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AT Thunder Ridge to RT. 60

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    • I did little AT hike over the past few days with my hiking buddy Slingshot. It was a 35 mile hike from Thunder Ridge Overlook to RT.60. We met our shuttle driver at RT. 60 Thursday evening at about 6:15. There was a little confusion as he told us he was driving a Volvo, but actually it was a BMW lol. We got to our drop point right at sunset. So we snapped a few sunset pictures and put on our headlamps and headed north. Our destination 1.8 to Harrison Ground Spring where we knew there was water and a couple camp sites.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • Day 2 We hiked thru the James River Face Wilderness. Stopping at Marble Spring for water and then lunch at Matt's Creek shelter. After lunch we continued across the footbridge over the James River and part way up the mountain to John's Hollow shelter where we camped. 13.1 miles.

      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • Day 3: Started with a rain shower as we were packing up and then thankfully it cleared off as we had a steep 2,000 foot climb in 3 miles up and over Big Rocky and then up and over Bluff Mountain (another 400 feet) before desending down to Punchbowl Mountain and Punchbowl shelter for lunch. After lunch we continued on over Rice Mountain and across the swinging footbridge and finally stopping for the night at a couple of stealth spots just before the Lynchburg reservior. 13.6 miles.

      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • Day 4: We had a gentle on and off rain starting about 3:30 am. We ended up packing up in the rain and leaving camp about 8:15 with rain gear on. As we hiked around the reservoir, eyeing a couple prime although illegal campsites along the shore, it decided not to rain after all. We came out of our rain gear and and the sky cleared off to a beautiful blue. We came to a fairly new trail detour sign saying "Bridge out, follow detour". Mmmm no mention of a bridge or detour in the guide book (Also note the AWOL guide says there are camping spots .2 mile south of the Reservoir road on the AT- there are NONE, there are a couple of sites .2 or so on the east side of the trail NORTH of the road- this is where we camped). The detour followed an old logging road and then a trail paralleling the stream for maybe .75 mile. We could see the old trail across the creek. Then the detour makes a left turn and heads straight for the stream, no bridge, just wet and submerged rocks-WTH?
      No thanks we said, and hiked up stream just a short ways to where a dead tree had fallen across and walked across it. The stream wasn't more that a foot deep and we've waded much deeper, wider and swifter streams, but the water was ice cold and we wanted to keep our feet dry. Met lots of nice smelling day hikers headed to the reservior who gave us a wide berth, geez you'd think we stunk or something hahahha.
      6.5 miles to the Slingshot's SUV. We headed down the mountain with thoughts of cheeseburgers and beers. We pulled into the "Filling Station" at Amherst, VA. growlersgrubandgas.com/ A really neat place that was an old Esso station but has been re-purposed into an Exxon station and restaurant with micro beers and a cooler of assorted beers from all over. I got the Octane burger- a cheeseburger with hardwood bacon, fried egg, cheese, lettuce , tomato, onion, and mustard relish on texas toast and a Allasgash White beer. Oh my it was good. Slingshot opted for the same beer and a double cheeseburger loaded. After that we got some awesome gourmet coffee to go. If you are ever in the Lynchburg/Amherst area, stop in and check this little place out, it will not disappoint.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      Let me know if you hike the SNP, maybe I can get up there. I am having my deviated septum fixed last week of the month though and will be sitting around the house with a couple of tubes shoved up my nose-oh the fun.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • As side note, bugs and things are out. I had treated my gear and clothes, but we did not bring any bug spray as we didn't think we'd encounter any bugs. Wrong! The gnats swarmed us one day and I got five chigger bites on my arm apparently on one of my cathole expeditions.
      Thank goodness I didn't get any chiggers, well you know where lol !!!!
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      As side note, bugs and things are out. I had treated my gear and clothes, but we did not bring any bug spray as we didn't think we'd encounter any bugs. Wrong! The gnats swarmed us one day and I got five chigger bites on my arm apparently on one of my cathole expeditions.
      Thank goodness I didn't get any chiggers, well you know where lol !!!!
      on my north georgia hiking FB page someone last weekend went out and posted a pic of their arm with a half dozen chiggar bites. the yellow jackets get me every year but i've avoided chiggars for quite a few years now.
      2,000 miler
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      TJ, if you need a shuttle or fiddle-sitter in PA, let me know.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      TJ, if you need a shuttle or fiddle-sitter in PA, let me know.
      Any advice on hiking the AT near Harrisburg or Boiling Springs is appreciated! Day hikes, overnight loop hike...
      Lost in the right direction.
    • max.patch wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      As side note, bugs and things are out. I had treated my gear and clothes, but we did not bring any bug spray as we didn't think we'd encounter any bugs. Wrong! The gnats swarmed us one day and I got five chigger bites on my arm apparently on one of my cathole expeditions.
      Thank goodness I didn't get any chiggers, well you know where lol !!!!
      on my north georgia hiking FB page someone last weekend went out and posted a pic of their arm with a half dozen chiggar bites. the yellow jackets get me every year but i've avoided chiggars for quite a few years now.
      I got them on my legs and feet twice in the past two years from the Cumberland Trail, it’s totally miserable. And I had to eat crow because I insist on wearing a skirt in the summer, ignoring certain people’s advice to wear pants.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      TJ, if you need a shuttle or fiddle-sitter in PA, let me know.
      Any advice on hiking the AT near Harrisburg or Boiling Springs is appreciated! Day hikes, overnight loop hike...
      Check with the ATC HQ right there in Boiling Springs. Also go to the restaurant on the corner like a block away from the ATC and get the Hiker Breakfast.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      Hi TJ, first, so pleased and excited for you to be heading to PA for your grandbaby's birth, please share the deets after the blessed arrival. Also, check out the thread that I bumped that is called Question about PA. It's about my 8 mile day hike from Boiling Springs north last May; I highly recommend this section. Besides my ramblings, there's some good info from other posters about the AT in PA. Cheers ~
    • Trillium wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      JJ, y’all always look like you’re having a blast. That’s just great! Hope to run into you one day.
      We always have fun. I wouldn't re-hike these sections if I didn't. I think it would be cool to run into you too. If you hike in VA let me know.
      I’ll be headed to PA for a few weeks this month for my grandbaby’s birth and I’m taking my backpack. Hope to get at least one night out in PA or Northern SNP. If I hike in SNP on the way home, I’ll have my fiddle and can’t leave it in the car.
      Hi TJ, first, so pleased and excited for you to be heading to PA for your grandbaby's birth, please share the deets after the blessed arrival. Also, check out the thread that I bumped that is called Question about PA. It's about my 8 mile day hike from Boiling Springs north last May; I highly recommend this section. Besides my ramblings, there's some good info from other posters about the AT in PA. Cheers ~
      I will! Can’t wait for the baby and to do some exploring on the PA AT.

      Thank you for the input. I think there will be opportunity for several day hikes in the area.
      Lost in the right direction.