28: The Buffalo

Buffalo Mountain, Floyd Co., VA

B U R K S  F O R K,  V A

The traction control warning light flashes as my right front tire spins in a rut of the steepest, washed-out section of the road leading up Buffalo Mountain – a mountain once owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee.  The engineers who designed my car must have had these type roads in mind when they developed this traction control system which transfers power to the wheels that are in contact with the road.  Winter’s snow melt and a wet spring have taken a toll on this minimally maintained dirt and gravel road leading to the summit’s trailhead.  Thankfully though, the engineering works.  My car pops up and over the challenging rut and begins following a less steep and less washed out section of the road.  The traction control warning light remains dark for the rest of the ride.    

I had a backup plan for if my traction system failed me, but that plan is not called upon.  The mysterious Buffalo Jack’s offer to swoop in and ride me over the washout is unnecessary; his telephone number remains undialed on a scrap of paper in my backpack.  He will retain the mysterious reputation which blossomed yesterday. 

An hour later, I’m standing atop Robert E. Lee’s mountain spinning in panorama capturing photographic images from one of the most impressive vantage points within the entire Appalachian Mountain chain.  Not exactly an oxygen-deprived summit of epic Hollywood scale, but unique in that if you head due east from its peak, you will not collide with a higher point until you reach Portugal, across the Atlantic Ocean. 

In the Appalachians, many summits are subtle and obscured, covered in a sea of trees, but not here at Buffalo.  It’s pedestal-like.  Standing atop this magnificent mountain’s open summit is an invigorating experience of clarity.  Buffalo Mountain is one of Virginia’s greatest natural heritage treasures.  The combination of its height and bare summit foster a microclimate ideally suited for rare species to thrive.  In 1996, a deal brokered by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) transferred this property to the state which ultimately put it in the hands of the Department of Conservation and Recreation to manage and preserve this fragile environment.

The sky is dramatic today – a mix of dark gray clouds and blue sweetness with just a touch of ominousity.  The bald summit allows the wind to pass uninterrupted, causing perpendicularity challenges at times.  It’s quite invigorating and I say let the winds blow!  I’ve spent the last thirty years in an office where the air moves at zero miles per hour. Few things are as refreshing as having your lungs pummeled by a high altitude, high velocity intake. 

At the highest point of this Appalachian sky island, next to the brass marker proclaiming the 3,941 foot summit, I pocket a rock to add to my collection of similar travel souvenirs kept in my wind-free office.  In a fancy wooden box I keep other rocks, and pine cones, cactus thorns and seashells from some of the coolest places on this planet.  The collection serves as an amazing daily reminder of my good fortune.   This summit rock to be added to the collection comes not from the highest point in Virginia, but arguably from its coolest high spot.  Buffalo Mountain is a mighty castle sitting higher than all neighboring peaks by far.  She’s a beauty; the queen of Floyd County.

After coming down off of the summit onto the shoulder of the mountain, the wind has abated but the views are nearly as spectacular.  Here I encounter a young couple who are shooting black and white photos of each other.  The light, sky, and elevated views will be incredible backdrops for the photos this young couple is shooting.  Many, many years from now, perhaps they’ll be showing these photos to their grand kids or other descendants.  I’m certain they images will impress, and I’m hopeful that views from Buffalo Mountain a few generations from now are as spectacular as this young couple and I have experienced today. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT TNC's WORK ON BUFFALO HERE.