I never knew I could fall in love with Virginia mountain views more than I did this day, and I immediately desired nothing more than to drape my legs over the the rock edge and wait for the sun to set.
This particular view is called Goat Point Overlook, made famous by a goat that began frequenting the area in 2011. (Don’t believe me? Google “House Mountain Virginia goat” for super cute pictures of the white and black horned boy or girl, though I’m going with male for whatever reason.) The goat was believed to have an owner in the area, but he learned quickly that hikers would dote on him and provide him snacks so he kept returning to the overlook. Because of him though, House Mountain remained at the top of my Virginia Hike List since I got my first pair of hiking bots in 2016; however, for whatever reason other trails called my name so that when Andy and I finally made it here, the goat sadly has not been seen in years, and I was full of regret for missing the furry fellow …
What I also did not want to miss though was the sunset so we quickly set up our tent while we had light to help. Our campsite could not have been more dreamy, and this is another reason why I love this mountain so much — Tall grass stretched around our tiny one-person tent site, and for whatever reason I felt more protected here than any before.
It was gorgeous — The vista was a few feet away, and flowers grew around the grass …
Inside the blossoms, bees shoved their faces while their round bottoms dangled from the purple petals …
Big House Mountain was my paradise, and without saying a word I could tell Andy felt the same.
By now, we had made our way back to the cliff and took a front row seat. We were the only hikers, minus one couple that visited for brief minutes before leaving again.
The view stretched for miles — unobstructed in any way …
and soon, the phenomenal color show began. It felt as if Andy and I were the only ones to appreciate the sun that day — to see when the sky’s blues turned to orange and the land’s blues turned to purple …
The loss of light made the mountain top cold, so Andy and I returned to our campsite to start a fire. Normally, we never bring foods that need to remain in a cool bag, but this time we decided to opt out of our norm and bring hot dogs.
As we ate, night approached until it slowly engulfed us. The half moon shone, along with numerous stars, including the Big Dipper, which Andy so perfectly captured.
It was a night of all nights; and when Andy and I had our fill, we slid inside our two-person tent then sleeping bags, letting the light rustling wind lull us to sleep.
The next day brought renewed strength to venture to Little House Mountain. Saying goodbye to our big mountain vista, we headed back down …
Soon we approached a boulder canyon where an unusual set of boulders called Table Rock is found …
The boulders get their name because they obviously resemble a table, though this table is uncommon in that it is precariously balanced and lopsided.
From here, we kept walking until we reached the saddle between both mountains again, which meant it was time to walk up Little House Mountain …
Here there was a blue blaze, and as the name suggests this mountain was less strenuous. Switchback after switchback took us gradually up the ridgeline …
The trail here was more wild, though still easily accessible …
Moving through a rocky scree, Andy and I got a peek at the distance we had covered as Big House Mountain stood behind us. Ever so faintly, the cliff edge we had perched and camped on could be seen …
It is amazing how much ground can be covered by simply walking.
It sounds obvious, I know … until one mountain and then another stands in your path, and you have only a minuscule portion of time to walk up and over each.
This complexity is one I appreciate in regards to hiking — Despite how much ground I feel I can cover, my steps are not dictated by my feelings. Instead, my steps are solely driven by my moving one foot in front of the other. If I simply walk, before long, that distance will be covered.
This was the case now when Andy and I arrived at the Little House Mountain’s northernly overlook of the Shenandoah Valley.
Overall, this hike and camp filled me in the most vast and fulfilling way.
And it also made me crave more walks under the weight of my backpack, more positive muscular aches from longer trails, and more epic mountain views with rocky-edge sunsets and sunrises next to Andy.
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