Aug. 13, 2026

It was raining acorn debris down on me from the squirrels in the trees above. Despite the aerial hazards, the trails were numerous and nice. The Overlook has a great view from the top of the mountains. The gap is the only southern easier passage through the Appalachian mountains that was historically used by natives and animals including bison. Several hundred thousand settlers used the gap to go west and then it became an important rail line during the civil war. There were numerous earthen batteries for cannon and a few wooden forts built by both sides but did not see any major battles. It is currently a cool place to be at the meeting point of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.