Day 22 - Tuesday, March 9, 2021

This morning’s temperature was 36° and 🌞 skies when we woke up.




One of our base camps... moving to our next location on the trail.

Today we are hiking from Skyline 66.7 Hightop Mtn Parking Area (908.4 NoBo) to West to Skyline 77.5, Ivy Creek Overlook  (896.5 NoBo) for a total of 11.9 miles.

We started hiking at 8:25 am. The temperature already went up to 42°.



The other day I explained what the blazes on the trees represent. I omitted this blaze from the list. This blaze configuration designates that there is a trail intersection ahead...and the AT goes straight ahead or through the intersection.

Our next hike was originally going to continue from Ivy Creek Overlook  (896.5 NoBo) south to Skyline 87.4 Black Rock Gap (884.2 NoBo) except Skyline Drive is closed from mile marker 80 (884.2 NoBo) to 105, the southern end of Skyline Drive. The closure is due to the nor’easter that we all experienced this past February which resulted in a major ice storm here breaking limbs and branches, uprooting trees falling across and blocking Skyline Drive.  This also explains all the debris that is all over the trail.




Debris covered trail.




View from Pinefield Gap - Skyline Drive in the distance. 




It got warm rather quickly this morning.

We finished hiking at 2:55 pm. Skies were sunny and the temperature was 64°.

After we completed today’s hike we went to tomorrow’s start location to drop off a car to only discover that the Blue Ridge Parkway is also closed from its begging at US 250/I64 Overpass (865.4 NoBo) to Three Ridges Overlook, BRP 13.1 (845.7 NoBo). 

It was good that we discovered the road closure today as we would not have had time to assess new viable trail access points and then do the hike. We would have lost a hiking day. So we are now hiking from the Three Ridges Overlook, BRP 13.1 (845.7 NoBo) to VA 56, Tye River Suspension bridge (834.5 NoBo) which equals 11.2 miles.  

Till next time... Happy Hiking  🥾 

😋




Comments

  1. Gina DMarch 10, 2021 at 9:20 PM

    Just got all caught up! Good Bless you two crazy people! Gosh your views must be spectacular in person! The pics are amazing! So happy to see it's warming up for you, those trails look challenging enough with all the storm debris, let alone have them covered with slippery snow and ice! Florida must be sounding REALLY GOOD about now aye Steve?? Keep on keeping on boys! You're my heros! And keep posting the great pics cause I know I'll never see these views first hand!! 😜🤣🙏

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve “Splinter” Riley March 10, 2021 at 9:39 PM

      Florida is sounding good and there’s always room for one more person to join us aye Gina 😉

      Delete

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