.November 13, 2006
This trailhead could be a little difficult to find. From US 460 follow VA 635 for approximately 11.5 miles. There is a parking lot on the left named Cherokee Flats. The trail crosses VA 635 just south of the parking area. I probably would have had trouble finding it, but as I was driving I saw something that tipped me off. Sue had warned me that when she came through this area on her thru hike that there was a bridge out. I drove past a huge piece of lumber by the side of the road. I figured this was the trail and the lumber was for the new bridge. We parked the car and checked out the work for the new bridge. To give this picture some scale Lynn and Madison are standing way down the other end. This was one serious piece of lumber.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ The trail was a construction site.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
By the size of the cement foundation, it looks the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is going to make sure this bridge won't be washed away like the last one.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
A temporary bridge was constructed in the meantime. If you try to cross, you'll get your feet wet, but at least you can get across.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
I won't be going across the bridge today, because I'm actually going the other direction. I have two big climbs today. The first will be a 1400 foot rise up to Bailey Gap. I'm not quite sure why I have to climb up so far to get to a 'gap' but here goes. After a cold, rainy night the day was supposed to be sunny, but so far all I had was fog. I made the climb up to Baileys Gap Shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ It started to rain a little or at least I thought it was. Then as I climbed higher I thought it was turning to sleet. Then I realized that after last nights' cold rain that the trees were covered in ice. The sleet that was hitting me was actually the ice melting and falling off the trees. In some places it actually started to accumulate.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
I passed three hikers who had spent the night on the trail. Brrrr. That had to be cold. I crossed Salt Sulphur Turnpike. There was an information board about Wind Rock.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ I was now over 4,000 feet in elevation. The fog finally lifted. I now had blue skies with no clouds in sight. Perfect timing. When I reach Wind Rock I'll have a great view. Wind Rock is a great destination for hikers of all fitness levels. You can come in the long way like me or drive up Salt Sulphur Turnpike. From the road it is just a short hike to Wind Rock. I reached a turn in the trail and noticed a rock outcropping to my left. That must be it. I walked a few yards off the trail and here was the view.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ What a major disapointment! With blue skies I thought for sure I would have a great view. Come to find out, the fog hadn't really cleared yet, I just climbed above it. It was still kind of neat to be above the 'puddles' of clouds in the valley. I got back on the trail which stays fairly level for the next 2.5 miles until I got to Lone Pine Peak. There weren't any views in this stretch and then I began the long descent of 1800 feet into the valley.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
I made my way to War Spur Shelter and took a break.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
As I was leaving, two hunters showed up. It was all too fitting. Here I was at a shelter whose name had the word 'War' in it, and I had these hunters show up who looked like they were ready to take on Rambo.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ Leaving Mountain lake Wilderness
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
I saw a cool tree I had to check out. It was probably 50 feet off the trail and probably wouldn't have been noticeable had the leaves been on the trees. How's this for a cool tree?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
Crossing Johns Creek
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
Next was my 2nd and last big climb of the day as I headed up to Rocky Gap and then Johns Creek
Mountain. After an 1800 foot change in elevation the trail levels off for the next 2 miles.
I came to the side trail to Kelly Knob. The sign is very weathered and easy to miss. I took the 100 yard side trail and came out to a great view.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ Next I had my last big drop of the day down to Laurel Creek Shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ I was glad when all the major elevation changes were over with. My knee was once again killing me. I'm definitely going to have to reevaluate my hikes for the next few days and shave a few miles off.
Up some more rock stairs.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
The next couple of miles wouldn't seem to end.
I finally met Lynn and Madison coming in to meet me.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ This was a different type of stile that I hadn't seen before. You walk up the plank, step over the wire, and walk down the other side.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
Almost there. That's our car in the background.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
Today was an important hike for me. I passed the 1,000 mile mark. The real 1,000 mile mark for those who start from Springer Mountain is in northern Virginia. I thought I would never get this far. I'm almost halfway.
| 
