5/31-6/3/2011 AT#12 VA James River footbridge to Rockfish Gap
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, 05-03-2020 at 18:02 (607 Views)
5/31-6/3/2011
AT#12 VA James River footbridge to Rockfish Gap
Solo: started at Mile 779
12:00 pm at lot off 501 to Glasgow. Nan (my wife) gave 4 hikers a ride for ice cream at Gasgow! She said they stunk like a methane dump but enjoyed their enthusiasm. From James River Footbridge Climbed 2400' up hill 10 miles passing John Hollow Shelter to Punch Bowl Shelter and tented because of terrible mosquitoes at the shelter. Shelter is adjacent to stagnant pond. Some campers were using face nets. Only stay here in Winter after the frost. Met legendary Stanley the Steemer from Massachusetts. 6/1 Hiked to Seely Woodworth Shelter which is located close to a running stream. Along the way hiked on Tar Jacket Ridge that has the best 360 views in VA at mile 808. You cross the Pedlar River before this at 794 just east of Lynchburg reservoir. At mile 807.5 there are rocks next to trail where I want my ashes spread! 6/2 Hiked in direction of Spy Rock; the trail makes a big left turn before the rocks. Climbed the rocks and met a solo nobounder who was a really strange dude. Hiked to Harpers Creek Shelter that had a good water source and privy. 6/3 Hiked 20 miles to Paul C.Wolfe on easy trail past Humpback Rocks. There was trail magic at Reeds Gap! Wolfe is a great Shelter with a flowing broik next to it. In my past I hiked there to shelter with Montgomery and his son Rob. We nearly froze to death there with in the late fall after an unexpected snow storm. I had terrible gear and wasn't prepared for the cold weather. There are overlooks on this section so get your camera out. Fantastic source of water and heard owls that nite at the shelter! 6/4 Hiked a real easy 6 miles to Afton Mtn and hitched a ride to my second house at Nellysford with a local attorney who saw me exit the trail.