.September 6, 2006
Lynn and I drove to Three Ridges Overlook. We headed out together but Lynn returned after about a half a mile. She will meet me further down the line. The next few miles went from very difficult trail ...
...to very smooth trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I went by a small waterfall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I came across a short side trail for an overlook. With all the rain we've had, I took advantage of this sunny day so I decided to take a peak. I cut and pasted 3 photos to try to capture the complete view.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I continued on toward Cedar Cliff. Lynn was there waiting for me.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We enjoyed the view together.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From here it was a 10 minute hike back to Dripping Rocks Parking Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I said good bye to Lynn. She would meet me 15 miles north at the parking lot between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive. My next stop was to climb up to Humpback Mountain. I started at a pretty high elevation so I didn't have that much vertical change, but lots of ups and down. I looked up at one rocky section and once again thought, "Trail???"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I got some good views on the way up.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The trail follows very close to this rocky drop off.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I briefly thought about checking out Humpback Rocks but a distance wasn't given.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I am not sure when I reached the summit of Humpback. With all the small ups and downs it was hard to tell where the summit was. The signs in this area are made out of some time of plastic or fiberglass. The signs look they would last just about forever.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I took a side trail of probably a couple tenths of a mile to Glass Hollow Overlook.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The trail going down Humpback was much smoother and had a very gentle descent. It had lots and lots of switchbacks. I was nearing in on the Paul C wolfe Shelter. I could hear Mill Creek a couple of hundred feet below. There were so many switchbacks I thought I would never get down the mountain. Here's the shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I headed off with about 5 miles to go. I had seen a total of 4 hikers earlier in the day. All southbound and all looked like Springer Mountain was their goal. I hadn't seen anyone for hours when a southbound runner went by me. He wasn't carrying anything not even water and was just wearing shorts and sneakers. I must be somewhat close to the highway for him to come out into the woods with absolutely no provisions. My guess was he was heading up to the shelter and would return the same route. This motivated me to get into gear. I couldn't let him go by me, run a couple of miles, turn around, run a few more miles, and then pass me. Within another half hour I could hear the sound of traffic. I came out of the woods.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Another couple of minutes and I came out onto the parkway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lynn ran over from the parking lot to meet me.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She was just starting her hike to meet me. I am usually able to estimate my time within a few minutes. This time I was way ahead of schedule because of all the running. I saw this sign and thought, 'Been there. Done that.'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Another minute and we reached the parking lot. I saw the bridge I had gone over several days before. When you've been following white blazes for a couple of weeks, you really start noticing them. The dotted white line in the road really stood out to me. There is a real AT white blaze on the right railing of the bridge.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I changed my socks and shoes and as we were heading off, the runner I saw earlier returned to his car. I got there before him, my pride was somewhat spared. He sure covered some miles in a hurry. Tomorrow Lynn and I are off to the Roanoke area to meet Runtrails and company.
| 
