The highest peak in Maryland is located along a long northeast to southwest trending ridge in the extreme western part of the state. As with the other peaks in the Appalachian Chain, Backbone Mountain was uplifted millions of years ago, though erosion over the eons has contributed to its present shape. The mountain makes up a portion of the Eastern Continental Divide. Rain hitting the western part of this ridge eventually arrives in the Gulf of Mexico, and conversely, water falling on the other side drains to the Atlantic Ocean.

The specific bump that makes up the highest point of Backbone Mountain has been named Hoye Crest in honor of Captain Charles Edward Hoye, a renowned historian in Garrett County, MD, who preserved the area's history and founded the Garrett County Historical Society. At the top, certificates are available in a mailbox located near the Hoye Crest marker sign. These are provided by the Friends of Backbone program, which was initiated by Lillian and Gene Elliott.

---

2005.01.14 - After a terribly long drive from Ohio's Campbell Hill, I found myself nearing Backbone Mountain, MD with just enough time to hike up before sunset. The winding roads of West Virginia slowed my pace, but before I knew it, Silver Lake opened up before my eyes. The dull colors of the overcast sky made the lake take on a silver-gray hue, true to its name. Before continuing out to the trailhead, I made a brief tour around the water, admiring the views.

Two main routes lead to Hoye Crest. The first is a class-one jaunt up old 4-wheel drive roads to a short, easy trail that leads a few hundred yards to the summit. The other entails a class-two hike up a power-line tract with more or less of a bush-whack along the ridge up to the summit. Wanting to finally get away from the maintained trails, I opted for door number 2.

The "parking area" for this route was no more than a pullout just 0.5 mi south of the main trailhead, with barely enough space for two cramped cars. Luckily, I was the only person parked in the area, which made for a quick preparation before the hike. The other highpoints I had visited didn't entail any hiking whatsoever, so I spent a few minutes getting the appropriate gear put away. Without thinking, I tossed my headlamp in the pack. This unconscious act would turn out to be very beneficial. With provisions in hand, or rather on back, I started off toward my route.

A short walk down the pavement takes one to a barely discernable clearing where power lines cross the roadway. There was no clear way lead up at this point, however, it wasn't difficult at all to pick a line through the brush. After gaining 5 meters or so, a view of the slope opened up which revealed portions of a climbers / game trail. The route did not look bad at all, and I didn't anticipate any delays. Ah, la naïveté!

I had learned when preparing for this climb that the brush along the power line tract would be fairly dense, however, I took this with a grain of salt. Spring and Summer hiking in my neighborhood of Texas, often includes grueling battles with grapevines. Though I've never seen a single grape growing off of them, these evil plants have often claimed bits of my clothes or skin during bushwhacks. That being said, I didn't expect any such vicious foliage on this trip. Imagine my surprise, though, to discover that my nemesis had followed me to this remote corner of Maryland! When sticking to the game trail, I was able to move fairly quickly. On those sections where the track petered out, however, progress was much more belabored. I crossed a few small streams, and within 10 minutes or so, found myself over halfway up the slope. The ridgeline, my destination, was easily within reach.

Then it happened. Let me just say that Mr. Walt Disney, the Warner Brothers, and virtually all others who create children's cartoons are vastly wrong; bears do not hibernate throughout the winter. One of the large boulders on the climber's right apparently provided a great place for a particular black bear to forage. I was evidently moving quietly enough that the bear was no more aware of me than I was of him. Stumbling around a corner, I found myself but a few feet away from a bear who was quite unhappy to have his dinner disturbed.

From my days in the Boy Scouts, I had the sense to stay calm and still, but I also had the presence of mind to know that the first charge is usually a bluff. He let out a low growl and took a few rapid steps toward me. Now less than 10 feet away from each other, I was struggling to maintain my calm visage. We stood there for what seemed like an hour, but what only amounted to a few seconds. All of a sudden, he charged again, but this time it was in the other direction. Staying still really did work for me when confronting a black bear! I was glad to know that my Philmont Rangers hadn't just been making things up. When it was evident that he was definitely on his way, I tried to snap a few pictures of the bear. The most I got was an undiscernable black spot on a field of dark foliage. Oh well, no limbs lost!

Eager to avoid another such encounter, I tried to make more noise as I continued higher, so that any other creatures might be able to move before I disrupted their day as well. I tended to the right side of the tract to stay as close as possible to the game trail, however, about 3/4 of the way up, I lost all signs of a path. Some steeper terrain to the climber's left led up through some rocks and provided a nice little Class 2 rock-hop. After crossing what appeared to be a 4 wheel drive road a few times, I found myself perched atop the Backbone Mountain ridge.

I should take the time to mention that the highest point in Maryland is not the highest point on the hike. The bump at the top of the grade, though in West Virginia, is actually a few feet higher than the Hoye Crest of Backbone Mountain. I looked north along the ridge and clearly saw the intermediate peak between my position and the highpoint. My battle with the brush and encounter with the bear had cost me quite a bit of time, so I quickly set off toward my goal.

A narrow road provided easy access for a short time, but before long, I had no option but to travel as close to the top of the ridge as I could without the benefit of a trail. The Sun had begun to set, and I definitely wanted to be on top before it got really dark. The going was relatively easy, and a new road became evident just off of the ridge crest. Much to my relief, I soon found a sign indicating the correct route to the highpoint.

A few minutes later, I came to state highpoint # 15, with a beautiful sunset providing the backdrop! I snapped the usual hero pictures, signed the register and quickly donned my headlamp in preparation for the descent. Boy was I glad to have it!

Rather than return the way I had come up, and risk running into Smokey again, I elected to descend via the standard trail, and simply walk the road down to my car. It was definitely an uncomfortable experience to descend an unknown route in the dark, but I felt assured that my prayers for guidance would not go unanswered. BY following what appeared to be the most well-travelled road, I avoided several spurs leading to who-knows- where. God took care of me, and I soon found myself back on the asphalt. I hastened back to my rental, since I still intended to drive out toward Spruce Knob, WV for what I expected to be a 20+ mile hike the next day.