The Great Channels of Virginia are now protected. They are a Virginia Natural Area Preserve located within Channels State Forest. All of that is on Clinch Mountain near the town of Abingdon Virginia. Previously privately owned, the channels became accessible to the public through the efforts of George Kennedy. He engineered their purchase by the Nature Conservancy which, in 2008, transferred the property to the state of Virginia.
The Brumley Mountain Trail runs 14 miles and passes by the spur trail which leads to the top of the mountain and the channels area. The simplest was to visit the channels is to walk in from Rt 80 on the Brumley Mountain Trail for 3 miles and return the same way. There is a parking area as you crest the mountain gap about 14 miles from I-81 (Meadowview exit). Next to the parking lot is a driveable road which is gated about 80 yards from Rt 80. Signs here say you are welcome to walk on the road but you are on private property. There are a few seasonal homes along the road. You can catch glimpses of a couple. Eventually, the road switches back and you follow a dirt road which leads you to a gate and the Channels State Forest. From here to the top, you are still on a two track road the entire way.
Once on the spur trail, the first structure you see is the decommissioned fire tower and then the warden's cabin, or what is left of it. Walk up past the fire tower and look for little arrows on trees along a trail. It will lead you to the entrance of the channels in about a minute.
Before you head down, you are looking out over what appears to be a solid rock face of about an acre in size. Walking out, you realize there are crevices which go down about 20 feet. These appear frequently and in some cases they are wide enough that you can not step over them. Although, you catch glimpses of the underworld below, you don't get a good feel for it until you actually find a way down and enter the maze.
There is one entrance which is pretty easy to find. It is steep and today it was icy. I managed to get down fine. Once I started walking through the channels, I could not keep track of where I was. Many looked the same. A few were deadends or too narrow to pass. I think I explored almost all of the maze but I can't be certain.
When it was time to head back, I started up twice only to end at a deadend. Finally, I located the entrance which I slid down.
View from below
View from above
No comments:
Post a Comment