Cascade Falls and a Tiny Library
Jefferson National Forest
I wanted to take back roads from Blacksburg, VA to Jefferson National Forest. I turned on “Avoid Highways” in Google Maps. I guess there has been a lot of development in the Blacksburg area because Google Maps took me down roads that are now closed. Turning off “Avoid Highways” I was routed to 460.
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are administered together. The combined forests cover 1.8 million acres in the Virginia and West Virginia Appalachian mountains. This is one of the largest forest areas in the east. The forests have been designated as a wilderness area. The forest isn’t dense like wilderness areas in Maine and Canada. Knowing that a lot of wood was taken out of these forests both as lumber and charcoal, some of these mountains were probably left bare. Depending on climate, it can take 100-300 years for forest succession to fully take hold. The cascades were purchased in 1965 by the forest service, finally allowing the public access to the falls.
From the parking lot, the trail ascends approximately 2 miles up the canyon. The Cascade Falls Trail with AllTrails is about 5.5 miles. I took the upper trail and then cut down to Cascade Falls. I followed the stream back along the steam to Bridge 2 and back to the upper trail and back to the car. The falls are approximately 66 feet high and form a nice swimming hole at the bottom. At this time of year there were no brave soles in the water.
The trail along the stream is pretty well maintained. The forest service has built many rock steps making it easier to navigate along the trail. There are also a few places where the rocks are slippery. The trail has two bridges across the stream that provide nice views up stream and allow hikers to explore both sides of the stream. I went off trail a few times to get some of the following photos.
The complete trip was 5.5 miles. When I got back to the car I noticed it was covered with insects (flies, moths, gnats, and some bugs I didn’t know). Of the 20 cars in the parking lot, mine was the only one with insects on it. I was wondering if being in other forests, what might have covered the car.
I drove back from the park towards Pembroke, VA along a narrow road. The flies mostly hung on. They flattened themselves to become more aerodynamic. The flies at the front of the hood were the first to take flight. There was a spot near the windshield in the middle of the hood where the flies never were blown off.
Along the small road, I saw two dogs come off a porch running towards my car. They were chasing my car and one actually hit the side of the car. As I passed, I could see both of them in the rearview mirror standing in the middle of the road barking in my direction. I thought, I’m glad I wasn’t on my bike.
Pembroke,VA Public Library
I stopped for gas in Pembroke and was having trouble getting cell service. I drove down a small road in Pembroke to turn around and I saw what must be the smallest Public Library in the Country. I had to get out and investigate. I went in and met Helen Beavers the librarian. I asked about the history of the library and she told me she was still piecing the history together. It had been a doctor’s office two times. It had also been moved several times around this small town. There’s a print on the wall in the library that shows the original location of the building on a hill. The church in the print is still in the original location and is very run down with someone living in it. Helen told me this was the smallest library in the state of Virginia.
Helen has been the librarian in Pembroke since May and she loves the job. She looking to provide more services and hopefully get a grant for some needed resources. I was surprised that they have wifi service but there wasn’t room to spread out at desk.
I later did some research and there are some other small libraries around the country. None of the posted the actual square footage of the buildings. Looking at these other buildings, I’m tending to believe that the Pembroke Public Library may actually be the smallest in the country.
Riviera Mex Grill
It was roughly 2:00 pm and I was getting hungry. Riviera Mex Grill was around the corner and I thought I’d try it out. I was amazed at the quality of the food and the price was right, $8.38 for lunch. The corn chips were made in-house and weren’t greasy and had no salt. Everything was fresh tasting. It had been a long time since I had Mexican food that was this well prepared. If you like Mexican food and hiking, this is the perfect destination.
Chilli Relleno Meal
I drove to Wytheville, VA and visited the public library. They were open until 8:00 pm.
I found a Cracker Barrel near by and decided to overnight there. I went in and had a chicken salad for dinner. I was surprised how many people were actually overnighting in the parking lot. I was having trouble finding a campground that would take a tent in the area at this time of year. I also didn’t want to deal with the heavy rains that were forecast for later in the evening.
There were actually more people camping at Cracker Barrel than at campgrounds I’ve been to recently. I’m guessing this has been a good business decision on the part of Cracker Barrel.
Cracker Barrel in Wytheville, VA: So many people overnighting