Spruce Knob Lake

.....From Spruce Knob, you descend a long grade of several miles. After the road makes a switchback, the road levels off some. After driving through the woods, passing several trail heads, we came to a forks in the road. Now, if you continue straight ahead, the road will lead you along the ridge and back out to Rt. 28. You will have avoided the steep ten mile downhill trip back down the way you came.
.....But, we take the right hand fork and wind down the hill to the road to the lake. The road descends a little more and then makes a right hand switchback and you come to the parking lot. We got out of the car and walked a short distance where we found a vista of the lake

Photo by Okey L, King

.....This lake was designed for the trout fisherman and I believe it is an artificial lure lake only. But, it is a beautiful lake just to visit. Also, if you like close encounters with waterbirds, you will enjoy yourself. Jonathan found this greatblueheron perched fishing. The big bird was too engrossed in its fishing to bother about Jonathan. We thought that this was quite a find until we saw five more while driving up the South Branch of the Potomac. I talked with my doctor, at my regular appointment, last Monday, and she said that she had to put netting over her rockpond to keep these big birds from eating all of her fish. She said that it would come and perch on her roof.

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..................Photo by Okey L. King

.....Carolyn and the children were enjoying the geese. The geese were evidently used to visitors, because they were not about to be spooked by our bunch. Even at our lake up at Tuckahoe, the geese are not very wild at all.

Photo by Okey L. King

.....Jonathan wss determined to get a close up of Mr. Goose. But he came close to having too close of an encounter with a goose who wasn't to pleased at being the subject of a close up.

Photo by Jonathan D. King

.....But, Mr. Goose relented, and after having his photo session, he turned his back on Jonathan and waddled off for more important things.

.....When you leave the lake, you can turn left and exit the area two different ways. Just a short distance down the valley, the road forks. If you take the left hand fork, you can travel across country for awhile before you climb Burner Mountain. Up on the Mountain, you can make a right and come out on U.S. Rt 33. If you turn left, you will come back to Rt. 28 back just above Bartow.
.....Back at the lake road, if you continue straight ahead, you will travel through an interesting valley. There a couple of little towns including the little town of Job. Past Jon, the road ends at U. S Rt. 33. A turn to the left will lead you to Elkens and other interesting things. You may even want to go to Black Water Falls. Turn left, and you will return to Rt. 28 near Senica Rocks. We went back the way we came because I had been the other ways several times.

From Senica Rocks to Smoke Hole Canyon