Keyser's Ridge was a notoriously difficult stretch in the early days of the National Road, often snowed under with drifts up to twenty feet deep that stopped stagecoaches and freight wagons for days, and when travel was possible, vehicles sometimes left the blocked roadbeds to cross nearby skirting glades. Topping a bald, bleak range as the last of three mountains west of Cumberland that are nearly 3,000 feet high, it was known for extreme weather, including dense fog, howling winds, and deep snow that can halt even modern-day travelers. Despite the treacherous winter conditions, numerous inns stood along the mountain's eastern slope and welcomed hardy travelers through the seasons since the early nineteenth century.