| Fort Lewis Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,260 ft (990 m) |
| Prominence | 1,380 ft (420 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | 37°18.53′N80°9.6′W / 37.30883°N 80.1600°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Virginia, U.S. |
| Parent range | Ridge-and-valley Appalachians |
| Topo map | USGS Glenvar |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | sedimentary |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Fire Road |
Fort Lewis Mountain is a mountain which stretches from Ironto in Montgomery County, Virginia to Masons Cove in Roanoke County, Virginia. The rural community of Bradshaw is located in the narrow valley between the south slope of Catawba Mountain and the north slope of Fort Lewis Mountain. The south slope of the mountain faces the western Roanoke Valley and is directly across from Poor Mountain. Fort Lewis Mountain is separated from Brushy Mountain by a narrow gap formed by Masons Creek. Brushy Mountain stretches in the same southwest to northeast direction for several more miles into Botetourt County, Virginia. Another narrow gap separates Fort Lewis Mountain from Little Brushy Mountain, a small 1,926 foot high peak, which is located in Roanoke County just north of Salem, Virginia.
A mountain is a large landform that rises above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism. These forces can locally raise the surface of the earth. Mountains erode slowly through the action of rivers, weather conditions, and glaciers. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in huge mountain ranges.
Montgomery County is a county located in the Valley and Ridge area of the U.S. state of Virginia. As population in the area increased, Montgomery County was formed in 1777 from Fincastle County, which in turn had been taken from Botetourt County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 94,392. Its county seat is Christiansburg.
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2018 is over 8.5 million.
The mountain, which had been called Butler Mountain on its west side and Deyerle Mountain on the east, was renamed for Fort Lewis, an early 19th-century fort which was located in western Roanoke County just outside the current city limits of Salem. The fort was named after Andrew Lewis, a colonial era general who lived in the area. [2]
Andrew Lewis was an Irish-born American pioneer, surveyor, and soldier of Colonial Virginia. A colonel of militia during the French and Indian War, and brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War, Lewis is most famous for his 1774 victory in the Battle of Point Pleasant in Dunmore's War. He also helped found Liberty Hall, when it was made into a college in 1776.
This massive chunk of rock, covered with a forest of oak, hemlock, hickory and huge rhododendron, tops out at 3,260 feet above sea level. It's the second highest peak of many that surround Roanoke, one of the least developed or explored. The tallest in the immediate area is Poor Mountain.
The mountain is home to the Havens Wildlife Management Area of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The public lands on the mountain are a popular destination for recreational pursuits such as hunting, hiking, mountain biking, and riding all-terrain vehicles.
Havens Wildlife Management Area is a 7,190-acre (29.1 km2) Wildlife Management Area in Roanoke County, Virginia. Located in the Appalachian Highlands and occupying a part of Fort Lewis Mountain, it is steep and generally inaccessible; elevations in the area range from 1,500 to 3,200 feet above sea level. Save for a few intermittent streams and watering holes created for wildlife, there is little water present; in addition, the area's soils are generally shallow and poor. The area was previously used for timber production, and today hosts a mixture of oaks, hickories, and pine.
Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping animals, or pursuing or tracking them with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to remove predators that can be dangerous to humans or domestic animals, or for trade. Lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals and birds.
Hiking is the preferred term, in Canada and the United States, for a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails (footpaths), in the countryside, while the word walking is used for shorter, particularly urban walks. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, the word "walking" is acceptable to describe all forms of walking, whether it is a walk in the park or backpacking in the Alps. The word hiking is also often used in the UK, along with rambling, hillwalking, and fell walking. The term bushwalking is endemic to Australia, having been adopted by the Sydney Bush Walkers club in 1927. In New Zealand a long, vigorous walk or hike is called tramping. It is a popular activity with numerous hiking organizations worldwide, and studies suggest that all forms of walking have health benefits.
