Mount Rogers Wrap-Up

Perhaps the lure of miniature ponies has pushed you over the edge, and you have decided to climb Mount Rogers for yourself. If that is the case, I feel that the least I can do is give you an idea of what to expect when you get there. A prepared hiker is usually a happy hiker.
I ended up climbing in early October, and when I arrived in the parking lot, it was really foggy. Talking to some locals, I learned that it usually is foggy that time of the year. I ended up lucking out and getting great views most of the way up. I think this is pretty rare though, since I have talked to a number of climbers who have ran into fog each time. I have been told that summer is your best bet for good views, so that might be worth considering as you plan your trip.
The path that you follow most of the way up is actually the Appalachian Trail, and you kick off for the last half mile or so to reach the summit. This means that you will have a pretty well maintained trail, and there will be other hikers along the way. The walk from the trailhead to the summit is 4.5 miles. I took my time, chased ponies for a while, took pictures, and filmed a couple short videos. The whole thing took me about 6 hours. Plan on 5-7 hours, and you should be good.
It is always hard for me to decide what type of shoes to wear when I am going to a highpoint. I usually don’t carry any weight but a few small items, so I can get away with running shoes. I tried them on Mount Rogers, and although they worked, I wouldn’t recommend it. The trail starts easy, but does get rocky later on. If you are just going to highpoint, I would recommend trail running shoes, or a light hiking boot.
Lastly, don’t get your hopes up for a great view at the summit, as there are trees all over. Just before you kick off the Appalachian Trail, there is a great spot to get pictures, which is what I did. If you are going to climb a mountain, you probably want a decent view, so plan on doing that.