A Moonlit Hike in Virginia’s Strickler Knob

Coming off the heels of extremely high reviews, Strickler’s Knob was a much-anticipated hike. It promised decent elevation gain and mileage, with the promise of a view at the end, so I was excited to dig my boots into the ground and hike on up. I initially planned on camping through the night, so I brought my pack with enough food and shelter for two days and a night. I didn’t know that by the end of the hike, I wouldn’t need my tent after all…

Location

When you drive to the trailhead, you will see the Storybook Trail to off of Crimson Road, to your right. This is where I parked my car (the gate was closed so if you see a gate when you get here, park in the spots before it). The actual trail is 0.75 miles past the gate, to your right.

Trail Stats

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Getting there

The drive there was not terribly bad. The actual trail started 0.75 miles from the parking lot, which was unexpected but not at all unbearable.

Starting the Hike

The hike started right around treeline, maybe slightly below it. There was a nice view of the surrounding mountains early on, which was peculiar because the views usually come towards the middle-end of the hikes I do. This meant one thing: the hike would start with a steep descent before providing the opportunity for any sort of upward challenge.

I had to stop and stretch early because each step down was high-impact on my knees. This stretch of trail lasted for a descent bit, until we reached the intersection of another trail. Now I was in the valley.

A Nice Weekend Trail

The trail was surprisingly scenic. Since the trees were barren, I had a full view of where I climbed down from, as well as the surrounding ridges on all sides. Usually, these would be blocked by critters and foliage. It was extremely calming.

The valley offered many streams as well. The sounds of water clashing upon the rocks made the journey peaceful and enjoyable. There were a few stream crossings as well, back and forth, as I hiked up the ridge. I didn’t read about the streams so this was an added bonus.

The trail scenery evolved as I moved on. Although the landscape wasn’t changing much, the terrain did. I covered enough ground for the hike to seem ever-changing. The start-of-the-hike excitement lasted for a very long time, because it felt like I was starting a different hike every half-mile or so.

I enjoyed canned lentils as my mid-hike snack. This was the first time I ever packed these on the trail, and I was surprised at how energy it gave me. I briskly continued on the trail, approaching where I thought Strickler Knob would be.

Getting to Strickler’s Knob

After a while, I was back at the top. The sky was clear and Strickler’s Knob was supposedly just ahead. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the offshoot to the trail that would lead me there. Later, I would find out that I am not the only one who has difficulty finding Strickler’s Knob. Apparently, the forest service removed the trail markers so as to discourage hikers from visiting Strickler’s Knob. If you look at the GPX map at the top of this page, you can actually see the point where I turned around – the trail was supposed to dip downwards towards the vista.

I was feeling a bit upset about not finding Strickler’s Knob, but then an idea popped into my head: if I could challenge myself to make it back to my car safely before dark, I would reward myself with a tasty post-hike meal. The prospect of winning this competition fueled me both mentally and physically.

An Energizing Competition with My Eyes on the Prize

The plan was to hike back all the way down to the valley and stop there for a snack before making the final push back up to treeline. There was a neat little campsite next to the river at the base of the valley that I set my sights on. That would be the perfect spot to have a refuel before the 1,000ft climb up.

I was on a roll. By the time I made it back to that campsite, it was dusk. The sun had left this side of the world for some time now, but there was still enough light to see clearly. As far as I was concerned, my mission was accomplished. There is no way that I would be defeated, about a mile from the top and less than 2 miles from my car. I enjoyed my protein shake and oats while listening to the cold water run. And then I was off.

Hiking Up, With Each Step Bringing Me One Step Closer to Darkness

The trek up was a blast. It was very steep, just as steep as it was on the down at the start, but this time in reverse. My pack was heavy enough to be noticeable, yet I was surprisingly comfortable. The weather was more tepid compared to the start of the hike. There was no wind to give me goosebumps.

I expected darkness to fill the arena and make the remainder of the hike dark and scary, but neither came true. Again, due to the trees being bare, I had a clear shot of night sky, and it of me. The starlight worked in my favor and I was able to complete the entire trek back without using my headlamp. Don’t get me wrong, it was dark, but the twilight was enough for me to distinguish rocks and roots from the actual trail they were on.

I made it back up to the top, 0.75 mile from my car, feeling euphoric. I actually stopped for several moments to stargaze before finally making it to my car.