Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods,
And mountains; and of all that we behold
From this green earth; of all the mighty world
-William Wordsworth
June 16, 2021
Hike from Bearwallow Gap (Buchanan, VA) to Cornelius Creek Shelter
AT miles: 15.3
Ascent: 3983’
Descent: 3093’
Weather: Sunny and warm (mid-70’s)
High points: On the trail again with a friend!
My friend MJ from Williamsburg has joined me for a four-day hike from Buchanan, VA north to the Long Mountain Wayside (Rt 60 in Buena Vista). We left Williamsburg yesterday and met friends Vaughan and Tad at the Long Mountain Wayside, where the AT intersects VA Rt 60. They took us to dinner and shuttled us to a lovely B&B in Buchanan called The Anchorage.
This morning after a lovely breakfast we were driven to the trail. From Bearwallow Gap we climbed Cove Mountain. This mountain had lots of sun peeping through the thin woodlands, producing an abundance of wildflowers.
This is meadowsweet, know (surprisingly) for its sweet smell.
This columbine is a new variety for me—orange and about 2’ tall.
There was a great view from near the top of Cove Mountain.
Once we got down Cove Mountain we immediately started climbing up Fork Mountain. We did stop for lunch at a really nice shelter.
After the first two mountains we had one more mountain to climb. The ascent up Floyd Mountain involved our going up and up and up. I mean UP! We reached the top of Floyd Mountain (3570’) and there was no view, but our shelter was only a mile ahead.
Our shelter tonight is brimming with social thruhikers who started at Springer at all different times ranging from March to May. A college student, Gadget started in May and has 100 days to hike the entire trail! He hiked 28.7 miles today and is averaging about 25 miles per day! Ketchup has a more laid back approach — he is thrilled that he’s come this far and he just takes one day at a time. The two women both quit their jobs to hike the trail, and they are in no hurry to reach Katadin.
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!
I’m glad one of the mountains had a lovely view! Hike on!!