“I went for a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”
~Henry David Thoreau
May 21, 2021
Hike from Rockfish Gap to the side trail to the Humpback Mountain Visitors Center
AT miles: 7.6 miles
Ascent: unknown, but not much
Descent: unknown, but not much
Weather: 80 and sunny
Sightings: one garter snake and a toad
High point #1: hiking with a good friend is wonderful!
High point #2: I have now hiked 280.5 miles on the Appalachian Trail!
Today’s hike is the last piece in my Virginia section hike from VA Rt 60 to Front Royal. It wasn’t a long hike, but I was super appreciative of the company of a friend today. She provided both much-appreciated companionship and a ride back to the car!
I met my friend at Rockfish Gap, we dropped a car off at the Humpback Rock parking area, and then we drove back to Rockfish Gap to start our hike. Since we were hiking southbound, we passed about ten northbound thruhikers on the trail.
The trail was fairly gentle and easy today. The trail across this stream resembled perfect stepping stones!
We walked by a ruined homestead, the Mayo home, which was another reminder of the people who used to live in this area,
And we even walked by a tiny overgrown family cemetery.
As we walked by a shelter, a man commented that he had just seen a rattlesnake near the trail a few feet further on. We walked VERY carefully for a bit, but thankfully we did not see (or hear!) it.
We did see two reptiles— a beautiful ribboned garter snake and an American toad. I am not a fan of any kind of snake, but at least the garter snake is pretty and innocuous! (No picture—I was trying to avoid panicking!)
The views today were subpar, but I still managed to find this view from Glass Hollow Overlook.
We did see lots of wild roses (multiflora Rosa). They really cheered up the trail!
We saw a pretty type of milkweed.
I have seen lots of Solomon’s Seal plants, but today I finally saw ones in bloom. False Solomon’s Seal and real Solomon’s Seal have very similar greenery. They are differentiated by where the flowers are, so they’re fairly easy to tell apart when in bloom. The first picture below is the False Solomon’s Seal that has the flowers at the end. The second plant is the real Solomon’s Seal that has the flowers daintily hiding under the greenery.
False Solomon’s Seal 
real Solomon’s Seal
After our walk we sat and talked and ate cookies. Hiking with a friend is the best!
Today I finished all the hiking I will do until after the wedding of my younger daughter in late May. For the next week I will stay in Williamsburg and celebrate a wonderful family event!
This spring I have hiked 117.2 miles in Tennessee and 163.3 miles in northern Virginia, for a grand total of 280.5 miles on the Appalachian Trail!
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!
Wow! What an accomplishment! I’ve been enjoying following your adventures. Enjoy this special time with your family!
Thanks! It’s been quite an adventure — scary and wonderful!