Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve - rationale for wanting to focus on this beautiful and special place on earth

 There are a few days a year that are always more of a struggle for me than others. Most pertain to horrific events that have occurred, resulted in the senseless loss of life and affected me mentally. One of those days that really gets me down annually is September 11th. Back in 2020, the year of COVID and restrictions and forced vaccinations and no toilet paper available in stores, I felt compelled to hike to the top of a place I heard about from some new friends I made back in July of that same year. These friends told me about hiking Buffalo Mountain- about how amazing it is, how serene and quiet it can be and how it is lush with plants and flowers- some very rare! On September 11th of 2020, I needed to quiet the noise in my head and decided to give Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve a try. It is located in Floyd County in Virginia which is not a far trek from my home. I loaded up my day pack with some water, snacks and made sure I had my camera to document what I saw. Getting to the parking area was a bit tricky as GPS tried to send me in the incorrect direction but once I found the correct path, I made it to the tiny parking lot. The scenery from the bottom of the mountain to the parking area and then from there to the summit are so different. I felt as if I was transiting completely different environments all together! At the top I was in awe of the stunning view. It was a 360 degree panoramic view due to the top being made of what appeared to be volcanic rock with no tree growth but a lot of scrubby plants. I could easily see Pilot Mountain in North Carolina and gorgeous views of green fields, smaller mountain tops and rolling hills. I snapped a couple of photos of mostly flowers, fungi and vista views that day. I found a survey marker called a benchmark at the top and was told there had once been a fire tower near the summit which had been removed due to the rare flora on the mountain. I explored like a child- eyes wide, seeing the tiniest details and taking in the surrounding beauty. That visit somehow imprinted on my heart and I immediately vowed to visit and care for this special place as much as I could.