Where to get off?

[sasquatch2014]

I am trying to start the planning for a spring trip if i can swing it. i want to try and get down into Va and connect into the end of the section I have completed which is at Rockfish Gap. I am looking for a good place 7-10 days south of there. I am section hiker so 20+ miles are not in the forecast that is not to say that I can't do miles but I also want to enjoy the hike some.

What I am really trying to figure out is where I may be able to get off the trail and have a decent chance of getting back to a car if I were to leave one at Rockfish Gap.

[toenail]

southbound or northbound

[Cookerhiker]

First place I could think of is Daleville which would be 134 miles. So if you're doing 10 days, you have a very manageable 13 MPD. Daleville would also be a logical point for your next hike down to Pearisburg or Bland.

If you don't want to hike that far, the Trail intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway in several places or you could start at VA Rt. 43 giving you a 112 mile hike. I'd try for Daleville though. It's easy to get to, being at the intersection of I-81.

This stretch of VA isn't real difficult but you are faced with the 3,000' descent and ascent of The Priest and Three Ridges. Also it's been a long time since I hiked in the Humpback Rocks area but I hear it's very rocky.

You're probably within the range of Skyline's shuttle service. You could also PM Hikerhead for ideas about shuttles - he lives in Roanoke.

It's a real nice section of trail - except for a re-hike around the James River, I haven't hiked it in over 20 years.

[Cookerhiker]

PS - if you don't want to incur the expense of a shuttle and want to leave your car at Rockfish, you could hike south to the last crossing on the BRP - 120 Trail miles - and hitch back on the Parkway.

[sasquatch2014]

I would want to go SB just so if i have to call the hike short I won't have some random 7 mile gap or something between section 10 hrs from my house. I have looked at the maps and elevation profiles and I know that the ridges and the priest will be tough does it mellow out a lot after that? 13 mpd does not seem bad unless there is tons of climbs like the priest in there.

On a side note if you were to give a time frame as to when the "bubble" passes through that area when would you say that would be?

[Cookerhiker]

Except for a 2 day reprise around the James River in '06, I haven't hiked your proposed stretch in about 20 years so my memory is a bit hazy. Hiking south, yes The Priest is a long grind. Otherwise, there are ups and downs (what else is new on the AT) but not as long or as many feet of elevation as The Priest. I think 13 mpd is entirely feasible.

With your desired flexibility, hitching back on the Blue Ridge Parkway seems like your best bet.

Re the bubble, in general you'd not see many in April but you will see them in May. April may be a bit risky on the weather which in turn makes hitching more problematic. April can bring anything from cold rain & all-day fog to beautiful sunny spring days.

[10-K]

I hiked Rockfish Gap - Daleville last year year and the climb up the Priest is the only killer I remember. It took me 2 hours to get to the top of that one...

Once you get to the top of the Priest there's a hostel and a campground if you want to call it a day. The AT intersects with a dirt road - Fish Hatchery Rd. or something like that.. The hostel and campground are down the mountain.. There was a perfect place to pitch a tent up there so I didn't bother walking down to check it out.

Other than that climb nothing in that section really sticks out in my memory other. I remember making pretty good time right out of Rockfish Gap and the last few miles into Daleville were easy ones. Other than that, it's like Cookerhiker said - ups and downs just like everywhere else.

FWIW, I got a shuttle from the outfitter in Daleville and parked my car in the shopping center parking lot. It's a lighted parking lot with a 24 hour Krogers. I left my truck there for a week 2 times and didn't have a problem either time.